Parliamentary questions
Mary Fee
672 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Mar 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether changes to prison regimes will be reflected in future revisions of its COVID-19 Strategic Framework.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: As the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 Strategic Framework evolves, the SPS Route Map will be updated to reflect any changes th…
10 Mar 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the re-opening of the justice system will be fully reflected in future revisions of its COVID-19 Strategic Framework.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Strategic Framework update published on 23 February outlines the government’s strategic approach to managing the pandemic. Within the protection levels system, including the Stay at Home instruction, courts and tribunals are able to open and operate withi…
10 Mar 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will allow prison visits to resume.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The safety and wellbeing of all those living and working in SPS establishments remains our priority and, as such, individual e…
10 Mar 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have died in custody in prisons since 23 March 2020, and how many of these deaths were recorded to be as a result of (a) suicide and (b) COVID-19.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: SPS is only able to confirm the cause of death once a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) has concluded, however, all deaths in custo…
10 Mar 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place to support children and families affected by imprisonment to access a virtual prison visit.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Maintaining contact with loved ones is important for prisoners and their families which is why the Scottish Prison Service moved quickly to set up virtual visiting arrangements when it became necessary, in line with Covid-19 restrictions, to suspend in-person…
10 Mar 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to prioritising the COVID-19 vaccination for people working in prisons.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government follows the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) Guidance in the planning of vaccine delivery which advises that an age-based approach continues to be the best way to protect those most at risk. Prevention of mortali…
10 Mar 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many requests for compassionate visits to prisons have been rejected since 26 December 2020, broken down by prison.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The following table details how many compassionate visits have not been approved in each SPS establishment since 26 December 2…
10 Mar 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many compassionate visits to prisons have taken place since 26 December 2020, broken down by prison.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The following table details the number of compassionate visits that have taken place in each SPS establishment since 26 Decemb…
10 Mar 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many attempted suicides by prisoners in custody were recorded in (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2020.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The SPS takes all instances of self-harm and threats to suicide very seriously and robust processes are in place to ensure tho…
10 Mar 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting adults with additional support needs in the West Scotland region into employment.
24 Feb 2021 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it assesses the Parliament’s cyber security measures to ensure that they are reviewed and updated.
Answer · David Stewart MSP (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate B: The SPCB commissions an independent audit of the cyber security measures in place to protect the Parliament's technology and information assets. The audit measures our performance against the Cyber Essentials information assurance scheme operated by the …
10 Feb 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many virtual prison visits have taken place since 29 June 2020.
4 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-34714 by Clare Haughey on 29 January 2021, for what reason Public Health Scotland’s role as licence holder for LivingWorks is reviewed on an annual basis, and what plans it has to replace the LivingWorks training package.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Public Health Scotland (PHS) reviews its licence with LivingWorks on an annual basis because it is good practice to review contractual arrangements annually. The current COVID restrictions have meant that all face to face training programmes, including those …
27 Jan 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce homelessness.
21 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it currently has a licence to deliver ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) and safeTALK training nationally and, if so, whether it plans to renew this licence.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Public Health Scotland currently holds the LivingWorks licence for both the ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) and safeTALK training programmes in Scotland. Public Health Scotland’s continued role as licence holder for Scotland is reviewed o…
13 Jan 2021 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to tourism businesses in the West Scotland region in light of the current COVID-19 restrictions.
25 Nov 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken since 2019 to ensure that tenants can afford their rent payments.
11 Nov 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the full provisions of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 will be implemented.
9 Nov 2020 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to support children’s mental health throughout the pandemic and subsequent restrictions.
5 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the annual £15 million of funding announced on 2 September 2020 to provide new and enhanced community mental health and wellbeing services is separate and in addition to the £11.25 million of funding for services to respond to the pandemic.
Answer · Clare Haughey: On November 2nd , the Cabinet Secretary for Health announced £11.25 million of additional funding for local authorities to provide community mental health and wellbeing services for 5-24 year olds, their families and carers impacted by the pandemic This fund…
5 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the £15 million of funding announced on 2 November 2020 to respond to children and young people’s mental health issues is in addition to the £17 million of funding that was announced in September 2019 for children and young people’s community wellbeing support and services.
Answer · Clare Haughey: On 3 September 2019 the First Minister announced £17 million of additional funding over 2020-21 and 2021-22 for use on community mental health and wellbeing services for 5-24 year olds. In line with that announcement, an initial sum of £2m was allocated to lo…
5 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the annual £15 million of funding announced on 2 September 2020 to provide new and enhanced community mental health and wellbeing services is in addition to the £17 million of funding that was announced in September 2019 for children and young people’s community wellbeing support…
Answer · Clare Haughey: On 3 September 2019 the First Minister announced £17 million of additional funding over 2020-21 and 2021-22 for use on community mental health and wellbeing services for 5-24 year olds. In line with that announcement, an initial sum of £2m was allocated to lo…
4 Nov 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available for tourism businesses.
16 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) community and (b) primary care services are available to patients on waiting lists for adult psychological therapy services.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Patients on the waiting list have continued access to all NHS services including primary care services while they are waiting for psychological therapy. Patients waiting for Psychological Therapies may also already be receiving support from different parts of…
16 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the maximum number of talking therapy sessions are that are available to adult psychological therapies' patients in each NHS board.
Answer · Clare Haughey: There is no limit to the number of psychological therapy sessions. However services will often work with a target to deliver a therapy in a fixed number of sessions. Clinicians will have scope to extend this if clinically necessary.
16 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the total spend has been on (a) adult psychological therapies' services and (b) CAMHS in each of the last five financial years, also broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Public Health Scotland do not hold psychological therapies spend. The CAMHS spend is provided in the following table. The figures shown cover expenditure that Boards have identified as relating to Mental Health services delivered in hospitals or in the commun…
15 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what specialist services are available to prisoners who are diagnosed as having bipolar disorder.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The responsibility for healthcare services in prisons sits with the NHS. Frontline prison officers and NHS staff work hard every day to support people in custody, who often have the most complex health and mental health needs. Mental health assessment, suppo…
15 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it costs to treat a person with lithium.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The annual cost to treat a person with lithium is estimated to be £32 person in the latest year of full available data (2018-19). However, due to the complex nature of mental health disorders and treatment thereof, it is not possible to fully and accurately a…
15 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many emergency detentions in prison have involved people with bipolar disorder in each year since 2015.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.
15 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried of trials of alterative medications to lithium.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Evidence based analysis following medical trials is undertaken by SIGN and NICE rather than Scottish Government. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidance Network (SIGN) in Scotland and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England regul…