Parliamentary questions
Neil Bibby
1,029 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist epilepsy consultants there are in each NHS board area, and what its position on whether this is sufficient to meet demand.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The most recent published data for the number of neurology consultants by NHS board can be found from the Public Health Scotland website at: https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/NES-Publication/#core_workforce. The data for specialist epileps…
6 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to NHS boards to ensure that people with epilepsy can access specialist neurological practitioners, and what impact the COVID-19 outbreak is having on this.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Last year we published a National Framework 'Neurological Care and Support in Scotland 2020-2025' that sets out an overview of current provision informed by lived experience engagement nationally with 17 commitments across five aims detailing how we will work…
6 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, alongside the Neurological Conditions National Action Plan, to improve the lives of people with epilepsy, and what impact the COVID-19 outbreak is having on this.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-28927 on 15 May 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28…
21 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported decision by the University of the West of Scotland to refuse to pay a wage to staff on zero-hour contracts, or to furlough such staff in order to allow them access to the UK Government scheme.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Universities which are only part-funded from the public purse, and which will lose some or all income from other sources as a result of the impact of Coronavirus, can consider furloughing staff and claiming a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) grant from…
21 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government from whom it took public health advice on the implications of closing schools during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer · John Swinney: Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the Scottish Government’s decisions have been guided by the advice of the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE). SAGE provides COBRA and the four UK Governments with advice and recommendations based on scientific ev…
21 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what public health advice it received on the implications of closing schools during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer · John Swinney: Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the Scottish Government’s decisions have been guided by the advice of the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE). SAGE provides COBRA and the four UK Governments with advice and recommendations based on scientific ev…
21 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the public health advice it received on the implications of closing school during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government’s decisions have been guided by the advice of the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE). SAGE provides COBRA and the four UK Governments with advice and recommendations based on scientific evidence. The publication of SAGE ad…
17 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has received regarding the compatibility of link spans with the MV Glen Sannox.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Transport Scotland has not had any direct representations regarding the compatibility of linkspans with the MV Glen Sannox. However, following the completion of the Brodick terminal in early 2018, a number of representations had been received, a few of which…
17 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the testing capacity is of the COVID-19 testing facility at Glasgow Airport, and what level it plans to increase the testing capacity to.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Glasgow Regional Test Centre located at Glasgow Airport currently has a capacity to conduct 1300 tests per day (9 June 2020). This has already been increased from 900 tests a day by opening additional lanes and increasing the operating hours. There are no…
17 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is procuring COVID-19 tests, and what action it is taking to prevent interruptions to supplies.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is co-ordinating and sharing intelligence with UK Government colleagues including, where necessary, to agree on allocation of certain chemical reagents that have a limited global supply. In the case of swabs and other consumables, the …
17 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to the use of Gourock as a port of refuge for the MV Glen Sannox.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) has initiated a port redevelopment project at Gourock. As part of this project, CMAL will incorporate a new linkspan and adjacent berth in the design options at Gourock to accommodate a wide range of vessels, including th…
17 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many care home staff have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the lockdown measures.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The COVID-19 data and trend charts for Scotland are published daily and provide a range of information, including the number of care homes notifying cases of COVID-19 and the number of suspected cases of COVID-19 in care homes. The data also includes the dail…
17 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many tests for COVID-19 have been done at the Glasgow Airport testing facility on each day since it became operational, and how many of these were for (a) NHS staff, (b) local authority care staff and (c) staff of independent care providers.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Glasgow Regional Test Centre, located at Glasgow Airport is one of the five regional testing centres which are now operational in Scotland as part of the UK Testing Programme. Testing information for Scotland is published daily which reports the total nu…
17 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the MV Glen Sannox is designed for the Ardrossan–Brodick crossing only, or whether the design allows for the vessel to be redeployed to other parts of the CalMac network.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The MV Glen Sannox was designed to be able to operate at up to 15 linkspan ports throughout the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service (CHFS) network. However, the MV Glen Sannox’s primary route has been identified as Ardrossan-Brodick which is the choice of the o…
17 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the chair of a national care home operator described COVID-19 testing in the west of Scotland as "hopeless".
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Care home residents and staff are priorities for testing. Testing is taking place in care homes, in accordance with our current priority to direct testing to save lives and protect the vulnerable. There has been a steady expansion of testing for care home re…
17 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the first (a) residential care home, (b) home care and (c) local government workers were tested for COVID-19 at the Glasgow Airport testing facility.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: This information is not held by the Scottish Government.
17 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what modifications have been made to link spans in (a) Ardrossan, (b) Brodick and (c) Gourock in the last five years, and for what reason.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Ardrossan There have been no modifications to the Arran linkspan at Ardrossan in recent years other than works of a general reactive and annual maintenance nature. The existing Arran linkspan at Ardrossan will be replaced as part of the Ardrossan Harbour red…
17 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards, local authorities and care providers have access to the Glasgow Airport COVID-19 testing facility, and when access will be extended.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Regional Test Centre at Glasgow Airport is part of the UK Testing Programme and provides testing for symptomatic key workers, those with symptoms who are unable to work from home, and those over 65 with symptoms, or their symptomatic household members. On…
17 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many tests for COVID-19 it estimates are required in care homes each week to meet official guidance, and how many are currently being done each week in or on behalf of care homes.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The COVID-19 data and trend charts for Scotland are published daily and provide a range of information, including the number of care homes notifying cases of COVID-19 and the number of suspected cases of COVID-19 in care homes. The data also includes the dail…
17 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what adjustments have been made to the design of the bow of the MV Glen Sannox since the award of the contract to Ferguson Marine, and for what reason.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Aside from modification to ‘panama leads’, i.e. holes for mooring ropes, no changes have been made to the design of the vessel’s bow. However, the ‘bulbous bow’ of the vessel, which is under the water during operation, was built and fitted to the vessel by F…
15 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether doctors will attend non-COVID-19 medical cases that arise in care homes.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Chief Medical Officer and Chairs of both the Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association wrote to all GP practices to emphasise that general practice should continue to be fully accessible to care home staff and residents. W…
14 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who the Chief Medical Officer's (CMO) line manager is; who will decide who the new CMO will be; when they will be appointed, and who made the decision to appoint the interim CMO.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Malcolm Wright, Chief Executive NHS Scotland and Director General (DG) Health & Social Care is the line manager for the Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr Gregor Smith, who was the Deputy CMO has been appointed to the role on an interim basis to provide continui…
31 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action (a) it and (b) NHS boards are taking to ensure that all NHS staff are being paid for the extra hours they have worked during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: All NHS Scotland staff should be paid the appropriate rate for any hours worked. This has always been the case and has not changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recording hours worked and ensuring correct payment is a matter for Boards to manage local…
31 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many key workers have been identified in each local authority area in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer · John Swinney: In response to Coronavirus (COVID-19), the key worker definition was developed to support the delivery of critical childcare and learning provision. It aims to ensure that children of key workers can still get learning and childcare if their parents or carers…
31 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether prisoners are being tested for COVID-19 prior to their release.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Our prisons are facing an unprecedented operational and public health challenge. The wellbeing and safety of the wider community as well as all those who live and work in our prisons, is a priority for both this government and the Scottish Prison Service. In …
30 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many suspected or presumed deaths from COVID-19 there have been each day since 1 March 2020.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The National Records of Scotland (NRS) provide a weekly report on death statistics where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributory cause. As at Sunday 17 May, a total of 3,546 deaths were reg…
30 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the COP26 summit should be delayed in light of COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: On 1 April 2020 the COP26 UN climate change conference was postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19. We welcome this common sense decision. Given the global health and economic implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was clear that hosting an international confer…
30 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it includes suspected and presumed deaths from COVID-19 in the daily figures that are published, and for what reason.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The number of deaths reported daily by the Scottish Governments represents any individual who has died and has had a laboratory confirmed report of COVID-19 in the 28 days prior to death. Further information on deaths involving coronavirus, including presume…
24 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what advice it is offering to older, ill and other at-risk people who are being advised to stay at home in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and who do not have access to (a) the internet or (b) online banking services regarding concerns that they might be penalised for delayed payment o…
Answer · Ben Macpherson: The Scottish Government is delivering an information campaign aimed at ensuring people experiencing financial hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic know that financial support is available, including help with council tax. In addition annual counci…
23 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many council tenants have been evicted due to rent arrears in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Annual statistics on the number of local authority housing eviction actions are published on the Housing Statistics section of the Scottish Government website at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-management-of-local-authority-housing/ . …