Parliamentary questions

Monica Lennon

3,484 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

13 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is informing and advising people with a learning disability regarding (a) COVID-19 symptoms, (b) access to testing and (c) social distancing.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government have been working with the Scottish Commission for Learning Disabilities (SCLD) and People First Scotland to create easy read versions of all official Government Coronavirus related advice and information relevant to people with learni…

9 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to provide adequate supplies of (a) PPE and (b) hand sanitising products to carers of people with poor mental health.

Answer · Clare Haughey: There will be many people in Scotland caring for, or supporting, people with mental health problems. Some will require PPE, depending on their caring role. Given the immense pressure that global supply chains for PPE have been put under during the coronaviru…

9 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a study by the University of Oxford, Oxford ARC Study, Achieving Resilience During COVID-19, Psychosocial Risk and Protective Factors Amidst a Pandemic in Adolescents, in which more than one-third of 13- to 18-year-olds reported high levels of loneliness, in light…

Answer · Clare Haughey: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29790 on 18 June 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/2…

9 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the research paper, Rapid Systematic Review: The Impact of Social Isolation and Loneliness on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in the Context of COVID-19, which was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, i…

Answer · Clare Haughey: We welcome research on the impact that the current pandemic could have on mental health, both now and in the future. Which is why we are asking the Mental Health Research Advisory Group (RAG) to focus on this task and working closely with Public Health Scotla…

8 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce legislation to create a Commissioner for Older People to promote and protect the rights of older people and investigate cases affecting their human rights.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: We do not have plans to introduce legislation to create a Commissioner for Older People in Scotland. Our focus continues to be to keep people safe, protect the NHS and save lives, and we are doing that by working with our key partners in the Older People’s St…

8 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the advice it has been given in relation to the effects of shielding on mental health and wellbeing.

Answer · Clare Haughey: Our mental health and wellbeing response to the COVID-19 pandemic will be led by emerging evidence as it becomes available. The Mental Health Research Advisory Group has been established to follow research developments to understand the medium and long term i…

8 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many employers in Scotland have been awarded Carer Positive status level (a) one, (b) two and (c) three in each year since the scheme was introduced.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: We have funded Carers Scotland to run the Carer Positive scheme since it was launched in 2014. Information on the scheme, including Carer Positive employers are published on the Carer Positive website: http://www.carerpositive.org/ As of 16 June there are …

8 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to ease lockdown restrictions to allow children to play with other children from a different household.

Answer · John Swinney: On 18 June, the First Minister announced that we are able to move into Phase 2 of the route map. This saw adjustments to the number of households able to meet outdoors and those who are eligible, to form an extended household. This now means that people from…

8 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether people who are recovering from COVID-19 have (a) been given information on trauma and PTSD and (b) rapid access to psychological support if needed.

Answer · Clare Haughey: Clinical and care staff across health and social care teams in Scotland have been providing care, support and treatment to people recovering from Covid-19 in line with the principles of psychological first aid, which include education about responses to traum…

8 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what specific actions it is taking to minimise the long-term impacts of COVID-19 and lockdown on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Answer · Clare Haughey: We have invested £105,000 to support Young Scot to create Aye Feel, an enhanced digital mental wellbeing resource for young people. The new content is hosted on Young Scot’s own digital platform – as well as on social media. Aye Feel provides a place where yo…

8 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many confirmed or presumed COVID-19 deaths that have occurred in the home were (a) people who lived alone, (b) people who died alone, (c) referred to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and (d) subject to a post-mortem or toxicological investigation.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: a) This information is not held centrally. b) This information is not held centrally. c) Of the 285 deaths involving COVID-19 which took place at home or in a non-institutional setting which had been registered by 14 th June, 84 had been referred to the Cro…

8 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any updated advice for public buildings that are not in use has been issued during the COVID-19 outbreak regarding legionella.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Health and Safety Executive have published advice on the risk of Legionella in buildings which are closed or running with reduced occupancy during the COVID-19 crisis. This can be found on the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) websi…

7 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position regarding whether health and social care staff should be wearing eye protection to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Answer · Clare Haughey: UK wide PPE Guidance sets out the recommended use of goggles and visors in different clinical and care settings. Given the recognised sustained transmission of COVID-19, the guidance includes detailed advice around risk assessing use of PPE, including eye pr…

6 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the final respiratory care action plan will include measures to address the (a) short- and (b) long-term health impacts of COVID-19.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that those living with respiratory conditions can access clinically appropriate, safe and effective person-centred healthcare treatment and support. The draft Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland, current…

5 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) guidance and (b) funding is being provided to support educational provision for schoolchildren with ME, including with (i) one-to-one tuition at home and (ii) online coursework with teacher support.

Answer · John Swinney: One of our key priorities is to ensure that children and young people with additional support needs, including those arising from health or disability, who may be finding this difficult time particularly challenging, continue to be supported with their learni…

5 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, what information it has regarding (a) how many and (b) what proportion of people with ME are shielding from the COVID-19 outbreak, and what action it is taking to ensure that the people in this group are in receipt of adequate support, including with home visits and care assistance.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The criteria agreed by the four UK Chief Medical Officers to identify people at the highest risk of severe illness from COVID-19, did not include people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Clinicians and GPs have been using thei…

5 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what specific guidance there is for care homes regarding COVID-19 and residents who have learning disabilities.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: There is a range of guidance available for care homes regarding COVID-19 and how to protect staff and residents including those with learning disabilities and staff. Health Protection Scotland (HPS) publishes infection control guidance COVID-19: Information a…

5 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many care home residents aged (a) under 65 and (b) 65 or over have learning disabilities.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The following table shows the estimated number of long stay care home residents with learning disabilities, by age group, in Scotland as at 31 March 2017, the latest time period for which data are available. Age group Estimated number of long stay reside…

5 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an interim report on drug-related deaths to date during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: National Records Scotland (NRS) are responsible for publishing the Scottish drug death statistics on an annual basis. The last publication made by NRS was in July 2019. We are currently awaiting details from them with regards to the date of publication for t…

5 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of reports by the Care Quality Commission in England that problems with dispensing drugs during the COVID-19 crisis may be contributing to an apparent increase in deaths of people receiving treatment for opiate addiction, and, if so, what its response is, and whether …

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government is aware of the report by the Care Quality Commission in England. The measures Ministers and services have taken in Scotland will help avoid the situation which the report suggests may have happened in England. On 16 April, the Minist…

5 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any COVID-19 tests have been sent abroad for analysis because of capacity issues, and, if so, whether there have been any problems with the results.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Scotland has not sent any COVID-19 tests abroad for analysis, all NHS testing has been undertaken in Scottish laboratories.

4 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been discharged from hospital after recovering from COVID-19; what monitoring of post-viral symptoms is taking place of these people, and what plans it has to study the post-viral symptoms of people who have recovered from COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: As at 29 June, 4,051 patients had been discharged from hospital who tested positive for COVID-19 since 5 March 2020. This information is published on the Scottish Government website and updated at 2pm daily: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covi…

3 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to include in its COVID-19 regulations advice regarding the use of face coverings in public spaces.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Guidance on the personal use of face coverings during coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was published on 28 May and will be updated as guidance changes. You can find the latest face covering guidance here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19…

3 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects sports therapists to be able to start face-to-face appointments again, and what the difference is in the guidance on COVID-19 measures between sports therapists and physiotherapists in terms of when they can see clients again.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government recognises the important role that Sports Therapists play in maintaining the health and wellbeing of the people of Scotland and while progress out of the crisis has not be as quick as any of us would have wished for, we must move forwa…

27 May 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what specific funding the finance secretary is providing to ensure that dental practices remain viable during the COVID-19 pandemic and are able to meet any increase in demand when the outbreak is over.