Anas Sarwar

25 Aug 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the COVID-19 scientific advice on faith-related education settings, and when it expects such settings, including Sunday schools and Quranic classes, to reopen.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: We know that these indoor activities are of huge value to children, young people and families across Scotland. On 20 August the First Minister announced that indoor activities for children and young people (unregulated), including faith related education, suc…

25 Aug 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role ministers have played in ensuring that the human rights of older people are being protected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

12 Aug 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to engage communities across Scotland as the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill progresses.

20 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide financial protection for people with blood cancer who are advised to continue shielding by their treating team after the shielding scheme ends in August 2020.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Although we will continue to maintain the shielding list and clinicians will continue to add people appropriately based on the current criteria, from the 1 August people on the shielding list do not need to carry on shielding and should follow advice given to…

20 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were (a) added to and (b) removed from the shielding list in (a) April, (b) May and (c) June 2020, and, of these, how many have blood cancer.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Public Health Scotland adds or removes people from the shielding list on behalf of the NHS Boards. It is not possible for Public Health Scotland to specifically identify people with blood cancer who have been added or removed from the list.   Number of ind…

20 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that people diagnosed with blood cancer after 1 August 2020 will be added to the shielding list, and under what circumstances shielding would be re-introduced nationally or locally.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: While we are moving towards a pause to the advice to shield for the people at the highest risk of severe illness should they contract COVID-19, we will continue to maintain the shielding list. Clinicians will continue to add people appropriately based on the …

15 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29956 by Jeane Freeman on 15 July 2020, whether it will answer the question that was asked in relation to whether it has allowed access to COVID-19-related health data, including patients' personal medical information, to any third party and, if so,…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government takes the privacy and security of health data, including patients personal medical information, very seriously and has ensured that the NHS has stringent processes in place governing access to all data, including Covid-19 related healt…

6 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it would commit to including more detailed guidance for blood cancers as shielding is lifted, so that people with blood cancer who are at lower risk of serious illness can be safely excluded from future shielding and that those at highest risk receive clear information and suppor…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The development of condition specific guidance for each of the shielding categories is one of the tools which has been created to allow people to understand their individual risk and provide guidance which will support them to transition out of shielding. On…

6 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the infection rate at which people might be asked to shield again, and, if so, whether the information would be provided at a regional or local level.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: In making any future decisions Scottish ministers will be informed by evidence and advice. Our clinical leads advisory group continue to review prevalence and other data with the Chief Medical Officer who will continue to discuss with his counterparts in the …

6 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to ensuring that everyone who is newly diagnosed with blood cancer continues to be added to the shielding list after 31 July 2020.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: While we are moving towards a pause to the advice to stringently shield for the people at the highest risk of severe illness should they contract COVID-19, we will continue to maintain the shielding list. Clinicians will continue to add people appropriately b…

18 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to highlight the increased risks from stagnant water and Legionnaires' disease to businesses such as hotels and leisure centres that are currently closed due to COVID-19, and to inform the public of ways to minimise the risks of contracting the disease.

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…

15 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of a COVID-19 antibody test.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: As part of the NHSScotland response to COVID-19, an innovation workstream has been created to manage the evaluation of antibody and swab (PCR) tests. Updates on progress can be found at: https://www.hiap-scotland.org/News/HealthInnovation/4

15 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has sold, or allowed access to, COVID-19-related health data, including patients' personal medical information, to any third party and, if so, (a) what data, (b) to whom and (c) for what reason.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has not sold COVID-19-related health data.

15 Jun 2020 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the review into the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

5 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the recently-announced COVID-19-related death in service payment for the families of NHS staff will be funded by it directly and not from the NHS superannuation scheme.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The scheme will be administer by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA), but will be fully funded by the Scottish Government. 

5 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to (a) pregnant women and (b) new mothers in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and how services are linking up to ensure that (i) perinatal mental health is being prioritised and (ii) a message is relayed to mothers regarding how to seek any help that they m…

Answer · Clare Haughey: Staying at home for a prolonged period of time can be difficult, frustrating and lonely for some people. Health visitors, midwives or GPs are the best sources of advice and should be contacted if pregnant women or new mothers feel they are struggling emotiona…

5 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government who the members are of its COVID-19-related scientific advisory group; when the minutes of the group's meetings will be published, and whether special advisers attend its meetings in an official or informal basis.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The list of group members and notes of discussions which have taken place are available here: https://www.gov.scot/groups/scottish-government-covid-19-advisory-group/ . Special advisors do not attend these meetings in an official or informal basis.

5 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it offers on the prescribing of graded exercise therapy to people who are diagnosed with ME, and what impact the COVID-19 outbreak is having on access to this.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-28898 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…

5 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to people who are diagnosed with ME, and what impact the COVID-19 outbreak is having on access to this.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Good Practice Statement (SGPS) on ME/CFS provides information to assist professionals and members of the public with the diagnosis and treatment of this condition at: https://www.scot.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/GoodPracticeStatement.pdf …

5 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to possible increases in post-viral fatigue as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Some degree of post-viral fatigue is fairly common after a viral infection. We need to understand more about COVID-19 in particular to better know how to prevent infection, how to treat people that contract it and how to support people afterwards during rehab…

28 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether volunteers who have been recruited for the NHS and care sectors in response to the COVID-19 outbreak will be among those providing telephone support to the extremely vulnerable group of people being asked to shield at home.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: In partnership with NHS Education for Scotland, the Scottish Government set up the Health and Social Care Covid-19 Accelerated Recruitment Portal at the end of March to enable those with relevant skills and experience to come forward and support health and so…

28 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many extremely vulnerable people who have been asked to shield at home from the COVID-19 outbreak have (a) requested and (b) received support from (i) local authorities (ii) supermarkets and (iii) the wholesaler, Brakes and Bidfood, and how many subsequently received this support.

Answer · John Swinney: We do not hold consistent data regarding the number of people requesting and receiving shielding support from local authorities. As at 4 May, the details for all 38,108 people who have requested access to the priority delivery service have been passed to su…

28 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask Scottish Government how many people with blood cancer have had (a) CAR-T cell therapy and (b) a stem cell transplant in each of the last six months for which data is available, and what impact the COVID-19 outbreak has had on access to this.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Between 1 November 2019 and 30 April 2020, 15 adult patients who were thought by their local specialist to require further treatment for certain types of lymphoma were referred to and considered by the Scottish lymphoma CAR -T Multi-Disciplinary Team. 10 of t…

28 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people with (a) chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, (b) myeloproliferative neoplasms and (c) other blood cancers have received a letter from (i) the Chief Medical Officer and (ii) their local clinical care team asking them to shield at home for 12 weeks from the COVID-19 outbreak.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government does not hold the specific breakdown of information requested. In total, there were 20,883 individuals on the shielding list that were requested to shield as part of the bloods cancers category the question refers to. This figure exclu…

11 Mar 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the recent inquiry by the Cross Party Group on Tackling Islamophobia, which reported that only one in five victims of anti-Muslim hate crime report it to the police.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: There’s no place in Scotland for hate crime or prejudice, including Islamophobia. I welcome the findings of the inquiry and remain committed to continue to engage with the CPG as they take forward this important work. We recognise that the under reporting of …

25 Feb 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle inequalities among low-income families.

18 Feb 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and what was discussed.

18 Dec 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the independent review of the issues at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

11 Dec 2019 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide additional welfare support for people in need over the Christmas and New Year period.

27 Nov 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in the Glasgow area to tackle climate change.