Alexander Burnett

11 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will announce the roll-out order and delivery timescale for each of the remaining communities that are yet to be connected to Lot 1 of the superfast broadband programme.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: We are focused on finalising the R100 North Lot (Lot 1) contract award with BT as soon as possible to enable us to progress delivery of access to superfast broadband to people, businesses and communities in some of the most remote parts of Scotland. We antic…

9 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to publish autism diagnosis waiting times.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government is pursuing how waiting times might be gathered formally and routinely published however there are no immediate plans to published autism diagnostic waiting times.

9 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what research is being undertaking to understand autism diagnosis waiting times across Scotland.

Answer · Clare Haughey: There is no research currently being undertaken related to autism diagnostic assessment waiting times. Autism diagnostic waiting times are not gathered within Scotland.

9 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis has been undertaken to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on autism diagnosis waiting times and the resulting restrictions on face-to-face appointments with health professionals.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) Team, commissioned by the Scottish Government, aims to support the delivery of the Scottish Strategy for Autism: Outcomes and Priorities 2018-2021, through facilitating evidence based actions in assessment and Di…

9 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31328 by Fiona Hyslop on 28 August 2020, where COVID-related guidance can be found specifically for indoor one-to-one, face-to-face voice tuition.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: As referenced in the reply to the member’s question S5W-31515 on 15 September 2020, there is a range of guidance currently available depending on the circumstances of the voice tuition. Further guidance on music education in schools is currently being conside…

1 Sep 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to the agricultural shows and fairs that have had to cancel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rural communities and charities that rely on the income these generate.

1 Sep 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has published regarding (a) private piano tuition and (b) music tuition in schools during the COVID-pandemic.

Answer · John Swinney: All of the Scottish Government safer workplaces guidance can be found on our returning to work safely webpage: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-returning-to-work/pages/employers/ . In particular, people offering private piano tuition …

26 Aug 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31181 by Joe FitzPatrick on 24 August 2020, whether it will provide (a) further information on the development of the LymeApp app and (b) indicative dates for when it anticipates the app will be rolled out in the Highlands for user testing; what dis…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: NHS Highland, working with Scotland's Rural College and two commercial companies, are taking forward the development of LymeApp. The evaluation and testing of the app will start in September 2020 and will continue until the end of January 2021. In 2019, all N…

26 Aug 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the minister for older people has had with the health secretary regarding allowing more visitors and increasing social interaction for older people who are self-isolating.

20 Aug 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when (a) voice tuition and (b) professional and recreational activities involving singing will be allowed to recommence.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Scottish Government guidance for the safe re-opening of performing arts was published on 21 August and is available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-the-performing-arts-and-venues-sector/pages/overview/. Although venues…

12 Aug 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to extend the NHS Highland Lyme App Project to other NHS boards.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The LymeApp app is currently in development and will initially be rolled out in the Highlands for user testing and evaluation before being made available more widely.

12 Aug 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to re-engaging with the UK Government on plans for the UK internal market.

31 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many visits the NHS Lyme disease webpage has had since it was created; how traffic is monitored on the website to measure its effectiveness of use; how it measures the effectiveness of the NHS Lyme disease webpage, and what data it can provide to show how it monitors this.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: NHS inform is Scotland's national health information service, which aims to provide the people in Scotland with accurate and relevant information to help them make informed decisions about their own health and the health of the people they care for. The websi…

9 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve stroke thrombectomy services, and whether it will adopt a similar approach to that taken by the Republic of Ireland, which has reportedly devised a clear means of measuring their effectiveness, which is believed to be easily understood by the general public.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is committed to introducing a thrombectomy service and recognises that thrombectomy procedures can significantly improve outcomes and quality of life for some people who have suffered an ischaemic stroke by avoiding or reducing the lev…

7 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Education Scotland has not reportedly inspected over 34% of Aberdeenshire Council primary schools in the last 10 years or more; on what basis a school is selected to be inspected, and when the remaining 53 schools that have not been inspected will be timetabled.

Answer · John Swinney: In Scotland, overall responsibility for the quality of education and securing continuous improvement sits with the local authority. There is a three-level approach to evaluating and improving education: schools have a responsibility to evaluate their performa…

3 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide clarity to those in the beauty, spa and wellness sector on when they will be allowed to reopen their businesses.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government's Route Map Phase 3 update provided clarity that personal/close contact retail services including businesses in the beauty, spa and wellness sector can reopen from 22 July.

3 Jul 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider allowing beauty, spa and wellness services to reopen alongside hairdressers.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government's Route Map Phase 3 update provided clarity that personal/close contact retail services can reopen from 22 July. This includes beauty, spa and wellness services.

23 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has recruited a stroke advisor to the Chief Medical Officer, and, if so, whether (a) the position is full-time and (b) it will provide a summary of work undertaken by the postholder to date.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Professor Martin Dennis was appointed as Speciality Advisor for stroke on 31 March 2020. This appointment is for a period of three years, with a time commitment of two days per week. Dr Fiona Wright has also been also appointed as Deputy Speciality Advisor fo…

19 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has taken to support large youth organisations such as the Scouts and Boys' Brigade that do not qualify for existing third sector interface funding.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is aware of financial challenges faced by the Scouts and the Boys’ Brigade both in terms of costs associated with running their outdoor education centres and their wider youth work. In response we have alerted both organisations to the…

19 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that risk assessments that have been instructed for BAME NHS staff are being undertaken and acted upon at all levels; how these risk assessments are being measured and reviewed, and, in light of the Black Lives Matter movement, what steps it is taking…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is engaging with BAME Health and Social care staff through staff networks, to evaluate how risk assessments for minority ethnicity staff are implemented and perceived. This is critical to ensuring that our policies are developed alongs…

10 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is being provided to NHS boards to ensure that they are provided with FFP3 masks that have the highest fitting success rate.

Answer · Clare Haughey: It has always been the principle within hospital settings to have a range of FFP masks available to help support finding the right fit for a range of faces. Normally there are at least three different FFP masks available in NHS Scotland supply, all with a hig…

10 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that almost 50% of NHS Grampian employees cannot be fitted with FFP3 masks due to these items failing sealing tests.

Answer · Clare Haughey: It is not correct that 50% of NHS Grampian employees cannot be fitted with FFP3 masks. One particular new FFP3 mask has been trialled by a number of health boards, and the initial face fit testing has shown a high failure rate (50%). As NHS boards, including …

9 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of potential inequalities in access to treatment if treatment, in particular, surgery, is increasingly being delivered on a limited number of COVID-19-free sites, and how it plans to mitigate any such inequalities.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We recently published our framework for re-mobilising our health services, Re-mobilise, Recover, Re-design. The framework sets out how Health Boards will follow national and local clinical advice to safely and gradually prioritise the resumption of some pause…

9 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to protect cancer treatment capacity, in terms of (a) infrastructure and (b) staff, in the event of a second surge of COVID cases.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: On 4 June 2020, I announced the Framework for Recovery of Cancer Surgery to assist NHS Scotland prioritise those most in need of cancer treatment. The Framework sets out how health boards should prioritise cancer surgery as NHS Scotland resumes more services …

3 Jun 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment by Jeane Freeman on 20 May 2020 that the Barnett consequentials it has received from “the additional resource that the UK Government has committed to care home work…will go to care home work in Scotland” (Official Report, c. 31), whether it will confirm how much h…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government expects consequentials amounting to £58 million from the UK Government’s announcement for care homes, and this funding will be passed on in full. However this amount has not yet been confirmed by the UK government. None the less, the …

3 Jun 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the income that is expected to be lost in 2020, what support it plans to offer the tourism sector until April 2021.

28 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29243 by Fergus Ewing on 21 May 2020, what information it has regarding the reason that 8% of the applications were not completed online, and what action it is taking to encourage a 100% online submission rate before the ability to submit paper appl…

Answer · Fergus Ewing: We know from research carried out in 2018 that barriers to completing an online application include people preferring paper, or having no computer or no broadband. Each year we work with area offices and the RPID customers who continue to return paper applic…

26 May 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what further advice it can provide for people aged over 70 who have no medical conditions on how the easing of lockdown restrictions applies to them.

11 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support will be available to keyworkers with children who have partners that return to work as a result of a lift of COVID-19 restrictions but are not able to look after the children.

Answer · John Swinney: The Covid-19 regulations in Scotland have not yet changed with regard to lifting restrictions on returning to work. For now, the advice in Scotland continues to be “stay at home, except for essential purposes”. We need to be confident that community transmis…

11 May 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27798 by Joe FitzPatrick on 18 March 2020, what measures are being taken to raise awareness of Lyme disease to people who may be out walking more now due to a lift in restrictions due to COVID-19.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Existing guidance and materials are widely available and remain relevant for anyone walking outdoors – they can be accessed at https://www.nhsinform.scot/bugs-and-germs . There has not been any new guidance produced recently, as the Scottish Government’s fo…