Parliamentary questions
Rachael Hamilton
1,432 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
11 Jan 2021 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the roll-out of Vitamin D supplements for people who are eligible.
8 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what liaison it has had with (a) St John Scotland and (b) the British Red Cross regarding mobilising volunteers to take part in the COVID-19 vaccination programme, also broken down by how many volunteers are participating.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The British Red Cross (BRC) are playing a leading role co-ordinating Voluntary and Community Sector support for the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Scotland. Scottish Government officials have been meeting weekly with the BRC Scotland Director, through the …
8 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what role military planners are playing in delivering the COVID-19 vaccination programme; how many armed forces' (a) personnel and (b) teams will be involved in (i) planning and (ii) administering the vaccinations; how many are currently in place, and how long it expects they will be inv…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-34456 on? 29 January 2021. 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/parliamentarybusine…
8 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many armed forces reservists who serve in medical units are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by assisting in (a) ICU wards, (b) the vaccination programme and (c) other medical settings.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: There are no armed forces personnel, regular or reserve, deployed in ICU wards or in patient facing roles in hospitals or other medical settings in Scotland. A MACA (Military Aid for Civil Authorities) has been agreed with the armed forces to support the Cov…
8 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the sites that (a) it and (b) the Ministry of Defence has identified for administering COVID-19 vaccinations.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has already listed Vaccination sites for January and will continue to do so. NHS territorial boards have led on the identification and provision of vaccination sites and have been supported by the armed forces where required. Delivery…
8 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) everyone over 50 and (b) all younger people with underlying health conditions will receive their COVID-19 vaccine by May 2021.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Groups (a) and (b) in the question refers to JCVI priority groups 6,7,8,9, as follows: 6. All individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality and Unpaid carers. 7. All th…
8 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many COVID-19 vaccinators will be required to meet the timetable for the programme, and what contingency plans are in place to respond to sickness, leave and other absences.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: On 14 January we published our Coronavirus (COVID-19): vaccine deployment plan 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . The plan describes the steps we will take to deliver 400,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine per week by the end of February subject to the necessary v…
7 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33155 by Joe Fitzpatrick on 25 November 2020, whether community pharmacists will be given a role under the NHS Pharmacy First scheme in the assessment and prescribing of vitamin D to people in care homes and care at home settings.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Vitamin D is not available through the NHS Pharmacy First Service. Decisions to prescribe vitamin D to people in care homes or care at home settings is a matter for the individual’s clinician. The Chief Medical Office wrote to care home providers and others …
7 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32641 by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 November 2020, what advice it has issued to (a) clinicians, (b) care homes and (c) patients in relation to people who are shielding and are already in receipt of a prescription for vitamin D.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Everyone on the shielding list was offered a free 4 month supply of vitamin D as additional information attached to a letter from the Chief Medical Officer on 23 October 2020. The offer included advice, informed by clinical advisors and the Chief Pharmaceutic…
7 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32641 by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 November 2020, what (a) quality, (b) licensing and (c) regulatory standards have been required of the suppliers of vitamin D supplements procured for distribution to people who are shielding.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The necessary quality standards, including the detailed product requirements, requirement for clear labelling of the strength or dose, as well as specifying the product as a food supplement and not a licenced medicine, were set out in the tender specification…
7 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33155 by Joe FitzPatrick on 25 November 2020, whether it will publish the advice of the Clinical and Professional Advisory Group for Care Homes; what the timescale is for issuing the guidance on prescribing vitamin D to people in care homes, and how…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: As the answer to question S5W-33155 outlined, this matter has been raised with stakeholders including the Clinical and Professional Advisory Group for Care Homes. The Chief Medical Officer wrote to Adult Care Home Providers, Primary care leads and others on 2…
7 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32641 by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 November 2020, what arrangements it has put in place to procure and distribute vitamin D supplements to people who are shielding.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: People on the shielding list were offered a free 4 month supply of a daily supplement of Vitamin D in October 2020. Opt-in was via the Scottish Government shielding text messaging service or the free national helpline. The deadline for sign up was 11 November…
7 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in the light of the recent publication of a paper by Griffin et al in the Clinical Medicine Journal, "Peventing vitamin D deficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic: UK definitions of vitamin D sufficiency and recommended supplement dose are set too low", whether it plans to set up a natio…
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Our advice for adults and children over one year of age to take a daily 10 microgram vitamin D supplement is based on the recommendations of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), as set out in its 2016 report Vitamin D and Health. The report…
7 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what COVID-19 financial support will be made available to owners of bed and breakfast establishments who do not pay non-domestic rates and who do not possess a business banking account.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: We confirmed on 20 January that support equivalent to the Strategic Framework Business Fund will also be made available to B&Bs who do not pay Non Domestic Rates but pay council tax. This support, which is £2,000 every four weeks, will be paid by local author…
7 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timescales are for criteria to be made available to local authorities in respect of the £185 million funding announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance on 9 December 2020 to enable local authorities to distribute funding to businesses in their areas, and when local authoriti…
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government has prioritised the largest programmes to help as many businesses as possible. Nearly £660 million of the £715 million, more than 92%, we have allocated to business support since October is already live and the vast majority of other f…
7 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £185 million COVID-19 support funding announced on 9 December 2020 by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance is being provided to bed and breakfast establishments.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: We have agreed to pay £2,000 every four weeks to bed and breakfasts, either through the Strategic Framework Business Funds for those who pay non-domestic rates, or through the bespoke B&B fund for those who pay Council Tax. For the latter, the cost is around …
6 Jan 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many families with children in receipt of free school meals had received a cash grant of £100 by 24 December 2020, and how many were still due to be paid on that date.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: In delivering the £100 COVID Winter Hardship Payment, the Scottish Government agreed with local authorities that children and young people in receipt of Free School Meals on 30 November, based on low income eligibility criteria, should receive the payme…
23 Dec 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that older people who are shielding receive appropriate support.
21 Dec 2020 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what reassurances the Scottish Government can give to communities in the Borders regarding exemptions to travel restrictions between Scotland and the rest of the UK.
30 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the (a) A7 Selkirk Bypass, (b) A1 complete dualling from Dunbar to Lamberton and (c) Reston Station infrastructure project.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government recognises the important role that transport plays in providing access to key markets, jobs and services for those living and working in the Scottish Borders. We are now taking forward the Scotland wide, second Strategic Transport Proj…
30 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) reports of child abuse and (b) interventions by social services there have been in each month since March 2020.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-33653 on 10 December 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/parliamentarybusine…
30 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any underreporting of child abuse as a result of lockdown restrictions.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-33653 on 10 December 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/parliamentarybusine…
30 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the reported rising number of cases of child abuse as a result of lockdown restrictions.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The safety of children is always paramount and our children and young people have the right to be protected from all forms of harm. The Scottish Government has invested significant effort since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, to carefully monitor data fro…
30 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish figures for the number of doses of opioids prescribed during the COVID-19 pandemic for severe pain, and what assessment it has carried out of any increased usage due to the postponement or cancellation of operations.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Information on prescribing in the community is available on the Public Health Scotland website. This can be accessed here https://www.opendata.nhs.scot/dataset/prescriptions-in-the-community However, it is not possible to provide the information in the mann…
27 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33033 by Roseanna Cunningham on 18 November 2020, whether its reference to "stakeholders and customers" includes rural communities and organisations.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Water’s stakeholders and customers are represented by Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) and an Interim Customer Group to ensure all customer views, including those from rural communities, are fully considered. Scottish Water expects to engage with custo…
23 Nov 2020 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any relaxation of restrictions over the Christmas period.
12 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on identifying where funding can be allocated to facilitate free dyslexia tests for adults.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-33237 on 10 December 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/parliamentarybusine…
12 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Skills Development Scotland’s five-year MA Equality Action Plan, which was published in December 2015, in relation to people with dyslexia.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Each year, Skills Development Scotland publishes an annual progress report for the Apprenticeship Equality Action Plan detailing the actions it has taken to ensure that individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds, including individuals with dyslexia, can …
12 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what financial assistance is available for testing adults for dyslexia, and whether it will consider introducing free assessments to enable people in employment to receive support.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government are not currently able to offer support in the funding of adult Dyslexia assessments. Dyslexia is covered by the Equality Act 2010 and, as such, employers have a legal duty to ensure employees are not discriminated against. Employers m…
12 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people currently in receipt of Universal Credit have been diagnosed with dyslexia, and what specific support is offered to people with the condition to help them return to employment.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: As Universal Credit remains a reserved benefit, The Scottish Government does not produce or hold this management information and your request should be directed towards the UK Government. People who have been diagnosed with dyslexia and require support to re…