Parliamentary questions
Rachael Hamilton
1,432 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
12 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken an assessment of the impact of undiagnosed dyslexia in workplaces.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: At present, a national assessment of the impact of undiagnosed dyslexia has not been undertaken. However, we continue to work with Dyslexia Scotland on different aspects of Disability Employment Policy, including involvement in the Scottish Access to Work Sta…
12 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the private sector to identify targeted measures that could be introduced to help adults with dyslexia.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Dyslexia can be recognised as a disability within the scope of the Equality Act 2010, where the impact is substantial and long-term. Where this is the case, employers have a legal duty to make “reasonable adjustments” to help individuals with dyslexia. Acces…
12 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £23 million in reserve for the Scottish Welfare Fund has been used, and whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority of where it has been allocated.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We announced on 20 October that Local authorities are to be given flexibility to use £20 million of the £23 million previously held in reserve to meet the needs of people in their communities. This may include supplementing local budgets for the Scottish Welf…
12 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £1 million committed to the Connected Scotland strategy for tackling loneliness announced in 2018 has been spent, and which organisations have been funded.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: Whilst the Scottish Government pivoted our work in respond to the pandemic, some work was forced to pause. This affected the setting up of a funding arrangement for the 2 year, £1 million fund that was committed to the Connected Scotland Strategy. We have be…
10 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the recent Académie Nationale de Médicine study in France, which states that vitamin D is effective in tackling illnesses that can affect the respiratory system, such as COVID-19.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government is guided by the consensus of scientific evidence as presented to all UK nations by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). We note the study in France. SACN and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NI…
10 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many doses of vitamin D supplements the NHS has, and how it anticipates this supply will be used throughout the winter months.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Information on the number of doses of vitamin D supplements held by the NHS is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. It may be available upon request from individual health boards.
10 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with care homes in anticipation of offering vitamin D supplements to all care home residents.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Current advice for all age groups on the use on vitamin D is available at: www.gov.scot/publications/vitamin-d-advice-for-all-age-groups . The Scottish Government will work with stakeholders along with the UK Government and devolved administrations to cons…
10 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when all care home residents will be eligible for vitamin D supplements, and when it anticipates it will be able to provide all care home residents with these.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I outlined in the answer to question S5W-33085 on 25 November 2020 that decisions on whether to prescribe vitamin D for people in care homes are made on an individual basis taking account of residents’ needs and any contraindications with other medication tha…
9 Nov 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to Police Scotland to tackle crime in the Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire constituency.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This year the Scottish Government has increased funding for policing in Scotland by £60 million to more than £1.2 billion. This 5.1% rise, compared to 2019-20, is ensuring that Police Scotland can maintain officer numbers, enhance its community policing capab…
4 Nov 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide funding to Scottish Water for the period 2021-27 in order for rural communities to be connected to the public water network, in light of concerns regarding inadequate sewage systems in some areas.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: In the coming investment period 2021-27 Scottish Water must address many investment priorities across the water and sewerage networks within a finite set of resources, and the focus will be on meeting legally binding standards. Scottish Water is working with …
2 Nov 2020 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what guidance the Scottish Government has issued for marking Remembrance Sunday.
27 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what equivalent scheme exists in Scotland to the Right to Build register in England, and what support is available to help people purchase a plot of land for a self-build home.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 introduced a new requirement for planning authorities to prepare and maintain a list of people interested in self-build. The Scottish Government does not currently provide support to help people purchase a plot of land for a …
26 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many Community COVID-19 Testing Specialists it has recruited; how many have completed training, and how many are collecting samples in Scotland.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: This is a matter for the Office for National Statistics. The information requested is not held centrally. I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32817 on 9 November 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliamen…
26 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason IQVIA has delayed training for swab technician and blood tester roles, recruited by Reed, which are necessary to take part in the Office for National Statistics COVID-19 infection survey.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: This is a matter for the Office for National Statistics. The information requested is not held centrally. I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32817 on 9 November 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliamen…
26 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to encourage the public to partake in the Office for National Statistics COVID-19 infection survey; on what date any communication was sent to the public on this topic, and how many people were contacted.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32817 on 9 November 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/parliamentarybusines…
26 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the September 2020 deadline was missed for Scotland to join the Office for National Statistics COVID-19 infection survey, and by what date it expects Scotland to take part.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Scotland joined the COVID-19 Infection Survey, led by the Office for National Statistics, in September, with letters inviting households to participate in the survey reaching the first households on Friday the 18 th of September. Fieldwork commenced in Scotla…
26 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the COVID-19 R number is in (a) the Borders and (b) each of the five localities of the Borders.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The estimate of R for Scotland on 28 October 2020 was that it was between 1.0 and 1.3. The Scottish Government calculates R at a national level but does not calculate it for the Scottish Borders, because the ranges around the estimates would be very large and…
26 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what flexibility local authorities have to set localised lockdowns in particular districts, towns or subdivisions.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: While we have made a clear commitment to engage with Local Authorities on the setting of the individual levels, it is ultimately for Scottish Ministers to make decisions regarding their allocation, in line with their statutory powers to protect public health.…
26 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the COVID-19 case rate per 100,000 people is in (a) the Borders and (b) each of five localities of the Borders.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Case rates per 100,000 are determined from the total number of positive cases over 7 days. Between 23 October and 29 October 2020, the Borders had a case rate of 39.8 per 100,000. The 7 day number of cases for neighbourhoods in the Scottish Borders is availa…
26 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what business support is in place for the Scottish Borders tourism and hospitality industry, which is partially closed but still trading.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government fully appreciates the impact the pandemic has had on the tourism and hospitality sector and we continue to support business survival as much as we can. We have been continually seeking to find a balance between action to suppress the v…
26 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are for moving up or down between each of the COVID-19 restriction tiers.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32782 on 9 November 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/parliamentarybusines…
26 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether additional resources will be provided to Police Scotland to enforce any lockdown measures.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Police Scotland has been at the front and centre of the response to COVID-19 in Scotland, and continues to work closely with partners including local authorities and the NHS to support the response. We continue to be grateful to both police officers and staff…
26 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are for each of the five COVID-19 restriction tiers, and how each tier is linked to the (a) R number and (b) case rate per 100,000 people.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32782 on 9 November 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/parliamentarybusines…
19 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to increase (a) awareness and (b) uptake of Scottish Welfare Fund (i) Crisis and (ii) Community Care Grants.
19 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA regarding the readiness of local authorities to deliver the (a) Scottish Welfare Fund and (b) Self-Isolation Support Grant.
19 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported findings of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s Advisory Group that people who felt that they should be eligible for crisis grants through the Scottish Welfare Fund, such as those escaping domestic violence, had to turn to charity because they were not a…
15 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it took to inform the public about the new fire safety regulations for homeowners that it had initially planned to come into force on 1 February 2021; whether it now plans to launch a wider public awareness campaign, and what funding is available to help people in deprived ar…
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Following the changes to the tolerable standards, announced in March 2018, there was significant media coverage. The changes were further reported as they passed through Parliament, and regularly updated online information has been available since March 2018.…
14 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to increase (a) awareness and (b) the take-up of the Scottish Welfare Fund's (i) crisis and (ii) community care grant.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Through the Statutory Guidance, the Scottish Government encourages local authorities to adopt a holistic approach to Scottish Welfare Fund applications. By maintaining close working relationships with the support and advice services in their local areas and i…
14 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment by the Associate Director Scotland of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) when giving evidence to the Social Security Committee on 8 October 2020 (Official Report, c.16) regarding Scottish Welfare Fund crisis grants that the JRF advisory group had fou…
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Welfare Fund is a discretionary scheme administered by local authorities. The purposes for which the Fund can be used are set out in legislation: to provide occasional assistance to people to help meet immediate short-term needs, and to support p…
14 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA regarding the readiness of local authorities to deliver the (a) Scottish Welfare Fund and (b) Self-isolation Support Grant.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Since the introduction of the Scottish Welfare Fund in 2013, we have built and maintained strong relationships with local authorities, both individually and through engagement with COSLA. The Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People had a teleco…