Parliamentary questions
Annie Wells
659 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the National Trust for Scotland regarding (a) preventing staff redundancies and (b) reopening its venues, and what progress has been made.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answers to questions S5W-29857 on 22 June 2020 and S5W-30290 on 13 July 2020 and. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.par…
6 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on offering support for businesses that are trading in a shared space in which the premises remains under construction and has not been issued with a rateable value.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Small Business Grants, including those for businesses occupying premises for which the landlord is the ratepayer, closed to new applications on 10 July. Whilst the eligibility criteria in such cases required the applicant to have a lease confirming that t…
6 Jul 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when grassroots and amateur football teams will be permitted to resume training.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government and sport scotland are committed to working with stakeholders, including the Scottish FA, to undertake the necessary planning and risk assessments so full contact football training can resume in a healthy and safe way and in line with …
17 Jun 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that emergency accommodation to tackle homelessness is provided throughout the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak.
10 Jun 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the economic impact of COVID-19 has been on businesses occupying shared premises.
8 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support regarding the COVID-19 outbreak has been or will be extended to businesses that occupy a unit in a shared space, and from what date.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Phase 3 of the scheme was introduced on 8 June and extended the £10,000 Small Business Grant to firms occupying shared office spaces, business incubators or shared industrial units and who lease the space from a registered, rate-paying landlord, providing the…
27 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, what financial support is available to people who are long-term self-employed, and whether it plans to expand this.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) is the current system being used to support long-term self-employed people. This is a UK Government Scheme which is available to eligible self-employed individuals or members of trading partnerships who have sub…
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline will be for the full resumption of (a) bone infusions, (b) radiotherapy and (c) other cancer treatments following the end of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Cancer treatment has not stopped in Scotland. Vital cancer treatments and emergency, maternity and urgent care will continue where clinically agreed. The majority of cancer treatments have continued throughout this pandemic. However, some patient’s treatment …
5 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the process is for families to receive payment from its recently-announced COVID-19-related death in service benefit for NHS staff, including for families of staff who were not covered by the existing schemes; when this benefit will be operational, and how quickly the money will be …
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The NHS Scotland Coronavirus Life Insurance Scheme 2020 is now operational. The application and timescales mirror the existing Scottish Public Pension Agency (SPPA) process for claiming a death in service benefit, and can be found on the SPPA website. Employe…
26 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it invests in protecting people with pre-existing respiratory illnesses, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and what plans it has to invest more, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government provides baseline funding to NHS Boards, which Boards use to best meet the healthcare needs of their resident population including protecting people with pre-existing respiratory illnesses, such as COPD. Additional funding to deal with…
26 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it holds centrally a list of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: This information is not held centrally. Individuals with severe COPD who are in the group to be shielded were identified using national NHS databases and prescribing data from GP systems. The Scottish Government has written to those patients identified with a…
26 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, what consideration it has given to increasing the number of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) being admitted to virtual wards, so that clinicians can better monitor this at-risk group while they are at home, in light of the COV…
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government is aware that this is a worrying time for people but, it is absolutely vital that people stay at home during this time in order to protect those most at risk and the NHS. The Scottish Government is proactively providing guidance to gr…
26 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, what steps it is taking to ensure that all patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can receive their prescriptions safely, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Those who are at the highest risk are being told that the safest course of action is to stay at home at all times and avoid all face-to-face contact for at least twelve weeks from 26 March, except from carers and healthcare workers who you must see as part of…
18 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether, in light of the Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board Judgment of 11 Mar 2015, it considers that clinicians and alcohol drug partnerships are obtaining informed consent from patients at regular intervals, and informing those patients about the adverse consequences of prescribing…
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: It would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on clinical decisions. All medicines should be prescribed based on clinical need and discussed with patients within the context of their long-term recovery. Prescribers should follow national …
11 Mar 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Scottish Enterprise has halted new spending commitments.
4 Mar 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports the position of the UK or the EU on fishing rights in relation to the trade negotiations between the two administrations.
12 Feb 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has explored the possibility of a bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has not undertaken any feasibility for a bridge to Northern Ireland and has no plans to do so. Both I and the Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure, have written to the UK Secretary of State for Transport, stating this is not a…
30 Oct 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it and Scottish Enterprise have provided to companies as part of the £500 million Scottish Growth Scheme.
30 Oct 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what direct funding it provides to (a) universities and (b) colleges for the provision of mental health services other than the 80 additional mental health counsellors that have been provided in higher education settings.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: In addition to the £3.645 million Scottish Government funding for colleges and universities to enable them to take steps towards providing enhanced counsellor provision, announced earlier this month, student well-being is further supported through the Disable…
29 Oct 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of media reports that there are no rules on ministers’ use of private email accounts, whether it will immediately publish guidance on their use of private or party email accounts, as well as on the record-keeping requirements that it will adhere to in relation to such accounts.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Ministerial Code is clear that government resources should not be used for party or constituency business. Our guidance on handling information requests is explicit that any business information held on private devices or in private accounts is fully subj…
28 Oct 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many wards at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital have been (a) fully-closed, (b) partially-closed and (c) closed to new admissions each month, broken down by the date each (i) closed and (ii) reopened or is expected to reopen; how many appointments have subsequently been cancell…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: This information is not held centrally. The member may wish to consider contacting the relevant Health Board to obtain this information.
28 Oct 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many child patients from the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QUEH) have been transferred each week to (a) (i) other children’s and (ii) adult wards at the QUEH, (b) the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, (c) the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, (d) St John’s Hospital, Livi…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde have advised that there were 17 transfers of children from the QEUH between 29 July 2019 and 11 November 2019. Nine of these 17 transfers were to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, five to the Royal Aberdeen Childre…
28 Oct 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the percentage of available bed capacity for child patients has been at each week at (a) the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QUEH), (b) the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, (c) the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, (d) St John’s Hospital, Livingston, (e) the Tayside Chil…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-26000 on 27 November 2019, regarding transfers of child patients from the QEUH each week. Conference calls take place at set times, three times a week between Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow hospitals during w…
25 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5M-23922 by Clare Haughey on 2 July 2019, in light of the minister's comment that "planning around the workforce is evolving and can change for a variety of reasons", whether it its target to recruit 800 additional mental health workers by the end of t…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: As of 1 July 2019, 268 additional mental health workers have already been recruited under this commitment. Through the quarterly reporting framework agreed with Integration Authorities, we continue to gather information about local planning to ensure over 80…
25 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what qualifications are required to become a (a) community link worker, (b) school counsellor and (c) school nurse.
Answer · John Swinney: While there are no specific qualifications required, Community Links Workers must have the appropriate skills to help patients to navigate and engage with wider community services, therefore helping to improve patient health and well-being, tackling health in…
25 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in its 2016-17 Programme for Government to recruit up to 250 community link workers to work in GP surgeries by the end of the parliamentary session, whether it will confirm how many have been recruited to date, also broken down by the number recruited by healt…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: As at September 2019, we know there are 112 Community Link Workers now in post. Based on current returns we assess that we remain on track to meet the 250 commitment by 2021-22. The current breakdown of numbers are: Health Board Health and Social Care Part…
25 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the differences between how the issue is addressed in its 2019-20 Programme for Government from that in 2018-19, whether it remains its commitment to have an additional 250 school nurses either in training or in place by 2022.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government remains firm in its commitment to have an additional 250 school nurses in post or in training by the end of 2022.
25 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the size is of the first tranche of new school counsellors that is referred to in its 2019-20 Programme for Government.
Answer · John Swinney: We have been working in partnership with local authorities to ensure delivery of the school counsellors commitment and have agreed a distribution model for funding to local authorities and a set of aims and principles to implement the service in this academic…
25 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25091 by Jeane Freeman on 18 September 2019, how many of the additional 268 mental health worker recruits are community link workers.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: For the development of Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy, Community Link Workers were discounted for inclusion in this funding stream. This is because we also committed to delivering 250 Community Link Workers over the life of this Parliament. As part …
25 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in its 2017-18 Programme for Government to recruit more than 80 additional counsellors in further and higher education over the next four years, whether it will confirm how many have been recruited to date.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is investing around £20 million, to provide more than eighty additional counsellors in Further and Higher Education over the next four years, starting this academic year (2019-20). This is the first year of delivering our Programme fo…