Parliamentary questions
Alex Cole-Hamilton
2,700 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
1 Mar 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when prison officers will be offered the COVID-19 vaccine.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government follows the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) Guidance in the planning of vaccine delivery. This evidence based guidance advises that the single greatest risk of mortality from COVID-19 is increasing age, and that …
1 Mar 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when vocational and practical classes and training such as cooking classes will be able to restart under its revised COVID-19 Strategic Framework.
Answer · John Swinney: The challenges around completion of coursework and assessment for practical subjects are recognised, which is why a limited return of senior phase learners and students to progress practical work that cannot be undertaken remotely and which is critical to qua…
26 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when day centres that allow unpaid carers to get respite will be able to reopen under its revised COVID-19 Strategic Framework.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport wrote to the health and social care sector on 15 January to confirm that adult day centres can continue to operate in Covid protection level 4 areas during the current lockdown, where they are essential for people’s …
26 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when afterschool and breakfast clubs will be able to reopen under its revised COVID-19 Strategic Framework.
Answer · Maree Todd: The First Minister announced on 2 March that from 15 March regulated school age childcare services can reopen for all primary children alongside P4-7 as part of the phase 2 return. These plans are conditional on continued progress on suppressing the virus.
26 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of them being prioritised in England, for what reason it has not prioritised psychotherapists for COVID-19 vaccinations.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government follows the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) Guidance in the planning of vaccine delivery. This evidence based guidance advises that the single greatest risk of mortality from COVID-19 is increasing age, and that …
26 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to mitigate the impact of managed isolation on international students.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is working with the sector to explore what measures can be put in place to support the physical and mental wellbeing of international students who are subject to managed isolation arrangements. In relation to their financial wellbeing…
25 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the number of people permitted to attend weddings following the end of the lockdown will be reviewed under the revised COVID-19 Strategic Framework.
Answer · Ash Denham: The Scottish Government published an update to the strategic framework on 23 February 2021. The updated framework sets out our plans and conditions for easing restrictions within level 4 before returning to different protection levels in different parts of th…
25 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when theory test centres for HGVs and other heavy duty vehicles will be re-opening under the new strategic framework, COVID-19 Scotland’s Strategic Framework Update February 2021.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Strategic Framework Update set out a plan for easing of restrictions based on data rather than dates. The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 require that driving lessons (unless all o…
25 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-34394 by Jeane Freeman on 3 February 2021, what the current wastage rate is of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Some wastage is unavoidable for a variety of reasons based on the characteristics of the vaccine, logistical issues with cold chain supply, storage failure and/or specific clinical situations such as a breakout of COVID-19 in a care home. To date, our latest…
25 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether significant regional variation in COVID-19 infection rates, such as that between the West of Scotland and Lothian, will have a factor on the speed and levels at which lockdown is released.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has been clear that any decisions made with regard to lifting lockdown restrictions will be informed by the best available data, and this will be published where it is available. The Strategic Framework update announced to parliament b…
24 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the occupancy rate of the 418 rehabilitation beds in the NHS is.
Answer · Angela Constance: A recent cross-sectional snapshot of the residential rehabilitation national landscape in Scotland identified 418 beds available for the treatment of both drug and alcohol addiction, across 20 providers including NHS, private and third sector. At the time of …
24 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it will offer the English language tuition industry to reduce the impact of COVID-19 restrictions.
Answer · Kate Forbes: We recognise the financial pressures that COVID-19 is placing on the English language tuition industry. Limits on the amount of funding made available to the Scottish Government to provide financial support to businesses means that we are simply unable to est…
24 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when driving lessons will be allowed to resume under the revised COVID-19 strategic framework.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Strategic Framework Update set out a plan for easing of restrictions based on data rather than dates. The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 require that driving lessons (unless all o…
24 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when, under the revised COVID-19 strategic framework, masseuses and physiotherapists will be able to offer treatments which help with muscular conditions.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Physiotherapists are one of the Allied Health Professions (AHPs) and are represented by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists - they must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) before being allowed to practice in Scotland. The S…
22 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether people who run baby sensory classes on a peripatetic basis, moving from community to community, qualify for the Mobile and Home-Based Close Contact Services Fund, and, if not, what support is available to them.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Baby sensory classes do not meet the definition of close contact services as stated in The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 and are therefore ineligible for support under this fund. Ba…
22 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether early years officers working in early years centres, who have regular contact with children, will be offered twice-weekly access to lateral flow COVD-19 testing, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-35218 on? 1 March 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/parliamentarybusiness/…
22 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is working with the wedding industry to produce a route map to allow couples and industry stakeholders to plan for the relaxation of restrictions on weddings.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of marriage and civil partnership to couples and to society more widely. Whilst our priority is public health, we know that the sector has been hit hard and we do not underestimate the crisis created by the pa…
22 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether people with severe asthma but not on the shielding list will be prioritised for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Individuals with severe asthma will be prioritised for the vaccine under priority group 6. This includes: people with asthma who have required regular or repeated courses of oral prednisolone (3 prescriptions in the last 6 months or 168 tablets in last 6 mont…
22 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a means for recently retired teachers to help support home learning or catch-up learning on a voluntary basis for pupils prevented from attending school due to COVID-19.
Answer · John Swinney: Retired teachers can re-register with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), which will allow them to be employed by local authorities to help with education recovery. The Scottish Government has worked with the GTCS to gauge interest from recentl…
19 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports of a rise in problem gambling during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government is working with Public Health Scotland and a variety of organisations to assess the harms caused by problem gambling and to bolster the support available in Scotland. Assistance for those experiencing problems cause by gambling is av…
18 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether early years staff are eligible for the lateral flow COVID-19 testing made available for the reopening of schools, and, if so, whether this includes early years staff in private settings that provide council-funded places to preschool and eligible two-year-olds.
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-35275 on 3 March 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/parliamentarybusiness/…
17 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of any heightened anxiety that they might have, what provision is being made to support people with (a) autism and (b) other additional support needs in receiving their COVID-19 vaccination.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government is working with a wide range of stakeholders, including organisations supporting and representing autistic people and people with learning disabilities, to ensure that a wide range of resources are available to help support autistic pe…
17 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action clinicians must take to obtain the informed consent of people prior to the administration of COVID-19 vaccines, and what information they should provide regarding possible side effects.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: If people receive an invitation letter from NHS Scotland by post, an information leaflet about the COVID-19 vaccine is included. The information leaflet contains details about:What vaccine will be given and the disease that will be prevented.Benefits/risks of…
17 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reimburse the travel costs of people who are unable to access public transport to attend their COVID-19 vaccination appointments.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not plan to reimburse the travel costs of people who are unable to access public transport to attend their COVID-19 vaccination appointment. We are working with the voluntary and third sector to set up a centralised volunteer coor…
17 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will match proportionally the financial commitments made by the UK Government to make high-rise residential buildings safe from cladding fires.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: We are seeking detail from HM Treasury on any consequential funding along with information on the planned tax and levy as a result of the UK Government’s recent announcement. I will set out a sustainable path forward next month and I hope by that time we wil…
17 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, for how long it plans to extend the non-domestic rate reduction and eviction ban on commercial tenants, which has been introduced in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Kate Forbes: On 16 February 2021, I announced that the Scottish Budget 2021-22 would extend the COVID-19 relief for properties in the retail, hospitality, leisure and aviation sectors, and newspaper publishing, for all of 2021-22 provided the Scottish Government receives …
17 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the value of teachers in early learning and childcare settings.
Answer · Maree Todd: There is good evidence; most recently the ‘ Rapid evidence review: Childcare quality and children's outcomes' (NHS Health Scotland, 2017); to indicate that the best experiences for children tend to be found where there is a range of staff with complementary…
16 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce "lifetime" services for (a) survivors of childhood sexual abuse and (b) people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), similar to those developed in England.
Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government funds a range of services for survivors of all types of childhood abuse, including sexual, and for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our vision for mental health is of a Scotland where people can get the right help at…
16 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether lateral flow testing kits will be made available to playgroup staff in time for the return of full education in early learning settings.
Answer · Maree Todd: On the 2 February, the First Minister confirmed that the Scottish Government will introduce a routine testing programme for schools and childcare staff. This includes all Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) and School-aged Childcare staff (SAC) who work in a s…
16 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on people who can verify that they have being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 being exempted from managed quarantine in hotels.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Vaccine certification is not currently an alternative to managed isolation. We are, however, contributing to the World Health Organisation Safer Vaccination Programme on vaccine certification. This includes consideration of technical details, ethical and equ…