Alex Cole-Hamilton

12 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of COVID-19 restrictions, whether the length of time that new mothers can receive free dental treatment will be extended.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32875 on 11 November 2020. The 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 what additional support it is making available to students who would normally sustain their time away from home by undertaking part-time work in bars, shops and restaurants but who are unable to do so due to closures caused by COVID-19 restrictions.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I recognise that this has been and continues to be an extremely difficult time for students, particularly for those who would normally have taken up employment opportunities during their studies. Eligible students in Further and Higher Education have continu…

11 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the COVID-19 restrictions prevent the partners of mothers in active labour from being present at birth.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: As stated in the revised ‘COVID-19: visiting guidance for hospitals in Scotland’ a birth partner supporting a woman during hospital visits is ‘essential’. This includes a birth partner accompanying a women during active labour and birth. In July we published…

10 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that grandparents and families are aware of the COVID-19 guidance regarding informal childcare.

Answer · Maree Todd: Throughout the pandemic, the Scottish Government has kept families informed via the Parent Club website, which contains information and FAQs on key subjects, including informal childcare. This has been publicised using social media and via partners. A recent …

10 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether travel in campervans between local authority areas, which does not use camp sites, is permitted under the most recent COVID-19 guidance.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Our Strategic Framework states clearly that if a local authority area has been placed in level 3 or 4, there should be no non-essential travel in or out of the area. This applies to use of campervans for overnight stays, as the purpose of travel would be leis…

10 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many school children who are registered as having additional support needs have required support for dyslexia in each month since January 2020.

Answer · John Swinney: Information on the additional support needs of school children is not held on a month by month basis but is collected annually in September as part of the pupil census. The statistics from the 2019 census are published on the Scottish Government website here:…

9 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of this option being available to university students, for what reason college students studying for an SQF7 qualification are unable to carry out work placements.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has confirmed the life assurance scheme is being extended to cover college students studying HNC Care and Administrative Practice and HNC Healthcare Practice, while undertaking placements in health and social care settings. This will e…

6 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance auction houses are required to follow under the COVID-19 Strategic Framework levels.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Auction houses are required to follow the retail sector guidance. Under the Strategic Framework, all retail businesses can open in levels 0 to 3 but only essential retail can open in level 4, as well as click and collect and online retail.  

6 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many adults are known to have contracted COVID-19 through playing organised sport, such as football, since the start of the pandemic.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Contacts are traced from information collected and made available to Test and Protect by Incident Management Teams. This allows Test and Protect to contact those who may have been exposed to the virus in a particular setting, and request them to take appropri…

6 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review student loan (a) administration and (b) interest rates.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has no immediate plans to review student loan administration or student loan interest rates. Student loans are administered on a UK-wide basis by the Student Loans Company (SLC). Any changes to the system adopted by SLC would have to …

3 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether repairs that need to be carried out in holiday homes should be classed as an exemption to the restrictions regarding travelling to and from level 3 local authority areas.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Necessary repairs to holiday homes can proceed as required in level 3 local authority areas. Although there is no specific reference in the guidance for conducting maintenance in a holiday or second home, contractors are still able to enter for maintenance pu…

2 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many live homelessness applications there were in each local authority area on Christmas Day in 2019, and how many (a) adults and (b) children these related to.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The following table gives the number of live homeless applications at December 25th 2019 for each local authority, along with the number of adults and children these applications refer to.  Live cases at 25 December 2019 Number of adults Number of children…

2 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether first aid classes are considered teaching that cannot be provided remotely, with people involved being exempt from travel restrictions in and out of local authority areas in tiers 3 and 4 of the COVID-19 restrictions.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government issued COVID-19 guidance on travel and transport states that anyone living in a Protection Level 3 or Level 4 local authority area should avoid unnecessary travel outwith their area, although we also recognise there may be a limited nu…

2 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether people who have to travel into level 3 areas will be allowed to do so for SQA-approved practical exams, such as dancing exams.

Answer · John Swinney: The COVID-19 Strategic Framework sets out that while there are no mandatory travel restrictions from and into Level 3 areas, we are asking people to limit travel where possible and only leave the local authority in which they live for essential journeys. The …

2 Nov 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has given to care home providers regarding the provision of emergency NHS dental care to residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government published updated guidance on 3 rd September detailing that healthcare professionals including dentists could resume visits to care homes and setting out that emergency dental care was always available. Care home providers were advis…

29 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many 14-day self-isolation checks have been made on passengers arriving at Edinburgh Airport from countries on its COVID-19 prescribed list in each month since the quarantine orders came into force.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: All travellers arriving in Scotland from a country which is non-exempt from quarantine rules are required to quarantine for a period of 14 days. Passenger arrivals into Scotland are provided by the Home Office to Public Health Scotland (PHS). PHS are contact…

28 Oct 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with local authorities regarding the safe reopening of local services, including libraries.

27 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available to the operators of peripatetic exercise classes in areas where the COVID-19 restrictions prohibit such activities.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government are encouraged how organisations have been innovative through the pandemic, to continue to develop programmes to deliver physical activity for all. From 2 November 2020, a strategic approach to outbreak management based on five levels…

27 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the current visiting arrangements are for the mother and baby unit at (a) St John's Hospital, Livingston, and (b) Leverndale Hospital.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government acknowledge the importance of visits for women and infants in the Mother and Baby Units. Family-centred care is core to the delivery of perinatal mental health services. Wherever possible, the Mother and Baby Units are working to facil…

19 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the evidence it used when deciding to cancel gym classes under the current COVID-19 guidance.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Decisions on what sectors and activities to re-open on our route out of lockdown are guided by the principles set out in our Framework for Decision Making. Proposals are technically assessed using the best available evidence and analysis of their potential be…

16 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date mixed-sex couples will be able to register a civil partnership in Scotland.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill passed its final Stage in the Scottish Parliament on 23 June 2020. It received Royal Assent on 28 July 2020 and became an Act on that date. Since the Bill passed its final Stage in Parliament, the Scottish Government has…

16 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it is making available to self-employed night-shift taxi drivers who will be unable to work following the 6pm hospitality curfew.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: We recognise that self-employed workers in Scotland play a key role in the economy and that they must not be left behind in the response to this crisis. We appreciate that taxi and private hire cars provide a valuable service to both residents of and visitors…

16 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what strategies it has in place for the management of deer numbers.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government’s strategy for the management of wild deer is described in Scotland’s Wild Deer: a national approach (WDNA), which can be found at : https://www.nature.scot/scotlands-wild-deer-national-approach-2015-2020-priorities . The WDNA is upd…

16 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to tackle a reported increase in wild camping.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: There appears to be little evidence of adverse impact from true “wild camping” as defined by the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, in contrast to the widely-reported issues during the phased withdrawal from lockdown over the summer. We understand this has been la…

15 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether outdoor yoga classes are subject to the restrictions that limit how many people and from a specific number of households can meet outdoors

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Organised exercise is exempt from the restrictions around meeting other households. Coaches can therefore deliver outdoor sport and exercise sessions. sport scotland guidance provides there is an upper limit of 30 people for such an activity, including the co…

13 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether golf clubs can suspend their licence to sell alcohol and continue to operate restaurant facilities under the most recent COVID-19 guidelines.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: From 2 November, it is the position that hospitality businesses are subject to different operating restrictions depending on the level allocated to their local authority area under Scotland’s Strategic Framework. Under level 3, businesses which normally sel…

12 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has that determined that contact sports such as football should not take place in a non-professional capacity under the current COVID-19 restrictions.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Contact sports for those aged 18 and over is currently not permitted in areas under temporary restrictions. From 2 November 2020, a strategic approach to outbreak management based on five levels of protection is due to be introduced and as currently drafted, …

12 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the referral of the First Minister to the independent adviser of the Scottish Ministerial Code, James Hamilton, includes within its remit for him to ascertain whether she misled the Parliament at any point in respect of (a) her meetings regarding the Scottish Government investiga…

Answer · John Swinney: Parliament was advised on 3 August 2020 about the terms of the remit for the Ministerial Code referral in PQ answer S5W-31054. The decision to proceed with a referral and the setting of its terms are consistent with the provisions set out in the Ministerial C…

12 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the independent adviser of the Scottish Ministerial Code, James Hamilton, in his role regarding the referral of the First Minister, is limited solely to the remit detailed in the answer to question S5W-31054 by John Swinney on 3 August 2020.

Answer · John Swinney: Parliament was advised on 3 August 2020 about the terms of the remit for the Ministerial Code referral in PQ answer S5W-31054. The decision to proceed with a referral and the setting of its terms are consistent with the provisions set out in the Ministerial C…

12 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discretion the independent adviser of the Scottish Ministerial Code, James Hamilton, has in his role to extend the remit of his investigation in the event that evidence comes to light of possible further breaches of the Code.

Answer · John Swinney: Parliament was advised on 3 August 2020 about the terms of the remit for the Ministerial Code referral in PQ answer S5W-31054. The decision to proceed with a referral and the setting of its terms are consistent with the provisions set out in the Ministerial C…