Parliamentary questions
Alex Cole-Hamilton
2,700 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
11 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with (a) local authorities and (b) Education Scotland regarding increasing the provision of specialist digital devices and services for children with additional support needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · John Swinney: One of our key priorities is to ensure that children and young people with additional support needs who may be finding this difficult time particularly challenging, continue to be supported with their learning, whether at home or at a local hub. We have work…
11 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding giving children with additional support needs priority access to community facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · John Swinney: Local authorities are best placed to identify how to meet the needs of the children and young people in their local area during these challenging times. In doing so, it is vital that all decisions taken at a local level align with the Scottish Government’s CO…
11 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proposals are in place (a) locally and (b) nationally to reintegrate children with additional support needs back to school life, in light of concerns that a number have fallen out of the habit of attending because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · John Swinney: We recognise that children and young people with additional support needs may be finding this difficult time particularly challenging. On 5 June, continuity in learning guidance was published, which includes advice on the provision of blended learning for ch…
11 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what efforts are being made during the COVID-19 pandemic (a) locally and (b) nationally to provide children with highly-specialised additional support needs, and their teachers, with training and resources to enable them to use specialist digital devices and services.
Answer · John Swinney: Children and young people with complex additional support needs can continue, where appropriate, to attend local hubs to secure continuity in their care and support. Children and young people with complex additional support needs who have not attended local …
11 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions there have been during the COVID-19 pandemic with council education authorities regarding keeping special schools and additional support needs departments open for vulnerable children during the summer holiday.
Answer · John Swinney: We have remained in regular contact with education authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic about how support is provided for children and young people, including those with additional support needs. Local authorities are best placed to identify how to meet …
11 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what specialist practical support is being put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic (a) locally and (b) nationally for children with the highest, most complex needs, who might be excluded from accessing such services as provision can be considered too complicated or risky.
Answer · John Swinney: Local authorities are best placed to identify how to meet the needs of the children and young people in their local area during these challenging times. Children and young people with complex additional support needs can continue, where appropriate, to atten…
11 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions have taken place during the COVID-19 pandemic with council education authorities to enable special school buildings and facilities to be used flexibly by non-education staff to support pupils with recreation.
Answer · John Swinney: Under the current educational continuity direction, issued on 10 June 2020, schools remain closed except for the specific purposes of planning and preparing for the provision of learning and teaching of children and young people on the premises or remotely fr…
9 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what regulations govern the operation of mobile ice-cream vans; whether it has any plans to review these, and what impact the COVID-19 outbreak has had on them.
Answer · Ash Denham: Mobile ice-cream vans are licensed as street traders under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. The legislative framework devolves most aspects of the creation and management of the licensing regime to local licensing authorities. The Scottish Governmen…
5 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that private hire taxis are fitted with safety screens between the driver and passengers to ensure the safety of both during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer · Ash Denham: The Scottish Government published guidance on 26 May to those providing transport services including Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle operators on how they should assess risks and implement appropriate measures to ensure the safety of themselves, their staff and…
5 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have died where COVID-19 is the sole cause of death recorded on the death certificate.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: There were 232 deaths registered by Sunday 7th June where coronavirus was the sole cause of death recorded on the death certificate. For more information on how cause of death is determined please see: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/stati…
3 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health suggestion that all COVID-19 contact tracers and swab takers should be trained on how to recognise and report the signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Testing in Scotland happens through the NHS or through the UK Government expanded testing programme. Staff undertaking swabbing at NHS testing sites are all health board staff. Every healthcare employee in Scotland is required to complete public protection tr…
2 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to alleviate on-street verbal sexual harassment, which is also known as catcalling.
Answer · Christina McKelvie: The Scottish Government recognises the need to tackle on-street harassment, of which catcalling is one form. We recognise that such harassment is overwhelmingly experienced by women and girls. Following the provisions of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scot…
27 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what level of routine COVID-19 testing takes place in hospital dormitory dementia wards.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Guidance on COVID-19 testing in hospital settings has been published by Health Protection Scotland and is available here: https://hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-resources-container/covid-19-guidance-for-secondary-care/ . Testing is currently underway to test individu…
27 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people in hospital dormitory dementia wards have been (a) infected with and (b) died from COVId-19.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Information is not gathered centrally about infections and deaths from COVID-19 in different layouts of hospital wards. Information is gathered by ward speciality. Publically available data on total cases by NHS Board and deaths is published daily by The Sco…
27 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason hospital dormitory wards are not referred to in the COVID-19 infection control guidelines.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Health Protection Scotland (HPS) has detailed infection prevention and control guidance for COVID-19 for a wide range of healthcare settings. Guidance for hospital dormitory wards can be found within the Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for primary care …
27 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there are no specific rules to review detention promptly for people who remain in hospital dormitory wards during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Scottish mental health legislation is based on rights and principles as laid out within the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. These include that any function should be carried out for the maximum benefit, with minimum necessary restricti…
27 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported claims that the only mention of hospital dormitory wards in response to the COVID-19 outbreak is on the RCPsych website, and that the advice for infection control is vague and brief.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Health Protection Scotland (HPS) has detailed infection prevention and control guidance for COVID-19 for a wide range of healthcare settings. Guidance for hospital dormitory wards can be found within the Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for primary care …
20 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the findings of the Scottish Human Rights Commission survey of the 2017-18 budget on 29 April 2020, what plans it has to improve the public availability and transparency of budget information.
Answer · Kate Forbes: I refer the member to my answer to question S5W-29253 on 9 June 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/parliamentarybusiness/28…
20 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the findings of the Scottish Human Rights Commission survey of the 2017-18 budget on 29 April 2020, what plans it has to improve feedback to participants who participate in the budget process.
Answer · Kate Forbes: I refer the member to my answer to question S5W-29253 on 9 June 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/parliamentarybusiness/28…
20 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the findings of the Scottish Human Rights Commission survey of the 2017-18 budget on 29 April 2020, what plans it has to improve public participation in the budget process.
Answer · Kate Forbes: I refer the member to my answer to question S5W-29253 on 9 June 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/parliamentarybusiness/28…
20 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the findings of the Scottish Human Rights Commission survey of the 2017-18 budget on 29 April 2020,what plans it has to produce clear and well-advertised guidance for public engagement with the budget process.
Answer · Kate Forbes: We welcome the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Open Budget Survey report as a contribution to understanding how the Scottish Budget process might be improved. The 2017-18 Budget to which the SHRC report refers preceded the work of the Budget Process …
20 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the findings of the Scottish Human Rights Commission survey of the 2017-18 budget on 29 April 2020, what plans it has to implement each of the transparency recommendations.
Answer · Kate Forbes: We welcome the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Open Budget Survey report as a contribution to understanding how the Scottish Budget process might be improved. We are strongly committed to the principles of open government and accordingly we participa…
20 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the findings of the Scottish Human Rights Commission survey of the 2017-18 budget on 29 April 2020, what plans it has to improve pre-budget scrutiny, and whether this will include legislative committees in the process.
Answer · Kate Forbes: I refer the member to my answer to question S5W-29253 on 9 June 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/parliamentarybusiness/28…
20 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Close the Gap's briefing, Disproportionate disruption: The impact of COVID-19 on women's labour market equality, whether it will ensure that gender-sensitive, sex-disaggregated data informs future labour market analyses.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29250 on 5 June 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/parliamentarybusiness/2…
20 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Close the Gap's briefing, Disproportionate disruption: The impact of COVID-19 on women's labour market equality, what steps it is taking to ensure that COVID-19 does not increase the gender pay gap.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Women’s position in the labour market is an issue which this Government takes very seriously, as our ambitious Gender Pay Gap Action Plan shows. We strongly encourage all employers to apply Fair Work principles to dealing with the impacts of Covid-19 on worke…
20 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Close the Gap's briefing, Disproportionate disruption: The impact of COVID-19 on women's labour market equality, how it is supporting people who are most exposed to labour market disruption, particularly women, who reportedly account for 51.5% of those in jobs at risk of hig…
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29250 on 5 June 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/parliamentarybusiness/2…
20 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Close the Gap's briefing, Disproportionate disruption: The impact of COVID-19 on women's labour market equality, how it is ensuring that policy-making that addresses labour market disruption due to COVID-19 focuses on occupational segregation as a central aim.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29250 on 5 June 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/parliamentarybusiness/2…
20 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the finding by Epilepsy Scotland that over a third of respondents to its questionnaire stated that they have had their specialist appointment cancelled, how it will ensure that epilepsy patients receive the treatment they require.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29244 on 29 May 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/parliamentarybusiness/28…
20 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the finding by Epilepsy Scotland that 40% of respondents to its questionnaire stated that their seizures had increased as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, what action is being taken to tackle this increase.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: We welcome the report facilitated by Epilepsy Scotland on the impact of Covid-19 on people with epilepsy in Scotland. We recognise this is a worrying and distressing time for everyone, including those with specific health and social care needs. In order to a…
20 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people with epilepsy can access (a) the Personal Independence Payment and (b) Carer's Allowance without any delay due to COVID-19.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government continues to work with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to ensure that Scottish clients get the financial support they are entitled to, including Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Carer’s Allowance (CA), while contingen…