Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-00068

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to encourage people to engage with and respond to the COVID-19 recovery consultation.

Question reference: S6O-00073

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to implement the provisions on pavement parking prohibition in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.

Question reference: S6O-00070

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to ensuring that any legislation it introduces to support the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic does not seek to allow regulations to be made or changed without being subject to the affirmative parliamentary procedure.

Question reference: S6W-02314

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason people under 40 who were given the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for their first dose, prior to the recommendation that this age group should receive an alternative vaccine, are not being offered the option of an alternative vaccine for their second dose.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) have recommended that, where operationally possible, those aged under 40 should receive an alternative to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

However, everybody who has already had a first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine should receive a second dose of the same jab, irrespective of age, except for the very small number of people who experienced blood clots with low platelet counts from their first vaccination. There have been no confirmed cases of thromboembolic events to date in second doses.

People will not be offered options on which vaccine they will receive, unless there is a clinical reason why this would be required, such as an allergy. Any vaccine authorised for use in the UK, by the appropriate Medical authorities is safe and effective, and will have a similar effect in terms of protection.

It is also worth noting that this is the case with many other vaccines. People are not routinely offered a choice of the type of vaccines in other vaccine programmes in Scotland. The Scottish Government currently has no plans to introduce an option for receiving either COVID-19 vaccine, beyond a clinical recommendation as the benefits of the vaccine continue to outweigh the risks for the vast majority of the population.

Question reference: S6W-02180

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 25 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01931 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 August 2021, who identified which schools would receive virtual school visits by the OECD, and who determined focus group attendees.

I refer Mr Mundell to the answer to S6W-01932 on 25 August 2021.

The OECD’s Independent Review of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) was conducted using their Implementing Policies: Supporting Change in Education Framework.

The OECD had responsibility for its programme of virtual school visits and the arrangement of focus groups, and was supported by both Scottish Government officials and the Scottish Practitioner Forum.

Details of how the OECD conducted their independent review can be accessed at Independent+Review+of+Curriculum+for+Excellence+-+Remit.pdf (www.gov.scot)

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-02128

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 25 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the current guidance on vitamin D supplementation.

We currently have no plans to revise our advice on vitamin D supplementation. We will continue to be guided by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) and others as the evidence base on vitamin D develops. We will review our advice as necessary based on their recommendations.

Our current advice on vitamin D supplementation, which is based on recommendations by SACN, advisors to the four UK nations, is available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/vitamin-d-advice-for-all-age-groups/

In terms of supplement dosage, our advice is a supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D (400 IU). This applies to adults and children over one year of age. Ten micrograms per day is the average amount needed by the majority (97.5%) of the population to maintain adequate vitamin D levels when UVB sunlight exposure is minimal to maintain bone and muscle health. Our advice is based on SACN’s 2016 report; Vitamin D and Health.

This report is available at:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/537616/SACN_Vitamin_D_and_Health_report.pdf

In December 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), SACN, and Public Health England published updated guidance on vitamin D in relation to COVID-19 following a rapid review of recent evidence. The guidance states that there is still currently not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D solely for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. It reiterates that people should continue to follow current advice on vitamin D supplementation to maintain bone and muscle health.

The NICE guideline is available at https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG187

SACN published an updated rapid review on Vitamin D and acute respiratory tractinfections (ARTI) in December 2020. In it, SACN recommended the reference nutrient intake for vitamin D remain unchanged, at 10 micrograms per day.

The review is available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/945179/SACN_December2020_VitaminD_AcuteRespiratoryTractInfections.pdf

In June 2021, SACN published a paper summarising monitoring of recent evidence on nutrition and COVID-19. It did not identify any new trials in relation to vitamin D and COVID-19 that would require the re-review of the current rapid guideline from NICE, SACN and PHE, or that would change current dietary advice.

The paper is available at:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/992875/SACN_Process_for_monitoring_evidence_on_nutrition_and_COVID-19__June21_.pdf

SACN will continue to support NICE with their monitoring of evidence on vitamin D.

The UK COVID-19 Therapeutic Advisory Panel (UK C-TAP) continues to monitor ongoing COVID-19 related Vitamin D trials. It is responsible for reviewing and prioritising suitable compounds based on promising scientific evidence. Evidence on vitamin D and on COVID-19 is also being monitored by RAPID-C19, a multi-agency initiative aiming to get treatments for COVID-19 to NHS patients quickly and safely, as well as by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Innovation Observatory (IO), a national medical horizon scanning facility at Newcastle University. SACN has agreed it will no longer monitor evidence in relation to vitamin D and COVID-19/ARTI, as monitoring is being continued by these organisations.

Question reference: S6W-02046

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 25 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many breast cancer screening appointments have been cancelled in each month since January 2020 to date, and how many patients are currently awaiting an appointment following a cancellation.

The following table shows office-cancelled breast screening appointments, broken down by month from January 2020 until July 2021. It is important to note, however, that all of these office-cancelled appointments are reappointed as a matter of course and an invitation to screening sent to the participant. Where appointments are rescheduled in this way before a letter of invitation has been sent, the screening participant may be unaware their appointment has been cancelled and reappointed .

The data provided below was provided as management information and has not been subject to quality checks that would be applied in an official publication. Quality assured breast screening programme statistics are published annually by Public Health Scotland.

Office Cancel By Month
January-20	4906
February-20	5681
March-20	13008
April-20	9140
May-20	860
June-20	404
July-20	9
August-20	3768
September-20	4567
October-20	5777
November-20	3905
December-20	3825
January-21	3433
February-21	4265
March-21	3845
April-21	4213
May-21	5365
June-21	6021
July-21	6153

The following table shows breast screening appointments cancelled by screening participants, broken down by month from January 2020 until July 2021. All women who cancelled appointments from 1 March to the re-start of the screening programme in August were offered a further screening appointment. These figures do not include cancellations where someone has already rescheduled an appointment.

For those appointments cancelled by a participant after the re-start of screening, the participant can rearrange this at a later date however a new invitation is not issued until their next recall date.

Client Cancel By Month
January-20	2196
February-20	2101
March-20	2047
April-20	175
May-20	1
June-20	2
July-20	4
August-20	1570
September-20	2147
October-20	2455
November-20	2315
December-20	2117
January-21	2503
February-21	2339
March-21	2129
April-21	2117
May-21	2486
June-21	2862
July-21	2880

Question reference: S6W-02045

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 25 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have attended a breast cancer screening programme appointment in each month since January 2019 to date.

The following table shows the number of people who attended a breast screening appointment from January 2019 to July 2021. 2018-2019 data is provided as a baseline; as the programme operates on a 3 year basis, and as in some years the locations are further away from base sites, these figures are provided as an average. It is important to note that the 2020 and 2021 data provided was collected and used for management purposes for monitoring the recovery of the program and has not been subject to quality checks for official publication. Public Health Scotland publish breast screening programme statistics every year; the last publication was in May 2021 and the next publication is due in 2022.

Month	Jan 18-19	Feb 18-19	Mar 18-19	Apr 18-19	May 18-19	June 18-19	July 18-19	Aug 18-19	Sep 18-19	Oct 18/19	Nov 18-19	Dec 18-19
Breast Screening Appointments Attended 2018/2019	17,093	16,997	16,947	18,128	19,675	17,542	19,715	19,426	16,028	19,770	19,765	14,030

Month	Jan-20	Feb-20	Mar-20	Apr-20	May-20	Jun-20	Jul-20	Aug-20	Sep-20	Oct-20	Nov-20	Dec-20
Breast Screening Appointments Attended 2020	17,431	17,458	11,423	Pause to screening programme				12,631	15,424	16,717	16,660	13,493

Month	Jan-21	Feb-21	Mar-21	Apr-21	May-21	Jun-21	Jul-21
Breast Screening Appointments Attended 2021	14,160	15,271	19,507	18,554	19,373	21,012	19,018

Question reference: S6W-01943

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 25 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when ministers last met the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-01913

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government which ordnance disposal method will be used for the Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm project, and whether bubble curtains will be used.

The choice of disposal method for ordinance found on the Seagreen Offshore Windfarm will be a hierarchy of methods made up of leaving in situ , relocating the UXO, applying a low-yield method which disrupts and disintegrates the UXO without combustion of the explosive material, a low-order method which disrupts the UXO by deflagration without an explosive combustion of the main explosive filling and, only where those methods are unsuitable, to use a high-order method to penetrate the UXO casing and trigger detonation of the main explosive filling.

Bubble curtains are not being used as, due to the water depth at the site, they would be technically challenging and may be of limited effectiveness.

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