Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-05801

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to address any differential impact of COVID-19 on black and ethnic minority people.

We know minority ethnic groups have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. In June 2020, the government established an Expert Reference Group on COVID-19 and Ethnicity to provide recommendations on how we could better respond to the needs of minority ethnic people in Scotland. The implementation of these recommendations forms the core of our Immediate Priorities Plan for Race Equality in Scotland 2021-2023 with actions across health and social care, education, fair work, housing, and child poverty.

Through our Immediate Priorities Fund, we supported the development of the Ethnic Minority Resilience Network to support individuals, families, young people and organisations address immediate pandemic-related issues. We also provided emergency support funding, including over £312,000 to provide culturally appropriate food and support services.

Question reference: S6W-05473

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government in relation to the independent review into the health impact of potential bias in medical devices and the impact on patients from different ethnic groups, and whether it plans to take forward any of the review's recommendations where they may apply in Scotland and cover devolved matters.

The Scottish Government is in regular discussion with the UK Government about the Independent Review into the health impact of potential bias in medical devices, announced by the Department of Health and Social Care on 21 November 2021.

The primary purpose of the Independent Review is to make recommendations to tackle any health impact on patients due to their ethnic origin in relation to medical devices currently in use in the UK. The UK Government plans a further announcement about the Independent Review.

Ahead of the wider Independent Review, two DHSC led rapid reviews are underway to identify potential areas of immediate concern with medical devices currently on the market in the UK, and will conclude by the end of January – one is specifically on Pulse Oximeters, and one on other medical devices currently in use in the UK. The Pulse Oximeter review will involve a roundtable with representation from experts in the field from across the UK including NHS Scotland, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England. The rapid reviews will help inform priority areas of the Independent Review.

It is intended that the Independent Review and DHSC led rapid reviews will result in recommendations to ensure medical devices are safe and effective for all. The Scottish Government will consider recommendations relevant to the NHS in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-00683

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions education ministers have had with ministerial colleagues regarding the development of a student housing strategy that includes rent controls and student tenancy rights for every student in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-05475

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of children who left primary school in June (a) 2019 and (b) 2020 were able to swim, broken down by (i) sex and (ii) race.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

However, in 2021-22, sport scotland invested approximately £1,315,600 into Scottish Swimming. Over the past five years, sport scotland has invested £6,836,282 into Scottish Swimming. Scottish Swimming developed and introduced a National Learn to Swim Framework in 2014 to support aquatic providers to enhance their community learn to swim programmes.

The Framework, which is supported by Scottish Water and delivered by aquatic partners every week already helps children to become safe, competent, and confident swimmers and these water safety themed lessons are an essential part of the Framework to help educate on water safety.

Question reference: S6W-05198

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many vacancies, as a proportion of the required staff complement within each Health Protection Team in each local authority, are currently waiting to be filled.

Question reference: S6W-05222

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many injuries have been reported as a result of the use of e-scooters on roads and pavements.

Police Scotland collect data on road traffic accidents that were a) reported to the police and b) involved someone being injured or killed. The latest statistics available are up to 2020.

The following table shows the number and severity of casualties who were injured in road accidents that involved an electric scooter. No such casualties were recorded prior to 2019.

	Serious	Slight	Total
2019	1	0	1
2020	2	1	3

Question reference: S6W-05219

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allow e-scooter trials, similar to those currently being piloted in England.

Whilst the use of powered transporters and decisions around their introduction and associated legislative changes are primarily a matter for the UK Government, additional legislation and associated guidance would be required in Scotland to allow trials to take place.

This was not factored in to the timescale for the trials programme originally set by the Department for Transport (DfT), and as a result the trials currently taking place in England could not be hosted by Scottish local authorities.

The UK Government has signalled its intention to publish proposals in 2022 for potential further legalisation of e-scooters beyond the current trials. The Scottish Government is engaged with the DfT policy team responsible for the e-scooter trial and once more is known, we will consider any such proposals and continue to monitor trends as a matter of course in order to inform future policy on e-scooters.

Question reference: S6W-05221

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to keep pavements free from e-scooters.

Electric scooters (e-scooters) are illegal to ride on streets and in other public places across Scotland due to a number of pieces of UK-wide and Scottish legislation. E-scooters can only be ridden legally on private land with the owner’s permission.

The UK Government has signalled its intention to publish proposals in 2022 for potential further legalisation of e-scooters beyond the current trials in England. The Scottish Government is engaged with the UK Government in this regard and once more is known, we will consider any such proposals in order to inform future policy on e-scooters.

Enforcement of the law is a matter for Police Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-05220

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance is in place to ensure that the use of e-scooters on roads does not place drivers and pedestrians at risk.

Question reference: S6W-05267

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 14 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what equalities monitoring is in place in relation to delayed discharge figures; whether it will report on any differential impacts that have been identified, and what steps it is taking to address any inequalities identified in relation to (a) BAME, (b) female and (c) disabled patients.