Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-34180

Asked by: Angela Constance, MSP for Almond Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2020
Current Status: Awaiting answer

Question reference: S5W-33738

Asked by: Angela Constance, MSP for Almond Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 11 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on plans for amateur football to resume.

Amateur football is able to be played in areas under Tiers 0-2 of the current restrictions.

The Scottish Government works closely with the Scottish Amateur Football Association on a range of issues, and has had regular dialogue over recent months about the impact of the pandemic on the amateur game.

We will continue with this dialogue with the football authorities – including the SAFA – so amateur football can resume across Scotland when it is safe to do so.

Question reference: S5W-33677

Asked by: Angela Constance, MSP for Almond Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has provided specific guidance to Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) driving examiners regarding mixing with people from up to five households each day.

Question reference: S5W-33676

Asked by: Angela Constance, MSP for Almond Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) driving examiners who live in areas subject to Level 4 restrictions are permitted to travel to other local authority areas to carry out driving examinations for critical workers.

Question reference: S5W-33618

Asked by: Angela Constance, MSP for Almond Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is permitted for employees who reside and work in Level 4 areas to be temporarily transferred to work in locations in Level 3 or lower.

As set out in the provisions of the Health Protection (Coronavirus)(Restrictions and Requirements)(Local Levels)(Scotland) Amendment (No.3) Regulations 2020, travelling to or from level 4 areas to other levels is permissible for essential purposes, such as for work. However, in order to minimise the spread of the virus, this should only be undertaken where the employee’s work cannot be undertaken from home. Details of the restrictions and exemptions are provided for in the accompanying guidance ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-travel-and-transport/#exceptions ).

Question reference: S5W-32097

Asked by: Angela Constance, MSP for Almond Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 21 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether fertility treatment to retrieve and freeze eggs for women who experience (a) premature ovarian failure and (b) an early menopause is available through the NHS at no direct cost to the women concerned.

Currently, decisions as to what procedures or treatment are appropriate for individual patients and medical advice given are matters of clinical judgement. If it is decided that fertility preservation is appropriate then information will be provided in order for informed consent to be taken, prior to any egg freezing commencing and treatment will be covered by the NHS.

A sub-group of the National Infertility Group is currently developing options for fertility preservation. This work involves developing guidelines and pathways, including patient access criteria, for fertility preservation for medical reasons such as oncology treatment.

Question reference: S5W-32098

Asked by: Angela Constance, MSP for Almond Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 21 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are for the provision of NHS fertility treatment, specifically egg retrieval and freezing, at a (a) national and (b) local health board level.

Question reference: S5W-32099

Asked by: Angela Constance, MSP for Almond Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 21 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Lothian will provide treatment free at the point of delivery to retrieve and freeze eggs for women experiencing premature ovarian failure.

Question reference: S5W-32468

Asked by: Angela Constance, MSP for Almond Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 October 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jeane Freeman on 12 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to open up further options to enhance visiting in care homes.

Visiting is a fundamental part of the health and wellbeing of those who live in care homes and the Scottish Government recognises the impact that visiting restrictions has had on care home residents and their loved ones. It is committed to safely resuming visiting and everyday life activities for care home residents.

The Care Homes Clinical and Professional Advisory Group (a multidisciplinary group which has provided clinical and professional advice throughout the pandemic on care homes), and key stakeholders such as Scottish Care, has been actively working to develop guidance for the sector to re-introduce visiting in care homes through a staged approach. This being in as safe a way as possible, while COVID-19 remains in Scotland.

The plan commenced from 3 July, with care homes initially supporting outdoor visiting with one visitor once a week, increasing to 2-3 outdoor visitors from 10 August. Additionally, indoor visiting involving one visitor, once a week, has been implemented by care homes that have had visiting their plans approved by local Directors of Public Health.

Today I have published updated guidance for the sector to support residents and relatives to spend more time together as safely as possible. The guidance has been developed with input from family members, carers, and clinicians to offer greater flexibility in visiting arrangements and indoor visiting in particular, as winter approaches. It recommends extending indoor visits between residents and their designated visitor to up to four hours. Outdoor visits can be extended to up to an hour with up to six visitors from no more than two households, including children and young people. The new guidance also supports increased personal interaction, including hugs or hand holding, as long as strict PPE and infection prevention control measures are met. The guidance also recommends that hairdressers be supported to return to care homes, with safety measures in place. Guidance published on 3rd September also recommended that, from 7th September, routine, preventative and rehabilitative visits by health and social care professionals resume.

Care homes should only resume visiting when they have been free of COVID-19 for 28 days, are participating actively in the care home worker testing programme, and have had their visiting risk assessments approved by the local Director of Public Health (or delegated official). Any decisions about enacting the guidance to ease restrictions will be made by care homes in the coming weeks, based on local planning and risk assessment, and in collaboration with residents and families wherever possible, to ensure safe visiting for everyone. Until 31st March 2021, care homes can continue to access local PPE Hubs for support with additional PPE, including provision for visitors, should normal supply routes be unsuccessful.

The Scottish Government will continue to actively consider how we can best support safe visiting in care homes, and protect those who are at most risk from this virus.

Alongside changes to visiting guidance, the care home sector has been updated on the phased transition of the weekly care home worker testing programme from UK Government (UKG) laboratories to the NHS, which will continue over the coming weeks in line with work to bring three NHS Regional Testing Hubs online.

Care home providers will be kept up to date through the Transition Programmes communication group, including individual care home transition arrangements to reduce uncertainty for providers. Providers will continue to access weekly testing by their current route in the meantime.

The updated guidance can be found here:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-adult-care-homes-visiting-guidance/ .

Question reference: S5W-31449

Asked by: Angela Constance, MSP for Almond Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 10 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-03147 by Claire Haughey on 25 April 2019 (Official Report, c. 5), what progress it has made on the development of educational resources for menstrual health, including endometriosis.

The endometriosis resources were being considered, however due to the current circumstances Education Scotland re-focused its activities to work directly with practitioners as they support learners to build on learning during lockdown, identifying and addressing gaps in learning and adapting to new delivery and improvement approaches. Education Scotland therefore paused progress of new resources but have now restarted the development of the education resources for menstrual health, including endometriosis.

Education Scotland will reengage with Endo Warriors regarding the new resources.

Chamber and committees