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: S5W-33000

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Sandra White MSP (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Bo on 17 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, in light of its plans to end its crèche services' contract early in the current parliamentary session, what discussions it had prior to reaching this position with representatives of students and staff at the University of Edinburgh regarding their access to the service while working from home, particularly those who are resident in the area surrounding the Parliament.

Under section 21 of the Scotland Act 1998, the SPCB is empowered to provide the Parliament, or ensure that the Parliament is provided, with the property, staff and services required for the Parliament’s purposes. The SPCB is therefore not empowered to enter discussions with representatives of and to provide services to students and staff at the University of Edinburgh.

In addition, in order to comply with the Coronavirus Regulations; adhere to Scottish Government guidance on public health measures; and to safely and sustainably ensure the continuation of essential parliamentary business; there has been no public access to the Holyrood Campus since March 2020. Therefore even if the SPCB were empowered to provide services to other organisations, which it is not, staff and students at the University of Edinburgh/their children along with other members of the public do not currently have access to the Holyrood Campus/the creche.

Question reference: S5W-33005

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Sandra White (on behalf of the SPCB) on 17 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what financial penalty it faces as a result of its plans to end its crèche services' contract early in the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S5W-32796

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23841 by Paul Wheelhouse on 22 July 2019, what the final cost was of the procurement exercise for its contract with Serco NorthLink Ferries for Northern Isles Ferry Services that started on 30 June 2020.

Question reference: S5O-04769

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the Cuban Government.

Question reference: S5W-32919

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 11 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason ten-pin bowling centres are excluded from opening in Level 2 of the COVID-19 restrictions, in light of other leisure facilities such as cinemas, bingo halls and amusements centres being able to.

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 benefits and harms to health, the economy, and broader society to minimise overall harm and ensure transmission of the virus continues to be suppressed.

Ten pin bowling centres are classed as indoor sport and leisure and were permitted to open under our relevant guidance. However, as with other indoor sporting venues, they must close under level 2 of the tiered structure. Facilities such as cinemas, bingo hall and amusement centres are classed as hospitality and therefore must follow that particular guidance and can currently open under tier 2 restrictions.

Question reference: S5W-32797

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Abellio ScotRail Emergency Measures Agreement (EMA) includes funding for driver training that was delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and whether funding for driver training will be made available when the EMA expires in January 2021.

Question reference: S5W-32826

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors people who have been asked to quarantine from COVID-19, and what information it has regarding how many people have not been following quarantine rules on returning to the country.

All travellers arriving in Scotland require to complete the passenger locator form. Passengers arriving 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. Public Health Scotland contact everyone who is required to quarantine by email.

A random sample of travellers are then followed up through telephone calls, by the National Contact Tracing Centre to establish if they need any information, guidance or other support. The dedicated team have a target of 2,000 calls per week starting from 5 October – and have been exceeding that so far.

The latest published data can be found on the PHS website and is published weekly. https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/population-health/covid-19/

If the National Contact Tracing Centre is unable to make contact via 3 phone calls or an email Public Health Scotland is obliged to share details with Police Scotland. Police Scotland continue to follow-up to engage, explain, encourage, and enforce the law, where necessary.

Up to 18 October, Police Scotland had received 537 referrals from PHS and issued seven Fixed Penalty Notices.

Question reference: S5W-32798

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the no compulsory redundancy agreement in the Abellio ScotRail franchise will be maintained when the Emergency Measures Agreement (EMA) expires in January 2021.

Question reference: S5W-32827

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the geographical areas for the application of each tier of the COVID-19 Strategic Framework will be based on full local authority areas or smaller areas.

Question reference: S5W-32824

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 9 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it will consult local authorities to assess the economic impact of moving between tiers of the COVID-19 Strategic Framework.

We have made a commitment to engage directly with Local Authorities in advance of any change to their level, including at a national level through COSLA and SOLACE. Such discussions will include assessments against the Four Harms, including the socio economic implications of any changes, recognising that the measures can have different impacts across different Local Authorities, based on their types and levels of employment.