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-29048

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 28 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been issued on the use of tactile markers to make it easier for people with sight loss maintaining two metres social distancing while queuing to access buildings.

Guidance has been issued to public service providers and retailers that remain open, that they must ensure a distance of two metres between customers, and between customers and shop assistants, letting people enter the shop only in small numbers, to ensure that spaces are not crowded and to ensure queue control is consistent with social distancing advice. The guidance does not specifically refer to supporting people with sight loss or to the use of tactile markers, however, the Scottish Government would expect staff to be vigilant and assist any individuals who may face difficulty in maintaining a two metre social distance.

The Equality Act 2010 places a duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that a disabled person has, as far as is reasonable, the same access as a non-disabled person. The Scottish Government expects service providers to adapt these adjustments in light of the current COVID-19 situation and it is up to individual service providers to determine what these adjustments are.

We would also ask that the general public is similarly supportive and, in particular, that care is taken to give anyone with a visual impairment or other disability, sufficient space and time so that they can access supermarkets and other facilities safely, in line with the current Covid-19 guidance.

Question reference: S5W-29050

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been issued to public transport providers to support people with sight loss maintain two metres social distancing before and during travel.

Question reference: S5W-29027

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it reached the decision to contact all people in COVID-19 shielded groups and notify them with advice; when the first contacts were made, and whether every person initially identified as being in these groups has now been contacted.

Question reference: S5F-04165

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 May 2020

To ask the First Minister when the Scottish Government will commence its review of care homes.

Question reference: S5W-29042

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many care home staff in the (a) public, (b) voluntary and (c) private sector have been tested for COVID-19, and what percentage of the total workforce in each category this represents.

Question reference: S5O-04349

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 May 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide testing facilities in the areas with the highest incidence of COVID-19.

Question reference: S5W-28350

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the guidance issued to NHS boards allows for laundry to be done on site where in-house laundry facilities exist.

Question reference: S5W-28349

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS staff can use in-house laundry facilities to wash uniforms to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Question reference: S5W-28352

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff are employed in the (a) NHS and (b) social care sector.

The latest published data on the NHS workforce shows that as at 31 December 2019, 142,471.4 Whole Time Equivalent people were employed in the NHS workforce in Scotland. Full details can be found at:

https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/NES-Publication/2020-03-03/Visualisation-Overall.asp

The latest published data on the social services workforce shows that as at 31 December 2018, 204,610 people were employed in the social services workforce in Scotland. Full details can be found at:

https://data.sssc.uk.com/data-news/15-announcements/217-publication-of-2018-workforce-data-report

Question reference: S5W-28537

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will encourage the public to use face masks to limit the spread of COVID-19.