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-33903

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 18 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that pupils (a) who have had to self-isolate and (b) whose teachers have had to self-isolate are not disadvantaged by the 2021 assessment process.

We have been putting the right support in place at national level to ensure that remote learning is supported for those who need it. I do, however, recognise that some learners have lost significant amounts of teaching time in the current situation, and we cannot guarantee that there will be no further disruption to learning. Our priority is to ensure that the approach to assessment is fair to all.

My statement to Parliament on 8 December 2020 outlined further changes to the awarding of National Qualifications in 2020-2021, with the cancellation of Higher and Advanced Higher exams.

I have asked the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to build on its collaborative work in developing the alternative certification model for National 5 and consider this as the basis for a model for Highers and Advanced Highers this year.

I have judged that teacher based assessment of learner attainment evidence is the best approach to delivering fairness under the current circumstances of variable disruption to learning. This approach will also allow for some additional teaching and learning time over the period when exams would usually be held will help to alleviate some of the disruption to learning.

As part of the approach to assessing National Qualifications in 2020–2021, SQA is exploring what further measures may be appropriate to take account of COVID-related disruption to learning and assessment, including for those learners suffering the most significant levels of disruption.

Question reference: S5W-32459

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 14 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce testing for COVID-19 of all student teachers prior to them taking up school placements.

Recent Office for National Statistics data shows no evidence of any difference between the positivity rates of teachers and other school staff relative to other worker groups of a similar age, and there is no current direct evidence that transmission in schools plays a significant contributory role in driving increased rates of infection among children.

However, many school staff are still understandably anxious and to address that, we have already put in place arrangements to allow members of school staff to get a coronavirus test whether or not they have symptoms. We are currently the only part of the United Kingdom that provides that routine access.

As announced in the Scottish Parliament on 8 December 2020, after the schools return in January, we will go further and begin piloting routine asymptomatic testing of school staff. The details are under discussion with interested local authorities, and further detail will be provided to the Parliament in due course. In addition to that work we will also be exploring how teaching students can access a test via their school placements using the employer referral portal.

Question reference: S5W-33544

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 11 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that it plans to support the Scottish Youth Parliament, YouthLink Scotland and Young Scot to deliver a “Lockdown Lowdown 2” survey on face coverings, and work with Public Health Scotland on a similar survey of children under seven, what the terms of reference are for this work, and how it will use the findings of these surveys to assess the impact of face coverings on young people.

The details of this work are as follows:

Wave 2 of Lockdown Lowdown covered a wide range of questions about young people’s experiences during the pandemic. This included an open question where respondents were given the opportunity to raise any issues, such as face coverings, in relation to COVID-19 restrictions. In addition, focus groups covered a broad range of questions about young people’s experiences, including prompts about face coverings.
Wave 2 of the COVID-19 Early Years Resilience and Impact Survey covers a wide range of questions about the lives of children aged 2-7 and their parents/carers. It contains four questions about how children feel about wearing face coverings and about adults wearing them.

These surveys, along with other work, will support our regular review of the existing and emerging evidence base regarding the impact of face coverings and other restrictions on children and young people. As evidence is collated and assessed over time, it will provide a useful basis on which to adjust or amend policy and guidance as appropriate.

Question reference: S5W-33563

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 11 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what prioritisation it will give to offering people with Down’s syndrome access to any COVID-19 vaccine, and what differences there will be in this prioritisation between children and adults with the condition.

People aged 16 years and over with Down’s syndrome are included in the priority list published by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on 2 nd December. They will be offered vaccination at the same time as individuals over 70. If they are over 75 or resident in a care home for older people, vaccination will be offered earlier. Although the Pfizer vaccine is not authorised by the MHRA for use in children and young people under 16 years of age, vaccination may be considered for children aged 12 and over with serious neuro-disabilities (including cerebral palsy, severe autism and Down’s syndrome) who spend regular time in specialised residential care settings for children with complex needs (as unlicensed use) after consultation with the clinical team.

Question reference: S5O-04862

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how leaving the EU will impact on East Lothian.

Question reference: S5W-33564

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 8 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what prioritisation it will give to offering the carers of people with Down’s syndrome access to any COVID-19 vaccine, and what differences there will be in this prioritisation between the carers of children and adults with the condition.

Question reference: S5W-33549

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 7 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether people with learning disabilities will be prioritised for the COVID-19 vaccine in the earlier waves of its delivery.

In line with the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations prioritisation and as vaccine supply allows, we plan to vaccinate adults aged 18 to 65 years in an at-risk group, including those with severe or profound learning disabilities, in wave 2. Adults over 65 with severe or profound learning disabilities will be offered vaccination earlier due to their age. Older adults with severe or profound learning disabilities living in care homes will be offered vaccination in wave 1.

Question reference: S5W-33545

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 7 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of studies conducted by Public Health England that have identified a higher death rate from COVID-19 among people with learning disabilities, whether it has conducted any similar studies in Scotland and, if not, what assessment it has made of (a) the number of deaths from COVID-19 among people with learning disabilities compared with the general population and (b) any other increased risk for such people in relation to the ongoing pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-33559

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 7 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what additional support it has provided to people living with Down’s syndrome, and their carers, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Scottish Government has provided additional funding to Down's Syndrome Scotland to extend their helpline and services to enable them to provide additional support to people with Downs syndrome and their carers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Down Syndrome Scotland have adapted their services to deliver online support one example is their Hub 21 digital platform for members of Down’s Syndrome Scotland. It aims to keep the Down’s syndrome community fully connected during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-33561

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 7 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has carried out on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with Down’s syndrome, and whether the mortality risk from the virus for people with this condition is higher than that for the general population.

At the outset of the pandemic, the four Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) published a list of six groups where people would be considered to be at the highest clinical risk from COVID-19.

The initial approach was based on best evidence at the time. We are committed to following the evidence and we have refined the shielding criteria as new evidence emerges.

For this reason the 4 UK CMOs considered data from a new study recently published (QCOVID model - https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m3731 ) and based on evidence agreed to include to the shielding list people aged 18 and over with Down’s Syndrome.

As indicated in the answer to question S5W-32920 on 2 November 2020, letters are being issued to those people affected to inform them that they will be added to the shielding list and to explain what it means for them.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .