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: S5O-04766

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress at the Office of the Public Guardian with respect to the processing of power of attorney applications.

SCTS have increased the Office of the Public Guardian’s operational budget, allowing recruitment of 15 additional permanent staff, and development of a new IT system and an online public register.

It is anticipated that over time these improvements will mean that power of attorney documents can again be processed within the target time of 30 working days following their submission for registration.

Power of attorneys are made as part of sensible future life planning. Where there is an urgent need, the Office of the Public Guardian are continuing to register power of attorney deeds within 5 working days.

Question reference: S5O-04657

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it will take forward a tourism recovery plan for Ayrshire, and what role it believes digital technology can play in assisting with this.

Question reference: S5W-31693

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent announcement that the culture and heritage sectors are to receive a £59 million funding package to protect jobs and help the industry weather the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, when access to this funding package will be available; how this is being communicated to local cultural organisations; whether individuals can apply to the fund; how the fund will be disbursed; who will consider the bids, and how it will ensure the equanimity of awards so that all cultural communities will benefit.

The £59 million funding package for the culture and heritage sectors comprises a number of different funds which have been designed to support parts of the culture and creative sectors which we know have been badly impacted by COVID-19.

The funding is being delivered through Creative Scotland and key updates are being published regularly on its website: https://www.creativescotland.com/funding . Funds are open to individuals, groups or organisations to apply for and will support a wide range of activity in the arts, screen and creative industries.

The funds include: the £15 million Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund which is open to applications from 17 September; £3.5 million Independent Cinemas Recovery and Resilience Fund which opened to applications on 14 September; £5 million Creative Freelancer Hardship Fund for which Creative Scotland issued an open call for partner organisations to help with distribution on 11 September; £3.5 million Sustaining Creative Practice funding which has been added to Creative Scotland’s existing Open Fund and is open for applications from individuals now; and a £3 million Youth Arts Fund for which details are being finalised and are due to be announced this week.

The eligibility and assessment criteria will be designed to meet the aims of each fund and Creative Scotland will be responsible for assessing the applications and ensuring that awards are distributed fairly.

Question reference: S5O-04598

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with Scottish Enterprise’s strategic approach to regional economic development in Ayrshire.

Question reference: S5O-04558

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the impact of vacant and derelict land on the environment, what action it is taking to tackle this.

Question reference: S5O-04509

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action it is taking to support the Ayrshire economy, including the Ayrshire Growth Deal.

Question reference: S5W-31213

Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-29473

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Russell on 28 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish further details on Scotland’s approach to reviewing the COVID-19 restrictions currently in place.

The First Minister has today announced that, as a result of the efforts of the public in sticking with the restrictions of lockdown, sufficient progress has been made in supressing the virus to enable us to move to Phase 1 of COVID-19: Framework for Decision Making – Scotland’s route map through and out of the crisis.

The Scottish Government has also reviewed the regulations and guidance which underpin the current lockdown, and have concluded these must remain in place for now, with the exception of those being adjusted through the Phase 1 changes.

We will publish an update to the route map on Friday, showing the move to Phase 1.

Question reference: S5O-04356

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
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 an update on how construction sites could reopen safely in order to allow its Affordable Housing Supply Programme to resume.

Question reference: S5O-04318

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 31 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether GPs, nurses and staff at medical practices are being tested for COVID-19, and also carers making home visits.

Our priorities for testing are directing testing capacity to save lives and protect the vulnerable; ensuring that critical staff can return to work as soon as possible; and monitoring and reporting of the spread and prevalence of the virus in the population and the impact of public health measures.

Guidance has been published for the NHS to support use of the testing capacity in laboratories, in so far as it is not needed for essential care, in order to enable health and social care staff to be back at work when that is safe.

We are expanding this programme to cover critical frontline NHS and social care staff, and workers in other critical areas.

However, the tests we have available are effective at identifying people who have COVID-19, but only when they are symptomatic. They cannot reliably detect infection prior to the onset of symptoms. This is why we are not testing key workers who do not have symptoms.

NHS territorial boards will put in place appropriate local arrangements for testing of NHS and social care staff who are symptomatic.