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-29452

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what research it is aware of regarding whether air conditioning systems that are used in hospitals, care homes and domestic properties can spread COVID-19, and whether it plans to undertake any research on this subject.

In May 2020, Health Protection Scotland carried out a Rapid Review of Literature: 'Assessing the infection prevention and control measures for the prevention and management of COVID-19 in health and care settings', which identified that, currently there is no clear evidence of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

This is published on the HPS web site, https://hpspubsrepo.blob.core.windows.net/
hps-website/nss/2985/documents/1_covid-19-rapid-review-ipc-for-covid-19.pdf .

The current view of the UK experts considering such matters is that air conditioning may reduce potential risk through dilution of contaminants, rather than contribute to the spread of COVID-19. Ventilation (air conditioning) has very limited effects on short-range aerosol/droplet and contact transmission, which are believed to be the main transmission routes. No specific research is planned on the contribution of air conditioning to the spread, however, emerging literature is being monitored.

Question reference: S5W-29404

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it had with professional representational organisations regarding the guidelines for DNR (do not resuscitate) forms put in place for individual patients during the COVID-19 outbreak.

There has been no change to the guidance on the use of Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary (DNACPR) forms during the Covid 19 outbreak. As such, the Scottish Government has not formally consulted with professional representational organisations on the existing DNACPR guidance during the Covid 19 outbreak.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with a wide variety of professional groups and organisations in responding to the challenges posed by the Covid 19 outbreak.

Question reference: S5W-29135

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it took over 15 months for action to be taken by the Care Inspectorate regarding Home Farm Care Home on Skye.

Question reference: S5W-28302

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 1,000 ventilators that have been ordered in response to the COVID-19 outbreak have been delivered.

Question reference: S5W-29057

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much additional funding to tackle COVID-19 has been given to each NHS board.

The Scottish Government has made available additional funding for frontline Boards of £333 million through the Scottish Budget, and this has now been allocated in full to support our health and care services. This funding is detailed in the table below and will be prioritised towards responding to Covid-19 and will ensure that patient safety remains the top priority.

The Scottish Government has published in its Summer Budget Revision the details of the £620 million in health and social care COVID-19 consequentials that have been received so far, and that have been allocated in full to support our frontline health and care services. In addition, we remain in close contact with the UK Government to ensure that the NHS receives whatever resources it needs, in line with the commitment made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

NHS Boards	Additional funding 2021-22 £m
Ayrshire and Arran	22.2
Borders	6.4
Dumfries and Galloway	9.2
Fife	22.2
Forth Valley	17.3
Grampian	29.5
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	68.9
Highland	20.7
Lanarkshire	36.9
Lothian	57.4
Orkney	1.5
Shetland	1.6
Tayside	23.5
Western Isles	2.3
National Waiting Times Centre	1.7
Scottish Ambulance Service	8.1
The State Hospital	1.1
NHS 24	2.1
Total	332.8

Question reference: S5W-29058

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what clinical guidance has been issued to NHS boards on the admittance of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 into hospital.

Question reference: S5W-29059

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what information has been recorded regarding the length of time between a patient first presenting with suspected COVID-19 and them being admitted to hospital.

Question reference: S5W-28773

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns regarding the accuracy of some of the COVID-19 testing kits that it has procured from overseas, and how it ensures that all such kits fully comply with safety standards.

The type of tests being used in Scotland (real time PCR assays) ar e widely used for the detection of respiratory viruses, as well as a range of other viral pathogens, owing to their speed and versatility.

Scottish laboratories are working in collaboration with the Scottish Microbiology & Virology Network (SMVN), National Laboratories Programme (NLP) and Health Protection Scotland, as well as linking in with Public Health England, to ensure that all tests are quality checked and validated for use.

Based on work by NHS Lothian on symptomatic cases the accuracy of tests for clinical diagnosis is 98%. This was presented in a Royal College of Pathologists webinar - available online .

Question reference: S5W-29590

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when property valuers and surveyors will be able to resume work, and what assessment it has made of whether plans to reopen the housing market are being held back by property valuers and surveyors not yet being able to do so.

A relaxation of restrictions on home moves is anticipated in phase 2 of the recovery plan, as set out in Scotland’s route map through and out of the crisis , published on 21 May. Restrictions will only be relaxed if the virus remains suppressed and the evidence allows us to do so. During phase 1, surveyors should continue to follow the Scottish Government guidance published on 31 March: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19
-guidance-moving-home/ .

We are working with a wide range of stakeholders through our Home Moves in Scotland Working Group, including the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, to develop revised guidance for phase 2.

Question reference: S5T-02243

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it did not immediately publish details of the number of patients who have contracted COVID-19 in hospital.