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-33419

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 3 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the reported reduction in funding for drug and alcohol treatment services is having on the ability to deliver harm reduction services.

Question reference: S5O-04842

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding free bus travel for all.

Question reference: S5W-33396

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have been deregistered by dental practices in each month since February 2020, broken down by NHS board area.

Question reference: S5W-33366

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the inquiry covering the rest of the UK, what its position is on using the powers that it has to hold a public inquiry into the activities of undercover police officers in Scotland, including the so-called spycops, who had reportedly been monitoring political and social justice campaigners from 1968 onwards.

The Scottish Government believed that a single inquiry across the UK would have been the best option for a comprehensive and coherent investigation into the activities of undercover police officers in Scotland. As the UK Government refused our request for this, we directed HMICS to carry out an independent review of undercover policing in Scotland.

The Scottish and UK Governments have been Judicially Reviewed regarding the Scottish Government’s decision not to hold a public inquiry into undercover policing in Scotland and the UK Government’s decision not to extend the Undercover Policing Inquiry to Scotland. Lady Carmichael reached a decision in November 2018 to dismiss the petition on all counts.

Question reference: S5W-32899

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the statistical risk is of a care home resident (a) contracting and (b) dying from COVID-19 as a result of someone who has tested positive for the virus being discharged into their care home, and how this compares with the equivalent risks from a person (i) having an alcoholic drink in a pub, (ii) having an alcoholic drink with a starter meal in a restaurant, (iii) attending a soft play centre, (iv) attending a venue with background music playing, (v) visiting a friend’s home, (vi) sharing a car with (A) one, (B) two, (C) three and (D) four people, (vii) playing bowls, (viii) attending a football match as a spectator, (ix) who has not been tested since the start of the pandemic working as a (aa) home care worker, (bb) nurse or support worker in a hospital ward, (cc) police officer and (dd) prison officer, (x) driving a passenger bus, (xi) being a student and living in halls of residence, (xii) working in a shop and (xiii) teaching or working in a school.

As with many infectious agents, particularly viruses, it is clinically impossible to assess exact risk for each scenario people are faced with. As we learn more about this novel coronavirus we learn more about risk. We know that indoors is worse than outdoors, poor ventilation is worse than good ventilation, large gatherings are worse than small and time and proximity are crucial risk factors. We also learn more about those who are at particular risk and our understanding continues to develop with many scientific articles published daily. The advice to the public from the WHO, the European CDC and Governments, including the Scottish Government, has to therefore take account of this growing evidence base. The Scottish Government advice is under constant review and is based on science, risk and informing the public.

Question reference: S5O-04810

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what support it is providing to older people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-33153

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 25 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32753 by Joe FitzPatrick on 10 November 2020, whether it will answer the question asked regarding for what reason dental patients are reportedly unable to receive some treatments on the NHS due to COVID-19 restrictions but are able to get the same treatment if they pay for it privately; whether it is aware of this issue being widely reported; if so, for what reason patients have been told this, and what action (a) patients can take in such circumstances and (b) it has taken to ensure that dental practices cannot take this position with their patients.

From 1 November dentists were advised that the full range of treatments could be provided to NHS patients. Due to the on-going need to maintain physical distancing to protect practitioner, patient and public health this development does not signal a return to pro-COVID-19 levels of activity.

We have taken a cautious, phased approach to remobilisation reflecting concerns at the start of the pandemic about the potential for virus transmission within the dental setting in relation to the use of aerosol generating procedures (AGPs). In a letter to private healthcare providers on 1 June the National Clinical Director and the Chief Dental Officer highlighted the importance of the entire independent healthcare sector, including independent dentists, following the spirit of the route map and supporting key public health messages. The Scottish Government has issued identical guidance to all dentists in order to protect patients and staff.

If a NHS patient has been offered or provided with private dental treatment then their dentist must be able to confirm that all available and appropriate NHS alternative treatments have been discussed with the patient and informed consent obtained. A patient can contact their NHS Board who have responsibility for NHS dental services in their area for further information or advice. Contact details are available on NHS Inform or NHS Board websites.

Question reference: S5T-02539

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is allowing the discharge of COVID-19-positive hospital patients to care homes.

Question reference: S5W-33125

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland will continue to train Sri Lanka's police in sexual violence investigations, in light of the Human Rights Watch report of 20 October 2020, which alleges that Sri Lanka's police conducts "forced anal examinations in homosexuality prosecutions".

Question reference: S5W-33122

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many times Police Scotland has deployed officers to Sri Lanka since 2012 to deliver training, mentoring or capacity building.