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-29728

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 17 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the assertion in the STUC principles for relaxing lockdown that "if work cannot be undertaken safely, it should not be undertaken at all".

The health and wellbeing of individuals, communities and the economy is the priority of the Scottish Government. All employers in Scotland should follow the existing Scottish guidance, support workers to follow health protection advice and have a statutory duty to ensure that workers’ health and safety is protected. This includes undertaking risk assessments of their work activity, assessing the risk from Covid-19 spread in the workplace, and putting in place appropriate mitigating measures.

There is a wide range of guidance available from both the Scottish Government and Health and Safety Executive. Advice can also be obtained from local authorities on steps that can be taken to comply with legislation and to keep employees safe. Additionally, Healthy Working Lives (part of Public Health Scotland) provides advice and support to both employers and employees on improving health, safety and welfare in the workplace. The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the trade unions and other partners to prepare detailed safety guidance for different sectors. The guidance will take account of our long-established commitment to fair work, which was set out in the context of the current crisis in a joint statement with the STUC.

If an employee believes that their working conditions are unsafe, they have rights under employment legislation.

Question reference: S5W-29725

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 17 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, what steps it has taken to advise employers and employees of Section 44 of the Employment Relations Act (1996), which provides employees with the means to contest the adequacy or appropriateness of safety arrangements, without fear of recrimination or detriment, giving them the right to withdraw from and not return to workplaces where they believe they will be exposed to imminent danger to their health.

Question reference: S5W-29721

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 16 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns with safety in such facilities because of the COVID-19 outbreak, what its position is on whether the risk from the virus that is faced directly by staff working in contact/call centres, and that the danger that they might pass on the infection to others, should be treated as a devolved public health issue not only a matter of occupational health and safety.

We have been clear that the risk from the virus is both a public health and health & safety issue and we are addressing that by being consistently clear that it is vital that all businesses act responsibly and align fully with the physical distancing measures introduced to protect the nation’s heath, well-being and economic future. Advice from the Chief Medical Officer is that all non-essential business premises, sites and attractions should close unless and until we can all be clear how operations can be undertaken safely and in a way that is fully compliant with physical distancing. To support this we have published guidance for businesses in Scotland on physical distancing and closures due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Question reference: S5W-29696

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 16 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) Scottish Enterprise and (b) its other agencies have paid in each of the last five years to companies that make, supply or provide components for the (i) armed forces and (ii) police and security forces of other countries, broken down by country.

Question reference: S5W-29552

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 15 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason its senior managers have reportedly been awarded pay rises of up to 12%; how this compares with the salary increases that have been offered to its other employees, and what its position is on the fairness of this.

Public Sector Pay Policy was agreed as part of the Scottish Budget 2020-21 and includes a basic increase of £750 or 3%. Pay progression is at the discretion of individual employers. The pay awards for all Scottish Government staff are entirely consistent with the Policy. Following representation and discussion with the civil service unions I directed public bodies, including the Scottish Government, to implement the basic elements of Pay Policy as an interim pay award. Given other pressures and priorities public bodies may not have been able to engage with the unions in the normal way to discuss pay and the interim award provides certainty to public sector workers and their families.

Pay progression, which is not automatic and reflects continued development in the grade, is an important factor in allowing us to continue to meet equal pay requirements and reduce any pay gap, and is consistent with pay arrangements in place in other parts of the public sector. These pay progression increases are therefore designed to deliver equity and fairness by ensuring equal pay for work of equal value and have been agreed with the recognised trade unions.

Question reference: S5W-29599

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 12 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to publish an action plan on health, social and economic inequalities experienced by black and minority ethnic (BAME) people, which have been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 20 March 2020 we published the Year 2 progress update on our Race Equality Action Plan. A final year report of this Plan will be published in 2021, which will include consideration of activity across all relevant portfolios, including particular attention to the issues which have been highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, the Race Equality Action Plan Programme Board met on 5 May to discuss the specific impact of Covid-19. A new Expert Reference Group on the impact of Covid-19 on Minority Ethnic communities has also been established to advise and support the Programme Board in this important agenda.

Question reference: S5O-04425

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to encourage employers and unions across major economic sectors to engage in national collective bargaining.

Question reference: S5W-29478

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in care homes have died from COVID-19 or had COVID-19 mentioned on their death certificate.

Question reference: S5W-28186

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government on what basis the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland said on 16 February 2020 that the NHS was “well prepared” to deal with COVID-19.

The Scottish Government has worked closely with NHS Scotland to ensure health service capacity, building a national surge capacity of over 4000 acute beds, including up to 1000 at the NHS Louisa Jordan and suspending non-urgent elective operations, while vital cancer treatment, emergency, maternity, and urgent care continues.

At no point to date in the outbreak, has the NHS had insufficient acute or critical care capacity to deal with COVID-19 and emergency demand.

Question reference: S5W-29477

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have died in care homes in each week since 1 February 2020.