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-28185

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 9 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it made in (a) January and (b) February 2020 of its capacity for contact testing for COVID-19, and of its ability to increase this.

Question reference: S5W-29435

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 9 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in each NHS board area have received emergency dental treatment during each month of the COVID-19 lockdown, and, if it does not hold this information, whether NHS boards can provide it with this.

The figures requested for each NHS Board area is as follows:

NHS Board	23-31 March	1-30 April	1-31 May

Ayrshire and Arran	Not available	168 5	455
Borders	Not available	41 4	153
Dumfries & Galloway	7 1	141	354
Fife	160 2	857	823
Forth Valley	54	301	544
Grampian	3 3	247	766
Greater Glasgow & Clyde	171	718	1597
Highland	Not available	182 4	667
Lanarkshire	50	398	732
Lothian	Not available	109 5	1197
Orkney	20	48	98
Shetland	48	63	67
Tayside	Not available	635 6	2241
Western Isles	Not available	26	27

Where noted above, data recording commenced on the following dates:

1 from 30 March

2 from 26 March

3 from 28 March

4 from 13 April

5 from 14 April

6 from 20 April

Where noted above, data recording commenced on the following dates:

Question reference: S5W-29412

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 June 2020

To as the Scottish Government what its position is on deep cleaning as a strategy to tackle COVID-19.

We have a good understanding of the transmission of COVID-19 but this continues to evolve as new evidence becomes available.

Transmission is through two main routes: droplet and contact. Airborne transmission may also occur in certain circumstances, for example during aerosol generating procedures (AGPs).

The latest evidence suggests surface contacts are likely to be the most significant transmission route.

It also suggests that the virus lasts on surfaces at a level that may pose risk of transmission for 48 hours, while it is unlikely to exist within the air after 30 minutes

Hence environmental decontamination (cleaning and disinfection) is an important mitigating action to contain the spread of COVID-19. If you are cleaning after a known or suspected case of COVID-19 then refer to the guidance on cleaning in non-healthcare settings .

However, decontamination needs to be done alongside other measures such as physical distancing, frequent hand washing, wearing face coverings in enclosed spaces and on public transport, and cough etiquette; as well as, where it is deemed appropriate, wearing PPE.

Question reference: S5W-29415

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 8 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of central contact numbers for people returning to work who have questions about issues related to the COVID-19 outbreak, such as health, safety and the furlough scheme, to ensure that they receive consistent reliable advice.

The Scottish Government has a webpage which provides comprehensive advice on Coronavirus in Scotland, including signposting to health, safety and UK Government advice which includes further information on the furlough scheme. The website was updated on 29 May to include a section specifically for workers and employers to direct them to existing Scottish Government guidance, to ensure they are aware of the current guidance regarding returning to work. The web page can be accessed at https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/ .

In addition to our new webpage, we are supporting Healthy Working Lives (part of Public Health Scotland) to further develop their web based support for employers and employees seeking advice relating to COVID-19. Further information can be found at https://covid19.healthyworkinglives.scot/ . We are also supporting Scottish Hazards to allow them to continue to provide a telephone advice line for workers seeking workplace health and safety advice. Scottish Hazards can be contacted on 0800 0015 022.

Question reference: S5W-28949

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it was given specific scientific advice regarding COVID-19 testing prior to 1 February 2020.

Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, the Scottish Government received expert health protection and public health advice from a range of scientific experts including the Chief Medical Officer, Public Health Scotland, the Scottish Health Protection Network, NERVTAG and the Advisory Committee of Dangerous Pathogens.

We will continue to be guided the best scientific advice and expertise in relation to all aspects of health protection and public health.

Question reference: S5W-29144

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-28643 by Clare Haughey on 14 May 2020, whether it plans to gather this information.

Question reference: S5W-29012

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how long it takes for the current COVID-19 testing process to process and communicate results to the testee.

Through NHS laboratories, our expectation is that test results should normally be communicated back within 24 hours, but some may take up to 48 hours. We are continuing to work with NHS National Services Scotland to secure reliable data on turnaround times to provide a baseline to report against on a weekly basis.

For testing carried out by the UK Government expanded testing sites the vast majority of test results are sent automatically within 48 hours, or 72 hours for home tests.

Question reference: S5W-29203

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-28698 by Jeane Freeman on 18 May 2020, in which it confirmed that it does not hold information on the number of people who may have died after being discharged from hospital, whether it is able to obtain such information from other sources, and, if so, whether it will provide this information.

The Scottish Government is working with Public Health Scotland (PHS) to produce data on the number of patients who have died after discharge.

To collect this data PHS will be required to bring together the discharge database with National Records for Scotland death records. Once linked, PHS will be required to check the data for robustness and accuracy. And once they are confident in the robustness and accuracy of the data we will ensure it is made publicly available.

Question reference: S5W-29207

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the health secretary's comments in the Parliament on 20 May 2020 (Official Report, c.4) that she did not have information relating to the deep cleaning of the Nike store in The Centre, Livingston in early March, but that "it is something that Health Protection Scotland’s (HPS) local contact tracing team would know and pursue", whether she, through HPS, will confirm the position.

I can confirm that Health Protection Scotland have advised that, further to a risk assessment, no deep clean was required for public health purposes. This is based on the time interval between detection of the case and their contact with the store exceeding 72 hours. This was in line with UK guidance on decontamination advice at the time.

It is for the store/company to decide whether it will undertake a deep clean under these circumstances.

Question reference: S5W-29267

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-28382 by Jeane Freeman on 20 May 2020, whether it will publish the correspondence from the Chief Medical Officer on 26 March 2020 to those people considered most at risk from COVID-19.