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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S5W-28957

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 28 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help protect taxi drivers and private hire drivers who are transporting key workers to and from work.

The Scottish Government takes the issues with taxis very seriously and is reviewing the published guidance daily to ensure that spread of the virus is contained while balancing the needs of NHS staff to get to work, many of whom use taxis. For the current position on staff and passenger safety in taxi and private hire vehicles I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-28129 on 22 April 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Question reference: S5W-28958

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 28 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will help private hire and taxi drivers with the provision of (a) personal protective equipment (PPE) and (b) a safety screen or shield to ensure they are protected as much as possible from COVID-19 when transporting key workers and others.

COVID-19 is affecting all our daily lives including our workplaces, and the Scottish Government recognises the very challenging position that many employers and workers are now facing. The health and wellbeing of individuals, communities and the economy is our priority, and the Scottish Government is actively looking at what it needs to do to secure safe workplaces across a whole range of sectors, including the private hire and taxi sector.

Question reference: S5W-29129

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 27 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is reportedly taking up to eight weeks for it to provide a substantive reply to some written parliamentary questions.

Question reference: S5W-29036

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the findings and recommendations of the independent review that it commissioned of the policing of the miners’ strike in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-28942

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 27 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what statements, comments, announcements and news releases about her policy remit have been issued by the Minister for Older People and Equalities since the COVID-19 lockdown began.

The Scottish Government has ensured a strong focus on equality and human rights throughout the response to this pandemic, an approach set out in a letter to the Scottish Parliament’s Equality and Human Rights Committee on 12 May 2020
( https://www.parliament.scot/S5_Equal_Opps/12_
May_2020_Ms_McKelvie_Minister_OPE_to_EHRC.pdf ).

The work of a Minister is, of course, much wider than statements, comments, announcements and news releases, but those that have been made since lockdown began in the Minister’s sole name - as opposed to those she has been involved in but issued in another Minster’s name - include:

Chairing a meeting of the Older People’s Strategic Action Forum on 21 May 2020, to hear updates on valuable work being carried out across communities and allow shared thinking to shape next steps;
Funding a range of organisations working with older people, enabling them to provide greatly expanded advice and support for older people across Scotland ( A Balancing Act : https://blogs.gov.scot/fairer-scotland
/2020/05/09/a-balancing-act/)
Over £55,000 of additional funding directly to organisations supporting LGBT people, including older people, to increase services during the pandemic (
https://blogs.gov.scot/fairer-scotland/2020/05/12/support
-for-lgbt-during-coronavirus-minister-blog/)
Building the capacity of race equality organisations to support minority ethnic communities during the pandemic, including supporting older people through the Ethnic Minority National Resilience Network
( https://twitter.com/ScotGovFairer
/status/1250058580960698369 )
Supporting local authorities to deal with increased levels of domestic abuse and gender-based violence during the pandemic
( https://news.gov.scot/news/tackling-violence
-against-women-and-girls-during-covid-19)
Highlighting the importance of safeguarding human rights and equality ( https://twitter.com/ScotGovFairer/status
/1260569080337178624)

This list is not exhaustive. The Minister for Older People and Equalities, alongside Ministers across the Scottish Government, continue to focus on continued engagement with stakeholder groups as we put the intersectional experience of those most affected by the pandemic at the centre of the response.

Question reference: S5W-28594

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a substantive answer to question S5W-27947, which received a holding response on 30 March 2020, regarding whether, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, it will carry out an immediate independent review of social care.

Question reference: S5W-28995

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its message continuing to be to stay at home to save lives, for what reason Transport Scotland is advising rail companies and staff that train services will increase from 18 May 2020.

As I confirmed at the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee (RECC) on 13 May 2020, passenger numbers did not yet require an increase in ScotRail services in Scotland on 18 May 2020, and therefore none took place.

Given the planning lead times involved in changing rail services, it was sensible that ScotRail had prepared prudent contingency plans for 18 May. I have asked ScotRail to continue to plan for future phased increases in rail services to be ready to align with wider Scottish Government plans, so the supply of trains may be kept in advance of passenger numbers to facilitate physical distancing for passengers and staff.

Question reference: S5W-28874

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the National Clinical Director's reported comment on Channel 4 News on 16 March 2020 that "we have absolutely adequate testing in Scotland".

The Scottish Government has significantly increased testing capacity in Scotland in response to this outbreak. NHS lab testing is now available in all 14 health board areas with a capacity of around 6,000 tests a day. Combined with capacity from the Glasgow Lighthouse laboratory, we have normal maximum weekday capacity of around 13,000 tests.

We are continuing to build capacity to enable the move to the next phase of testing: Test, Trace, Isolate, Support.

Question reference: S5O-04363

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-28174

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh will be able to accept patients.