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: S6W-07327

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 11 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will be able to announce the chair of the independent review into audiology, following its announcement on 21 January 2022 that a review group will be formed, and when this group will be established.

I am delighted to advise Parliament that Dr Jacqueline Taylor, past President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, will be the Independent Chair of the National Audiology Review Group. Dr Taylor brings a wealth of Scotland wide clinical and training experience to the role. She will provide strong leadership in the delivery of an independent and evidence led review.

While it will be for the Chair to determine how the review is best taken forward, I know we share the determination that the outcome of the review leads us to ensuring our hearing services are fit for purpose across Scotland. The National Audiology Review Group will be tasked with providing recommendations for a national plan for improvement. To achieve this we will also work closely with our partners and wider stakeholders.

A further update will be provided to Parliament detailing the remit of the review, its membership and timetable for reporting once it has been agreed with the Chair.

Question reference: S6O-00880

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of schools are being reported as in good or satisfactory condition.

Question reference: S6W-06972

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 24 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the COVID-19 legislation in place.

Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 were made today.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 5) Regulations 2022 (“the Amendment Regulations”) amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (“the Principal Regulations”) and will take effect on 28 February 2022.

The Amendment Regulations remove from the Principal Regulations the provisions in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine certification scheme. In particular, these Regulations:

remove the requirement for persons responsible for certain premises to operate a reasonable system for checking that persons on, or seeking to enter, their premises are fully vaccinated against coronavirus, have received appropriate test results, or are otherwise exempt from the requirement to demonstrate that they are fully vaccinated.
remove the requirement for certain premises to prepare a compliance plan describing how their systems will operate and other measures in place to prevent or minimise the spread of coronavirus.
remove the requirement to treat information as confidential, and;
remove supplemental provisions in relation to licensing for certain premises.

The Regulations have been published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2022/74

Question reference: S6O-00812

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has in place to support World Book Day on 3 March 2022.

Question reference: S6O-00758

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what support is being offered to veterans across the country.

Question reference: S6W-06134

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the COVID-19 legislation in place.

Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 were made today.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No.3) Regulations 2022 amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (“the principal regulations”) and will take effect on 28 January 2022 at 05.00 am.

The Amendment Regulations amend exemptions from face covering requirements in the principal regulations which exempt a person from face covering requirements in certain indoor places where a specific distance is maintained between the exempted person and other people or where they are separated from other people by a partition. This changes the distance to be maintained between persons who are not wearing face coverings from at least two metres to at least one metre – this includes

employees and volunteers in certain places
a person leading an act of worship in a place of worship
a person leading a funeral, marriage ceremony or civil partnership registration
parties to be married or entering into a civil partnership
a person performing, presenting, addressing a public gathering, making a speech or acting as a panel member and;
a person performing or rehearsing for a performance where certain circumstances apply.

The Regulations also amend the requirement that a face covering must be worn in any indoor communal area in a workplace, where there is no partition, or where people are not otherwise separated by a specified minimum distance, to change the specified minimum distance between persons who are not required to wear a face covering from at least two metres to at least one metre.

The Regulations also exempt a person travelling on a ferry, who is not outdoors, from wearing a face covering where a distance of at least one metre is maintained from other persons, as opposed to at least two metres.

The Regulations have been published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2022/29 .

Question reference: S6W-05839

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take at a national level, following the publication of the British Academy of Audiology report on NHS Lothian's Paediatric Audiology Services.

The Scottish Government has today announced an Independent Chair is to be appointed to oversee a Review of Audiology Services in Scotland.

The appointee will provide leadership to a National Audiology Review Group established to examine hearing services provided to both children and adults in Health Boards across Scotland.

As I have previously stated to Parliament, it is vital that we are confident in the quality and effectiveness of our audiology service in Scotland. To do this, we need to identify any potential wider issues and what recommendations need to be taken forward across NHS Scotland to ensure our audiology service is fit for purpose and support our commitment to the needs of children and people living with a sensory impairment.

The group will provide recommendations for a national plan for improvement.

The Scottish Government will provide a further update to Parliament detailing the remit of the review, its membership and timetable for reporting once an appointment has been made.

Question reference: S6W-05852

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 20 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the COVID-19 legislation in place.

Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 were made today.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No.2) Regulations 2022 amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (“the principal regulations”) and will take effect on 24 January 2022.

The Amendment Regulations remove the capacity limits for live events held indoors and the definition of a live event.

The regulations also remove the requirement to take measures to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that a distance of 1 metre is maintained between people on or waiting to enter hospitality and leisure premises and that only enough people are admitted to the premises to allow the 1 metre distance to be maintained.

The regulations remove the requirement for table service in premises where alcohol is sold for consumption on the premises, and that the customer must remain seated whilst consuming food and drink on the premises.

The regulations also remove the requirement for the closure of nightclubs to members of the public and amend the definition of ‘late night premises’ in the Principal Regulations in relation to the certification requirements.

The Regulations have been published at www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2022/13/contents/made

Question reference: S6O-00661

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what lessons it has learned from the pilot schemes introduced at the three sheriff courts, in Dundee, Hamilton and Paisley, to modernise summary courts.

Question reference: S6W-05739

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 13 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the coronavirus legislation in place.

Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 were made today.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022 amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (“the principal regulations”) and will take effect on17 January 2022.

The Amendment Regulations remove the physical distancing requirements in the Principal Regulations at outdoor event venues, outdoor exhibitions and outdoor spaces in sports stadia.

The Regulations also amend definitions in the Principal Regulations in relation to the certification requirements, in particular to the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’. To be considered fully vaccinated for domestic certification purposes, a person must have had a booster, if 120 days have passed since their primary course of a MHRA vaccine. If not boosted within 120 days, the person would be treated as if they had not been vaccinated and would require to show evidence of a negative test result within the previous 24 hours as an alternative to requiring full vaccination.”

The Regulations also remove the requirement in the Principal Regulations that a person must not organise an outdoor event of more than 500 people.

The Regulations have been published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2022/6