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-33349

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 30 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether teachers and school staff who were previously shielding should attend school in person in areas under Level 4 restrictions in its COVID-19 Strategic Framework.

The Chief Medical Officer wrote to those on the shielding list and live within a level 4 area, and those who live work or attend school in a level 4 area. The letter sets out the considerations needed to ensure that appropriate arrangements can be made to ensure that school staff can attend work, and the arrangements that should be made if that is not the case.

The Scottish Government (COVID-19): guidance on reducing the risks in schools sets out the position for teachers and school staff on the arrangements which will apply when protection level 4 is applied.

Question reference: S5O-04808

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with local authorities in the Central Scotland region, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S5W-33139

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 24 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it will encourage people to take up invitations for cancer screening, in light of screening programmes having resumed.

A communications strategy to support the resumption of the screening programmes has been developed with Public Health Scotland, and information has been made available on NHS Inform in a wide range of languages and formats about the restart of each of the adult national screening programmes. This includes information about the additional measures that have been put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19.

A leaflet is also being sent with each appointment prompt or reminder explaining the changes that screening participants can expect when attending a screening appointment during the pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-33109

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 23 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its announcement in May 2020 of £150,000 being allocated for "an enhanced offer of residential rehab to people leaving prison during the pandemic to support their recovery", how many people have been admitted for this purpose.

Question reference: S5W-32727

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 23 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport first became aware of plans by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and any other NHS boards to prioritise flu vaccinations for over-65s by youngest to oldest.

The Scottish Immunisation & Recall System (SIRS) is an IT programme designed for arranging childhood vaccinations, and quite properly calls the youngest first.

SIRS was employed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to arrange appointments for this year’s seasonal flu vaccine, which initially led to over-65s being invited for immunisation from youngest to oldest. This approach is not appropriate for seasonal flu where we need to prioritise the oldest and most-at-risk patients first.

The Cabinet Secretary was made aware of the issues with the SIRS system used by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on 13 October. Following an intervention from the Cabinet Secretary, the Scottish Government now has received assurances that changes have been made to the way the SIRS system is operating. It can now be used to call the oldest first and that the issue has been resolved.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has formally apologised for any distress that may have been caused by the issues with SIRS, and has confirmed that, as of the 30th of October, all vaccination invitation letters to the over-65s for the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area have been posted.

Question reference: S5W-33148

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the £329,000 deal between National Services Scotland and Labcold for the storage and transportation of refrigeration equipment.

Question reference: S5W-32544

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether NHS boards have been effective in making period products accessible to (a) patients and (b) staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-32978

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many times new residents have been admitted to care homes from the community without being tested for COVID-19 in advance, and whether this practice is still ongoing.

Admissions to care homes are managed locally, and as such, this data is not collated by the Scottish Government. As announced on 21 April, all people being admitted to care homes whether from the community or from hospital should be tested for COVID prior to admission. Care Homes are operated by the public, the private and the independent sectors. The care home manager at each home is responsible for admissions and ensuring that appropriate risk assessment takes place. We cannot always compel providers how to act, but by providing guidance, advice and support we are supporting them to comply with the guidance and protect residents.

Local Oversight Boards, which include Directors of Public Health, Nurse Directors and Chief Social Work Officers provide support to care homes and they ensure that appropriate admission arrangements are in place.

Scottish Government and Health Protection Scotland guidance Information and Guidance for Care Homes confirms that the presumption should therefore be that all residents being admitted to a care home should have a negative test before admission unless it is in the clinical interests of the person to be moved and then only after a full risk assessment. Health Protection Scotland advice is available on the Stepdown of Infection Control Precautions and Discharging COVID-19 Patients from Hospital to Residential Settings at: https://hpspubsrepo.blob.core.windows.net/hps-website/nss/3012/documents/1_covid-19-step-down-guidance.pdf

For admissions from the community, the guidance states that everyone should have at least one test performed before or on admission, and be isolated on admission for 14 days. Risk assessment prior to admission should be undertaken to ensure that appropriate isolation facilities are available, taking into account requirements for the patient’s care. The guidance is available at https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-resources-container/covid-19-information-
and-guidance-for-care-home-settings/

We are continuing to ensure that support is available for all care homes and all NHS Board areas have care home oversight boards in place. These boards are engaging with the care homes affected to support them with increased infection prevention control requirements as part of outbreak management.

We have allocated a total of £150 million this year for social care as part of our additional COVID funding to help the social care sector deal with the financial implications of the pandemic. Our Winter Plan recognises that to ensure winter preparedness this year, that additional resources will be required and the Plan is being supported by further funding of up to £112 million. We are working with COSLA, and wider partners, immediately on effective allocation of this funding through mechanisms that promote additionality of services and value for money. We would expect that where care homes are unable to fill vacancies in order that they may continue to comply with guidelines, that this is flagged up at a local level.

Question reference: S5W-32979

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to ensuring that no one with a positive result for COVID-19 is admitted to a care home.

I announced on 21 April that all people being admitted to care homes whether from the community or from hospital should be tested for COVID prior to admission. Scottish Government and Health Protection Scotland guidance states a presumption that everyone being admitted to a care home should have a negative test before admission, unless it is in the clinical interests of the person to be moved. This clinically-led decision is for exceptional circumstances and after a full risk assessment, consulting the resident, family and care home on what is right for the individual and putting appropriate mitigating actions and support in place. The guidance is available at https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-resources-container/covid-19-information
-and-guidance-for-care-home-settings/

Question reference: S5W-32704

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many places for the (a) MSc advanced musculo-skeletal practitioners in primacy care, (b) four-year BSc in clinical physiology and (c) masters training programme in clinical psychology there have been in in each of the last five years, and what the take-up was.