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-28452

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issued to local authorities on limiting the transmission of COVID-19 in care homes and nursing homes at the start of the pandemic.

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) publishes infection control guidance for all care homes including those run by Local Authorities which is updated regularly. It was most recently updated on 20 May. The HPS guidance is based on the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual and includes advice on how to prevent and manage the spread of all respiratory infections including COVID-19.

To supplement HPS guidance, the Scottish Government also issued clinical and practice guidance for care homes. This was first published on 13 March and updated on 26 March and 15 May. This guidance draws on the HPS guidance but provides more detailed information on some of the practical steps that are required to protect staff and residents. Both the HPS and the Scottish Government guidance is continually reviewed to take account of the emerging picture around COVID-19.

Question reference: S5W-29396

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what modelling it has carried out on the economic impact of easing lockdown in line with the phased approach that it set out in its document, Scotland's route map through and out of the crisis.

The route map takes an evidence-led and transparent approach to easing restrictions and sets out a phased approach towards the future. We will retain current restrictions while they remain justified, necessary and proportionate, and will not change them unless and until it is safe to do so. Our decisions are based on our assessment of the current evidence for Scotland and involve taking difficult decisions that seek to balance health, social and economic harms so as to minimise overall harm.

Our modelling shows that there is a risk that if restrictions are lifted too soon then a second surge in infection could lead to further harm to our economy, health and society.

The Chief Economist’s latest economic outlook is set out in the latest State of the Economy report, available at:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/state-economy-april-2020/ .

As well as the Monthly Economic Brief for May, available at:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/monthly-economic-brief/ .

Question reference: S5F-04179

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2020

To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Government plans to offer self-isolating people under the NHS Test and Protect programme.

Question reference: S5W-28764

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding the decision to temporarily relax UK competition law to support the dairy industry during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Question reference: S5W-28765

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with (a) Dairy UK, (b) the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and (c) other rural stakeholders in Scotland regarding assisting the dairy industry during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Question reference: S5W-28767

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of current milk prices, and whether it will adjust relevant funding to respond to the needs of the industry.

Question reference: S5W-28768

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 7 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) foundation, (b) modern and (c) graduate apprenticeships are administered by Skills Development Scotland through (i) contracted learning providers and (ii) direct employer contracts in (A) tourism and (B) agriculture.

Skills Development Scotland contracts Modern Apprenticeships through occupational grouping rather than apprenticeship framework. The following table provides the breakdown for contracted learning providers and direct employer contracts in the Food and Drink occupational grouping (which contains the agriculture framework) and the Tourism and Hospitality occupational grouping.

	Food and Drink		Hospitality and Tourism
Year	Employer	Training Provider	Employer	Training Provider
2020-21	30	1345	218	2137

At present there are no specific frameworks in tourism and agriculture for either Foundation or Graduate Apprenticeships. Skills Development Scotland can advise of the process to developing new frameworks, and employers in those sectors are still able to access existing Foundation and Graduate Apprenticeships frameworks to support their business. Full information on these frameworks can be found at www.apprenticeships.scot

Question reference: S5W-28771

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what future funding it has planned to support the expansion of (a) tourism and (b) agriculture courses at further education institutions.

Question reference: S5W-28769

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 7 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what support is provided to Skills Development Scotland for (a) foundation, (b) modern and (c) graduate apprenticeships in (i) tourism and (ii) agriculture.

Skills Development Scotland administer Apprenticeships on behalf of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Government provides support and direction to Skills Development Scotland through the Annual Letter of Guidance. In 2019-20 Skills Development Scotland received grant-in-aid of £214.7m, up from £193.3m in 2018-19. The grant-in-aid for 2020/21 will be confirmed in due course.

The Scottish Government maintains regular engagement with Skills Development Scotland to support and collaborate on the development and implementation of Scottish Government’s Skills and Apprenticeship policy. Scottish Government’s Sectoral specific support is manifested through Skills Groups, Action Plans and specific policy decisions.

Additional support is provided to Skills Development Scotland through the work of the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board and the newly formed Apprenticeship Approvals Group (AAG) which has taken over the approval of all Scottish Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships. The move to one approval group for the whole Scottish Apprenticeship family will ensure consistent standards are applied across all standards and frameworks.

Question reference: S5W-28770

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 7 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been undertaken regarding (a) apprenticeship and (b) graduate workforce planning for the (i) tourism and (ii) agriculture sector.

(i) Regarding Tourism sector assessment, Skills Development Scotland has produced the Tourism Skills Investment Plan which outlined the key skills priorities for the sector (pre-COVID-19). Skills Development Scotland also produces an annual Tourism Skills Assessment. Additionally the National Tourism Skills Group plays a key role in identifying the skills needs in the tourism sector, and the demand for Apprenticeship frameworks.

The Scottish Government developed a new national tourism strategy, Scotland Outlook 2030. This strategy has a strong focus on the workforce and a key role for Work-based Learning. Due to the impact of COVID-19 focus has been shifted to supporting the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group (STERG) develop a National Action Plan. The STERG National Action Plan will however look to align with Scotland Outlook 2030.

(ii) Regarding an assessment for apprenticeships in the agriculture sector, an annual Modern Apprenticeship Demand Assessment is undertaken with key stakeholders to inform the Skills Development Scotland Contracting Process. Skills Development Scotland has also worked with industry partners to develop the Food & Drink Skills Investment Plan. This plan articulates the skills priorities for the sector. Building on the plan, new frameworks have been developed in this sector:

Brewing MA
Food & Drink Technical MA
Land-based Management MA
Distilling MA (currently in development)

Additionally, the Scottish Government launched The Rural Skills Action Plan in June 2019. This plan sets out our strategic approach to support the skills needs of the rural economy by addressing skills shortages, talent retention and attraction, and demographic challenges.

This is complimented by the Employers’ Toolkit for Agricultural Apprenticeships, Training and Placement Support, also launched in June 2019, to assist small rural businesses in attracting, recruiting and retaining staff and it is an important instrument in supporting further Apprenticeship delivery for the sector.