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-33918

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what paperwork will be provided to people who are given a COVID-19 vaccine to confirm that they have received it.

People who are given a COVID-19 vaccine are provided with a nationally produced leaflet, that tells them what to expect after the vaccine and includes a reminder about their second dose. They are not given any paperwork as a ‘record’ of the vaccine. As with other vaccines, their vaccination is recorded electronically by NHS Scotland. For COVID-19 vaccination, a Vaccination Management Tool is used by local NHS Boards to record vaccinations.

Question reference: S5W-34014

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 11 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether adult personal assistants who are employed by local authorities are eligible for the £500 "thank you" bonus for health and social care workers.

Question reference: S5W-33891

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether medical and nursing students who have provided support to frontline staff while still carrying out academic studies during the pandemic will be included in the £500 "thank you" bonus.

Students who worked on temporary paid contracts during the pandemic for a period of at least one month during the qualifying period, and have since returned to university, will receive the payment. This includes Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professional students who undertook paid placements over the Summer. However, clinical students on unpaid placements within health and social care are not eligible.

The Scottish Government has published a list of frequently asked questions regarding this payment which provide information on eligibility and payment arrangements. The FAQ can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-gbp500-payment-for-health-and-social-care-staff---questions-and-answers/ .

Question reference: S5W-34143

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason public pools are open for private individual swimming lessons in areas subject to Level 3 restrictions, but club swimming training is prohibited.

The Scottish Government fully recognise the importance of being physically active during the Covid-19 pandemic, both for physical and mental health. While we appreciate the social interaction that club activity provides, limiting group activity, where there may be an increased risk of transmission, is vital to suppress the virus.

Our approach and principles remain those we set out in our Framework for Decision-Making, based on clinical evidence, expert advice, and a balanced assessment of the risks.

Given that the situation with the virus remains fragile – with many cases and continuing pressure on the NHS – we are taking a cautious approach. We will continue to keep restrictions around sport and physical activity under review.

Question reference: S5W-34133

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider offering the COVID-19 vaccine on a 24-hours-a-day basis once stocks permit.

Question reference: S5O-04942

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 January 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Police Scotland's enforcement of the current COVID-19 restrictions.

Question reference: S5W-34254

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether driving to have an MOT carried out is classed as essential travel under the COVID-19 travel rules.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 do not require the closure of premises offering car repair and MOT services. Where an area is under a level 3 or level 4 protection it is reasonable excuse to leave that area to fulfil a legal obligation. Given the prevalence of the virus, however, we would urge people to avoid any unnecessary and use local services wherever they can.

Question reference: S5W-34196

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 21 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it compiles the exemption list for travellers entering Scotland who would normally be expected to quarantine on entry.

Individuals entering Scotland from outside the Common Travel Area must self-isolate for 10 full days unless they are covered under a country or sectoral exemption. Scottish Ministers take decisions about exemptions for travellers to Scotland on the basis of a risk assessment from the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) and advice from the Chief Medical Officer. The JBC monitor information from over 250 countries, territories and islands daily to inform a public health based risk assessment. Information on the assessment methodology is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-risk-assessment
-methodology-for-inbound-international-travel and focuses on weekly incidence rates; test positivity levels; trends in incidence rates; numbers of imported cases and qualitative information on the reliability of reported data. This risk assessment is considered by Ministers on a weekly basis, although immediate action will be taken if the evidence suggests that this is necessary.

Question reference: S5W-33965

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 11 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether outdoor exercise classes are included in the COVID-19 travel exemption that allows people to travel up to five miles outside their local area to carry out informal outdoor exercise.

The exemption to travel up to 5 miles from the boundary of a level 3 or 4 area under the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, relates to informal exercise such as walking, cycling, golf, or running, following the rules around meeting other households. In level 4 areas up to 2 people from 2 separate households can meet outdoors for informal sport or exercise (children under 12 do not count towards households or numbers when meeting outside). Informal exercise refers to exercise that is not organised and therefore does not include club activity or exercise classes.

There is also an exemption provided for those under 18 to travel for organised activities and sport, which includes exercise classes, from level 3 local authorities areas (but not level 4).

Question reference: S5W-33750

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 7 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason churchgoers must wear face coverings throughout the duration of their act of worship, in light of people in hospitality settings not being required to do so while they are seated.

There is scientific evidence that face coverings are effective in reducing the transmission of Covid-19 and the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the use of face coverings as a non-pharmaceutical intervention. It is widely agreed by the scientific and medical community that face coverings provide a barrier to protect against transmission for those around the wearer should the wearer be asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. We also understand that aerosol transmission is more significant than we first thought and that face coverings can provide some protection to the wearer.

In hospitality settings, people are allowed to remove their face covering when they are seated to eat and drink in these settings, because it would be impractical to mandate otherwise. However, there are other settings where we ask people to wear face coverings while seated, such as in places of worship, and this is because it is a measure (when used alongside physical distancing and good hand hygiene) shown to be effective in reducing transmission.

To support faith communities to reopen in line with ongoing restrictions, the Scottish Government has worked closely with them to produce guidance on the safe use of places of worship, available on the Scottish Government website . This includes an exemption for those who are leading an act of worship, leading a funeral service, marriage ceremony or civil partnership registration, provided they can maintain a distance of at least 2 metres from others and/or remain behind a protective screen or barrier. Where this distance cannot be maintained, or they cannot remain behind a screen or barrier, they must also wear a face covering.

Our guidance provides permission, where essential to the act of worship, to briefly removing a face covering to consume food or drink.

The Scottish Government will continue to be guided by the latest Public Health Scotland and Clinical advice and to work closely with faith group representatives from across Scotland on the provision of appropriate guidance, on restrictions necessary for safe worship and the scope for removing or alleviating such restrictions as soon it is considered safe to do so.