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-33444

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 7 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether travelling to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in an area within a different COVID-19 protection level would be allowed under the current travel regulations.

Question reference: S5W-33360

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether higher education students returning home at the end of the current term will be considered as essential travel and therefore exempt from travel restrictions.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-33579 on 26 November 2020, in which the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills outlined the amending Regulations made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus)(Restrictions and Requirements)(Local Levels)(Scotland) Regulations 2020 to allow students to return home at the end of term.

From 27 November 2020, there is an exemption to the travel restrictions for students travelling to or from any local authority area in Scotland, if the purpose is to facilitate the formation of an "end of term household".

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Question reference: S5W-33344

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 3 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there appears to be a distinction in its COVID-19 guidance regarding the use of buses to transport children to schools and nurseries.

Scottish Government guidance sets out the requirements that apply to arrangements used to transport children and young people to school. Typically, local authorities provide dedicated school transport services primarily for the use of school pupils. Following scientific advice from the COVID-19 Advisory Sub Group on Education and Children’s Issues, the guidance provides that dedicated school transport can be regarded as an extension of the school estate and it is not necessary to maintain physical distance between children and young people travelling on such services.

Where either young children travelling with their parents to nursery or school children are using public transport, these services are subject to the requirement to physically distance due to the range of ages of the passengers they are used by.

Question reference: S5O-04840

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it is preparing to facilitate tourism activity and events in Edinburgh over the course of 2021.

Question reference: S5W-33512

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) pupils and (b) teachers have contracted COVID-19 in schools in each month since August 2020.

We do not hold information on pupils and teachers who have contracted Covid-19 in schools.

Information on the number and percentage of positive cases among people who report working in education/childcare, by week, is reported in the PHS weekly statistical report - https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/population-health/covid-19/covid-19-statistical-report/ (see table 9).

Information on the number of positive cases among children of educational age, by week is reported here: https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/population-health/covid-19/covid-19-statistical-report/25-november-2020/dashboard/ (see ‘trend charts’ and select ‘cases and testing among children and young people’).

Information on the number of pupils who have been identified as Covid-19 cases in Term 1, by week can be found here: https://publichealthscotland.scot/downloads/covid-19-infections-among-school-pupils-in-scotland/

Question reference: S5W-33403

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the travel exemptions regarding education only apply to schools, universities and colleges, or whether other forms of training courses are included.

There is an exception to the travel restrictions for work purposes, and also for accessing, providing or receiving education or training. This means education or training both in formal education establishments and elsewhere. The Scottish Government recognises the need for people to undertake essential travel for the purposes of training (both work-related and other training) where this cannot be undertaken at home. When local authority areas have entered into protection levels 3 or 4, we would ask that online approaches are considered in the first instance when providing services or training. We would urge anyone who is required to travel for essential purposes to take all necessary precautions and avoid car sharing where possible.

Question reference: S5W-33364

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether travel is allowed between areas subject to different COVID-19 restriction levels if it is for the purpose of viewing a property for sale.

Under the provisions of the Health Protection (Coronavirus)(Restrictions and Requirements)(Local Levels)(Scotland) Amendment (No.3) Regulations 2020, there are exemptions around travel to or from Level 3 and 4 areas for activities in relation to the purchase, sale, letting, or rental of residential property that a person owns or is otherwise responsible for. This includes viewing a residential property for sale, as set out in the accompanying guidance (https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-travel-and-transport/#exceptions).

Question reference: S5W-33401

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether dentists, hygienists and dental nurses who are qualified in administering injections will support the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Question reference: S5W-33347

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 30 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to children from the same family participating in multiple COVID-19 bubbles in two different nurseries rather than being part of the same bubble in the same nursery.

All of the guidance and restrictions on childcare provision in response to COVID-19 is based on scientific and expert advice. Scottish Government guidance does not restrict children within one household from attending separate ELC settings. The most recent guidance for Early Learning and Childcare sector states that in order to minimise the number of contacts and risk of transmission, attendance at multiple ELC settings should be reduced as far as possible. Parents and carers are encouraged and should be supported to limit the number of settings their child attends, ideally ensuring their child only attends the same setting consistently.

However, the balance of scientific advice supports the use of more settings where required to ensure high quality childcare is available to children and in support of parents’ need.

Question reference: S5W-33348

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 30 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that all working families can get access to the childcare that they need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During lockdown, when schools and childcare settings were closed, critical childcare was provided for children of keyworkers to allow parents to continue to attend work which was critical to national infrastructure.

Reopening of the regulated childcare sector, including Early Learning and Childcare (ELC), school age childcare and childminding services, has taken place in stages since June. This has reinstated childcare options to working families.

Scotland’s Strategic Framework emphasises that we will prioritise keeping schools and regulated childcare, including early learning and childcare, open while ensuring the safety of children and young people and the staff who have worked hard to keep settings open.

In partnership with local authorities, we have continued to progress the expansion of statutory ELC entitlement to 1140 hours despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 14 councils are already delivering 1140 hours to all families, with more on track to move to full roll-out of 1140 in the new year. All local authorities have been providing at least the 600 hours existing statutory entitlement to families since August.

Most families are also able to continue to access informal childcare, although this is restricted to essential childcare only in level 4 areas. However, this will still enable most families who require informal childcare to support their employment to continue to access this.

We also continue to ensure that families can access up to date information about childcare by regularly sharing information via the Parent Club website.