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-01342

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the efficacy of two COVID-19 vaccinations for people with reduced immune functions (a) in general and (b) as a result of having received a solid organ transplant.

The Green Book notes that immunosuppression is one of the clinical risk groups for COVID-19 immunisation. This immunosuppression may be due to disease or treatment, including patients undergoing chemotherapy leading to immunosuppression, patients undergoing radical radiotherapy, solid organ transplant recipients, bone marrow or stem cell transplant recipients, HIV infection at all stages, multiple myeloma or genetic disorders affecting the immune system (e.g. IRAK-4, NEMO, complement disorder, SCID).

All the UK governments receive their expert clinical advice from the JCVI and the Committee has been closely monitoring this issue throughout the vaccination programme both from real world data from the UK programme and from the literature review from across the world.

The Committee are fully aware of the potential sub-optimal response to two doses of the vaccine by some immunosuppressed individuals and that’s why they recommended that these groups of people should be given highest priority for a booster programme in the autumn.

Furthermore, the Scottish Government welcome the results of the OCTAVE study led by Prof. McInesss of Glasgow University. OCTAVE is one of a number of studies looking at vaccine effectiveness through measuring immune response.

The study found that “while 40% of these clinically at-risk patient groups were found to have a low or undetectable immune response after a double dose of the vaccine, we are encouraged that this figure isn’t higher. However, it is possible even partial protection may be clinically beneficial, and this is something we will closely monitor."

These preliminary results of OCTAVE and the results of continuing and forthcoming research will be instrumental in helping inform how best to vaccinate patients with immunosuppressed conditions and protect them from COVID-19 infection in the future.

We await the JCVI’s final advice on any potential Covid-19 booster programme, with the interim advice being that this should begin in September 2021, in order to maximise protection in those who are most vulnerable to serious COVID-19 symptoms ahead of the winter months.

Question reference: S6W-01794

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 31 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Scottish Land Fund has remained unspent at the end of each of the last five financial years.

The Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has had a budget of £10 million per annum over the last five financial years - being a total of £50m.

The programme is managed so as to achieve an annual outturn figure that is as near as possible to budget in each financial year. Actual spend in any given financial year depends on the date that assets are acquired (as opposed to when funding is approved). The length of time from approval of award to completion of sale and drawdown of funds varies. This means that, at the time an award is made, it is not possible to know with certainty when drawdown will happen, making it very challenging to exactly match actual spend to the annual budget.

The Fund has a two-stage application process. It offers grants of between £2000 and £30,000 at Stage 1 to help with project development, and between £10,000 and £1 million for acquisition at Stage 2. It is demand-led.

To be successful, applicants need to be suitably constituted, geographically-based voluntary/community organisations who can demonstrate that their project will be well managed and financially sustainable. They must show that their proposals:

are supported by the local community
represent value for money and
will achieve more sustainable economic, social and/or environmental development through the ownership of land and/or buildings

Applicants are supported throughout the application process by experienced Scottish Land Fund advisers. The Fund is managed by the National Lottery Community Fund. An independent Committee oversees the SLF and scrutinises applications for funding for acquisition.

Figures for funds unspent in the Scottish Land Fund at the end of each of the last five financial years are as follows:

2016-17 £4,813,355*

2017-18 £0*

2018-19 £1,127,500

2019-20 £12,189

2020-21 £254,336

*Awards made in 2016-17 included a grant of £4.4 million to the North West Mull Community Group for the acquisition of the island of Ulva. This grant was paid out when the transaction settled in June 2017, bringing the outturn for 2017-18 for the Scottish Land Fund to £11,701,431.

Question reference: S6W-01237

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the suspension of parking charges at each of the three hospitals where PFI parking contracts are in place.

Question reference: S6T-00112

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has made of the joint statement by the World Health Organization and UNICEF on the need to prioritise in-person classroom-based learning as efforts to manage the COVID-19 pandemic continue.

Question reference: S6T-00106

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the preparation and planning being undertaken to support people fleeing Afghanistan who may be resettled in Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-00202

Asked by: Neil Gray, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the First Minister what engagement the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding the reduction to universal credit that is set to take place at the end of September.

Question reference: S6F-00200

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding reports of retail stock and staff shortages in the run-up to Christmas.

Question reference: S6F-00195

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to the increase in ambulance waiting times in parts of Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-00196

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

Question reference: S6F-00189

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Government has to tackle public displays of anti-Irish racism and anti-Catholic prejudice.