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-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-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-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-33764

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether occupational therapists who work in local authority health and social care departments will be eligible for the £500 "thank you" bonus.

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: S5W-33998

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS and social care staff who do not wish to receive the £500 "thank you" bonus are able to nominate a charity to receive the money instead.

Scottish Government Ministers want to recognise the extraordinary effort that front line NHS and social care staff have made to our national effort during this pandemic. There is no mechanism for opting out of receiving the payment or nominating a charity to receive it. All recipients are however free to do with they wish with the payment, including donating to charitable causes if they should choose. Full details have been published at the following link:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): £500 payment for health and social care staff - questions and answers - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S5W-33980

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government (a) when and (b) how it expects the £500 "thank you" bonus for NHS and social care staff to be issued.

On 23 December 2020, the Scottish Government published full details of eligibility for the pro-rata £500 payment, including expected payment dates. Payments to health and care workers will commence in February 2021, with the majority of social care staff receiving payment in March 2021. To reduce the potential impact a single payment may have on any benefits staff may be receiving, we will ask employers to offer the option of spreading this payment over three months. Full details have been published at the following link:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): £500 payment for health and social care staff - questions and answers - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . .

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-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.