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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-34604

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 15 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what feedback it has received from (a) local authorities and (b) other relevant partners regarding the work available to supply teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The recruitment and employment of supply teachers in local authority schools are matters for individual councils, as they have the statutory responsibility for providing a complement of teachers which best meets the needs of each of their schools and its pupils.

In July we announced £75 million of additional investment in education staff, sufficient for the recruitment of around 1,400 additional teachers. To date the feedback we have received from local authorities is that they have recruited more than 1400 additional teachers.

On 13 January we also announced a package of £45 million of new funding to further support education recovery. This funding will allow local authorities to deploy more support to their schools and families as they deal with the challenges of remote learning during lockdown.

The new funding can be used to recruit further staff - which might include teachers, classroom assistants, administrative staff, home/school link workers or other support workers. It is sufficient to employ an additional 2000 teachers to the end of this financial year if required and may offer further employment opportunities for supply teachers.

Question reference: S5W-34510

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to ensure national consistency regarding how vulnerable children that are not presenting at school are contacted and reached out to.

The national guidance on Coronavirus (COVID-19): school re-opening arrangements for January 2021 recognises the wide range of circumstances which may lead to a child or young person being considered to be vulnerable at this time. The guidance also makes clear that many of those children and young people will be known to schools and children's services and that children's services are best placed to identify and make appropriate arrangements for the provision of support.

This, in conjunction with education authorities’ ongoing responsibilities to follow up absence from school outlined in national guidance , ensure that the support required for all children and young people is in place. The Scottish Government in partnership with local government have revised the system for the monitoring of attendance and absence of pupils at this time, to take account of these particular circumstances. Information on attendance and absence of pupils is published as part of information within Coronavirus (COVID-19): daily data for Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-34416

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to reintroducing the suspension of the 5p charge for single-use carrier bags, when used for home delivery and collection of groceries and takeaways, for health and safety reasons during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-34511

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the return to the hub model for schoolchildren takes account of the experience of the previous lockdown.

The recently updated guidance on schools (published on 6 January) and childcare (published on 7 January) provide information on arrangements for vulnerable children and children of key workers, taking on board experience from the previous lockdown. However all schools and many childcare providers are able to open and there has not been a return to a hub model.

Families who meet the criteria set out in the guidance are eligible to apply to their school, local authority or childcare provider for childcare.

Question reference: S5W-34155

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 18 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 15 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what recent consideration it has given to COVID-19 restrictions on beauty salons that offer facials, and when the guidance will be next reviewed.

We continue to keep all guidance under regular review to ensure that it follows the latest public health advice. We encourage all businesses regardless of sector, to follow this guidance, and make use of all financial support available to them from both the Scottish and UK Governments.

I have spoken with Lesley Blair, Chair of BABTAC/CIBTAC on 2 July 2020 and again on 18 November 2020, to discuss the key issues and concerns of those working in the sector and to ensure that our co-production approach to the development of sector-specific guidance is working well.

Question reference: S5W-33855

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received offers of public health messaging support from third sector organisations encouraging at-risk groups to take up the COVID-19 vaccine.

We have received offers of public health messaging support from a wide range of third sector organisations willing to help encourage at-risk groups to take up the COVID-19 vaccine, including BEMIS, Disabled People's Organisations and National Carers organisations.

In addition, Age Scotland, Scottish Care, CCPS-Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland have assisted with wording on leaflets, as older people and care workers are among the first priority groups. We will also be drawing on the expertise of a variety of organisations to help shape the messaging for at risk groups such as Diabetes Scotland and British Heart foundation.

Question reference: S5W-33856

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to encourage people with asthma and other respiratory conditions to take up the offer of the COVID-19 vaccine.

We have planned a communications campaign to inform audiences in Scotland about the COVID-19 vaccine and encourage uptake. This comprises a mass media campaign supported by online information, a phoneline, a door drop to all households in Scotland and partnership working with a wide range of public, private and third sector organisations to meaningfully engage a wide range of audiences. We will also draw on the expertise of a variety of organisations to optimise reach of our messaging for at risk groups such as those with asthma and respiratory conditions.

Question reference: S5O-04913

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 January 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that marine life is protected in the development of offshore wind farms.

Question reference: S5W-33885

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 23 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on work to develop a new benchmark standard for new public buildings to ensure that heating systems are renewable or zero carbon, and from which date this benchmark will be set.

We are committed to introducing a Net Zero Carbon Public Sector Buildings Standard in 2021, as set out in the recently published Climate Change Plan update. The Scottish Government has been working with a wide range of public sector bodies to develop the Standard, which will be progressively rolled out across the public sector from next year.

Scottish Ministers have approved the Standard's overarching principles. These include that the building must have a zero direct emissions heating system. We are currently working with agencies and public sector bodies to develop a suite of detailed guidance documents that will support implementation of the Standard to new build and major refurbishment projects. In parallel, we are supporting pathfinder projects to provide case study lessons for practical deployment of the Standard. The guidance and pathfinder lessons will be available in 2021.

Question reference: S5W-33888

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 23 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, under which schemes it provides interest-free loans to improve the energy efficiency of public sector buildings, and how many of these loans have been (a) approved and (b) rejected for projects in (i) schools and (ii) nurseries in the financial year (A) 2019-20 and (B) 2020-21.

The Scottish Government provides financial support to the public sector for energy efficiency improvements through the Scottish Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme (SEELS), with over £50 million invested in over 770 projects since 2008 on a revolving basis. These projects have resulted in financial savings of over £150 million and 500,000 tCO2e lifetime savings since 2008.

Loans approved for schools and nurseries in financial years 2019-20 and 2020- 2021 are detailed in the following table. No loan applications were rejected.

Year	No. of projects	Value
2019 - 2020	24	£899,658
2020 - 2021	7	£455,696