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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-00662

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 29 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the PCR testing capacity in Glasgow has been utilised on each day since 1 May 2021.

Scotland’s daily PCR test capacity is over 66,000 per day. This is made up of a combination of the aggregate capacity of all testing sites/facilities and distribution/collection services where individuals can get a test, and laboratory capacity to process the samples taken.

As set out in our updated Testing Strategy, published on 22 June, testing is key to quickly identifying and isolating positive cases to break chains of transmission within a community. The testing system is designed to be completely flexible so neither sampling nor laboratory capacity is allocated to a specific local authority area. We work with Public Health Scotland to provide local decision makers with insights and data to target tests where they are most needed. We are also helping to maximise existing testing interventions at the request of local incident management teams (IMT). Local authorities’ testing response will vary as their approaches will be targeted to meet the needs of their communities.

Details of the daily number of tests carried out and number of positive cases in the Glasgow area are available from the Public Health Scotland dashboard.

Question reference: S6W-00912

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 29 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-00395 by Humza Yousaf on 18 June 2021, whether it will increase the intentionally limited capacity of the Citizen Portal vaccine booking system, in light of recent Public Health Scotland data indicating that 500,000 vaccine appointments have been missed since February 2021.

The online vaccine booking portal closed on 11 June.

The online portal was part of the Scottish Government’s measures to widen the accessibility of vaccine appointments, and was extended for another week, on top of the original three week window. 40% of the young people aged 18-29 who were still to be vaccinated, self-registered on our online portal.

Those who did not register online, are being scheduled for an appointment on the system, and letters are coming out over this week and next. However, to give advanced sight of appointments online, we are launching an appointment checker on NHS Inform to help people view their pending appointments. This will help those people, like students, who may have moved away from their registered GP term time address. This will also help them view their offered appointment earlier and chose to reschedule to fit with their work and life.

The National Vaccination Scheduling System (NVSS) has successfully appointed millions of Scottish citizens while achieving exceptionally high uptake rates this demonstrates a massive success for a system built from scratch in the space of 8 weeks.

Our intention has always been to evolve and continually enhance the NVSS. As the programme has engaged with younger cohorts it has become evident a digital first online booking approach would be beneficial. The programme team are in the process of designing an online booking system for the autumn/winter Flu vaccinations.

Question reference: S6W-00664

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 29 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what provision is being made for mass testing, utilising rapid lateral flow tests, at the Euro 2020 fan zone events at Glasgow Green.

Everyone attending the Glasgow Fan Zone is encouraged to take a lateral flow test prior to the event. From Monday 14 June, rapid lateral flow test kits were mailed to 17,000 ticket holders due to attend the Glasgow Fan Zone, as part of a series of measures to help reduce the risk of transmission before and after the event.

A mobile testing bus has also been based at Glasgow Green to provide on-site lateral flow testing as an additional option for attendees. A selection of attendees have been asked by COVID marshals on site whether they have taken a test as part of ongoing reporting on the site.

These testing measures are in place in addition to other robust public health interventions, such as physical distancing, contact tracing, hand sanitiser stations, frequent cleaning, table-service, PPE for staff, and clear and informative signage.

Question reference: S6W-00794

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 28 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd is actively considering a tender for the new national flagship vessel that was recently announced by the UK Government, and which will be procured via Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), given that a design competition is to be started soon and that the contractor will be determined by September 2021.

Question reference: S6W-00795

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 28 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the benchmarking report on Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd that was compiled by First Marine International (FMI).

Question reference: S6W-00625

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 21 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on extending the concessionary travel scheme to apply to asylum seekers accommodated in Glasgow under the Home Office Dispersal Programme.

There is no specific eligibility criterion for asylum seekers in either the current Concessionary Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons or the new National Bus Travel Concession Scheme for Young Persons. We do not plan to extend either scheme in this way.

However, asylum seekers resident in Scotland, like all others who are aged over 60 or meet the disability criteria, are able to apply for free bus travel under the Older and Disabled Person’s Scheme. Young asylum seekers meeting the eligibility criteria for the Young Persons Scheme will also be able to apply for free bus travel when the scheme is launched later in this financial year.

Question reference: S6W-00624

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 18 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-00256 by Graeme Dey on 10 June 2021, in light of international examples of inner-city motorway deconstruction and replacement with alternative infrastructure, what engineering and urban planning options are being assessed as alternatives to the structural repair of the defective M8 Woodside Viaducts, which were completed in 1971.

The M8 Woodside Viaducts are essential links in the M8 central Scotland urban motorway, vital for the economy and connectivity of Scotland. Therefore, the repair of the viaducts and removal of restrictions is high priority as Scotland emerges from the Covid-19 restrictions. The viaducts carry 150,000 vehicles per day in normal times, which would be difficult to accommodate by other routes or modes. As a result, there are no engineering or urban planning options currently being considered as an alternative to the structural repair of the viaducts. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained in both directions and we will work with operational partners to maximise traffic flows through the site, managing impacts on the M8 and adjacent local roads.

Question reference: S6W-00395

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the proposed Citizen Portal system, offered by the NHS Scotland vendor ServiceNow to allow the general population to book their own COVID-19 vaccination appointments, has not been implemented.

Question reference: S6O-00058

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether demonstrated attainment from the 2020-21 school year will be used in determining learner grades.

Question reference: S6W-00257

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 15 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement (a) it has and (b) its agencies have had with (i) David Moulsdale and (ii) his company, Springburn Depot SPV Limited, (A) prior to and (B) since its purchase of the St Rollox "Caley" Railway Works site in Springburn.