- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to establish the independent review to advise on the replacement for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), and by what date the review will (a) commence, (b) conclude and (c) publish its findings.
Answer
Professor Ken Muir has been appointed as an independent advisor on education reform and formally started work on 2 August 2021, and is expected to take around 6 months to conclude.
Professor Muir’s work will include designing the implementation of the OECD’s recommendations for structural change of the SQA and Education Scotland, including delivery of the national curriculum, assessment, qualification and inspection functions. This will include consideration of the role, remit and purpose of both the SQA and Education Scotland, their functions and governance arrangements.
Professor Muir is expected to conclude work and report recommendations to Scottish Government early 2022 and we will seek to publish Professor Muir’s findings as soon as practically possible.
Updates on Professor Muir's work will be provided via https://www.gov.scot/policies/schools/education-reform/
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 28 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, between 1 April 2016 and 30 June 2021, how many Vietnamese nationals have been (a) held on remand, (b) released on bail, (c) prosecuted, (d) convicted and sentenced, broken down by offence and (e) identified as presumed or confirmed trafficking survivors by the National Referral Mechanism, each broken down by how many were (i) adults and (ii) children.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Government does not hold information on offenders' or victims' nationality.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 June 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken since March 2021 to ensure that (a) seafarers and (b) offshore workers returning directly to Scotland for a period of leave, after working outside the UK, receive assistance from employers to meet the costs of complying with COVID-19 restrictions and requirements.
Answer
International travel restrictions are important in limiting the importation of further cases of the virus, in particular new variants, which could undermine the rollout of our vaccine programme. Exemptions to self-isolation requirements have been granted for seafarers returning directly to Scotland from red or amber list countries outside of the UK. Seafarers who are repatriating in Scotland are also exempt from isolation and the financial pressure that isolation incurs. This exemption does not apply to seafarers returning to Scotland for a period of leave or any other non-work-related circumstance. Offshore workers arriving from amber list countries to work on the UK continental shelf are also exempt from isolation requirements. Where workers are required to travel internationally for business reasons, employers are encouraged to consider how they support their employees to comply with restrictions on their return to Scotland.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its position stated in the procurement notice issued to local government in 2014 that it "strongly discourages trade with illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories", whether this remains its position.
Answer
Yes, this remains Scottish Government position. We strongly discourage trade with all illegal settlements, including those in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to raise awareness among the public and healthcare professionals of the symptoms of leukaemia.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2021
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Current Status:
Withdrawn
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 21 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the UK Government to discuss the devolution of health and safety legislation.
Answer
There has been no discussion on the devolution of health and safety legislation to the Scottish Government since the subject was addressed by the Smith Commission which suggested the parties involved : “…review the functions and operations of the Health and Safety Executive in Scotland and consider how the future requirements to best serve the people of Scotland could be delivered operationally whilst remaining within a reserved health and safety legislative framework”
This joint-review by the UK Government, Scottish Government, and Local Authorities was published in August 2015 by the Department for Work and Pensions.
The Scottish Government continues to represent and advocate for Scottish interests in this area, and uses its devolved healthcare powers to provide support to individuals and to inform organisations of their responsibilities towards their employees through its existing Health and Work Strategy .
There is ongoing liaison work with the Health and Safety Executive, Department for Work and Pensions, and relevant groups within Scotland such as the Scottish Trades Union Congress in order for the Scottish Government to positively impact the delivery of reserved legislation and best represent the needs of its people.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government within what timeframe it anticipates all prisoners, young offenders and staff within the prison estate will have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, broken down by prison and young offender institution.
Answer
The Scottish Government works closely with all stakeholders including Trade Unions, to deliver the vital communication messages across the Prison Estate and the Member will appreciate that staff as part of the wider community, can be vaccinated and it is not mandatory for staff to report their vaccination status, to their employer. The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) throughout the Prison Estate is effectively ensuring that we are progressing vaccinations against COVID-19 in conjunction with health professionals from Public Health Scotland (PHS), as well as other health agencies .
We realise that through our work with public health agencies in conjunction with SPS, that we have a job to engage with the prison population. In many ways it mirrors the issues found in wider society and we are dealing with the hardest to reach. Tailored communications are delivered to those in a prison setting. The National Clinical Director attended HMP Barlinnie for a Q&A session with prisoners which was made available via prison radio and TV. Posters with the same national ‘roll up your sleeves’ messaging and appropriate photography were distributed to prisons to be displayed.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what COVID-19 vaccination (a) targets and (b) timescales it has set for (i) prisoners and young offenders and (ii) prison staff, and how these are being monitored.
Answer
I would refer the Member to the fact as previously answered in S6W–02319 on 21 September 2021, prison staff are under no obligation to tell their employer of their Vaccination status, as it is not mandatory to be vaccinated. Although staff are paid away from work to attend a vaccination appointment and are offered paid leave if symptoms deliver, as part of employee support arrangements.
We are guided on the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme by the Covid Vaccine Deployment Plan which was last updated in July 2021.
We are actively monitoring and evaluating the vaccination status for prisoners and young offenders. NHS bodies and public health agencies, are working collectively with The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to ensure we are constantly striving to make progress, on these matters, to ensure best practice is maintained. Each prison establishment has a Local Coronavirus Response Group to assist with planning locally.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of (i) prisoners and young offenders and (ii) prison staff have received (A) their first dose and (B) both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, also broken down by (1) prison and young offender institution, (2) NHS board area and (3) whether the prisoners and young offenders are (aa) under the age of 18 and (bb) 18 or over.
Answer
The Scottish Government has been working in collaboration with Public Health Scotland and the Scottish Prison Service to improve data on COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Scottish prisons.
New prison vaccination data was been published by Public Health Scotland on 15 September and the link is attached for convenience for the Member. https://publichealthscotland.scot/our-areas-of-work/covid-19/covid-19-data-and-intelligence/covid-19-weekly-report-for-scotland/
Prison vaccination data will now be reported on a regular basis and will assist in considering possible courses of action to improve the vaccination uptake amongst the prison population, including for individuals who have not received their second dose prior to being released from prison.
