Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-02321

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 August 2021
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.

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

Question reference: S6W-02320

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 August 2021
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.

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.

Question reference: S6W-02712

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 16 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been carried out of legislative competence regarding corporate homicide and how this interacts with the Health and Safety etc. Act 1974.

The existing law in this area operates within reserved legislation such as the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 and the Health and Safety etc. Act 1974.

A Members’ Bill was introduced by Claire Baker MSP (entitled the Culpable Homicide (Scotland) Bill) in June 2020 and the Presiding Officer indicated the provisions of the Bill as introduced were not within the competence of the Scottish Parliament.

Our view is that any consideration of reform of culpable homicide as it applies to organisations should only be considered once the Scottish Law Commission’s wider review of Homicide Law is completed in 2023.

Question reference: S6W-02713

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 16 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce legislation regarding corporate homicide.

The most recent legislative proposals introduced to the Scottish Parliament relating to corporate homicide was certified by the Presiding Officer as not being within the competence of the Scottish Parliament.

Our view is that any consideration of reform of culpable homicide as it applies to organisations should only be considered once the Scottish Law Commission’s wider review of Homicide Law is completed in 2023.

Question reference: S6O-00168

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it is taking to measure the progress of its COVID-19 recovery policies.

Question reference: S6W-02716

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 14 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support and resources are being made available to local authorities to help them adapt their services in line with the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015.

Local authorities received funding amounting to £21,000 per authority over 4 years from 2018 to 2021, as part of the Local Government Finance Resettlement, to facilitate on-going dialogue with their local BSL-using community to support the creation of their first-ever Authority BSL Plans.

The British Deaf Association are funded through the Equality and Human Rights Fund to support local authorities to develop and monitor their Authority BSL plans, and to engage with their local BSL-using community.

Question reference: S6W-02715

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 14 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made towards implementing the British Sign Language (BSL) National Plan.

Question reference: S6W-02322

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 8 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing advice on the maximum recommended dose of vitamin D supplement according to age and weight.

Our current advice is based on the recommendations of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), as set out in its 2016 report Vitamin D and Health. SACN advises all devolved nations and UK Government on nutrition related matters.

Factors such as age and sex are considered by SACN when developing dietary recommendations, alongside additional requirements for pregnancy and lactation or differences by ethnic group or body weight.

The SACN report is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-vitamin-d-and-health-report

Taking too many vitamin D supplements over a long period of time can cause excess calcium to build up in the body, and this can weaken bones and damage the kidneys and the heart. Our advice is that:

adults and children over 11 should avoid daily high dose vitamin D supplements containing more than 100 micrograms (4000 IU)
children aged 1 to 10 years should avoid supplements with more than 50 micrograms (2000 IU)
infants under 12 months should have no more than 25 micrograms a day (1000 IU).

Some people have certain medical conditions which mean they may not be able to safely take as much. They should seek advice from their clinician if they have any doubts. If a clinician has advised someone to take a different amount of vitamin D, they should follow their advice.

No specific recommendations on maximum dosages have been made by SACN based on weight.

Our advice is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/vitamin-d-advice-for-all-age-groups/

We will continue to be guided by SACN and will review our advice as necessary based on their recommendations.

Question reference: S6W-02132

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Water Safety Scotland, and what action it is taking to support Scotland's Drowning Prevention Strategy.

I last met with Water Safety Scotland representatives on 11 August 2021 during a meeting that I chaired with a range of key stakeholders on water safety. My officials are regularly in discussion with Water Safety Scotland representatives and their partners as part of our Building Safer Communities work.

The Scottish Government takes the issue of water safety very seriously. We work closely with Water Safety Scotland (WSS) and other partners, including local councils, police and SFRS to implement and support initiatives that can help raise awareness of the hazards around water and reduce deaths from accidental drowning.

The Scottish Government also provides annual grant funding to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents to deliver its annual home and water safety programme, which includes providing a secretariat to Water Safety Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-00121

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has done to assess how many Afghan refugees can be housed across all local authority areas.

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