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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: S5W-33568

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether there have been any changes to the eligibility criteria for businesses applying to the COVID-19 Strategic Framework Business Fund compared with those for the COVID-19 Restrictions Fund.

The Strategic Framework Business Fund is a different fund from the COVID-19 Restrictions Fund for businesses impacted by the temporary restrictions between 9 October and 2 November and the eligibility criteria are not directly comparable. The Strategic Framework Business Fund is available not only to limited companies, partnerships and sole traders, but to charities and social enterprises and community interest companies, provided they meet the eligibility criteria.

Question reference: S5W-33570

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £48 million allocated in part to the COVID-19 (a) Restrictions Fund and (b) Business Hardship Fund has been spent, broken down by local authority.

The Scottish Government worked closely with COSLA and all local authorities to deliver the Restrictions Fund which closed on 3 November, including monitoring arrangements. Information about the breakdown of spend by local authority for the restrictions and business hardship aspects of the COVID-19 Restrictions Fund which applied for the period 9 October– 2 November will be published on the Scottish Government website shortly.

Question reference: S5W-33629

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 7 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether research is being carried out that is specific to the effects that gyms have on the spread of COVID-19.

We recognise the positive physical and mental impacts that exercise brings and that is why gyms are permitted to open in Tiers 0-3.

We continue to work with partners to gather the latest scientific research. Decisions on what sectors and activities to re-open on our route out of lockdown are guided by the principles set out in our Framework for Decision Making. Proposals are technically assessed using the best available evidence and analysis of their potential benefits and harms to health, the economy, and broader society to minimise overall harm and ensure transmission of the virus continues to be suppressed. This assessment process includes oversight of the assessed health risks in different settings by the Chief Medical Officer and input from the other Chief Clinicians as appropriate.

Question reference: S5W-33628

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 7 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the reopening of gyms in Level 4 areas.

Decisions on what sectors and activities to re-open on our route out of lockdown are guided by the principles set out in our Framework for Decision Making. Proposals are technically assessed using the best available evidence and analysis of their potential benefits and harms to health, the economy, and broader society to minimise overall harm and ensure transmission of the virus continues to be suppressed. This assessment process includes oversight of the assessed health risks in different settings by the Chief Medical Officer and input from the other Chief Clinicians as appropriate.

We recognise the positive physical and mental impacts that exercise brings and that is why gyms are permitted to open in Tiers 0-3. However, Level 4 areas require tougher restrictions to lower virus prevalence and therefore, we currently have no plans to allow gyms to open in Tier 4.

Question reference: S5W-33638

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of charities now being eligible to apply for a temporary closure grant, whether it will backdate grant payments to cover the weeks when charities were not deemed eligible for this support.

Question reference: S5W-33112

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 3 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list all the devolved powers that it has asked to remain with the UK Government, and when it will assume day-to-day responsibility for each of these powers.

The Scottish Government has not asked for any devolved powers to remain with the UK Government.

The Scottish Government has worked with the UK Government and others to transfer additional powers devolved by the 2012 and 2016 Acts in an orderly way to ensure they can be used effectively for the people of Scotland. The UK Government and Scottish Government produce annual reports on progress, and the latest reports, published in April 2020, can be found at these hyperlinks:

Scottish Government report

UK Government report

Question reference: S5O-04835

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided for hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-33405

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what time on 11 December 2020 non-essential shops and other closed businesses in areas subject to Level 4 COVID-19 restrictions will be permitted to reopen.

Question reference: S5W-33492

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether patients who received two rounds of IVF treatment prior to the change in cycle recommendations, which were implemented on 1 April 2017, will be allowed to have a third cycle of treatment, in line with the service that is now being offered on the NHS.

The increase in NHS IVF provision which allows couples to have a maximum of three cycles of IVF treatment, is only applicable to patients referred from Primary and Secondary Care after 1 April 2017.

A third cycle is not available retrospectively to those patients that were already in the NHS system prior to this date, or those who have had NHS IVF treatment at any point in the past, anywhere in the UK.

Question reference: S5W-33307

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a time limit for the level 4 restrictions to be in place for non-retail businesses to allow for effective planning.