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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-31940

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it will determine the membership of the working group to consider a standalone offence of misogynistic harassment.

Question reference: S5O-04676

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting victims of crime during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-31888

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-02387 by Michael Matheson on 15 September 2020 (Official Report, c.7), how much it has spent on repairs and other associated costs on the Rest and Be Thankful (a) in each of the last 10 calendar years and (b) since January 2020, broken down by (i) actual repair and clean-up costs for the A83, (ii) rental, lease or similar access costs for the use of the Old Military Road, (iii) upgrading, maintenance and traffic management and associated costs required for the Old Military Road, (iv) assistance to ferry companies for the provision of additional services, by company and (v) remediation engineering works, including for catch nets, catch pits, wig-wam warning signs, slope erosion protection measures, culverts and similar hydrological control measures.

The following table contains the amount spent on the A83 Rest and Be Thankful by calendar year from 2013-14 to date.

A legal agreement with the land owner at Glen Croe is in place for use of the Old Military Road. As this is a private legal agreement, the details cannot be disclosed.

No additional funding has been given to ferry companies in relation to the Rest and Be Thankful.

Financial Year	Actual repair and clean-up costs for the A83	Upgrading, maintenance and traffic management and associated costs required for the Old Military Road	Remediation Engineering Works
2013-14	£1,293.60	£108,648.22	£2,700,977.25
2014-15	£351,020.91	£337,296.35	£610,859.94
2015-16	£527,656.21	£161,862.68	£29,549.97
2016-17	£39,129.12	£389,926.36	£128,610.12
2017-18	£1,708.38	£84,065.51	£770,631.19
2018-19	£1,604,040.86	£43,357.00	£1,824,670.09
2019-20	£453,046.48	£19,778.70	£516,036.49
2020-21	£0.00	£0.00	£139,253.74
Total	£2,977,895.56	£1,144,934.82	£6,720,588.79

Notes:

1. The requested information can only be provided by financial year from 2013-14 onwards (i.e. the current 4G term maintenance contract) due to how these records are stored. From 2010 to April 2013, during the previous 3G term maintenance contract, that data was not stored in that format and as such, annual breakdowns cannot be provided.

2. Costs for financial year 2020-21 are up to the end of July 2020.

3. Repair and clean-up costs: the current landslips from 3 August and 13 September 2020 have not yet been added, as costs are still being calculated.

4. The total investment spent on remediation engineering works at the Rest and Be Thankful includes catch nets, pits, Wig Wag signs, slope erosion protection measures, culverts, hydrological control measures.

Question reference: S5W-31426

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 4 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has determined a date for the safe reopening of indoor trampoline parks.

The First Minister outlined in her statement on 20 August that from Monday 31 August indoor sport and leisure facilities can reopen with physical distancing and enhanced hygiene measures in place.

The Scottish Government have produced new guidance for the opening of indoor sport and leisure facilities with physical distancing and hygiene measures. This new guidance, created in collaboration with the sport and leisure sector will provide staff and customers with the confidence that it’s safe to return. To view the guidance please visit the Scottish Government website

Question reference: S5T-02357

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Scottish Welfare Fund is reportedly being underutilised.

Question reference: S5W-31111

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Network Rail, (b) ScotRail and (c) Highland Council regarding flooding on the Highland Mainline at Gynack Burn at the north end of Kingussie station.

Question reference: S5W-31110

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking in partnership with (a) Highland Council and (b) rail network operators in response to flooding on the Highland Mainline near Kingussie station; how many such flooding incidents it is aware of in the last five years, and when did they occur.

Transport Scotland meets regularly with the Office of Rail and Road and Network Rail to review the performance and resilience of the rail network in Scotland, including the Highland Mainline. The Office of Road and Rail is responsible for monitoring the safety and performance of the network and holds Network Rail to account for these matters.

The Scottish Government does not hold records of infrastructure failures, including flooding, as this is the responsibility of Network Rail.

Question reference: S5W-31112

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Highland Council and (b) rail partners regarding dredging at the Gynack Burn near Kingussie station for the purpose of flood prevention.

Question reference: S5W-30894

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that every care home has an internal area where friends and relatives can safely meet residents when garden-based visits become impracticable at the end of the summer.

Question reference: S5W-30892

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in the light of reports that a member of staff at a care home in the Highlands re-tested as positive for COVID-19, what plans it has to review whether non-essential visits by friends and relatives should not take place until 28 days after the last case of COVID-19 in each home was dealt with.

The Scottish Government recognises how hard it has been for care home residents and their families not to have regular face to face contact during the pandemic.

On 8 August, we announced a move to stage 3 of the visiting pathway from 10 August. Stage 3 allows for weekly outdoor visits from up to 3 visitors from no more than 2 households, subject to certain conditions; one of those conditions is that the care home must have been COVID free for at least 28 days from the last date of a positive test or symptoms of any resident or staff member.

Indoor visits have been reintroduced for one designated visitor. Care homes will need to develop a plan to support this and the plan must be signed off by the local Director of Public Health before indoor visits can resume. The plan will only be signed off if the condition on the home being COVID free for 28 days since a positive test or symptoms in residents and staff members has been met and that the care home participants fully in weekly testing programme.

The safeguard requiring a care home to be COVID free or fully recovered for 28 days is based on the UK Government Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) advice that 28 days is twice the extreme incubation period for the virus and, given the possibility for asymptomatic carriage, is the safest estimate for allowing visits. This safeguard will remain as scientific evidence indicates that it is safe to progress to the next stage. It will then be for local Health Protection and Care Home and Clinical Oversight teams, led by the Director of Public Health to make the decision on whether restrictions can be relaxed for care homes in their area.