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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-32052

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 15 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS patients who are required to self-isolate for 14 days prior to surgery are eligible for the self-isolation support payment if they meet the other eligibility criteria.

The Self-Isolation Support Payment is available to people who are told to self-isolate through our Test and Protect programme, because they have tested positive or are identified as a contact of someone who has.

Patients required to self-isolate prior to a procedure are included under the Statutory Sick Pay Corona Virus amendment made on 26 August 2020.

Below is a link to the amended regulation:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2020/892

Question reference: S5W-31987

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 1 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that every child can safely access the HPV vaccination and ensure that uptake remains high.

Planning is underway within NHS Boards to deliver teenage immunisations, including HPV vaccination, in academic year 2020-21. This includes ensuring that strict infection prevention and control measures are in place.

To ensure uptake of the HPV vaccination programme remains high, Public Health Scotland produce a variety of information materials/resources to raise awareness of the HPV school immunisation programme. These include a user-tested leaflet, parent letter and consent form, posters for schools and community settings, an education pack for schools, and a toolkit of resources for stakeholders including social media assets.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some teenage immunisations offered during academic year 2019-20 were delayed, however, with the support of Public Health Scotland, NHS Boards are working on plans to ensure that any missed vaccination sessions within schools are rescheduled as soon as practicable. Young people and their parents can therefore be reassured that if they have missed their HPV, Meningitis ACWY or Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio booster vaccines, these will be rescheduled. Further information is available on the HPV campaign website ( https://www.nhsinform.scot/campaigns/hpv ) and Immunisation pages on NHS Inform ( https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/immunisation/vaccines/hpv-vaccine#overview ).

Question reference: S5O-04616

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-31420

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 14 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the COVID-19 scientific advice on faith-related education settings, and when it expects such settings, including Sunday schools and Quranic classes, to reopen.

We know that these indoor activities are of huge value to children, young people and families across Scotland. On 20 August the First Minister announced that indoor activities for children and young people (unregulated), including faith related education, such as those Sunday Schools and Madrassas, could resume from Monday 31 August. On 01 September 2020, the Scottish Government published the ‘organised activities for children’ guidance.

In certain circumstances, educational activities may also fall under the places of worship guidance. This would be the case where, at some point during the main act of congregational worship, there is separate, age-appropriate activity for the children that takes place in a separate location. This would therefore still be subject to the maximum capacity of 50 – including the children – and the 2m physical distancing and hygiene safeguards as set out in the safe use of places of worship guidance . It is up to the individual place of worship to decide what is, and what is not, education or childcare that is separate to the act of worship.

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.

My officials continue to work closely with our faith and belief stakeholders to ensure that community concerns and needs inform our ongoing decision making.

Question reference: S5O-04546

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what role ministers have played in ensuring that the human rights of older people are being protected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-30820

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide financial protection for people with blood cancer who are advised to continue shielding by their treating team after the shielding scheme ends in August 2020.

Although we will continue to maintain the shielding list and clinicians will continue to add people appropriately based on the current criteria, from the 1 August people on the shielding list do not need to carry on shielding and should follow advice given to the general population in Scotland.

For people in employment, we have developed a risk assessment tool that has been published on the Scottish Government’s web site https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-individual-risk-assessment-for-the-workplace/

People who are not able to return to work, should discuss their fitness for work with their GP or specialist care provider.

Local Councils also provide advice on help available to people. This might include food, medication, access to local social work services and emotional support.

Question reference: S5W-29955

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of a COVID-19 antibody test.

Question reference: S5O-04494

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to engage communities across Scotland as the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill progresses.

Question reference: S5W-30731

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 12 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29956 by Jeane Freeman on 15 July 2020, whether it will answer the question that was asked in relation to whether it has allowed access to COVID-19-related health data, including patients' personal medical information, to any third party and, if so, (a) what data, (b) to whom and (c) for what reason.

The Scottish Government takes the privacy and security of health data, including patients personal medical information, very seriously and has ensured that the NHS has stringent processes in place governing access to all data, including Covid-19 related health data. The process for overseeing research access to data is overseen by the Public Benefits and Privacy Panel (PBPP).

Information about the PBPP and a full current list of approved applications as at August 2020, including those from third parties, can be accessed at https://www.informationgovernance.scot.nhs.uk/pbpphsc/. This list provides a lay summary of each individual application, including the purpose of the use of data.

For other uses of Covid-19 health data, it is possible for applicants to request access directly with individual data controllers, either via the regional safe havens or directly to the data controllers. All providers of health & care (for example individual health boards and individual GP practices) are registered data controllers who are legally responsible for the data they hold, and for how it is shared. The Scottish Government does not hold a central register of these data sharing activities.

Question reference: S5W-30821

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 6 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were (a) added to and (b) removed from the shielding list in (a) April, (b) May and (c) June 2020, and, of these, how many have blood cancer.

Public Health Scotland adds or removes people from the shielding list on behalf of the NHS Boards.

It is not possible for Public Health Scotland to specifically identify people with blood cancer who have been added or removed from the list.

Number of individuals added or removed from the shielding list during April, May and June 2020 (as at 22nd July 2020)

Month	Addition	Removal

April	80,235	80
May	15,693	3,976
June	4,244	5,003

Source: Public Health Scotland