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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: S5O-03737

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans or initiatives are in place to promote environmentally-friendly modes of transport ahead of the 2020 UN Climate Change Summit in Glasgow.

Question reference: S5W-25994

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 October 2019
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 29 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its consultation paper on ending the sale of energy drinks to children and young people.

Question reference: S5W-25827

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 October 2019
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 15 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to respond to the outcome of the public consultation on proposals to create new protective orders that could be used to protect people at risk of domestic abuse by removing suspected perpetrators from their home.

The consultation showed that there is widespread support among respondents for providing the police and courts with powers to impose protective orders to remove a suspected perpetrator of domestic abuse from the household of a person at risk of domestic abuse. Many respondents highlighted that domestic abuse is a leading cause of homelessness for women.

The Scottish Government will introduce legislation in this Parliament to introduce a new scheme of protective barring orders to protect people at risk of domestic abuse. The views offered in response to the consultation will inform development of this legislation.

Question reference: S5O-03656

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what schools are doing to encourage fifth and sixth year leavers to pursue modern apprenticeships, particularly in more affluent catchment areas.

Question reference: S5O-03581

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of employers paying the Living Wage.

Question reference: S5O-03546

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 18 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to promote Menopause in the Workplace policies throughout the country.

Taking action on menopause in the workplace is included in our Gender Pay Gap Action Plan.

As part of our activity, we have expanded the criteria for the Workforce Equality Fund to encourage applications that offer support for workers transitioning through the menopause. We also supported the Festival of Ageing in May where we raised awareness of menopause in the workplace to a range of organisations and employers.

The Scottish Government as an employer is showing leadership by renewing its own menopause policy to be launched later this year.

Question reference: S5W-25219

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2019
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 10 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to amend the blood safety requirements for plasma and platelets, in light of expert advice.

Along with the UK Government and the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government has agreed to update some specific variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) precautionary measures in Scotland, England and Wales.

In 2004, the Scottish Government was advised to establish precautionary vCJD risk reduction measures in the UK, acknowledging the unknown risks of vCJD to recipients of UK plasma and platelets. A number of measures were introduced, such as the introduction of leucodepletion of all blood components and the deferral of previously-transfused donors. These specific risk reduction measures are highly effective and will remain in place to maintain the safety of the UK blood supply.

An additional risk reduction measure adopted involved the treatment of patients born on or after 1 January 1996 with imported plasma and/or apheresis platelets, along with providing imported plasma for patients with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (TTP, a rare blood disorder). This was to reduce the risk of exposure to components that were thought to have potentially increased their risk of developing vCJD.

Over the last 15 years, accrued scientific evidence has indicated that the risk of vCJD through the transfusion of UK plasma or platelets is much lower than initially thought; there have been no known transfusion transmissions of vCJD from any blood components since the leucodepletion process was introduced. In March 2019, the independent Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) reviewed the scientific evidence and operational practices and engaged with stakeholders. As a result SaBTO has recommended that the specific risk reduction measures requiring the use of imported plasma and apheresis platelets for individuals born on or after 1 January 1996 and imported plasma for patients with TTP can be withdrawn.

SaBTO’s final advice has been published, providing a comprehensive analysis of the risk attributed with updating these vCJD risk reduction measures. This advice is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sabto-reports-and-guidance-documents .

In light of SaBTO’s advice, the Scottish Government has approved the use of domestic plasma and pooled platelets for patients born on or after 1 January 1996 and of domestic plasma for patients with TTP. Other risk reduction measures will remain in place, including leucodepletion, deferral of previously-transfused donors and a ban on the manufacture of plasma-derived medicinal products from plasma sourced in the UK.

The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) already sources the majority of plasma from donors in Scotland and increasing domestic plasma use will provide further benefits relating to equitable provision of blood components, reduced operational complexity for hospitals and increased accessibility at the point of use. Clinicians who wish to prescribe and source commercial imported plasma for patients, based on patient need and clinical preference, will continue to be able to do so.

The Scottish Government has therefore asked SNBTS to begin implementing SaBTO’s recommendations.

Question reference: S5O-03529

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to expand the HPV vaccination programme to include teenage boys and young men.

Question reference: S5T-01746

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action the Scottish Prison Service has taken in response to the determination of the fatal accident inquiry into the death of Allan Marshall at HMP Edinburgh.

Question reference: S5W-25054

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2019
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 2 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on plans to provide financial redress for survivors of historical abuse in care in Scotland.

I am pleased to announce that a pre-legislative consultation on financial redress for historical abuse in care in Scotland has been published today. The responses to this consultation will help shape the legislation which will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament during 2020 and I encourage survivors and other interested parties to take part in this consultation.

Getting the design of a financial redress scheme right is of the utmost importance; we heard the views of many survivors to an earlier consultation in 2017 on the potential provision of financial redress. Those views provide the starting point for this consultation.

This consultation asks questions about scheme design and also includes wider issues, including how those responsible should contribute to the scheme, the establishment of a public body to administer the scheme, and the potential alignment of financial redress with other elements of a reparation package for survivors of historical abuse in care.