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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-33751

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the scientific evidence regarding the transmission of COVID-19 on which it based its decision to require casinos in areas subject to Level 2 restrictions to close, while other hospitality venues are permitted to stay open.

Question reference: S5W-33657

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 9 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund, also broken down by how many have (a) been approved, (b) been rejected and (c) yet to be processed; how much has been paid to date in total, and what the average award has been.

This information is not yet available as the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund, as announced in August’s Programme for Government, opened for applications on Monday 7 December 2020.

The Scottish Government have worked at pace with our loan administrators to develop the application and decision processes, along with the online application portal. We expect statistics on a monthly basis, allowing for the holiday break we would expect the first full statistics to be available from mid-January.

Question reference: S5W-33656

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 9 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the Private Rent Sector Landlord (non-business) COVID-19 Loan Scheme, also broken down by how many have (a) been approved, (b) been rejected and (c) yet to be processed; how much has been paid to date in total, and what the average award has been.

As of w/e 2 October 2020 there have been 91 applications to the Private Rent Sector Landlord (non-business) COVID-19 Loan Scheme, please note of these applications 5 were later withdrawn by the applicants and 15 did not respond to requests for further information.

1. 39 applications have been approved, of these one loan offer is awaiting acceptance by the applicant

2. 26 have been rejected

3. 6 applications were awaiting further information / processing at that date

1. The total amount awarded (paid) was £145404.64, the award awaiting acceptance was £3900, thus total award was £149,304.64

2. The average award was £3828.32 *

* Average calculated as total amount awarded divided by number of successful applications .

Question reference: S5W-33493

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 8 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32926 by Fiona Hyslop on 13 November 2020, whether taxi drivers will be eligible for financial support through the new discretionary fund announced by the First Minister on 18 November 2020.

Unlike previous funds which have been targeted towards specific groups or sectors impacted by COVID-19, the £30 million discretionary fund seeks to empower local authorities to direct additional financial support to specific groups or sectors within the business community where they consider this to be necessary or justified based on the distinct characteristics of their local economies. This recognises the insight that councils have on the business community in their area and where funding would be most effectively deployed in supporting local economies.

As such, it is for individual local authorities to determine eligibility for their respective schemes. We have, however, worked closely with local authorities in developing the fund to ensure that it targets businesses and self-employed people, such as taxi drivers, who may have been eligible for UK Government schemes but haven't been reached by Scottish Government financial support packages.

Question reference: S5W-33550

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 7 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the scientific evidence regarding the transmission of COVID-19 on which it based its decision to close gyms in areas subject to Level 4 restrictions.

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-33681

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 7 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the scientific justification for its decision to not permit spectators, who would be situated outside and socially distanced from one another, at semi-professional football matches in areas subject to Level 3 restrictions.

We appreciate the impact on clubs and supporters, but our priority is to supress the virus and safeguard lives. Every human interaction is a potential bridge for the virus. Although outdoors is safer than indoors and small crowds safer than large, neither are risk free – which is why we are only permitting spectators at stadium events in lower risk level 0 and level 1 areas. The best way to get supporters back to sport is to reduce the prevalence of the virus.

This approach – based on advice from clinicians – takes into account a number of factors, including travel to and from venues and movement within grounds.

Question reference: S5O-04836

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to NFU Scotland’s call for Less Favoured Area Support Scheme payments for 2020 to be fully reinstated to 2018 rates.

Question reference: S5W-33292

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 30 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that businesses in the catering equipment hire sector are able to access the same COVID-19-related business rates relief and hardship support grants as their counterparts in the wider hospitality industry.

Question reference: S5W-33289

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 26 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it would consider increasing the person limit for wedding ceremonies, especially in levels 1 and 2, as a way to support the wedding industry.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of marriage and civil partnership to couples and to society more widely. Whilst our priority is public health, we know that the wide range of businesses operating in the wedding sector have been significantly affected.

Gatherings for weddings fulfil many of the high-risk criteria for transmission of the virus which is most strongly associated with close and prolonged contact in indoor environments. The protection levels approach of our Strategic Framework sets out proportionate action to address the harm from the virus whilst acknowledging the wider health, social and economic harms.

This means that, at all protection levels, special provision has been made for marriage ceremonies to continue as an exception to the restrictions affecting social gatherings. The numbers permitted to attend wedding ceremonies in areas affected by Levels 1-4 is set at 20 and is set at 50 if an area moves into Level 0. Exceptions at Levels 2 and 3 also allow for regulated venues hosting receptions to continue to serve alcohol and to remain open longer so that receptions can continue.

There is also a comprehensive package of financial support from the UK Government and the Scottish Government for businesses to mitigate the impacts of the restrictions. Subsequent to the regulations supporting the Strategic Framework commencing on 2nd November, there have been changes to the financial support package. New Scottish Government financial support will apply across all the relevant levels and will provide grants for eligible businesses required to close by law, as well as for businesses that remain open but are specifically required to modify their operations by protection measures.

The Scottish Government continues to listen to concerns from businesses and consider these as we regularly review the restrictions and guidance in place.

Question reference: S5W-33178

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 25 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that dentistry students from the 2019 cohort are receiving less funding and financial support compared with their predecessors.

Dental students are required to undertake a period of vocational training following graduation. Most students who graduated in 2019 would have completed their vocational training this year and have recently started in their first associate position in a dental practice.

Associates are self-employed independent dental contractors and their income is determined by an associate agreement with the practice owner, whereby the practice owner provides workplace facilities in return for a share of the income generated by the associate. This is typically around 50% of the associate's earnings but we are aware some practices take considerably more. The responsibility for ensuring a new associate is appropriately reimbursed from the financial support measures sits with the practice owner.

The memorandum to dentists in PCA(D)(2020)13 outlines details of enhanced support measures from 1 November. NHS dental services has received an unprecedented amount of financial support, including £12m of emergency payments per month to support dental incomes, additional funding of £2.75m per month as specific sectoral support and £8m of free PPE to date. For dental practices that are predominately NHS, the support package is equivalent to funding levels pre-COVID.