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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: S6W-00363

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make a statement on the costs incurred as a result of the MV Loch Seaforth's engine failure, and where the responsibility for this sits.

Question reference: S6W-00345

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a full itemisation of the (a) timetable and (b) economic impact of the breakdown of the MV Loch Seaforth, and on which dates an adjusted timetable was required, across the CalMac network.

The timetable impact of the breakdown of the MV Loch Seaforth is summarised below:

The MV Loch Seaforth was removed from service on 14 April and other vessels were redeployed to ensure continuity of service across the network.

CalMac were unable to charter any suitable vessels at short notice, meaning re-deployment of a vessel from within the current fleet was required. The MV Isle of Lewis was redeployed from Castlebay-Oban to cover daytime Stornoway-Ullapool sailings, and the MV Isle of Arran redeployed from Ardrossan-Brodick to cover the overnight freight service. The MV Lord of the Isles provided a combined Castlebay-Oban-Lochboisdale-Mallaig service. The MV Isle of Arran subsequently incurred a technical issue and was swapped with the MV Hebridean Isles on the Kennacraig-Islay service, maintaining Islay’s two vessel service and a dedicated freight service for Ullapool-Stornoway, with the Ardrossan-Brodick service reduced to a single vessel service and delayed the start of the summer only Ardossan-Campbeltown service which shares a vessel with Ardrossan-Brodick. Some additional capacity for Arran was provided by deploying a second vessel, MV Loch Linnhe, to the Lochranza-Claonaig service. These changes resulted in revised timetabling for the affected routes. CalMac operated additional sailings where possible, however this was restricted by crew hours and availability.

MV Loch Seaforth resumed full service on Stornoway-Ullapool on the evening of 31 May. All services were back to normal with their usual vessel deployment on 3 June.

We are aware of the significant impact on communities and businesses throughout this unacceptable period of service. This includes impacts on island producers, tourism and haulage businesses across the network. As I have stated to Parliament, we are looking at all options to provide greater resilience to minimise disruption during any future prolonged periods of disruption – as well as ensuring any lessons are learned that prevent further breakdowns where these could be avoided.

Question reference: S6W-00367

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will meet with representatives of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to discuss (a) short-term and (b) medium-term proposals for the improvement of ferry services (i) to, (ii) from and (ii) within the Western Isles.

Transport Scotland (TS) and the Scottish Government Islands Team meet regularly with elected members and officers of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to discuss a range of ferries issues including future planning and have also engaged on the Comhairle's Local Transport Strategy. The Comhairle were also a partner in a recent study, commissioned and funded by TS, of future options for ferry services to, from and within the Outer Hebrides. The Comhairle has produced a paper setting out proposals for ferry service improvements and future vessel investments and an initial meeting to discuss this with government officials has been arranged.

Question reference: S6W-00340

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government to which shipyards it proposes to award contracts to build the ferries that will replace those in the current CalMac fleet.

It is too early to say where future vessels to replace the current CalMac fleet will be built. These replacement programmes will follow national procurement rules; ensuring quality, value for money and the timely delivery of vessels to serve our island communities.

On 8 June 2021 I announced that the process to build a new ferry for Islay was formally under way. The Scottish Government look forward to continuing to work with key stakeholders to develop programmes for major vessels and small vessels – investing at least £580m in our ferry networks over the next five years.

Question reference: S6W-00396

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it will begin its public consultation on Nicotine Vapour Products (NVPs), as proposed in the Respiratory Care Action Plan.

Question reference: S6W-00295

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that medication is being (a) correctly and (b) timeously administered in care homes.

The Care Inspectorate is the regulatory body for care services in Scotland, which supports improvement. The Care Inspectorate carry out regular comprehensive inspections of all care homes in Scotland, and are accountable to Scottish Ministers. By law all care providers in Scotland must be registered with the Care Inspectorate. The Care Inspectorate looks at the quality of care in care services, including care homes to ensure it meets high standards. Where improvement is needed, it supports services to make positive changes.

In addition, as part of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s strategy for pharmaceutical care in Scotland ‘Achieving Excellence in Pharmaceutical Care’ the Scottish Government committed to improving the pharmaceutical care of residents in care homes. A Scottish Pharmacy Clinical Leadership Fellow has been appointed and is focussing on key improvement areas such as: developing a national pharmacy care home specialist interest group, reducing medicines waste, undertaking a national audit to determine the pharmacy resource to care homes, developing a pharmacy care home training resource with NES, reviewing how care home residents access medicines and investigating the benefits of using information technology in care homes (for example using electronic medicine administration records (eMAR) and medicines, care and review (MCR).

Question reference: S6W-00294

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how the (a) time and (b) dosage of medication administered in care homes is recorded.

Medicine administration is primarily recorded on medicine administration record (MAR) charts. The dose/dosage is recorded along with the times for administration. This will either be specific times or it may be words such as breakfast, noon etc. A small number of care homes use an electronic MAR (eMAR) system, where the timing of the medicines is recorded electronically. This can confirm that the resident’s medicines were administered, the time of administration and confirmation of the stock balance.

Question reference: S6W-00283

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to enable people to demonstrate their COVID-19 vaccination status, and what its position is on introducing an NHS vaccination card, similar to that provided in England.

Question reference: S6W-00270

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a Test and Release programme, similar to that introduced by the UK Government, for people with a COVID-19 vaccination certificate.

No, in summer 2021 our current vaccination status letters will be replaced by fully digital Covid Status Certificates to be used for outbound international travel. There are no plans at this stage to also use these certificates to introduce Test and Release for inbound international travellers from amber list countries. We are working across the 4 nations to consider the role of Covid Status Certificates for inbound travel .

Question reference: S6W-00721

Current Status: Withdrawn