Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

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 ��˿�� 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-00568

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it uses to determine whether countries are listed as (a) red, (b) amber or (c) green on its international travel and managed isolation regime.

Decisions on the risk rating for individual countries is made on the basis of assessments by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, using a methodology endorsed by the four UK Chief Medical Officers. This takes into account incidence and test positivity, presence of variants of concern, and capability for genomic surveillance in that country, to reach a red, amber or green rating. The travel regulations are devolved public health measures, but we work with the other nations of the UK to come to a consistent view wherever we can.

For example, the recent decision to move Portugal onto the amber list was not one taken lightly. However it was necessary following evidence of rising incidence and higher test positivity than in Scotland. It also showed a strain of the Delta variant with an additional mutation that could mean vaccine resistance. It is therefore vital that we regularly review this data and take the right decisions for Scotland, in order to limit importation of the virus and not reverse progress with the vaccine rollout.

Question reference: S6W-00315

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will (a) engage in and (b) fund research into the impacts of long-COVID.

The NHS Research Scotland infrastructure funded by the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office is supporting a number of studies on the longer term effects of COVID-19 infection. These include the UK-wide Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) led by the University of Leicester that is recruiting individuals who were discharged from hospital following COVID-19 to study the short (0-6 months), medium (6-12 months) and long-term (12 months +) effects of the disease

On December 22 2020, the Chief Scientist Office announced the outcome of its funding call for Scottish-led research on the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. Following a competitive independently peer reviewed process 9 Long-covid research projects were funded with a total funding commitment of around £2.5 million. Details of the funded projects are available from the Chief Scientist Office website

Question reference: S6W-00316

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S50-04973 by Jeane Freeman on 4 February 2021, whether it has further considered funding long-COVID clinics, to relieve pressure on GPs and provide quick access to specialist care.

Our approach is for people to have access to the support they need for assessment, diagnosis, care and rehabilitation in a setting that is as close to their home as possible.

NHS Boards across Scotland are co-ordinating and providing local pathways from primary, community care and third sector services to ensure a multidisciplinary and person-centred approach in their area.

Whilst long COVID clinics are one model that NHS Boards may explore in doing so, we recognise that no one single approach is likely to fit all areas and circumstances.

Question reference: S6W-00317

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 15 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Education or (b) Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training has (i) met or (ii) exchanged correspondence with the (A) management and (B) lecturers’ union at Forth Valley College, with regards to ongoing industrial action.

The previous Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science was in regular contact with both the Employers’ Association and EIS-FELA in relation to the national dispute regarding instructor/assessor roles in the college sector, which has now been resolved.

The Scottish Government has been clear throughout this dispute that both the employers and trade unions must continue with negotiations in an attempt to resolve this situation, which is absolutely not in the best interests of our learners. EIS-FELA have suspended local industrial action at Forth Valley College to allow the matter to be referred to the National Joint Secretaries for review and I urge both sides to resolve this dispute without the need for further industrial action.

The Scottish Government remains firmly of the view that it is for the college unions and the employers to negotiate pay and terms and conditions voluntarily in the spirit of collaboration and co-operation. We do however continue to work with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), who work closely with the sector, to ensure any actions taken are compliant with the Scottish Public Finance Manual, the SFC Financial Memorandum and are in line with Fair Work principles.

Question reference: S6F-00084

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 June 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to improve trans and LGBT+ healthcare.

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Chamber and committees