The Scottish Parliament

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-05798

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Unite the Union hospitality workers regarding their reported grievances with MacMerry 300 in relation to pay issues and allegations of bullying, failing to investigate sexual misconduct and covering up a COVID-19 outbreak.

The Scottish Government believes that bullying and harassment of any worker, under any circumstances, is unacceptable. Everyone has the right to go to work without fear of intimidation. The Scottish Government endorses the Fair Work Convention's and agree that every worker, regardless of status or position, should be treated fairly and with respect.

Scottish Ministers believe that all workers should receive a fair pay for the work they do, regardless of their age and status. The Scottish Government is committed to using all the levers it has at its disposal to promote fair work practices across Scotland including payment of the real Living Wage. We firmly oppose the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts and other non-standard types of employment that offer workers minimal job or financial security.

Scottish Ministers have not met with Unite directly on the issues raised in the question, however the Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise meets periodically with Unite Hospitality representatives to discuss key areas of interest in relation to the hospitality sector. The most recent meeting with key trade union representatives included UNITE, PCS, Prospect, the Scottish Tourism League and the STUC and took place on 9 December.

Question reference: S6O-00713

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding support for young farmers in the north east to support and promote good mental health and wellbeing.

Question reference: S6W-05296

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31470 by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 September 2020, and the recommendation in the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission's Report on the use of rodent glue traps in Scotland that glue traps be banned, when it is planning to bring forward legislation to implement such a ban.

Question reference: S6F-00675

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 January 2022

To ask the First Minister what impact the UK Government’s Nationality and Borders Bill will have on devolved functions.

Question reference: S6O-00651

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is planning to introduce to protect communities and ecosystems from land speculation associated with carbon offsetting.

Question reference: S6O-00560

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the views of victims and survivors are considered by Community Justice Scotland and the Justice Board for Scotland and its subgroups.

Question reference: S6W-04731

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 8 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has about the efficacy of lateral flow tests in detecting the new Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs) used in the National Testing Programme are routinely evaluated and reviewed to detect early signals of changes in performance with emerging variants to ensure they can detect new variants of concern as soon as possible after they are identified.

LFDs that have passed validation at UKHSA Porton Down are currently being assessed against the Omicron variant, with priority being given to the LFDs currently deployed in the UK National Testing Programme.

LFDs used in the National Testing Programme have been evaluated against, and successfully detect the Delta variant, which is currently the dominant variant in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-00518

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the actions underway to tackle the reported inequalities experienced by ethnic minority communities in the north east.

Question reference: S6W-04517

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to ensure that there is a coordinated, fair and equitable planning system for the marine environment.

The Scottish Government published the National Marine Plan in 2015, which sets out the marine planning and policy framework for Scottish inshore waters (out to 12 nautical miles) and offshore waters (12 to 200 nautical miles). This plan was delivered in accordance with the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, an Act of the Scottish Parliament, and by the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, an Act of the UK Parliament, respectively.

The Scottish Government undertakes regular reviews of the National Marine Plan. The most recent review was published in March 2021. Additionally, the Scottish Government carries out sectoral marine planning and supports Marine Planning Partnerships to undertake marine planning at a regional level, allowing more local ownership and decision making about specific issues within their area. All of these planning processes are subject to plan-level strategic assessments to ensure impacts are fairly measured and assessed.

Question reference: S6W-04292

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported outbreak of avian influenza in Angus, for what reason there is not routine vaccination against this virus in Scotland.

The vaccination of poultry and captive birds against avian influenza is not currently permitted. Vaccination is not a routine preventative measure and is a practice prohibited by legislation. There is limited experimental evidence available on the effectiveness of vaccination of poultry and other captive birds against avian influenza, and its varying strains, and there are no vaccines currently available that would guarantee the immune responses required.

If vaccinations were to be applied, there is a danger that they could ‘mask’ the occurrence of disease in a farm, delaying its detection. A poorly applied vaccination programme could even lead to the persistence of disease, whilst vaccinated birds may still be capable of transmitting the virus. Further concerns are that a vaccination programme could have trading implications with EU/third countries.

New developments in avian influenza vaccinations and their potential use are continually being considered and appraised, however, currently the proven effective preventative measure against avian influenza remains the application of on-site biosecurity, which is of fundamental importance to the avian influenza prevention and control strategy for Scotland.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

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