- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 March 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 March 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many universities and colleges have formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, and what steps it is taking to encourage more higher education providers to endorse this definition.
Answer
The Scottish Government, Universities Scotland, College Development Network and Colleges Scotland are clear that there is no place for antisemitism in further and higher education.
Universities, as autonomous institutions, are aware of the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Many are actively and presently consulting within their diverse communities and stakeholder interests on the definition, with two having adopted it to date. Universities and colleges are also addressing antisemitism through their ongoing engagement with the Scottish Funding Council to address discrimination and harassment on the grounds of race.
The SFC, in response to the recommendations of the EHRC report, Universities Challenged, published in October 2019, has developed resources to support challenging conversations on all aspects of racial discrimination, including antisemitism. These were developed with input of staff and students and was launched on 16 March 2021.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 February 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 25 February 2021
To ask the First Minister what the anticipated outcomes and timetable are for the Case Record Review into mesh implant surgeries, which is being led, as moderator, by Professor Alison Britton.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 25 February 2021
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in situations where a couple live together in the same household and have a child less than a year old, but where one parent is required to spend periods of time away for essential work-related reasons, whether the parent caring for the child at home by themselves is permitted to form an extended household for the period that their partner is away.
Answer
The Scottish Government continues to acknowledge the fact that on-going restrictions have been challenging for everyone, in particular for parents and new mothers. However, we do not intend to revise the extended household rules to include all parents with a child less than a year old at this time.
“The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020” permit two households of any size to form an extended household. The parameters around this are set out in guidance. Extended households rules in Scotland were developed to reduce isolation and meet social need.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether families with a child less than a year old, where the parents live together in the same household, are allowed to form an extended household during the current lockdown, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
The Scottish Government continues to acknowledge the fact that on-going restrictions have been challenging for everyone, in particular for parents and new mothers. However, we do not intend to revise the extended household rules to include all parents with a child less than a year old at this time.
“The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020” permit two households of any size to form an extended household. The parameters around this are set out in guidance. Extended households rules in Scotland were developed to reduce isolation and meet social need.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 January 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many people aged over 70 have been asked to attend jury duty in each year since 2015-16, also broken down by how many had an application to be excused from service (a) accepted and (b) refused.
Answer
These statistics are not collected.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 January 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 February 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to automatically exempting all people aged over 70 from jury duty.
Answer
There has been no consideration around automatically exempting all people aged over 70 from jury duty. There is currently no age limit at which you may cease to be called for jury service, but from the age of 71 you are permitted to be excused. In addition, if any potential juror has any condition that is likely to impair, or make difficult, his or her function as a juror, he or she may also apply to the clerk of court for excusal. The clerk of court has full discretion in this matter.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 January 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 25 January 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to directing local authorities to make childcare provision available in circumstances where both parents are required to undertake employment responsibilities outside of the home setting during the existing period of lockdown but only one parent has been categorised as a key worker by the relevant local authority.
Answer
The definitions of key workers have been designed to provide local authorities with the flexibility to meet the needs of their local communities. When determining which children should attend, local authorities and childcare settings should have regard to the overarching policy aim which is to minimise the number of children and adults from different households interacting in-person within communities in order to reduce transmission of the virus.
Local authorities are operating within a framework agreed with Scottish Government however there is flexibility for local authorities and individual childcare providers to consider requests in line with local needs. We have a very diverse range of communities in Scotland and a one size fits all approach would not be appropriate, therefore local authorities must be free to take decisions at a local level.
The purpose of the current exceptional arrangements are to ensure that key workers performing an essential role in the Covid-19 response can request access to their child's usual school or childcare setting. However, alternative options, such as home working or access to informal childcare should have been considered in line with current guidance before requesting access.
Employers have a duty to take all measures which are reasonably practicable to minimise the risk of the incidence and spread of Covid-19 on their premises. This includes supporting staff to work from home for those roles that can be undertaken remotely. As would be expected under normal circumstances, employers should have a fair and flexible approach towards those with caring responsibilities, and should make use wherever possible of flexible working options such as reduced or flexible working hours.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 January 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 25 January 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given consideration to directing local authorities to consider designating people that work in the (a) construction and (b) manufacturing industries as key workers for the purpose of accessing childcare provision in schools.
Answer
In order to achieve our primary objective of reducing interactions and helping to drive down community transmission of Covid-19, the number of key worker children presenting to schools during the current strict lockdown must be kept to an absolute minimum. The purpose of the exceptional key worker arrangements initiated in January 2021 is therefore to ensure that workers who are critical to supporting essential and lifeline services in Scotland can request places for their children in schools or with childcare providers, when alternative options have been exhausted.
Where construction or manufacturing supports the essential or critical services set out in the key worker guidance published on 06 January 2021, employers and staff would be eligible to request access to key worker child places in schools as potential Category 3 workers, or as a potential Category 2 worker if directly supporting the CNI. As not all construction or manufacturing supports such services, it is for local authorities, schools and providers to consider and respond to individual requests based on the specific circumstances involved. Employers are therefore asked to strictly prioritise and only request places for staff who are critical to the provision of essential services and have no alternate childcare or working options.
Local authorities are expected to take account of the diverse needs of their local communities, families and young people when applying these arrangements and managing demand for places in schools.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 December 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 5 January 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what further consideration it has given to whether the NHS should fully meet the costs associated with mesh-injured women visiting Dr Dionysios Veronikis in the United States to undergo full mesh removal.
Answer
The Government continues to support the member’s amendment to the motion that I tabled in the Parliament on 8 September, which stated that women affected by complications arising from mesh should have “the early prospect of full transvaginal mesh removal surgery being undertaken by surgeons who enjoy the full confidence of the women affected, fully funded by the NHS ".
The national service in Scotland is establishing close working relationships with the equivalent services being developed by NHS England, and it is envisaged that this will allow referral to these services, as a further choice, where required and clinically appropriate.
In addition, I have asked NHS National Services Scotland to actively consider whether options are available for the commissioning of mesh removal services outside of the NHS. It is important to note, however, that the referral of patients for treatment outwith NHS Scotland, particularly where it involves foreign travel, is a complex issue. This is particularly so in terms of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of patients. We must be assured regarding the quality and safety of care available. Treatment must also take account and be integrated with pre- and post-operative care. There are also obvious concerns around women travelling long distances during the present pandemic.
As these issues are resolved I will update those affected directly with whom we are in contact and 成人快手.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 December 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 December 2020
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made for a £1,000 compensation award from the £1 million mesh fund that was opened in July 2020, also broken down by how many have (a) been approved, (b) been rejected and (c) yet to be processed.
Answer
NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) is administering the mesh fund on behalf of the Scottish Government.
The following table illustrates, as at 2 December 2020, the number of applications accepted, declined and pending, as well as the amount that has so far been paid to applicants:
Received | 414 |
Approved | 372 |
Declined | 18 |
Pending | 24 |
| | |
Amount Paid | £324,000 |
Amount Pending | £36,000 |
We have taken a number of steps to raise awareness of the mesh fund, and continue to do so. In June 2020, I wrote to all women who attended the meetings with the First Minister and myself to make them aware of the fund, the opening date and also where to access the application forms. In addition, I wrote to anyone who had been in touch with the Scottish Government regarding transvaginal mesh complications since the fund was announced. The fund is also publicised on the NHS Inform page at:
Further, a news release was published on gov.scot in May 2020, the Health and Social Care Alliance have put a link to the application form on their website, and NHS NSS wrote to GP practices and Health Boards to raise awareness of the fund. Lastly, I made 成人快手 aware via my response to S5W-29926, on 16 June 2020.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
