Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-00360

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being put in place to track the progress of ventilation improvements and the deployment of ventilation monitoring equipment (CO2 sensors) across all primary and secondary schools.

Our Coronavirus guidance on reducing the risks in schools was developed in collaboration with local authorities, unions, parents representative groups and teaching bodies, with input from technical experts working across the UK. This includes a section on the potential use of CO2 monitors to assist in assessing whether adequate ventilation is being provided. Each local authority and school can utilise this technology as appropriate to their particular circumstances.

We have worked from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic with the Scottish Heads of Property Services forum to get input and feedback on guidance, and ventilation is a standing agenda item at each meeting. The forum was used to request progress information including: local authority plans to utilise CO2 monitoring, ventilation upgrades required, observations from operational schools and issues arising during different weather conditions where ventilation and thermal comfort could be in tension. The Scottish Heads of Property Services use this forum to share expertise and learning to ensure that efforts and resources are best deployed to optimise solutions across the whole learning estate in Scotland. Links have also been established with other expert groups representing the UK governments to help inform future guidance.

Question reference: S6W-00411

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will cost to fulfil the Scottish National Party manifesto pledge that “we will increase the school uniform grant to at least £120 in primary school and £150 in secondary school”.

On 26 May the First Minister confirmed that the Scottish Government will increase the school clothing grant. We are fully committed to providing all the necessary funding required to deliver this commitment and are now working with our local authority partners to introduce the new national minimum school clothing grant levels for primary and secondary children and to agree the levels of funding required.

The national minimum school clothing grant has been an essential measure of support for thousands of low income families across Scotland since its introduction in the summer of 2018. As we enter into the new Parliamentary session, the Scottish Government will continue to support schools in their efforts to ensure the same opportunities are afforded to all children and young people regardless of their background.

Question reference: S6W-00352

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next review the criteria for visiting care home residents, as it eases COVID-19 restrictions.

The Open with Care guidance, published on 24 February 2021, recommends a minimum of two indoor visits per resident per week (where they so wish), as long as certain conditions are met. This was a starting point to enable care homes to increase the frequency, duration and quality of visits through local assessment and support from local oversight arrangements. The guidance should be adopted to reflect the Protection Level of each care home’s local authority area.

Additional advice on supporting residents to make outings and overnight stays away from the care home was published on 17 May www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-
adult-care-homes-visiting-guidance/ . The general principle is that when a resident wishes to go on outings away from the care home, that these should take place in line with general population COVID-19 permissions relevant to the local area, unless there is clear evidence justifying a more restrictive approach.

The Open With Care National Oversight Group is monitoring implementation of the guidance, identifying any additional support that might be required, and will report on progress in June .

Question reference: S6W-00400

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 10 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reduce the social distancing requirement in places of worship from two metres to one metre.

We acknowledge how challenging this past year has been for everyone in our society, including places of worship. We are grateful to all of Scotland’s faith and belief communities for all they have done to keep their congregations safe and to support our communities during this unprecedented time.

From 26 April, we moved towards greater easing of the health protection restrictions, with the removal of the 50 person limit in places of worship; instead the numbers of people who can attend are limited according to the building capacity and physical distancing of two metres, along with other measures informed by a risk assessment.

The Scottish Government is reviewing physical distancing including its impact on places of worship and an announcement, which will consider the faster spreading Delta variant, is expected in the near future. Sectoral guidance will be further updated at that time to reflect the outcome of the review, including proposals for as clear a route as possible to the reduction/removal of physical distancing to enable people and organisations to plan effectively for a full reopening. Physical distancing has been an important tool for controlling the virus, but as with all restrictions, we will only have this in place as long as is necessary

The Scottish Government has to balance the harms from the virus which are potentially fatal, with the impact on faith and belief communities of the restrictions on places of worship. However, please be reassured that the Scottish Government understands the important role of congregational worship in supporting spiritual, mental and social wellbeing and will continue to engage with faith and belief communities regarding the scope for further easing.

Question reference: S6W-00379

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 10 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether an economic impact assessment has been conducted in respect to the lockdown restrictions in the Falkirk Council area, and, if so, whether it will publish this assessment.

The virus continues to have severe direct impacts on people’s health, and the potential to put significant pressures on NHS capacity. For this reason, and to tackle the new, faster-spreading Delta variant, we have made the difficult decision to delay a move to Level 1 for some Local Authorities which have displayed high or rapidly increasing levels of incidence.

The decision to allocate areas to a Level, finely balances the need to control the virus and to minimise the wider economic and social harms of the restrictions. Consideration of the economic harms from Covid (Harm 4) is factored into the design of the Levels themselves, and a 4 Harms Assessment was undertaken on these Levels when they were last updated and published.

On 1 June, we published Coronavirus (COVID-19): Protection Levels allocation to local councils which explains the basis on which Levels 2 and 1 were applied to local council areas in Scotland. The Government also has a legal duty to undertake statutory Impact Assessments when Regulations concerning the Levels are changed. These include Equalities, Islands, Child Rights/Wellbeing, and Business and Regulatory Impact Assessments, and they are now published.

Question reference: S6O-00034

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the appointment of the new Makar.

Question reference: S6O-00043

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to tackle violence against women, particularly in relation to prostitution and purchasers of sex.

Question reference: S6O-00047

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility to the international minimum.

Question reference: S6O-00046

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many projects have been funded by the CashBack for Communities programme in East Lothian since the initiative was launched.

Question reference: S6O-00041

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the presumption against short sentences has had on the number of people who are sent to jail for assaulting emergency workers.

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