- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the findings from each three-week review of the COVID-19 vaccine certification scheme.
Answer
We continually keep our COVID-19 Status Certification scheme under review and consider a range of evidence, data, and information which is already published. Information such as the “ trends in daily data ”; the weekly report on the “ state of the epidemic ”, and the anticipated pressures on our public services. Following that consideration Ministers then report to parliament, detailing the outcome of their review every 3 weeks.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether its commitment to increase the GP workforce by 800 by 2026 will amount to 800 additional whole-time equivalent posts.
Answer
The commitment to recruit 800 additional GPs is based on GP headcount and we remain on track to meet that commitment by 2027 as originally set out.
We have taken a number of actions to fulfil this commitment, including increasing the number of medical places at universities, and taking steps to encourage medical graduates to choose general practice. To that end, between 2015-16 and 2021-22 the Scottish Government will have increased the annual intake of medical places in Scottish universities from 848 to 1117 (269 places, a 32% increase). The majority of these new places are focused on general practice.
By increasing the amount of undergraduate curriculum that is delivered in general practice to 25%. We are confident increased exposure to general practice will encourage more students to train as GPs. With an increase of 89 GPs in 2019-20 we are now confident we are starting to see the positive impact of these actions.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the average number of Test and Protect primary contacts per case has reduced from six in May 2021 to 1.8 in October 2021, while restrictions have eased and socialising has increased.
Answer
Test and Protect’s contact tracing service can only identify close contacts based on the information provided by people who have tested positive, and we are grateful to everyone that reports all their contacts when engaging with the contact tracing system. We continue to ask people to engage with the service by phone or by completing the online tracing form, to provide as much information as possible about their close contacts during the infectious period. This ensures that the right public health advice can be offered to close contacts to cut off chains of virus transmission in the community.
We have introduced a range of measures, including increased use of digital and SMS communications and shortened call scripts for index case interviews, to ensure the contact tracing system continues to trace the contacts of people with Coronavirus and ensure they are given the right public health advice as quickly as possible, even when case numbers rise substantially. All decisions in relation to operational delivery of the contact tracing system have made in line with public health advice, including the continued prioritisation of higher risk cases. A combination of these changes is likely to have affected the average number of close contacts reported per case.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any communication with the Scottish Human Rights Commission regarding its reported concerns about the NHS Scotland COVID Status App, and, if so, whether it will publish any such correspondence and the minutes of any meetings.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-03671 and S6W-03672 on 17 November 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that not all of the companies, NetCompany, Service Now, Jumio, iProov, Albasoft, Amazon Web Services, CFH Docmail, Microsoft Azure, Gov.uk Notify Service and Royal Mail, are able to access data from the NHS Scotland COVID Status App, even though it is shared, whether it will provide clarification of what this means.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-04212 and S6W-04213 on 25 November 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 3 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce Down syndrome legislation, similar to that introduced in the UK Parliament.
Answer
The Scottish Government wants to improve opportunities, outcomes and support for people with learning disabilities including Down’s Syndrome. To this end, we have committed to introducing a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill as part of the Programme for Government. This Bill will ensure that the rights of people with Down’s Syndrome, among others, are respected and protected.
To help make sure that the new legislation is championed when it is implemented, we will create a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodiversity Commissioner through the new law.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2021
To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2021
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Ash Regan on 29 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase either free or affordable access to sign language interpreters for people with hearing loss in order to access legal representation.
Answer
Under current legal aid provision, BSL interpreting costs can be paid as an outlay where legal aid or advice and assistance is in place. When a person requires such support to access legal services, the Legal Aid Fund will meet these costs. The Scottish Legal Aid Board is currently undertaking a consultation on its approach to accounts assessment, within which it has proposed to continue to assess BSL interpreting as part of its general outlays policy.
The Scottish Legal Aid Board has also promoted the availability of ContactScotland BSL service to solicitors. This Scottish Government funded service, has expanded to allow BSL signers across the country to make phone calls in their first or preferred language. It is a VRS (virtual relay service) for making phone calls, or conversation where both parties are not in the same place. It is available 24 hours a day throughout the year.
The Scottish Government has established a British Sign Language Justice Advisory Group, as part of its BSL National Plan 2017-2023. The role of this BSL-led justice advisory group is to provide expertise and guidance to justice agencies. The Group is to play a key role in developing and delivering a programme of improvements to help the justice agencies better meet the needs of BSL users.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether the privacy information on the NHS Scotland COVID Status App, which states that personal data of users will be shared with NetCompany, Service Now, Jumio, iProov, Albasoft, Amazon Web Services, CFH Docmail, Microsoft Azure, Gov.uk Notify Service and Royal Mail, relates to as yet inactive app functionalities, and for what purpose these permissions were sought.
Answer
No. If, and when, any additional functions are added to the NHS Scotland Covid Status App then the privacy information will be updated accordingly. For more detail on the current privacy information, I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-04212 and S6W-04213 on 25 November 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether the NHS Scotland COVID Status App shares information with (a) NetCompany, (b) Service Now, (c) Jumio, (d) iProov, (e) Albasoft, (f) Amazon Web Services, (g) CFH Docmail, (h) Microsoft Azure, (i) Gov.uk Notify Service and (j) Royal Mail, and, if so, for what reason.
Answer
The list of companies set out in the privacy notice relate to the Vaccine Programme and the Covid Certification service as a whole, and not just the Covid Status App. So for example, Royal Mail are involved in posting printed certificates to individuals – they have no connection to the Covid Status App.
The Scottish Government and NHS Scotland take privacy and data security seriously. Robust measures have been put in place to ensure all systems and processes within the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccination Programme have been designed with these in mind.
As with most technology of this nature, it is necessary to share some very limited data to ensure services operate effectively. However, NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government have control of this data at all times, and service providers do not have access to the data they process.
The published privacy notice explains:
- the key organisations responsible for the data;
- how those organisations process personal information in relation to coronavirus vaccinations, exemptions and certificates;
- the rights in relation to privacy and personal data; and
- what data is shared with our trusted parties and the reason as per their role in the vaccination programme.
We will only share personal information when the law allows us to do so and to the minimum extent possible.
