Chamber and committees

We are determined to leave no individuals or communities behind as we move towards a net zero economy. Our national just transition planning framework, which was published in September, sets out how we will develop just transition plans with different sectors and regions. It is critical that those plans build on existing skills and expertise, and that they create good green jobs.

We need bold action to do that. I saw for myself a prime example where, with support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the port of Nigg has been transformed into the largest offshore wind tower manufacturer in the United Kingdom.

Our first just transition plan will be published next year with a focus on energy, and that will set out how the transition is managed, ensuring fairness for all communities, including the Highlands and Islands.

That is a very good point. I assure the member that such things are kept under on-going review by the four chief medical officers, and it is an issue that the health secretary and I discuss with our chief medical officer regularly.

I have read the reports suggesting that the symptoms of omicron present differently from the symptoms of previous variants. I know that that is something that the chief medical officers will want to bear in mind when considering whether they should update the case definition advice that has been in place.

My advice to people who are worried that they might have Covid is to make sure that they get a PCR test. Anyone whose lateral flow test device shows a positive result should make sure that they get a PCR test.

As I indicated on Tuesday, I had a slight concern that people might not be going for testing as we got closer to Christmas. I have to say that that concern has been allayed, as there has been an increase in testing rates during the days since.

The point about being vigilant around symptoms is important, and I am sure that the chief medical officer would be happy to discuss the matter directly with the member, if that would be helpful.

It is important to make the point that Pam Duncan-Glancy has just made. All services are under considerable pressure right now and, unfortunately, I expect that that will increase rather than decrease in the immediate weeks ahead. However, the points about priority for urgent services and equity and the human rights impacts on children with disabilities in particular are well made. I will look into the specific issue about waiting times for autism diagnosis after I leave the chamber today and I will write to Pam Duncan-Glancy with a fuller answer when I have had the opportunity to do that.

I would expect local authorities to take the matter very seriously, as the Scottish Government would.

I am happy to come back to the member in more detail when I have had the opportunity to consider more fully the answer to his question. However, the important general point that underpins the question is that the ways in which young people communicate are radically different from what was the case when we were at school. Therefore, our responses must keep pace with that and with the ways in which young people can be subjected to bullying. Clearly, the internet and technology are absolutely at the heart of that. That puts an added onus on all of us to make sure that our responses are fit for purpose.

On the particular technical points, I will come back to the member as soon as possible.

We have been made aware of NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s decision. I can advise Kenny Gibson that officials have been in discussion with the health board this morning. I appreciate that these are exceptionally difficult circumstances for health boards, but we have been very clear about our expectations around visiting, which are as I set out in my statement and in response to questions on Tuesday.

Scottish Government officials have been assured by NHS Ayrshire and Arran that the decision will be urgently reviewed and that the board is very mindful of the need to ensure that no one is isolated in hospital over Christmas. We are being assured that the board is supporting all essential visiting.

Obviously, a person’s Covid status is really important, and we all need to be aware of that. I take the opportunity to remind everyone who is visiting a loved one in hospital that it is vital to take a lateral flow test ahead of every visit.

Ministers meet COSLA and individual local authorities on a regular basis to cover a range of issues, including the local government funding settlement. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy met COSLA on 27 October, 11 and 25 November, and again on 8 December, to discuss the local government settlement and the spending review.

I whole-heartedly appreciate the efforts of retail workers, who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic. Members have heard me say before in the chamber that I am sympathetic to calls for large stores to close on new year’s day.

We have looked carefully at the issue, and the minister set out our conclusions to Parliament not long ago. The Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Trading (Scotland) Act 2007 does not ensure that all retail employees would get a day off or, crucially, that they would be paid for that day off. We want to go further than the legislation currently allows by focusing on wider fair work principles across the retail sector. We will do that through our forthcoming retail strategy, as the minister set out in a statement on 26 October.

I remember meeting Lesley and I send her my best wishes. I will look into the particular circumstances.

If memory serves me correctly, the day that I met Lesley at St John’s hospital in Livingston, we were announcing significant investment in perinatal mental health, which underlines the importance that we attach to that. There are challenges across all services right now as a result of the pressure of Covid. That pressure increasingly comes from staff absences, which are compounding some of the challenges that were already there.

The importance of getting timely care and services to people is obvious. We will continue to work with health boards to ensure that. As I said, I am happy to look into the particular circumstances around Lesley’s situation.

I come back to the point that I made earlier. We must all do what is required to get Covid cases on a downward path again. As long as they are rising as rapidly as they are right now, those challenges will continue. I accept the Government’s responsibility here, but all of us across the country have a part to play in ensuring that we get the national health service back on track.

The £100 million pot that I have announced today is the limit of what we can do within the resources that we have, and we are going to have to make really difficult choices in order to make that money available. I am being candid with people about that. However, that amount is not insignificant. I am genuinely not trying to be political here, but I note that the Conservative spokesperson said that they wanted £10 million. We have delivered 10 times that amount today, and I think that that is right, but that will not go near full 100 per cent compensation for the losses of business.

I hope that what is being announced by the UK Government today—I will not repeat what I said about not knowing the detail of that—will allow us to go further in compensating businesses for the losses that are associated with our current advice, and that it will give us the flexibility to do more should we need to go further, although I hope that we will not have to do that.

I will look at that, and we will do more if we can, but we have, I think rightly, made available today the maximum that we can provide within the resources that we currently have at our disposal.

I have set out very clearly and very candidly where we are with financial resources. We are making available every last penny that we can. When we have a pot of money, there are difficult decisions to be made about how thinly that is spread versus giving, perhaps, a smaller group of businesses more significant amounts.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy and her officials will consult affected sectors and get to the best possible outcome. We will help as many businesses as we can. If more money is now available from the UK Government, I hope that that will allow us to do more, but we have to see the detail of that.

These choices and decisions are awful for the businesses that are affected. I understand that. It is perfectly understandable that members come to the chamber and read out such messages. However, nobody should be under any illusion that I do not know the impact of the situation or understand how awful it is.

I do not have a choice. I cannot continue to tell people that it is safe to go to certain settings in groups, right now, given the way that omicron is running. I and the Government have to make those choices and to deal with the impacts to the best of our ability. That is what we will continue to do.