Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

Meeting date: Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Official Report 855KB pdf

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

The next item of business is consideration of motions S6M-00208, S6M-00209 and S6M-00207, on approval of Scottish statutory instruments. I ask George Adam, on behalf of the Scottish Government, to speak to and move the motions.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel etc) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021 make further amendments to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel) (Scotland) Regulations 2020. The regulations are amended so that a person who tests positive for coronavirus earlier than the day on which they take a day 2 or day 8 test under the regulations must continue to isolate only until the end of the 10th day following the day on which the earlier test was taken; to exempt aviation and maritime crew from the requirement to stay in managed accommodation if they have travelled in an acute risk country or territory in the course of their work; to add to schedule 3A a category of “specified competitions” at which participating persons are exempted from the requirement to stay in managed accommodation when they travel to, through or from acute-risk countries or territories to take part in that competition; and to add Ethiopia, Oman, Qatar and Somalia to the acute-risk countries and territories in schedule A2 and remove Mauritius and Portugal from that list.

In addition, the regulations amend the expiry provisions of the principal regulations, the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Public Health Information for Passengers Travelling to Scotland) Regulations 2020 and part 2 of the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Pre-Departure Testing and Operator Liability) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, so that they each expire on 20 September 2021.

The regulations came into force on 20 March 2021.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Amendment (No 18) Regulations 2021 amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 to allow places of worship to reopen in level 4 areas. As a result of that change, the restrictions on leaving home in level 4 areas and entering or leaving a level 4 area are adjusted to ensure that it is possible to leave home and travel to someone’s usual place of worship.

The regulations also make clear that it is possible to leave home in level 4 areas, travel into and out of level 3 and 4 areas and gather for the purpose of picketing. The regulations set out changes to the level that applies to Na h-Eileanan an Iar, which moves from level 4 to level 3. All other areas remain in the same level.

Finally, the regulations make a minor adjustment to correct some inaccurate cross-references that were included in the most recent amending instrument.

The regulations came into force on 24 March 2021.

The final regulations that I have to talk about are the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Amendment (No 18) Amendment Regulations 2021. The regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Amendment (No 18) Regulations 2021 to bring forward the coming into force date of the relevant provisions that allow places of worship to reopen in Level 4.

The regulations came into force on 25 March 2021.

Motions moved,

That the Parliament agrees that Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel etc.) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/158) be approved.

That the Parliament agrees that Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 18) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/166) be approved.

That the Parliament agrees that Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 18) Amendment Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/168) be approved.—[George Adam]

The questions on those motions will be put at decision time.