Chamber and committees

As of Boxing Day all non-essential travel abroad has been prohibited by law to and from all areas of Scotland, including those that are currently under the Level 4 Stay At Home order.

The reason this decision was taken was to guard against further avoidable import of new strains of the corona virus (covid-19) in light of published evidence of the significant role that international travel played in re-seeding the infection in Scotland in the second half of 2020.

The Scottish Government websites contains clear guidance for deliveries and door to door services. This guidance states:

Delivery drivers, postal workers, couriers and other similar workers or volunteers should adhere to physical distancing and hygiene requirements when picking up and delivering orders, post or other goods or services to and from residential properties. As an additional measure we recommend that, unless exempt, face coverings are worn in communal, indoor residential areas such as blocks of flats and other multiple occupancy spaces where physical distancing can be difficult to maintain (for example, in stairwells), on entering and until exiting the building.

For members of the public who are using door-to-door services they should keep a safe distance from those providing such services and maintain good hygiene measures. Deliveries should be contactless – where possible, delivery workers should knock on the door, leave the package on the doorstep and step back to a distance of two metres. This advice should be read in conjunction with the physical distancing, face covering and self-isolation guidance.

It is important that all workers follow relevant sectoral and general safer workplaces guidance to help stop the spread of the virus.

The Scottish Government welcomed the Chancellor’s long overdue announcement that the Job Retention Scheme will be extended across the UK until the end of April 2021. Throughout the pandemic we have worked with the business community to ensure we understand all the impacts and how best to support affected businesses, however there is no existing plans to introduce a specific fund of this type due to shortages in funding. We will invest £1.1 billion in employability and skills support. This includes an initial additional investment of £125 million for the Young Person’s Guarantee, the National Transition Training Fund and broader skills and employability support.

Since the start of the pandemic the Scottish Government has allocated over £3 billion to help businesses through a comprehensive package of support measures. This includes among others, the Business Support Grant Scheme, the Strategic Framework Business Fund, and the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund. In total, around 383,000 business support awards totalling‎ £2.3 billion were made between March and the beginning of October 2020. More than 90% of the funds allocated to business support since October are now live with the bulk of funding to support businesses affected by legal restrictions under the Strategic levels.

The Business Grant Funding Scheme was introduced to support businesses occupying non-domestic properties. This included the Small Business Grant which provided £10,000 for the first eligible property, and 75% grants (£7,500) to each additional property, in receipt of the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS), or eligible for the SBBS but in receipt of other reliefs such as charitable rates relief. Phase 3 of this scheme extended eligibility to businesses typically occupying shared spaces , business incubators or shared industrial units, but who are not the ratepayer, provided they could evidence that they were required to contribute towards the charges associated with the non-domestic rates liability. This Scheme closed on 10 July.

From 2 November the Strategic Framework Business Fund offers financial support for businesses required to close by law, or specifically required to modify their operations by law. Eligibility depends on where the premises are located and what level of restrictions are in place at any point in time. These grants are available for eligible business with premises registered for Non-Domestic rates. Businesses that pay non-domestic rates through their landlords may also apply if they can provide evidence of this.

Further, the Local Authority Discretionary Fund empowers local authorities to support businesses and self-employed people in their area who require additional financial support, including supply chain businesses impacted by restrictions. This fund is specifically designed to target businesses who have not received direct financial support through other Scottish Government schemes, and recognises the insight that councils have on the business community in their area and where funding would be most effectively deployed in supporting local economies. It is for Local authorities to use this fund at their discretion, and they will undertake their own assessment of need.

We continue to seek the funding and powers we require to support Scottish businesses through this pandemic and to engage with specific sectors who may face unique impacts and consider how best to provide help and support.

Non-domestic rates relief awards reduce the rates liability associated with a non-domestic premises. A property may still be eligible for a particular relief regardless of the agreed terms of a tenancy agreement. The Scottish Government delivers the most generous non-domestic rates regime in the UK, which includes a package of reliefs that in 2021-22 is worth an estimated £914 million. As part of this we provide the Small Business Bonus Scheme which, based on official statistics as at 1 July 2020, lifts 117,000 properties out of rates altogether.

Tenants who feel that their tenancy agreement should better reflect the costs of operating from a particular premises may wish to discuss this matter with their landlord. The Scottish Government strongly endorses the Code of practice for the commercial property sector Code of practice for the commercial property sector - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and expect landlords and tenants to come together to arrive at a mutually beneficial agreement. Landlords should also provide support to businesses if they too are able to do so .

Jeane Freeman, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, on 4 February, announced details on the continuation of the seasonal flu vaccination programme and provided information in regard to Phase 3 (55-59 year olds) receiving their flu vaccination.

This can be found here - February - Parliamentary Business : Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Government does not hold specific data on the number of people tested for COVID-19 on a monthly basis broken down by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile, however, the following information is publicly available on the Public Health Scotland Covid-19 in Scotland dashboard:

Trends and Demographics

• 7 day moving average – positive cases in Scotland by deprivation quintile
• Total – positive cases in Scotland by deprivation quintile

(Both based on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020 quintiles)

Cases by Neighbourhood

• Positive cases broken down by Local Authority and neighbourhood (based on Intermediate Zones)

Data table

• Total number of daily tests performed since 28 February 2020

(Available at: COVID-19 Daily Dashboard - PHS COVID-19 | Tableau Public )

I refer the member to the answers provided to the questions raised by Jamie Greene (reference S5W-34940) on 9 February 2021 and Pauline McNeill (reference S5W-35019) on 11 February 2021.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The Scottish Government carries out weekly research with a nationally representative sample of approximately 1,000 people on attitudes and behaviours relating to COVID-19 and the vaccine.

In addition, focus groups are conducted on specific topics, including the vaccine and accessing the NHS during the pandemic, with a diverse range of groups. This research informs all communications.

The decision regarding the 12 week gap between the two Covid-19 doses was made based on the clinical recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). This information was further communicated by the latest letter by the Chief Medical Officer on 1 st January, 2021.

Statement from the UK Chief Medical Officers on the prioritisation of the first doses can be viewed via the link below:

Statement from the UK Chief Medical Officers on the prioritisation of first doses
of COVID-19 vaccines - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Letter from the Chief Medical Officer can be viewed via the link below:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) - vaccine: letter from the Chief Medical Officer
updating on the vaccination programme - 1 January 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .