Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has agreed with COSLA to meet additional costs incurred through Covid-19. We continue to work closely with Integration Authorities and care homes and will provide further funding so that care homes have the resources needed throughout this pandemic. We have released an initial £50 million to Health and Social Care Partnerships to meet these additional costs. A second tranche of funding, an additional £50 million, was announced 03 August.

Public bodies operate independently from Scottish Ministers for their procurement activities. Responsibility for purchasing PPE to protect their staff sits with each public body, but they must comply with all relevant legislation and guidance. Therefore, questions about the standard of PPE acquired by a public body should be addressed to the public body in question as we do not hold this information centrally.

Health & Safety is a reserved matter and all employers must comply with the relevant legislation, undertaking risk assessments as required. That legislation has been used to develop guidance on PPE for health and social care settings in Scotland. It is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control/covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe

Public bodies operate independently from Scottish Ministers for their procurement activities and are responsible for running their own tendering exercises and for the decisions they take as part of those exercises. Therefore, questions about the volume, value and origin of PPE acquired by a public body should be addressed to the public body in question as we do not hold this information centrally.

Public bodies operate independently from Scottish Ministers for their procurement activities and are therefore responsible for running their own tendering exercises and for the decisions they take as part of those exercises. It is their responsibility to ensure that any PPE they acquire is fit for purpose. Therefore, questions about the standard of PPE acquired by a public body should be addressed to the public body in question as we do not hold this information centrally.

To further support public bodies and ensure that PPE standards were clear, in March 2020 the Scottish Government issued a policy note to raise awareness on handling certain procurement related issues that arose as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. This contains information for public bodies relating to urgent purchases and can be seen at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/procurement-regulations-during-covid-19-outbreak-sppn-4-2020/ .

Public bodies operate independently from Scottish Ministers for their procurement activities, and the responsibility for purchasing PPE and making sure it is fit for purpose lies with each public body. Therefore, questions about the standard of PPE acquired by a public body should be addressed to the public body in question as we do not hold this information centrally.

Health & Safety is a reserved matter and all employers must comply with the relevant legislation, undertaking risk assessments as required. That legislation has been used to develop guidance on PPE for health and social care settings in Scotland. It is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control/covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe

The Scottish Government has released guidance on the appropriate use and hygiene requirements of face covering. You can find a copy of the face coverings guidance on the Scottish Government website here .

As at 13-08-2020 the total number of tests carried out in (a) West Dunbartonshire and (b) Argyll and Bute are:

West Dunbartonshire – a total of 7,800 tests of which 7,364 were negative and 436 positive.

Argyle and Bute – a total of 6,183 tests of which 6,015 were negative and 168 positive.

The numbers quoted above are for individuals tested and not overall tests.

As at 13 August 2020 the total number of tests carried out in (a) West Dunbartonshire and (b) Argyll and Bute are:

West Dunbartonshire – a total of 7,800 tests of which 7,364 were negative and 436 positive.

Argyle and Bute – a total of 6,183 of which 6,015 were negative and 168 positive.

The numbers quoted above are for individuals tested and not overall tests.

Under section 46 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, around 180 public bodies listed in The Climate Change (Duties of Public Bodies: Reporting Requirements) (Scotland) Order 2015 must report annually to the Scottish Ministers on compliance with the climate change duties placed on them by section 44 of the Act.

The format of the required report includes whether public bodies have plans or strategies covering specific climate change topics, including business travel, as well as any targets for transport and travel.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an economic challenge on an unprecedented scale. The Scottish Government continues to take a holistic and inclusive approach to the mitigation of COVID-19’s economic impacts.

We established an independent Advisory Group on Economic Recovery, and published a response and implementation plan on 5 August 2020. Our response focusses on protecting jobs and supporting business recovery and sustainable green growth. In addition to our ongoing analysis and modelling, we continue to press the UK Government for additional resources and necessary changes to the Fiscal Framework.

Further economic policy measures, to support businesses and employees, will feature in the forthcoming Programme for Government as well as in our Infrastructure Investment Plan and our Climate Change Plan update. However, Scotland's established Zero-Covid approach remains the best way to address the risk of a second wave and the associated economic impacts.