Chamber and committees

As part of the Winter Plan for Social Protection, Scottish Ministers announced a one-off COVID Winter Hardship Payment of £100 for each child receiving Free School Meals, on the basis of low income, prior to the winter holidays.

As of 5 February local authorities have reported that payments have been made to 144,128 eligible children and young people, totalling over £14.41 million. Scottish Ministers will meet the cost of these payments in full and have also provided £400,000 of administration funding to councils to support delivery. This payment is in addition to continued Free School Meal provision delivered during the October, Christmas and February holidays, backed by £6.95 million of investment.

Scottish Ministers have also committed £12.898 million to councils to continue the provision of Free School Meals, for children eligible on the basis of low income, during the period of online learning in January and February.

Further funding of £4.29 million has also been made available to continue Free School Meal alternate provision over the Easter 2021 break – ensuring that eligible children and young people continue to be supported.

Following the allocation of £1.1 billion to support additional COVID-19 costs in 2020-21 that was announced on 29 September 2020, the Scottish Government is providing further funding of £491 million to NHS Boards and Integration Authorities. This takes our total level of support to £1.7 billion, and ensures that our frontline services continue to have the funding that they require throughout this pandemic.

Details of the funding allocation to NHS Boards and Integration Authorities are set out in the following table:

Amending Regulations were made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 today. These Regulations move Na h-Eileanan Siar from Level 3 to Level 4 as a result of the latest information.

The Regulations have been published at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2021/54/contents/made.

Amending Regulations were made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 and the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Directions by Local Authorities) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 today.

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 to provide that premises which are required to close to the public or operate in restricted ways in Level 3 and 4 areas may be used for purposes connected to an election if they are suitable premises which a returning officer or electoral registration officer has requested the use of in connection with the carrying out of any of their functions.

These Regulations adjust the restrictions on drive-in and drive-through events to make clear that they are not permitted in Level 3 and Level 4 areas.

These Regulations adjust to examples of a reasonable excuse to enter a Level 4 area to bring the marriage, civil partnership and funerals excuses into line with the excuses to leave home for those living in a Level 4 area.

Finally, these Regulations extend the expiry date of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Directions by Local Authorities) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 from 31 January 2021 to 31 March 2021. This changes brings the expiry into line with the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020.

The Regulations have been published at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2021/49/made .

Amending Regulations were made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 today. These Regulations implement the changes that the First Minister announced on Wednesday, 13 January.

In order to address the current, heightened public health risks, the Regulations adjust the restrictions surrounding click and collect services. They also prohibit the consumption of alcohol in outdoor public places and do not allow customers to enter food and drink takeaway outlets in Level 4 areas. These Regulations tighten the existing stay at home requirement to ensure non-essential activities are not undertaken when leaving the home for permitted activities and restrict the ability to carry out work or services for the upkeep, maintenance or functioning of other people’s homes to essential work only in Level 4 areas.

The Regulations also prohibit evictions from taking place in Level 3 or 4 areas and require the closure of child contact centres in Level 4, with the exception of child contact centres which are provided by local authorities. An exception is also made for all contact centres to be allowed to open for the purpose of handovers of a child to a person with whom they do not or will not live, and their return from a handover to a person with whom they do or will live. Finally, the Regulations allow premises which are required to close to the public to open, if it is for the purposes of providing a venue for vaccination.

The Regulations have been published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2021/17 .

Amending Regulations were made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 today. These Regulations implement some of the changes that the First Minister announced on 4 January 2021.

In order to address the current, heightened public health risks places of worship will be closed for most purposes. These Regulations also reduce the number of people who are able to attend a marriage ceremony or civil partnership registration and also prohibit funeral teas or wakes from taking place in Level 4 areas. The Regulations require snow sports centres, showrooms within larger retailers, independent clinics, independent hospitals and independent medical agencies in relation to certain procedures or treatments to close in Level 4 areas. The Regulations also require 2 metre distancing to be maintained in workplace canteens.

The Regulations have been published at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2021/3/contents/made .

Amending Regulations were made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 today. These Regulations implement the changes to non-essential retail that the First Minister announced on 22 December.

The regulations prohibit homeware retailers, garden centres and plant nurseries from opening in Level 4. The Regulations prohibit home showroom premises, such as kitchen, bathroom, furniture or glazing showrooms. Some retail services are also prohibited in Level 4 areas, these services are tanning salons, or premises which operate a self-tanning machine or spray-tan booths and travel agencies.

The Regulations also prohibit travel to the Republic of Ireland as a result of the national lockdown announced on 22 December 2020.

The Regulations have been published at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2020/471/made .

The Scottish Government’s Dementia and COVID-19: National Action Plan to Continue to Support Recovery for People with Dementia and their Carers is published on 22 December 2020.

The plan builds on, continues and expands on the national action we have been taking since March to support people with dementia and their careers.

Amending Regulations were made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 on 20 December 2020. These Regulations implement the changes that the First Minister announced on 19 December 2020.

The Regulations make adjustments to the provisions on festive gatherings and levels to which local authorities are allocated. These Regulations limit the exemptions which allow festive gatherings to apply to 25 December 2020, and removes the ability to form a festive gathering in other parts of the UK and Common Travel Area.

This action has been taken urgently given a new strain of coronavirus is circulating widely in some parts of the UK and is already circulating at a lower level in Scotland. Firm and decisive action has been taken now to prevent the new strain from taking hold in Scotland and to avoid our NHS being potentially overwhelmed in the coming weeks.

The Regulations have been published at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2020/452/contents/made .

I am pleased to confirm that the projects to benefit from the second phase of the Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) will be announced today.

Through Phase 2 of the LEIP, 25 new schools and campuses will be constructed or refurbished to provide modern, state of the art learning facilities for approximately 21,000 children and young people across Scotland.

The Scottish Government contribution, alongside local authority contributions to Phase 2 of the Programme, will help enable almost £800 million of investment across 18 local authorities.

The full list of LEIP Phase 2 projects are as follows:

1. Angus Council - Monifieth High School

2. City of Edinburgh Council - Liberton High School

3. City of Edinburgh Council - Wester Hailes Education Centre

4. Dumfries and Galloway Council - Dumfries High School

5. Dundee City Council - New Campus to replace Craigie and Braeview High   Schools

6. East Ayrshire Council - Doon Valley Community Campus

7. East Ayrshire Council - St Sophia’s Primary School

8. Fife Council - Inverkeithing High School

9. Glasgow City Council - Gaelic Primary School

10. Glasgow City Council - New City Centre Primary School

11. Highland Council - Broadford Primary School

12. Highland Council - Nairn Academy

13. Midlothian Council - Penicuik High School

14. Midlothian Council - Mayfield Primary School Campus

15. Moray Council - Findrassie Primary School

16. North Ayrshire Council - Montgomerie Park Primary School

17. Perth and Kinross Council - Perth High School

18. Perth and Kinross Council - North Perth Primary School

19. Renfrewshire Council - Paisley Grammar Community Campus

20. Scottish Borders Council - Galashiels Academy

21. Scottish Borders Council - Peebles High School

22. South Lanarkshire Council - Newton Farm Primary School extension

23. Stirling Council - Callander Primary School

24. West Dunbartonshire Council - Faifley Campus

25. West Lothian Council - East Calder Primary School