Chamber and committees

The Seasonal Flu Immunisation Programme helps to protect the most vulnerable and alleviate pressure on the NHS. This will be more important than ever this year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Responsibility for delivering the Seasonal Flu Vaccine in 2020-21 rests with Health Boards and Integration Authorities. NHS Scotland Boards will use the delivery model which is most suitable for their local circumstances, whilst maintaining a COVID-safe environment and maximising efficiency. This is a change from previous years, where GP practices, took the lead role in providing flu immunisations.

The need to maintain good infection prevention & control practices and appropriate physical distancing measures at this time will make it hard for general practice to deliver the flu immunisation programme to the levels of previous years. The impact of not delivering those levels this year is likely to be even more significant than it would otherwise be: the wider Health and Social Care system is still recovering from the impact of the pandemic, there may also be a resurgence of COVID-19 and widely prevalent flu symptoms would require more testing for the coronavirus. For most Health Boards, delivering this will require making best use of their GPs as well other clinical resources which can be deployed.

The Scottish Government has also written to all Health Board Chief Executives, highlighting the importance of resourcing the seasonal flu vaccination service, including ensuring individuals contacting them for an appointment are offered alternatives in the event there were any difficulties in them travelling to the venue they are offered.

Jane Grant, Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde wrote a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, Ms Jeane Freeman on 29 October outlining the additional measures NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are taking to support the most vulnerable by providing additional resourcing at the vaccination centres and collaboration with the local pharmacies to utilise capacity for those who are unable to travel. In the cases where a patient has mobility issues or is housebound, they can be vaccinated by their district nursing team as in previous years.

Schools are responsible for providing learning for children who have to self-isolate at home due to COVID-19 symptoms. This is set out in the Scottish Government’s guidance for schools. This is the best approach as practitioners know their learners best, and can arrange remote learning which is appropriate to the needs and circumstance of each pupil.

In order to further strengthen the options available to schools, the Scottish Government and Education Scotland are working with local government to ensure that schools can access an enhanced range of options for online learning during 2020/21 through the National eLearning Partnership. Schools can access and sign up to a range of additional options via the e-Learning Partnership. This includes the courses available via e-Sgoil and other initiatives such as the West Partnership’s online schools. Digital learning and teaching resources are also available for teachers to download and use.

We have invested £80 million to support the recruitment of additional teachers and school support staff. As well as bringing much needed resilience to the system at this challenging time, these additional staff will offer increased support for individuals or groups of pupils who have significant gaps in their learning as a result of lockdown, support young people who are shielding, support small groups of learners who need more intensive support and cover classes for teachers who are shielding. Councils indicate that they have recruited over 1,250 additional teachers and we would expect this number to increase as schools continue to assess the needs of children and young people over the coming weeks.

Teachers and school staff have received the flu vaccine in previous years as a result of arrangements with local authorities. This is a decision for local authorities to make.

This year the Scottish Government has expanded the eligibility of the seasonal flu vaccine with the aim to vaccinate more adults in the groups with existing eligibility, which mean that we intend to vaccinate more people than ever before, covering up to 2.4 million people across Scotland. Teachers who fall within relevant at risk categories, will be eligible for the vaccine.

Responsibility for delivering the Seasonal Flu Vaccine in 2020/21 rests with Health Boards and Integration Authorities. NHS Scotland Boards will use the delivery model which is most suitable for their local circumstances, whilst maintaining a COVID-19 safe environment and maximising efficiency. This is a change from previous years where GP practices took the lead role in providing flu immunisations.

The Scottish Government wrote to Health Boards in September, asking them to ensure that individuals contacting them for an appointment are offered alternatives in the event there were any difficulties in them travelling to the venue they are offered.

We have also written to the Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, seeking their reassurance that accessibility of appointments is being prioritised, particularly for people aged over-65.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are offering all people over the age of 65 an appointment to receive their seasonal flu vaccine at the nearest community vaccination centre. We have received assurances from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that additional measures are being taken to support the most vulnerable by providing additional resourcing at the vaccination centres and collaboration with the local pharmacies to utilise capacity for those who are unable to travel. The district nursing team will also be used for patients with mobility challenges or are housebound.

Recognising the difficult situation that many nightclubs have faced in being closed since March, we announced on 27 October that we had allocated a portion of the £11 million Contingency Fund specifically to supporting businesses in this sector. Grants of up to £50,000 will be paid to nightclubs depending on their Rateable Value. Eligible businesses will receive a:

• £10,000 grant for a property from which they operate with a rateable value of £18,000 or under; or
• a £25,000 grant for a property from which they operate with a rateable value between £18,001 and £51,000; or
• a £50,000 grant for a property from which they operate with a rateable value above £51,001.

Having listened to nightclubs we have extended our eligibility criteria to enable nightclubs to receive financial assistance regardless of whether they adapted their premises and opened in a limited way for any period.

We have also set out our planned approach to business support to accompany introduction of the Strategic Framework.

The Scottish Government has consistently opposed the ending of free movement. We support free movement not only for economic reasons but also for the cultural and creative enrichment that it brings. Freedom of movement has allowed musicians to take their work to EU countries, and it is wrong that they and other creative and cultural professionals may have to go through bureaucratic and costly visa applications to work in the EU in the future.

As the UK Government enters the final stages of its negotiations with the EU, we continue to make the case for an extensive and generous mobility agreement that would allow musicians to continue to move freely between the UK and EU.

The Scottish Government is currently working closely with stakeholders and agencies in Scotland and across the UK to ensure that relevant information and advice will be available to musicians ahead of the end of the EU Exit transition period.

We have continually made calls to the UK Government to extend the Job Retention Scheme and welcome its most recent extension to the end of March. This will be invaluable, particularly as some sectors, such as the tourism sector, work on a seasonal basis and as we now move to what will be a period of low income for businesses in this sector.

On 27 October, we announced that we had allocated a portion of the £11 million Contingency Fund specifically to supporting businesses in the night time economy sector. Grants of up to £50,000 will be paid to nightclubs depending on their Rateable Value.

We recognise that nightclubs are only part of the night-time economy and this will build on our over £2.3 billion package of support that we have provided to businesses already which has supported many night-time businesses such as pubs, restaurants and music venues.

Our new five-level Strategic Approach to managing Covid sets out our planned levels of support for business in the event of any future restrictions and we continue to press the UK Government for further support through the Job Retention Scheme.

We have developed a specific package of funding which provides grants of up to £50,000 for nightclubs. Nightclubs will also be eligible for funding through the business support arrangements that we have introduced to accompany restrictions introduced under the Strategic Framework.

This builds on the support for the wider industry that is being provided through the £15m Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund and £2.2m Grassroots Music Venue Fund.

We recognise that this funding will not cover all the losses incurred by night-time entertainment venues but our aim is to provide emergency, lifeline support with the aim of keeping venues open in the future.

We welcome the decision to continue the Job Retention Scheme which will further prevent job losses in both night-time entertainment venues and other sectors.