Chamber and committees

For areas in Level 4 or under the current Lockdown restrictions work carried out in other people’s homes around services for the purpose of the upkeep, maintenance or functioning of the home is restricted to essential work only. This is to help suppress the spread of the virus. Work carried out in people’s homes can continue in all cases with appropriate mitigations in areas in levels 1-3.

The kind of work we expect may continue includes domestic cleaning, where services are provided in support of a clean and safe living environment for people in vulnerable circumstances or living with a disability and who unable to clean their own home.

General cleaning services, are not essential, and therefore not allowed in Level 4 areas or under current Lockdown restrictions.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): school re-opening arrangements for January 2021 provides guidance on the arrangements for the re-opening of schools in January including the provision for vulnerable children and young people and the children of keyworkers. Those who work directly with children and young people are best placed to identify children and young people who will require support in order to ensure their wellbeing, as a result of these exceptional phased opening arrangements.

When determining which vulnerable children should attend school in person, local authorities and schools should have regard to the overarching policy aim of these exceptional school closures, which is to reduce the number of children, young people and adults from different households interacting in- person within communities (including schools) as far as possible, in order to prevent COVID-related harms. If it is possible for children to be cared for safely and have their learning supported sufficiently well at home, that approach should be preferred.

The current stay at home regulations mean that people should only leave their homes for an essential purpose. While indoor vehicle showrooms cannot open to the public, car sales continue to be permitted. Further covid-19 regulations came into effect on Saturday 16 January which state that outdoor motor vehicle lots may only open for the collection of a purchased vehicle or for delivery or collection of a vehicle for service, repair or MOT. Dealerships must implement safety measures, such as physical distancing and the wearing of face coverings, using staggered appointments for collections, and leaving a gap between each appointment where reasonably practicable. The full Scottish Government retail guidance can be found at on the Scottish Government website at: www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-retail-sector-guidance/

We recognise the unprecedented financial challenges facing taxi and private hire vehicle drivers as a result of the necessary restrictions introduced to control the spread of COVID-19. To that end we have launched a £57 million fund which will provide one-off grants of £1,500 to taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to support them with meeting fixed costs associated with running a taxi. From week commencing 18 January local authorities have started contacting taxi and private hire vehicle drivers in their area inviting them to verify their entitlement for the fund and payment details. Following a review of our eligibility criteria, taxi and private hire vehicle drivers in receipt of benefits, including Universal Credit, will be able to access a grant. I have written to the UK Government asking them take this grant into account as capital when determining benefit entitlement through this scheme.

In order to help reduce transmission rates, it is crucial that we take action to reduce unnecessary journeys and opportunities for interaction between people, including in retail settings and particularly indoors. Therefore only essential businesses are permitted to open and stay at home regulations mean that people may only leave their homes for an essential purpose. The current restrictions are regularly reviewed to ensure that they remain in place only for as long as necessary.

We recognise the importance of access to footwear for children. Footwear retailers can continue to offer delivery of orders made online or by telephone as well as permitted collection services, subject to the applicable restrictions.

The current stay at home regulations mean that people should only leave their homes for an essential purpose. Further covid-19 regulations came into effect on Saturday 16 January which state that outdoor motor vehicle lots may open only for the collection of a vehicle that has been purchased.

The purpose of the current exceptional arrangements is to ensure that workers performing an essential role as set out in the updated schools guidance published on 6 January 2021 and the childcare guidance published on 7 January 2021, can request access to key worker childcare when alternative options, such as home working or access to informal childcare in line with current guidance, are unavailable.

Single-parent families who meet the criteria set out in the guidance are eligible to apply to their school, local authority or childcare provider for key worker childcare. In considering requests to schools, local authorities are expected to take account of the diverse needs of their local communities, families and young people when applying that guidance. This would include consideration of circumstances giving rise to vulnerability.

Dog groomers can remain open to provide essential welfare services under the Guidance for Animal Owners, updated on 11 January 2021. This guidance is available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-animal-owners/ .

The Scottish Government recognises that the lack of access to professional pet grooming services has the potential to impact on the welfare of certain breeds of animal, particularly those requiring regular grooming to maintain their wellbeing.

Routine grooming is deemed a non-essential business activity. Where an animal is not at risk of pain or injury, professional groomers should not be providing routine grooming services in mainland Scotland.

Where essential professional grooming on welfare grounds is undertaken it must be conducted in line with the rules on physical distancing. Such tasks essential for the welfare of an animal include the clipping of heavy coats and claws.

Professional dog walkers may continue to carry out their business under the current Covid-19 restrictions.

The Scottish Government issued Guidance for Animal Owners on 11 January 2021 which permits this to take place within the requirements of the guidance on physical distancing and good hygiene. This guidance is available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-animal-owners/ .

The purpose of the current, exceptional key worker arrangements is to ensure that those who are critical to essential and lifeline services in Scotland can request places for their children in schools or with childcare providers, where that is necessary to the delivery of those functions. Where a key worker parent working from home cannot fulfil critical functions because of childcare needs, and no alternative childcare or working options are available, we would expect local authorities and providers to take this into account when making decisions on the availability and prioritisation of key worker childcare places in their area/s.

In order to achieve the primary objective of reducing interactions and helping to drive down community transmission of Covid-19, the number of key worker children presenting to schools during the current strict lockdown must however be kept to an absolute minimum. Employers are therefore asked to strictly prioritise and only request key worker places for staff who are critical to the provision of essential services and have no alternative childcare or working options. Employees should therefore discuss their intention to request a place with their employer, before contacting their council.