Question reference: S6W-04030
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 4 November 2021
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Current status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 November 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider allowing exemptions from travel restrictions for seafarers resident in Scotland who arrive back into Scotland for a period of leave; for what reason it has reportedly not allowed such an exemption in Scotland to date, in light of an exemption reportedly being in place for seafarers resident in the rest of the UK; what discussions it has had with the seafarer industry and workers regarding such exemptions, and what assessment it has made of the impact of seafarers returning to Scotland for a period of leave on the number of COVID-19 cases.
Answer
We continue to review our international travel restrictions and associated exemptions and health measures and will consider appropriate changes where clinical and scientific advice allow it. We expect the vast majority of seafarers to be covered under the inbound vaccinated traveller scheme for the purposes of travel to Scotland for shore leave.
Following the introduction of travel restrictions, specific sectoral exemptions were introduced to facilitate emergency or essential work in Scotland. An exemption for seafarers was introduced to deliver this, and it currently remains in place - it currently applies to seamen, masters of ships, maritime pilots, ship inspectors or surveyors of ships (under the definition of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995). Taking into account the public health risk associated with importation of the virus, extending the exemptions for non-work related travel has not been appropriate and would be inconsistent with clinical advice.
Regular feedback from Border Force has suggested that Scotland sees a higher number of seafarers travelling in and out of the country compared to other parts of the UK. For this reason, we have different arrangements to regulations elsewhere. The border health measures associated with international travel into Scotland is a matter for Scottish Ministers, and there are a number of areas where different arrangements are in place for some sectors given different circumstances in Scotland including wider public health measures and the numbers involved.
Other changes to the international travel regime has enabled quarantine-free travel and relaxed testing measures for eligible fully vaccinated travellers. Currently, there are no red list countries which means no one entering Scotland would be expected to enter a Managed Quarantine hotel. We would encourage seafarers who have not yet been fully vaccinated to register for vaccination appointments as soon as possible, so they can return for leave purposes as eligible vaccinated travellers. We will continue to monitor the situation across all sectoral exemptions and will make further amendments to the international travel regulations as required in the course of the pandemic.
Further information on travel restrictions and sectoral exemptions is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-international-travel-quarantine/pages/sectoral-exemptions/