Chamber and committees

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.

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.

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.

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.

Implementation of the agreed school reopening guidance is the responsibility of local authorities and schools, working closely with their school communities.

As a precautionary approach, our guidance recommends that distancing is maintained where possible between young people in secondary schools, provided that does not introduce capacity constraints and prevent attendance. This is a proportionate, risk-based approach, that goes further than the current scientific advice on school reopening requires.

We also required risk assessments to be carried out in individual schools in relation to the guidance. We would expect those assessments to consider capacity issues within individual schools, and any impact on the ability of adults and young people to maintain physical distancing.

The guidance which was prepared to support the return to school, includes advice for those who are considered to be clinically vulnerable and extremely clinically vulnerable (shielding). In line with the position on shielding, the guidance indicates that those who were formerly shielding can return to work in schools, and that an individualised risk assessment should be undertaken. The guidance on special considerations for certain groups is available from https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-preparing-start-new-school-term-august-2020-version-3/pages/3/

The decisions on where teachers and school staff who have previously been shielding are deployed are for individual schools and local authorities, in line with their responsibilities as employers, following individualised risk assessment.

The guidance which was prepared to support the return to school, includes advice for those who are considered to be clinically vulnerable and extremely clinically vulnerable (shielding). In line with the position on shielding, the guidance indicates that those who were formerly shielding can return to work in schools, and that an individualised risk assessment should be undertaken. The guidance on special considerations for certain groups is available from https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-preparing-start-new-school-term-august-2020-version-3/pages/3/

The position in relation to shielding currently remains the same, as set out at https://www.gov.scot/publications/covid-shielding/ .

The guidance for schools will be updated in due course, to include references to the shielding guidance above, including the steps which those formerly shielding can take to receive shielding updates, and information on the current levels of infection in Scotland.