Chamber and committees

We are not asking people to return to full shielding as we did during the first lockdown. We are not advising people on the shielding list to stop going outside, which we know is beneficial; or, to stop going for essential shopping or medicines. The extra advice for those on the shielding list has not changed since level 4 areas went into lockdown on 5 January except in relation to going to work.

The Chief Medical Officer has advised those who cannot work from home, not to go to work for as long as the area where they live or work is in lockdown. Employers can, at their discretion, furlough people through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which has been extended until April 2021. Furlough is always a decision for employers but we strongly encourage them to do everything they can to support their employees, including through furlough where appropriate.

Some employers may offer additional financial support for employees who are off work for coronavirus-related reasons which may be set out in their terms and conditions of employment. Otherwise, people who don’t attend work for this reason may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay, Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, or other benefits.

Anyone who is worried about affording essentials or needs additional support or help, can call the free National Assistance Helpline on 0800 111 4000. This helpline continues to provide a free-phone connection to local authorities which can provide additional support including access to food, fuel, and third sector services or volunteers.

The rapid scoping exercise to develop an ePrescribing system across primary care is progressing even with the added ongoing pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic response. In addition to initial work undertaken to clearly outline an initial solution required to develop a nationally implementable digital solution for ePrescribing and dispensing, work has also taken place by NHS NSS to outline the current digital infrastructure supporting medicines, prescribing and dispensing which will be used as a baseline for development. The initial tranche of the work is planned to start in February 2021.

In December 2020, the Scottish Government reached an agreement with the three PFI hospital car park providers to extend the free car parking arrangements until March 2021. This extension of free parking continues to support staff and remove the barriers to our staff working with the NHS during these unprecedented times.

The Health Boards, together with the PFI providers, are currently reviewing the options for beyond that period. Parliament will be updated once these discussions have concluded, but as they are commercially sensitive negotiations we are not in a position to provide further detail at this point.

Information for individuals who want to offer their support as Covid-19 vaccinators can be found at: Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on offering support - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . Further pro-active communications are planned to signpost this guidance to regulators for onward dissemination to registrants who may be interested in working as part of the programme.

Individuals can apply for specific vaccinator roles advertised on the NHS Scotland Recruitment website, with applications routed directly to local Health Boards. We have provided all NHS Scotland boards with access to the GMC and NMC emergency registers of qualified healthcare workers, and boards have been able to recruit qualified staff that previously registered their interest via the Accelerated Recruitment Portal. Data extracted on 19 January 2020 from the Covid Vaccinations Management Tool shows that nationally boards have collectively registered approximately 7,500 vaccinators.

Offers of volunteer support, for those not wishing or qualified to undertake work as a paid vaccinator, are being coordinated via a national agreement with the British Red Cross.

The possible extension of the agreement between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and the China Wildlife Conservation Association regarding the loan of Giant Pandas to Edinburgh Zoo and related conservation and research activities is primarily a matter for those two bodies.

The Scottish Government would of course very much welcome an extension of the agreement and will be pleased to offer the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland any support requested in facilitating discussions about future arrangements with interested parties.

The Local Authority Install Programme (LAIP) is the main delivery vehicle to provide grant funding Scotland’s local authorities to install publicly available electric vehicle (EV) charge points. This scheme has been running since 2011 with over £32 million pounds invested to provide over 1,500 publicly available charge points. It is up to each individual local authority to develop their EV charging infrastructure plans to meet the specific needs of their area and to improve and enhance the network. Since 2011, Transport Scotland has provided over £1.2 million of grant funding to the City of Edinburgh Council to roll-out publicly available EV charge points in their area.

In addition, our Switched on Towns and Cities Programme (SOTC) provides targeted funding to help Local Authorities develop and implement complementary investments in EV infrastructure. The City of Edinburgh Council was awarded £2.39 million in June 2019 to support investment in EV Infrastructure to strengthen and expand the existing network.

The Scottish Government has prioritised the needs of vulnerable pupils, including those with additional support needs, as part of our response to COVID-19. While schools remain closed for the majority of pupils, our guidance for the phased start of the spring term, asked that schools remain open to provide for vulnerable pupils and children of key workers.

Our guidance sets out which children and young people may be considered to be vulnerable in the current circumstances. Decisions on which children and young people attend at this time are best made by those who work directly with children and young people with complex additional support needs. It is vital that these decisions reflect the need to continue to manage the transmission of the virus in these very difficult and exceptional times.

In addition to specific provision for vulnerable children, Education Scotland has put in place a wide range of support, including specific resources to support families of children with complex additional support needs. Further Information has also been published on the Parent Club website.

Good hand hygiene remains one of the most effective methods for reducing the spread of COVID-19, as reflected in our FACTS campaign. To this end we have worked with Public Health Scotland and clinicians to develop guidance supporting the operation of supermarkets, and other retail, during the pandemic. This includes the use of hand sanitisers and appropriate signage to support customers in using such products.

This supports the legal requirement on a person who is responsible for carrying on a business to take measures which are reasonably practicable to minimise the risk of the incidence and spread of coronavirus on their premises.

Our position remains that we support public understanding of the importance of hand hygiene to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus, however we will keep this under constant review. Should evidence suggest non-adherence to this or the need to strength our approach, we will update our guidance and Regulations accordingly.

Adult social care staff, including social workers, who have been active for a minimum of one month between 17 March and 30 November 2020 will be eligible for the payment, including those who have since left or retired.

People working in registered adult day care services will be in scope of the pro rata £500 payment being made to those NHS and adult social care staff who have been employed since 17 March 2020.