Chamber and committees

We remain committed to supporting the sustainability of our island communities, which depend on a range of factors alongside transport connectivity. I am acutely aware of the impacts that Covid-19 and the tragic loss of the Bird Observatory in March 2019 have had on the Fair Isle community. Scottish Government officials have been engaging with the ambitious plans of rebuilding the Bird Observatory, which plays a key role in the island’s sustainability.

Further to answer S5W-26338, I was also pleased to be able to secure further additional revenue funding of over £5.2m in the 2020-21 budget for Shetland Islands Council (SIC) to support the Council's internal ferries, including the Fair Isle service. This brings the total additional support provided to SIC, on top of funds for ferry services subsumed within the annual local government settlement, to over £15.4m over the last three years, in a very challenging financial climate.

Internal ferries are a matter for local authorities to consider and allocate appropriate capital funding towards to ensure they can be delivered. However we are aware of the requests for additional financial assistance from SIC, and other local authorities, and Scottish Ministers are open to continue engagement through the 2021-22 budget process.

As set out in my letter to the Public Petitions Committee on 18 September 2020, my officials have been actively engaging with a range of stakeholders with a view to consulting on new draft guidance. This is a continuation of the work started in 2019, now taking into account any updates we need to consider regarding the impact of COVID-19 and the increased interest in Home Education.

These revisions will update the guidance to reflect changes to the education policy and legislation over the last decade. Final timescales are still to be set. However, I will ensure that the consultation on new draft Home Education Guidance is shared with the Committee and yourself as soon as it is published.

I recognise how difficult it has been for Scotland’s faith communities to be unable to come together and sing within their places of worship and understand the important role that singing has in congregational worship and supporting spiritual wellbeing. We do not want restrictions to last any longer than is necessary but must ensure that people who enter places of worship to undertake congregational activities will be safe.

Unfortunately we are currently advising that indoor congregational singing is avoided in all places of worship at all of the levels (0 – 4) specified in the Strategic Framework and irrespective of whether face masks are worn. This is because scientific studies indicate that singing is likely to generate a particular transmission risk, and there is an absence of evidence for the efficacy of face masks in suppressing this additional risk. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) report recommends that further research of the risk of transmission from singing and playing wind instruments is needed.

In certain circumstances, it may be possible for professional singers to sing indoors, in places of worship located in local authorities with protection levels 0 & 1, provided additional mitigations and safeguards are in place in accordance with performing arts guidance.

Where it is essential to an act of worship for an individual to sing or chant indoors, one individual (non-professional) may sing or chant behind a plexiglass screen without the need for a face covering to be worn. Any screen used should be cleaned regularly and extended physical distancing should be considered.

Officials in Scottish Government’s Connected Communities Division work closely with faith group representatives from across Scotland on the provision of appropriate guidance on restrictions necessary for safe worship and the scope for removing or alleviating such restrictions as soon as possible.

In the meantime, we appreciate your understanding and compliance with ongoing restrictions, which are vital to stay safe, protect others and save lives.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32993 on 19 November 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

The introduction of cashless payment systems in schools is a matter for local authorities, and the schools under their management, to decide upon.

The Scottish Government does not promote any particular approaches to making payments for services in schools as we believe that local authorities and schools themselves are best placed to take those decisions at the local level, since they best understand the local needs and circumstances of the children and young people in attendance and their families.

The information you have requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Procurement of contracts to introduce cashless payments systems in schools is a matter for local authorities, however the Scottish Government does provide a range of tools and guidance to help public bodies through our Public Sector Procurement support pages. This information is available on the Scottish Government’s website through the following link: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/support-for-public-sector/

Following confirmation that the UK government intended to provide domestic funding to allow English school milk schemes to continue following the loss of access to the EU school milk scheme due to Brexit, the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, Europe and External Affairs and I wrote to the UK Government in September 2020 requesting that the UK Government provide the same support for Scottish school milk schemes. No response has been received to date.

HM Treasury have provided the Scottish Government with an overall guaranteed level of consequentials. However, we have not seen detail as to how individual announcements have generated this, so the level of consequentials associated with the UK Government decision to match the EU milk subsidy for school pupils in England in 2020-21 is not known.

The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of children and young people and milk continues to be an integral part of the school food and drink regulations given its benefits as part of a balanced and nutritious diet.

The loss of funding for Scottish local authorities under the EU school milk scheme is a direct result of Brexit. As such, Scottish Ministers wrote to the UK government requesting that they provide funding to ensure the continuation of local school milk schemes which previously benefitted from subsidy under the EU scheme. No response has been received to date. The Scottish Government has therefore committed to provide the funding necessary to allow Scottish local authorities to continue claiming for subsidy towards their local school milk schemes for the remainder of the 20/21 academic year.

The Rural Payments Agency administer the EU school milk scheme and have provided data to indicate that, while claim levels fluctuate year on year and not all 32 local authorities choose to claim under the scheme, the average annual value for the five years 2015/16 to 2019/20 is around £652k based on claims from the Scottish local authorities who chose to claim during that time period.

We are committed to improving our understanding of the longer term effects of COVID-19 on physical and mental health and wellbeing in Scotland. The current definitions of which are set out by SIGN/ NICE within the recently published scope to develop a clinical guideline management of the long-term effects of COVID-19, available to view at https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/gid-ng10179/documents/final-scope .

The Scottish Government is working with stakeholders to understand the longer term effects of COVID-19, including third sector organisations and groups such as the Long COVID Action Group Scotland, Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland and the Neurological Alliance of Scotland. We will continue to identify and engage with other organisations to inform our understanding.

We have published a Framework for supporting people through Recovery and Rehabilitation during and after the pandemic, which puts in place clear principles, priorities and objectives to support planning to meet increasing demand and to provide high quality person-centred rehabilitation in different settings. The draft framework was shared with NHS, Integration Authorities, Local Government, National Advisory Committees, Independent and Third Sector organisations. The Framework can be accessed at https://www.gov.scot/publications/framework-supporting-people-through-recovery-rehabilitation-during-covid-19-pandemic/ .