Chamber and committees

The Maternity Rights Advice Lines of Maternity Action is an independent advice service, not operated or funded by the Scottish Government.

Backwards contact tracing is regularly undertaken by Test and Protect’s contact tracers, going back 7 days prior to symptom onset in positive cases to establish where infections may have occurred.

The evidence paper on infection trends, published on 7 October 2020, shows the percentage of individuals who have tested positive for Covid-19 that reported having visited a venue or taken part in a recreational activity within 7 days of their symptoms developing or receiving a positive test.

www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-evidence-paper-october-2020/ .

The Scottish Government is making a £30 million package available to local authorities to support people facing financial insecurity as a result of COVID-19.

£10 million from this funding package will be used to enable local authorities to provide free school meals, or an alternative provision to free school meals, to eligible families during the forthcoming Christmas and February mid-term holidays. Funding will also be provided to local authorities to cover the Easter holidays in 2021.

Local authorities which continued to make provision available to eligible families during the recent October mid-term holidays will also be reimbursed through this funding package.

An evidence paper on infection trends has been produced by the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer and National Clinical Director and was published on 7 October 2020 - www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-evidence-paper-october-2020/ .

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic we have kept in close contact with airlines, airports and other stakeholders to understand the impact of Covid-19 on air services. We have significantly increased our subsidy of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited to ensure that their airports remain open throughout this period to serve their communities’ travel needs. During the lockdown period we funded a skeleton service for the Highlands and Islands in order to maintain essential connectivity. While services are currently operating on a commercial basis, we are keeping the situation under constant review and will intervene again if necessary.

The aviation industry has been profoundly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic with passenger numbers across the world far below previous levels. In order to secure their businesses for the long term airlines are making adjustments to schedules across their networks to better match capacity to demand. It is neither economically nor environmentally desirable for aircraft to be flying empty.

Transport Scotland officials have met regularly with stakeholders about air services from Wick, including the Chamber of Commerce. We are considering carefully the business case submitted by the Caithness Chamber of Commerce for the direct subsidy of air services to Wick and will respond as soon as possible. We have been clear that any intervention would require multiple funding partners to restore scheduled services at Wick.

Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) consist of on-the-job training for current or new employees that leads to an industry approved qualification. All Modern Apprentices are employees, rather than a student or on a work placement.

The published minutes of the Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination Working Group in September 2019 noted that analysis of pregnancy and maternity MA data from 2012-13 to 2018-19 showed more people on MAs taking maternity leave, an increase of 89%, and higher levels returning to their apprenticeship (16%).

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) agreed to carry out further analysis to identify any barriers preventing MAs returning to complete their apprenticeship following maternity/ paternity leave. This was actioned by SDS, however they have stated that there were too few apprentices who did not continue with their apprenticeship due to pregnancy/maternity for this information to be statistically viable.

Building on the work already carried out to support apprentices who are pregnant or on maternity leave, SDS have shaped work in this area committing within their Equality Impact Assessment for Work Based Learning to:

• Promote good practice in supporting pregnant employees to employers and providers
• Update provider guidance on supporting individuals to complete their apprenticeship following maternity leave

We remain committed to tackling pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace and encourage all employers to comply with relevant employment and equalities legislation as well as the Scottish Government’s Fair Work policies. We will be continuing to promote Fair Work policies and advice, prepared by organisations represented on the Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination Working Group, to employers, including those who are supporting the delivery of the Young Person’s Guarantee, to ensure best practice on the recruitment, retention, and support of pregnant employees and working mothers.

Maternity benefits (Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance) remain a reserved matter for the UK Government. For as long as employment law remains reserved, we will continue to press the UK Government for the devolution of full employment powers.

The Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination Working Group last met on 16 June 2020. The agenda included a presentation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on issues in pregnancy & maternity for workers that have arisen during the Covid-19 pandemic. This was the twelfth meeting of the working group.

It is intended that there will be a further meeting of the group before the end of the year to allow a continued opportunity for engagement and further work required to address pregnancy and maternity discrimination during and beyond the Covid-19 crisis.

The group agreed to identify how public bodies, communities and national park and local authorities might work closer to identify long term solutions to visitor management at rural pinch points and scenic areas.

The group agreed to consult with wider interests, including the private sector, and to identify solutions and make recommendations to Ministers along 2 workstreams – one aimed at addressing education, engagement and enforcement and one to examine a national visitor management plan and an overview of collective visitor facilities provision. This group will report back in November.

While the responsibility for adequate service provision is ultimately for the local authority or national park authority involved, we recognise that many areas of rural Scotland have seen an uplift of visitors in recent years. This group will therefore build on the work of the successful £9m Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund which has helped realise material solutions at rural pinch points through the installation of infrastructure such as car parks, toilets and motorhome waste disposal points.

The group agreed to identify how public bodies, communities and national park and local authorities might work closer to identify long term solutions to visitor management at rural pinch points and scenic areas.

The group agreed to consult with wider interests, including the private sector, and to identify solutions and make recommendations to Ministers along 2 workstreams – one aimed at addressing education, engagement and enforcement and one to examine a national visitor management plan and an overview of collective visitor facilities provision. This group will report back in November.

While the responsibility for adequate service provision is ultimately for the local authority or national park authority involved, we recognise that many areas of rural Scotland have seen an uplift of visitors in recent years. This group will therefore build on the work of the successful £9m Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund which has helped realise material solutions at rural pinch points through the installation of infrastructure such as car parks, toilets and motorhome waste disposal points.