Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government recognises that current lockdown measures can have a particular adverse impact on residents with dementia in care homes, for example in the areas of restricted professional and family visiting and social distancing within care homes, and because of some residents’ limited cognitive ability to understand restrictions because of their stage of dementia.

The national clinical and practice guidance for care homes which was first published on 13 March and updated on 26 and 15 May recognises these impacts and recommends that, if necessary, it may be helpful to have a case discussion in whatever format appropriate to discuss an individual’s unique circumstances and identify ways to mitigate the impact of such measures. Strategies for promoting the wellbeing of residents during this pandemic are contained with the guidance along with advice on therapeutic interventions to help avoid and alleviate increased stress and distress for residents with dementia resulting from COVID restrictions including reduced family visiting.

While visiting is restricted to essential visitors, it may be permitted in some situations based on individual resident need, for a person receiving end-of-life care, to support someone with a mental health issue such as dementia, a learning disability or autism where not being present would cause the resident to be distressed. The guidance sets out steps that should be taken where families or friends are permitted to visit their loved one, and it refers to guiding principles produced by the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh, the Scottish Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Marie Curie and Scottish Care on visiting at end of life. It is expected that care homes use sensitivity in balancing the risks to individuals with the need to show compassion.

Guidance on PPE for health and social care workers was last updated on 2 April 2020, having been agreed by the four UK Chief Medical Officers and Chief Nursing Officers following a review of the existing guidance against the latest evidence and World Health Organization (WHO) advice on the safest way to protect health and social care staff.

Current guidance outlines what type of PPE frontline health and social care workers should be wearing in different settings and scenarios. It recommends the safest level of PPE to protect health and social care workers and it specifies the type of PPE that should be worn in the various healthcare and social care settings where patients or residents could be cared for.

The guidance clearly explains the PPE required for different common clinical and care scenarios including primary care, outpatient and community care.

Given the recognised sustained community transmission of COVID-19, the guidance includes detailed advice around risk assessing use of PPE, including aprons, gowns, fluid-resistant surgical masks and eye protection in a range of different clinical and care scenarios, including community settings, such as care homes. The guidance also asks that organisations themselves undertake risk assessments to ensure that they provide the correct PPE for the safety of their staff.

A joint statement, published on 9 April 2020 by the Scottish Government, COSLA and the Trade Unions emphasised that social care staff can wear a face mask if they consider doing so necessary.

To support NHS National Procurement during the Covid pandemic, a working group has been established under direct Ministerial control. The priority focus of the group is to identify quickly those offers that can supply the largest volumes at the correct quality specifications, and only the best qualified suppliers are passed through to National Procurement specialists for decision.

The Government has received over 2000 pieces of correspondence containing offers to supply NHS Scotland in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Many suppliers offered to supply more than one type of product and suppliers often submitted multiple offers.

Removing duplicate offers the total number of offers received by 30 April 2020 was 1,347: (a) 186 relating primarily to ventilators, (b) 670 relating primarily to personal protective equipment and (c) 491 other offers.

Supplier offers recorded in the Scottish Government database are not categorised by the terms “accepted” or “rejected”. At 30 April 2020, 413 offers had been closed or placed on hold and the remaining cases were in progress.

The Scottish Government is working closely with COSLA and all local authorities to deliver the business grant schemes. This includes the development of monitoring arrangements to record the numbers of applications received and payments made. We will ensure this information is in the public domain and updated weekly.

The Covid Corporate Finance Facility (CCFF) was introduced by the UK Government to provide financial assistance to support large businesses experiencing disruption as a result of Covid-19. This scheme is delivered by the Bank of England on behalf of the UK Government and is open to all businesses across the UK which meet the eligibility criteria.

On 2 April the UK Government announced the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) in response to concerns from a number of quarters, including the Scottish Government, about the level of financial support available for larger businesses which do not qualify for either the CCFF or the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. CLBILS provides loans of up to £25 million for businesses with an annual turnover of between £45m - £500m and is also available to all business across the UK.

The Scottish Government will continue to engage with the business community to ensure that companies of all sizes receive the financial assistance that they require through the Covid-19 pandemic. The Scottish Government is taking steps to identify any gaps in business support and will work with partners to try to remedy them.

The Scottish Government’s priority is responding to the current global and national crisis. We expect our response to the coronavirus outbreak will be sustained over an extended period. For that reason, careful consideration of a date for introduction of the Continuity Bill will take place as part of the wider work being carried out to prioritise essential non-coronavirus related legislation in the government's legislative programme. As part of this consideration, we will assess the impact on future domestic arrangements for environmental principles and governance.

A decision by the UK Government to take sensible steps to negotiate an extension to the implementation period would, of course, have an important bearing on those considerations.

Our Enterprise Agencies are engaging with businesses to ensure they have information about, and understand how to access, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the wider package of support announced from both the Scottish and UK Governments to help employers preserve their business, maintain jobs and pay their workers throughout the coronavirus crisis. In addition, Coronavirus advice for businesses in Scotland is available through findbusinesssupport.gov.scot . We are urging all businesses to make use of this.

We are also urging employers, trade unions and staff to work together to reach the right decisions on all workplace issues that arise throughout the Coronavirus outbreak, in line with the Covid-19 Fair Work Principles, announced jointly by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture and the STUC General Secretary on 25 March.

In 2016 the Scottish Government supported the GFG Alliance with their acquisition of the Lochaber aluminium smelter. We underwrote this transaction as part of a clear commitment to Scotland’s industrial infrastructure and rural economy and to inclusive and sustainable growth in the West Highlands.

The GFG Alliance remain fully committed to investing in future downstream manufacturing at Fort William. Before making a final decision with regards to the timing of their investment, the GFG Alliance continue to monitor the instability in the UK automotive market and issues relating to Brexit and now the developing COVID19 pandemic.

The financial package extended was provided after seeking and securing the agreement of the Finance Committee.

In relation to the proposed future downstream manufacturing at Fort William, the company have not received financial assistance from the Scottish Government or Highlands and Islands Enterprise.