Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is in ongoing dialogue with COSLA and local authorities regarding plans for the reinstatement of waste and recycling services. It is absolutely right that the personal health and wellbeing of waste workers is safeguarded at all times. Councils have made a number of adjustments to the way services operate in order to safeguard the wellbeing of waste workers during this time.

The Scottish Government has developed guidance for essential workers, to complement UK wide waste industry guidance, on safe practice during the pandemic. This provides practical information on matters including physical distancing and the use of personal protective equipment.

The Scottish Government has introduced a six-month exemption from the single use carrier bag charge solely for bags used for the collection and delivery of groceries and takeaway food. This is to help limit the spread of Covid-19 and ensure customers receive deliveries as quickly as possible.

I have written to trade bodies to ask their members to make voluntary donations where income from carrier bag charges is reduced as a result of this measure.

An online survey to gather wider views on the review recommendations was undertaken between 29 October and 13 December 2019. The responses and an analysis of the responses have been published on the Scottish air quality website at http://www.scottishairquality.scot/lez/cafs-review-documents

A new air quality strategy is currently in preparation, taking into account the review recommendations and the survey responses. A draft version of this new strategy will be issued for public consultation later in 2020.

We currently estimate that around 308,000 adults are most likely to need emergency food provision. This figure will be constantly reviewed as new data and insights become available.

Of our £70 million Food Fund, up to £30 million is to support those clinically most vulnerable to coronavirus, known as the shielded group. A further £30 million has been allocated to local authorities to coordinate local efforts for those non-shielded and at risk and £10 million is being invested in national third sector infrastructure and community organisations to support food access.

We have put in place a national helpline to ensure those requiring additional support can access this and are raising awareness through correspondence to all households in Scotland – with information expected to be delivered from 24 April and complete by 1 May.

We are working closely with local authorities to understand demand levels and to ensure the total range of support available, including through third sector and community partners, is sufficient.

Transport Scotland maintains a number of automatic traffic count sites across the motorway and trunk road network that are able to record vehicle speeds. The following table presents the total recorded number of vehicles that passed this group of sites from 9 March 2020 up to 14 April 2020. In addition, the table also reports the number of vehicles that were recorded as travelling over the speed limit and as a proportion of the total vehicles.

It is noted from the data that since the COVID-19 lockdown was announced on the 23 March, the proportion of vehicles recorded over the speed limit has risen, while the actual number of vehicles observed speeding has fallen by approximately 50% compared with a typical weekday or weekend prior to COVID-19 restrictions being introduced. Noting that the speed at which vehicles are driven is influenced by a range of factors, including but not limited to, the weather conditions, whether it is day or night, the volume of traffic using the road including the number of heavy goods vehicles and whether the road is in a built-up area or not.

This information is not held centrally.

The data that has been provided by local authorities indicates that overall around 1% of the relevant school and early year’s population have been attending local authority hubs since schools were asked to close.

Across Scottish Government we are working with partners to support people and communities, including the community resources sector throughout this crisis. On 18 March 2020 the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government announced an additional £350 million of communities funding directed to local authorities, community groups and the third sector to support people and communities affected by COVID19.

Our work to fund and support communities, particularly those most disadvantaged, builds on the close working relationships, knowledge and understanding we have developed with partners through, for example, the Empowering Communities Programme (ECP). The majority of ECP funding (£15.8m) for 2020/21 directly supports disadvantaged communities to tackle poverty and inequality on their own terms. The remainder of the programme (£2.2m) funds critically important activity which promotes and shares ideas and solutions to assist local community organisations.

Partners across Scotland, such as Foundation Scotland are using their resources to support local charities and grassroots organisations respond to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and recover from its impact. Whilst the Coronavirus Third Sector Information Hub provides information and advice to support the sector through this crisis.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring void properties in the social housing sector are made available to those in most need at this time. That is why we have jointly with COSLA issued allocations advice and information to support the housing sector.

This incorporates the most recent public health guidance to help landlords mitigate the challenges they face as a result of Covid-19 and supports them in making allocations safely.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-allocations-advice-and-information-for-the-housing-sector/ .

The Scottish Government has no powers to compel supermarkets to use home delivery services only for specific groups of people.

There is unprecedented demand for online supermarket deliveries and we are working closely with supermarkets to provide priority access for those at the highest clinical risk from COVID-19 - those who are ‘shielding’. From 9 April, people in this group have been able to request that their details are passed to supermarkets so that they can be offered priority access if they need it, and these deliveries have begun.

There are many people who are not in the clinically highest-risk ‘shielded’ group, but are otherwise vulnerable, for example people aged over 70 and people who receive the flu jab for health reasons. Supermarkets have increased their delivery capacity however it is not sufficient to cater to the size of this group, and so we are working to ensure other support is available, for example through the £70m Food Fund.

We are in continued dialogue with retailers to see what further action may be possible in relation to supporting vulnerable groups, and we are also aware that some supermarkets are already offering priority delivery slots for older people.

It is too early to assess whether there will have been any implications for crimes involving persecution of raptors from the introduction of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance which is helping to slow down the spread of the virus, protect the NHS and save lives.

Police Scotland’s Wildlife Crime Officers continue to operate and to investigate reported wildlife crimes.