Chamber and committees

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2021, which amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, were made today and will take effect on Friday, 1 October 2021, with the offence provisions coming into effect on 18 October.

The Regulations implement the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 vaccine certification scheme. The scheme is intended to add to the other control measures currently in place and help reduce the rate and impact of transmission of coronavirus while seeking to alleviate the economic harm caused by its transmission. The Regulations support the Scottish Government’s strategic intent to “suppress the virus to a level consistent with alleviating its harms while we recover and rebuild for a better future”.

In line with our strategic intent, the COVID-19 vaccine certification scheme will allow us to meet the following aims:

• reduce risk of transmission;

• reduce risk of serious illness and death and in doing so alleviate pressure on the healthcare system;

• to allow high risk settings to continue to operate as an alternative to closure or more restrictive measures; and

• increase vaccine uptake.

The Regulations provide that late night premises and premises where a relevant event is taking place must operate a reasonable system for checking that persons on, or seeking to enter, their premises are fully vaccinated against coronavirus or are exempt from the requirement to demonstrate that they are fully vaccinated. Relevant premises must also prepare a compliance plan describing how their systems will operate and other measures in place to prevent or minimise the spread of coronavirus.

The Regulations enable a local authority to take appropriate steps to enforce the requirement to operate a vaccine checking system and introduce a right of entry for persons designated by a local authority to enter premises to which this requirement applies. The Regulations also remove capacity limits on stadia and live events above which a capacity exemption application must be approved by a local authority.

The Regulation provides that the system will come into place on 1 October but that the enforcement provisions will be delayed until 18 October, when those provisions come into effect.

The regulations amended by this regulation require Scottish Ministers to review the requirements at least once every 21 days and the regulations require Scottish Ministers to revoke any requirement as soon as it is no longer necessary.

The Regulations have been published at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2021/349/contents/made .

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 require Scottish Ministers to review the requirements at least once every 21 days. This review took place on 24 August 2021 where it was agreed that the existing Covid-19 requirements be retained for a further three weeks, and will be subject to review at that time.

As part of that ongoing review we have made a very minor amendment to the principal regulations to enable performers to perform or rehearse for a performance without face coverings in situations on stage where the wearing of a face covering is not possible, and distancing or partitioning is not possible. This exemption will only apply in situations where there is either a partition or a distance of at least one metre between performers and other people (including the audience) but that does not include people who are performing or rehearsing with the performers or assisting with the performance or rehearsal. Scottish Government will publish guidance to supplement these regulations.

The Regulations have been published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2021/299 .

Regulations revoking the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 were made today.

These new Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 will take effect on Monday, 9 August 2021.

The regulations provide that relevant hospitality and entertainment premises are required to obtain and record visitor information for the purpose of preventing the spread of coronavirus or monitoring the spread of infection and the incidence of coronavirus disease.

The regulations also require persons responsible for places of worship, carrying on a business or providing a service to have regard to relevant guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers about measures to minimise risk of exposure to coronavirus.

The regulations provide that persons in specified indoor places must wear a face covering unless a specific exemption applies.

The regulations require persons who use a passenger transport service or passenger transport service premises to wear a face covering unless a specific exemption applies.

The regulations cap numbers at live events at 5000 people for events held outdoors and at 2000 people for events held indoors subject to local authority approval of higher attendance limits in accordance with the process set out in the regulations.

The regulations provide for the enforcement of the regulations.

The regulations require Scottish Ministers to review the requirements at least once every 21 days and the regulations require Scottish Ministers to revoke any requirement as soon as it is no longer necessary.

The Regulations have been published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2021/277

Following agreement with the Improvement Service, the National Entitlement Card Programme Office and Young Scot, who are responsible for handling applications for and issuing the National Entitlement Cards on which the national concessionary travel schemes depend, we plan that young people should be able to travel under the new Young Persons Free Bus Scheme from 31 January 2022.

We have previously announced our intention to extend the scope of the scheme to include 19-21 year olds and committed to making as much progress on this as possible this financial year. Subject to Parliamentary approval of the legislation required to amend the age eligibility for the scheme, when the new scheme goes live it will do so for young people up to and including the age of 21.

Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 were made today.

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 (“the principal regulations”) and will take effect on 19 July 2021.

The Regulations provide that all of Scotland is in Level 0 for the purpose of the principal regulations and accordingly the restrictions and requirements applicable at Level 0 and set out in schedule 1 to the principal regulations apply in all areas of Scotland.

The Regulations also make some adjustments to the restrictions and requirements which apply in Level 0.

The physical distancing requirements at Level 0 are reduced to 1 metre indoors and outdoors and the requirement for physical distancing between people in a gathering of up to 15 people outdoors is removed.

The Regulations also provide that in Level 0 children under the age of 12 years do not count for the purpose of calculating the number of households permitted for gatherings indoors.

Hospitality and casino opening hours in Level 0 are also adjusted to restrict opening to between 04:00 and 00:00.

The regulations have been published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2021/263

Amending Regulations were made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 today.

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020.

The regulations will reduce the required physical distances to be maintained between persons for the purposes of the Scottish Open golf event at Renaissance Club, North Berwick scheduled to start on 8 July and end 11 July 2021 (or 12 July in the event play cannot be completed on the 11 July).

The regulations will also make a small amendment to provisions relating to stadia and live events: a local authority will now only be required to notify the Scottish Ministers of an application for an exemption on capacity in Levels 0, 1 or 2 when directed to do so by the Scottish Ministers.

The regulations will also remove the area of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council from the areas to which common travel area restrictions apply.

The Regulations have been published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2021/262

Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 will be made today and will take effect on 8 July 2021.

The regulations will reduce the required physical distances to be maintained between persons for the purposes of the Scottish Open golf event at Renaissance Club, North Berwick scheduled to start on 8 July and end 11 July 2021 (or 12 July in the event play cannot be completed on the 11 July).

The regulations will also make a small amendment to provisions relating to stadia and live events: a local authority will now only be required to notify the Scottish Ministers of an application for an exemption on capacity in Levels 0, 1 or 2 when directed to do so by the Scottish Ministers.

The regulations will also remove the area of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council from the areas to which common travel area restrictions apply.

Amending Regulations were made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 today.

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020.

These Regulations remove the travel restrictions which are currently in place in relation to travel between Scotland and Manchester, Bolton and Salford. These restrictions are being removed due to changes in the epidemiological position for those areas. These changes will take effect on 30 June 2021.

The Regulations have been published at www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2021/255 .

We will be removing the travel restrictions which are currently in place in relation to travel between Scotland and Manchester, Bolton and Salford. These restrictions are being removed due to changes in the epidemiological position for those areas. Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 will be made today and will take effect on 30 June 2021. Restrictions between Scotland and Blackburn with Darwen will remain in place.