Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has welcomed the report and is giving careful consideration to the recommendations within it. For some time we have argued for reform of the assessment of medical device safety, so we completely agree that this area of reserved competence should be reviewed and strongly urge the UK Government to do so and act quickly.

I have indicated that there will be a government debate on the report as soon as practicable after the summer recess.

The Decision Letter for Sandy Knowe Wind Farm was issued on 7 July 2020 which granted section 36 consent and deemed planning permission for the development, following consideration by Scottish Ministers. The material matters raised in the letter from the Upper Nithsdale Community Trust were taken into account together with the application, Environmental Impact Assessment Report, Additional Information, Additional Information 2, consultation responses, representations and all other material information to reach the decision. Given the application was in respect of a project in the parliamentary region of South Scotland, which it is my privilege to represent in the Scottish Parliament, I was not directly involved in the determination of the application.

As the member may already be aware, any community benefit proposed by an applicant is not a material consideration for Scottish Ministers to take into account in the determination of any application.

As part of phase 3 of Scotland’s route map, tattoo studios have been able to reopen from 22 July. Sectoral guidance was updated on 17 July and is available on the Scottish Government website.

The Scottish Government continues to support Scotland’s businesses by passing on every penny we receive from the UK Government and more. Our approach to supporting businesses is tailored to Scotland’s economic needs and we have developed a package of measures that reflects Scotland’s economy and consequentially we are providing support which is unavailable elsewhere in the UK.

The Bed & Breakfast Hardship Fund was set up to provide hardship relief to B&B/small serviced accommodation providers who were unable to access support through other schemes. The Scottish Government is committed to supporting as many businesses as we can through this critical period and will continue to consider what steps we can take to support those in need and the Scottish economy.

Following the announcement by the First Minister on the 9 th of July, it was confirmed that driving lessons will not resume before 31 st of July. An update will be made at the earliest opportunity to ensure driving instructors will be able to return to work when possible.

Our guidance on safe use of places of worship reflects evolving scientific and health advice and has been developed in close collaboration with our faith communities. On the 9 July, the First Minister announced that the reopening of places of worship would be brought forward to 15 July. As such, since that date, places of worship have been able to open for congregational services and life event ceremonies.

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

We will continue to work closely with those communities as we move towards fully reopening places of worship as soon as it is safe to do so.

Following an announcement by the First Minister on 9 July, beauty salons are permitted to reopen from 22 July.

The Scottish Government has published guidance for close contact services based on a risk assessment process which business owners should use to identify which treatments and activities can be offered. This includes a comprehensive checklist designed to help implement safe working practices. Further guidance will be issued to provide clarity around treatments carried out in people’s homes.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SEPA has had to adapt its approach to incident response in order to protect its staff, operators and the public. As a result SEPA is currently only deploying in the field to deal with the most significant incidents and where SEPA’s physical presence is necessary to rectify an incident.

SEPA gave full consideration to the reported Pow Burn incident on 24-25 June and determined that site attendance did not meet its criteria for field deployment. However, SEPA did take action to investigate the incident remotely. This involved a team of experienced staff analysing the information received and contacting local businesses to attempt to identify any likely sources or issues which may have contributed to this fish kill. As a single source for the pollution was not identified, SEPA intends to undertake a number of follow-up activities in the area, including business audits to identify any outstanding issues as SEPA officers return to increased fieldwork in line with Scottish Government guidelines.

On 18 March the Scottish Government announced that an additional £350 million would be made available to those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This funding has been made available to councils, charities, businesses and community groups and has been designed to be flexible, cutting down on red tape to enable them to respond swiftly and according to local need for people impacted economically or through reduced contact with society.

A number of church and community halls have been supported in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. This has included receiving assistance via the Third Sector Resilience Fund, through which many faith groups and places of worship have been awarded funding in recognition of the important work they carry out.

If a church hall is in need of support those responsible for the hall should consult the SCVO Coronavirus Third Sector Information Hub or contact their local authority for further advice and guidance.

The Scottish Government is not aware of any plans by NHS Dumfries and Galloway to permanently close community hospitals.