Chamber and committees

The Public Health Scotland Report of record linkage study of COVID-19 among Teachers, Healthcare workers and other working-age adults (publichealthscotland.scot) does record the increased risk of teaching staff for catching COVID-19, but also confirms that, “Across the whole period teachers were at lower risk of both hospitalisation with COVID-19, and of severe COVID-19 (defined where an individual was admitted to intensive care or died within 28 days of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2), than the general population. In the period since schools re-opened in August 2020 through to November 2020, there was no evidence of a difference in the risk of hospitalisation between teachers and the general population and the risk of severe COVID-19 was lower amongst teachers.”

Prioritisation by sector is not being considered for the following reasons:

• Criticality of service is not an indication for priority vaccination because clinical risk is the overriding concern. This is influenced most greatly by age, not occupation.
• Currently there is no sectoral prioritisation of any workers other than frontline health and social care workers. This is because we don’t know if the vaccine prevents spread, but it does reduce the harm to those most at risk should they catch the virus.
• Individual members of the teaching profession will be called forward for vaccination according to their position on the priority list, if they are eligible within the JCVI Cohorts regarding their age and/or underlying medical conditions (e.g. All individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality).

However, the JCVI list now includes staff directly involved in the direct care of children and young people with the most complex additional healthcare needs who are clinically vulnerable to severe effects of COVID. They may be at higher risk of exposure due to their close contact with those providing health and social care support, particularly those with severe neuro-disabilities. They will be eligible under category 2 of the JCVI list. This includes staff working in special schools and units, and in some cases in mainstream schools. Staff supporting these children will undertake roles which will align to the multi-agency educational and care plans for these children who are the most clinically vulnerable.

COSLA Leaders agreed the funding distribution on 29 January 2021 and the following table confirms how much each local authority has been allocated. This additional funding may be used flexibly by councils in supporting the delivery of remote learning to recruit additional staff, purchase additional digital devices and connectivity solutions for children and young people who still need them, and to provide additional family support.

On 27 January 2021, the Scottish Funding Council published guidance in relation to additional funding of £730,250 in Financial Year (FY) 2020-21 for college and university students’ associations and unions. This confirmed institutional and College Region allocations.

NUS Scotland will receive grant funding of £19,750 to (a) provide advice to student associations on the coordination of student association activities; and (b) draft, in consultation with Scottish Funding Council (SFC), an outcomes based report setting out how associations have used the additional resources to support students.

I have asked SQA to respond:

SQA’s Board of Management has a wide range of skills and experiences that allow it to function effectively with the CEO and the Executive Management Team.

a) Of our 9 Board of Management members, 2 are GTCS registered teacher/lecturers.

b) Of our 9 Board of Management members, 4 have front line teaching/lecturing experience.

Those living in sheltered homes may fall in JCVI priority group 2, if over 80 years.

• For all other over 80s living in their own homes, GP surgeries will be contacting their patients by letter or by phone offering them the vaccine (i.e. not via the national scheduling system).
• The majority of appointments will be at the health centre.
• For those who are housebound, there will be domiciliary visits (either by the community nursing team attached to the health centre or a community vaccination team.
• The Health Cabinet Secretary, Jeane Freeman has also made it clear in her recent correspondence to all the Health Boards and professionals that individuals who are unable to leave their own homes will receive their vaccination at home.

For those third and independent health and social care staff, the Scottish Government issued a letter to provide a pathway on how to access Covid-19 vaccination which can be viewed here: http://www.ccpscotland.org/hseu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/01/JCVI-Priority-2-Third-and-Independent-HSC-Staff-Letter-Final-v1.0-_28.01.2021.pdf ).

We are currently working with COSLA to agree the distribution of this additional funding. It is being considered by COSLA Leaders on 29 January and we will publish details on the Scottish Government website when they are finalised.

We are doing all we can to support tenants to remain in their homes whilst the pandemic continues to be a risk to public health. An important part of this was introducing a temporary ban on the enforcement of eviction orders across both the private and social rented sectors from 6 December to 22 January.

Since then, the emergence of a new variant of the virus has significantly altered the public health landscape and led to the First Minister's announcement that from 5 January, mainland Scotland will move from Level 4 to a temporary Lockdown, with new guidance to stay at home except for essential purposes.

The continued rise in cases caused by the new variant of the virus means that we must continue to take unprecedented action to ensure everyone, including renters, are protected from the health, social and economic harms of the virus by being able to remain in their homes during this time.

Therefore, regulations will be laid in Parliament next week that will ensure no eviction orders can be enforced within an area under level 3 or 4 restrictions. These regulations will come into force from 22 January and be in force until 31 March, in line with other Coronavirus regulations.

As indicated before, this unprecedented action is not taken lightly, we know the rights of tenants and landlords need to be balanced. Landlords too face uncertainty and financial difficulties as a result of the pandemic, which is why these regulations will be reviewed every 21 days.

We will continue to ensure that there are exceptions to this for the most serious circumstances - such as illegal occupation, antisocial behaviour, and criminal behaviour including domestic abuse.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of children eligible for free school meals in early learning and childcare (ELC) settings, or on the uptake of the offer of free school meals for those children. This information would be held at local authority level.

The Scottish Government’s expansion to 1140 funded hours of ELC will introduce a universal entitlement to a free meal for all children as part of the ELC day. This will not be based on any eligibility criteria beyond the child being eligible for funded ELC (all 3 and 4 year olds and eligible 2 year olds).

Work is progressing across all terms of the agreed motion. In considering any requirements for additional school staff we must take into account what local authorities are telling us about what would best meet the needs of children and young people in their areas. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport has also announced plans to undertake pathfinder testing work from January. This will evaluate the deliverability of asymptomatic testing in the school environment with the objective of establishing a sustainable programme of asymptomatic testing amongst school staff. Consideration of these issues is ongoing, including through budget planning processes and I will provide a further update to Parliament in due course.

The Scottish Government received the final return from local authorities on 3 December and are now analysing the responses received. The analysis may lead to a requirement to engage further with local authorities to clarify some of the information provided. The Scottish Government will publish a summary of the returns and analysis early next year.