Chamber and committees

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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32993 on 19 November 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

The Scottish Government is prioritising the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in schools. We have continued to fund local authorities with £16 million in this financial year to ensure access to a counsellor is available in every secondary school and have published, for the first time, a single document that highlights all of the resources that schools can utilise to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

The Scottish Government has previously confirmed that every education authority had appropriate plans in place for delivery of this commitment and that almost all authorities having access to counselling services in every secondary school in place in response to the COVID pandemic. On 24 September we wrote to all local authorities to seek information on the number of counsellors currently allocated to schools. We are still awaiting returns from a small number of local authorities and we will make this information available once it has been received.

Whilst universities have not previously raised this particular topic with Scottish Government on 11 November I announced the voluntary testing of asymptomatic university students before they return home for the festive period. This, along with walkthrough test sites in university towns and the use of some academic laboratories to augment NHS Scotland capacity are being delivered in partnership with Scottish universities.

The Scottish Government is working closely and urgently with the sector and student bodies to put in place guidance so the students are able to return to their families at Christmas. We will publish this in the very near future.