Chamber and committees

As demand for COVID testing reaches new levels, we continue to adapt the Test & Protect system in order to protect the vulnerable and support the resilience of essential workforces.

From Wednesday 29 December prioritised booking slots have been made available at test sites for all essential workers, including health and care workers and this covers agency staff. Prioritised booking slots can be accessed by clicking to confirm you are an essential worker when booking a test online.

This is in addition to the local arrangements that Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) and NHS health boards have in place for PCR testing for employees including agency staff.

Doorstep cold calling can create anxiety for householders, especially vulnerable householders. It is important that advice is available for those who may be concerned about doorstep cold calling.

The regulation of doorstep cold calling falls within general consumer protection policy with specific policy responsibility being part of the operation of trading standards which rests with the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Trading Standards Scotland (TSS), the national organisation for trading standards in Scotland, is funded by BEIS and managed by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. The TSS website provides a range of helpful guidance on how best householders can address concerns about doorstep cold calling. http://www.tsscot.co.uk/priority-areas/doorstep-scammers/

Within this context, decisions about further regulation of doorstep cold calling would fall to the UK Government to consider.

Zero Waste Scotland is a company limited by guarantee that is independent from the Scottish Government.

Zero Waste Scotland advises us that the report is the first part of a project to analyse the steel market in Scotland and the opportunities to manage scrap steel and is based on modelling and not stakeholder engagement.

The recommendation that fertility treatment for unvaccinated patients be deferred at the current time was made on the grounds of safety. There is robust published evidence of increased risks of morbidity, risk of severe illness and poorer outcomes from COVID-19 for unvaccinated pregnant women and their babies (including preterm birth and stillbirth), increasing virus incidence and uncertainties about the Omicron variant on pregnant women. The lead Clinicians in the NHS Assisted Conception Units in Scotland had also raised their concerns.

All patients currently having treatment temporarily deferred will have the deferral time added back on to their treatment journey to ensure that no patient loses out on treatment. We recognise this is particularly important for women who are approaching the upper end of the age limit for IVF treatment.

With the exception of a short period of time at the beginning of the pandemic when, on the instruction of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA - the UK fertility regulator), fertility treatment was ‘paused’ in all NHS and private facilities across the UK as a precautionary measure, all four NHS Assisted Conception Units in Scotland have remained open throughout the pandemic. All patients on the waiting list while treatment was paused had an additional 6 months added to their treatment journey. This ensured that women close to the upper age limit for NHS IVF treatment were not disadvantaged.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6F-00531 on 2 December 2021 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/ormain.aspx .

The proposal for a Carers Outcome will be fully considered as part of the upcoming Review of the National Outcomes. Scottish Ministers are required under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act (2015) to review the National Outcomes within five years of their previous publication. On 21 September 2021, I confirmed to the Finance and Public Administration Committee that external engagement for the next Review will commence in 2022, with the aim of laying the statutory report in Parliament during the third Parliamentary term in 2023.

The Scottish Government recognises and supports the Safe and Together model as a positive approach in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children living with domestic abuse. The principles of this model are central to the priorities of Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy to prevent and eradicate all forms of violence against women and girls. That is why, from October 2021, through the Delivering Equally Safe Fund, the Scottish Government funded 12 organisations and joint organisation partnerships approximately £2m to deliver the Safe and Together model and training across 11 local authority areas.

On 2 September 2021, the Scottish Government published revised National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland. This non-statutory guidance describes the responsibilities and expectations of everyone who works with, or comes into contact with, children and young people, families and carers in Scotland.

The National Guidance includes a strengthened section on domestic abuse, providing detailed support for practitioners working with families affected by domestic abuse. This includes guidance on the Safe and Together model which highlights aspects of domestic abuse-informed practice in the protection of children.

Catering and events businesses that do not operate within a fixed single venue will be supported through two routes depending on their particular business model.

• The £3 million Scottish Wedding Industry Fund, announced on 17 December 2021, will provide top-up payments to eligible businesses who have previously been supported through this funding route.

A further £19.8 million of funding to support event businesses (including supply chain operators such as catering and events businesses that do not operate within a fixed single venue) which was announced on 3 January 2022.

Scottish Wedding Industry Fund businesses will be contacted directly from week commencing 17 January 2022.

Event funding businesses will be contacted by EventScotland from week commencing 24 January 2022. For the first round of funding, top-up payments will be provided to businesses which were previously supported by EventScotland and VisitScotland under the previous Events Industry Support Fund, Events Industry Support Fund 2 or Pivotal Event Business Fund and have been adversely financially affected by the cancellation or restriction of events between the period from 8 December 2021 to 31 January 2022.

Businesses eligible for support will receive a top-up payment based on pre-COVID annual turnover within the following bands:

£10,000 - £24,999 = £2,000;

£25,000 - £49,999 = £3,500;

£50,000 - £99,999 = £5,000;

£100,000 - £499,999 = £10,000;

£500,000 - £999,999 = £25,000; and

£1,000,000 + = £50,000.

The Scottish Government is currently working with EventScotland and the Event Industry Advisory Group to determine the best way of distributing the remaining funding to support to those event businesses continuing to experience cancellation or postponements in February and March, or who may have previously not had access to COVID-19 event funding support. This will include ensuring that businesses who can demonstrate eligibility for both the Scottish Wedding Industry Fund and the events funding are appropriately funded.

COSLA recommended to Scottish Ministers that the flood protection schemes eligible for funding in the Flood Risk Management Strategies published in December 2015 which are not yet “legally committed” are to be paused and reviewed. Ministers accepted this recommendation and a review of these projects is being undertaken to assess their status and viability. COSLA will present the review findings to Ministers in due course. This pause and review of schemes is one element of the work being taken forward to review the current funding and distribution arrangements for flood risk management. The Scottish Government has not currently suspended any expenditure on the flooding programme.

The Scottish Government continues to prioritise funding for flood risk management. The flooding budget is increasing by 70% from £210 million to £360 million over the next 5 years. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning and delivering flood protection schemes. In recognition of the importance of reducing flood risk the Scottish Government has provided, since 2007, a total of £42 million a year through the general capital grant to local authorities to allow them to invest in flood protection schemes.

This information is not currently available. Our Charity partners were given a deadline of 17 January to return their reports on ScotSpirit Activity processed up until the end of the year (2021). We are still waiting for a few partners to return their data and this is being actively followed up.

I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib 63108)

The existing Uig-Tarbert ferry timetable will be maintained in 2022, with formalised deployment of the mezzanine decks to ensure the timetable can be delivered within the operational challenges. We have asked CalMac to continue to closely monitor the route and maximise the use of space on the vessel.

CalMac has revised the initial proposals and these represent the best available options to maximise capacity on the Skye Triangle routes for Summer 2022.

The planned upgrade of Uig Harbour by The Highland Council is required to ensure continuity of ferry services to Harris. The closure is essential to allow major investment in replacing life expired infrastructure and improving the resilience of Uig harbour for the benefit of the Skye Triangle routes. This follows the significant recent investment in the upgrade of Tarbert harbour on Harris. The works have been scheduled out with seasonal peaks, however we regret any associated disruption.

CalMac recently undertook community consultation, including at Tarbert (Harris) Community Centre, on plans to introduce an alternative ferry service while work at Uig is underway. The consultation closed on 7 January and community feedback will be presented to Transport Scotland and Scottish Ministers for careful consideration prior to any final decision on this matter.