Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government acts on the basis of the latest guidance issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which considers all available evidence for the most appropriate vaccinations policy approach in the UK. Current JCVI advice remains that the single greatest risk of mortality and severe disease from COVID-19 is increasing age and COVID-19 risk increases exponentially with age.

Those registered as clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) on the GP system are already included in group 4 of phase 1 of the JCVI priority list. Solid organ transplant recipients are deemed CEV and have been previously included on the Shielded Patient List. A hospital clinician or GP can also add a patient to the list, based on their clinical judgement, because they consider them to be at very high risk of serious illness from COVID-19.

All patients on the CEV list will also fall into the broader disease categories outlined in table 3 of the Green Book, Chapter 14a, but are in priority group 4 because of more recent treatment, more advanced condition or co-morbidities. Other patients in the same clinical risk group, but not on the CEV list at the time group 4 is called, are within priority group 6, or with their appropriate age cohort. Further information is available here: COVID-19: the green book, chapter 14a - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

On 30 June the JCVI published interim advice on adult COVID-19 booster vaccinations. The interim advice is to begin offering COVID-19 booster vaccines in September 2021, in a two-stage programme alongside the annual flu vaccination programme.

The JCVI will consider additional scientific data as it becomes available over the next few months ahead of formulating final advice. Accordingly, we shall consider the final advice issued on this matter and any adjustments JCVI may or may not recommend in light of additional scientific data it is presently considering, as this becomes available over the next few months.

Causes of death are categorised using the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10 th Revision (ICD-10). A link to this classification is available here:CD-10 Version:2019 (who.int)

Influenza and pneumonia fall under chapter X “Diseases of the respiratory system” in ICD-10 rather than chapter I “Certain infectious and parasitic diseases”. Deaths from ‘Diseases of the respiratory system’ are shown in the following table .

For a full breakdown of all causes of death categorised within ICD-10, please refer to chapter 6 of the Vital Events Reference Tables published by National Records of Scotland.

List of Data Tables | National Records of Scotland (nrscotland.gov.uk)

Table 1. Deaths from diseases of the respiratory system

The Scottish Government currently provides funding to support the acquisition of zero-emission buses. The Scottish Zero-Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB) is open to bids from any party, including bus operators, acquiring buses to run on registered local bus services and aims to support swift, and significant, change in the bus market in favour of zero-emission technologies. More information on ScotZEB is available on the Transport Scotland webpages at https://www.transport.gov.scot/public-transport/buses/scottish-zero-emission-bus-challenge-fund/ .

Previously, financial support has been provided through the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme, and the Scottish Green Bus Fund.

The Bus Emissions Abatement Retrofit Programme (BEAR) Phases 1, 2 & 3 has made available £12.2 million funding to support the costs of retrofitting of 762 mid-life buses and coaches to Euro 6 standard in Scottish Air Quality Management Areas from 2018 to 2021. A further £5.7 million is being made available in Phase 4 of the scheme. This launched on the 31 st of July and closes for applications on the 26th of August 2021.

The use of the mezzanine deck on MV Hebrides is a primarily an operational decision for CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL). CFL continue to engage with the communities and businesses who use the service regarding the use of the mezzanine deck and the potential impacts on timetables, number of sailings and overall capacity for passengers and vehicles. The mezzanine deck was brought back into use on sailings from 9 August 2021.

The Contingency Plus Fund offered additional funding to Travel Agents, Breweries and Indoor Football Centres in recognition of the specific challenges that businesses operating in these sectors experienced as a result of COVID-19 restrictions and regulations. This fund closed on 31 March 2021 and as at 25 June 2021, £3,670,000 had been paid to 223 Travel Agent businesses who met the eligibility criteria for the scheme. Travel agents may also have been eligible for other funding such as the Strategic Framework Business Fund and associated hospitality retail and leisure top ups and Restart Grants.

For all covid business support funds, the level of funding paid out was determined by the level of eligible applicants, which may have been lower or higher than the original estimated budget. Where underspends have occurred in relation to specific funds these have been recycled into other business support schemes.

Proposals to the Bus Partnership Fund are assessed against criteria which focus on the climate benefits of mode shift from private car to public transport. The criteria and weightings are as follows:

• Evidence of congestion and ideas to reduce congestion, through improved bus services (40%)

• How the proposal fits with the partnership area’s overall strategy for integrated transport, to encourage a modal shift from cars to more sustainable transport and reduce emissions (25%)

• Partnership strength and demonstrated commitment, which will include match in kind (20%)

• Deliverability: the ability of the lead local authority and its partners to deliver the proposed developments, including local political buy-in (15%)

Successful bidders to the fund are required to submit monthly progress reports to Transport Scotland. Each subsequent tranche of funding will be dependent upon their passing gateway reviews, which will provide further assurance that the funded infrastructure developments support action on climate change.

(i)The Third Sector Resilience Fund

(a) The £25 million Third Sector Resilience Fund (TSRF) was open to all third sector organisations (TSOs) in Scotland affected financially by Covid-19.

(b) 151 awards totalling £2,518,605 were made to organisations under the category “Creative Industries” which included theatres and workshops.

An analysis of the TSRF was published in November 2020 -

Third Sector Resilience Fund (TSRF): analysis of applications and wards - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

(ii) Pivotal Enterprises Resilience Fund

Data for awards made specifically to performing arts venues through the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund is unavailable at this time. 154 awards were, however, made to businesses which fell within the Creative Industries sector accounting for £12.473 million of the funding awarded. This fund ran concurrently with the Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund through which 552 payments were made to businesses classified as being in the creative industries sector contributing £5.725 million of funding.

Additionally, a total of £24.5 Million has been available specifically to performing arts venues via the Performing Arts Venue Relief Fund which was distributed in two stages. This is in addition to the £28 million made available through the Cultural Organisations and Venue relief fund which was also distributed in two stages.

(iii) Heritage Emergency Fund

The Heritage Emergency Fund is a UK wide fund supported by the National Lottery. Further information on funded schemes can be found at www.heritagefund.org.uk or alternatively contact [email protected].

The £3 million funding was part of the emergency COVID-19 support for culture, protecting jobs and addressing some of the financial pressures facing the three organisations. It was announced on 17 January 2021, comprising £1.4 million for Aberdeen Performing Arts, £800,000 for Eden Court Highlands and £800,000 for Capital Theatres. Funding is being delivered through Creative Scotland. The funding agreements with the three organisations require that the funds must be used in addressing the problems linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in order to enable the organisations to be financially stable in order to develop and present cultural activity when restrictions allow. Later in 2021 Creative Scotland will require the organisations to provide information on the use of funding, including how they have spent it, whether it has allowed them to maintain their workforce and stabilised their financial position.

As outlined in the response to S6W-00053 on 26 May 2021, the Scottish Government provided Openreach with a finalised speed and coverage template (or SCT) for the R100 North lot (Lot 1) contract at the end of March 2021. Openreach has completed its remodelling exercise and having been reviewed through Scottish Government governance and assurance structures, it is now undergoing rigorous review through Building Digital UK (BDUK). The full picture across the R100 North lot contract area is still expected to be available in the coming weeks. Our online address checker will be updated to reflect this information once assurance checks are complete and the contract change has been approved. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .