Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6T-00019 on 26 May 2021. The answer is available on the Parliament's website at: Official Report - Parliamentary Business : Scottish Parliament .

Glasgow City Council received additional discretionary funding of £769,000 to further help businesses affected by the increased period of level 3 restrictions from 17 May. Grants have already been paid and over 2000 businesses received additional support through this fund.

We continue to keep our vaccination programme under review in accordance with JCVI advice. By adhering to JCVI guidance we ensure that we are vaccinating as efficiently as is possible. The Chief Medical Officer issued a letter to all health boards and public authorities on 7 May 2021 clarifying the position regarding good clinical practice in relation to vaccinations.

Currently 63% of teachers have had 1 dose of the vaccine. How reflective of the wider workforce the teacher figures will be will depend on the difference in age profile and underlying health conditions between these populations. Those working in the Early Learning Care sector tend to be younger so their vaccination rates would be expected to be lower at the moment. Statistics were published on 2 June 2021 at https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/population-health/covid-19/covid-19-statistical-report/

The Scottish Government is working with mental health organisations, employer groups and trade unions to improve mental health support in workplaces across Scotland.

In October 2020 we published our ‘Mental Health – Transition and Recovery’ plan which outlines our response to the mental health impacts of COVID-19. We have recently convened a short life working group aimed at addressing 3 key employment actions from the plan: Mentally Healthy Workplaces; Fair Work Practices; and Home Working.

The focus of the group will be on identifying the key challenges that businesses of all sizes, including self-employed people, will face in supporting the mental wellbeing of their workforce. We will review existing practice and identify any key gaps that may prevent a positive mental health and wellbeing culture within the workplace.

As the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People set out to Parliament in the previous term, we will introduce the first Scottish Disability Assistance this year. As set out in regulations, we will commence new applications for Child Disability Payment from 26 July 2021 in Dundee City, Perth and Kinross, and the Western Isles. This will be followed by a full national roll-out for new applications from 22 November 2021.

New applications for Adult Disability Payment will follow, with a pilot in spring 2022 and full national roll-out in summer 2022. Child Winter Heating Assistance, the first of our disability benefits, was introduced 2020. We will continue to keep Parliament updated on our plans.

The Scottish Government has committed to doubling Scottish Child Payment to £20 per week, per child, over the course of this Parliamentary term. We are currently considering the timetable for doing so, taking into account the impact on child poverty and legislative, delivery and financial considerations. An announcement will be made in due course.

Social Security is integral to my Social Justice, Housing and Local Government portfolio . It’s importance is reflected in the fact there is both a Cabinet Secretary and a Minister with responsibilities for it.

The B.1.617.2 variant (subtype of the B.1.617 variant) of SARS-CoV-2, cases of which have been identified in Glasgow, was classified as a variant under investigation (VUI-21APR-02) on 28 April 2021. It was escalated to a variant of concern on 6 May 2021 (VOC-21APR-02).

Upon escalation, the Scottish Government worked with public health officials and have monitored the progress of this variant and have deployed appropriate measures where cases have been identified.

Coronavirus variants are classified a variant under investigation or variant of concern for the whole UK by Public Health England working with the other Public Health Agencies.

The Scottish Government will continue to work in partnership with COSLA and Local Authorities to ensure our communities receive the support and services that they expect and deserve. It is, however, the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including for the range of community services they deliver, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of local and national priorities.

In 2021-22, Glasgow City Council will receive a total funding package of almost
‎ £1.5 billion to support local services, which includes an extra £29.8 million to support vital day to day services, equivalent to an increase of 2.2 per cent compared to 2020-21. To date, the council has been allocated an additional £221.7 million to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, through the local government settlement - over and above their regular grant payments.

In addition, Glasgow City Council will receive their fair share of a further £137 million included in the original 2021-22 local government finance settlement which is currently undistributed. The Council will also receive their fair share of the subsequent 2021-22 funding that has been discussed and agreed with COSLA since the announcement of the settlement.