Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer to my previous answer in S5W-32799 and reiterate that an evidence paper is currently being prepared and will be published as soon as possible.

Under our Coronavirus (COVID-19): Scotland’s Strategic Framework ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/covid-19-scotlands-strategic-framework/ ) an area is considered for Level 4 when it broadly meets one of the following conditions:

1. More than 300 cases of covid-19 over 7 days per 100,000 people for the local authority.

2. Over 10% positive tests over 7 days for the local authority – twice the rate for national concern given by the World Health Organisation.

3. Probability over 75% of 500 cases over 7 days per 100,000 forecast for the local authority in two weeks’ time.

4. The projection of hospital bed use in the health board in three weeks’ time is greater than the health board’s estimated capacity.

5. The projection of ICU bed use in the health board in two weeks’ time is greater than twice its normal capacity.

This data is also considered alongside other local, regional and national factors, including an assessment of the Four Harms, which include wider health, societal and economic impacts, as well as consideration of rates in neighbouring areas.

That data, together with the view of the National IMT and the recommendations of our Senior Clinical Advisers and considered by the Government who reach an evaluative judgement on the necessary steps to be taken for all local authority areas.

The evidence behind each review is provided on the Scottish Government’s website, with that for the review on which Ministers made the decision to put Local Authorities into Level 4 at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-allocation-of-levels-to-local-authorities-17-november-2020/ .

I set out, on 25 November, priorities for expanding testing in social care, including the introduction of testing for designated care home visitors and we will start to roll this out to 14 ‘early adopter’ care homes from 7 December and issue lateral flow test kits to all care homes from 14th December. It is possible that not all homes will be able to start lateral flow testing before Christmas, and so we will provide PCR testing during the festive period. Our strategy is in line with the clinical and public health priorities identified through the review of our testing strategy which can be found at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-review
-of-testing-strategy-october-2020/ . From January, this will include extending our testing programme to care-at-home staff, including permanent and visiting staff and personal assistants in a person's home, covering residential settings, sheltered housing and day care.

Testing remains one measure of protection against COVID-19, alongside a strong emphasis on robust infection prevention and control measures, including the use of PPE, the extended use of face masks, physical distancing and good hygiene.

We have now committed £570 million to support businesses between October 2020 and March 2021 which includes the £185 million announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance on 9 December. This is comprised of the strategic framework business fund, local business support packages, the newly self-employed hardship fund and local authority discretionary business funding.

Our Strategic Framework Business Fund has been specifically designed to respond to the differing restrictions that are placed on businesses in accordance with the Protection Levels as set out in the Strategic Framework. As such businesses are eligible for a higher level of financial support (up to £3,000 every four weeks) if they are required to close due to COVID-19 regulations compared to what they receive if their operations are restricted by regulation (up to £2,100 every four weeks). As Protection Level 4 mandates the closure of non-essential retail, these businesses will automatically receive financial support in order to assist them with the costs that they incur while closed.

In discussion with CoSLA we have also ring-fenced £5 million of the £30 million Local Authority Discretionary Fund specifically for allocation to local authorities in subject to Tier 4 restrictions between 20 November and 11 December in recognition of the additional challenges they are experiencing as a result of being subject tighter restrictions. Unlike previous funds which have been targeted towards specific groups or sectors impacted by COVID-19, the Discretionary Fund seeks to empower local authorities to direct additional financial support to specific groups or sectors within the business community where this is required. This recognises the insight that councils have on the business community in their area and where funding would be most effectively deployed in supporting local economies.

We recognise that we cannot make up for all of the losses experienced by businesses due to COVID-19 restrictions within the funding we have available, we hope that the support provided through the funds set out above as well as the additional £185 million announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance on 8 December will support businesses to weather the challenging months that lie ahead.

It is for the Scottish Enterprise Board to determine how the budget it receives from the Scottish Government is allocated across its various activities, including the Scottish Investment Bank (SIB) which primarily utilises Financial Transactions.

The Government allocated £203.755m to Scottish Enterprise for 2020/21, including £38.6m (net) in Financial Transactions. In 2020-21, Scottish Enterprise received additional funding to provide to businesses to support them through the Covid crisis. In July, the Scottish Government allocated £10m to Scottish Enterprise to support SIB’s co-investment funds, to enable more support to be provided to businesses and help stimulate private investment. The Government also allocated a further £25m for the Early Stage Growth Challenge Fund to help early stage innovative businesses whose routes to investment and growth had been impacted directly or indirectly by Covid. SIB led on the delivery of the Fund.

The SIB team within Scottish Enterprise has 42 Full Time Equivalent staff.

The Scottish National Investment Bank (the Bank) and Scottish Enterprise are working closely together to align their activities and minimise duplication to deliver maximum benefit for businesses and the Scottish economy. As part of this and to avoid confusion, the Scottish Investment Bank, ‘SIB’, brand is no longer being used and the investment activities of Scottish Enterprise (SE) are now being carried out under the SE brand. Work is also underway to identify investments made by SE under the SIB brand which may transfer to the Bank as part of its role in consolidating existing public sector investment activities.

The existing exclusivity agreement is in place until 31 December 2020. Discussions between Flamingo Land Ltd and Scottish Enterprise are continuing and it is not yet possible to confirm what, if any, agreement may be in place after that time.

I refer the member to the oral evidence provided to the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints and related correspondence. This sets out that the then Director of Safer Communities, Gillian Russell, provided Judith Mackinnon, Head of People Advice, with a contact in the Public Protection Specialist Crime Division of Police Scotland to seek generic advice on handling cases of sexual harassment. The meeting was in December 2017 and in attendance were three Police Scotland officers and Ms Mackinnon.

In March, in response to coronavirus, the Scottish Government announced a £350 million emergency package for communities. Before opening the current £40 million Community and Third Sector Recovery Programme (CTSRP), the Scottish Government had already awarded over £22 million in grants to 1,349 organisations through the Third Sector Resilience Fund (TSRF).

Adapt and Thrive is part of the CTSRP and aims to support charities, community groups, social enterprises and voluntary organisations, through working with advisers, to develop plans and implement changes to adapt how they raise income so they can operate sustainably through the move from lockdown to recovery. As well as support, grants between £5 and £25k and loans of £25K+ are also available to implement the plans.

More information is available at Community & Third Sector Recovery Programme – SCVO

Since the start of the crisis, we have invested over £2.3 billion to support businesses of all types across Scotland. In addition to the support offered through the Strategic Framework Business Fund, we recently announced a further £185 million to help impacted businesses through winter. More details will be announced shortly.

I have made clear my opposition to the UK Government’s pay freeze, which misjudges the value of frontline efforts throughout this pandemic. The forthcoming Scottish Public Sector Pay Policy for 2021-22 will directly impact 50 public bodies, and act as a benchmark for wider public sector workforce groups across Scotland, including NHS Scotland, renewing pay deals for 2021 and beyond.

We will continue to take a principled approach to public sector pay awards as we work towards rebalancing our economy – building on our progressive approach of recent years that has both restored pay to pre-2010 levels for the lowest paid and consistently paid more across frontline services than the UK Government.