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Amending Regulations have today been made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020. These Regulations implement the changes to the level allocations that the First Minister announced on Tuesday, 15 December. The Regulations also allow in-home socialising to take place on some additional Scottish islands and adjust the restrictions in Level 0 and Level 1 in respect of marriage and civil partnership receptions and funeral wakes.

These Regulations also make an amendment to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Protection from Eviction) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 to reflect the true policy intention of those Regulations.

The Regulations have been published at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2020/439/made .

Today I am announcing up to £29 million in further funding to support bus operators to maintain bus services between 18 January and 31 March 2021. This is in addition to the £162.3 million in funding that the Scottish Government has been providing since June to support bus services. This funding will cover the expected loss of fare revenue due to carrying capacity constraints as a result of physical distancing and reduced demand.

Bus travel typically accounts for almost three quarters of public transport journeys, so this funding is vital in keeping public transport running for those who need it while capacity is reduced due to physical distancing.

Answer The transformational early learning and childcare (ELC) expansion was due to be delivered in August 2020. The expansion will improve educational and developmental outcomes for children, enhance family wellbeing and enable greater employment and training opportunities for parents and carers.

An Audit Scotland report, published in March 2020, confirmed the programme was on track to deliver. When the COVID-19 pandemic impact became clear, the Scottish Government in partnership with local government, took the decision to pause the statutory duty for Local Authorities to deliver the expansion from August this year.

Since the duty was revoked a significant proportion of the programme has continued to be delivered. In November 2020, 14 authorities were offering 1140 hours to all children, and all authorities are offering 1140 hours to some or most children. This high level of delivery has been achieved only through extensive effort and commitment from all local authorities, and their delivery partners.

The ELC Joint Delivery Board commissioned an assessment of readiness to deliver the 1140 hours expansion, taking account of capital, workforce, capacity and other risks. This was supplemented by an independent health check of the expansion programme.

Having carefully reviewed all the evidence the ELC Joint Delivery Board recommended that the statutory duty to deliver 1140 hours of funded ELC should be reinstated with effect from August 2021. This recommendation has been agreed by Scottish Ministers and COSLA Leaders.

I will bring forward the associated legislation before the end of this Parliament.

Amending Regulations have today been made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, these Regulations implement the changes to the level allocations that the First Minister announced on 8 December.

The Regulations also allow in-home socialising to take place on Scottish islands in a Level 1 area, provided that the island is not connected to the mainland by a road bridge. The Regulations also adjust the travel restrictions with regard to the Republic of Ireland and Jersey as a result of the recent data in these locations.

The Regulations have been published at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2020/427/made .

Amending Regulations have today been made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, these Regulations provide for the rules and restrictions which will be in place for the short period from 23 to 27 December inclusive. Guidance about keeping safe in the festive period was previously published at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-festive-period/ .

The Regulations also allow holiday accommodation to be used in Level 4 areas if required when attending a marriage ceremony, civil partnership registration or for the purpose of facilitating shared parenting arrangements. It also allows holiday accommodation in level 4 to be used for the purposes of enabling a person to attend a holiday gathering within the local authority area where the accommodation is located.

The Regulations have been published at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2020/415/made .

The Scottish Government will, in the current 2020-21 financial year, provide all staff working within our NHS, frontline primary care, adult social care sector, hospice and palliative care sector, and residential childcare settings, with a pro-rated one off payment of £500, a small contribution towards our recognising the value of these frontline staff.

We aim to make these payments as soon as is practicable, working with the sectors where we don’t have a direct pay relationship to help shape the appropriate mechanisms to account for varying contracting and working practices. The estimated investment in this one off payment is approximately £180 million.

This is a small contribution towards our recognising the value of these frontline staff. Freezing NHS staff pay in 2021-22 is not the policy of the Scottish Government, and our pay negotiations with NHS staff side for 2021-22 will continue as we work towards a fair deal for the next financial year.

The Scottish Government recognises and values the important of apprenticeships and the key role they will play in our economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Apprenticeships are a way for employers to invest in their workforce and support high quality jobs, enabling employers to gain skilled workers the economy requires both now and in the future.

That is why we are pleased to introduce an Apprenticeship Employment Grant until March 2021 allowing employers to make the best decision for their business on whether to recruit a new entrant or a redundant apprentice with some experience.

The payment of £5,000 for 16-24-year olds and for those aged up to 29 who are disabled, care leavers and Minority Ethnic would bring parity with the recently enhanced Adopt an Apprentice of £5,000.

Once launched, the Skills Development Scotland website will provide more information on the Apprenticeship Employment Grant.

Amending Regulations have today been made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, these Regulations allow students to return home at the end of term 1 of academic year 2020-21. The Regulations permit an “end of term household” to be formed and also allow travel across different areas if the purpose is to facilitate the formation of an end of term household.

The Regulations have been published at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2020/400/contents/made .

Guidance is also available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-student-home-visits/pages/end-of-term-2020/ .

Following discussions at Four Nations level, the Scottish Government has agreed a cautious and limited relaxation of the rules on household meetings over the Christmas period. We know that isolation and loneliness can hit people especially hard over the Christmas period and that for some, contact with friends and family is crucial during this time.

A maximum of three households will be able form an exclusive ‘bubble’ between 23 and 27 December – and households will be able to travel between local authority areas and between the four nations during this period to meet with their bubble. We will, however, be asking people to think very carefully about whether they really need to travel and visit indoors over the festive period. We urge everyone to consider if they can use alternative approaches such as the use of technology or meeting outside. We will set out further detail to Parliament in the coming days.

Amending Regulations have today been made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, which will move East Lothian from Level 3 to Level 2 of the Strategic Framework with effect from 6:00 am on 24 November 2020.

The Regulations have been published at https://www.gov.scot/publications/health-protection-coronavirus-restrictions-and-requirements-local-levels-scotland-amendment-no-4-regulations-2020/ .

Unfortunately there has been an increase in case numbers and test positivity in Midlothian over the last few days. In view of this, the clinical and public health advice is that it would not be appropriate to move to Midlothian to Level 2 at this time, this decision will be kept under regular review.

Updated data and analysis will be published on www.gov.scot tomorrow as part of the weekly review of the levels allocation.