Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29289 on 17 June 2020. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

There are 6 drive-through testing centres in Scotland as part of the UK Government’s Expanded Testing Programme. These are located at Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen airports, the Highlands and Islands University campus’ in Inverness and Perth, and Prestwick Airport. Capacity at each site is split between employer referral, self-referral and the citizens portal to ensure key workers retain priority access.

As at 10 June, the maximum sampling capacity each day is as follows:

Aberdeen – 1100

Edinburgh – 1300

Glasgow – 1300

Inverness – 1100

Perth - 1100

Prestwick - 1100

The following numbers of items of eye protective equipment have been issued to the NHS and social care in response to the Covid 19 outbreak between 1 March and 31 May 2020, including the Tiger eyewear product which was recalled on 9 May:

Global supply chains for PPE have been put under immense pressure due to the pandemic, and some Personal Assistants will be needing to use or access PPE for the first time. That is why we set up supplies from the national stock to top up existing supply routes of PPE for social care.

Part of this was the establishment of local PPE Hubs in every Health and Social Care Partnership area for onward distribution or collection of supplies by social care providers.

These Hubs expanded their provision at the end of April to support the whole social care sector with all of its PPE needs where normal supply routes fail; including unpaid carers and all employers of social care Personal Assistants/home carers. SPAEN confirmed the system was working well in their contact with us on 18 May.

Personal Assistants or their employer can find out the details of their local Hub on the Scottish Government website . We have been in regular contact with SPAEN about this topic and they helped to pass on these details to their members when the arrangements were put in place.

Scotland is not a member country of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UK is, so that limits the engagement at formal levels. The Scottish Government has kept very close to the WHO briefings, publications, guidelines and advice through a variety of routes. Personal connections, online viewing of the briefings, summaries of WHO work and advice. The 4 nations Senior Clinicians Group call, which takes place twice a week, receives information from international sources, including the WHO, to add to its deliberations and advice.

Dr David Nabarro, WHO's special envoy for Covid-19, has been positive about our approach to the pandemic. He said that we are tackling it carefully and logically, thinking through how we make sure people are safe and how we make sure the economy can restart, layering these two concerns together. And I hope that most would agree with him when he said that we are levelling with the people of Scotland about what we are trying to work through as we deal with this crisis.

All illicit drug use is dangerous, and I would strongly urge all people, and particularly young people, to seriously consider the risks that are involved.

We are and will continue to work closely with a range of partners and stakeholders, including Police Scotland, to ensure we have an up to date overview of any arising challenges or concerns. I fully recognise the importance of ensuring we are aware of trends and patterns of use, and we are taking forward work with Public Health Scotland to use and develop our public health surveillance data to better understand drug trends. This will enable us to develop effective approaches to meeting the needs of different groups, including young people, who are at risk at the earliest possible stage.

Evidence tells us that the vast majority of children and young people in Scotland have not used drugs, with numbers generally decreasing since 2002. However we cannot be complacent and our alcohol and drug strategy is clear in its commitments to achieve an outcome which will ensure that fewer people develop problem drug use. In order to help achieve this, we have committed to revise and improve the programme of substance use education in schools to ensure it is good quality, impactful and in line with best practice.

There are no current plans to establish a National Child Psychiatry Clinical Network. I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29736 on 18 June 2020 for information about plans for a Managed Clinical Network for LD Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, which will also include within its remit, support for under 12s using the National LD Child Psychiatry Inpatient Unit.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29407 on 10 June 2020. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

The Scottish Government continues to consider evidence and recommendations including from The Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE).” . Our guidance on face coverings also makes clear one of the most effective measures to reduce transmission is to stay 2 metres away from other people, apart from members of your household. That remains our instruction to those who are exercising.

We acknowledge the outstanding contribution of Scotland’s faith communities, including our Christian Communities, and recognise the difficulty in being unable to come together or attend places of worship during this challenging time. However, we know faith communities understand that these restrictions are vital to protect our NHS workers and carers, and to save lives.

On 21 May, the First Minister outlined Scotland's route map through and out of the COVID-19 crisis, which is available on the Scottish Government website. This takes an evidence-led approach to easing restrictions and sets out a phased approach towards reopening places of worship.

Current guidance remains to stay at home and only travel where it is essential to do so. For this reason, places of worship are currently only able to open for very limited purposes; for funerals, to broadcast an act of worship and to provide essential voluntary services. However, it is anticipated that restrictions around places of worship may begin to ease at phase 2 of the route map, at which time they may be able to open for individual prayer and at phase 3, when we anticipate they may be able to open to extended groups for services. Opening at each of these phases would be subject to physical distancing and hygiene safeguards.

We will continue to engage in discussion with our faith communities as we work towards developing guidance to assist them to reopen places of worship in line with the phases I have outlined, including how this can be done as safely as possible.