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Live music performers should follow the performing arts guidance, available here . This was developed with a wide range of performing arts practitioners and looked ahead to outline details for the eventual resumption of live public performances. This guidance was last updated on 19 July. This update confirmed the move from 2 metre physical distancing to 1 metre in all indoor settings including in performing arts venues.

Separate guidance is available for live music performances which take place in hospitality settings. This reflects the different considerations that need to make in hospitality settings. The guidance for live entertainment in hospitality was updated on 16 July. The main purpose of the update was to indicate that live entertainment would be possible in general hospitality from 19 July.

With regards to live performances in events and stadia settings, the First Minister’s statement on 13 July confirmed maximum attendances as 2,000 in seated outdoor settings and 1,000 in standing outdoor settings, and indoors to 400. Organisers can apply to local authorities for higher attendance capacities.

To assist event organisers the Scottish Government has developed guidance for the sector, last update on 20 July: Coronavirus (COVID-19): events sector guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The next review of restrictions will be in the week before 9 August when we hope to be able to move beyond Level 0 with baseline mitigations in place. We have consulted with the live performance sector widely on these mitigations to ensure we understand the impact they will have on businesses and their likely effectiveness.

Live entertainment can take place in general hospitality from Level 0 where physical distancing in indoor public spaces is standardised at 1 metre. If live entertainment is provided in dedicated events spaces in hospitality, such as a function hall or conference room, then this can be planned under events and or performing arts guidance . Live entertainment must still only be offered in line with a premises’ licensing conditions and, where necessary, engagement with the local authority. More details can be found in the tourism and hospitality sector guidance .

If we continue to move in the right direction following our review on 19 July, we intend to move beyond Level 0 from 9 August and lift the Levels system of restrictions and remaining physical distancing measures. Nightclubs should be able to reopen from this date if the evidence supports it at the next review point.

The Scottish Government is planning to provide an update on the leasing and planning process and associated timescales for the sectoral marine plan for innovation and decarbonisation in summer 2021. This planning exercise will be in addition to the sectoral marine plan for offshore wind energy published last October but will be based upon the findings therein.

The Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (SMP), published in 2020, set the upper limit for pre-commercial scale projects at 100 MW. The ScotWind leasing process has allowed for all scales of projects, from 100 MW upwards, to progress in Scottish waters. Scottish Ministers are committed to building a strong Scottish supply chain which deliver economic benefit to Scotland. As a result, all of these projects must commit to Supply Chain Development Statements which set out the anticipated level and location of supply chain impact that their project will have. This provides visibility of a pipeline of contracts for the Scottish supply chain and encourages developers to engage locally, earlier in the development process of their projects.

The SMP 2020 also identified that there may be further opportunities for projects looking to specifically decarbonise oil and gas infrastructure or deliver innovative test and demonstration projects, in locations not identified in the 2020 plan. The Scottish Government is now developing a planning process to allow these types of project to proceed, including opportunities for small scale (100 MW) specifically targeting oil and gas decarbonisation through electrification of offshore oil and gas platforms.

We envisage beginning public engagement on this planning process shortly.

The construction of the A92/A96 Haudagain Improvement project is progressing well and is anticipated to be complete in winter 2021 as confirmed in the Infrastructure Investment Plan update published in December 2020.

This date is subject to any unforeseen circumstances such as the effects of exceptional weather.

I can confirm that construction cost for this project is currently estimated to be £18m, which is well within the 2014 construction cost estimate of £26m.

Construction cost updates for the project are published on the Scottish Government website every 6 months via the Major Capital Projects update.

The testing and safety regimes that oil and gas workers have faced before arriving into Scotland do not negate the public health measures they are required to complete in Scotland.

There is no exemption anywhere in the UK for oil and gas workers arriving from red list countries. There is an exemption for oil and gas workers arriving from amber list countries to undertake work on critical infrastructure in Scotland. They are still required to take a pre-departure test before travel, complete a passenger locator form before travelling to Scotland, book and take a testing package for days 2 and 8, self-isolate at home for 10 days when not at or travelling to and from a place where they are required to undertake the activities this exemption applies to and show a letter to Border Force from their employer outlining the work they will be doing.

Since the outset of the pandemic, the Scottish Government has taken an evidence-based approach to our measures on overseas travel, informed by the latest data and evidence provided on a UK-wide basis by the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC), as well as Scotland-specific data from Scotland’s Test and Protect system, and clinical advice from Scotland's Chief Medical Officer.

In the first six months of this parliament we will deliver a new 10 year National Strategy for Economic Transformation, setting out the steps we will take to deliver a green economic recovery and support new, good, green jobs, businesses and industries for the future.

We are making investments in key net zero markets including buildings, energy and transport, that will drive demand for good green jobs and increasingly aligning our skills policy, including through the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan published in December, to support reskilling and retraining to access green jobs now and in the future.

For example we are investing in the transition of our energy sector, including £62m through the Energy Transition Fund to provide a package that will support our energy sector to transition and grow, supporting jobs and regional growth. We are also investing £180m in the Emerging Energy Technology Fund to support innovation in key energy technologies like Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage and Hydrogen. We are also working with industry to explore the opportunities and challenges for marine energy and to build on the sector’s achievements to date, which have been made possible by the Scottish Government’s substantial level of investment in wave and tidal energy.

We have also published and consulted on a draft Heat in Buildings Strategy which includes a £1.6bn investment over the lifetime of this Parliament to kickstart the transition of Scotland’s buildings towards net-zero. This is a transition which will support jobs and economic opportunity. Overall, we estimate that as investment ramps up towards the late 2020s, as many as 24,000 jobs could be supported each year in Scotland by the roll out of zero emissions heat

Looking forward, the Scottish Government intends to publish a draft refresh of the 2017 Scottish Energy Strategy in Spring 2022, outlining a coordinated vision for Scotland’s energy system including renewables as we move towards net zero by supporting the delivery of a just transition and a green economic recovery from Covid-19.

There is no exemption anywhere in the UK for oil and gas workers arriving from red list countries. Passengers arriving from red list countries are required to enter managed isolation in a quarantine hotel.  

There is an exemption for oil and gas workers arriving from amber list countries to undertake work on critical infrastructure in Scotland. They are still required to take a pre-departure test before travel, complete a passenger locator form before travelling to Scotland, book and take a testing package for days 2 and 8, self-isolate at home for 10 days when not at or travelling to and from a place where they are required to undertake the activities this exemption applies to and show a letter to Border Force from their employer outlining the work they will be doing.

We continue to liaise regularly with OGUK, trades unions and other stakeholders on measures to protect the safety of those working in the industry, including through the forum of the Oil and Gas and Energy Transition Strategic Leadership Group.

Since the outset of the pandemic, the Scottish Government has taken an evidence-based approach to our measures on overseas travel, informed by the latest data and evidence provided on a UK-wide basis by the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC), as well as Scotland-specific data from Scotland’s Test and Protect system, and clinical advice from Scotland's Chief Medical Officer. 

The greatest risk of COVID-19 infection are passengers arriving from red list countries, who are required to enter managed isolation in a quarantine hotel. There is no exemption anywhere in the UK for oil and gas workers arriving from red list countries. 

There is an exemption for oil and gas workers arriving from amber list countries to undertake work on critical infrastructure in Scotland. They are still required to take a pre-departure test before travel, complete a passenger locator form before travelling to Scotland, book and take a testing package for days 2 and 8, self-isolate at home for 10 days when not at or travelling to and from a place where they are required to undertake the activities this exemption applies to and show a letter to Border Force from their employer outlining the work they will be doing.