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The Expert Reference Group on COVID-19 and Ethnicity (ERG) was set up at pace in June 2020, in response to emerging evidence that people from some Minority Ethnic backgrounds may be disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, both in terms of adverse health outcomes and in a wider context, including economically. The ERG was convened to consider and inform these issues, ensuring that the Scottish Government had an accurate understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on Minority Ethnic communities in Scotland, and that our policy responses reflected this.

The ERG’s membership consists of academics and other expert advisers alongside Scottish Government officials, working to contribute to the Scottish Government’s emerging approach, and advise on proposed actions to mitigate the harms felt by Minority Ethnic communities in relation to COVID-19.

Detailed Terms of Reference for the ERG have been in draft since shortly after its launch, based on the broad remit set out above. Cementing the Terms has been an iterative and collaborative piece of work, with the agreement of ERG members playing the central role; this is an ongoing process. However, this has not prevented the ERG from delivering a set of challenging and wide-ranging recommendations to the Scottish Government, which we intend to provide a cross-portfolio response to in the near future.

The Scottish Government is conscious that the members of the ERG have volunteered a significant amount of their time to contribute to this vital work, and we are very thankful for that contribution.

As part of phase 3 of the NHS dental remobilisation plan a dental circular was issued by the Chief Dental Officer (CDO) to NHS Boards and dentists on 7 August. This provided guidance on the requirements for ensuring the supply of enhanced PPE including face masks, with appropriate fit-testing for those practices opting to provide NHS treatments requiring aerosol generating procedures (AGPs). Practices and Boards were advised on a broad range of measures including staffing levels, dates for fit-testing, matching the supply of PPE with demand as well as ongoing free access to PPE.

Practices were also instructed that they must operate in compliance with sectoral guidance under the national dental framework (SDR Amendment No 147), scientific guidance from the clinical effective programme SDCEP and on physical distancing measures, whilst ensuring that appropriate PPE stocks were in place. Practices were also directed to ensure sign off from their respective NHS Boards.

The CDO signalled to the sector on 24 June that the Scottish Government were considering the evidence and guidance around AGPs and that following an expert review the Scottish Government would draw on a range of evidence to help determine appropriate PPE use with AGP treatments. This guidance was updated on 10 July and again on 30 July.

Additional guidance for NHS dentists detailing ongoing access to and use and supply of PPE is also provided in collaboration with SG by the Health & Safety Executive and from NHS Boards.

The are no provisions in the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Bill that relate to the Victim Notification Scheme.

Victims of offenders sentenced to less than 18 months imprisonment are already entitled to know the date of the release or escape of the offender and can ask to receive this information by contacting the Scottish Prison Service.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-31292 on 26 August 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 Victims Taskforce last met on 9 September 2020. The agenda covered: minutes of the previous meeting on 10 June 2020 and matters arising; 'victims voices' - feedback on victims experience of the justice system from victim support organisations; an update on the justice system Recover, Renew and Transform programme; and an update on each of the work streams in the Taskforce work plan.

Papers and minutes of meetings of the Taskforce are published on the Scottish Government website http://www.gov.scot/groups/victims-taskforce/

The Victims’ Fund is supported through Victim Support Scotland’s grant award from the Scottish Government. In 2020-21 this award was for up to £4,708,700.

This grant funding originates from the 2020-21 level 3 Victim / Witness Support budget of £18.7 million, as set out in table 9.10 of the Scottish Government Budget 2020-21 https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2020-21/

In response to the pandemic, the Scottish Government provided Victim Support Scotland with a grant increase for 2020-21 of £70,000 to enable them to increase the Victims’ Fund from £30,000 to £100,000.

Since April, the Fund has supported over 200 individuals who have been in urgent need of financial help. Victims are accessing support worth up to £3,000 for food vouchers, help with bills and practical assistance for domestic abuse victims who may have to urgently leave their homes, amongst other types of support.

Victim Support Scotland has subsequently been able to use more of its 2020-21 grant award of £4,708,700 from the Scottish Government to add to the Victims’ Fund.

Expenditure on Restorative Justice Action Plan activity to date is as follows:

2019-20

£345.89 - SACRO. Stakeholder Workshop, held February 2020.

£130,388 - Grant to University of Strathclyde. This is to support a 3 year (2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23), part-time Restorative Justice national co-ordinator for youth justice in the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ). .

2020-21

£8,200 - Ipsos Mori. An opinion monitor survey on Restorative Justice carried out in June 2020 - 1014 respondents were surveyed via telephone.

In addition to the above expenditure, £153,000 grant funding (£51,000 per year for 3 years) has been committed to Community Justice Scotland to support a full-time national Restorative Justice coordinator working within adult justice (in collaboration with the CYCJ post). The post is expected to be in place by the end of 2020. As with the CYCJ post, the post will be in place for 3 years (2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23).

The Parole Board (Scotland) Rules 2001 determine the factors that may be taken into account by Parole Board members when making a decision to release a prisoner. Work is currently underway to amend the rules to make it clear that the safety and security of a victim, or family member of a victim, is included as one of those factors. This change will come into force early next year.

Police Scotland has been at the front and centre of the response to COVID-19 in Scotland, and continues to work closely with partners including local authorities and the NHS to support the response. We continue to be grateful to both police officers and staff who put themselves in harm’s way to protect the public.

This year the Scottish Government has increased funding for policing by £60 million to more than £1.2 billion. This 5.1% rise, compared to 2019-20, is ensuring that Police Scotland can maintain officer numbers, enhance its community policing capability and maintain and modernise its estate.

At 30 June 2020, there were 17,273 officers, which issignificantly above the level inherited in 2007, with a higher number of officers than at any time during the previous administration.

The demands on policing have been unprecedented over the last few months, and while Police Scotland has a key role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, it continues to respond to a wide range of crimes. This was highlighted in the Police Scotland submission to the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing in June 2002, which stated:

“ Despite organisational change caused by the pandemic there has not been, nor will there be, any change in Police Scotland’s key priority to protect vulnerable individuals and reduce harm ”

The Chief Constable’s most recent report to the SPA Board highlighted a range of areas, apart from policing the COVID-19 pandemic, in which Police Scotland continues to work successfully, including: serious violence including homicide, serious organised crime, drug supply and harm, road safety and road crime and international human trafficking. It was further reported to the same meeting that domestic crime and the potential for supressed vulnerability remain a significant concern and priority. Police Scotland has taken steps to identify those at risk and give support to those who need their help.

The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland to monitor and manage the financial impacts of COVID-19 on the policing budget. Where relevant, this includes the latest information on the impact of the pandemic on levels of recorded crime in Scotland (taken from an associated release of monthly Official Statistics).