Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32875 on 11 November 2020. The 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 .

Contacts are traced from information collected and made available to Test and Protect by Incident Management Teams. This allows Test and Protect to contact those who may have been exposed to the virus in a particular setting, and request them to take appropriate steps to prevent potential onward spread.

Public Health Scotland has produced a table of settings and events that index cases have attended over the previous 7 days. This is based on interviews conducted with cases identified in the Case Management System and involves cases recalling where they have been in the 7 days prior to symptom onset (or date of test if asymptomatic).

https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/population-health/covid-19/covid-19-statistical-report/

However, Public Health Scotland cannot infer from the figures whether a specific setting or an event indicates where the COVID-19 transmission took place. This is because cases may have attended multiple settings or events within a short space of time, some of which may be low risk settings and events where it is highly improbable that transmission took place. In addition, it is possible that even though a case visited a few settings and events, transmission may have taken place within their home setting.

I recognise that this has been and continues to be an extremely difficult time for students, particularly for those who would normally have taken up employment opportunities during their studies.

Eligible students in Further and Higher Education have continued to access bursary, grant and loan payments throughout the pandemic.

In addition to that, the Scottish Government provided emergency funding earlier this year of £5 million to support students impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. We also provided early access to £11.4 million of Higher Education Discretionary Funds to support students over the summer period and into this academic year. £2M was brought forward for Further Education students at college by the Scottish Funding Council.

I also announced a Digital Inclusion Fund of £5 million to support access to digital equipment and tackle digital poverty.

Finally, the First Minister announced £1.32 million of additional funding to help students deal with the mental health impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

If students are facing financial hardship due to the reduced employment opportunities as a result of Covid-19, they should continue to apply for discretionary fund support from their college or university.

Our Strategic Framework states clearly that if a local authority area has been placed in level 3 or 4, there should be no non-essential travel in or out of the area. This applies to use of campervans for overnight stays, as the purpose of travel would be leisure which is deemed non-essential.

Travel between devolved nations is restricted unless for essential purposes.

Leisure travel and overnight stays are permitted within areas designated as level 0,1 or 2, so campervan users residing in these levels may travel between them freely, including staying overnight. Covid guidance and restrictions must be respected at all times. Transit through areas designated as level 3 or 4 is also permitted, provided you do not stop.

Users residing in level 3 may only use a campervan for leisure purposes, including overnight, within their own local authority area (other than when being used for essential travel purposes). Use of campervans (other than when being used for essential travel purposes) is discouraged in level 4 areas, in line with restrictions on tourism.

If users elect not to use a formal campsite they should be aware that the Scottish Outdoor Access Code does not cover vehicular camping, and should follow normal good practice for ‘freedom camping’, including seeking the landowner’s permission, and respecting local communities.

The Scottish Government has now introduced short term regulations that will make breaching travel restrictions a punishable offence. We would ask therefore that those undertaking such trips ensure that they plan their trip in advance and keep up to date with the information to ensure any travel for leisure purposes is compliant with the Strategic Framework.

Throughout the pandemic, the Scottish Government has kept families informed via the Parent Club website, which contains information and FAQs on key subjects, including informal childcare. This has been publicised using social media and via partners. A recent targeted social media post regarding informal childcare was viewed by over 245,000 people.

Wider Parent Club activity has included a campaign around the new levels approach, directing families to the information on Parentclub.scot. This has been supported by work with partners such as local authorities, health boards, and charities. We reached out to SG Partners via email on three separate occasions to update them on SG informal childcare guidance . This included sharing information and materials, and directing families to Parent Club for more information.

Information is also regularly shared with a range of partners who work with families –such as Parentline Scotland and One Parent Families Scotland who provide families with information, including via helplines.

Information on the additional support needs of school children is not held on a month by month basis but is collected annually in September as part of the pupil census. The statistics from the 2019 census are published on the Scottish Government website here:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/pupil-census-supplementary-statistics/

These statistics show that 23,211 school pupils were reported as having dyslexia as a reason for support in September 2019.

The equivalent statistics from the September 2020 census will be published in March 2021

As stated in the revised ‘COVID-19: visiting guidance for hospitals in Scotland’ a birth partner supporting a woman during hospital visits is ‘essential’. This includes a birth partner accompanying a women during active labour and birth.

In July we published our Maternity and Neonatal visiting guidance and this is currently being reviewed in light of the recently announced ‘ COVID-19 local protection levels’ within the Strategic Framework, however birth partners will remain essential in all levels.

The Scottish Government has confirmed the life assurance scheme is being extended to cover college students studying HNC Care and Administrative Practice and HNC Healthcare Practice, while undertaking placements in health and social care settings. This will ensure that clinical placements can progress as planned.

The NHS Scotland and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme 2020 was introduced to ensure that no qualified person was discouraged or prevented from returning to service in NHS Scotland as a result of the pandemic, and ensure that all staff have peace of mind at this time. The scheme was subsequently extended to cover university students on health programmes who undertake clinical placements as part of their course.

The Scottish Government recognises the important role that colleges play in widening access for students to higher education and to the health professions.

The Scottish Government issued COVID-19 guidance on travel and transport states that anyone living in a Protection Level 3 or Level 4 local authority area should avoid unnecessary travel outwith their area, although we also recognise there may be a limited number of cases it may be necessary to do so.

This includes travel for work, or to provide voluntary or charitable services, where they cannot be done from home. Our guidance on travel and transport is available on the Scottish Government’s website through the following link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-travel-and-transport/

At the moment, face-to-face cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in communities has been put on hold due to Covid related restrictions. However, the Save A Life for Scotland Partnership - which also includes Police Scotland, the British Heart Foundation, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Ambulance Service - have a range of resources available on their website for both adults and children to safely learn how to perform CPR in the comfort of their own homes or offices during lockdown. These resources are available through the following link: https://www.savealife.scot/our-resources/

In the case of teaching first aid classes in schools, there is no statutory curriculum in Scottish schools. Therefore education authorities, and individual schools themselves, have the flexibility to decide whether they wish to offer first aid education at this point in time. Where they wish to do so, these decisions should be informed through individual risk assessments and following the protocols set out in the Scottish Government’s guidance on minimising the risk of COVID-19 in schools. This guidance is available on the Scottish Government’s website through the following link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-reducing-the-risks-in-schools/pages/protection-levels-3-and-4/

As outlined in my statement to Parliament on 7 October, due to the continuing disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, we can no longer risk the running of a full Exam Diet in 2021.

In line with the recommendations made to me by Professor Mark Priestley in his independent review of the National Qualifications experience in 2020, I have asked SQA to take an alternative approach to National 5 accreditation in 2021 rather than the usual exams.

In taking this decision on National 5 exams, it means that we can build an exam diet for Highers and Advanced Highers that is as safe as it possibly can be. These exams will begin on 10 May, later than normal to give S5 and S6 pupils back approximately two weeks of the learning time they lost earlier this year. This additional time, in conjunction with the course assessment modifications that SQA have made following its consultation, give the greatest chances of these exams being implemented fairly.

The decision to go ahead with the 2021 Exam Diet for Highers and Advanced Highers is being kept under continual review. It remains vitally important that we continue to take due regard of the latest public health advice to safeguard the health of all learners, whilst ensuring that their hard work is recognised in the awarding of qualifications. Given the potential for further disruption, contingency plans for these courses are being developed, and a final decision will be made no later than mid-February.