Seòmar agus comataidhean

As outlined in the Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on reducing the risks in schools guidance, published 16 August 2021, from 9 August our approach to contact tracing and self-isolation for close contacts aged under 18, including those attending schools, has changed. Close contacts aged under 18 who are identified by Test and Protect as requiring to do so will be asked to self-isolate and book a PCR test. If this is negative they can end self-isolation provided they remain asymptomatic.

Exemptions from PCR testing apply to close contacts who are aged under 5, or who for medical reasons are unable to be tested or are exempt. Parents or carers should seek advice from their GP or the local Health Protection team to obtain this exemption if their child is unable to get tested. For these groups, a PCR test will not be required to end self-isolation.

The approach to children aged under 5 reflects the lower risks of infection and transmission in this age group, and the fact that younger children may find it harder to tolerate testing. However, children under 5 who are close contacts remain encouraged to take a PCR test where possible.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02400 on 31 August 2021 . All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Historic Environment Scotland is conducting inspections at present with an initial phase to be completed by the first week in September as per its inspection programme. A number of properties have been assessed to date and the next steps are currently being considered. Decisions will be taken by the appropriate technical specialists and with a primary focus on the health and safety of staff, contractors and visitors.

In the period when the hormone diethylstilbestrol (DES) was prescribed to pregnant women no central information system for drugs prescribed to individuals existed. Consequently, information on the precise number of women exposed to and who went on to develop cancer is unknown.

The Mobilisation Recovery Group (MRG) was an advisory group established by the previous Cabinet Secretary under Re-mobilise, Recover, Re-design: the Framework for NHS Scotland.

Membership, the dates on which meetings took place, and minutes of those meetings can be found on the MRG website, available at Mobilisation Recovery Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Minutes include a list of attendees at each meeting. The number of attendees varied depending on the meeting.

In 2021, the MRG met on 22 January, 15 February, 5 March, 26 March, and 16 April. All meetings scheduled to take place after Friday 16 April have been cancelled. Meetings were scheduled to take place on 5 June, 25 June, 16 July, 6 August, 27 August, 24 September, 15 October, 5 November, and 3 December.

The minute of the meeting held on 16 April will be published on the website shortly.

People who have been fully vaccinated in the EU or the US will be able to travel to Scotland from amber list countries without quarantining from Monday (2 August).

"Fully vaccinated" means that it has been at least 14 days since receiving the final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

To count as fully vaccinated, travellers must also have been vaccinated in one of these countries:

• the UK, including as part of a UK vaccine rollout overseas - with an NHS approved vaccine.
• an EU member state - with a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
• Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City - with a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or the Swiss vaccination programme.
• the USA - with a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

they must also:

• declare that you have been fully vaccinated on the passenger locator form
• take a COVID-19 test before travelling to Scotland – if they are travelling from Spain, it is recommended that they choose a PCR test before departure
• book and pay £68 for a COVID-19 PCR test – they should take this test within 2 days of arriving in Scotland and must book the testing kit using the CTM Booking Portal

The accepted documentation referenced is the EU Digital Covid Certificate and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s white card – known as a CDC card. We have updated our international travel guidance on the Scottish Government website to reflect this change. The most up to date information is available here : Coronavirus (COVID-19): international travel and managed isolation (quarantine) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Green Book notes that immunosuppression is one of the clinical risk groups for COVID-19 immunisation. This immunosuppression may be due to disease or treatment, including patients undergoing chemotherapy leading to immunosuppression, patients undergoing radical radiotherapy, solid organ transplant recipients, bone marrow or stem cell transplant recipients, HIV infection at all stages, multiple myeloma or genetic disorders affecting the immune system (e.g. IRAK-4, NEMO, complement disorder, SCID).

All the UK governments receive their expert clinical advice from the JCVI and the Committee has been closely monitoring this issue throughout the vaccination programme both from real world data from the UK programme and from the literature review from across the world.

The Committee are fully aware of the potential sub-optimal response to two doses of the vaccine by some immunosuppressed individuals and that’s why they recommended that these groups of people should be given highest priority for a booster programme in the autumn.

Furthermore, the Scottish Government welcome the results of the OCTAVE study led by Prof. McInesss of Glasgow University. OCTAVE is one of a number of studies looking at vaccine effectiveness through measuring immune response.

The study found that “while 40% of these clinically at-risk patient groups were found to have a low or undetectable immune response after a double dose of the vaccine, we are encouraged that this figure isn’t higher. However, it is possible even partial protection may be clinically beneficial, and this is something we will closely monitor."

These preliminary results of OCTAVE and the results of continuing and forthcoming research will be instrumental in helping inform how best to vaccinate patients with immunosuppressed conditions and protect them from COVID-19 infection in the future.

We await the JCVI’s final advice on any potential Covid-19 booster programme, with the interim advice being that this should begin in September 2021, in order to maximise protection in those who are most vulnerable to serious COVID-19 symptoms ahead of the winter months.

The Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has had a budget of £10 million per annum over the last five financial years - being a total of £50m.

The programme is managed so as to achieve an annual outturn figure that is as near as possible to budget in each financial year. Actual spend in any given financial year depends on the date that assets are acquired (as opposed to when funding is approved). The length of time from approval of award to completion of sale and drawdown of funds varies. This means that, at the time an award is made, it is not possible to know with certainty when drawdown will happen, making it very challenging to exactly match actual spend to the annual budget.

The Fund has a two-stage application process. It offers grants of between £2000 and £30,000 at Stage 1 to help with project development, and between £10,000 and £1 million for acquisition at Stage 2. It is demand-led.

To be successful, applicants need to be suitably constituted, geographically-based voluntary/community organisations who can demonstrate that their project will be well managed and financially sustainable. They must show that their proposals:

• are supported by the local community
• represent value for money and
• will achieve more sustainable economic, social and/or environmental development through the ownership of land and/or buildings

Applicants are supported throughout the application process by experienced Scottish Land Fund advisers. The Fund is managed by the National Lottery Community Fund. An independent Committee oversees the SLF and scrutinises applications for funding for acquisition.

Figures for funds unspent in the Scottish Land Fund at the end of each of the last five financial years are as follows:

2016-17 £4,813,355*

2017-18 £0*

2018-19 £1,127,500

2019-20 £12,189

2020-21 £254,336

*Awards made in 2016-17 included a grant of £4.4 million to the North West Mull Community Group for the acquisition of the island of Ulva. This grant was paid out when the transaction settled in June 2017, bringing the outturn for 2017-18 for the Scottish Land Fund to £11,701,431.

I refer the member to the answer to the answer to question
‎ S6W-01088 on 30 August 2021 . All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .