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The first phase of a rail decarbonisation scheme to electrify the Fife route (Haymarket to Dalmeny section), is moving to construction.

Work on this estimated £55 million scheme will begin in June 2022 with the section between Haymarket and Dalmeny. It is due for completion by December 2024.

This scheme forms part of a rolling programme that is expected to see electrification extended to Dundee and Aberdeen.

Beyond this, further development work on the business cases for decarbonising the Borders Line has been approved to progress to the next design phase for partial electrification of the route using battery electric multiple units.

This continues the Scottish Government’s rolling programme of railway electrification, with work already in delivery on the East Kilbride and Barrhead routes.

Approval has also been given for a procurement competition to identify a preferred manufacturer and financier for new trains to operate decarbonised rail passenger services on the Fife and Borders routes .

Following receipt of the reprimand letter, the Scottish Government and NHS National Services Scotland immediately began addressing the recommendations set out by the ICO. Action was taken against every recommendation and the Permanent Secretary wrote to the ICO on behalf of both organisations on 28 March, inviting the ICO to review the improvements made.

The ICO Director of Regulatory Assurance has now concluded that no further investigation or action from the ICO is required following the ICO investigation of the NHS Scotland Covid Status app and the resultant actions taken by the Scottish Government and NHS National Services Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to working with the ICO to ensure we uphold information rights and data privacy of individuals.

In accordance with the Sewel Convention and in line with Rule 9B of Standing Orders, the UK Parliament should not legislate with regard to devolved matters – that is on matters within the legislative competence of the Parliament or which change the competence of the Parliament or the Scottish Ministers – without the consent of the Scottish Parliament.

Within the legislative programme announced by the UK Government, Bills which appear to give rise to the requirement for the legislative consent of the Scottish Parliament are:

Procurement

Trade (Australia and New Zealand)

Bill of Rights

Levelling Up and Regeneration

Energy Security Bill

Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill

Brexit Freedoms Bill

Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill

Social Security (Special Rules for End of Life) Bill

Transport

Modern Slavery

Data Reform Bill

In addition, the following Bills may extend to Scotland but at this stage it is unclear whether they will generate the requirement for an LCM:

UK Infrastructure Bank

Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill

Electronic Trade Documents Bill

Financial Services and Markets Bill

Higher Education Bill

Social Housing Regulation Bill

Harbours (Seafarers’ Remuneration) Bill

The Scottish Government will consider the content of all Bills before making its recommendation to the Parliament on legislative consent. It will then be for the Scottish Parliament to determine whether to give or withhold consent.

It is possible that legislative consent may be required for other UK Bills and those will be drawn to the attention of the Parliament as they arise.

Given the change in guidance on 18 April on asymptomatic testing and the ceasing of the universal testing offer as set out in the Test and Protect Transition Plan, it would no longer be appropriate for Covid Status Certification to be used domestically. We have therefore removed the guidance for customers and businesses on domestic certification from the Scottish Government website and the domestic function of the Covid Status app will be switched off shortly at a date to be agreed in line with the rest of the UK.  

The NHS Scotland Covid Status app will continue to be used to facilitate international travel for the foreseeable future until it is no longer required

Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 were made today.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No.6) Regulations 2022 amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 and will take effect on 4 April 2022.

The Amendment Regulations remove the requirement to wear a face covering for persons who enter or remain indoors within a place of worship, and in any other indoor public place whilst it is being used as a place of worship.

These Regulations also remove the requirement for those at a marriage ceremony, civil partnership registration, funeral or commemorative event related to the end of a person’s life to wear a face covering for the duration of the event. The requirement is removed in respect of such ceremonies and events in all indoor places.

The Regulations have been published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2022/123

I am delighted to advise Parliament that Dr Jacqueline Taylor, past President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, will be the Independent Chair of the National Audiology Review Group. Dr Taylor brings a wealth of Scotland wide clinical and training experience to the role. She will provide strong leadership in the delivery of an independent and evidence led review.

While it will be for the Chair to determine how the review is best taken forward, I know we share the determination that the outcome of the review leads us to ensuring our hearing services are fit for purpose across Scotland. The National Audiology Review Group will be tasked with providing recommendations for a national plan for improvement. To achieve this we will also work closely with our partners and wider stakeholders.

A further update will be provided to Parliament detailing the remit of the review, its membership and timetable for reporting once it has been agreed with the Chair.

Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 were made today.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 5) Regulations 2022 (“the Amendment Regulations”) amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (“the Principal Regulations”) and will take effect on 28 February 2022.

The Amendment Regulations remove from the Principal Regulations the provisions in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine certification scheme. In particular, these Regulations:

• remove the requirement for persons responsible for certain premises to operate a reasonable system for checking that persons on, or seeking to enter, their premises are fully vaccinated against coronavirus, have received appropriate test results, or are otherwise exempt from the requirement to demonstrate that they are fully vaccinated.
• remove the requirement for certain premises to prepare a compliance plan describing how their systems will operate and other measures in place to prevent or minimise the spread of coronavirus.
• remove the requirement to treat information as confidential, and;
• remove supplemental provisions in relation to licensing for certain premises.

The Regulations have been published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2022/74

Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 were made today.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No.3) Regulations 2022 amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (“the principal regulations”) and will take effect on 28 January 2022 at 05.00 am.

The Amendment Regulations amend exemptions from face covering requirements in the principal regulations which exempt a person from face covering requirements in certain indoor places where a specific distance is maintained between the exempted person and other people or where they are separated from other people by a partition. This changes the distance to be maintained between persons who are not wearing face coverings from at least two metres to at least one metre – this includes

• employees and volunteers in certain places
• a person leading an act of worship in a place of worship
• a person leading a funeral, marriage ceremony or civil partnership registration
• parties to be married or entering into a civil partnership
• a person performing, presenting, addressing a public gathering, making a speech or acting as a panel member and;
• a person performing or rehearsing for a performance where certain circumstances apply.

The Regulations also amend the requirement that a face covering must be worn in any indoor communal area in a workplace, where there is no partition, or where people are not otherwise separated by a specified minimum distance, to change the specified minimum distance between persons who are not required to wear a face covering from at least two metres to at least one metre.

The Regulations also exempt a person travelling on a ferry, who is not outdoors, from wearing a face covering where a distance of at least one metre is maintained from other persons, as opposed to at least two metres.

The Regulations have been published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2022/29 .

The Scottish Government has today announced an Independent Chair is to be appointed to oversee a Review of Audiology Services in Scotland.

The appointee will provide leadership to a National Audiology Review Group established to examine hearing services provided to both children and adults in Health Boards across Scotland.

As I have previously stated to Parliament, it is vital that we are confident in the quality and effectiveness of our audiology service in Scotland. To do this, we need to identify any potential wider issues and what recommendations need to be taken forward across NHS Scotland to ensure our audiology service is fit for purpose and support our commitment to the needs of children and people living with a sensory impairment.

The group will provide recommendations for a national plan for improvement.

The Scottish Government will provide a further update to Parliament detailing the remit of the review, its membership and timetable for reporting once an appointment has been made.

Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 were made today.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No.2) Regulations 2022 amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (“the principal regulations”) and will take effect on 24 January 2022.

The Amendment Regulations remove the capacity limits for live events held indoors and the definition of a live event.

The regulations also remove the requirement to take measures to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that a distance of 1 metre is maintained between people on or waiting to enter hospitality and leisure premises and that only enough people are admitted to the premises to allow the 1 metre distance to be maintained.

The regulations remove the requirement for table service in premises where alcohol is sold for consumption on the premises, and that the customer must remain seated whilst consuming food and drink on the premises.

The regulations also remove the requirement for the closure of nightclubs to members of the public and amend the definition of ‘late night premises’ in the Principal Regulations in relation to the certification requirements.

The Regulations have been published at www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2022/13/contents/made