SP Energy Networks has launched a recruitment drive for 152 green jobs to help support multi-billion pound network investment
Roles in engineering, construction, sustainability, analysis, safety, environmental planning available with the majority, 135, based in Central and Southern Scotland
These green jobs will be at the forefront of the transformation of the electricity network in the region and vital to delivering Net Zero
SP Energy Networks has launched its largest recruitment drive this century with 152 green jobs on offer over the next four months. The news was announced this morning as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited SP Energy Networks’ training centre, Dealain House, to announce the New Green Jobs Workforce Academy.
The 152 green jobs will be at the forefront of work to enhance the electricity network to enable the rapid uptake of renewables and low carbon technologies needed to help Scotland and the wider UK reach its Net Zero target.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:“To help tackle climate change Scotland is already investing in green skills and attracting new green job opportunities. It is great to see ScottishPower creating 135 new green jobs in Scotland and I would encourage other employers to follow their lead.
“The Academy’s career advisors stand ready to support individuals interested in these jobs access the right training to help their career progress.
“Looking ahead to COP26 in Glasgow in November, Scotland can be proud that our climate change ambitions, backed by investment in creating a highly skilled green workforce, will be showcased on an international stage.”
In the year when Glasgow hosts the UN’s climate change summit, COP26, the Glasgow headquartered company is pleased to be able to offer such a diverse range of green opportunities.
Frank Mitchell, CEO of SP Energy Networks, explains more:“With less than 100 days to go to COP26 in Glasgow, we’re bringing truly green jobs to Scotland to support the country with its ambitions to be Net Zero by 2045.
“These roles offer a variety of career opportunities in a company that is committed to Net Zero and is investing millions of pounds every single day to help bring about a cleaner, greener future.”
The majority of roles will be based in Central and Southern Scotland where SP Energy Networks is responsible for the operation and maintenance of over 4,000km of cables and lines that make up the transmission network. This network connects generation infrastructure like windfarms into the electricity system and transports that electricity onto towns and cities.
Over the next five years, SP Energy Networks is investing £2 billion in its transmission network to support the increase in renewable energy needed to meet Scotland’s climate change targets and to ensure a resilient and reliant network fit for the future as electricity demand grows.
To help deliver this investment, SP Energy Networks is recruiting 126 candidates who will work across a number of major projects to build a transmission network fit for Net Zero.
This increases the staff employed in SP Energy Networks Transmission business by over 25% and is on top of the 135 apprentices and graduates across SP Energy Networks who started this year.
An additional 26 positions will be recruited into SP Energy Networks Distribution business to accelerate projects that support Net Zero ambitions.
These posts offer long-term, skilled roles across varying disciplines including engineering, project management, construction, environmental planning and sustainability.
Frank adds: “We currently directly employ around 2,700 staff and over the next 12 months we are embarking on our largest recruitment drive in over 20 years. This demonstrates the scale of work we’re about to begin, investing billions in our network to help the UK reach its climate change targets.
“In our transmission business alone, we’re investing £2bn out to 2026 and we’re only just beginning. We also have very ambitious plans for our distribution businesses, and if our plans are agreed with Ofgem, we will be expanding these new 152 roles considerably.
“The opportunities we have range from Planning Engineers to Programme Analysts to Project Managers and offer long-term, green jobs that will be right at the heart of the transition to Net Zero through a green economic recovery.
“We’re about to start work on a number of major projects critical to helping Scotland achieve its climate ambitions and you could be part of it. I would encourage anyone with an interest to come forward and see if a career with SP Energy Networks is for you.”
Further information on the roles available can be found here:
Poet and essayist Kathleen Jamie has been appointed as Scotland’s next Makar.First Minister Nicola Sturgeon formally welcomed her to the role at the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh yesterday.
The role of Makar involves taking a leadership role in promoting poetry nationally, as well as producing work relating to significant national events.
Ms Jamie was appointed by the First Minister for a three-year term on the recommendation of an expert panel representing Scotland’s literary sector.
She is the fourth person to hold the role since it was established by the Scottish Parliament in 2004, following in the footsteps of Jackie Kay, Liz Lochhead, and Edwin Morgan.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am delighted to confirm Kathleen Jamie as our national poet.
“Poetry is integral to Scotland’s culture and history. The Makar has a central role in celebrating that legacy, and preserving its future by encouraging the next generation of young writers to leave their mark.
“Kathleen is a highly accomplished poet who is known for her works in English and Scots, and the meaningful connections her writing draws between our lives and the landscape around us. I have no doubt she will continue to build on the exceptional work of her predecessors to promote Scottish poetry both here and abroad.”
Kathleen Jamie said: “I am honoured and delighted to be appointed as Scotland’s new Makar. The post confirms a weel-kent truth: that poetry abides at the heart of Scottish culture, in all our languages, old and new. It’s mysterious, undefinable and bold. It runs deep and sparkles at once.
“Liz Lochhead, Jackie Kay and the late Edwin Morgan have held this post before me, a trio of major poets. If I can achieve half of their outreach, humour and wisdom, not to mention their wonderful verse, I’ll be doing well. I am grateful to the selection panel for such a vote of confidence in my work, and to the First Minister for her endorsement and support.
“My task as I see it is to meet folk, to support and encourage poetry, to laugh and lament and witness, and occasionally speak to our national life. I’m excited to begin.”
Asif Khan, Director at Scottish Poetry Library said: “Kathleen Jamie is a generational talent – an exceptional Scottish writer of any era. Jamie’s poetry and prose sits with the best writing in English anywhere in the world.
“The poetry library looks forward to supporting the new Makar’s programme of engagement at a time when poetry is treasured as an art form that can heal and unite communities, as well as inspire our young people, including New Scots, to see the world differently and reflect on their role in it.”
Alan Bett, Head of Literature & Publishing at Creative Scotland said: “Kathleen Jamie is an excellent choice for The Makar, Scotland’s national poet. The quality of her work speaks for itself, and that work can and will speak to so many people across Scotland and beyond.
“The work can also speak to and challenge the current environmental context, with a strong focus on place and nature. I would like to offer my warm congratulations to Kathleen on this announcement and look forward to the creative projects that will connect her poetry with the nation.”
More than 120 organisations from across Scotland are urging First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to double the Scottish Child Payment in this year’s Programme for Government.
The campaigners say the 1 in 4 children living in poverty in Scotland cannot wait.
In an open letter the End Child Poverty coalition is calling on The First Minister to “do the right thing” to help thousands of poverty-stricken children and families.
The letter in full:
Dear First Minister,
As a broad coalition of national organisations, community groups, academics, trade unions and faith groups, we are writing to you to urge you to use the upcoming Programme for Government to commit to doubling the Scottish Child Payment in this year’s budget.
We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to tackling child poverty, evidenced in the setting of statutory child poverty targets, introducing the Scottish Child Payment and the upcoming incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. These steps have laid the foundation for tackling child poverty in Scotland and we have been delighted that they have been supported across Scotland’s political spectrum.
This cross-party agreement was also evident in May’s Holyrood elections, when all Scotland’s five main political parties committed to doubling the Scottish Child Payment. Such political consensus is welcome, and provides the opportunity for your government to act quickly and decisively in doubling the payment now.
To do so would provide a lifeline to families who are struggling to stay afloat. Even before Covid-19, people across Scotland were being swept up in a rising tide of poverty, with child poverty rising in every Scottish local authority. And the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities in Scotland and pulled many more people – particularly women, disabled people, and Black and minority ethnic people – into hardship.
With women’s poverty being inextricably linked to child poverty, the pandemic’s impact has pulled children across Scotland ever deeper into poverty. It has hit lone parents – the overwhelming majority of whom are women – particularly hard, a group already disproportionately affected by years of social security cuts.
Unlocking people from this poverty requires long-term work to tackle the structural inequalities around the labour market – particularly for women, disabled people and Black and minority ethnic people – and it will also require action like further expanding childcare provision. But we also need action now to boost incomes in the short term.
Every level of government has a duty to boost incomes where it can, and we are clear that the UK Government must scrap its planned and unjust £20 Universal Credit cut. But just as the UK Government has a moral responsibility to do the right thing, so too does the Scottish Government have a moral responsibility to use all of the powers at its disposal to loosen the grip of poverty on people’s lives.
We have the powers, we have the urgent need, and we have the cross-party consensus to double the Scottish Child Payment. If your government is to truly make ending child poverty a ‘national mission’, and if we are to ensure that a more just Scotland emerges from the pandemic, then we must not delay. Children growing up in the grip of poverty right now – as well as their parents and care-givers – simply cannot endure until the end of this Parliament to be unlocked from poverty. Their lives and life chances are too important for this action to wait.
The evidence is clear that if it is doubled now, it will represent the single most impactful action that could be taken to help meet the interim child poverty targets in 2023, and would signal that ending child poverty will be a defining priority for this Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament. If it is not, more and more children will be pulled into poverty and the opportunity to meet the interim child poverty targets will be missed. Under the current roll out plan and value, the Scottish Child Payment will reduce poverty in Scotland by between 2 and 3 percentage points. This could leave child poverty rates as high as 26% in 2023/24, when the interim target in legislation for that year is 18%. We cannot allow that to happen.
We therefore urge your government to do the right thing, to capitalise on the cross-party consensus that already exists, and to commit to doubling the Scottish Child Payment in this year’s budget. We look forward to your response.
Kind regards,
Peter Kelly, Director, Poverty Alliance
Claire Telfer, Head of Scotland, Save the Children
Paul Carberry, Director for Scotland, Action for Children
SallyAnn Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, Aberlour
John Dickie, Director, CPAG Scotland
Martin Crewe, Director, Barnardo’s Scotland
Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland
Satwat Rehman, Director, One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS)
Amy Woodhouse, Joint Interim CEO, Children in Scotland
Christine Carlin, Scotland Director, Home-Start UK
Clare Simpson, Manager, Parenting Across Scotland
Anna Ritchie Allan, Executive Director, Close the Gap
Polly Jones, Head of Scotland, The Trussell Trust
Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive, Children 1st
Eilidh Dickson, Policy and Parliamentary Manager, Engender
Hugh Foy, Director, Xaverians UK Region
Russell Gunson, Director, IPPR Scotland
Dr Patrycja Kupiec, CEO, YWCA Scotland – The Young Women’s Movement
The Rt Hon Lord Wallace of Tankerness QC (Jim Wallace), Moderator of the General Assembly, The Church of Scotland
Emma Cormack, Chief Executive Officer, The Health Agency
Gillian Kirkwood, Chief Executive, Y sort it Youth Centre
Agnes Tolmie, Chair, Scottish Women’s Convention
Linda Tuthill, CEO, The Action Group
Steven McCluskey, CEO, Bikes for Refugees
Trishna Singh OBE, Director, Sikh Sanjog
Professor Adrian Sinfield, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, University of Edinburgh
Jimmy Wilson, CEO, FARE Scotland
Ian Bruce, Chief Executive, Glasgow CVS
Revd Gary Noonan, Minister, Houston and Killellan Kirk
Jacqui Reid, Project Lead, EBI Unites
Innes McMinn, Manager, Independent Living Support
Suzanne Slavin, CEO, Ayr Housing Aid Centre
Fiona Rae, Interim Chief Executive, Community Food Initiatives North East
Mhairi Snowden, Director, Human Rights Consortium Scotland
Juliet Harris, Director, Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights
Tressa Burke, CEO, Glasgow Disability Alliance
Martin Wilkie-McFarlane, Director, Wellhouse Housing Association
Morna Simpkins, Scotland Director, MS Society
Kara Batchelor, Operations Manager, Alexander’s Community Development
Murray Dawson, Chief Executive, Station House Media Unit
Ashli Mullen, Creative Director, Friends of Romano Lav
Professor John McKendrick, Co-Director of the Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University
Justina Murray, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol
A West Dunbartonshire nurse, who found herself in the limelight when she vaccinated the First Minister, has been reflecting on her pandemic experience.
The day job normally for Elaine Anderson (51) is vaccinating school pupils against diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria and polio, but since January she’s been at the forefront of the Covid vaccination programme.
Elaine, from Clydebank, said: “Early on it was recognised that the School Immunisation teams had a great deal of experience in this area and as the schools were closed, we were brought into the Covid vaccination programme.
“It’s been an absolute honour, really quite overwhelming actually. In the beginning, people were coming in, often it was the first time they had been out of the house in months. Some were in tears, there was such relief.
“There’s been a real sense of solidarity – we are in this Covid war together and we will beat it.
“I have met so any great people from so many walks of life. Everyone has a story. So many interesting people I would never normally meet. Now we are vaccinating the young people which is fabulous. Many just say please get it into me – they just want go get back to normality.”
In April, Elaine found herself in front of the cameras when she gave the First Minister her first vaccination – the day Nicola Sturgeon referred to vaccinators as “heroes”.
Elaine said: “It was another honour. She was lovely and quite emotional. My son was very impressed and was telling all his friends his mum is famous as she vaccinated Nicola! Nicola, not even the First Minister!
“Nothing makes me happier than looking out the window and seeing people in their droves, lining up to get their vaccination. There’s such excitement; I get a real buzz. My parting line to them is please don’t have a vaccination party!”
First Minister confirms relaxation of restrictions from Monday
The legal requirement for physical distancing and limits on gatherings will be removed on 9 August when all venues across Scotland are able to re-open.
Some protective measures will stay in place such as the use of face coverings indoors and the collection of contact details as part of Test and Protect. Capacity limits of 2000 people indoors and 5000 people outdoors will also remain in place although some exceptions may be possible on a case by case basis. These will be reviewed on a three weekly basis to ensure they remain proportionate.
Adults identified as close contacts of someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 will also no longer be automatically required to self-isolate for 10 days from 9 August. Anyone who is double-vaccinated with at least two weeks passed since their second dose and who has no symptoms will be able to end self-isolation if they return a negative PCR test.
The same conditions will also apply to anyone aged between five and 17 years old, even if they have not been vaccinated. The requirement to take a PCR test will not apply to children under the age of five.
Test and Protect will also implement revised guidance for under 18s. This means that the blanket isolation of whole classes in schools will no longer happen and a targeted approach, that only identifies children and young people who are higher risk close contacts, will be adopted.
Fewer young people will have to self-isolate, and most will be asked to self-isolate for a much shorter period of time. To allow time to monitor the impacts of these changes, the majority of the mitigations that were in place in schools in the previous term will be retained for up to six weeks. This will help support a safe and sustainable return to education after the summer break.
While the gateway condition on vaccination has been met, with 92% of those over the age of 40 protected by two doses of the vaccine, there are still many more people who have not had the vaccine, cannot have it, or are not yet eligible for it.
Invitations for vaccines are now going out to 12 to 17 year olds with specific health conditions that make them more vulnerable to Covid. This follows the recent advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. We expect to have offered first doses to this group by the end of August.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The move beyond level 0 will entail the lifting of most of the remaining legally imposed restrictions – most notably, on physical distancing and limits to the size of social gatherings. It also means that from 9 August, no venues will be legally required to close.
“This change is significant and it is hard-earned. The sacrifices everyone has made over the past year and a half can never be overstated. However, while this move will restore a substantial degree of normality, it is important to be clear that it does not signal the end of the pandemic or a return to life exactly as we knew it before Covid struck.
“Declaring freedom from, or victory over, this virus is in my view premature. The harm the virus can do, including through the impact of long Covid, should not be underestimated. And its ability to mutate may yet pose us real challenges.”
Gregor Scotland, CBI Scotland Head of Policy, said:“Moving beyond level zero to remove the vast majority of Covid restrictions creates a much-needed platform for kickstarting Scotland’s economic recovery.
“Ending social distancing requirements is a vital step that boosts business capacity just when firms need it most. For struggling retailers, getting more customers through the door is just the tonic they need to make the most of the final weeks of summer and trade their way to recovery.
“There will also be a sigh of relief that double-jagged staff will finally no longer have to self-isolate if they test negative once contacted by NHS Test & Protect. Across the economy absences have been hitting businesses hard, as well as exacerbating existing skills shortages that threaten to put the brakes on recovery.
“However, with so many restrictions lifting, businesses will be confused why the Scottish Government is continuing to advise people to work from home.
“The reality is that many firms are well-advanced in their plans and are proceeding with hybrid working models, just as the government advises. It’s up to employers to engage positively with staff to shape new ways of working that work for them, while remaining as safe as possible.
“The Scottish Government should now work with business to instil a sense of confidence in the reopening. Only by bolstering public and business confidence can we really begin to live with the virus and deliver a strong recovery.”
STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “There is a long way to go before this virus is behind us. Vaccination does not provide total security from infection and we know that long COVID can affect people of all ages.
“Using terminology such as beyond level zero is confusing. This along with some parts of the media’s irresponsible use of the term ‘Freedom Day’ risks sending messages that all caution can be put to one side whereas in reality there are a whole range of mitigations and safety measures that remain in place.
“We recognise that the First Minister has tried to remain cautious despite some significant moves to open up Scotland socially and economically. We are supportive of keeping mitigation measures such as face coverings and social distancing. Many workers particularly in areas such as health and social care remain concerned at the lifting of self-isolation restrictions for the double vaccinated – both workers and the wider public. We know that the asymptomatic can still transmit the virus.
“As we move away from legal requirements to recommended approaches the duty on employers to keep staff and the general public safe will increase. There is a clear steer from the First Minister that there should be no rush back to office working.
“This is particularly important in larger offices with poor ventilation and high staff numbers. We cannot overestimate the importance of requiring decent ventilation in schools, colleges, universities and other places of work.
“We still need rigorous risk assessments and urge all employers to consult with unions and workers and to be sensitive of the very genuine fears some workers will have. In this, both governments have a role to play. Ongoing support for workers and businesses is vital to persuade employers not to become less cautious and open up too quickly.
“We support the First Ministers call for an extended and more generous furlough scheme and for the Scottish Government to intervene to continue business support.”
City of Edinburgh council leader Council Leader Cllr. Adam McVey said: “The latest announcement from the First Minister will be extremely welcome news for many, not in the least the businesses across the city who have shown an enormous amount of skill and resilience over the last year and a half.
“The removal of physical distancing and changes to rules on self-isolation will of course impact on Council services too and allow the return of more normality to local services. Over the coming days and weeks we’ll be drawing up plans to support services to respond to this and to further assist our economy’s recovery.
“However, the COVID virus is very much still with us and I appreciate the First Minister’s careful and steady approach. We need to do everything we can to limit its continued spread and we all have our part to play.
“For everyone eligible to get vaccinated, please do so if you haven’t yet. With vaccinations now being given to everyone aged 18 and over, it’s essential that young people get theirs as well if we are to keep enjoying this gradual return to normality.
“The NHS has made getting a vaccination quick and easy wherever you are in the city. We’ll be working with the NHS to drive home the importance of getting both jabs and helping inform people about the easiest way to get them.”
Additional Information:
Further detail about measures announced today and updated guidance for the education sector will be published shortly.
Further guidance will be provided to businesses to help them adopt measures to mitigate risks, including ensuring good ventilation; maintaining good hand hygiene; practising respiratory hygiene; getting vaccinated; and continuing to engage with Test and Protect.
Some baseline measures will remain in place:
it will continue to be the law, subject to exceptions, that face coverings must be worn in indoor public places and on public transport
Test & Protect will continue to contact-trace positive cases. To assist with this there will be a continued requirement for indoor hospitality and similar venues to collect the contact details of customers. Anyone who is required to self-isolate will, if eligible, continue to have access to support
we will work closely with local incident management teams on appropriate outbreak control measures
we will continue to use travel restrictions, as and when necessary, to restrict the spread of outbreaks and protect against the risk of importation of new variants
for now, we will continue to advise home working where possible, recognising that some staff will start to return to offices in line with staff wellbeing discussions and business need. we will encourage employers to consider for the longer term, as the Scottish Government is doing, a hybrid model of home and office working – which may, of course, have benefits beyond the need to control a virus
we will, for a limited period, keep in place a gateway process through which organisers of outdoors events of more than 5000 and indoor events of more than 2000 will have to apply for permission. This will allow us and local authorities to be assured of the arrangements in place to reduce risk
we will continue to issue appropriate guidance to assist individuals and businesses to reduce the risk of transmission as much as possible, such as rigorous hygiene, including regular hand washing
First Minister’s statement – 3 August 2021
Thank you Presiding Officer
In updating Parliament today on the Government’s decisions about further easing of Covid restrictions, I will confirm that from next Monday, Scotland will move beyond the current level 0 restrictions, and I will set out the basis for that decision.
However, in line with the cautious approach we have taken throughout this pandemic, I will also set out a number of mitigation measures that will remain in place.
I will then outline changes to the requirement for self-isolation of close contacts of positive Covid cases.
And finally, I will summarise the key points from new guidance being published today on arrangements for the start of the new school year.
However, let me start by summarising today’s statistics.
The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 1,016 – which is 8.1% of all tests.
There are 406 people receiving hospital care – one fewer than yesterday.
And 61 people are receiving intensive care, which is one more than yesterday.
Sadly, nine further deaths were reported over the past 24 hours, taking the total number of registered deaths, under this daily definition, to 7,952.
And as always, I want to convey my sincere condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.
I can also report that 4,014,212 people have now received a first dose of vaccine.
And 3,231,331 have now had both doses of vaccine.
So all of these figures are broadly in line with the trend that has been evident for the past four weeks.
The number of new cases in Scotland reached a peak in early July.
At that time, more than 400 new cases per 100,000 of the population were being recorded each week.
That has now fallen by two thirds – from 425 per 100,000 at the peak to 144 now based on our most recent figures.
And although as we can see today this fluctuates on a daily basis, the average proportion of tests that are positive has also fallen – from more than 10%, to now less than 6%.
Thankfully, the number of people in hospital with Covid is also falling – in the past two weeks it has reduced from 529 patients to 406.
And the number of people in intensive care also now seems be declining, albeit gradually, as well.
So all of this is good news. And I think it demonstrates the value of taking a careful and steady approach to easing restrictions.
Another reason for this progress is, of course, the continued success of the vaccination programme.
All over 18-year-olds have now had the opportunity to receive at least one dose of the vaccine.
And all over 40-year-olds have been offered both doses. These were key milestones for moving beyond level 0.
These milestones have been met. And take-up of vaccination has been exceptional by any previous standard, or indeed by comparison with our expectations.
90% of over 18 year olds have now had at least one dose of the vaccine, and 72% of all 18 year olds have had both doses.
93% of over 40 year olds have had both doses of the vaccine. And indeed for those over 60, take-up for both doses is as close to 100% as could reasonably be hoped for.
There is of course still more to do, and I want to stress this point, especially amongst 18- to 29-year-olds. Take-up in that age group has been good, relative to our initial expectations, but we want it to be better.
That is why, for example, we are deploying walk-in and mobile vaccination centres across the country.
I can also confirm that preparatory work is underway for the next phases of vaccination.
Invitations for vaccines are now going out to 12- to 17-year-olds with specific health conditions that make them more vulnerable to Covid. And this follows recent advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. And we expect to have offered first doses to this group by the end of August.
In addition, I can advise Parliament that we are hoping to receive in the next few days updated advice from the JCVI on possible vaccination of others in the younger age groups.
And we stand ready to implement any recommendations as soon as possible.
And we are also preparing to deliver booster jags during the autumn for those already vaccinated, if that is indeed recommended.
The vaccination programme, therefore, is likely to continue for some time to come. It may become a feature of life. But it has already saved many lives, and achieved a huge amount of success. And I am grateful to everybody who has and continues to help deliver it.
Presiding Officer, Ii is the combination of the steady decline in cases, the success of vaccination helping to weaken the link between cases and serious illness, and of course our understanding of the social, health and economic harms that continued restrictions cause – all underpinned by our obligation to ensure that any restrictions that remain in place are lawful, in other words that they are both necessary and proportionate – that forms the basis for our decision today to move beyond level 0.
The move beyond level 0 will entail the lifting of most of the remaining legally imposed restrictions – most notably on physical distancing and limits to the size of social gatherings.
It also means that from 9 August, no venues will be legally required to close.
This change is significant and it is hard-earned. The sacrifices everyone has made over the past year and a half can never be overstated.
However, while this move will restore a substantial degree of normality, it is important to be clear that it does not signal the end of the pandemic or a return to life exactly as we knew it before Covid struck.
Declaring freedom from, or victory over, this virus is in my view premature.
The harm the virus can do, including through the impact of long Covid, shouldn’t be underestimated. And its ability to mutate may yet pose us real challenges.
So even as we make this move, care and caution will still be required. Which is why I now want to focus on the protections and guidance that will remain in place after 9 August.
Firstly, it will continue to be the law, subject to existing exemptions, that face coverings must be worn in all the same indoor settings as is the case now.
We will keep this under review, but my expectation is that face coverings are likely to be mandated in law for some time to come.
Second, Test & Protect will continue to contact-trace positive cases.
To assist with this, there will be an ongoing requirement for indoor hospitality and similar venues to collect the contact details of customers.
And while – as I will set out shortly – there will be a change in the approach to self-isolation for close contacts of positive cases, anyone who is required to self-isolate will, if eligible, continue to have access to support.
Thirdly, we will continue to work closely with local incident management teams on appropriate outbreak control measures, including the use of localised restrictions in future if necessary.
We will also continue to use travel restrictions, as and when necessary, to restrict the spread of outbreaks and protect against the risk of importation of new variants.
Fourthly, we will continue to advise home working where possible for now. I know most businesses are not planning a wholesale return to the office, but recongise that a return for some staff will be beneficial to them and to employers. But it is vital that this gradual approach continues.
We will also encourage employers to consider for the longer term, as indeed the Scottish Government is doing, a hybrid model of home and office working – which may, of course, have benefits beyond the need to control a virus.
Fifth, while we expect to see the careful return of large scale events, we will for a limited period, keep in place the processes through which organisers of outdoor events of more than 5,000 and indoor events of more than 2,000 will have to apply for permission. And this will allow us and local authorities simply to be assured of the arrangements in place to reduce the risk of large scale gatherings.
And last – but by no means least – we will continue to issue clear guidance to assist individuals and businesses to reduce the risk of transmission as much as possible.
Rigorous hygiene, including regular hand washing, will continue to be essential.
Good ventilation will also be important. I will set out shortly our intention to strengthen guidance on ventilation in schools, but we will also work across the public and private sectors to ensure an approach to improved ventilation.
And even though the law will not stipulate physical distancing from Monday, we will continue to advise the public that – especially indoors – keeping a safe distance from people in other households and avoiding crowded places will minimise risk.
We will also engage with businesses – and issue guidance as necessary – to ensure that safe environments for staff and customers are provided, and that all reasonable steps are taken to reduce the risk of outbreaks.
Presiding Officer, I can also confirm that we continue to consider very carefully the possible, albeit limited, use of Covid status certification for access to certain higher risk venues in future.
We are currently developing an app to make access to Covid status certificates – which will include vaccination details – easier for international travel. This will be launched next month.
The app will have functionality to support the use of such certificates for domestic settings should we decide that this is appropriate.
However, I want to assure Parliament that we do not underestimate the ethical, equity and human rights issues associated with Covid status certification, and we will keep members updated and consulted on our thinking on this issue.
The decisions I am confirming today reflect the fact that – principally due to vaccines – we are now in a different stage of this pandemic.
Vaccination has weakened the link between case numbers and serious health harms, and that means it is no longer appropriate or necessary – and therefore not necessarily even lawful – for us to rely as heavily as we did previously on blanket rules and regulations.
That’s something that will be welcome for many, but a source of anxiety for some.
The Chief Medical Officer will be writing to those who have been at the highest risk from Covid – who might previously have been asked to shield – to provide advice and information, and to give assurance that they too can return to a much greater degree of normality. The needs and concerns of this group will not be ignored, now or in future.
I want now to turn to the change that we propose to the current rules on self-isolation – to ensure that they remain reasonable and proportionate.
Let me be clear at the outset that those who have symptoms of, or who test positive for, Covid will still be required to self-isolate as now.
However, from 9 August, an adult who is identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for will no longer be required automatically to self-isolate for 10 days.
Instead, if someone is double-vaccinated – with at least two weeks since the second dose – and if they have no symptoms, they should get a PCR test as soon as possible. And if the PCR test is negative, self-isolation can then be ended.
And as PCR results come back quickly – frequently within 24 hours – this will greatly reduce the amount of time that many people will need to spend in self-isolation.
We are proposing a similar change for people aged 17 or under – most of whom, of course, are not yet eligible for vaccination.
If a young person aged 5 to 17 is identified as a close contact, they will need to take a PCR test – but they can end their self-isolation if they test negative. Children under the age of five will be encouraged but not required to take PCR tests.
In addition, Test and Protect will implement revised guidance for under 18s, including in schools.
This means that the blanket isolation of whole classes will no longer be routine. Instead a more targeted approach will identify close contacts at highest risk of infection.
So fewer young people will be asked to self-isolate, and most will be asked to self-isolate for a much shorter period of time.
Obviously his is especially important as we approach the start of the new school year. So let me turn to the wider arrangements for the return of schools. And updated guidance is being published today.
As a consequence of the new approach to self-isolation – which is important to minimise disruption to education – and in line with advice from our Expert Advisory Sub-Group on Education, we have decided to retain, for the first six weeks of the new academic term, most of the other mitigations that are currently in place in schools.
This also reflects the unique environment of schools, where large numbers of unvaccinated children and young people mix with adult staff.
So for up to six weeks – subject then to review – there will be a continued requirement for staff to keep at least a metre distance from each other and from children and young people while on the school estate.
And we’ve also decided, after careful consideration, to retain the current requirements for face coverings in schools for staff and for children aged 12 or over. That includes asking young people and staff in secondary schools to wear face coverings during lessons, and while inside school buildings.
I am acutely aware that many, many young people find this difficult – and it will be kept under review. But for now, we consider this an important protection for them, and for others in the school.
The Expert Advisory Sub-Group has also emphasised the importance of good ventilation, and we are therefore strengthening guidance in this regard.
Many local authorities have already taken steps to improve ventilation in the school estate, and this work has highlighted the value of CO2 monitors.
These devices are useful in assessing how well ventilated a space is, and therefore how likely it is that the virus could be present.
The new guidance, published today, makes clear that all schools and daycare services for children must have access to CO2 monitoring – through either fixed or mobile devices – and that these should be used to assess the quality of ventilation in schools and childcare settings, and identify any necessary improvements.
These assessments will be ongoing obviously over the coming weeks, but we expect them to be completed – and necessary improvements identified – by the October half term.
And I can also confirm today that we are making available to local authorities an additional £10 million to support this work.
Ventilation is one of the most important ways in which the risk of Covid transmission can be reduced – and so improving it will be vital, now and in the future, to ensure that schools and childcare centres are as safe as possible.
Finally, local authorities and schools will ask all secondary pupils, and all school staff, to take a lateral flow test one or two days before returning after the holidays, and then to take tests twice a week after that.
This continues to be an important additional way in which Covid can be identified, even in people who do not have symptoms.
We are also working with the further and higher education sector on plans for the year ahead. Specific guidance on operating beyond Level 0 for universities and colleges has now been published. In addition, students will be encouraged to take a PCR test before any move to term-time accommodation, and then to test twice a week after that.
Presiding Officer, the last year and a half has been – and this inevitably will be an understatement – it has been difficult and stressful for children and young people, parents, and all staff working in education settings. I am so grateful to them for the understanding and cooperation shown. The new school and academic year will still bring challenges, I think there is little doubt of that. But I hope it will also bring fewer disruptions, and also allow a much more normal learning environment for young people.
Presiding officer, today’s decisions are – in my view, and I hope those listening will agree – positive. They are possible only because of vaccination and the prolonged sacrifices of people across the country. Once again, I want to convey my deep appreciation of that to everyone across the nation.
The last year has reminded all of us just how precious some of the simplest things in life really are, and many of us I suspect will resolve not to take them quite so much for granted in future.
Undoubtedly, the best way of doing that in the short term is to continue to be careful, cautious and sensible, even as legal restrictions are lifted. The government will continue to provide guidance to help get that balance right.
We all hope – I know I certainly do – that the restrictions we lift next Monday will never again have to be re-imposed. But no-one can guarantee that.
This virus remains a threat – and as we enter winter, it may well pose challenges for us again.
So as we have done throughout, the government will seek to take whatever action is necessary to keep the country safe.
But as has also been the case throughout, we all have a part to play in keeping the virus under control.
And as always, although counter-intuitive perhaps, it is when we lift restrictions – and inevitably give the virus more opportunities to spread – that it becomes even more important for us to remember the basic actions that can reduce risk.
So I want to end by stressing again what all of us can do to help ensure that this next step forward is a sustainable one.
The first and most important thing is to get vaccinated. If you haven’t done so already – particularly if you are in these younger age groups, looking forward to resuming a more normal social life – then please do so. You can register through the NHS Inform website, or by going to a drop-in centre.
Second, please test yourself regularly. Free lateral flow tests are available by post through NHS inform, or collection from test sites and local pharmacies.
If you test positive through one of these – or if you have symptoms of the virus – you should still self-isolate and get a PCR test.
Third, stick to the rules which remain in place – for example, on face coverings. And keep being sensible about the things we know can help to keep ourselves and each other safe.
Meet outdoors as much as possible – especially for as long as we have reasonable weather. If you are meeting indoors, open windows – the better ventilated a room is, the safer it will be.
Remember that keeping some distance from people in other households and avoiding crowded indoor places – even if no longer legally mandated – these are still sensible precautions.
And continue to wash your hands and surfaces as much as possible.
In short, enjoy being able to do more and meet up more. We’ve all waited a long time for that. But please protect yourself as you do so, principally through vaccination, and continue to take the greatest of care.
If we all do that, we will increase our chances of keeping the virus under control. We will protect ourselves and our loved ones.
And we will safely and securely return to the ways of life that we all value so much.
Young people looking to enter the workforce are to benefit from £70 million of investment from the Scottish Government.
The Young Person’s Guarantee aims to protect people from the economic impact of COVID-19 by offering every 16-24 year old in Scotland the opportunity of a job, apprenticeship, further or higher education, training programme or volunteering.
The announcement meets four of the commitments for the first 100 days of this government, and comes as a new report highlights the progress of the Young Person’s Guarantee.
Since it was officially launched in November 2020 funding has been committed to create up to 18,000 training, job and apprenticeship opportunities for young people.
The £70 million of investment includes:
£45 million for local partnerships to provide training, employer recruitment incentives, and mental health interventions for young people
£13.5 million for Colleges, Universities and the Scottish Funding Council to provide industry-focussed courses supporting up to 5,000 young people and employment support for 500 recent graduates
£10 million for the roll-out of new school coordinators and enhanced school provision to support young people access education, work and training
£1.5 million to increase places on volunteering and third sector programmes
During a visit to Young Movers, a youth charity based in Glasgow, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We know that young people have been badly affected by the pandemic and we are determined to do everything we can to support them.
“The Young Person’s Guarantee is a vital part of that support which aims to give all young people the chance to succeed despite the economic impacts of COVID-19.
“This investment of £70 million, which meets four of our 100 days commitments, will also ensure employers continue to benefit from the fresh talent and new perspectives that young people bring to workplaces across Scotland.”
Sandy Begbie, Chair of the Young Person’s Guarantee Implementation Group, said: “Inclusion was at the core of the Young Person’s Guarantee so I am particularly pleased by the increased opportunities created for young people who are furthest from the workplace.
“None of this could have been achieved without employers being engaged and I am delighted we have almost 100 employers and business groups signed up supporting the scheme.
“Our young people, who have been disproportionately impacted as a result of the pandemic, are an asset to Scotland and it has never been more important that we deliver against the Young Person’s Guarantee.”
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: First Minister’s statement – 20 July 2021
Good afternoon everyone. As you can see I am joined today by Dr Nicola Steedman, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer and she will answer questions with me shortly.
Firstly, though, an update on the current state of the pandemic, starting with a summary of today’s statistics.
1,604 positive cases were reported yesterday – 9.2% of all of tests carried out. That takes the total number of confirmed cases now to 332,455.
There are 529 people now receiving hospital treatment – which is 7 fewer than yesterday and 47 people are in intensive care, that is 2 more than yesterday.
Sadly, a further 13 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, which means that the total number of deaths registered, under the daily definition, is now 7,813.
As always, my condolences are with everyone who has suffered bereavement.
Now, although case numbers remain high – and I’ll cover the implications of that shortly – they are very much right now on a downward path.
To illustrate that point – in the 7 days up to 2 July, there were an average of 3,305 new cases being reported each day but, in the 7 days to 16 July, that had fallen to an average of 2,112 new cases a day.
So that amounts to a decline in the past two weeks of more than 1/3 – and that is very encouraging. Because of that, we were able to go ahead yesterday with the move to level 0.
But as I said a moment ago, case numbers – though they are definitely falling – do remain higher than we should be comfortable with.
Covid as we know is highly infectious – indeed, Delta is significantly more transmissible than previous variants of the virus.
And although vaccination is weakening the link between Covid cases and serious illness, the virus is still potentially dangerous.
And, of course, long Covid is affecting many, including those in younger age groups.
All of this means that vigilance and care remain really important. Restrictions were eased yesterday as part of a gradual process – but restrictions were not abandoned yesterday.
Important measures and mitigations do remain in place – and we continue to ask people across the country and I do so again today to treat the threat that Covid poses seriously at this stage.
I’ll emphasise that point in more detail towards the end of my remarks, but before then I’ll touch briefly on some other issues.
The first of those is vaccination.
As of this morning, 3,984,433 people had received their first dose of vaccine.
That’s an increase of 2,483 since yesterday. As you can see were are getting to the end of first doses.
In addition to that, 16,340 people had a second dose yesterday and that means the total number of second doses is now 2,995,086.
All adults have now been offered first dose appointments – indeed that has happened earlier than we had initially anticipated.
And as of now, around 90% of all adults in the population have actually taken up the opportunity and had the first jag administered.
Also, more than 2/3 of all adults have had the second dose as well – and that proportion will continue to rise on a daily basis, as the programme of second doses continues.
Remember the clinical advice is that – in order to maximise the protection and the longevity of the protection of the vaccine – we should leave 8 weeks between first and second doses.
I think it’s important to say that the level of uptake achieved so far is quite remarkable by the standard of any previous vaccination programme. And it actually exceeds what we dared hoped for when this programme started back at the turn of the year. That said, we want to see uptake levels increase further, we want to get as close to 100% uptake as it is possible to do.
To put it bluntly, each and every single person who gets jagged helps us take a step back to normality. And of course the converse of that is true, for as long as there remains a proportion of eligible people who have not had the vaccine that leaves us with a vulnerability against the virus.
So we must keep at it.
Although around 90% of all adults have taken up the offer of the first dose, so far amongst 30 – 39 year olds that is only 81% and in the 18 – 29 year old age group it is 70%.
So I want to stress again today and we will keep stressing this that if you are 18 or over, and if you haven’t yet had a first dose, then you can still get it. In fact, we really, really want you to get the first dose of vaccine.
You can access that by registering online, through NHS inform but remember you don’t have to register – you’re also able to simply turn up at one of the drop-in vaccination centres that are now operational across all mainland health board areas.
Covid is – and this is something we should always be thankful for – is less of a threat to younger people than to older people – but that doesn’t mean it poses no threat at all to young people.
Some young people do need hospital care when they get the virus, some young people will even end up in intensive care and of course, as we know, young people can get long Covid which we still don’t fully understand the implications of.
Vaccination will help protect you from those risks– but it will also help you protect other people.
So please – get vaccinated as soon as you possibly can. If you know somebody in a younger age group in your own family that hasn’t had the vaccine yet, please encourage them to do so. There’s lots of information on the NHS Inform website, not just about how to get the vaccine but about the vaccine itself. It is a safe vaccine so please get it or encourage those you know who haven’t done so already to get it.
It’s the single most important thing any of us can do right now to give protection to ourselves but also protect others and of course to help all of us collectively get back to more normality.
Obviously, we want to extend the protection of the vaccine as far as we can.
To that end, the advice yesterday from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on the vaccination of 12 to 17 year olds is important and I want to spend just a couple of minutes talking about that.
At this stage – given that it considers the risk of 12 to 17 year olds falling seriously ill from Covid to be very low – the JCVI is not recommending that we vaccinate all young people in that 12 to 17 year olds age group.
Now, the Scottish Government has always followed the advice of the JCVI – for good reason. You’ll have heard me talk about that before in different contexts including recently that eight week interval between first and second doses.
But I am acutely aware that some other countries are vaccinating younger teenagers and I certainly consider it to be extremely important that this is not ruled out here.
So to that end, the Chief Medical Officer is writing to the JCVI asking that the benefit of vaccinating all 12-17 year olds is kept under close and ongoing review – and that it takes account of all available data from countries already doing this.I think that it is really important if there is a benefit to be got from vaccinating younger teenagers then it’s really important that we make sure younger people don’t lose out on that.
In the meantime though and most immediately, we intend to get on with implementing what the JCVI is recommending – and it is recommending that vaccine should be offered to specific groups of 12 to 17 year olds.
Vaccination is already available to 16 and 17 year olds at higher risk of falling seriously ill and they will continue to be eligible.
But in addition, the JCVI is advising that 12 to 15 year olds should be eligible for vaccination if they have Down’s Syndrome; severe neuro-disabilities; or underlying conditions that mean their immune systems are suppressed.
In addition, it advises vaccination for 12 to 15 year olds with severe learning disabilities; with profound and multiple learning disabilities; or who are on the learning disability register.
Finally, vaccination is recommended for 12 to 17 year olds who are household contacts of people with suppressed immune systems. And in that latter case that is less about the protection of the young person and more about the protection of somebody they may live with.
We will shortly provide details of our operational plans to vaccinate these groups of young people as quickly as possible.
And of course in light of what I said earlier about this advice being kept under review, we will make sure that we are prepared to go further as soon as that is recommended. If indeed that is recommended.
The final point on vaccination I want to stress is that if you are currently 17 years old but if you are due to turn 18 on or before 31 October this year, you are now eligible for vaccination as part of this year’s programme.
You can self-register again through the portal on NHS Inform or go to a drop in centre.
So, I want to just emphasise this point today, if you or indeed if you know somebody in this category, if you are due to turn 18 before the end of October, register for an appointment or go to a drop-in centre, and get your vaccination as soon as possible.
Finally, today, I want to return briefly to the need for all of us to continue to treat this virus seriously and follow all of the rules and advice still in place.
We did take a further very welcome step back to normality yesterday with the next step in what is a careful and gradual easing of restrictions.
Full details of what that means are on the Government’s website.
These rules are more relaxed, considerably more relaxed than the ones we’ve all had to live with in the first part of the year.
But – as I mentioned at the start – case levels are still high and Covid is still dangerous.
So I want to comment more today on the things – in addition of course to that vital imperative of vaccination – that it is important for us still to do so that we are individually and collectively reducing the risk.
Because of vaccination, we are undoubtedly in a much better position than we were last year, or even at the start of this year. But we can’t abandon caution altogether or at least we will be foolish if we do that. We all still have a role to play, in helping to protect ourselves and each other.
Firstly, although the limits have increased slightly as of yesterday, the limit on the number of friends and family who can meet together – 8 people from 4 households indoors and 15 from 15 households outdoors – is still really important because that limits the number of households the virus might spread to as the result of one social occasion.
Face coverings also remain important – and a really good way for all of us to help protect each other – and of course they continue to be a legal requirement in certain settings here in Scotland and indeed that requirement to wear face coverings in some settings is likely to remain in force for some time to come.
Also, please test yourself regularly, particularly if you are planning to visit somebody, or go to an event or perhaps if you’re planning to spend a few days on holiday in a different part of the country.
Free lateral flow tests can be obtained through NHS inform. You can get them sent to you by post but you can also collect them from testing centres and local pharmacies.
Remember If you test positive through one of these devices – or indeed if you have symptoms of the virus – then you should self-isolate, and book a PCR test as quickly as possible.
And, lastly, because it remains really important, please keep following all the basic hygiene measures.
Meet other people outdoors as much as possible and particularly while the weather is as good as it is right now. It’s a really good opportunity to stay outdoors and minimise the risk of transmission that bit more.
As I said a moment ago, stick to the limits on group sizes, and if you are meeting indoors, open windows and keep rooms well ventilated.
And please remember physical distancing, hand-washing, face coverings as I’ve just said – all of these measures are as important now as they have been throughout.
And if all of us do these things, then I hope we will see cases continue to fall in the days and weeks to come and if that happens then that creates the conditions we hope for a further easing of the remaining restrictions over the next few weeks.
My thanks again to everybody for all of your cooperation and all of the sacrifices you continue to make. It doesn’t get any easier but it remains really important so my thanks to everyone.
“we are now in a position to relax more restrictions and restore much more normality to our everyday lives”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
People will be able to hug their loved ones and meet in private homes as most of mainland Scotland moves to Level 2, with eased restrictions on hospitality, entertainment, education and sport.
In an acceleration of previous plans, the number of people and households that can meet inside homes in Level 2 has been increased to six people from three households.
The new rules, which come into effect on Monday 17 May, will apply to all mainland local authority areas with the exception of Moray, which is experiencing a high and increasing number of Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.
As a result Moray is likely to remain in Level 3 for a further period, with travel in and out of the area prohibited other than for permitted purposes. A final decision on this will be made at the end of this week.
The Scottish Government is working with Moray Council and Grampian Health Board to reduce case numbers, and will provide financial support for affected hospitality and leisure businesses if Level 3 restrictions do remain in place.
As the virus is now sufficiently under control in the Western Isles, Orkney, Shetland and remote Highland and Argyll islands, these communities are expected to move straight to Level 1.
From Monday 17 May, anyone entering Scotland from countries on a new international travel ‘Green List’ will not be required to quarantine on arrival, but will have to take a PCR test for COVID-19.
The Green List will initially be the same as that in place for England but will be subject to review based on Scotland’s specific needs.
Under Level 2 restrictions:
up to six people from three households will be able to meet in each other’s homes or gardens without physical distancing – this was the limit previously planned for Level 1 but has now been accelerated for areas in Level 2. People will be encouraged to use their judgment about close physical contact with others
up to six people from three households will be able to meet indoors in places such as pubs, cafes and restaurants, while up to eight people from eight households will be able to meet outdoors
pubs and restaurants will be able to serve alcohol indoors until 10:30pm in two-hour booked slots
venues including cinemas, theatres, concert halls, music venues, comedy clubs, amusement arcades, casinos, snooker halls and bingo halls will be able to reopen
events will resume with a maximum capacity of 100 people indoors, 250 outdoors where there is unrestricted standing and 500 for events with seating. Organisers will be allowed to apply to hold bigger events
outdoor contact sports and indoor group exercise classes will be able to restart
more than one person will be able to sing during religious services
amateur performing arts groups will be able to perform outdoors
colleges and universities will have more flexibility to resume in-person learning
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The success of the vaccination programme, and continued high compliance with the various rules and restrictions, means that we have seen continued suppression of the virus in the last three weeks.
“As a result the situation overall is a very positive one, and we are now in a position to relax more restrictions and restore much more normality to our everyday lives.
“I know just how unwelcome the likelihood of a further period in Level 3 must be to people in Moray, and we are doing everything possible to ensure that any extension of Level 3 is for as short a period as possible.
“I would appeal to everyone living in the region to follow all the public health advice so that we can get the situation back under control and allow Moray to get back on a positive track just as quickly as possible.
“It is almost eight months since most of us have been able to meet in each other’s homes. While I know all of us have been looking forward to being able to do that again, I would encourage everyone to please use judgement – close physical contact still carries risk, so if you have loved ones who are vulnerable for any reason, you should still be careful. And you should perhaps limit the overall number of people that you choose to have close physical contact with.
“We still intend to be highly cautious on international travel, given the risk of new variants, but we consider that the situation now allows us to begin a careful move away from blanket restrictions on non-essential travel.
“Everyone should think seriously about whether they really need to travel abroad this summer. I know for many people international travel is about family connections. But when it comes to holidays abroad, my advice continues to be to err on the side of caution and to staycation this summer.”
Marc Crothall, CEO Scottish Tourism Alliance said: “The First Minister’s announcement today that mainland Scotland, with the possible exception of Moray, will move to level 2 on Monday will be a welcome boost for our tourism sector, particularly businesses in our island communities which I know will be delighted at the news that they will move to Level 1, albeit with the capacity restrictions on ferries limiting the number of people who can travel there.
“The return of indoor hospitality with alcohol will allow our hospitality businesses to hopefully start to recoup some of the significant losses incurred by being able to offer the very essence of the experience that has been missing for so long and to trade more viably despite the physical distancing restrictions which remain in place, however, I am sure that many will be heartened to learn today that this is currently under review and that the conclusions will be shared at the next review point.
“Good news also for events, particularly for event organisers who will be able to apply to host more than a hundred people. Our events sector has been decimated over the last year with limited information or support in relation to opening up and guidance for doing so; it’s extremely encouraging to know that the ball is finally rolling for such an important sector within our industry.
“I know both customers and operators will be awaiting to see what can be delivered; hosting the types of events many will want to enjoy in a viable way will however be dependent on social distancing measures being relaxed.
“The news that Scotland has adopted a four nations approach to travel is an important step in the right direction; the loss of inbound travel has had a critical impact on so many businesses across different sectors within Scotland’s tourism industry and I know that there will be some relief for many today, however, we must now move forward with a plan for more affordable testing for those coming into the country and a timescale for the introduction of digital vaccine passports for other countries and indeed, a robust plan for encouraging inbound travel.
“43% of overnight tourism spend in Scotland comes from our international market; it would require around 7 million domestic overnight stays to replace that lost income. From the research the STA has undertaken which we will be releasing this week, we can see that we are quite some way from the staycation tourism boom that has been referenced in various media reports and by other commentators recently.
“The STA looks forward to our continued discussion with the Scottish Government and officials and in shaping the guidance to support these welcome changes as announced by the First Minister today.”
City of Edinburgh Leaders have welcomed the further easing of restrictions as the Scottish Government announced that most of Scotland will move to level two from next week.
Following the update Council and city leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continue supporting for businesses to help them recover safely and sustainably.
Council Leader, Adam McVey said: “This announcement is great news for our residents and businesses. The sacrifices we’ve had to make over the last year have protected our communities and meant we’re able to loosen restrictions safely – while we continue to suppress the virus and protect our NHS and frontline workers.
“It gives us further hope that we’re moving in the right direction thanks to the continued success of the vaccine rollout, universal testing and making sure we’re still sticking to the guidelines.
“I know being able to hug our loved ones will mean the world to people and families across our City.
“We’re also looking to inspire and encourage our residents to get back out safely and enjoy all that our Capital has to offer through our ForeverEdinburgh campaign’s The Story Never Ends and Shop Here This Year.
“Both initiatives are inspiring people to rediscover our City and share our experiences of the things we do and places we go to in enjoying all Edinburgh has to offer.
“Our city centre attractions, retailers and restaurants and cafes have done an amazing job making our city centre feel like the city centre again, and I hope as many people as possible will get behind our businesses and share their love for our Capital.“
Depute Leader, Cammy Day, said: “We continue to listen to and work with businesses to help them bounce back as quickly as possible from what has been an incredibly tough year.
“We’re collaborating closely with organisations such as Essential Edinburgh, Edinburgh’s Tourism Action Group (ETAG), VisitScotland, the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses to ensure we’re working with the different sectors to understand where the pressure points are while inviting people back into our unique neighbourhoods, buzzing city centre and beautiful outdoor spaces.
“Edinburgh really does have something for everyone and we’re so excited to be able to share that once again.
“I also welcome the news that we will be able to invite more friends and family into our homes and gardens. After so long keeping our distance from those we love, giving them a well-deserved hug or simply holding a hand will be a very emotional moment for many. We still need to take care, though, so it’s crucial we all use our own careful judgement.
Liz McAreavey, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “The continued return to something closer to normality is highly encouraging, and we are delighted that the city’s hard-hit hospitality sector can once again welcome customers indoors and out.
“In particular, it is also pleasing to note the city council’s determination to promote the city centre, which has been hardest hit by the pandemic. The recovery of our city centre is vital to the economic, social and emotional recovery of the Capital.
“Edinburgh Chamber is keen to work with both the incoming Scottish Government and the City of Edinburgh Council to ensure together we achieve the fairest, most sustainable recovery as quickly as possible.”
Donald Emslie, Chair of ETAG, said: “The latest easing of restrictions is very welcome news indeed for our tourism and hospitality businesses and marks another key milestone on the road to recovery. Businesses have worked extremely hard over the last few weeks and months and have invested lots of time and money to create safe and welcoming spaces for everyone.
“ETAG continue to work in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, VisitScotland and others to support the ForeverEdinburgh initiative and hope that through that we are able to encourage people to venture back out to meet with friends and family and to enjoy all that Edinburgh has to offer while supporting the sector through the reopening period.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson made this statement in the House of Commons yesterday
Mr Speaker, I beg to move:
That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty expressing the deepest sympathies of this House on the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the heartfelt thanks of this House and this nation for his unfailing dedication to this Country and the Commonwealth, exemplified in his distinguished service in the Royal Navy in the Second World War; his commitment to young people in setting up The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a scheme which has touched the lives of millions across the globe; his early, passionate commitment to the environment; and his unstinting support to Your Majesty throughout his life.
Mr Speaker, it is fitting that on Saturday His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will be conveyed to his final resting place in a Land Rover, which Prince Philip had designed himself, with a long wheel base and a capacious rear cabin, because that vehicle’s unique and idiosyncratic silhouette reminds the world that he was above all a practical man, who could take something very traditional – whether a machine or indeed a great national institution – and find a way by his own ingenuity to improve it, to adapt it for the 20th or the 21st century.
That gift for innovation was apparent from his earliest career in the Navy. When he served in the second world war, he was mentioned in despatches for his “alertness and appreciation of the situation” during the Battle of Cape Matapan, and he played a crucial role in helping to sink two enemy cruisers. But it was later, during the invasion of Sicily, that he was especially remembered by his crewmates for what he did to save their own ship.
In a moment of high danger, at night, when HMS Wallace was vulnerable to being blown up by enemy planes, he improvised a floating decoy – complete with fires to make it look like a stricken British vessel – so that the Wallace was able to slip away, and the enemy took out the decoy.
He was there at Tokyo Bay in 1945, barely 200 yards away from the Japanese surrender on the deck of USS Missouri; but he wasn’t content just to watch history through his binoculars. It seems that he used the lull to get on with repainting the hull of HMS Whelp; and throughout his life – a life that was by necessity wrapped from such a young age in symbol and ceremony – one can see that same instinct, to look for what was most useful, and most practical, and for what would take things forward.
He was one of the first people in this country to use a mobile phone. In the 1970s, he was driving an electric taxi on the streets of London – the fore-runner of the modern low-carbon fleet, and, again, a vehicle of his own specifications. He wasn’t content just to be a carriage driver. He played a large part in pioneering and codifying the sport of competitive carriage driving.
And if it is true that carriage-driving is not a mass-participation sport – not yet – he had other novel ideas that touched the lives of millions, developed their character and confidence, their teamwork and self-reliance. It was amazing and instructive, to listen on Friday to the Cabinet’s tributes to the Duke, and to hear how many were proud to say that they, or their children, had benefited from taking part in his Duke of Edinburgh Award schemes.
I will leave it to the House to speculate as to who claimed to have got a gold award, and who got a bronze. But I believe those ministers spoke for millions of people – across this country and around the world – who felt that the Duke had in some way touched their lives, people whose work he supported in the course of an astonishing 22,219 public engagements, people he encouraged, and, yes, he amused.
It is true that he occasionally drove a coach and horses through the finer points of diplomatic protocol, and he coined a new word – dontopedalogy – for the experience of putting your foot in your mouth.
And it is also true that among his more parliamentary expressions he commented adversely on the French concept of breakfast, and told a British student in Papua New Guinea that he was lucky not to be eaten, and that the people of the Cayman Islands were descended from pirates, and that he would like to go to Russia except that, as he put it, “the bastards murdered half my family”.
But the world did not hold it against him, Mr Speaker. On the contrary, they overwhelmingly understood that he was trying to break the ice, to get things moving, to get people laughing and forget their nerves; and to this day there is a community in the Pacific islands that venerates Prince Philip as a god, or volcano spirit – a conviction that was actually strengthened when a group came to London to have tea with him in person.
When he spoke so feelingly about the problems of overpopulation, and humanity’s relentless incursion on the natural world, and the consequent destruction of habitat and species, he contrived to be at once politically incorrect and also ahead of his time.
In a quite unparalleled career of advice and encouragement and support, he provided one particular service that I believe the House will know in our hearts was the very greatest of all. In the constant love he gave to Her Majesty the Queen – as her liege man of life and limb, in the words he spoke at the Coronation – he sustained her throughout this extraordinary second Elizabethan age, now the longest reign of any monarch in our history.
It was typical of him that in wooing Her Majesty – famously not short of a jewel or two – he offered jewellery of his own design. He dispensed with the footmen in powdered wigs. He introduced television cameras, and at family picnics in Balmoral he would barbecue the sausages on a large metal contraption that all Prime Ministers must have goggled at for decades, complete with rotisserie and compartments for the sauces, that was – once again, Mr Speaker – a product of his own invention and creation.
Indeed as an advocate of skills and craft and science and technology this country has had no royal champion to match him since Prince Albert, and I know that in due course the House and the country will want to consider a suitable memorial to Prince Philip.
It is with that same spirit of innovation that as co-gerent of the Royal Family, he shaped and protected the monarchy, through all the vicissitudes of the last seven decades, and helped to modernise and continually to adapt an institution that is above politics, that incarnates our history, and that is indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life.
By his unstinting service to The Queen, the Commonwealth, the armed forces, the environment, to millions of people young and not so young around the world, and to countless other causes, he gave us and he gives us all a model of selflessness, and of putting others before ourselves.
And though I expect Mr Speaker, he might be embarrassed or even exasperated to receive these tributes, he made this country a better place, and for that he will be remembered with gratitude and with fondness for generations to come.
AND AT HOLYROOD:
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon moved the following motion at The Scottish Parliament yesterday:
Motion of Condolence following the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh: First Minister’s statement – 12 April, 2021
Presiding Officer,
The tributes paid to the Duke of Edinburgh over these last three days show the affection in which he was held – here in Scotland, across the United Kingdom, and indeed around the world.
On behalf of the people of Scotland, I express my deepest sympathy to Her Majesty the Queen – who is grieving the loss of her ‘strength and stay’, her husband of almost 74 years – and also to the Duke’s children, and to the wider Royal Family.
Of course, before he became the public figure so familiar to all of us today, the Duke of Edinburgh had already led a life of distinction.
Like so many of his generation, he endured difficulties and faced dangers that generations since can barely comprehend.
As a naval officer in World War Two, he was mentioned in dispatches for his part in the Battle of Matapan.
In 1943, his courage and quick-thinking helped save HMS Wallace from attack in the Mediterranean.
And during a two year spell at Rosyth, he was responsible for escorting merchant vessels on a route known as “E-boat alley”, because of the frequency of the attacks from German vessels.
For these contributions alone, he – like all of our veterans – is owed a significant debt of gratitude.
The Second World War was, however, just the beginning of the Duke of Edinburgh’s life of public service.
From 1947, he was the Queen’s constant companion.
And from 1952, he was her consort.
As has been much noted in recent days, he became the longest serving consort in British history.
That role, in a constitutional monarchy, cannot be an easy one – particularly, perhaps, for someone who is spirited and energetic by temperament.
And of course, he faced the additional challenge of being the husband of a powerful woman – at a time when that was even more of an exception than it is today.
That reversal of the more traditional dynamic was highly unusual in the 1940s, 50s and 60s – and even now, isn’t as common as it might be.
Yet the Duke of Edinburgh was devoted to supporting the Queen. They were a true partnership.
Indeed, like First Ministers before me, I got to witness the strength of that partnership at close quarters during annual stays at Balmoral.
I always enjoyed my conversations with the Duke of Edinburgh on these visits – indeed on all of the occasions that I met him – and I was struck by how different he was in private to the way he was sometimes characterised in public.
He was a thoughtful man, deeply interesting and fiercely intelligent. He was also a serious bookworm, which I am too, so talking about the books we were reading was often, for me, a real highlight of our conversations.
Prince Philip was without doubt a devoted consort to the Queen – but of course he also carved out a distinctive individual role.
He took a particular interest in industry and science, and he was far-sighted in his early support for conservation. Indeed, as far back as 1969, in a speech here in Edinburgh, he warned of the risks of “virtually indestructible plastics”.
And of course, in 1956 he founded The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, which now every year provides opportunity, hope and inspiration to more than 1 million young people in more than 100 different countries across the world.
In addition, the Duke of Edinburgh was patron of more than 800 charities. At the time of his retirement from Royal duties, he had completed well over 20,000 engagements.
Many of these engagements were of course here in Scotland – a country that he loved from a very early age.
He was educated in Moray, taught to sail by a Scottish trawler skipper, and as has been mentioned already, was based at Rosyth for two years during the war.
When the Duke received the Freedom of the City of Edinburgh in 1949, he spoke then of the “numberless benefits” that Scotland had given him.
Some of his very first duties with the Royal Household were undertaken here in Scotland.
In July 1947 – just a week after the announcement of his engagement to the then Princess Elizabeth – the couple travelled here to Edinburgh.
And in the years since, the Duke has been present at many of the key moments of our modern history – including, of course, the official openings of our Scottish Parliament.
He has served many Scottish charities and organisations – indeed, he was Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh for more than 50 years.
Throughout all of that time, the public has held him in great affection.
On that first Royal Visit to Edinburgh in 1947, people gathered just across the street, in the forecourt of Holyrood Palace, and celebrated the Royal engagement with country dancing.
More than 70 years later – shortly after he had announced his retirement from public life – I witnessed the warmth of the reception he received as he accompanied the Queen to the opening of the Queensferry Crossing.
This is an event I had known he was determined to attend – he was fascinated and deeply impressed by the feats of engineering that each of the three Forth Bridges represent.
Presiding Officer,
One of the Duke of Edinburgh’s early engagements in Scotland, shortly after the Queen’s Coronation, was to plant a cherry tree in the grounds of Canongate Kirk, just across the road from here.
It stands directly opposite the tree planted by the Queen a year previously.
These trees are just about to bloom, as I am sure they will do each spring for decades to come.
I am equally sure that – not just in the weeks ahead – but many years from now, people will think fondly of the Duke of Edinburgh as they pass Canongate Kirk and look across to Holyrood Palace.
It is right that our Parliament pays tribute to him today.
In doing so, we mourn his passing and we extend our deepest sympathy to Her Majesty The Queen and her family.
We reflect on his distinguished wartime record; his love and support for the Queen; and his decades of public service to Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth.
Above all, Presiding Officer, we celebrate – and we honour – an extraordinary life. I move the motion in my name.
The First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG) has laid out its vision for the future in Scotland’s progress towards gender equality, as it comes to the end of its initial three-year term.
In a next steps report to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP, the NACWG has laid out the rationale for developing a model which sees it move into an accountability and scrutiny role for a further three years to push forward the implementation of the systemic changes required to tackle gender inequality in Scotland.
Since 2017, the NACWG has worked with communities, activists, academics, leaders of public services, and members of the public in Scotland to explore gender inequality and produce a package of recommendations to be taken forward collectively to deliver tangible systemic change.
All recommendations from the first two NACWG reports have been accepted by the First Minister, with feedback yet to be presented on the latest report, published in January 2021.
The NACWG has been clear from inception that it didn’t anticipate continuing with its current model indefinitely and, given the scope of the NACWG’s recommendations to date, it has now advised that the repeated annual submission of further recommendations at this level would be unhelpful, without taking time to take stock and allow them to be implemented and the consequences analysed.
The system needs time to adapt – especially if wholly inclusive intersectional gender mainstreaming is to remain the end goal for Scotland.
In its next phase, the NACWG suggests building on and upscaling existing accountability practices to assess the progress of the implementation of the recommendations and ensure these are taken forward as intended.
Co-chair Louise Macdonald OBE said: “The First Minister asked the NACWG to be bold and to challenge the government and public services, private sector and public where required – and that’s exactly what we’ve done with the ambitious recommendations set out in our annual reports.
“The first iteration of the NACWG has delivered a strong package of recommendations but now, to ensure we continue our work to make Scotland a gender equal society, we believe the subsequent phase should focus on the scrutiny of the development of these recommendations.
“Systemic change requires time for any recommendations to bed in and we are not advocating for the next iteration of the NACWG to become “part of the system”. Instead, our aim would be to have a degree of independent oversight of implementation and assess impact so that at the end of this period there is a clear understanding of the successes, any unintended consequences, and whether further work is required.”
Louise added: “We didn’t recommend quick fixes or tweaks, but systemic change and we thoroughly understand that care needs to be taken and careful attention paid to implementation.
“Every member of the First Minister’s Advisory Council on Women and Girls has considered it a privilege and an honour to be part of this work. We are proud of what we have achieved – but that pride is matched with a certainty there is much more to do to realise the transformational impact our recommendations could deliver, and a belief that through collective will, effective collaboration and shared ambition gender inequality CAN become a historical curiosity in Scotland.”
The decision around the next steps and remit for this work going forward sits with the First Minister.
