A package of financial flexibilities and extra funding for councils which could be worth up to £750 million has been agreed by the Scottish Government in partnership with COSLA.
To address the financial pressures caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic over the next two years, councils will be granted additional spending powers which could be worth around £600 million.
In addition to this, a Lost Income Scheme will be established to help compensate councils and council trusts for lost sales, fees and charges from services such as sports centres and parking charges.
Councils and their trusts will have access to an estimated £90 million of funding with council trusts delivering services on behalf of councils able to receive a share of a further £49 million of support through the scheme.
Added to additional funding already committed, this brings the value of the overall COVID-19 support package for councils to more than £1 billion.
Finance Secretary Kate Forbes said: “I have been clear that the Scottish Government needs appropriate fiscal levers in order to respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic. That is equally true for local government, which is why I am very pleased that we have been able to deliver a package of support for local services worth up to £750 million.
“Working in partnership with COSLA, the Scottish Government has delivered on our commitment to support councils across Scotland with a game changing package of financial flexibilities, giving them the powers they need to make informed decisions about spending at a local level.
“In addition, we are close to finalising the details of additional financial support through a Lost Income Scheme, worth an estimated £90 million subject to confirmation of the funding from the UK Government. For trusts delivering services on behalf of councils this can also be topped up with £49 million of additional funding already confirmed.
“This support will help councils and their trusts manage the loss of income they are facing from local services due to COVID-19.
“These measures are excellent examples of how the Scottish Government is working together with COSLA and local authorities to ensure that we are doing everything within our power to save jobs, protect our public services and reboot our economy.”
COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Cllr Gail Macgregor said: “We welcome this substantial package of measures from which councils can choose, depending on local circumstance.
“Responding to COVID-19 whilst continuing to deliver essential, everyday services has put extreme pressure on Local Government finances this year. The pandemic has also meant substantial losses of income across a range of council services including leisure, sport, culture, and planning.
“Balancing budgets will be a real challenge and this has been fully recognised by Scottish Government who we have worked with constructively and positively.”
Westminster’s Health and Social Care Committee and Science and Technology Committee have today launched a joint inquiry into lessons to be learned from the response to the coronavirus pandemic so far.
The two Select Committees will jointly conduct evidence sessions examining the impact and effectiveness of action taken by government and the advice it has received. Each Committee will draw on specialist expertise and call witnesses to consider a range of issues including:
the deployment of non-pharmaceutical interventions like lockdown and social distancing rules to manage the pandemic;
the impact on the social care sector;
the impact on BAME communities;
testing and contact tracing;
modelling and the use of statistics;
Government communications and public health messaging;
the UK’s prior preparedness for a pandemic; and
the development of treatments and vaccines.
Joint Inquiry Chairs Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP and Rt Hon Greg Clark MP issued the following statement:
“Parliament has a crucial role in scrutinising the actions of government at a time when the country is in the grip of a crisis such as the current pandemic with its tragic impact on lives and livelihoods.
“Important lessons need to be learned that can help inform further decisions that will need to be taken in the months ahead. It is crucial to learn and apply them now since the Public Inquiry that the Prime Minister has promised is likely to be some time away.
“Our committees will jointly learn what went well, what didn’t, and what lessons must be learnt at this point in the pandemic.
“We will use the independence of our cross-party committees and weekly detailed questioning of witnesses to consider the decisions taken and the evidence they were based on and assess their effectiveness. We will develop clear recommendations so that the UK can benefit from the lessons learned for future stages of this pandemic and for future crises.”
Temporary steps announced to tackle record infection rates.
Further measures to reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) are to come into effect tomorrow as Scotland recorded more than 1,000 new positive test results in a single day.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told parliament yesterday that actions are needed now to prevent a return to the peak level of infections experienced in spring by the end of this month.
"It is by taking tough but necessary action now that we hope to avoid even tougher action in future."
She said: “While there are significant restrictions still in place – and they are hard and painful – we are living much more freely now than in the spring and early summer.
“We are determined – if at all possible – that this will continue to be the case. We are not going back into lockdown today. We are not closing schools. We are not halting the remobilisation of the NHS for non-Covid care. And we are not asking people to stay at home.
“The need for action is highlighted by today’s figures and, more fundamentally, in the evidence paper published today. To try to interrupt this trajectory, we must act now. While the measures will feel like a backward step, they are in the interests of protecting our progress overall.
“It is by taking the tough but necessary action now that we hope to avoid even tougher action in future.”
The new restrictions, backed by a new £40 million support fund for business and the existing UK Job Retention Scheme, will be in place nationwide for 16 days, with tighter restrictions across central belt areas where the infection rate is highest.
Restrictions on licensed premises will come into force from 6pm tomorrow (Friday 9 October), with all other restrictions applying from 00:01 Saturday 10 October.
The new measures are:
Nationwide (excepting central belt areas):
Hospitality (food and drink): all premises may only open indoors between 6am and 6pm, with no sales of alcohol
Hospitality (food and drink): premises may open outdoors until 10pm, with sales of alcohol (where licensed)
Takeaways (including from pubs and restaurants) can continue
Evening meals may be served in accommodation for residents only but no alcohol can be served
Current meeting rules, maximum of six people from two households, continue to apply
Specific life events, such as weddings and funerals, may continue with alcohol being served, with current meeting rules for these events (20 person limit in regulated premises only)
Central belt area focusing on five health board areas (Ayrshire & Arran; Forth Valley; Greater Glasgow & Clyde; Lanarkshire; Lothian):
All licensed premises will be required to close, with the exception of takeaway services
Cafés (unlicensed premises) which don’t have an alcohol licence will be able to open between 6am and 6pm
Takeaways (including from pubs and restaurants) can continue
Evening meals may be served in accommodation for residents only but no alcohol can be served
Specific life events, such as weddings and funerals, may continue with alcohol, with current meeting rules for these events (20 person limit in regulated premises only)
No group exercise classes for indoor gyms and sports courts, pools with an exemption for under 18s
No adult (18+) contact sports or training, except professional sports, indoor or outdoor
No outdoor live events
Snooker/pool halls, indoor bowling, casinos and bingo halls are to close
Public transport use should be minimised as much as possible, such as for education and work, where it cannot be done from home
Current meeting rules, maximum of six people from two households, continue to apply
Additionally, from this weekend, shops across Scotland are asked to return to two metres physical distancing and reintroduce the mitigations they put in place earlier in the pandemic, including one-way systems.
The challenge Scotland faces has also been set out in an evidence paper published today by senior clinical advisors: the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Nursing Officer and the National Clinical Director. It shows the R number is currently higher in Scotland than in other UK nations and that three weeks after opening hospitality, the R number rose to 1 and above.
In the seven days up to Monday, the number of people in hospital with Covid increased by almost 80%. In the past week, cases in people over 80 years old increased by 60% and cases in the 60-79 year old age group more than doubled.
During the period these measures are in place, the Scottish Government will work with all sectors to review guidance in place to ensure all steps are being taken to minimise COVID-19 transmission and support compliance with regulations.
Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce has reacted to the announcement, which will decimate many of Scotland’s businesses – in particular, the hospitality sector which employs tens of thousands of people in Edinburgh.
In particular, businesses in the sector believe:
The evidence base on which the Government is making decisions which have such devastating impacts needs to be more robust and compelling. The Government’s own analysis is that 1 in 5 of those reporting infections have visited hospitality venues, and acknowledges that there is no evidence confirming where they acquired the virus
The First Minister acknowledges that the vast majority of hospitality businesses have spent scarce resources and significant time making their premises as safe as possible, yet still hospitality venues bear the brunt of restrictive measures
There has been NO genuine consultation with the sector on what measures are necessary and NO desire to seek any potential alternative solutions with businesses.
Joanne Davidson, Director of Policy at Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “Everyone in the country acknowledges the pandemic is a serious public health issue and we appreciate that Government has to make hard decisions in the current climate.
“However, it is an issue we need to tackle together, and that means involving businesses in the process. Taking decisions without recourse to those whose lives, businesses, employment and well-being are torn apart by these decisions is not the way to bring our country through this process successfully.
“Along with all of our colleagues in the Chamber network, we call on the Scottish Government to consult in a genuine way with business, to provide more robust data on which serious decisions are being based, and to seek solutions and meaningful engagement with the business community which minimise the impact and ensure adequate and appropriate financial support is made available to protect jobs and livelihoods.”
Federation of Small Businesses Scotland is warning that the mental health of small business owners and the self-employed has suffered during this pandemic.
FSB’s Andrew McRae said: “The vast majority of those in business want to be – and are – playing their part in tackling the crisis. But this year has taken its toll on the mental health of those that work for themselves, especially those that operate in certain sectors.
“Governments north and south of the border need to ensure there’s enough help on offer to see smaller firms through a crisis that’s not of their making. These local firms aren’t expendable, and care needs to be taken not to treat them as such.”
FSB offers a range of mental health support advice for members and the wider small business community.
Finance Ministers from across the devolved nations have joined forces to call for flexibility, fairness and clarity from the UK Government.
For the first time, all three finance ministers – Kate Forbes, Rebecca Evans and Conor Murphy – today made co-ordinated statements in their respective legislatures.
The ministers are asking the UK Government for greater fiscal flexibility to manage the implications of coronavirus (COVID-19), meaningful involvement in the Spending Review to enable planning of budgets and an assurance that lost EU funding will be replaced in full and brought under the control of devolved administrations.
Finance Secretary Ms Forbes said: “Today the finance ministers of the devolved administrations are taking this unprecedented step to demonstrate the level of concern we share across the different nations of the UK, across different parties and across different legislatures.
“The importance of these issues cannot be overstated. They directly impact our ability to respond to COVID-19, to manage our nations’ finances and to support our communities and businesses during the pandemic.
“As representatives of our three nations, we are calling for the UK Government to provide the clarity, certainty and flexibility we require. These calls must not go unanswered.”
Ms Evans said: “I am focused on protecting the people of Wales from the worst impacts of the pandemic, while laying the foundations for recovery based on jobs, our young people and the environment.
“However, the Chancellor’s decision to cancel the UK autumn budget, alongside the uncertainty of the Spending Review and the complete lack of information on replacement EU funding, all contribute to making our task harder still.
“Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are today calling on the UK government to provide the fairness, flexibility and clarity we need to support and protect our communities and businesses.”
Speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Mr Murphy said: “As Finance Ministers we represent over 10 million people and today we speak with one voice. We are calling for more fiscal flexibility to manage the implications of COVID-19.
“We are calling for proper involvement in the Spending Review so we can plan our Budgets. We are also calling for lost EU funding to be replaced in full, and brought under local control.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set out new plans to Build Back Greener by making the UK the world leader in clean wind energy – creating jobs, slashing carbon emissions and boosting exports.
£160 million will be made available to upgrade ports and infrastructure across communities like in Teesside and Humber in Northern England, Scotland and Wales to hugely increase our offshore wind capacity, which is already the largest in the world and currently meets 10 per cent of our electricity demand.
This new investment will see around 2,000 construction jobs rapidly created and will enable the sector to support up to 60,000 jobs directly and indirectly by 2030 in ports, factories and the supply chains, manufacturing the next-generation of offshore wind turbines and delivering clean energy to the UK.
Through this, UK businesses including smaller suppliers will be well-placed to win orders and further investment from energy companies around the world and increase their competitive standing on the global stage, as well as supporting low-carbon supply chains.
The Prime Minister has also set out further commitments to ensure that, within the decade, the UK will be at the forefront of the green industrial revolution as we accelerate our progress towards net zero emissions by 2050.
These include:
Confirming offshore wind will produce more than enough electricity to power every home in the country by 2030, based on current electricity usage, boosting the government’s previous 30GW target to 40GW.
Creating a new target for floating offshore wind to deliver 1GW of energy by 2030, which is over 15 times the current volumes worldwide. Building on the strengths of our North Sea, this brand new technology allows windfarms to be built further out to sea in deeper waters, boosting capacity even further where winds are strongest and ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of the next generation of clean energy.
Setting a target to support up to double the capacity of renewable energy in the next Contracts for Difference auction, which will open in late 2021 – providing enough clean, low cost energy to power up to 10 million homes
These commitments are the first stage outlined as part of the Prime Minister’s ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution, which will be set out fully later this year. This is expected to include ambitious targets and major investment into industries, innovation and infrastructure that will accelerate the UK’s path to net zero by 2050.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Our seas hold immense potential to power our homes and communities with low-cost green energy and we are already leading the way in harnessing its strengths.
“Now, as we build back better we must build back greener. So we are committing to new ambitious targets and investment into wind power to accelerate our progress towards net zero emissions by 2050.
“This sets us on our path towards a green industrial revolution, which will provide tens of thousands of highly-skilled jobs.”
Together with planned stringent requirements on supporting UK manufacturers in Government-backed renewables projects, these measures will mean the industry can reach its target of 60% of offshore wind farm content coming from the UK.
Business and Energy Secretary Alok Sharma said: “The offshore wind sector is a major British success story, providing cheap, green electricity while supporting thousands of good-quality jobs.
“Powering every home in the country through offshore wind is hugely ambitious, but it’s exactly this kind of ambition which will mean we can build back greener and reach net zero emissions by 2050.”
Today’s announcement marks the latest stage of the UK Government’s support for renewable energy. Last September the third round of the Contracts for Difference renewable energy auction delivered record-low prices on enough clean energy to power 7 million homes. Earlier this year the Government announced the next round would be open to onshore wind and solar projects for the first time since 2015.
The UK has the largest installed capacity of offshore wind in the world, with around 10GW in operation off its coasts.
The Government’s plan for renewable energy forms part of wider efforts to ensure the UK meets its legally binding target to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and build back greener from coronavirus.
Over the past decade, the UK has cut carbon emissions by more than any similar developed country. In 2019, UK emissions were 42 per cent lower than in 1990, while our economy over the same period grew by 72 per cent.
Hugh McNeal, CEO of RenewableUK, said: “The Government has raised the ambition for offshore wind and renewables, and our industry is ready to meet the challenge. A green recovery with renewables at its heart will be good for consumers and jobs, as well as helping to meet our 2050 net zero emissions target.
“Support for new floating wind projects will ensure the UK stays at the forefront of global innovation in renewables, and provides new opportunities in the low carbon transition.”
Energy UK’s Chief Executive, Emma Pinchbeck, commented: “The UK’s power sector has reduced emissions by nearly 70%, but we know we need to go further and faster on the road to Net Zero. The energy industry will work with Government to turn our world-leading low carbon power sector into a Green Recovery for the whole economy.
“The package of support for offshore and floating wind announced by the Prime Minister today takes a UK decarbonisation success story and winds it up to a scale fit for the Green Recovery, creating jobs and billions of pounds of investment.
“We need to build back better for the environment, for the economy and for communities. We look forward to the Prime Minister’s ten-point plan for the low carbon industrial revolution, later this autumn.”
Keith Anderson, CEO of ScottishPower said: “These bold ambitions and clear targets are exactly the right signals at exactly the right time. They will encourage long-term investment and innovation from the renewables industry – and they will boost employment and economic benefits right across the UK.
“ScottishPower is committed to doubling down on our commitments to delivering 100% clean green energy that matches the UK’s aim to cut emissions for every home.”
Benj Sykes, Industry Chair of OWIC, said: “Offshore wind is on track to become the backbone of Britain’s electricity system, providing reliable, low-cost clean power to homes and businesses across the country.
“The industry is investing tens of billions of pounds in new offshore wind projects, supporting local economies and employment in communities across the UK. Our global leadership in offshore wind, coupled with new support for investment in ports, will help unlock the huge opportunity for the UK to build a world-leading, competitive supply chain.”
Alistair Phillips-Davies, CEO of SSE said: “We welcome today’s announcement which will help ensure that more low cost offshore wind can be deployed before 2030, creating green jobs and putting the UK on the right path to net zero.
“This complements SSE’s own plans to invest over £7.5 billion in low carbon infrastructure over the next five years, including building the largest offshore wind farm in the world at Dogger Bank with Equinor.”
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has proposed a new Fans Fighting Fund to help keep football clubs afloat.
Douglas, who is also an assistant referee, is calling for the Scottish Government to match the money that fans raise to save their local teams, as many clubs warn that they will struggle to get through the next few months without funding support.
On Friday, Douglas held a discussion with 24 clubs across each of Scotland’s top divisions to hear about their concerns.
Douglas has previously held similar Roundtable Scotland events with teaching unions, drug recovery organisations and business groups.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said:“On Friday, I spoke with representatives of 24 clubs across Scotland to hear about the perilous state of the game. Clubs told me that they’re on the brink without paying punters in the stadium.
“I’ve taken away a range of issues from the meeting that I want to look at further but this initial suggestion could provide some immediate help.
“I’m proposing that we help clubs out, especially those smaller clubs embedded in communities, with a Fans Fighting Fund. I’d like to see the government commit to matching what fans raise to keep their clubs alive.
“The money from the UK Government is there. The SNP received £97 million to protect culture venues from the impact of Covid and haven’t spent at least £10 million of it. And we all know in Scotland that football is our culture, even more than comedy clubs or theatres.
“As long as clubs commit to paying the living wage and those who can chip in too, this is a fair deal to support football.”
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs said:“Many clubs throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians are in real financial difficulty without any income from supporters.
“This initial proposal would go along way in keeping clubs afloat during what is going to be a very challenging season.
“SNP Ministers must take this proposal seriously to ensure that clubs throughout the region have a fighting change of making it to next season.”
People on low incomes will be eligible to receive a new £500 grant if asked to self-isolate.
The new Self-Isolation Support Grant will help those who would lose income if they needed to self-isolate, such as those unable to carry out their work from home.
This grant is for those who will face financial hardship due to being asked to self-isolate and will be targeted at people who are in receipt of Universal Credit or legacy benefits, with some discretion to make awards to others in financial hardship.
Applications are due to open from 12 October and will be delivered through the existing Scottish Welfare Fund, which is administered by local authorities.
Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville (above) said: “Self-isolation can be tough, but it is essential to protect people and reduce the spread of coronavirus. To ensure people do not experience financial hardship as a result of doing the right thing, we are introducing this new £500 grant for people on low incomes who have been told to self-isolate.
“We want to do everything we can to support people throughout this challenging time and these payments will help ensure people do not have to make a choice between self-isolating and supporting themselves financially.
“While we continue to press the UK Government for clarity around consequential funding for the support scheme they recently announced, it is essential that we act swiftly so that people who need support are able to access it. I am glad that the scheme has the support of local authorities and that we have a means of delivering it from next month.”
COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson Councillor Kelly Parry said: “COSLA, on behalf of Scottish local government, welcomes this scheme. It will help ensure those who are affected and qualify are looked after and won’t need to go to work, which will help reduce the community spread of the virus.
“Councils have vast experience of providing local support of this type to communities and are the best placed to deliver this measure. We are keen to agree the details with the Scottish Government as soon as possible and look forward to getting much needed support to the people who need it.”
Minister says physical and mental wellbeing the priority
Scottish universities must ensure students self-isolating on campus receive the highest possible standards of support to maintain their physical as well as their mental wellbeing, according to Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead.
He was updating Parliament on the latest Government measures to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the university sector.
Mr Lochhead also said every possible effort is being made to allow students to return home safely at Christmas if they wish to do so, and that the Government is now exploring the merits of some ‘targeted surveillance COVID testing’, to better understand the level of asymptomatic cases of the virus among the student population.
Universities Scotland, which represents Scotland’s 19 universities and higher education institutions, has now confirmed a package of 10 measures it will be using to support student wellbeing.
The Government published additional guidance to inform students wishing to return home right now, of their options and how the latest national restrictions apply to student households.
Mr Lochhead said the Government continues to work alongside universities, accommodation providers, unions, and other key stakeholders to keep campuses and their wider communities safe, and to support students and staff to comply with existing COVID-19 measures.
In its planning for the return of thousands of students for the new academic year, Mr Lochhead added the Government had balanced the negative impact of limiting access to education on students’ personal development, their wellbeing and life chances, with the country also needing the stream of talented and trained individuals produced by Scotland’s world-leading colleges and universities that underpins the economy.
He emphasised to manage that, the Government had consistently planned for some face-to-face teaching in colleges and universities as part of a blended return to campus, during phase three of the Government’s route map.
Mr Lochhead said: “Universities and student accommodation providers have a duty of care to their students – right now, this must be their number one priority and I expect them to take every possible step to look after their safety and wellbeing.
“That is why all universities will now provide a stay-at-campus support package for any students self-isolating, and we have asked the sector to ensure that’s gold standard.
“Our key message right now encourages students to remain living in their current households and on campus if they are able to. We are now working together with the sector on the best approaches on how to handle the Christmas break.
“Universities should also look sympathetically at students who have left or want to serve notice on their tenancy and re-apply at a future point – Ministers are urging the sector to apply the utmost flexibility on this point.
“We remain mindful of clinical advice about the limitations of asymptomatic testing and the need to prioritise our testing capacity. However, we are also exploring the merits of some targeted surveillance testing focused on institutions which present particular concerns, to understand the level of asymptomatic cases.”
Openness and transparency are the key foundations of any democracy. But today we find too much of our politics is shrouded in secrecy. Too often voters remain unsure about who is behind the messages they read, who is behind the information that shapes their political views, and ultimately their votes. In no area is this truer than online campaigning (writes JESSICA BLAIR).
Nine months on from the general election, we still have little idea how much money was spent in the campaign. But even when the data is published by the Electoral Commission, huge gaps will remain in our understanding of how voters were targeted – and by whom.
Democracy is about empowering citizens so that they can actively take part in our political processes and make an informed decision at the ballot box. Transparency, fairness and accountability in political campaigning are key to ensuring this is possible. But while technology offers huge opportunities for political engagement, the current system – if it can be called that – is an unregulated Wild West.
Indeed, the Electoral Commission’s own post-election research found that ‘[m]isleading content and presentation techniques are undermining voters’ trust in election campaigns’ and that the ‘significant public concerns about the transparency of digital election campaigns risk overshadowing their benefits’.
Democracy in the Dark, a new report commissioned by the Electoral Reform Society and written by Dr Katharine Dommett and Dr Sam Power, sheds light on campaigning in the 2019 general election.
For the first time, the authors reveal how much was spent on social media platforms by campaigners and parties during the election, and track the rise of non-party ‘outriders’, with all the associated secrecy.
However, it’s not enough to just point out the risks. Dommett and Power also summarise the many sensible, proportionate and easily implementable recommendations, around which there is broad and cross-party consensus, as to how we can restore trust in our democratic processes.
These reforms would shine a light on the murky world of unregulated online campaigning, focusing on five key areas: 1. Money; 2. Non-party campaigns; 3. Targeting; 4. Data; 5. Misinformation.
Many of the recommendations in this report echo existing calls to modernise electoral law to help rebuild trust in our democratic system. Recommendations include closing funding loopholes, creating national standards for social media ad transparency and ensuring voters can easily see who is targeting them and why.
Since we published our report Reining in the Political Wild West in 2019, countless calls have been made across the political spectrum in support of reform and there continues to be strong and long-standing cross-party support to tame the unregulated Wild West of online political campaigning.
Yet despite repeated calls for reform, little action has been taken. Strikingly, far from becoming more transparent, the authors find that in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, parties and campaigners have become even more cautious about disclosing information about their campaign activities online.
In terms of progress, the most significant step has been the launch of a consultation on extending the use of imprints to include online election material – a necessary step, but which on its own is woefully insufficient.
Such limited efforts have further been undermined by alleged threats to abolish the Electoral Commission if it cannot be ‘radically overhauled’. Rather than enhancing the Commission’s powers and resources so that it can tackle the challenges of the modern age, the body tasked with protecting our democracy is under unprecedented attack.
With elections due to take place across the UK in May 2021, we cannot let the urgent task of ensuring our electoral integrity be kicked into the long grass once more.
Additional guidance has been published for those living in student households after new measures were announced last week to protect the population from the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science Richard Lochhead has written to college and university principals and student accommodation provider networks to set out the new guidance. It has been developed in consultation with the National Union of Students Scotland and Universities Scotland.
The guidance is intended to address questions from students and encourages them to remain on campus if they are able to do so. It outlines what students can and cannot do and what they need to think about if they are considering a return home on a permanent basis.
This includes where students are isolating and require support to allow them to comply with the requirement to self-isolate. Under the guidance, the household students are returning to are asked to also self-isolate and states that public transport should not be used.
Mr Lochhead said: “Our priority is to try and keep people safe from a virus that, even for young people, can do a lot of damage to physical health.
“We would encourage students to remain living in their current accommodation where they are able to, so they can continue to benefit from both a blend of digital and in-person learning, where that is possible and the opportunity to engage with others, within the restrictions, to build new networks and to make new friends.
“However, we know that many students may be struggling with the prospect of not being able to return home to visit family and other support networks, especially if is the first time in their life they have been away from home.
“Knowing what to consider in deciding whether to return home will help support wellbeing and enable students to make informed choices, but it is important to stress that adjusting to life away from home is always challenging.
“And, as the First Minister has made clear, we are strongly advising that students do not visit pubs and restaurants for the remainder of this weekend.
“I’d like to thank students for playing their role at this very difficult time when they are trying to benefit from further and higher education against a backdrop of a global pandemic.”
Responding to the updated guidance, NUS Scotland said: “Today’s guidance provides welcome clarity to the students in halls, who will be considering their next steps.
“We welcome that students will be able to return home on a permanent basis.
“However, we are disappointed that the government continues to talk up in-person teaching, which may keep students on campus and increase risks unnecessarily. We continue to call on the Scottish Government to strengthen teaching guidance so remote learning is the default, and a reality for as many students as possible.
“We recognise that some students may want to return to halls at a later date. We would welcome this opportunity to be open to them, so long as it is safe to do so.
“Students can, by law, end their student accommodation contracts by serving notice for Covid-19 related reasons. We’re calling for institutions and private providers to go further. This isn’t what students signed up for. If students want to end their contracts and return home, they should be fully refunded. And if they wish to defer study, they should be supported to do so.
“For those who wish to remain in halls, they must be provided with first-class support from their institutions – including practical support like food deliveries, as well as mental health and wellbeing support. They deserve nothing less.
“We also welcome guidance for students who may need to return home because they require the support of a friend, family member or other supportive person, to allow them to comply with the requirement to self-isolate.”
The body representing Scottish universities said student welfare must be a priority.
Responding to the additional guidance, Professor Gerry McCormac, Convener of Universities Scotland and Principal of the University of Stirling said:“With the support of their universities, students need to choose what is right for their own physical and mental health.
“Unfortunately the current situation with this pandemic means these choices do need to be balanced within the wider public health context. There is a real benefit, we believe, in staying at university this semester and benefiting from the blend of both digital and in-person learning and the wider range of services and support that is available.
“The Scottish Government’s additional guidance about households puts the emphasis on staying within existing households and avoiding overnight stays elsewhere for now, but not at the expense of an individual’s wellbeing. It also makes clear that a change of household is possible but offers guidance to limit this to cases where a change then become the person’s main or only residence on a long-term basis.
“It has been a very difficult start to the new academic year for the entire student community, both those returning to university and in particular, those attending for the first time. It is particularly worrying for the students who have tested positive for COVID-19 and for those who have been asked to isolate to protect other students, staff and the local community.
“A great deal has been asked of students in recent times so that the transmission of the virus can be limited, but the prevalence of this virus has been increasing for several weeks and while students have been severely affected, the responsibility for this increase does not just lie with them.
“Nonetheless we must do all we can to curtail the spreads of this deadly disease while ensuring students and staff are fully supported. Universities are providing practical, emotional and financial support to students and every student should feel able to reach out and ask for any support they need – we’re here for you.
“We’re all facing unprecedented challenges whilst trying to protect education as a priority, second only to public health. In institutions, student leaders have been and continue to be a key part of the planning process for managing the virus and there is wide support for the actions taken.
“Looking ahead, the student voice will be a key part of discussions regarding how to manage the approach to the rest of the academic year. Actions taken now to reduce the spread of this disease will help ensure we can integrate further with each other and our loved ones as we head towards the Christmas break.”
Temporary Coronavirus Act provisions due to be debated in the House of Commons on Weds 30 September could substantially restrict or curtail important, hard-won rights that disabled people rely on for their quality of life, says a new report by Westminster’s Women and Equalities Committee.
The Committee insists that they must not become new norms, setting back disabled people’s rights by many years.
The Committee’s scrutiny has focused on three areas:
Care Act easement provisions
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have duties to assess and meet care and support needs that meet certain criteria. Where local authorities’ resources are severely affected by the pandemic, the Coronavirus Act can essentially replace these with a duty to do this only where failure to do so would be a breach of an individual’s human rights. In some cases this is a would be a greatly reduced level of support.
Temporary Mental Health Act provisions
The Coronavirus Act allows applications for temporary detention under the Mental Health Act (sectioning) to be made by a single doctor, and extends some time limits, for example the time someone can be detained awaiting medical assessment from 72 hrs to 120, and removing the 12 week time limit on remand to hospital.
Education, Health and Care Plan duties to young people with SEND
Parents of children, and young people aged 16-25, with special educational needs or disabilities, have a right to request their local authority carry out an assessment of their child’s (or their own, if aged 16-25) education, health and care needs (Children and Families Act 2014).
Where these met the threshold, local authorities have a duty to secure a package of integrated support known as the Education Health and Care Plan within 20 weeks. The Coronavirus Act gives the Government the power to modify this absolute duty to one of “reasonable endeavours”. Regulations also temporarily suspended the time limits.
The report also looks at the statutory arrangements for the six month reviews of the Coronavirus Act, arguing that the “take all or leave all” approach to continuing the provisions is unsatisfactory.
This is an interim report of the Committee’s inquiry into the impact of coronavirus on disabled people’s access to services [link]. The full report will be published [check] later in the autumn.
Chair’s comments
Committee Chair Caroline Nokes said: “Restricting disabled people’s hard-won rights must not become the new normal. This pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for Government but we must ensure that does not become a reason to turn the clock back on equality.
“The “take all or leave all” binary vote will present MPs with no real choice over provisions which have clear and obvious equality impacts for their disabled constituents, and which they may believe are no longer justified – either now or over the 2 year lifetime of the Act.
“The Government must demonstrate its commitment to equality by ensuring that any proposals which potentially restrict disabled people’s hard won rights are properly considered, and separately from the statutory vote.”
Care Act Easement Provisions
If the pandemic had been more clearly under control, the Committee would have recommended repeal of these. But given the precarious stage of the pandemic, and the fragility of the social care sector it accepts that they might need to remain over the winter. The report recommends that these should be kept under constant review, and if the pandemic stabilises or improves they should be repealed at the second six monthly review in spring 2021 – or sooner.
Detailed information about the number and groups of disabled people affected, and the impact on services, proved impossible to find. Together with a lack of published data, this left the Committee unable to scrutinise the impacts properly.
The report calls on the Government to demonstrate that it is keeping local authorities’ use of Care Act easements under thorough review and allow for proper scrutiny of data, and to publish Think Local Act Personal’s report and accompanying data on the effects of the pandemic on social care provision to inform the debate in the House of Commons on Weds 30 September.
Finally, it recommends that Government guidance to local authorities must make it clear that any pre-emptive triggering of easements would be a misuse of the provisions and could leave local authorities open to legal challenge.
The report also notes that the pandemic has brought a range of pre-existing systemic problems in the social care sector into sharper focus. There is an urgent need for a more sustainable funding solution; resolution of workforce issues including high staff turnover and low pay, and closer integration with health services, as well as a need to value this sector more highly. These issues will be covered in the main report.
Mental Health Act
The temporary provisions have not been needed in England so far, and evidence suggests that future need is unlikely. These also go against the grain of long awaited MHA reforms intended to address inequalities in the system.
The Committee recommends that the Government should either repeal these, or suspend them – leaving the option of reinstating them if they become needed; if the pandemic stabilises or improves they should be repealed at the second six monthly review in spring 2021 – or sooner.
Local authorities: Education Health and Care Plan duties to children and young people with SEND
Was it really necessary to leave many children and young people with SEND with little or no support for three months? The Committee accepts that local authorities needed some flexibility with these duties at the peak of the pandemic, but calls on the Department of Education to review its processes with a view to making faster decisions to return to full duties.
It also calls for: clearer Government guidance on fulfilling the ‘reasonable endeavours’ duty, including minimum standards and a range of examples of good practice; a clear national strategy for managing the backlog of assessments; and for any future relaxation of duties to be local, in direct response to local effects of the pandemic, rather than national.
The Committee heard evidence that the pandemic had exacerbated pre-existing and widely acknowledged systemic issues in the wider SEND system including: funding, inconsistencies in provision, poor integration of services and a lack of accountability in the system. These will be considered in detail in the main report later in the autumn.
There’s more to come
While the temporary measures discussed here are an important part of many disabled people’s concerns about the unequal impact of the pandemic, this interim report does not provided a full picture of their lived experience.
The Committee has heard a much wider range of evidence and will publish a main report later in the autumn. This will scrutinise the clarity and accessibility of the Government’s consultation and communications, and disabled people’s wider experience of accessing health and social care.
