The Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee has launched a call for views on the Scottish Government’s plans to update hate crime laws.
MSPs want to know whether the public, including groups who may be directly impacted by the new law, support the proposals, or whether some parts of the Bill could be changed.
In the Bill, age is added to the characteristics which already receive extra protections from hate crimes (which are disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and transgender identity). The Bill also leaves open the possibility to add ‘variations in sex characteristics’ at a later date.
In addition to adding ‘age’ and bringing together the different bits of legislation which all apply in this area at present into a single law, the proposals:
• create a new offence of ‘stirring up hatred’ against any of these groups; and,
• abolish the offence of blasphemy
As the call for views issued, Justice Committee Convener, Margaret Mitchell MSP, said: “Offences motivated by hatred or prejudice have been more harshly treated by courts for a number of years, and Committee Members broadly support extra protections for vulnerable groups.
“Certainly aspects of this Bill, such as bringing together the various different laws into one place seem eminently sensible, and a way to remove anomalies.
“However, this Bill needs careful consideration. While there are clear cut examples of hate crimes, there are also trickier cases. Making sure the law strikes the right balance, protecting those who fall victim to crime because of the prejudice of others while also protecting the freedom of thought and expression of all citizens, is the task that lies before us.
“These issues are not easy or straightforward and will outlast the current Covid-19 pandemic. It is crucial that they get the close attention and parliamentary scrutiny they deserve.
“The committee wants to hear from Scottish society about whether they agree this Bill the best way to achieve those aims. Does it give the right protections, are any groups overlooked, or could there be any unintended consequences? These are the issues we want to look at in depth as we examine this new legislation.”
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Sunday 10 May).
Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us for today’s briefing. I want to start – as I always do – by updating you on some of the key statistics in relation to Covid-19 in Scotland.
As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 13,486 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 181 from yesterday.
A total of 1,484 patients are currently in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 – that is a decrease of 101 from yesterday.
A total of 82 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected cases of the virus. That is a decrease of seven since yesterday.
I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,100 patients who had tested positive and been hospitalised for the virus have been able to leave hospital. I wish all of them well.
Unfortunately I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 10 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test as having the virus – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 1,857.
These figures should be treated with some caution. Although deaths can now be registered at weekends, registration of numbers over weekends are usually lower than they are during the week. This should be taken into account when considering today’s figures.
As always, I want to stress that these numbers are not simply statistics. They represent individuals whose loss is being felt and mourned by many. As always, I send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus. We are all thinking of you at this time.
I also want to thank, as I always do, our health and care workers. You are continuing to do extraordinary work in very challenging circumstances. There is not a day that passes that I don’t feel a deep debt of gratitude to you.
I have one issue that I want to talk about today and it relates to lockdown. Let me emphasise at the outset that the lockdown in Scotland remains in place.
As I have set out before, the rate of transmission of the virus in Scotland – the R number you are used to hearing about – is still too high for any significant change to be safe at this stage. Indeed, the R number may, as I said earlier in the week, be slightly higher here than in other parts of the UK at this point.
That means we must be very cautious and very careful about where we proceed to from here. Having made real progress in recent weeks and I think you can tell from the figures that I am setting out day after day that we have made real progress.
The objective now for all of us must be to consolidate and solidify that progress – we must not squander our progress by easing up too soon or by sending mixed messages that result in people thinking it’s ok to ease up now.
Let me be very blunt about the consequences if we were do that – people will die unnecessarily and, instead of being able to loosen restrictions hopefully in the near future, we will be faced instead with having to tighten them.
We must not take that risk.
For that reason, my basic message for Scotland remains the same as it has been – please stay at home, except for essential purposes.
I have made clear, however, that the Scottish Government will keep what constitutes an ‘essential purpose’ under review, and I told you last week that we were considering making one immediate change – a change to the guidance relating to exercise.
I can confirm that the Scottish Cabinet met earlier this afternoon and agreed a change to that guidance.
At present, you are only permitted to leave home to exercise once a day. From tomorrow, that once-a-day limit will be removed. So if you want to go for a walk more often – or to go for a run and also a walk later on in the day – then you can do so.
It is important to stress this new advice does not apply if you or someone in your household has symptoms of the virus, or if you received a letter explaining that you are in the shielded group. In those cases, the advice is still to stay at home completely and not go out at all.
And for everybody, all other lockdown restrictions remain in place.
When you are exercising, you must stay relatively close to your own home and at all times at least two metres away from people from other households. And although the rules permit exercise – such as walking, running or cycling – they do not yet extend to outdoor leisure activities such as sunbathing, picnics or barbecues.
The fact that you are allowed to exercise more than once is definitely not – and I want to stress this point – a licence to start meeting up in groups at the park or the beach. Doing that really does risk spreading the virus, and could potentially force us to reintroduce stricter guidelines or toughen up the regulations and penalties in future.
What we are confirming today is instead a small but important change, to one part of the lockdown requirements.
We believe that it will bring benefits to health and wellbeing – particularly for people who live in flats and don’t have access to private gardens, and for children, who I know will have found the once a day limit particularly difficult. The most important point is this – it will bring those benefits without, in our judgement, having a major impact on the spread of the virus.
However – and this is really important – the other basic principles and rules of lockdown remain for now the same. Unless you are doing exercise, or performing another essential task such as buying food or medicine, you should stay at home.
And you should not meet up with people from other households – because that is how we give the virus a chance to spread, giving it bridges it can travel over and lead to increased spread.
The change I have confirmed today is the only change the Scottish Government judges that it is safe to make right now, without risking a rapid resurgence of the virus.
We do not, at this point, want to see more businesses opening up – or more people going to work. Our guidance to business remains the same as it has been.
And we are not yet changing who can or should be at school.
You may hear the Prime Minister announce other immediate changes tonight for England – and that is absolutely his right to do so. I’ve just come from a Cobra meeting with the Prime Minister and the First Ministers of Wales and Northern Ireland.
Now it’s important to say that I don’t expect the detail of these immediate changes that the Prime Minister will announce to be significant and I predict that any differences with the position here in Scotland will be relatively minor.
However, for the avoidance of doubt, let me be clear – except for the one change I have confirmed today, the rules here have not changed. We remain in lockdown for now and my ask of you remains to Stay at Home.
However, we will continue to monitor the evidence closely and make further changes as soon as we consider it safe to do so.
In the interests of openness and transparency and the grown up conversation I keep talking about that I want to have, I want to give you as much visibility of that as I’m going to share with you now that over this coming week – as we hopefully see more evidence of a downward trend in the virus – we will assess further whether it is possible to further extend the range of permissible outdoor activities that you can do on your own or at a safe distance.
We will also consider over the coming days whether garden centres can re-open; and we will think about whether some additional forms of outdoor work – particularly where people work on their own or at a distance – can safely resume. We will also be looking urgently – in close discussion with councils – at the possibility of reopening waste and recycling centres.
I will update you on these further issues next weekend.
Beyond that we will continue to consider when and how more businesses can safely start to re-open, what changes will be required to public transport, and when and how children can start returning to school.
On that latter point, though, I do not expect that schools in Scotland will start to return as early as 1 June.
As well as announcing immediate changes, I understand that the Prime Minister will also tonight set out a longer term plan for England. The Scottish Government has not yet seen the detail of this plan, so it is not possible for us to simply adopt it for Scotland – and indeed the evidence may well tell us that moving at exactly the same pace is not appropriate.
We will consider it carefully and we will take our own expert advice on it. And as soon as possible we will set out our own view on the phasing of a more substantial lifting of the lockdown.
We are already working with businesses to produce guidance specific to the needs of industry, workers and public health in Scotland. We will publish that guidance, sector by sector, in the coming days and weeks – our early priority is to give guidance and visibility to the construction, manufacturing and retail sectors.
Lastly, in areas which are the responsibility of the UK Government in Scotland, we will make sure that our views and concerns are known. For example – we expect confirmation tonight of a period of quarantine for people travelling into the UK. I have made it clear that I believe this is vital to our efforts to contain the virus in the period ahead, and I would encourage the UK Government to introduce it as soon as possible.
Lastly, let me say something about co-operation between the four nations of the UK.
I remain committed to the closest possible co-operation, collaboration and alignment. And, let me stress again, I have no interest in politics when it comes to tackling this virus.
It is perfectly consistent with an overall four nations approach to have a pragmatic acceptance that we may move at different speeds if the evidence tells us that is necessary – and I believe we do now have that acceptance.
But genuine consultation and alignment of messages – even, perhaps especially, when the evidence is putting us on slightly different timelines – remains really important.
We should not be reading of each other’s plans for the first time in newspapers. And decisions that are being taken for one nation only – for good evidence based reasons – should not be presented as if they apply UK wide.
Clarity of message is paramount if we expect all of you to know exactly what it is we are asking of you. As leaders, we have a duty to deliver that clarity to those who we are accountable to, not confuse it.
To that end, I have asked the UK Government not to deploy their ‘Stay Alert’ advertising campaign in Scotland. Because the message in Scotland at this stage is not stay at home if you can, the message is, except for the essential reasons you know about, stay at home full stop.
Fundamentally, we all have a responsibility – and it is a heavy one for all of us – to make decisions and set policies for based on our own data of what is safe and what is not.
I am clear that for Scotland, at this present moment, relaxing too many restrictions too quickly creates the risk that the virus will take off again. I am not prepared to take that risk.
That is why – except for the fact that from tomorrow you can go out to exercise more than once a day – the current lockdown restrictions remain in place.
I very much hope that it will be possible to lift more of them in the days and weeks ahead – and we are making plans for that – but at the moment, the risks are still too great.
For all of us, in fact, the way in which we can emerge from lockdown that bit more quickly, is to stick with the current restrictions now.
It is easier for us to start leaving lockdown, the lower the R number is, and the fewer infectious cases there are.
So please, stay at home except for when you are buying food or medicines, or exercising.
Go for walks or runs more than once a day if you want to – it’s good for your health and your physical and mental wellbeing. But stay more than two meters from other people when you are out, and do not meet up with people from other households.
Please wear a face covering if you are in a shop or on public transport. And isolate completely if you or someone else in your household has symptoms.
I know that these restrictions continue to be really tough. And I know that hearing any talk about easing the lockdown, might make them seem even tougher. But please, I am asking you to stick with it.
We are making progress – never lose sight of that. But – even as we stay in touch by phone, by social media or by video calls – we still need to stay apart physically from each other. We still need to stay at home.
By doing that, we will continue to slow down the spread of the virus, we will continue to protect the NHS, and we will save lives. Thank you, once again, to all of you from the bottom of my heart for what you have been doing.
Boris Johnson set out his much-anticipated ‘road map’ in an address to the nation last night. While Johnson is Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as he pointed out himself, much of his speech applies to England only:
It is now almost two months since the people of this country began to put up with restrictions on their freedom – your freedom – of a kind that we have never seen before in peace or war.
And you have shown the good sense to support those rules overwhelmingly.
You have put up with all the hardships of that programme of social distancing.
Because you understand that as things stand, and as the experience of every other country has shown, it’s the only way to defeat the coronavirus – the most vicious threat this country has faced in my lifetime.
And though the death toll has been tragic, and the suffering immense.
And though we grieve for all those we have lost.
It is a fact that by adopting those measures we prevented this country from being engulfed by what could have been a catastrophe in which the reasonable worst case scenario was half a million fatalities.
And it is thanks to your effort and sacrifice in stopping the spread of this disease that the death rate is coming down and hospital admissions are coming down.
And thanks to you we have protected our NHS and saved many thousands of lives.
And so I know – you know – that it would be madness now to throw away that achievement by allowing a second spike.
We must stay alert.
We must continue to control the virus and save lives.
And yet we must also recognise that this campaign against the virus has come at colossal cost to our way of life.
We can see it all around us in the shuttered shops and abandoned businesses and darkened pubs and restaurants.
And there are millions of people who are both fearful of this terrible disease, and at the same time also fearful of what this long period of enforced inactivity will do to their livelihoods and their mental and physical wellbeing.
To their futures and the futures of their children.
So I want to provide tonight – for you – the shape of a plan to address both fears. Both to beat the virus and provide the first sketch of a road map for reopening society.
A sense of the way ahead, and when and how and on what basis we will take the decisions to proceed.
I will be setting out more details in Parliament tomorrow and taking questions from the public in the evening.
I have consulted across the political spectrum, across all four nations of the UK.
And though different parts of the country are experiencing the pandemic at different rates.
And though it is right to be flexible in our response.
I believe that as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom – Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, there is a strong resolve to defeat this together.
And today a general consensus on what we could do.
And I stress could. Because although we have a plan, it is a conditional plan.
And since our priority is to protect the public and save lives, we cannot move forward unless we satisfy the five tests.
We must protect our NHS.
We must see sustained falls in the death rate.
We must see sustained and considerable falls in the rate of infection.
We must sort out our challenges in getting enough PPE to the people who need it, and yes, it is a global problem but we must fix it.
And last, we must make sure that any measures we take do not force the reproduction rate of the disease – the R – back up over one, so that we have the kind of exponential growth we were facing a few weeks ago.
And to chart our progress and to avoid going back to square one, we are establishing a new Covid Alert System run by a new Joint Biosecurity Centre.
And that Covid Alert Level will be determined primarily by R and the number of coronavirus cases.
And in turn that Covid Alert Level will tell us how tough we have to be in our social distancing measures – the lower the level the fewer the measures.
The higher the level, the tougher and stricter we will have to be.
There will be five alert levels.
Level One means the disease is no longer present in the UK and Level Five is the most critical – the kind of situation we could have had if the NHS had been overwhelmed.
Over the period of the lockdown we have been in Level Four, and it is thanks to your sacrifice we are now in a position to begin to move in steps to Level Three.
And as we go everyone will have a role to play in keeping the R down.
By staying alert and following the rules.
And to keep pushing the number of infections down there are two more things we must do.
We must reverse rapidly the awful epidemics in care homes and in the NHS, and though the numbers are coming down sharply now, there is plainly much more to be done.
And if we are to control this virus, then we must have a world-beating system for testing potential victims, and for tracing their contacts.
So that – all told – we are testing literally hundreds of thousands of people every day. (? – Ed.)
We have made fast progress on testing – but there is so much more to do now, and we can.
When this began, we hadn’t seen this disease before, and we didn’t fully understand its effects.
With every day we are getting more and more data.
We are shining the light of science on this invisible killer, and we will pick it up where it strikes.
Because our new system will be able in time to detect local flare-ups – in your area – as well as giving us a national picture.
And yet when I look at where we are tonight, we have the R below one, between 0.5 and 0.9 – but potentially only just below one.
And though we have made progress in satisfying at least some of the conditions I have given.
We have by no means fulfilled all of them.
And so no, this is not the time simply to end the lockdown this week. Instead we are taking the first careful steps to modify our measures.
And the first step is a change of emphasis that we hope that people will act on this week.
We said that you should work from home if you can, and only go to work if you must.
We now need to stress that anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work. (NB: England only – Ed.)
And we want it to be safe for you to get to work. So you should avoid public transport if at all possible – because we must and will maintain social distancing, and capacity will therefore be limited.
So work from home if you can, but you should go to work if you can’t work from home.
And to ensure you are safe at work we have been working to establish new guidance for employers to make workplaces COVID-secure.
And when you do go to work, if possible do so by car or even better by walking or bicycle. But just as with workplaces, public transport operators will also be following COVID-secure standards.
And from this Wednesday, we want to encourage people to take more and even unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise.
You can sit in the sun in your local park, you can drive to other destinations, you can even play sports but only with members of your own household. (NB this only applies in England – Ed.)
You must obey the rules on social distancing and to enforce those rules we will increase the fines for the small minority who break them.
And so every day, with ever increasing data, we will be monitoring the R and the number of new infections, and the progress we are making, and if we as a nation begin to fulfil the conditions I have set out, then in the next few weeks and months we may be able to go further.
In step two – at the earliest by June 1 – after half term – we believe we may be in a position to begin the phased reopening of shops and to get primary pupils back into schools, in stages, beginning with reception, Year 1 and Year 6 (NB: England only – Ed.)
Our ambition is that secondary pupils facing exams next year will get at least some time with their teachers before the holidays. And we will shortly be setting out detailed guidance on how to make it work in schools and shops and on transport.
And step three – at the earliest by July – and subject to all these conditions and further scientific advice; if and only if the numbers support it, we will hope to re-open at least some of the hospitality industry and other public places, provided they are safe and enforce social distancing.
Throughout this period of the next two months we will be driven not by mere hope or economic necessity. We are going to be driven by the science, the data and public health.
And I must stress again that all of this is conditional, it all depends on a series of big Ifs. It depends on all of us – the entire country – to follow the advice, to observe social distancing, and to keep that R down.
And to prevent re-infection from abroad, I am serving notice that it will soon be the time – with transmission significantly lower – to impose quarantine on people coming into this country by air.
And it is because of your efforts to get the R down and the number of infections down here, that this measure will now be effective.
And of course we will be monitoring our progress locally, regionally, and nationally and if there are outbreaks, if there are problems, we will not hesitate to put on the brakes.
We have been through the initial peak – but it is coming down the mountain that is often more dangerous.
We have a route, and we have a plan, and everyone in government has the all-consuming pressure and challenge to save lives, restore livelihoods and gradually restore the freedoms that we need.
But in the end this is a plan that everyone must make work.
And when I look at what you have done already.
The patience and common sense you have shown.
The fortitude of the elderly whose isolation we all want to end as fast as we can.
The incredible bravery and hard work of our NHS staff, our care workers.
The devotion and self-sacrifice of all those in every walk of life who are helping us to beat this disease.
Police, bus drivers, train drivers, pharmacists, supermarket workers, road hauliers, bin collectors, cleaners, security guards, postal workers, our teachers and a thousand more.
The scientists who are working round the clock to find a vaccine.
When I think of the millions of everyday acts of kindness and thoughtfulness that are being performed across this country.
And that have helped to get us through this first phase.
I know that we can use this plan to get us through the next.
And if we can’t do it by those dates, and if the alert level won’t allow it, we will simply wait and go on until we have got it right.
We will come back from this devilish illness.
We will come back to health, and robust health.
And though the UK will be changed by this experience, I believe we can be stronger and better than ever before. More resilient, more innovative, more economically dynamic, but also more generous and more sharing.
But for now we must stay alert, control the virus and save lives.
Thank you very much.
Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, responding to the Prime Minister’s statement, said: “This statement raises more questions than it answers, and we see the prospect of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland pulling in different directions.
“The Prime Minister appears to be effectively telling millions of people to go back to work without a clear plan for safety or clear guidance as to how to get there without using public transport.
“What the country wanted tonight was clarity and consensus, but we haven’t got either of those.”
Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI Director General, said: “Today marks the first glimmer of light for our faltering economy. A phased and careful return to work is the only way to protect jobs and pay for future public services. The Prime Minister has set out the first steps for how this can happen.
“Businesses are keen to open and get our economy back on its feet. But they also know putting health first is the only sustainable route to economic recovery. The message of continued vigilance is right.
“This announcement marks the start of a long process. While stopping work was necessarily fast and immediate, restarting will be slower and more complex. It must go hand-in-hand with plans for schools, transport, testing and access to PPE. Firms will want to see a roadmap, with dates they can plan for.
“Success will rest on flexibility within a framework: clear guidance which firms can adapt for their particular circumstances. Financial support will also need to evolve for sectors moving at different speeds – some remaining in hibernation, while others get ready to open safely.
“The coming weeks should see business, government and employee representatives working together as part of a national effort built on openness and trust. This is the only way to revive the UK economy and protect both lives and livelihoods.”
Responding to the statement by the prime minister, the leader of the Unite union has called for “clarity and caution”as the country continues to combat the coronavirus which has left the UK with one of the worst death tolls in Europe.
Len McCluskey, Unite general secretary, said: “The decisions taken by the UK government in the coming days will shape the health and wealth of this country, not just in the immediate term but for generations to come.
“It is absolutely vital then that the UK government proceeds with total clarity and maximum caution as it works to pull the country out of lockdown – and that it gets the sequencing of the return to work right.
“People cannot get to work safely unless there is safe transport for them to use. Yet there is now a real risk that in a few hours’ time, workers will be cramming onto public transport, putting at risk their lives and those of others. This has not been thought through and the failure to do so places working people in danger.
“Similarly, issuing safety guidance to employers instead of definite, mandatory instructions is not acceptable. This runs a huge risk that some employers will follow the advice while others do not, and we urgently need to hear more from government about how it will install the inspection and enforcement systems necessary to support safe working.
“Unions like Unite have a wealth of health and safety expertise and we are already working with responsible employers to ensure that working people can be confident that they can be safe both at work and on the way to work.
“There is a standing army of tens of thousands of trades union safety representatives that could be deployed in a national effort to unlock the economy in a safe, responsible way. To fail to enlist this pool of people expert in keeping people safe at work is simply bewildering.
“We are very concerned that at the very point we need to build clarity and confidence, doing everything possible to avert a second spike, that this next phase is unfolding in a jumbled, confusing manner.
“Of course, we want to get the economy back on its feet as soon as possible but with such enormous sacrifices given by so many already, we have to honour those who have lost their lives along with those who are caring for us through this crisis by keeping people safe and by building a future of which this country can be proud.
STUC General Secretary Designate Roz Foyer said:“The Prime Minister’s management of this crisis has been so woeful that few will have any confidence in what he has laid out this evening.
“This is a three-month road map in the hands of a government that doesn’t even seem to know what it is doing from one day to the next.
“Boris Johnson has apparently announced the return to work of hundreds of thousands of non-essential workers in areas such as construction and manufacturing. In so doing he in endangering people’s lives. The Government hasn’t even published guidance on how workers will be kept safe.
“His statement that all workers who cannot work from home should go to work will cause incredible confusion and massive concern. We urgently need clarity on how workers who cannot work from home and cannot safely attend their workplace will be treated.
“And at no point did he make it clear that he was talking about England only, rather than the whole of the UK. The strain on the delivery of a four-nation approach now seems intolerable.
“Our five red lines for relaxing lockdown remain the same and apply just as much for the Scottish Government as they do Westminster.
“We need to be far further ahead in testing, have a proper contact tracing system in place, have ready supplies of PPE for any workplaces that is to re-open, and have enforcement measures in place. Each work sector must be treated according to its distinct characteristics and governed by guidelines agreed with unions. And there must be no implied threat of loss of income for workers not able to return to work. The job retention scheme must stay in place with no further reductions in levels of pay support.
“As we have made clear, we believe the Scottish Government’s more safety-first approach is broadly the right one, particularly as doubts about the R value in Scotland persist.
“We have also welcomed their willingness to negotiate the sector by sector guidance with unions. However as ongoing failures on PPE, testing and guidance for care homes show, there is not an ounce of room for complacency.
“Unions will test the strategy of the Scottish Government every step of the way and fight to ensure that the safety of workers and of the wider public remains that number one concern.”
The Prime Minister will reveal more detail when he addresses parliament today and a guidance document will be produced this afternoon.
Boris Johnson will also take questions from the public when he leads the daily press briefing at 5.30pm.
The Scottish Parliament’s Covid-19 Committee, which will be tasked with considering any changes to lockdown legislation, has launched a consultation to gather views about moving out of the current lockdown phase.
The call for views is intended to inform MSPs looking at the Scottish Government’s framework for decision-making, and considering any proposals to change the current rules.
The Committee understands that future decisions will need to balance competing demands, benefits and harms, and wants to ensure a wide range of voices are taken into account before final decisions reached.
The Committee is particularly keen to gather views on:
• The overall strategy set out in the Scottish Government’s Framework for Decision Making;
• The scope for differing approaches being followed in different areas – across Scotland or the UK;
• Maintaining public confidence in the public sector response to COVID-19 whilst easing current restrictions;
• How different interests could be involved in the decision-making process about lifting restrictions, and what would help the final decisions to be widely supported despite any necessary trade-offs;
• Could the current decision-making processes used by the Scottish Government to respond to COVID-19 be improved, and if so how;
• How robust is the data used to inform the response;
• How should the Scottish Government’s messaging strategy be developed as we transition out of the current lockdown (and potentially have to create other or further restrictions in the future).
Speaking as the call for views was launched, Committee Convener, Murdo Fraser MSP, said: “This is an unprecedented and complex situation which requires the Scottish Government to make difficult decisions, necessarily involving competing interests and challenging trade-offs.
“Rightly, until now, we have relied heavily on doctors and scientists. But as we move into the next phases of the Covid-19 response, as a Committee we are mindful of the need to involve a wide range of voices.
“The discussions and debates in the weeks and months ahead do not have obvious or ‘right’ answers, and understanding what different sections of society think is vital to being able to find a consensus, or at least broad agreement, on the path forward.
“To help us as we seek to find that route, we are asking people – business groups, charities, civil society, and interested members of the public – to drop us a short response outlining their thoughts on how we can and should find the right balance moving forward.”
Almost one third of Scotland’s MSPs have now given their support to SELECT’s campaign for regulating the profession of electrician after two more politicians added their names to the electrical trade body’s Wall of Support.
Local MSP Lib-Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton (above) and SNP MP Alan Brown this week became the latest politicians to feature on the online wall, which shows the many individuals and organisations supporting SELECT’s crusade for Protection of Title.
Mr Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, said: “I agree that poor quality electrical work carries huge risks to people’s homes, their businesses and even their lives. It is vitally important that consumers are helped to make informed choices when they employ an electrician.”
41 out of 129 MSPs now back the association’s call for legislation which would make it an offence for someone to call themselves an electrician when they have no, or inadequate, qualifications.
Mr Brown, Westminster MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun said: “I am delighted to support SELECT’s campaign to regulate the electrical industry. It is a massive step in the right direction which protects my constituents and businesses within my constituency when using electricians.
“As an engineer I appreciate the protection of professional qualifications. It will ensure constituents and businesses get exactly what the pay for when hiring an electrician to carry out and keep themselves safe from faulty work.
“Far too much public cash is being spent on repairing faulty electrical work, I believe the regulation of the electric industry will reduce this significantly – that is why I am happy to work cross-party with other members and support SELECT’s campaign.”
SELECT Managing Director Alan Wilson, said: “We are grateful for all the support we have received, across parties, from our politicians and, despite the difficulties all sectors of the economy are currently facing, we remain firm in our belief that our ongoing campaign to make electrician a regulated profession will ultimately succeed.
“Once we are through the worst of this pandemic, the need for properly qualified electricians will be more important than ever to help Scotland rebuild and recover safely.”
Other bodies that have contributed a brick to SELECT’s Wall of Support include the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB), Unite the Union, Electrical Safety First, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Scottish Association of Landlords, the Specialist Engineering Contractors’ Group and the Energy Saving Trust.
The issue is now progressing through the Scottish Parliament and, before the COVID-19 pandemic, a Member’s Bill was being prepared for discussion later this year.
The Scottish Government has also pledged to publish a consultation on the regulation of electricians as part of its 2019-20 Programme for Government, which was released in September 2019.
Environment Secretary George Eustace spoke at the daily government press conference on 8 May 2020 to give the latest update on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s Downing Street Press Conference. I’m pleased to be joined today by Steve Powis the medical director of NHS England.
Before we give an update on the latest figures on the Coronavirus and also our work to help support the vulnerable get access to food.
Today is of course the 75th anniversary of VE day and although many of the lockdown measures and the social distancing measures that are in place mean that many of the planned events have been unable to take place as originally envisaged, today is an important day to pause and remember and 75 years ago people poured into the streets of our scarred cities to celebrate the end of that most difficult conflict.
Our soldiers fought around the world, there were countless acts of bravery, 450,000 British people sadly lost their lives and it was a moment when our whole country pulled together.
As Defra secretary I would like to take this opportunity to record the efforts of those who also contributed in a non-military way, in particular our farmers who stepped up to ensure the nation was fed and the many women who responded to the call to join the Women’s Land Army.
In a moment I am going to give an update on our work to support the vulnerable get access to food, but firstly let me give you an update on the latest data from the COBR coronavirus data file.
I can report through the governments ongoing monitoring and testing programme as of today:
1,631,561 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in the UK, including 97,029 tests carried out yesterday;
211,364 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 4,649 cases since yesterday;
11,788 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus, down from 12,688 the previous day.
And sadly, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 31,241 have now died. That’s an increase of 626 fatalities since yesterday. This new figure includes deaths in all settings not just in hospitals.
We express our deepest condolences to the families and friends of these victims.
Turning now to our work to help the vulnerable get access to food, firstly for the so called shielded cohort. That’s those who are clinically vulnerable.
Over a million food parcels have now been delivered to these households and in addition, all those in the shielded cohort have been added to a list giving them priority access to supermarket delivery slots. So far around 400,000 people have been offered priority delivery slots by supermarkets and around 1 million orders have been placed ensuring that people can shop normally and purchase the goods that they want to buy.
There is of course a wider vulnerable group, those who perhaps have disabilities or who are elderly and perhaps don’t have neighbours or relatives close by to help them. Or indeed those with other conditions that don’t put them in the clinically shielded group but nevertheless make them vulnerable and we have been working with local authorities, and some of the leading charities such as Age UK to put together a package of support to help these people get access to food.
And many local authorities and charities have also been accessing the Good Samaritan app as part of the NHS responder volunteer programme and so far 79,000 shopping runs have been carried out by volunteers engaged in that programme.
In addition we are continuing to work with supermarkets to make available additional priority slots for those in this group. But we also recognise that the economic impacts of coronavirus means that vulnerability is not about physical access to food, for some there is also financial vulnerability, so today we are announcing a new £16 million fund to support frontline food charities.
The fund will be used by Fareshare and WRAP to continue and support and increase the food redistribution work that they already do and will significantly expand their sourcing capacity. They will be delivering food to around 5,000 frontline charities and these include refuges, homeless shelters and rehabilitation centres.
Finally I am conscious that there is a great deal of speculation about what the Prime Minster might say on Sunday when he outlines the roadmap for the future and how we will evolve the current restrictions.
The Prime Minister will outline any changes to the guidance on Sunday but in the meantime in spite of the sunny bank holiday it is vitally important that we continue to abide by the current restrictions, stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.
Concluding the press conference the Environment Secretary said:
I would also as I have done before like to conclude by recording my thanks to all those working in the food industry; from supermarkets and food manufacturers right through to farmers, there has really been quite an extraordinary effort over the last couple of months to ensure that we keep food on our supermarket shelves.
Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, has called on the support of the local community to crackdown on illegal fly tipping in the area during lockdown.
Councils across Scotland have temporarily closed waste and recycling centres to help them prioritise the collection of general refuse and protect public health during the coronavirus outbreak – a course of action described as ‘necessary’ by Zero Waste Scotland.
However, while those maintaining essential waste services in Scotland work hard in difficult circumstances, reports of fly tipping across the country have increased. This has led to calls for local residents to keep a watchful eye out in Edinburgh and report anyone dumping rubbish illegally to the ‘Dumb Dumpers’ website online.
Responsibility for recycling centres lies with councils but the Scottish Government is working closely with COSLA and its partners in local authorities on the prioritisation of waste services and on what further guidance and practical steps may be required on recycling centres.
The MSP has also echoed calls from Zero Waste Scotland and SEPA for the public to act responsibly with their waste until recycling centres re-open – stressing that now is not the time for large-scale clear-outs.
Gordon MacDonald MSP, said: “This is a difficult time for all of us, but we owe a huge thank you to those in the waste industry who are working to keep as many services running as possible.
“The safety of these workers and the general public has to be the priority, and councils also need to consider staffing shortages and physical distancing before our local recycling centres can re-open.
“While these workers do their best for us, it’s important that we continue to do what we can to help them by pitching in to crack down on illegal fly tippers across Edinburgh.
“Now more than ever, we also have to responsibility for managing our waste during this period – that means keeping larger items at home until the centres re-open.”
Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Refuse collectors are working in exceptional conditions to maintain as many essential services as they can. Now is a good time to avoid wasting so much as this is ultimately the best way to help councils cope.
“Zero Waste Scotland is working with key partners to communicate changes to householders and businesses in Scotland in the meantime. We’d encourage everyone to visit the campaign website to find out how they can best manage their waste.”
Lothian Conservative MSP Miles Briggs has called for local recycling facilities to be reopened as soon as possible. He said: “It’s clear households across Scotland have significant amounts of waste and recycling built up over the lockdown.
“After seven weeks of closed local dumps and greater levels of household waste, we are now seeing a perfect storm which is driving a fly-tipping surge.
“This week the UK Government outlined how recycling centres in England can reopen with social distancing measures in place.
“It is clear that we need to see progress to safely lift the restrictions on recycling centres in Scotland and for SNP Ministers to outline how this can be achieved as soon as is safely possible.”
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab gave the 7 May 2020 daily press briefing on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
Good afternoon and welcome to today’s Downing Street Press Conference. I’m very pleased to be joined by Sir Ian Diamond the UK’s National Statistician from the ONS, And also by Dr Jenny Harries, Deputy CMO.
The latest data from our COBR coronavirus data file shows that, as of today:
there have now been 1,534,533 tests for coronavirus across the UK
that includes 86,583 tests carried out yesterday
206,715 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 5,614 cases since yesterday
And those who tested positive, very sadly, 30,615 people have now died, and my deepest condolences go out to anyone who has lost a loved one throughout this pandemic.
Three weeks ago, before the Easter bank holiday weekend, I set out five tests for the UK to move on to the next phase in this pandemic. Then, just as now, there were calls to ease up on the restrictions. But as the science made clear, we couldn’t responsibly do that. In fact, the advice from the group of scientific experts, SAGE, who advise the government made it very clear that there weren’t any changes at all that we could confidently take, Without risking a second peak of the virus.
That’s why we asked the public to keep going. We weren’t done yet.
We said ‘stick to the plan’, and the British public kept going. People stuck to the rules. That meant working from home, it meant worries about money it meant adjusting to home schooling, time apart from family and friends, and just not doing many of the things which we all enjoy in life.
At the same time, there’s been a lot of people who, despite their own personal sacrifices, have gone the extra mile. They volunteered to support the elderly and the vulnerable in their community, who have been shielded themselves away from the virus.
And each Thursday, of course, we now come together to applaud the NHS staff, and the carers, the people who just kept going to keep our country going.
And because of that monumental effort we have now passed the peak of the virus. The NHS hasn’t been overwhelmed. We haven’t seen hospital wards overwhelmed with patients, people left without hospital beds, people left without the ventilators that can mean the difference between life and death.
Now I know the tragic death toll in this country and around the world has been sobering for all of us, and there have been real challenges in this country – with PPE, and with care homes.
But, in this first stage of the fight against COVID-19, through this national team effort, we’ve prevented the number of deaths rising to even higher levels, and we’ve ensured critically that the NHS had the capacity to cope.
Today the Cabinet was updated on SAGE’s advice on the progress that we’ve made to date. And as a result of the social distancing measures that we’ve put in place the R level, which signifies the rate of infection, is now between 0.5 and 0.9. The overall number of new cases has been steadily falling and the rate of deaths is also steadily falling.
Now, just to be clear about what all of this means in practice. The virus is not beaten yet.
It remains deadly and infectious, and we are working very hard right across government and with local government to bring it down in areas of concern, like in care homes, and I’m confident we can do it and we will do it.
But, because we held firm three weeks ago, we are now in a position to start to think about the next phase in this pandemic.
So, this weekend, the Prime Minister will set out the next steps which we can responsibly take over the following weeks, guided by the scientific advice and mindful, as we’ve said right from the word go, of taking the right decisions at the right time.
Now, we can start setting out how we will live and work, whilst maintaining the necessary social distancing rules, we can also be clearer about those measures which are still necessary to prevent a second peak.
The Prime Minister has been directing Ministers and our teams of officials right across government to carefully develop a road-map for the next phase.
It contains appropriate measures to be taken at appropriate milestones, subject to very clear conditions.
And there be detailed guidance to help inform, advise and reassure the public, businesses and other organisations.
To get this right, we have set milestones. Some changes can confidently be introduced more quickly than others, and some of those other ones will take longer to introduce.
And, it’s important to say this, at each point along the way when we take these decisions, they will be based on the five tests and the scientific advice that we receive.
And as I set out in the fifth of our five tests when I spoke here at this lectern, on 16 April, the point at which we make even the smallest of changes to the current guidance will be a point of maximum risk.
If people abandon the social distancing, if we forget the sacrifices that were made to get us through the peak, to get us to this point, the virus will grow again at an exponential rate.
That would lead to a second peak which would threaten the NHS. It would trigger another lockdown, which prolong the economic pain, and we we’re determined to keep it temporary, to keep it as short as possible.
So, we’ve kept the current measures in place for this long, precisely so that we can bounce back with vigour and energy as soon as possible, as soon as it is responsible to start looking at the second phase.
And because of that, our next steps will be surefooted and sustainable. Any changes we make will be carefully monitored. If people don’t follow the new rules, or if we see that the R-level goes back up, we will tighten the restrictions again, we will always retain the option to do so. That way we can safeguard public health and we can also safeguard the economy in a sustainable way.
So having prepared carefully, and based on the updated advice from SAGE, this weekend, the Prime Minister will set out the roadmap for the next phase, along with the conditions for reaching each milestone.
That way we can provide the country with a better understanding of what lies ahead, we can offer reassurance that we will adjust the restrictions to the minimum necessary to prevent a second spike in the virus, and we can give people the confidence that we’re doing it in a way that will protect life and preserve our way of life.
Statement given yesterday (Thursday 7 May) by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh:
Good afternoon. Thank you very for joining us again today.
I want to start with the usual statistical update on COVID-19 in Scotland.
As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 12,924 positive cases confirmed – which is an increase of 215 since yesterday.
A total of 1,587 patients are currently in hospital with either confirmed or suspected COVID-19 – that is a decrease of 45 since yesterday.
A total of 86 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. And that is a decrease of three since yesterday.
I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, 2,954 patients who had tested positive and been admitted to hospital for the virus have been able to leave hospital, and I wish all of them well.
Unfortunately though I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 59 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test as having the virus – and that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 1,762.
As always, let me stress that these numbers are not statistics – or just statistics. They represent real people whose loss is being felt and mourned by many. And I want again to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus – we are all thinking of you.
I also want to thank again our health and care workers for the extraordinary work that you are doing in these most difficult of circumstances.
And I want to thank all of you watching at home, for the sacrifices you are continuing to make as you follow our very clear advice to stay at home, save lives and help us to continue to protect the NHS.
Now I have one main point that I want to update you on this afternoon.
As I have indicated previously this week, the Scottish Government is legally required to review the regulations giving effect to the lockdown every three weeks, and the latest review falls due today.
Our assessment of the evidence leads me to the conclusion that the lockdown must be extended at this stage. More detail of our analysis will be published alongside today’s daily statistics at 2pm. But let me say this now.
We are – together – making really significant progress in our efforts to get this virus under control. I have reported today a further reduction in the number of patients in intensive care. And yesterday, National Records of Scotland reported the first weekly decline in the number of registered deaths related to the virus since this outbreak began.
All of that gives us real hope and real encouragement.
But we also know that progress remains fragile. Our estimates suggest that there are still significant numbers of people in Scotland infected with this virus.
And we are not yet confident that the all-important R number is comfortably below 1 – and I’ve explained and set out before why it is so important to get it and keep it comfortably below 1. Indeed, we think it could still be hovering around 1 just now – which means that any significant easing up of restrictions at this stage would be very very risky indeed.
Also, we think the R number may still be a bit higher here than it is in other parts of the UK – perhaps reflecting the fact that our first cases came later than England’s and so we may be at a different – and slightly later – stage of the infection curve.
Now, all of that tells me that extreme caution is required, at this critical juncture, to avoid a rapid resurgence of the virus.
Before we can judge that it is safe to begin any significant, albeit gradual, easing of the restrictions, we want to see data in the days ahead that confirms a very clear downward trend.
In particular, I want to see what our estimates of new cases and the R number look like a week from now.
And I will be looking very carefully, as I’m sure all of us will be, to see if next week’s NRS figures show a continued fall in the number of deaths.
And it is to allow for such further careful assessment that we have concluded that the lockdown – and the associated regulations – must remain in place for now.
The legal deadline for the next review of these regulations will be three weeks from now – which is the 28 May.
But I want to be very clear again today that we can make changes to the regulations before then if the evidence suggests it is safe to do so.
And let me say again, I am as anxious as anyone to restore some degree of normality to our lives as soon as possible and to reduce the harms that we know lockdown itself is doing.
It is also open to us to amend the supporting guidance if we think that is possible – and indeed there is one very limited, specific change to the guidance that we are considering already, and I want to come back to that shortly.
But, first of all, I want to address reports that you might have seen in today’s media that the Prime Minister might be planning on Sunday to announce changes to the lockdown in England. I should stress that these are only media reports – I do not know yet how accurate they are.
And before I go any further here, I want to take the opportunity to remind you that none of the decisions I am taking just now – absolutely none of them – are driven by politics. They are driven only by doing what is right to tackle this virus and to save lives. And I believe that is true for all leaders across the UK.
However, I have to be clear with you that the potential changes that are reported in the media today have not yet been discussed with the Scottish Government or, as far as I know, with the other devolved governments.
I hope we will have discussions in the next few days. We had expected a COBRA meeting today or tomorrow but it seems now that it might not take place until Sunday – which of course is the day the Prime Minister is due to make his statement.
However, in the last half hour I understand that the Prime Minister has requested a call with the devolved governments later today, and I very much welcome that.
And if and when those discussions do take place I will make very clear – as I have all along – that it is my preference, if possible, for all four UK nations to make changes, together, at the same pace. Because that certainly helps us give clear, consistent messages to you, the public.
However, for that approach to work, we must agree to make changes only when all four governments are satisfied that they don’t risk a resurgence of the virus.
And – again, let me be clear – if the Prime Minister decides that he wants to move at a faster pace for England than I consider is right for Scotland – that is of course his right. I will respect that and I will not criticise him for doing that.
But I hope you understand, and indeed I hope you agree, that I must make judgments, informed by the evidence, that are right and safe for Scotland.
I will not be pressured into lifting restrictions prematurely, before I am as certain as I can be that we will not be risking a resurgence of infection rates.
Now, of the changes that are floated in the media today, there is only one I may – and I would stress at this stage, may – be prepared to agree to in the immediate future – and that is a change to the guidance limiting outdoor exercise to once a day only.
That is currently, as you know, one of the limited number of reasons that you are permitted to leave home.
As I alluded to earlier in the week, we are already considering whether it would be possible now, without increasing the R number, to permit you to exercise outdoors more often than once a day – but on the strict conditions that you still stay within your own household group, stay two meters away from others, and stay reasonably close to your own home.
It would – and let me stress this point – it would not change the overall message to stay at home except for the limited reasons of exercise, food and medicine.
We will report back on our consideration and indeed any four nation discussion of that over the next few days. In the meantime however, let me be clear that the once a day rule does remain in place.
The other possible changes that are reported in the media today – such as encouraging more people back to work now or opening beer gardens or encouraging more use of public transport – would not, in my judgement, be safe for us to make yet.
And I particularly strongly believe that for us to drop the clear, well understood ‘Stay at Home’ message right now could be a potentially catastrophic mistake.
Now, there’s discussion in many countries about the timing of lockdowns.
All along we have taken the decisions we considered right and at the time we thought right. And that’s what we will continue to do. And of course, none of us have the benefit of hindsight when we make those decisions.
But right now we do have the benefit of foresight. And what I do not want a few weeks from now is for us to see a resurgence of this virus and for you to be asking me this – why on earth did you start to ease lockdown a week, or a couple of weeks, too early?
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the decisions we take now are a matter of life and death. And that is why they weigh so very, very heavily. And it’s why they must be taken with great care. And it is why, as I take them, I will continue to err on the side of caution.
Now I will keep you updated of any and all discussions with the UK governments – other UK governments – over the weekend.
For now though, the advice remains the same as it has been.
It is easier for us to start emerging from lockdown, the lower the R number is, and the fewer infectious cases that there are.
And so for all of us, the way in which we emerge from lockdown that bit more quickly, is to stick with the current restrictions now.
So please, stay at home except for essential purposes such as exercise, or buying food or medicines.
Stay more than two meters from other people when you are out, and do not meet up with people from other households.
Wear a face covering if you are in a shop or on public transport. And isolate completely if you or someone else in your household has symptoms.
I know that these restrictions are very tough – and I also know and worry that any talk of easing the lockdown might make it more tempting to go out that bit more often.
But please, resist that temptation. Stick with the current rules. We must – absolutely must – protect the progress that we have all made together so far. Because it is by doing that that we will continue to slow down the spread of the virus, continue to protect the NHS, and continue to save lives.
Thank you very much indeed for listening. I’m going to hand briefly to the Cabinet Secretary for Health before her, I, and of course the Chief Medical Officer take questions from journalists.
Scottish Conservative Lothian MSP Miles Briggs has hit out against Finance Secretary Kate Forbes’ refusal to pass on £150 million in funding from the UK government for Covid-19 relief.
City of Edinburgh Council, like the other 32 local authorities in Scotland, have been told to use their reserves for dealing with Coronavirus.On 31 March 2019 Edinburgh had reserves of £243.1 million.
The UK Government announced another £1.6 billion in funding for local councils in England, but SNP Ministers are declining to hand the equivalent money on to cash strapped councils in Scotland.
The Scottish Conservatives have previously criticised cuts to council budgets before the outbreak of Covid-19 and the withholding of funds to council to fight Covid-19 is a continuation of this trend.
Councils across Scotland have increasingly had to use their reserves to make up the reduction in council funding in the SNP/ Green budget each year, which has depleted their reserves and led to warning from Audit Scotland that Councils are running on empty.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “Edinburgh City Council has an important role to play in tackling Covid-19, but are being hindered by the refusal of SNP Ministers to pass on funding for Council that has been made available to Councils in England.
“Health and Social care services have been amongst the hardest hit by Coronavirus and they will continue to struggle if SNP Ministers to not provide them with proper funding.
“Councils are going to become increasingly important in the management of Covid-19 once lockdown is lifted and measures need to be put in place to limit social distancing and have adequate levels of PPE.
“To be effective they will need the funding to be able put these measures in place, funding which is currently being withheld by SNP Ministers.”
