The next 10 years will be decisive in building a more resilient, entrepreneurial and fair economy, according to Economy Secretary Kate Forbes.
Speaking ahead of the expected publication of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation, Ms Forbes said the Scottish Government will work with businesses, trade unions, third sector and public bodies to seize Scotland’s economic potential.
The publication later this week follows the recent announcement of the updated Strategic Framework that sets out how Scotland can move forward whilst managing the risks of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Ahead of the launch the Cabinet Secretary will tomorrow chair the Green Finance Taskforce to help transition Scotland in to a global leader for Green and Sustainable Financial Services.
Building on the legacy of COP26, the group will develop an action plan to cement Scotland’s position as a world leader in green and sustainable financial services, helping to build capability and create new greener jobs.
Ms Forbes said: “From the television to the telephone, penicillin to steam engines, Scotland has a rich history of innovation and invention. In the next decade, Scotland faces a choice to either lead or to lag behind other successful economies all whilst we recover from Covid, deliver net zero, tackle structural inequalities and grow our economy. We choose to lead.
“Over the next ten years, we aim to deliver economic growth that significantly outperforms the last decade, so that the Scottish economy is more prosperous, more productive and more internationally competitive.
“To do that, we must be a country in which the public, private and third sectors respect each other’s strengths, draw on each other’s talents and work together to create and sustain an economy that works for all.
“This strategy is about delivering the best economic performance possible for Scotland within the current constitutional constraints.
There is much more we would do with greater powers, however this strategy takes decisive steps towards the creation of new, well paid, green jobs and will drive an economic recovery that will meet our climate and nature targets while ensuring we maximise the benefits of a just transition.
“We want the Scotland of tomorrow to be a more resilient and more entrepreneurial economy – in which everybody can share in our success.
“As we look beyond the pandemic we must be ready to seize the economic opportunities that come with achieving net-zero and becoming a fairer country.”
Councils have now provided more than 1,000 Housing First tenancies across Scotland, helping tackle homelessness by offering settled homes to those with multiple and complex needs.
Housing First is aimed at people with high support needs – such as alcohol or drug dependency or significant mental health problems – who are experiencing homelessness. It provides them with settled housing and intensive, individually tailored support.
The Scottish Government has invested £5.5 million since 2019 in the Housing First pathfinder programme, which has worked to set up Housing First schemes in areas with the most people sleeping rough or at risk of doing so. This is part of a £52.5 million investment in rapid rehousing, aiming to ensure people spend the shortest amount of time possible in temporary accommodation, giving them a settled place to live as soon as appropriate.
Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “We know that providing long-term housing to people experiencing homelessness is crucial to helping them rebuild their lives, which is why we’re investing £52.5 million in projects that move people on from temporary accommodation as soon as possible.
“Housing First is a key part of that, aimed at people with multiple and complex needs – be that addiction, mental ill health or repeated interactions with the justice system.
“The best way to reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation is to stop homelessness from happening in the first place, which is why we are consulting on plans to place legal duties on public bodies to prevent people losing their homes. This stems from the principle that preventing homelessness should be a shared public responsibility.”
An additional £6m has been provided to the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund to meet the demand for local mental health and wellbeing projects.
The fund was launched in October last year with £15 million to support grass roots community groups and organisations to deliver activities and programmes for adults which tackle the social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic.
The funding provides an opportunity to re-connect and revitalise communities building on examples of good practice which emerged throughout the pandemic. Projects supporting sport, outdoor and nature initiatives as well as arts and crafts were successful in the initial funding.
Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “This additional £6 million is being provided in light of the positive demand for the original £15 million announced in October last year. We have seen lots of high quality bids for projects that will undoubtedly make a real difference to local communities and we want to support as much of this as possible.
“The importance of community interventions in supporting people’s mental wellbeing cannot be underestimated and prevention and early intervention is a priority for the Scottish Government.”
The Good Morning Service in Glasgow is one organisation which has received funding. Around 400 older people have benefitted from the service which builds meaningful relationships through regular telephone befriending sessions.
The service directly monitors mental and physical well-being, reducing social isolation, and flags potential health problems whenever a Good Morning Call remains unanswered.
Good Night Calls are also provided from November to February alleviating the heightened sense of loneliness that the dark winter nights can bring.
Nicky Thomson, Chief Executive Officer of the Good Morning Service, said; “Simply put, without the support from the Scottish Government we wouldn’t be able to run our 365 day life-enhancing and life-saving service providing practical and emotional support.
“The Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund has enabled us to reach more people in need. Notably, it is the light-touch, non-intrusive nature of our support which is very attractive to older people. We don’t diminish their sense of ability to live independently, we enhance it.
“Operationally, on Good Morning Calls we take whatever time is needed to help people to implement their coping strategies and build resilience. Resilient people build resilient communities, which is what we need at this challenging time.”
Solidarity with Ukraine debate: First Minister’s statement
Statement by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon opening the debate, Solidarity with Ukraine in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 24 February 2022:
Presiding Officer,
Today we woke to the horror of an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and a reality that we all hoped had become unthinkable – a land war in Europe, and today, literally as we speak, that horror in Ukraine is intensifying
Much discussion will focus rightly on the geopolitical impact, but as ever, when so-called ‘strong men leaders’ flex their muscles, it is the innocent and most vulnerable who suffer the most.
At the sharp end of any conflict are men, women, and children – civilians, who have the right to go about their daily lives in peace, but who will inevitably bear the brunt of this full-scale invasion.
Many will be terrified and are fleeing.
Our thoughts are with them in this darkest of hours, and we must provide them with practical support, aid and refuge.
This is arguably the most serious moment the world has faced since the end of the Cold War, and one of the most dangerous since World War II.
By launching this invasion of a sovereign, independent nation, Vladimir Putin has committed an illegal act of aggression, which has no conceivable justification.
His warped rewriting of history, underpinning his imperialist delusions, is no justification.
His claims about the actions of Ukraine’s government are false, and offer no justification.
And notwithstanding different opinions here and elsewhere about the role and objectives of NATO, his assertions about its so-called Eastern expansion and threat to Russian security lack credibility. They are an excuse, not a reason and certainly not a justification.
His motives are simpler. Imperialist expansion, coupled with a fear of allowing democracy to flourish on his borders, in case it finds its way into Russia.
And if these are his motives, no one should doubt his ultimate intention. He wants to end Ukraine’s very existence as an independent, democratic state.
This is a moment therefore of genuine peril. First and foremost for the people of Ukraine but also for the world – and it is a time for all democracies, and all countries that believe in the rule of international law to stand up for Ukraine’s sovereignty, and to stand against Russian aggression.
That is why I believe it is important for Parliament today to condemn Russia’s actions unreservedly, to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine, and to support Ukrainian sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
That of course is the right thing to do for all countries.
But I know in expressing our solidarity with Ukraine, many of us are mindful of the strong ties between Scotland and Ukraine.
As just one example, our capital city Edinburgh is twinned with Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.
And of course, there are several thousand Ukrainian citizens living in Scotland. They are valued and welcome members of our communities.
For all of them, especially those with family and friends still in Ukraine, this will be an especially anxious time, and the Scottish Government will do all we can to support them, and we will work with the Foreign Office to support enquiries from any in Scotland who may be worried about loved ones in Ukraine.
We are also working with the UK and other devolved governments to ensure support is available if needed, to Ukrainian British nationals returning to the UK.
I discussed the concerns of Ukrainians in Scotland yesterday with both the Acting Consul General and with Linda Allison, the Chair of the Ukrainian community here.
I made clear to both of them, the Scottish Government’s condemnation of Russian actions, and our support for and solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
In addition, I made it clear that Scotland stands with those members of the international community who have opposed Russian aggression by imposing sanctions.
After all, expressions of solidarity with Ukraine – welcome though they are – are not sufficient in this moment of great peril.
Firm and decisive action is needed.
It is particularly needed, because this week’s atrocities by Russia are not isolated – they are part of a pattern of this Russian regime’s aggression, which of course includes the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and the Salisbury poisonings in 2018.
Now I deliberately say the ‘Russian regime’ because it is important to be clear that the crimes, and I also use that word deliberately, now being committed by Putin should be laid at his door, and at the doors of his kleptocratic cronies.
They should not be laid at the door of the people of Russia wholesale. Nor should they be laid at the door of Russians or people of Russian background now living here in Scotland.
But these crimes cannot, and they must not, go unanswered.
We cannot have a situation – as arguably did happen with Crimea – where the world expresses shock and outrage for a period of time, but then allows the Russian regime to consolidate its gains, with relatively few consequences and then plan further aggression.
If we are to deter Putin this time, sanctions must hit him and his allies hard, with severe and lasting consequences – he must pay a heavy price for aggression.
I therefore welcome the EU’s intention to impose a package of what it calls ‘massive, targeted sanctions’, the detail of which I know we should learn tonight.
The UK of course, sadly, will now not be in the room when those sanctions are being discussed and decided.
But as the Estonian Prime Minister said this morning, the most effective response to Russian aggression is unity. So I hope we will see coordinated action across the international community.
We welcomed the sanctions the UK government announced on Tuesday. But as I said at the time those measures against just five banks and three individuals, were too limited.
There is no case at all, in my view, to delay tough action now.
The experience of recent years shows that softer action does not encourage better behaviour on the part of Putin, it simply emboldens him in his aggressions.
The UK government therefore must announce further, much more significant steps as quickly as possible, and I am hopeful they will do so.
It must also address the fact – and it is a fact, that the city of London is awash with Russian money.
Its response must therefore include a ruthless and comprehensive attack on the wealth and assets of the Russian regime and its backers.
This demands a serious and systematic approach, and the Scottish Government will strongly support further moves by the UK Government in that direction.
The Scottish Government will also work with the UK Government and other partners, including the UK National Cyber Security Centre, in staying vigilant against any direct threats that Russia might present to Scotland, for example through cyber-attacks.
The National Cyber Security Centre is closely monitoring the threat to the UK as a priority and I have in recent weeks, in addition to briefing from the National Security Adviser, been participating in four nations discussions on how we deal with the range of domestic impacts that we may experience.
Presiding Officer,
The final point I want to make today is this – this crisis is fundamentally about Russian aggression against Ukraine, but there is also a far wider international and indeed moral dimension to this crisis.
Putin wants to dismember, essentially to obliterate, Ukraine as an independent, democratic nation.
If he is allowed to get away with his aggression, the international community will have failed – and that failure will give encouragement to other countries, and other so-called ‘strong man leaders’ who consider acts of aggression in future.
So this crisis is a test for all nations. It is a test of how prepared we are to support not just the principle, but the reality of an international order based on law, rules and peaceful co-existence.
It is a test of how prepared we are to protect freedom, peace and democracy.
All of us must speak out against Putin’s aggression and we must stand up for the values of democracy, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peace.
First and foremost as the best chance of deterring aggression against Ukraine, and standing in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. But we must do so also for the sake of other countries across the world, we must do so for the sake of our world.
We must not accept this as a moment that bloody and prolonged war returns to our continent.
Today Parliament can add Scotland’s voice to all of those now standing up for peace, freedom, and democracy.
We can add this Parliament and Scotland’s voice to all of those standing with the people of Ukraine, in this, the darkest of hours.
For that reason, Presiding Officer, with a sombre sense but with pride, I move the motion in my name.
The British Dental Association Scotland has greeted the unanimous support of opposition parties, while accusing the Scottish Government of failing to take needed action to halt an exodus from NHS dentistry and restore access to millions.
In a debate in Holyrood today Scottish Government MSPs voted against a motion on support for NHS dentistry tabled by the Scottish Conservatives and backed by both Scottish Labour and Liberal Democrats.
Ministers have been planning to cut pandemic support from April. While the Government has recently indicated that there will be no “cliff edge”, the BDA has consistently warned that the plans to end Covid support payments and return to a low margin/high volume model of care would devastate dental services across the country.
Morale in the profession is at an all-time low, with more than a third of dentists saying they intend to leave the profession in the next 12 months, and 80% planning to reduce their NHS commitment if the Government reverts to pre-pandemic arrangements. Failure to act risks sparking an exodus from the workforce which would mean families across Scotland losing access to NHS dentistry for good.
Over 3.5 million NHS dental appointments were lost in Scotland as a result of the pandemic. As infection prevention and control measures continue to limit the number of patients dentists can see, this unprecedented backlog continues to grow and will likely take years to clear.
The BDA has warned the SNP’s 2021 election pledge of free NHS dentistry for all will be unrealisable without meaningful support and real reform. It is pressing for a workable interim funding model, and long-term change to a system that prioritises prevention, is patient-centred and reflects modern dentistry.
David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said:“NHS dentistry in Scotland is facing crisis, but sadly Ministers seem asleep at the wheel.
“Opposition parties are all seeing the plain facts that Scottish Government plans could devastate services millions depend on and widen already unacceptable health inequalities.
“Promises have been made to the voting public that simply that can’t be kept unless we see meaningful support and real reform as we head out of the pandemic.”
People across Edinburgh are being urged to make 2022 the year they stop wasting food, for good.
Around 600,000 tonnes of household food waste goes to landfill every year and only one third of adults understand the link between food waste and climate change. The Scottish Governments Food Waste campaign has launched again this week with a new message encouraging people to save food, save money and save the earth.
When food waste isn’t recycled, and ends up in landfill, it decomposes and produces methane – a greenhouse gas that is more harmful than carbon dioxide. But if recycled, food waste can be turned into green energy and used to power Scotland’s homes.
More people than ever planned and managed their food better in 2020 during the pandemic with searches for ‘Food Waste’ by Scots increasing by 89% on last year. This new drive aims to show that more action is needed to reduce and recycle food waste to help Scotland reach net zero and stop contributing to climate change.
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater and Iain Gulland from Zero Waste Scotland launched the campaign today with Rachel Green at The Ripple Community Café, a hub that offers freshly made, nutritious and affordable meals to the local community using redistributed food in partnership with Edinburgh Community Food and the Cyrenian’s Fareshare.
Together they showed how simple it can be to reduce your food waste and cook up a tasty and low cost meal by using up the leftover food which otherwise would end up in landfill.
“We can all do more to reduce and recycle food waste, cutting emissions and helping Scotland on our journey to net zero.
“Community hubs such as The Ripple Community Café play a vital role in utilising food which would otherwise go to waste while also providing a welcoming space to for locals. By utilising and supporting hubs like this we can drive home the message that each one of us can help save our food waste from ending up in landfills and ensure that it is recycled properly.”
Rachel Green, Director, The Ripple Community Café, said:“We’re delighted to welcome The Minister and Iain along to the hub to showcase the fantastic work our staff and volunteers are doing to help tackle the fight against food waste.
“Not only does the Community Café provide a comfortable space for locals to come along and enjoy delicious food and good company, it also plays a bigger role in the community by educating people about what we do and why it’s so important that we all play a part in preventing food waste and doing our bit for the planet.”
As part of the campaign, a new handy guide has been created, 22 Food-Saving Wins to inspire and help people take action on food waste in 2022 and beyond. The guide includes top tips, information and advice and is available on netzeronation.org.
The national marketing campaign includes activity across TV, radio, digital and social media and is running until 20th March.
The new ‘Save Food. Save Money. Save the Earth.’ initiative showcases quick and simple steps people can take to reduce their food waste and recycle the waste they cannot avoid from banana skins to eggshells. Not only can Scots help save the earth, but each household could also save approximately £440 per year.
Zero Waste Scotland Chief Executive Iain Gulland, said:“Scottish households continue to throw away a staggering amount of food waste, totalling £1.1billion in unnecessary food and drink purchases each year.
“We can all play our part by making simple, sustainable, changes – such as meal planning, storing food correctly, checking the cupboards for ingredients before hitting the shops, and getting inventive with leftovers.
“Getting food onto our plates is a resource intensive process – so, when food is thrown out, all the raw materials are also wasted. We can have a huge, positive, impact on the climate by stopping perfectly edible food from going to waste in the first place.”
For tips to save food, save money, save the earth, go to netzeronation.scot
Appointments will be sent out to those with parental responsibility
Children aged five to 11 will be offered COVID-19 vaccination appointments in community clinics from 19 March 2022.
This follows the advice last week from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommending the universal vaccination of five to 11 year olds.
Appointments will be scheduled according to age with 11 years olds invited first, followed by those aged eight to 10 and then those between five and seven years old. Where there are siblings efforts will be made to invite them to back-to-back appointments to avoid multiple trips for families.
Details of how to rearrange unsuitable appointments will be included in the letters.
Children in this age group who have specific medical conditions which place them at greater risk from COVID-19 are already being vaccinated and will continue to be prioritised.
Vaccinations for all five to 11 year olds will be delivered alongside second booster jabs for those aged 75 and over and those in specific at risk cohorts following yesterday’s recommendation from the JCVI.
These individuals will be invited as they become eligible from 24 weeks after their last booster with the first groups receiving blue envelopes with appointments from the second week in March.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Throughout the pandemic it has been our intention that we follow the clinical and scientific evidence available to us and I’d like to once again thank the JCVI for their hard work in scrutinising the science and providing clear guidance.
“We continue to prioritise at risk five to 11 year olds. The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks for children in this cohort and we urge parents and carers to read all the information available to them on NHS Inform before they make a decision.
“Appointments for first doses for all five to 11 year olds will be scheduled from 19 March with older children invited first and families invited together wherever possible. This will allow for second doses to be delivered before the start of the new school year provided at least eight weeks have passed since the initial dose.
“Of course, as we have done throughout the pandemic we will continue to prioritise the people most vulnerable to COVID-19 and boosters for those aged 75 and over and those at higher risk of severe illness will be scheduled for as soon as possible after 24 weeks have elapsed since their first booster.
“Scotland has one of the highest uptake rates for vaccination anywhere in the world and vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of our battle against COVID-19. The very high vaccination rates achieved so far have helped us considerably on our path back to normality and we urge everyone to take up their invitation when it is offered.”
Almost half of Scottish pupils go on to higher education
A record 95.5% of pupils were in a ‘positive destination’ including work, training or further study within three months of leaving school last year.
Latest figures published yesterday also show 45.1% of school leavers went on to higher education courses at college or university – the highest since records began in 2009-10.
The gap between those from the most and least deprived communities achieving a positive destination was the lowest since 2009-10.
The statistics show that for National Qualifications:
87.7% of school leavers achieved at least one pass at SCQF Level 5 (eg National 5) or better – up from 85.7% in 2019-20 and 77.1% in 2009-10
66% achieved at least one pass at SCQF Level 6 (eg Higher) or better – up from 63.9% in 2019-20 and 50.4% in 2009-10
the gap narrowed between the proportion of pupils from the most and least deprived areas leaving school with at least one pass at SCQF Levels 4, 5 and 6 or better
the proportion of school leavers achieving vocational awards to support them into the workplace continued to increase
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, 95.5% of pupils were in positive destinations three months after leaving school. This reflects the resilience and hard work of our young people and all who have supported them during the past two turbulent years.
“The narrowing of the poverty-related attainment gap shown by the figures is also very welcome. So, too, is the increase in the proportion of pupils gaining vocational qualifications and in those going on to higher education in college and university.
“It is important, though, to view the statistics against the backdrop of COVID-19. Exams had to be cancelled for two years and National Qualifications were awarded using different methods. The pandemic will also have affected the choices made by some school leavers and the opportunities available to them.
“Our focus remains on ensuring that all children and young people, regardless of their background, have the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential in school and beyond.”
Commenting on the Scottish Government’s statistics for initial destinations for school leavers (2020/21), a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition – an alliance of leading children’s care providers – said: “We greatly welcome the increase in school leavers with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems, entering a positive destination three months after leaving mainstream school.
“This includes the likes of further education, higher education, employment and training.
“The gap between those school leavers with ASN and those with no ASN in a positive destination has decreased from 5.8 per cent for 2019/20 to 4.2 per cent in 2020/21.
“It is deeply encouraging to see an increase in the percentage of school leavers with ASN in a positive destination and to note that this gap is narrowing when compared with those with no ASN.
“The key here is to ensure that we maintain this position when the statistics are published for those in a positive destination nine months after leaving school. The figures for 2019/20 showed a disappointing decrease on the previous year, and it is important that increased resourcing is targeted at those individuals with ASN to give them the best possible opportunities, both in the classroom and as they transition beyond it.2
“This is clearly challenging in an environment of austerity, however, the cost to society in the long term if adequate resourcing is not provided will far outweigh any potential savings made today.”
Oligarchs at the heart of Putin’s inner circle and banks which have bankrolled the Russian occupation of Crimea have been targeted by the first wave of UK sanctions in response to Russia’s further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement to the House of Commons, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss yesterday designated the initial tranche of sanctions on Russia. The sanctions package targets oligarchs and banks associated with the Kremlin.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “This first wave of sanctions will hit oligarchs and banks close to the Kremlin. It sends a clear message that the UK will use our economic heft to inflict pain on Russia and degrade their strategic interests.
“And we are prepared to go much further if Russia does not pull back from the brink. We will curtail the ability of the Russian state and Russian companies to raise funds in our markets, prohibit a range of high tech exports, and further isolate Russian banks from the global economy.
“These will be surgically targeted sanctions that will hit Russia hard.”
Using new powers introduced on 10 February, the UK has frozen the assets and imposed travel bans on 3 leading members of the Russian elite of particular significance to the Kremlin: Gennady Timchenko, Russia’s sixth richest oligarch, and Boris and Igor Rotenberg, 2 long-standing associates of the regime.
Assets of 5 Russian banks involved in bankrolling the Russian occupation have also been frozen with immediate effect. This includes Bank Rossiya, which is particularly close to the Kremlin, Black Sea Bank for Development and Reconstruction, IS Bank and Genbank. The assets of Promsvyazbank, the pivotal bank in propping up Russia’s defence sector, have also been frozen.
The UK will also sanction those members of the Russian Duma and Federation Council who voted to recognise the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk in flagrant violation of Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty.
In addition, over the coming weeks we will extend the territorial sanctions imposed on Crimea to non-government controlled territory in the so-called breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. No UK individual or business will be able to deal with this territory until it is returned to Ukrainian control.
In the event of further aggressive acts by Russia against Ukraine, we have prepared an unprecedented package of further sanctions ready to go. These include a wide ranging set of measures targeting the Russian financial sector, and trade.
As part of this, should Russia not de-escalate the UK will shortly introduce legislation which will, amongst other steps, prevent Russia from issuing sovereign debt on UK markets. Working with partners we will effectively be isolating Russia from the global economy, and making it far more difficult for oligarchs and businesses to operate outside their own borders.
First Minister: ‘Deep concern’ over actions of Russia in Ukraine
Statement from the First Minister
Commenting on the situation in Ukraine, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am deeply concerned by the actions of Russia and the disturbing reports of its invasion of Ukraine.
“The Scottish Government unreservedly condemns Russia’s actions, which are in flagrant violation of international law and which further destabilise an already volatile situation.
“The Scottish Government calls for an immediate cessation of such aggressive activities, with an assurance of the protection of all civilians within Ukraine.
“We offer our unqualified support for Ukrainian independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and to the people of Ukraine.
“We stand with members of the International Community in opposing Russian aggression, in demanding the most severe sanctions on Russia and in seeking to deter a further and wider invasion of Ukraine.”
Face Masks No More – unless you choose to wear one
A new staged approach to easing protective measures will help Scotland manage and recover from the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a statement to Parliament yesterday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the details of the updated Strategic Framework to manage COVID-19 primarily through public health advice, vaccination, and treatment rather than legal restrictions.
The First Minister also set out an indicative timescale for remaining legal protections to be lifted:
vaccine certification will no longer be legally required from Monday 28 February, although the app will remain available so any business that wishes to continue certification on a voluntary basis to reassure customers will be able to do so
current legal requirements on the use of face coverings, the collection of customer details for contact tracing purposes, and for businesses, service providers and places of worship to have regard to guidance on Covid and to take reasonably practicable measures set out in the guidance are expected to be lifted on 21 March, subject to the state of the pandemic
access to lateral flow and PCR tests will continue to be free of charge, ahead of a detailed transition plan being published on the future of Scotland’s test and protect programme in March
People who test positive for COVID-19 will continue to be asked to self-isolate to reduce the risk of infecting other people. Any changes to the recommended period of self-isolation will be considered on an ongoing basis.
The First Minister said: “Covid is unfortunately still with us and we must therefore remain vigilant and prepared for the threats it poses. But today’s new framework is an important moment in our recovery.
“It marks the point at which we move away, hopefully sustainably, from legal restrictions, and rely instead on sensible behaviours, adaptations and mitigations.
“Our return to normality must go hand in hand with a continuing determination to look out for and after each other. All of us have a part to play in ensuring a safe and sustainable recovery, so please continue to follow public health advice on getting vaccinated, testing as regularly as appropriate, wearing face coverings when required or recommended, and keeping rooms ventilated.
“All of this still matters, even as we lift the remaining legal requirements. It is how we can keep ourselves and each other safe, as we recover from Covid and look forward together to brighter and better days ahead.”
TheScottish Licnsed Trade Association has welcomed the end to Covid passports as ‘common sense’ but says Scottish Government’s messaging needs to be more ‘positive’
While welcoming the news, however, the trade association expressed disappointment that the legal requirement to wear a face covering in indoor settings must continue until March 21. Similarly, the requirement for businesses to retain customer contact details must also continue for another month.
Colin Wilkinson, SLTA managing director, commented: “Calling a halt to Covid passports is common sense and fantastic news for hospitality businesses, particularly the late-night sector where restrictions over the last two years have had such a severe impact.
“However, the legal requirement to wear a face covering in indoor hospitality and other settings for another month is not the news we wanted to hear today from the First Minister at a time when our sector needs more positivity and confidence – confidence that will encourage customers to start getting out and about again.”
Mr Wilkinson also expressed concern for the viability of some town and city centres over the Scottish Government’s advice to adopt “hybrid” working patterns.
“We need to see more people in our town and city centres – if they’re working from home there are no office lunches or after-work drinks.
“It is encouraging for Scotland’s licensed hospitality venues to see more people returning to their offices and workplaces in recent months as this will breathe life back into our city and town centres – but let’s be more positive about the messaging.
“There is still a very, very long and uphill struggle ahead for many hospitality businesses with ongoing issues to overcome and an onus on the Scottish Government to support our industry which is key to the economy and jobs.”
