Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

Meeting date: Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Official Report 1117KB pdf

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

The next item of business is consideration of Parliamentary Bureau motion S6M-00474 on a temporary amendment to standing orders. I ask George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, to speak to and move the motion.

Motion S6M-00474 amends temporary standing order rule 3, to extend the period for which access to the public gallery is suspended until 9 October 2021. The motion was lodged to reflect the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body’s decision on the matter, and members will wish to note that, should public health circumstances allow it, it would be possible to reinstate access to the gallery before that date.

I move,

That the Parliament agrees that, with effect from 30 June 2021, Temporary Standing Orders Rule 3 be amended—

(a) in paragraph 1 to delete “from the date of dissolution until either such time as the newly elected Parliamentary corporation has taken a decision on public access to the Parliament, Holyrood or 30 June 2021, whichever is the earlier” and insert “until 9 October 2021

(b) in paragraph 2 to delete “those timescales” and insert “9 October 2021”.—[George Adam.]

The question on the motion will be put at decision time.

The next item of business is consideration of motions S6M-00476 S6M-00477 and S6M-00478 on approval of SSIs. I ask George Adam, on behalf of the Scottish Government, to speak to and move these motions.

I rise, I hope for the last time, to move three Scottish statutory instruments. The first is the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Amendment (No 26) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/227). These regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 to allow the temporary removal of face coverings by a person receiving treatments around the mouth and nose. The individual providing the treatment must take appropriate mitigation measures to minimise exposure to coronavirus. Guidance will recommend that a type 2 or fluid resistant surgical mask and a face shield or goggles should be in place for the individual providing the treatment, as a mitigating measure.

The regulations also permit indoor organised activity in level 2 areas. That adjustment allows non-sporting organised activity to take place in level 2 areas for individuals of all ages. The changes recognise the social and wellbeing benefit that can be felt from attending such clubs and groups.

The regulations came into force on 31 May.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Amendment (No 26) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/227) amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 to adjust the allocation of levels across Scotland. They move to level 2 the City of Glasgow and they move to level 1 Highland, Argyll and Bute, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Angus, Perth and Kinross, Fife, Falkirk, West Lothian, East Lothian, Inverclyde, West Dunbartonshire, Dumfries and Galloway, and the Borders. They move to level 0 the islands in the Highland area except the Isle of Skye, the Orkney Islands, the Shetland Islands, Na h-Eileanan Siar—I actually asked Dr Allan how to pronounce that, but I did so disastrously—the Isle of Coll, the Isle of Colonsay, the Isle of Erraid, the Isle of Gometra, the Isle of Iona, the Isle of Islay, the Isle of Jura, the Isle of Mull, the Isle of Oronsay, the Isle of Tiree, and the Isle of Ulva.

The regulations permit there to be no physical distancing when a person being married or entering a civil partnership is being accompanied from one part of a premises to the part of those premises where the marriage ceremony or civil partnership registration is taking place. This ensures that a party to the marriage or civil partnership can be accompanied down the aisle, or similar, by a family member or friend from another household, as is in line with many traditions.

The regulations adjust the existing exemptions to face covering requirements applying in respect of parties to be married or enter into a civil partnership, to the effect that the exemption also applies while they are being accompanied by other persons down the aisle, or similar.

The regulations also permit funfairs to open to the public in level 2 areas.

The regulations came into force on 5 June.

The final SSI is the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel) (Scotland) Amendment (No 12) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/230). These regulations make further amendments to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, which are amended to remove Portugal from the list of exempt countries, territories and parts of countries or territories in part 1 of schedule A1 of the principal regulations. The regulations also add Afghanistan, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Trinidad and Tobago to the list of acute-risk countries, territories and parts of countries or territories in schedule A2 of the principal regulations.

The regulations came into force on 8 June.

I move,

That the Parliament agrees that the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 12) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/230) be approved.

That the Parliament agrees that the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 25) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/224) be approved.

That the Parliament agrees that the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Amendment (No.26) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/227) be approved.

The question on the motions will be put at decision time.