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Fergusons pipe-fitting subcontractor, HB Hydraulics, which operates a subcontractor office on-site at the shipyard, recruited additional workers to handle the growing volume of its work on the dual fuel ferries. Without the prior knowledge or agreement of Fergusons management, a group of their workers arrived at the shipyard to collect accommodation details.

The information requested is set out in the tables that follow. Due to a number of factors such as the repayments of earlier loans which allowed funds to be recycled, the figures for the Financial Transactions received and those disbursed, by year, do not reconcile.

Ferguson Marine has always complied with Scottish Government guidelines on Covid-19 and has worked closely with trades unions to make sure there are robust measures in place, and these have limited in-yard transmission to a single case since work at the yard restarted in June 2020.

Separately, management suspended production at the yard to undertake a full review of the Covid-19 prevention measures in place and to reconfigure the workplace amenities/canteen to comply with revised social distancing requirements. Both Scottish Government and Fergusons management remain fully committed to ensuring that Fergusons continues to provide the safest possible working environment for its people.

Ferguson Marine has no staff who have their main domicile outwith the UK.

Initial capitalisation is through Financial Transactions, this includes budget of £490 million for precursor investment allocated between 2018-21 which includes £220m in this year’s budget. The Bank’s first investment is £12.5m in M Squared Lasers and more information is available here, https://www.thebank.scot/media-centre/first-minister-launches-scottish-national-investment-bank/ .

Decisions about the precise mix and source of capital that will deliver the full £2 billion for the Bank will be made in light of future budget settlements and other calls on the Scottish Government’s capital programme.

Officials have now updated the draft guidance to address concerns raised, and plan to carry out a short consultation in February 2021. It is expected that the consultation will last for approximately three weeks, and following collation and analysis of the responses the final guidance will be issued for immediate effect.

The key worker definitions agreed with local government and published on 6 January 2021 for the current, exceptional provision of in-school learning and childcare for children of key workers, includes all health and care staff and workers without whom there would be a significant impact on Scotland. This allows essential pharmacy, grocery and food retail workers to request access to such provision from their local authority or childcare provider.

It is however essential to note that, to reduce interactions and help to drive down community transmission of Covid-19, the number of key worker children presenting during the strict lockdown period must be kept to an absolute minimum and it is for authorities, schools and providers to consider and respond to individual requests. Employers are therefore asked to strictly prioritise and only request places for staff who are critical to the provision of essential services and supplies and have no alternate childcare or working options.

Other than the most essential journeys, people should not be travelling by car between Scotland and other parts of the UK or between local authority areas. While operational matters are for the Chief Constable, Police Scotland have been clear that they will continue to operate under the principle of policing by consent and adopt a common sense approach to enforcing the law.

Visible police patrols will act as a deterrent and, in the event that people breach the restrictions, Police Scotland will uphold the law using the same 4E’s approach that they have adopted since the start of the pandemic whereby they will Engage, Explain, Encourage and only then Enforce to protect public health. As well as supporting people to follow the regulations, officers will encourage them to take personal responsibility.

There are no current plans to make face coverings mandatory in outdoor public settings however, the Scottish Government will continue to review what measures can be used, in line with the emerging scientific and clinical advice, to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.