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The Scottish Ambulance Service determine which resource and assistance to call upon depending on the circumstances faced and the need that has arisen.

It is understood the proposed lifetime cap on care costs to be introduced in England will apply only to personal care costs. Free personal care has been available in Scotland for adults aged 65 or over since 2002. From 1 April 2019 this was extended to adults of any age, no matter their condition, capital or income, who are assessed by their local authority as needing this service.

a) There are 6 planned training sessions for Community First Responders between November 2021 and March 2022. Each training session will accommodate up to a maximum of 12 trainees. These courses are scheduled to be held in Braemar (Grampian), Glasgow (Greater Glasgow & Clyde), RAF Lossiemouth (Grampian), Grangemouth (Forth Valley) and Portree (Highland).

b)

i) There are 765 Community First Responders across Scotland and approximately 80 Wildcat Cardiac Responders.

ii) The Scottish Ambulance Service recruited 199 Community First Responders between 2019 and 2021. In March 2020 utilisation of Community First Responders was suspended due to COVID-19 and the need to establish safe and effective processes with the subsequent delivery of training in the use of PPE and enhanced Infection & Prevention Control measures. This commenced in Sept ’20 with the majority back on-line by March ’21.

Since 2014 the Scottish Ambulance Service has delivered a comprehensive 4 day training course, developed in-house, to provide the required training for Community First Responders - delivering a more detailed and comprehensive training package than the basic 2 day FPOS scheme.

The information requested is not published. Any information on second dose appointments is used to show people their upcoming scheduled appointments, and a record of cancelled appointments is used to track Did Not Attend (DNA) rates. However, the specific information requested regarding under-16s is not available.

Children and young people age 12-15 are being offered a first dose of the vaccine. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will continue to review data and evidence on second doses for children and young people aged 12-15 once more data on second doses in this age group has accrued internationally.

We are aware of an issue where a small number of under-16s were incorrectly issued invitations to for a 2 nd dose. This was mainly in the central belt, however the people affected were quickly identified, the appointments cancelled, and revised communications were issued to those affected.

We continue to review our international travel restrictions and associated exemptions and health measures and will consider appropriate changes where clinical and scientific advice allow it. We expect the vast majority of seafarers to be covered under the inbound vaccinated traveller scheme for the purposes of travel to Scotland for shore leave.

Following the introduction of travel restrictions, specific sectoral exemptions were introduced to facilitate emergency or essential work in Scotland. An exemption for seafarers was introduced to deliver this, and it currently remains in place - it currently applies to seamen, masters of ships, maritime pilots, ship inspectors or surveyors of ships (under the definition of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995). Taking into account the public health risk associated with importation of the virus, extending the exemptions for non-work related travel has not been appropriate and would be inconsistent with clinical advice.

Regular feedback from Border Force has suggested that Scotland sees a higher number of seafarers travelling in and out of the country compared to other parts of the UK. For this reason, we have different arrangements to regulations elsewhere. The border health measures associated with international travel into Scotland is a matter for Scottish Ministers, and there are a number of areas where different arrangements are in place for some sectors given different circumstances in Scotland including wider public health measures and the numbers involved.

Other changes to the international travel regime has enabled quarantine-free travel and relaxed testing measures for eligible fully vaccinated travellers. Currently, there are no red list countries which means no one entering Scotland would be expected to enter a Managed Quarantine hotel. We would encourage seafarers who have not yet been fully vaccinated to register for vaccination appointments as soon as possible, so they can return for leave purposes as eligible vaccinated travellers. We will continue to monitor the situation across all sectoral exemptions and will make further amendments to the international travel regulations as required in the course of the pandemic.

Further information on travel restrictions and sectoral exemptions is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-international-travel-quarantine/pages/sectoral-exemptions/

People can show their COVID-19 vaccine status either via:

1. NHS Scotland COVID Status App via Google Play or the App Store;

2. Download a PDF of the vaccination status record via NHS Inform website; or

3. Request a paper copy of the vaccination status record by calling the Freephone COVID Status Helpline on 0800 196 8565.

People should allow plenty of time to access their certificate; and if using paper certificate allow at least 14 days for any letter to arrive.

If the helpline is busy then they may wish to call back at later.

Our Freephone COVID-19 Status Helpline on 0808 196 8565 can provide a free and secure paper copy of the vaccination status record for patients who do not have access to online services or a smartphone. There is no need for patients to approach their GP practices.

Scottish Government is working on delivering a solution at pace for individuals whom have received 2 doses of differing approved vaccines. Clinicians are fully sighted and conversant with recommendations.

From 4 October, fully vaccinated travellers who have received mixed doses of authorised vaccines under the International Travel Regime across the four nations and are returning from non-Red list countries will not be required to self-isolate for 10 days. This is consistent with the approach taken across the UK.

There are many nuanced circumstances regarding how and where vaccinations can be delivered, particularly with international travel and military deployment. We will be updating guidance via NHS Inform and a FAQ to advise that UK vaccines administered abroad to MOD personnel and other UK national stationed abroad will be treated in the same way as those administered elsewhere the UK.

FLS takes an evidence-led approach to its deer management activities. On the National Forests and Land (NFL), FLS has a target of not incurring more than 10% deer damage to young trees. In 2020 the 3 year rolling average of deer damage impacts was 18% for the leaders on young trees, i.e. trees planted for 1 year in the ground. This is well above the FLS target. The regional variation for damage impacts ranged from 7% to 38% in 2020. Results at site level in 2020 ranged from 0% to 100% damage of young trees.

Along with monitoring deer impacts on biodiversity, FLS also monitors deer populations (densities). Over the past 5 years approximately one third of NFL have been surveyed as part of a rolling programme. The mean average deer density in these survey areas have ranged from 4.2 deer per km2 to 64.7 deer per km2. The FLS target range as published in the FLS deer management strategy in 2014 is between 2 and 7 deer per km2. Of the land surveyed in the last five years, 89% has deer density well above this widely accepted.

FLS works in partnership with neighbouring land managers with similar management objectives and FLS operatives therefore do, in specific locations or project areas carry out collaborative deer management operations on neighbouring ground. FLS data will therefore reflect this. Occasionally an FLS operative may make a simple numerical error when inputting a grid reference into the Wildlife Management System.

FLS takes an holistic approach to its management of land, forests and deer on NFL. It manages around 630,000 ha of land (9% of Scotland), of which approximately one third is open ground including open hill. Its aim is to protect a wide range of habitats and environments across NFL whether forested, riparian or open hill in order to deliver Scottish Government land-use priorities such as climate change mitigation, carbon capture through growing trees, peatland restoration, ecosystem services and biodiversity enhancement, all of which have added immediacy, impetus and focus to our deer management operation. FLS therefore has a very clear need to use Out of Season authorisations on the open hill as well as in forest and woodland areas. FLS always aims to achieve the highest standards of animal welfare when undertaking all deer culling operations, in line with best industry practice; i.e. when culling adult female deer prior to the start of the official open season all efforts should be made to cull associated juveniles first, if in any doubt about leaving a dependant young then the adult should not be culled.