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Month: June 2021

Parliamentary Questions

Posted on by Fiona Campbell

The following Parliamentary Questions have been tabled by Jamie Halcro Johnston, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party:

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available to larger self-catering units, accommodating seven or more people, that are unable to trade viably due to the effect of Covid-19 household meeting restrictions. 

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the financial support available to larger self-catering units accommodating seven or more people. 

To ask the Scottish Government what impact Covid-19 household meeting restrictions have had on the self-catering industry and what engagement it has carried out with industry on this matter. 

To ask the Scottish Government how much consequential funding it has received from the UK Government to support larger self-catering units.

Expected answer date: 22nd June.

https://external.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx?SearchType=Simple&Keyword=self-catering&ExactPhrase=True&DateChoice=0&SortBy=DateSubmitted&ResultsPerPage=10

First Minister’s Statement 8th June 2021

Posted on by Fiona Campbell

Today in a statement to Parliament the First Minister confirmed there was no immediate changes to the COVID-19 levels of protection that currently apply to different parts of the country.

The First Minister said it appears that vaccination may be reducing the proportion of people who require hospital treatment as a result of COVID-19 and there is some encouraging evidence that the length of time people spend in hospital is reducing, which may allow more scope to ease restrictions in the future.

However, she also said there is a need for continued caution while a significant proportion of the population has not yet had both doses of the vaccine and so remains more vulnerable to becoming ill and needing hospital treatment.

The Scottish Government is awaiting advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JVCI) on the vaccination of children aged 12 to 15 years old with the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine after it was approved for use in those age groups by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. If the JCVI recommends the use of the vaccine for children aged 12 and over, their advice will be implemented as quickly as possible.

Read the full statement here.

While there is nothing specific to our sector, the following question was asked from one SNP backbencher:

In a response to a question on international travel from SNP MSP Elena Whitham (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley), the FM urged against foreign holidays and called for Scots to support the local tourist industry – namechecking her ongoing conversation with the Scottish Tourism Alliance.

The full Official Report transcript of her statement and questions from MSPs is available to view here.

Guidance on COVID-19 Protection Levels has been published. The guidance sets out what you can and cannot do at each level.

Non-Domestic Rates Appeals: Delay to NDR Appeals’ Disposal Deadline

Posted on by Fiona Campbell

Following feedback from a number of stakeholders and given the large number of non-domestic rates appeals, particularly running roll appeals, currently in the system, Ministers have taken the decision to delay the deadline for appeals lodged between 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2021 to 31 December 2022.

This will ensure that any appeals lodged on or after 1 January 2020 have a disposal deadline on or after 31 December 2022.

The statutory instrument for this will be laid on 10 June and, subject to the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, will come into force on 30 June, ensuring that the deadline for the unilateral referral of cases to the Lands Tribunal for Scotland for those appeals for which the deadline is being pushed back by a year, also moves back by a year.

To note, Ministers are still considering the UK Government’s decision to rule out COVID-19 appeals in England announced in March.