I am aware of the serious accident that took place onboard the Orion 1 installation vessel during testing in the port of Rostock, Germany on 2 May 2020.

I understand that Deme NV, as contractor, have launched an investigation to determine what went wrong during the testing and will now be looking for a replacement vessel for the work due to begin in coming months.

EDPR have stated they are considering what, if any, impact this may have on the project delivery for Moray East Offshore Wind Farm.

We have taken steps both nationally and locally to rapidly increase our health and social care workforce capacity to enable those who receive care at home to continue to do so. We are increasing recruitment / hiring across the social care workforce. For example, NHS Education Scotland has developed a national web-based recruitment portal to support local efforts to enable those with relevant skills and experience to come forward and support health and social care services at this time of national emergency. People returning to, and entering, the social care workforce are being deployed quickly to where they are most needed.

There is already flexibility in the registration system for social services staff to move to another service or start to work in another type of registered service, but more has been done to clarify and implement minimum training requirements and enable redeployment of staff as necessary. The SSSC has developed a minimum training package for social care for redeployment and volunteers, who will play an essential role in the delivery of day-to-day services. Further information can be accessed via the SSSC website: https://www.sssc.uk.com/

We have also asked NHS National Services Scotland to provide PPE stock to personal assistants and unpaid carers as well as the regulated social care sector during this emergency period, this will go towards supporting those who may be required to provide home care during this time.

We have also put in place shielding measures to protect people at the highest risk because of existing health conditions and also set up a national helpline for Covid support which is aimed at “group two” vulnerable people, for those who have not been classed within the shielding group. This national helpline will provide a number of links to council services who will help access support such as essential food and medication, social work services and emotional support during this unprecedented time.

Coronavirus (Covid-19): framework for decision making was published on 23 April 2020 and outlines the approach and principles that will guide decision making about transitioning out of the current lockdown arrangements. The framework can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-framework-decision-making/ .

Further information was published in the Coronavirus (COVID-19): framework for decision making - further information document on 5th May 2020 and can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-framework-decision-making-further-information/ .

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-28361 on 19 May 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-28665 on 18 May 2020.

Current guidance, issued by Publish Health Scotland on 29 April 2020, advises that new admissions to care homes should be tested and isolated for 14 days on entering the home. Furthermore, any patients who may be showing symptoms of Covid-19 should have two negative tests before being discharge to a care home.

All care home residents showing symptoms will also now be tested for Coronavirus, a move from previously only testing the first residents to show symptoms to establish the presence of the virus.

Public Health Scotland's guidance is available at https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-resources-container/covid-19-guidance-for-stepdown-of-infection-control-precautions-and-discharging-covid-19-patients-from-hospital-to-residential-settings/ .

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The COVID-19 data and trend charts for Scotland are published daily and provide a range of information, including the number of care homes notifying cases of COVID-19 and the number of suspected cases of COVID-19 in care homes. The data also includes the daily number of people in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 but does not include details on how many of these are care home residents.

The link to the daily data update is:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/trends-in-number-of-people-in-hospital-with-confirmed-or-suspected-covid-19/

The COVID-19 data and trend charts for Scotland are published daily and provide a range of information, including the number of care homes notifying cases of COVID-19 and the number of suspected cases of COVID-19 in care homes. These data are available from 11 April 2020 and are updated daily. There are also data on the number of people that have been tested for COVID-19 in Scotland, these are available from 2 March 2020 and provide a cumulative number. There is no breakdown of how many of these tests were for care home residents.

The link to the daily data update is:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/trends-in-number-of-people-in-hospital-with-confirmed-or-suspected-covid-19/

NHS Scotland has more than trebled its adult ICU capacity from a base of 173 beds to a surge capacity of 585 and, further, Health Boards are preparing to quadruple the base ICU capacity, bringing the total number of adult beds to over 700.

To deliver that increase, we have ordered ventilators from a range of manufacturers. They have begun to arrive and we expect more deliveries in the coming weeks. To bridge any gaps between now and the delivery of new ventilators, Health Boards have worked to repurpose operating theatre anaesthetic machines for use as ventilators. That is not a long-term solution, but it is allowing us to rapidly increase our capacity of intensive care beds.

Questions around non-Scotland data and associated publication regimes are matters for each relevant Government.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-28605 on 18 May 2020. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The SSSC, with the consent of Scottish Government, has already taken action to address the payment of registration fees for social care workers during this COVID-19 outbreak. This includes:

• New and returning care workers will not immediately have to pay the registration fee if joining the workforce. SSSC will not require registration or fee payment until 12 months passes. Previously fees had to be paid within 6 months so we have extended this period during the current pandemic.
• SSSC will not remove workers from the Register who are unable to pay the annual fee on time but will contact them at a later date if the fee remains due.
• A temporary register for Social Workers has also been established to encourage qualified students or those returning from a career break to back into permanent roles. For these social workers SSSC will waive fees, and will only request them when the emergency situation is over and that person remains employed as a social worker.

Details can be found on the SSSC’s website www.sssc.uk.com