Responsibility for delivering the Seasonal Flu Vaccine in 2020-21 rests with Health Boards and Integration Authorities with support from GP practices. The administration of vaccinations provided in General Practices will depend on each Health Board’s individual delivery model. Boards will use the delivery model which is most suitable for their local circumstances, whilst maintaining a Covid-safe environment.

The Scottish Government is working closely with Health Boards and other delivery partners to achieve the aim that everyone eligible for a free flu vaccination will receive an appointment invitation for the programme, which commenced on 1 October.

Independent Licensing Boards are responsible for the day to day administration of the alcohol licensing regime as set out in the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 (“the 2005 Act”) and associated statutory instruments. While the maximum fee levels for the annual premise fees are set by legislation, discretion lies with each Licensing Board to decide on the fee levels for their own local area.

Fees help to cover the cost of running the licensing system in a board area, including Licensing Board staff costs. Failure to fully provide for the costs to Licensing Boards of operating the alcohol licensing regime risks undermining the objectives of the 2005 Act The absence of any fees, or fees set at too low a level, would create a funding gap that would need to be met from other local authority budgets, to the detriment of other public services. It is best therefore such decisions are made locally and the legislation permits this. In July, Aberdeen City Licensing Board capped the premise licence annual fee to two-thirds of the maximum permitted level for on-sale premises reflecting the situation with Covid-19. The Scottish Government would expect all Licensing Boards to take a pragmatic and sensitive approach to the setting of licensing fee levels at this time.

We are actively looking at how we fully remobilise NHS dental services as soon as possible and we have been increasing the range of dental treatments available with each phase of the remobilisation plan. This has culminated in reintroducing certain aerosol generating procedures (AGPs), including fillings for patients in need of urgent dental care, into NHS practice from 17 August.

All dentists are subject to the same requirements to control the spread of coronavirus and take all reasonable measures to ensure safe practice in the controlled environment that we are currently operating. In a letter to private healthcare providers on 1 June the National Clinical Director and the Chief Dental Officer highlighted the importance of all independent dentists, whether carrying out NHS work or working privately, following the spirit of the route map and supporting key public health measures.

The Scottish Government does not have the power to disband the Nith Navigation Commission.

Scottish Ministers may make Harbour Closure Orders to remove statutory powers from a harbour authority, but it is up to the authority to initiate the process while following appropriate legal advice.

Ports are deemed to be independent commercial entities. Therefore, it is not possible for the Scottish Government to dictate business decisions made by a harbour authority on how its port is run or on how to best utilise its resources.

The Scottish Government recognises that planting more trees on riverbanks is good for water quality, good for fish and good for the climate and natural environment. High river temperatures during the summer are a pressure on wild salmon in particular, and we encourage the improvement of our rivers and burns through riparian tree planting. We have already supported over 500 such schemes through the Forestry Grant Scheme in the last three years.

Through the Marine Scotland River Temperature Monitoring Network Scotland leads the way in providing management tools which are able to pinpoint where rivers are hottest in the summer and where trees can reduce temperature most. Scottish Forestry and Marine Scotland will be working together as part of the development of the Wild Salmon Strategy to increase riparian tree planting in order to protect wild salmon.

We are aware that the restarting of business as usual (non-COVID) disclosure services by Disclosure Scotland in early June has seen some disclosure applications taking longer than during the full lockdown period.

Over the past month, the average processing time for COVID-related PVG applications from registered care services (the category that includes care home staff) has been 6.1 days, with the average processing time for business as usual applications being 9.3 days.

Each year approximately 200 farming businesses are selected for a cross compliance inspection. The 25 businesses that have had a penalty applied to their payments for removing hedgerows represents a very small proportion of the approximately 3000 businesses that have been inspected since cross compliance was introduced in 2005. The value of the penalty and the geographic location (Local Authority) for the 25 businesses are shown in the following table -

The PRS Landlord (non-business) Covid19 Loan was introduced to provide a support option for smaller scale landlords that supports them to work with tenants to manage arrears during the pandemic. The loan is available to landlords not operating as a business who have 5 or less properties available for let. The loan is interest free and repayable over 12 months.

The scheme will be extended in line with the anticipated extension of notice periods within the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act. The existing criteria will remain as at launch except that the scheme will be expanded to allow landlord to apply for loan assistance in relation to up to three let properties, the initial limit was just one let property. Additionally loan repayments will also be scheduled over 24 months.

Throughout the pandemic the messaging from Scottish Government has been clear, that rent remains payable, where tenants can continue to pay they must do so and where tenants’ income or employment has been impacted by Covid-19 they should seek support. We have also been clear that no-one should lose their home as a result of the pandemic and landlords should be flexible with tenants who are facing financial hardship.

The current target for native woodland planting is 3 - 5000 hectares a year and is set in the 2020 Challenge for Scotland’s Biodiversity. This will be reviewed when the Biodiversity Strategy is updated. In the period April 2019-2020 approximately 4,500 hectares of new native woodland was created, which is approximately 40% of the overall woodland created.

All woodland creation proposals are required to contain a minimum of 5% native species, and an additional 10% of the area is required to be open ground or ground managed for the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity.

Scotland is leading the UK in new woodland creation; 84% of all new woodland creation in 2019 and 65% of softwood production in 2018. All this forestry activity is based in Scotland creating jobs here.

The ambitious targets to increase woodland creation and the £150 million over the next 5 years announced as part of the Programme for Government support this investment in forestry infrastructure, services and the domestic supply chain offering a real opportunity for growth and jobs. The programme also includes an ambition to increase the annual volume of Scottish timber going into construction from 2.2 million cubic meters (2018) to 2.6 million cubic meters in 2021-2022.

Additional funding has also been secured for timber transport in Scotland which supports the movement of timber to processing plants and funding for investment in forest nurseries based in Scotland. The Scottish Government is acting directly as well and both Scottish Forestry and Forestry and Land Scotland will double their youth employment offering for next year.