Tag: MSPs

Vaccine passports will launch on 1 October in Scotland after Holyrood approves the scheme

People will need proof they have been fully vaccinated before they can enter nightclubs and many large events from 1 October after the vaccine passport plan was formally approved by Holyrood with both the SNP and Greens voting in its favour.

The proposals were opposed by the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats while the The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) Scotland Commission urged the first minister to rethink the plan, with some businesses also complaining about a lack of detail around how the scheme will work in practice.

UKHospitality Scotland Executive Director Leon Thompson said, “Tonight’s result, whilst expected, is still extremely disappointing. The Scottish Government has not listened and now our businesses face just three weeks in which to prepare for a policy that will put further economic and resourcing pressures on them.

“The Scottish Government has not consulted with hospitality, it has not produced any credible plans for the introduction of passports and it has not even defined what a nightclub is. This leaves many businesses fearful that they will fall within scope of this legislation and concerned about the open-ended costs they might now face.”

“UKHospitality Scotland will continue to push for solutions to ensure the worst effects of this policy are mitigated, so our members can continue to work towards recovery.”

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the system would reduce the risk of transmission and help prevent venues from having to close again due to Covid and a paper published by the government this morning, a matter of hours before the vote in the Scottish Parliament, said officials were still working to define what a nightclub actually is. It also said evidence was still being gathered about the effectiveness of similar schemes elsewhere in the world.

The new rules will mean people over the age of 18 in Scotland will need to show they have had both doses of the vaccine before they are allowed entry to:

Nightclubs and adult entertainment venues
Unseated indoor live events, with more than 500 people in the audience
Unseated outdoor live events, with more than 4,000 people in the audience
Any event, of any nature, which has more than 10,000 people in attendance

People who have had two vaccines in Scotland can already download or get a paper copy of a certificate with a QR code, and it’s expected that this code will also be available on a new NHS Scotland Status app by the end of September. The codes can be scanned at a venue to confirm the user is fully vaccinated.

09/09/2021Tags: Green, MSPs, SCOTLAND, Scottish Greens, SNP, vaccine passports

MSPs to vote on vaccine passports today

MSPs will vote on plans to introduce a vaccine passport scheme in Scotland later today and if the vote goes the government’s way it will mean that only people who have been fully vaccinated will be allowed into nightclubs, concerts and other large-scale events.

The Scottish government says the plan is designed to allow large events to go ahead more safely but full details of the proposals have not yet been published by the Scottish government a matter of hours before the vote.

The Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats have already said they will vote against the plans. The Scottish Greens have been highly critical of vaccine passports in the past but have since signed a formal partnership agreement with the SNP so it’s unlikely they’ll vote against the scheme.

The passport scheme is expected to come into force at the end of the month if Holyrood approves the plans, and once all adults in Scotland have had the chance to be fully vaccinated.

The new rules will mean people over the age of 18 will need to show they have had both doses of the vaccine before they are allowed into:

Nightclubs and adult entertainment venues.
Unseated indoor live events, with more than 500 people in the audience.
Unseated outdoor live events, with more than 4,000 people in the audience.
Any event, of any nature, which has more than 10,000 people in attendance.

People who have had two vaccines in Scotland can already download or get a paper copy of a certificate with a QR code, and it is expected that this code will also be available on a new NHS Scotland Status app by the end of September,

09/09/2021Tags: MSPs, Nightclubs, vaccine passports, vote

Pubs Code for Scotland given thumbs down by Holyrood Committee

A Pubs Code Bill for Scotland whose own author admitted could result in pub closures has been voted against by MSPs on Holyrood’s Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee.

Labour MSP Neil Bibby said in the consultation document for his Tied Pubs (Code and Adjudicator) (Scotland) Bill that pubs could close as an indirect consequence of the legislation that seeks to strengthen the position of Scotland’s tied tenants in their dealings with pub owning companies.

He has called the vote a ‘slap in the face for Scotland’s tied publicans. ‘

A similar code was introduced in England and Wales in 2015 and its Scottish counterpart will now be debated in the main chamber at the Scottish parliament in the coming weeks.

If it is voted down it will be thrown out for good.

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the Scottish Beer & Pub Association, has welcomed the decision of the committee and has called for the Scottish parliament to agree and reject the Bill at stage 1.

She said, “We are pleased that after reviewing the proposal and all the evidence, the committee has reached this conclusion. The proposal was an attempt to replicate Westminster legislation, despite the huge differences in the Scottish pub market. It simply wouldn’t have worked and would have seen Scottish pubs lose out on millions of pounds of investment at a time when the industry needs it most.

“Scotland’s pubs are struggling at the moment. They need all the support they can get from both Holyrood and Westminster. Adding extremely costly and burdensome regulations is the exact opposite of what should be done to support our sector through this crisis. Indeed, the current crisis has served to highlight the strength of the tied pub model in terms of the crucial additional support provided by pub companies to their tenants through this period.

“We now call on the Scottish Parliament to agree with the Committee’s recommendation and reject the Bill at Stage 1.”

But not all trade bodies are in agreement on this, with Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) spokesperson Paul Waterson calling the vote “unforgivable”.

He said, “The SLTA are bitterly disappointed by the Economy Committee’s report. We don’t see how anyone can justify opposing legislation in Scotland when there was cross-party support from the SNP, Conservatives, Labour and others in Westminster for legislation to protect tied licensees in England and Wales.

“Failure to support Scottish tenants at a time when the whole industry is in crisis is unforgivable and Scottish tenants are very much the poor relations.”

Six members of the Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee voted for a recommendation to reject the principles of the bill, including four SNP members and two from the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Two MSPs, one Labour, one from the Scottish Greens, voted against the recommendations. One Conservative MSP abstained.

12/11/2020Tags: (SLTA) spokesperson Paul Waterson, Chief Executive of the Scottish Beer & Pub Association, Committee, Emma McClarkin, Energy and Fair Work Committee, Holyrood’s Economy, MSPs, Neil Bibby, pubcos, Pubs Code for Scotland, tied tenants