The First Minister today announced some further COVID-19 restrictions which will come into force after Christmas Day, some of which will impact directly on businesses. Additionally, some initial guidance has been made available on the December and January Business Support Top Up for hospitality businesses.
First Minister’s Statement
You can read the full statement here and we have summarised the key points below:
Events
- No large public events from 26 December
- Events to be limited to 100 standing indoors, 200 seated indoors, 500 standing or seated outdoors
- 1m physical distancing in place at all events
- Sports matches to be spectator-free for 3 weeks
- Limits do not apply to life events such as weddings
Hospitality
- Return to table service only from 27 December for venues serving alcohol for consumption on the premises
- Indoor hospitality and leisure venues to ensure 1m social distancing between (but not within) groups
- Continue to advise that no more than three households are represented per group
Business Support
An additional £175m from UK Government and a further £100m from Scottish Government has been allocated, to a total of £375m.
Guidance on the December and January Business Support Top Up has now been made available for hospitality businesses, This can be read in full here and we have summarised the core points below:
Funding
This funding is being provided in the form of a one-off grant at the following rates:
- £4,500 for premises which have a rateable value of up to and including £51,000, or
- £6,800 for premises have a rateable value of £51,001 or above
The rateable value of the property is considered to be as per local authority records at 1 November 2021. Individual ratepayers with more than one business may receive an award for each registered business entity.
Eligibility
This strand of funding will provide support to businesses in the hospitality sector who have lost crucial bookings during the key festive trading period where they are registered as one of the following:
- public houses
- restaurants
- cafes
- other licensed premises classed as hospitality
- nightclubs
- hotels with bars and restaurants
Awards will be granted based on the primary function of the business and on the determination of the local authority that a business meets the eligibility criteria.
The business must be actively trading, and be able to demonstrate they were trading at 8 December 2021. The business must have a Business Bank Account and must not have breached wider COVID regulations/requirements prior to local restrictions.
Process
Local authorities will initially contact businesses that have previously received payments through the Strategic Framework Business Fund, and for the majority of businesses they will only need to confirm the following when contacted:
- that they are still a registered business
- that they were trading at 8 December 2021
- that they wish to receive funding
- that the details the local authority already holds is up to date
For new businesses set up since April 2021 which meet the other eligibility criteria, there will be a separate process. Further details will be confirmed in January, however the following core eligibility will apply:
- the business must have physical premises
- the business should be the main occupier
- the business owner should be responsible for paying non domestic rates
- the business was trading as an eligible business as at 8 December 2021
Other Sectors
Support will also be made available for other affected sectors and we expect guidance for these to be published shortly. For these sectors, grants will be administered by the following partners:
- wedding sector supply chain – enterprise agencies
- wholesalers affected by hospitality cancellations – Scottish Government
- tourism sector – VisitScotland
- culture sector – Creative Scotland
- events sector – EventScotland
As always this is a fast-moving situation and additional guidance and clarity is being provided on a regular basis. As soon as we have further details our members will be the first to know. In the meantime, if you have any questions or need clarification on any of the existing guidance, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Chamber.
Commenting on the First Minister’s COVID-19 update, Dr Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce said:
“Businesses across Scotland have already lost millions of pounds in trade due to the return of restrictions and the confirmation that yet more restrictions will come into place from Boxing Day will be another hammer blow for employers and Scotland’s economy.
“Businesses across Scotland, who have been doing everything they can to keep their employees and customers safe, will be bitterly disappointed by these further restrictions. Some businesses and sectors will view this update as the equivalent of receiving a lump of coal in their Christmas stocking, further compounding the downturn in trade they have experienced in the crucial run up to the festive period.
“Businesses now urgently need to see the guidance and regulations that underpin this announcement to understand the full impact these changes will have on their capacity, how they operate and if they will even be able to open at all.
“The announcement of further additional financial support from the UK and Scottish Government for businesses today is welcome, however, it still does not go anywhere near far enough to compensating for the enormous financial losses firms are experiencing. January is beginning to look increasingly bleak for businesses and the prospect of an early return to economic growth in the New Year is now clearly at risk.
“It’s essential that the Scottish and UK Government do everything they can to get financial support out to businesses as quickly as possible and go further to ensure additional financial support is made available as a matter of urgency or the viability of more and more businesses will be put in the balance.
“The vaccination and booster programmes remain our best way back out of this crisis and again, both Governments need to work together to accelerate the rollout over the coming days and weeks to enable the removal of these additional restrictions at the earliest possible moment.”
Following on from updates by the First Minister, new guidance and regulations for businesses regarding COVID-19 have been published on the Scottish Government website. These will come into force as of Friday 17 December.
We would urge you to read the guidance in full and to understand what the specific requirements are (if any) on businesses in your sector. We have endeavoured to summarise the key points below.
All Businesses
Mandatory Measures
- Wear a face covering – face coverings are mandatory in most indoor spaces including workplaces, communal areas, and public transport. Some exemptions apply
- Work from home – where it is reasonably practicable for a person to work from home, they should do so, especially if they are in a role that was able to be done at home at the start of the pandemic. Further guidance on working from home is available
- Self-isolation – anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 or has been identified as a close contact of a positive case should self-isolate immediately.
- Take reasonable measures to minimise the spread of COVID. This could include:
- changing the layout of premises including the location of furniture and workstations;
- controlling the use of entrances, passageways, stairs and lifts;
- controlling the use of shared facilities such as toilets and kitchens;
- installing barriers or screens;
- providing or requiring the use of personal protective equipment;
- providing information on minimisation of risk to those working in or visiting the workplace
A range of additional advisory and precautionary measures are also suggested.
Sector Specific
Hospitality – Mandatory Measures
- Collection of contact details from all customers
- Follow local licensing laws
- For premises where the COVID Certification Scheme applies, follow all relevant guidance for this
- Take reasonable measures to reduce the risk of transmission. The guidance for tourism and hospitality suggests some of the following measures:
- Queue management – manage pinch points, ensure customers have adequate space to queue apart
- Ordering systems – allow customers to order via apps or at designated ordering points
- One-way systems – introduce or reintroduce a one-way system within the premises
- Table service – consider whether reverting to table service is practical
- Use of screens – use screens between tables and/or at service points
- Capacity management – consider whether peak times and be made safer e.g. by ticketing peak festive opening
Note that the Scottish Government guidance makes clear that it is for each premises to determine what is practically and operationally possible for their own setting with regards to the guidance on reasonable measures.
Cultural venues, stadia and live events – Mandatory Measures
- For premises where the COVID Certification Scheme applies, follow all relevant guidance for this
- Take reasonable measures to reduce the risk of transmission
Note that while there are no restrictions remaining on how many people may attend significant life or milestone events, they must still comply with all other precautionary measures that are listed in the Staying safe and protecting others guidance
Retail – Mandatory Measures
- Enhanced mitigations should be put in place, such as:
- Control the flows of customers entering/exiting and in-store – where possible use separate entrance and exits
- Maintain hygiene stations and enhanced cleaning measures throughout stores
- Use tannoy systems, floor markings, and queue management systems to help people keep a safe distance from each other
- Promote the use of face coverings
- Use screens to create a physical barrier
- Maximise fresh air coming into the premises
An operational checklist for retailers can be downloaded from the Scottish Government website
Working in other people’s homes – Mandatory Measures
- Workers should take an LFD test on the day prior to entering into any homes
- Householders should also take an LFD test prior to the visit
- Staff should not enter homes where anyone is self-isolating, unless the work is essential or an emergency
- Risk assessments should take COVID into account
- Staff should wear a face covering, especially when moving through the home
- Ventilation of the home or workspace should be maximised
- Workers should try to keep a reasonable distance from individuals in the household
- Consider relevant guidance when travelling to/from the work location
For all sectors, additional guidance has been provided on additional advisory measures that workplaces could take.
We appreciate that there is a significant amount of additional guidance for businesses to read and a limited amount of time given for this to be implemented. If the Chamber can help with any queries or clarifications over the coming days, please don’t hesitate to get in touch
As you will be aware, the First Minister yesterday updated the Scottish Parliament on new coronavirus restrictions in light of the Omicron variant.
We are expecting additional guidance from Scottish Government by the end of the week on what will be expected of businesses, but thought it would be helpful at this stage to quickly summarise the key points. As follows:
- Businesses are being asked to take all reasonable measures to avoid crowding, encourage wearing of masks and support distancing in their premises
- Guidance to ensure that people who can work from home, do so – for those in sectors who cannot work from home, the workplace testing scheme has been extended
- Reinforcement of protective measures in retail and other settings including distancing, managing customer flows, and protective screens
- Reinforcement of protective measures in hospitality settings including collection of contact tracing information and measures to reduce crowding – the Chamber’s #ProtectNorthHighlands service remains open and free to use for any business in the region which wishes to collect contact information in a safe, GDPR-compliant way.
- Guidance to increase mask wearing in outdoor crowded areas such as Christmas markets or festive celebrations
A £100m financial support package is being prepared for those in the hospitality, food supply, and culture sectors that have lost bookings during the festive period.
As we receive further details on the guidance and the specific legal requirements for businesses, as well as details of any support available, we will get this out to members as soon as possible.
Both locally and nationally, through the Scottish Chambers network, we continue to work to ensure that the needs of business are clear to government and that support is made available to businesses across the North Highlands.
In the interim, if you have any questions or concerns at this stage, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we will do our best to assist.
Reacting to the First Minister’s COVID-19 briefing, Dr Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce said:
“The First Minister’s announcement, advising against work Christmas parties, will have a major impact on Scotland’s events and hospitality sectors as these businesses are already reporting a surge of last-minute cancellations.
“Financial compensation to mitigate the fallout from this intervention must be made available immediately to businesses. We cannot see a repeat of March 2020 where the hospitality sector was essentially closed down without any financial support being put in place until weeks after the lockdown decision. That cannot be allowed to happen again.
“Scotland’s vaccine rollout is leading the UK and we urge everyone that can to get the vaccine and boosters when eligible. Businesses will continue to do everything at our disposal to prevent the spread of the virus and keep our customers, clients and employees safe.”
Responding to the Scottish Government’s Budget for 2022-23, Dr Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce said:
“Scotland’s economy is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic faster and stronger than many expected, and this budget offered the Scottish Government an opportunity to accelerate this return to growth.
“Whilst there was much to welcome in this budget the Scottish Government should have gone further to support Scotland’s businesses, the drivers of economic growth.
“Many economic deterrents as a result of the pandemic remain in place, impacting on footfall on our town and city centre high streets, driving down demand in our vital tourism and aviation sectors, and the looming threat of a return to greater level of restrictions is holding back investment. The Scottish Government should have provided assurances for businesses that targeted financial support will be made available to those ongoing affected sectors to deliver a clear pathway to recovery.”
On Non-Domestic Rates:
“Businesses will welcome the extension of rates reliefs afforded to properties in the retail, leisure, and hospitality sectors for an additional three months, however, this should have gone further to give businesses the time they need to recover from this incredibly challenging period.
“Scotland’s town and city centres have already lost thousands of businesses over the past twenty months and prolonged periods of home working have made the trading conditions for brick-and-mortar retailers tougher than ever, and many ratepayers will question if this extension goes far enough to support them.
“It was also disappointing that the Scottish Budget failed to confirm whether or not the long awaited NDR Revaluation due to take place in 2023 will go ahead as planned.”
Training, Skills and Supply Chain:
“Scotland’s businesses are still experiencing challenges through supply chain connectivity problems, rising cost prices, inflationary pressures, and recruitment difficulties.
“Additional funding for training interventions at all levels is welcome news and investment in Scotland’s workforce drive up business capacity and improve investment opportunities.
“Cost pressures and supply chain challenges require urgent action from government and whilst we await further details in the forthcoming National Economic Transformation Strategy, it’s important Scottish Government act now, collaborate with business and begin to resolve these issues as a priority for our economy.”
Energy and Just Transition:
“The energy sector remains a critical part of Scotland’s economy and the funding commitments in the budget to support a Just Transition are a step in the right direction.
“To meet Scotland’s Net Zero ambitions and secure the future of jobs in the energy sector and North and North-East though, this investment and funding needs to continue to be stepped up, at pace, in partnership with industry to enable businesses to pivot successfully.”
Dr Liz Cameron OBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC), has called on the Scottish Government to deliver a “Budget for Business Growth” ahead of the Scottish Budget on Thursday 9th December.
In a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, Kate Forbes, SCC have asked that the budget “prioritises economic recovery, slashes upfront business costs and creates a competitive environment for Scottish businesses.”
Commenting in advance of the Scottish Budget, Dr Liz Cameron said:
“Scotland’s economy is at a critical juncture and the Scottish Government should use this opportunity to put forward a Budget for Business Growth that will set Scotland on the path towards delivering the most competitive business environment in the UK that allows businesses to grow, create jobs and drive forward economic growth and prosperity.
“A return to growth, as economic forecasters have cautioned, is dependent on there being no return to restrictions, and this budget must provide businesses with the stability and certainty they need to build back business and consumer confidence in the weeks and months ahead.
“Scotland’s business community have put forward the practical recommendations that they want to see delivered in this Scottish Budget, which will enable them to emerge from this extremely challenging period stronger, more resilient and on a clear journey towards a strong return to economic growth in 2022.”
On Non-Domestic Rates:
“Our research consistently shows that Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) remain the main tax concern for Scotland’s businesses. It is essential that this budget not only confirms the Scottish Government’s commitment to undertake the NDR Revaluation that is due to take place in 2023 as planned, but that there is an extension of the current COVID-19 reliefs afforded to properties in the retail, leisure, and hospitality sectors into the 2022/23 financial year.
“Continued rates relief to these key sectors is vital to securing the recovery of Scotland’s high street, town and city centre economies which have been hardest hit by COVID-19 restrictions on businesses.”
On infrastructure and connectivity:
“Improving Scotland’s infrastructure and connectivity will provide strong foundations for Scotland’s businesses to build on and deliver a return to economic growth.
“By prioritising improvements to superfast broadband, road, rail and air links across Scotland, the Scottish Government can help ensure an equal recovery that boosts business growth in every part of Scotland.
“This budget must consider the ongoing impact of the pandemic and travel restrictions on Scotland’s aviation and international travel sectors which support thousands of jobs, and which remain at significant risk. Scotland’s airports and international connectivity are vital to rebuilding supply chains and developing Scotland’s international trading capabilities. The Scottish Government should ensure targeted financial support will be made available to affected sectors to deliver a clear pathway to recovery.”
On recruitment, rising business costs and supply chain:
“Scotland’s businesses are still experiencing many challenges through rising cost prices, inflationary pressures, and recruitment difficulties. Therefore, investment in Scotland’s workforce through increased support for skills and training interventions to upskill and reskill employees at all levels is necessary to drive up business capacity and investment opportunities.
“Supply chain issues are still impacting on businesses ability to recover and scale up operations and Scotland’s businesses want to see a joined-up approach to recovery and tackling skills shortages from governments across the UK.
“This budget should seek to provide the necessary funding required to enable greater collaboration between government and industry to address the impact of ongoing skills shortages on Scotland’s supply chains.”
SCOTTISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE DEEPEN DUBAI CONNECTIONS AT LANDMARK BI-LATERAL CHAMBER EXCHANGE
The Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) and Dubai Chamber, the largest business organisation representing Dubai’s private sector, have come together to lay the foundations for a new Chamber-to-Chamber partnership between Scotland and Dubai during Expo 2020 Dubai.
Members from the first Scottish business delegation to Expo 2020 in Dubai, held discussions with H.E. Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of Dubai Chamber and Chair of ICC-World Chambers Federation.
Seeking to deepen the connections between the Scottish and Dubai Chambers of Commerce, the bilateral exchange committed to exploring a future strategic partnership agreement which would seek to boost global trade and business-led solutions, initially built around alignment with the Scottish Business Trade Missions taking place over the course of the Dubai Expo, which includes missions themed on Food and Drink, Energy & Renewables and Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Women in Business.
Commenting on the meeting, His Excellency, Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of Dubai Chamber said:
“Our interactions with Scottish Chambers of Commerce were very positive and encouraging and we identified several areas of synergy and opportunity that we can build on in the future. There is plenty of untapped trade and investment potential between our countries and we look forward to exploring such prospects through our cooperation.”
Commenting on the meeting, Dr Liz Cameron OBE, Director & Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce said:
“It was an honour to meet with H.E. Hamad Buamim, the President and CEO of Dubai Chamber, to discuss strengthening the links between our two Chambers. This was a landmark Chamber to Chamber meeting that clearly demonstrates Scotland’s commitment to global trade and to forging more partnerships between Scotland, Dubai and the wider region, opening the door for businesses to access this rapidly growing market.
“We look forward to building on this new relationship and strengthening the business connections between Scotland and Dubai, as one of the fastest growing economic regions in the world.”
Ivan McKee, Scotland’s Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, said:
“It is great to see the Scottish Chambers of Commerce flying the flag for Scotland internationally and to see more local Chambers involved in such missions. I am delighted to support them as they seek to continue to internationalise Scotland’s business landscape. Developing constructive and close working partnerships is key to this endeavour so I welcome their focus on initiating partnerships with the Dubai Chambers of Commerce. Both Scotland and Dubai will benefit from such business partnerships and our respective countries have much to offer each other, particularly as we are all exploring how to build a net zero future. I hope that this event will lead to long lasting and fruitful working relationships which benefit both our countries’ business interests and needs.”
Caithness business leader Stephen Sutherland has said the hospitality sector will welcome the news that there is to be no extension of the Covid certification scheme – but warned that many companies are continuing to operate with the “Sword of Damocles” hanging over them.
He was speaking after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gave her Covid-19 update to the Scottish Parliament this afternoon.
Mr Sutherland, the chairman of Caithness Chamber of Commerce, said: “Businesses across the north Highlands, particularly those in the hospitality sector, will be pleased to hear that no further extension of the Covid certification scheme is being proposed at this stage.
“The festive period is vital to the success and survival of the beleaguered hospitality sector and it is vital that the Scottish Government continues to consider economic as well as health impacts as part of its decision-making process going forward.
“The First Minister promised that the Scottish Government will continue to liaise with businesses, and we welcome this. Businesses not only need to have an input into the decision-making process but a clear understanding of how, why and when restrictions might change either for better or worse so that we have time to prepare.
“It is not fair that many businesses continue to operate with the Sword of Damocles hanging over them – aware that, despite today’s further temporary reprieve, harsher restrictions may come into force at very short notice.
“It seems clear from today’s update that the vaccination programme is proceeding well and that Scotland’s battle against Covid is progressing significantly better than in many of our European neighbours.
“What we now need to see is a clear roadmap from the Scottish Government of a route out of the pandemic and a plan for the reduction and removal of restrictions and towards our economic recovery.”
Mr Sutherland added: “Today’s announcement represents a major win for the Scottish Chambers of Commerce network. Following a snap poll of nearly 700 companies across Scotland last week, the chamber network has worked hard to present the views of business on this vital issue, and we are pleased that the First Minister has listened to the concerns of the business community.”
The Federation of Small Businesses’ Highlands and Islands development manager, David Richardson, said: “Ripples of relief will be spreading throughout the Highlands’ many small, independent hospitality and leisure firms at this news.
“We know from our survey work how worried the owners of some of the businesses hit hardest by the pandemic – small cafés, restaurants and so on – were that an extension of the scheme would have put pressure on their staff and driven up costs, undermining their plans for the festive period.
“However, the First Minister is clearly right – citizens, government and businesses of all sizes have roles to play in keeping this virus under control, which is why we are urging all smaller firms to look again at the current Covid rules and ask themselves if they’re playing their part to the full.”