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From YouTube: Topical Questions - 6 October 2020
Description
Topical Questions
C
C
If
we
decided
to
implement
any
such
package,
keeping
education
settings
open
would
continue
to
be
a
priority.
We
will
look
carefully
at
current
arrangements,
but
given
the
low
levels
of
transmission
in
such
settings,
I
would
not
expect
the
measures
to
impact
significantly
on
the
guidance
in
place
for
children,
young
people,
learners
and
staff
in
our
schools,
child
care,
services,
colleges
and
universities.
B
Thank
you
and
I,
if
I
read
that
response
correctly,
I
think
it
is
to
be
welcomed,
because
the
reality
is
that
thousands
of
children
have
undergone
significant
disruption
to
their
education
already
this
year,
and
I
think
parents
watching
this
will
be
looking
for
comfort
and
I
think
direct
reassurance
that
schools
will
not
experience
any
additional
closures
out
with
those
which
are
either
already
planned.
School
holidays
or
closures,
which
are
reacting
to
localized
virus
outbreaks
and
management
and
control.
C
But
I
hope
from
what
I'm
saying
to
parliament
today
and
members
of
the
public
will
take
reassurance
that
the
government
is
absolutely
focused
and
committed
to
ensuring
that
we
maintain
our
education
settings
as
open
on
a
full-time
basis
and
our
planning
and
our
actions
will
be
designed
to
support
that
objective.
Jamie.
B
B
C
There's
a
lot
in
that
a
question
presenting
officer
and
quite
a
lot
of
that
I've
answered
already
by
giving
the
clarity
that
the
government
attaches
the
absolute
priority
to
the
reopening
to
maintaining
the
school
and
education
environment
as
being
open
on
a
full-time
basis.
I
would
remind
parliament
that
scotland
was
the
first
part
of
the
united
kingdom
to
restore
full-time
education
to
all
pupils,
and
I
want
to
keep
it
that
way
now.
Mr
green
asks
about
the
parliamentary
processes
that
are
undertaken,
and
mr
russell
has
undertaken
discussions
on
the
first
minister's
behalf
on
that
question.
C
In
relation
to
parliamentary
dialogue,
and
indeed
I
understand,
the
parliamentary
bureau
discussed
this
issue
in
the
scheduling
of
business
for
this
week,
so
parliament
will
have
the
opportunity
to
discuss
these
questions
and
of
course
the
first
minister
will
make
a
statement
to
parliament
tomorrow
on
the
next
stage
that
we
have
to
confront.
Now.
Mr
green
asks
about
the
publication
of
information,
as
if
somehow
the
information
about
the
pandemic
is
a
secret.
There
is
a
huge
amount
of
information,
that's
published
on
a
daily
basis
about
the
level
of
cases.
C
There
are
800
new,
positive
cases
today,
800.
That
is
a
very
significant
increase
in
where
we
were
a
few
weeks
ago,
and
the
number
of
positive
cases
have
been
of
that
order
for
some
considerable
time.
So
I
don't
think
it's
in
any
way,
a
secret
that
the
pandemic
is
is
accelerating
within
scotland,
and
we
have
taken
action
already
to
try
to
stem
that
rise.
D
Thank
you,
presiding
officer.
The
scottish
government
has
been
clear
in
its
commitment
to
strike
the
right
balance
of
measures,
most
importantly,
to
control
the
spread
of
the
virus
and
save
lives,
but
also
to
ensure
that
our
schools
are
able
to
remain
open,
which
will
allow,
we
know,
is
both
vital
for
the
development
and
the
well-being
of
our
pupils
can
ask
the
deputy
first
minister,
what
engagement
the
education
recovery
group
has
had
with
teaching
unions,
parents
and
carers
ahead
of
the
october
break
to
ensure
that
staff
and
pupils
have
confidence
in
these
measures.
C
Officer
the
education
recovery
group
has
continued
to
meet
on
a
weekly
basis,
since
the
resumption
of
full-time
schooling
in
august
indeed
had
met
on
a
very
regular
basis
over
the
period
of
lockdown
into
the
bargain.
We
issued
guidance
prior
to
the
reopening
of
the
school,
the
school
system,
and
we
have
updated
that
guidance
on
further
occasions.
We've
changed
that
guidance
by
strengthening
it
in
relation
to
the
wearing
of
face
coverings
in
the
secondary
school
sector,
and
we
keep
the
guidance
under
active
review
at
on
a
weekly
basis.