Question reference: S5W-34541
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 13 January 2021
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Current status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 January 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) CBI Scotland, (b) the Institute of Directors Scotland, (c) Scottish Chambers of Commerce, (d) the Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland and (e) other business organisations to raise awareness of the importance of facilitating time off for workers to volunteer in the COVID-19 mass vaccination programme roll-out.
Answer
Scottish Government Ministers and senior officials have very regular discussions with the business community including CBI Scotland, IoD Scotland, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce network and the Federation of Small Business, Scotland.
The Scottish Government is working closely with local government and a range of partners to co-ordinate the volunteering effort across Scotland. In March 2020, we launched a new ‘Scotland Cares’ campaign, created to encourage people to volunteer during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Those wanting to volunteer to support their communities have options which are signposted from the Ready Scotland website.
This national portal, which includes advice for employers, connects people to where their contribution is most needed in their local community, ensuring everyone can play their part in helping Scotland come through this pandemic.