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Scotland's largest airport attacks SNP 'dithering' as summer holiday plans left in limbo

Scots still do not know if they will be able have to quarantine after returning from destinations such as Spain - Peter Cade/Stone RF
Scots still do not know if they will be able have to quarantine after returning from destinations such as Spain - Peter Cade/Stone RF

The country’s busiest airport has blamed SNP “dithering” for leaving the summer holiday plans of thousands of Scots mired in uncertainty.

Nicola Sturgeon on Monday said she was still unable to confirm whether Scotland would adopt UK Government plans for quarantine-free travel for 59 destinations, or if she would seek to retain restrictions for arrivals from some countries.

With just a month until schools return, it means Scots still do not know whether they will be forced to complete a 14-day quarantine period, if they book holidays in countries such as Spain, after they return home.

The First Minister said that while she was happy to agree to quarantine-free travel for arrivals from countries classed as ‘green’ by the UK Government, meaning they had low levels of coronavirus, she retained concerns about some classed as ‘amber’, where Covid-19 cases are higher.

Scots keen to go abroad this summer do not know whether they will have to quarantine when they return - Simon Dawson/Bloomberg
Scots keen to go abroad this summer do not know whether they will have to quarantine when they return - Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

But to add to the confusion, both the Scottish Government and Department for Transport last night refused to say which countries had been classified as ‘amber’. An earlier version was thought to include popular holiday destinations such as France and Italy, as well as Spain.

Even senior figures in the Scottish travel industry admitted they remained in the dark over which countries Scottish-only quarantine restrictions could apply to, and warned holidaymakers were already booking flights from airports in northern England in an attempt to avoid the rules.

Meanwhile, a row erupted between the Home Office and the Scottish Government following revelations that no checks had been carried out on people arriving to Scotland from overseas who are obliged to quarantine under existing rules.

On Sunday, Jeane Freeman, the SNP Health Secretary, suggested the issue had been caused by UK Government delays, but the Home Office described her comments as “misleading and inaccurate”.

With days to go before the air bridge rules come into force in England on Friday, a spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said it had endured "another day and yet more dithering from the Scottish Government” and claimed delays had already cost jobs.

He added: "We need to know what the government plans to do and we need to know now. We said the quarantine policy would be ineffective and unworkable and we now know we were right after the government's own admission that no checks have taken place.

“Jobs have been lost and thousands more are at risk due to this policy and there is absolutely nothing to show for it.”

The spokesman added: "We don't envy the decisions that the First Minister has to make but decisions are needed and further delay will only compound the already drastic impact that's been inflicted upon the aviation and tourism sectors."

Ms Sturgeon said on Monday that she needed to see more evidence before deciding which of the unnamed ‘amber’ countries, if any, she would seek to retain restrictions for on a Scotland-only basis. She pledged to make a decision on the issue "as soon as we can" and said she hopes this will be within days.

She said she was waiting for more up to date information about coronavirus levels for some countries, and still hoped rules would be in place in time for Friday.

Data provided only goes up to June 19 and this is "clearly some time ago" so more information had been requested, Ms Sturgeon said.

However, Jackson Carlaw, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, accused Ms Sturgeon of “dragging her feet”.

Jackson Carlaw said hard-working Scots deserved a break after months of lockdown - Robert Perry/Getty Images
Jackson Carlaw said hard-working Scots deserved a break after months of lockdown - Robert Perry/Getty Images

He said: “That’s not good enough for hardworking Scots who deserve a break. This isn’t an issue of people getting the privilege of a luxurious holiday – it’s about giving people who’ve endured months of lockdown a desperately needed rest and change of scenery.

“That’s what’s happening elsewhere in the UK, but for some reason the First Minister wants it to be different for Scotland.

“Time is running out – Scotland is already on an earlier summer rota than the rest of the UK, and people planning a break for their family need this uncertainty cleared up now.”

The Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA) said the delays were putting Scottish airports at risk, and would lead to people booking flights from airports such as Newcastle and Manchester instead.

Although Ms Sturgeon has insisted any different rules for Scotland would still apply to those flying into English airports and returning to Scotland by road or rail, it remains unclear how these passengers could be identified or the rules enforced.

Joanne Dooey, president of the SPAA, which represents travel agents and airlines, said decisive action was needed to prevent “irreversible long-term damage to the Scottish economy”.

She added: “It’s hard to understand why the scientific advice is robust enough for the English traveller to be permitted to travel but not for the Scots traveller. It appears that a core list of ‘safe’ destinations has remained consistent so it’s hard to understand why these core destinations have not been given the go ahead on Friday with additional destinations added as future decisions are made.”

Ms Sturgeon said the first checks on travellers required to quarantine under existing rules, which were brought in a month ago, would begin on Tuesday.

The Home Office said data needed to carry out checks had been available since June 8, but that the delay had been caused because Scottish officials delayed sending a Memorandum of Understanding needed to access the secure dara.

Meanwhile, Humza Yousaf, the Scottish Justice Secretary, faced calls to explain why he told a Holyrood committee a fortnight ago that checks on around 20 per cent of travellers were taking place, only for Ms Freeman to admit on Sunday that none had been carried out.

A Home Office spokeswoman said claims about the department being responsible for delays were “misleading and inaccurate.”

She added: “Health is a devolved matter and so it is entirely for the Scottish government to decide how they wish to carry out track and trace and enforcement activities."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: “As the First Minister set out, we hope to have completed consideration of the list of countries put forward by the UK Government, categorised into low risk and medium risk, in the coming days.

“We will be publish this information as soon as Scottish ministers have completed the process of assessing the information provided by the UK Government.”