# Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 2020 asp 7 · enacted 6 April 2020 · revised to 1 April 2023 An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision in connection with coronavirus; and for connected purposes. PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/coronavirus-scotland-act-2020/pdf/asp_20200007_en.pdf; Explanatory Note https://openlegislation.uk/coronavirus-scotland-act-2020/pdf/aspen_20200007_en.pdf ## Introductory text An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision in connection with coronavirus; and for connected purposes. The Bill for this Act of the Scottish Parliament was passed by the Parliament on 1st April 2020 and received Royal Assent on 6th April 2020 ## Part 1: Main provisions ### Key expression ## 1 Meaning of “coronavirus” In this Act, “coronavirus” means severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). ### Eviction from dwelling-houses ## 2 Eviction from dwelling-houses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Protection for debtors ## 3 Temporary extension of moratoriums on diligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### ... ## 4 Children and vulnerable adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Justice ## 5 Justice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Alcohol licensing ## 6 Alcohol licensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Public bodies ## 7 Functioning of public bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Other measures in response to coronavirus ## 8 Other measures in response to coronavirus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Part 2: Supporting provisions ## 9 Advancement of equality and non-discrimination In exercising a function conferred by virtue of Part 1 (including a function of making subordinate legislation), the Scottish Ministers must have regard to opportunities to advance equality and non-discrimination. ## 10 Subordinate legislation making powers Any power to make subordinate legislation conferred by virtue of Part 1 includes power to make— (a) incidental, supplementary, consequential, transitional, transitory or saving provision, (b) different provision for different purposes or areas. ## 11 Power to suspend and revive provisions (1) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations— (a) suspend the operation of any provision of Part 1, (b) revive the operation of a provision so suspended. (2) Sections 15 to 17 of the Interpretation and Legislative Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 apply to the suspension of a provision by regulations under subsection (1)(a) as if the provision had been repealed by an Act. (3) The powers in subsection (1) may be exercised more than once in relation to the same provision. (4) Regulations under this section— (a) may make different provision for different purposes or areas, (b) may make transitional, transitory or saving provision. (5) Regulations under this section are subject to the negative procedure. ## 12 Expiry (1) Part 1 expires at the end of 30 September 2022. (2) Subsection (1) is subject to section 13. (3) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations amend subsection (1) so as to replace “31 March 2022” with “30 September 2022”. (5) Regulations under subsection (3) are subject to the affirmative procedure. (6) At the same time as laying a draft Scottish statutory instrument containing regulations under subsection (3) before the Scottish Parliament in accordance with section 29(2) of the Interpretation and Legislative Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, the Scottish Ministers must lay before the Parliament a statement of their reasons why the regulations should be made. (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (9) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations make transitional, transitory or saving provision in connection with the expiry under subsection (1) of any provision of this Act. (10) Regulations under subsection (9)— (a) may make different provision for different purposes or areas, (b) are subject to the negative procedure. ## 13 Power to bring forward expiry (1) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations provide that any provision of Part 1— (a) does not expire at the time when it would otherwise expire (whether by virtue of section 12 or previous regulations under this section), and (b) expires instead at such earlier time as is specified in the regulations. (2) Regulations under this section— (a) may make different provision for different purposes or areas, (b) may make transitional, transitory or saving provision. (3) Regulations under this section are subject to the negative procedure. ## 14 Power to amend Act in consequence of amendments to subordinate legislation (1) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations modify any provision of this Act which modifies the effect of a provision of subordinate legislation. (2) The power in subsection (1) may be exercised only if the modification is necessary in consequence of the modification of the provision of the subordinate legislation by other subordinate legislation. (3) Regulations under subsection (1) may make transitional, transitory or saving provision. (4) Regulations under subsection (1) must be laid before the Scottish Parliament as soon as reasonably practicable after they have been made. (5) Regulations under subsection (1) cease to have effect at the end of the period of 28 days beginning with the day on which they are made unless, during that period, they are approved by resolution of the Scottish Parliament. (6) In calculating the period of 28 days for the purpose of subsection (5), no account is to be taken of any period during which the Scottish Parliament is— (a) in recess for more than 4 days, or (b) dissolved. (7) If regulations cease to have effect as a result of subsection (5), that does not— (a) affect the validity of anything previously done under them, or (b) prevent the making of new regulations. ## 15 Reports by the Scottish Ministers on status of provisions (1) The Scottish Ministers must, in respect of each reporting period— (a) undertake a review of the operation of the provisions of Part 1 with a view to considering whether those provisions remain necessary, and (b) prepare a report on that review. (2) A report prepared under subsection (1) must— (a) set out how any powers conferred by the provisions of Part 1 have been exercised, and (b) include— (i) the status of the provisions of Part 1 (whether or not any power under a provision has been exercised), and (ii) a statement that the Scottish Ministers are satisfied that the status of those provisions is appropriate. (3) The references in subsection (2) to the “status” of a provision are to— (a) whether the provision is in force at the end of the reporting period, and (b) whether any power under the following provisions has been exercised by the Scottish Ministers in relation to it during that period (and, if so, which and how)— (i) section 11 (regulations suspending or reviving provision), (ii) section 13 (regulations altering expiry date of provision), (iii) section 17(2) (regulations bringing provision into force). (4) Each of the following is a “reporting period”— (a) the period beginning with the day after Royal Assent and ending on 31 May 2020, (b) each successive period of 2 months that ends during the period before Part 1 of this Act expires by virtue of section 12(1). (5) The Scottish Ministers must lay each report prepared under subsection (1) before the Scottish Parliament no later than 14 days after the end of a reporting period. ## 15A Reviews: information about domestic abuse (1) The Scottish Ministers must— (a) in undertaking a review under section 15(1)(a), take account of any information about the nature and number of incidents of domestic abuse occurring during the reporting period to which the review relates given to them, or published, by— (i) the Scottish Police Authority, or (ii) the chief constable of the Police Service of Scotland, and (b) explain in the report on that review prepared under section 15(1)(b) how the information was taken account of. (2) In subsection (1)(a), “reporting period” means a period mentioned in section 15(4)(b). ## 16 Ancillary provision (1) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations make any incidental, supplementary, consequential, transitional, transitory or saving provision they consider appropriate for the purposes of, or in connection with, or for giving full effect to this Act or any provision made under it. (2) Without prejudice to section 6 of the Interpretation and Legislative Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, the Scottish Ministers may by regulations modify any regulations made under subsection (1) in consequence of— (a) the exercise of a power under section 11, (b) the expiry of a provision of this Act under section 12, (c) the exercise of a power under section 13. (3) Regulations under subsection (2) may make transitional, transitory or saving provision. (4) Regulations under this section— (a) may modify the effect of any enactment (including this Act), (b) are subject to the negative procedure. ## 17 Commencement (1) This Act comes into force on the day after Royal Assent, subject to subsection (2). (2) Paragraph 11(1) of schedule 3 (and section 4 so far as it relates to that paragraph) comes into force on such day as the Scottish Ministers may by regulations appoint. (3) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations make transitional, transitory or saving provision in connection with the coming into force of any provision of this Act. ## 18 Short title The short title of this Act is the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020. ## Schedule 1: Eviction from dwelling-houses ### Private residential tenancies: eviction grounds to be discretionary ## 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Private residential tenancies: extension of notice periods ## 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Assured tenancies: eviction grounds to be discretionary ## 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Assured tenancies: extension of notice periods ## 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Tenancies under the Rent (Scotland) Act 1984: eviction grounds to be discretionary ## 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Tenancies under the Rent (Scotland) Act 1984: extension of notice periods ## 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Scottish secure tenancies: extension of notice periods ## 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Power to modify notice periods ## 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Consequential modifications in relation to prescribed forms ## 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Errors in notices ## 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Schedule 2: Temporary extension of moratoriums on diligence ## 1 The Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 2016 applies in accordance with the modifications in this schedule. ## 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Schedule 3: Children and vulnerable adults ## . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Schedule 4: Justice ### Part 1: Courts and tribunals: conduct of business by electronic means ### Electronic signatures and transmission of documents ## 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Intimation, etc. on Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service website ## 1A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Suspension of requirements for physical attendance ## 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Attendance by electronic means ## 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Further provision about attendance by electronic means ## 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Publication of directions and guidance ## 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Interpretation of Part ## 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Part 2: Fiscal fines ### Fixed penalty: conditional offer by procurator fiscal ## 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Part 3: Cases beginning with an appearance from custody ### Ability to take case in any sheriff court ## 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Paragraph 8: supporting provision ## 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Part 4: Extension of time limits ### Criminal proceedings: extension of time limits ## 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Part 5: Evidence ### Exceptions to the rule that hearsay evidence is inadmissible ## 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Part 6: Community orders ### Community payback orders: extension of unpaid work or other activity requirements ## 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Community payback orders: time limit for completion of unpaid work or other activity ## 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Community orders: postponement ## 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Community orders: variation ## 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Community orders: interpretation ## 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Part 7: Parole Board ### Chairing of the Parole Board ## 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Modifications of the Parole Board Rules ## 18 (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Part 8: Release of prisoners ### Early release of prisoners ## 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Regulations under paragraph 19: procedure and expiry ## 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Part 9: Legal aid ### Assessment of claims for interim payment of fees and outlays ## 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Recovery of overpayment of interim fees or outlays paid to firms ## 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Payment of interim fees for civil legal aid to counsel ## 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Schedule 5: Alcohol licensing ### Requirement to hold a hearing ## 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Premises licences ## 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Personal licence holders ## 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Licensing Boards etc. ## 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Modifications of duties of Licensing Standards Officers ## 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Notifications by the chief constable ## 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Interpretation ## 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Modifications of the Licensing (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 ## 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Schedule 6: Functioning of public bodies ### Part 1: Licensing other than alcohol licensing ### Modifications of Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 etc. ## 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Part 2: Freedom of information ### Interpretation ## 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Time periods for responding to requests ## 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Extension of periods in which certain authorities may respond ## 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Commissioner's ability to take account of impact of coronavirus ## 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Giving notice electronically ## 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Part 3: Duties in respect of reports and other documents ### Power to postpone publication and laying of reports ## 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Power to publish or make available documents for inspection electronically ## 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Resumption of duties in relation to reports and documents ## 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Part 4: Local authority meetings ### Introductory ## 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Interpretation ## 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Grounds for exclusion of the public from meetings of local authorities ## 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Photographic copies of documents in respect of meetings of local authorities ## 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Part 5: Duties under the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 ## 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## Schedule 7: Other measures in response to coronavirus ### Social security ## 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Irritancy clauses in commercial leases: non-payment of rent or other sums due ## 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Duration of planning permission ## 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Electronic delivery of copy of deed to Registers of Scotland ## 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Land registration: period of effect of advance notice ## 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Anatomy Act 1984: extension of periods ## 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Scrutiny of subordinate legislation in urgent cases ## 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Business improvement districts: extension of certain arrangements ## 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ### Muirburn ## 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ## 33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . --- Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2020/7 (the official version) Page: https://openlegislation.uk/coronavirus-scotland-act-2020 Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.