The Scottish Parliament has published a new information briefing on ‘preparing for a no-deal Brexit’ in Scotland. This briefing highlight some of the potential immediate impacts of a no-deal Brexit, along with contingency planning for any disruptions that may occur immediately after the EU exit.

This document details that border checks between the EU and the UK is the most likely form of immediate disruption from a no-deal Brexit, which could result in long queues at the borders as goods travel through customers and are subject to standards checks. This might potentially lead to a disruption in the supply of food and medicines.

The Scottish Government are making use of ‘resilience’ structures to prepare for the possibility of a non-negotiated exit. Some key areas that the Scottish Government are focusing on include:

Economy and Business

A website – prepareforbrexit.scot - has been created for businesses, offering vital information and self-assessment tools. Brexit support grants are also available to SMEs.

EU Citizens

EU citizens based in Scotland are encouraged to apply for the EU settled status scheme. The Scottish Government has also developed a package of support for EU citizens who wish to stay in Scotland. This package of support includes:

• £250,000 of dedicated resource for community-based support across Scotland
• A free, specialist support service provided by Citizen Advice Scotland called EU Citizen Support
• A ‘Stay in Scotland’ support toolkit for EU citizens and employers with workforce from the EU

For more information on this please see: www.gov.scot/publications/eu-citizens-staying-in-scotland-package-of-support/

Health and Medicines

The Scottish Government have stated that the NHS and pharmaceutical companies were stockpiling medicines and other supplies like medical devices and clinical consumables. “The UK Government has stated that, if there are delays at the UK Border, medical supplies will be given priority for entry into the UK”.

“The Scottish Government has also set out its position on recruitment needs across the whole Scottish economy, with a particular focus on health and social care sectors”.

Food and Water

It has been identified that issues involving the flow of food imports and exports could result from a no-deal exit. The Government has been working towards this issue by prioritising the smooth flow of trade, especially at channel ports, to minimise any disruption if a no-deal Brexit occurs. Food Standards Scotland has also been working alongside the Government in their wider contingency planning arrangements to ensure that they “can continue to support a food and drink environment in Scotland that protects consumers, regardless of the outcome of Brexit”.

Meanwhile, Scottish Water considers the risk to Scottish water supplies as a result of a no-deal Brexit to be low.

This briefing document can be found below, we strongly encourage social care providers to have a look through this report as it offers information that may be helpful in preparing for a no-deal EU exit.

preparing for a No deal Scotland (005)