Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 03 December 2020
03 Dec 2020 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Covid-19 (Vaccine Delivery)
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of her statement. Yesterday’s announcement was groundbreaking, and it gives millions of people across our country hope that we will soon return to some semblance of normality. However, we still have a long way to go and it is vital that we get the roll-out of this and future vaccines right. For instance, we would welcome the Government publishing a full list of venues across the country that will administer the vaccine, and which venues will open this month.
First, on the workforce, can the cabinet secretary tell us how many of the 2,000 vaccinators and support staff who are required to deliver the first phase are in place in each health board? Of those 2,000, how many will be vaccinators and how many will be support staff?
Secondly, given the particular storage needs of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, how many freezers are currently in each health board area and what is their capacity, and does the Government have orders out for any more?
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh)
NPA
The next item of business is a statement by Jeane Freeman, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, on the delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine. The cabinet s...
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport (Jeane Freeman)
SNP
Yesterday was the day that we have all been hoping and waiting for. I am pleased to return to the chamber to update Parliament on the deployment of the Pfize...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
We have a great deal of interest from members who wish to ask questions. I hope that we can make progress through all the questions.
Donald Cameron (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of her statement. Yesterday’s announcement was groundbreaking, and it gives millions of people across our cou...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
As the First Minister said, we will publish a full list of venues as soon as we have confirmed all the venues that are in place across all the health board a...
Monica Lennon (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the cabinet secretary for the advance sight of her statement. The roll-out of the first vaccines in just five days’ time really is the best early Ch...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
I, too, am absolutely delighted with the progress that was made over lunch time that will allow us to take the vaccine to care homes. That is one of the most...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I encourage the cabinet secretary to give shorter answers, as 15 more members have questions, and we have 10 minutes left.
Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Green
I thank the cabinet secretary for providing an advance copy of her very welcome statement. However, concerns have been raised by clinicians, including the he...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
I completely understand Mr Ruskell’s question and what prompted it. The JCVI looked very carefully at all the evidence and data that is available from across...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
The biggest scientific effort in history has helped to find a vaccine; now, the biggest public health exercise in history is needed to distribute it. It is,...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
Freezer storage is available in all our island authorities—that is, in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles. Mr McArthur is absolutely right. The developm...
Emma Harper (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
The news of the vaccine is very welcome, and I thank all the scientists and clinicians who have worked tirelessly to assess the quality, safety and effective...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
I will be really quick, but we will set this out in more detail. There are a couple of principal reasons why we have got so quickly to the authorisation to s...
Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
What will be the role of GP surgeries in the vaccination process? What consideration has been given to the impact on their day-to-day working?
Jeane Freeman
SNP
We have reached a particular agreement with GPs and we are in discussions with other independent contractors to the NHS, such as pharmacists, dentists and op...
Tom Arthur (Renfrewshire South) (SNP)
SNP
Will the cabinet secretary outline how the vaccine delivery programme will ensure that those who live in more rural communities, such as Lochwinnoch in my Re...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
There are two ways in which we are looking to make sure that that can happen. The first is the work with our local authority colleagues in particular to iden...
Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
On the international day of people with disabilities, we should remember that people with learning disabilities are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus, a...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
That is a really important question, for which I am grateful to Mr Gray. He will know that children are not in this programme, because the clinical trials fo...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I call Alasdair Allan, to be followed by Rachael Hamilton. It looks as though Dr Allan’s connection has been lost. We will move on to Rachael Hamilton, and ...
Rachael Hamilton (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)
Con
How many vaccines does the Scottish Government believe it has the capacity to deliver in the initial weeks of the programme? Will the Parliament be advised o...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
As I said at the outset, the UK Government has secured 800,000 doses, and our 8.2 per cent share of that is 65,600 doses. That is what we are assured will be...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
I, too, welcome the news that the vaccine can be transported unfrozen for up to 12 hours. Given the rurality of my constituency, Midlothian South, Tweeddale ...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
There is absolutely a role for that. Ms Grahame has already suggested a couple of possibilities to me. The best people to contact are in the local authority,...
Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
How will the Government ensure that as many of our older citizens as possible are vaccinated and that their human rights are respected? I am referring in par...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
In circumstances in which informed consent cannot be given—some older citizens will be in that situation, but other fellow citizens will be in it, too—it sho...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
We will try to get Dr Allan again.
Dr Alasdair Allan (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)
SNP
I was pleased to hear the cabinet secretary confirm that the initial vaccine is more transportable than was initially thought. That has clear benefits for is...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
Over this month and into January, we will issue a number of pieces of public information about the safety of vaccines, how they work, what to expect from the...