Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 02 March 2021
02 Mar 2021 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Covid-19
I welcome the changes for newborn babies, for which we on the Liberal Democrat benches have been arguing for some time.
Perhaps it was unwise for the First Minister rather to sneer at other Governments for making up dates when the dates that she set last week have not lasted seven days. The three-week review has changed to a weekly review and, although I want schools back as soon as possible, the result of that last-minute change is that there is no guidance ready and teachers have been left to clear up this issue and make it work. If two thirds of the class will be at home because of the 2m physical distancing, how will teachers juggle the additional workload? There are no more hours in the day. Teachers are exhausted. They have been working incredibly hard with the remote learning. Is this the way to reward them?
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh)
NPA
The next item of business is a statement by the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, on Covid-19. As always, the First Minister will take questions following her...
The First Minister (Nicola Sturgeon)
SNP
Last week, I updated Parliament on the Scottish Government’s strategic framework. When I update Parliament next week, I hope to be able to confirm some chang...
Ruth Davidson (Edinburgh Central) (Con)
Con
I thank the First Minister for advance notice of her statement. I also take this first parliamentary opportunity to welcome Anas Sarwar to his new role as La...
The First Minister
SNP
All the developments that I narrated earlier on and which have just been reiterated are very welcome. I do not want to overstate this, because I do not think...
Anas Sarwar (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I thank Ruth Davidson for her very kind comments, and I look forward to welcoming in a matter of weeks the second Conservative leader—perhaps even the third ...
The First Minister
SNP
I, too, take the opportunity to welcome Anas Sarwar to his position. I do not want to brag and I would have to count, but I think that I am probably well abo...
Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green)
Green
I, too, welcome Anas Sarwar to his new role as Labour leader. The Scottish Greens have long called for action to be taken to make our schools safe and parti...
The First Minister
SNP
I will certainly look into the claim that there is a particular problem in Lothian. Directors of education have been asked to identify staff who fall into th...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
I welcome the changes for newborn babies, for which we on the Liberal Democrat benches have been arguing for some time. Perhaps it was unwise for the First...
The First Minister
SNP
I will come on to the point about teachers directly in a second but, with the greatest respect, Willie Rennie’s overall characterisation is just not correct....
Ruth Maguire (Cunninghame South) (SNP)
SNP
I listened carefully to the First Minister’s response to Alison Johnstone, but I will still raise an issue that has been raised with me locally, because it i...
The First Minister
SNP
Of course we are happy to look at the guidance if there is a sense that it does not cover sufficient numbers or categories of people. The guidance was issued...
Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
No one doubts the strain that Covid-19 has put on services, including those in the Scottish Prison Service. Last summer, the Government decided to release se...
The First Minister
SNP
I will ask the justice secretary to write with the details of the monitoring that is in place. I do not say this flippantly, and I am happy to look into the ...
Bruce Crawford (Stirling) (SNP)
SNP
The First Minister knows that the tourism industry is a crucial part of my Stirling constituency’s economy and that a large part of the sector is made up of ...
The First Minister
SNP
Tourism is central to the Scottish economy, and I know that it is particularly central to constituencies such as Bruce Crawford’s. Although many small accomm...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
Public Health Scotland statistics show that teachers have a 47 per cent greater chance of getting Covid than the general population. We all want to get our c...
The First Minister
SNP
I am not going to get into a debate about interpretation of the data. There is a range of data about the risk of transmission in schools, among teachers and ...
Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
SNP
Will the First Minister provide an update on the number of care home residents who have received their second dose of the vaccine? Is the supply of vaccines ...
The First Minister
SNP
The latest figures that we have show that just under 14,500 care home residents have now received their second dose, which means that roughly 48 per cent of ...
Donald Cameron (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
Several parents from island communities such as Mull and Islay have contacted me to seek an earlier full-time opening of schools on those islands than is cur...
The First Minister
SNP
I point to what I said in my statement, because it has particular relevance to the legitimate question that is raised. I said that Education Scotland will is...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
Many people want the schools to open as soon as possible, but some parents, pupils and teachers are nervous about the risks that might be in school. Can the ...
The First Minister
SNP
The main words of reassurance that I want to give, again, is that we take all decisions carefully. My position, which I suspect is that of most—if not all—pa...
Pauline McNeill (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
There are many reports that vaccinators who work the same shifts at vaccine centres have vastly different rates of pay. Nurses with years of experience in va...
The First Minister
SNP
The issue has been raised with me and it is something that I have asked to be considered. I cannot give a definitive answer right now, but I recognise the se...
Shona Robison (Dundee City East) (SNP)
SNP
I also welcome the clarification in the First Minister’s statement for parents of newborn babies. What discussions has the Scottish Government had with counc...
The First Minister
SNP
The rules already allow informal childcare to be provided where there is an essential childcare need, which we understand is one of the reasons why other Gov...
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
Last week, the Scottish Government made a welcome announcement that non-contact sports for 12 to 17-year-olds can resume on 15 March. Will the First Minister...
The First Minister
SNP
The answer that I want to give—and I think it is the correct answer—is yes, but I will double check that there are no caveats or restrictions. We want to be ...