Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 13 January 2021
13 Jan 2021 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Vaccination Plan
The vaccine roll-out is welcome, but, as experts tell us, it needs to sit alongside a robust test and trace system. Scotland is testing the least number of people per head of population of any of the four UK nations. Capacity is 65,000 but the average testing is about a third of that number and when we compare the first week of January with the first week of December, we find an increase in positive cases of 184 per cent but an increase of only 7 per cent in testing. Testing has not been ramped up.
In addition, contact tracing is still relying heavily on text messages. Does the cabinet secretary believe that that is good enough to help to contain the virus?
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani)
SNP
The next item of business is a statement by Jeane Freeman on the vaccination plan. The cabinet secretary will take questions at the end of her statement, so ...
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport (Jeane Freeman)
SNP
The most recent seven-day rate of Covid-19 cases is 262 per 100,000, with a test positivity rate of 10.1 per cent. Public Health Scotland figures that are to...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
The cabinet secretary will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. We will allow around 30 minutes for that. It would be helpful if members...
Donald Cameron (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of her statement and offer my thanks to all those who are involved in this massive national programme. It i...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
I do not believe that timetables are slipping. What I have set out in my statement concurs exactly with what we have said before. We started with the people ...
Monica Lennon (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of the statement. On behalf of Scottish Labour, I put on record our thanks to everyone involved in the progra...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
There are a number of questions in there—I will do my best. The member asked how quickly we can go to 24 hours. We can do that once we have the mass vaccin...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
There are quite a few open questions. We will get through them all if we can bear in mind how many there are.
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
In her long list of questions, Monica Lennon pre-empted one of mine, but I will still pursue the point. Home vaccinations are of particular relevance in con...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
Home vaccinations are there for people for whom it is very difficult to leave home, because of mobility or health issues or, in some instances, because they ...
Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
Is there any flexibility in the way in which the vaccines are rolled out? I am thinking specifically about the difference between rural and urban areas. For ...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
The primary purpose—as Mr Whittle knows, but it is worth repeating—is to vaccinate as many people who are clinically at most risk of serious illness or death...
Fulton MacGregor (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)
SNP
The JCVI list rightly sets out that front-line healthcare staff are a high priority for vaccination. What advice can the cabinet secretary offer to staff who...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
There is a thing called the green book, which sets out in much more detail what is meant by each priority group. The green book is used to train vaccinators ...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
The vaccine roll-out is welcome, but, as experts tell us, it needs to sit alongside a robust test and trace system. Scotland is testing the least number of p...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
I will make a couple of points on that. If the overall thrust of Ms Baillie’s question is drawn from what the Rt Hon Gordon Brown said yesterday, I think tha...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I am concerned that we will not get through all the questions, so I ask the cabinet secretary to try to give shorter answers, please.
Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
The JCVI’s advice on vaccination priorities says that the clinically extremely vulnerable group of younger adults will be vaccinated as part of group 4, at t...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
Those are important questions. On whether I am confident that all such individuals have been identified, I point out that our chief nursing officer and chief...
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
Scotland’s stockpile of nearly 200,000 doses of vaccine is currently in storage at Movianto, which, for the benefit of members, is located in Bedford. GP sur...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
Movianto is the distributor of the vaccine. It brings it from Haydock, and then through various safety checks, to us in Scotland. From our vaccination centre...
Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Green
On 4 January, the First Minister said that the Government was considering how to prioritise the vaccination of school and childcare staff. Vaccinating those ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Did you catch the end of that, cabinet secretary?
Jeane Freeman
SNP
No.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Mr Ruskell, would it be possible for you to succinctly repeat the question?
Mark Ruskell
Green
The whole question?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
No, just the last bit.
Mark Ruskell
Green
I am looking for an update from the cabinet secretary about the plans that were committed to on 4 January to vaccinate teachers and childcare staff.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Thank you, Mr Ruskell.
Jeane Freeman
SNP
The First Minister did not commit to plans to vaccinate teachers and childcare staff. What she said—I am paraphrasing here, so forgive me if I do not quote e...