Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 20 January 2021
20 Jan 2021 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Health and Care Workforce
On PPE, I am sure that the member will recall the agreement that I reached with the relevant unions and with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities that, for home care staff, it should be entirely down to their professional judgment to decide what PPE they believe they need, and that that PPE should then be made available to them. That agreement was made some time ago and I asked to be told directly if there were instances when that was not happening. I have not been told that, but if I am told it, I will resolve the matter. I am sure that the member will welcome that.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-23894, in the name of Monica Lennon, on protecting Scotland’s health and care workforce. 15:16
Monica Lennon (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
On behalf of the Scottish Labour Party, I begin with a tribute to all the healthcare staff on the front line of the pandemic, who are working hard in the mos...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
I take the member’s point that we want staff to be vaccinated first, but she argues that they should get a second dose before older people; how does she hand...
Monica Lennon
Lab
With respect to John Mason, I say that it is not Labour members who have been putting older people further down the queue during the pandemic; what has happe...
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport (Jeane Freeman)
SNP
On PPE, I am sure that the member will recall the agreement that I reached with the relevant unions and with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities tha...
Monica Lennon
Lab
I welcome that intervention. I think that the people who are managing staff then revert back to Government guidance, and the Government guidance is out of da...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I did not want to interrupt you, but there are a few minutes in hand for interventions, so you should perhaps bear that in mind if you are summing up. I cal...
The Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing (Mairi Gougeon)
SNP
Getting Scotland vaccinated against Covid-19 is indeed the country’s national priority, and it is a fundamental part of Scotland’s strategic framework for de...
Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
I thank the minister for what is a very helpful update. I am not seeking to apportion blame, but if there are GPs who are expecting supplies and those suppl...
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
The First Minister talked a lot about that in response to the questions that she received at First Minister’s question time earlier today. There have been is...
Monica Lennon
Lab
Will the minister take an intervention?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
The minister is in her final minute, but you may intervene if you are prepared to be very quick, as you are leading the debate. I will leave it up to you and...
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
I am happy to take the intervention.
Monica Lennon
Lab
I am grateful. It was remiss of me not to welcome Mairi Gougeon to her new post. I did not realise that she was going to open the debate. I welcome her. The...
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
I will be happy to get back to the member on that issue in more detail. Of course, the best way to ensure that our health service is protected and to limit ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I am afraid that you cannot.
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
It is just a final, brief point, Presiding Officer.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Please make it in a sentence.
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
The vaccination programme is the largest logistical operation that Scotland has seen in peacetime, and it is functioning well. We have already vaccinated a h...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I cannot remember whether you moved your amendment, minister.
Mairi Gougeon
SNP
I move amendment S5M-23894.3, to leave out from “notes the concern” to end and insert: “believes that the deployment of the vaccine must be guided by the ex...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I am sorry to give you such a hard time at your debut in your post, minister. I call Maurice Golden to speak to and move amendment S5M-23894.1.
Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
I believe that Donald Cameron is supposed to open for the Conservatives, but I am happy to do so and to move the amendment in his name.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Should it be Donald Cameron? I do not see him anywhere around.
Maurice Golden
Con
He is joining virtually.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I stand to be corrected, but my little script says that Maurice Golden is opening and Donald Cameron is closing. I think that we had better leave it like tha...
Maurice Golden
Con
Let us see. I will get on to Miles Briggs. 15:40
Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
The pandemic has challenged us all in ways that we could never have imagined. NHS staff have been on the front line since day 1, putting themselves at risk e...
Jeane Freeman
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Maurice Golden
Con
Yes, I am happy to do so.