Committee
Health and Sport Committee 09 March 2021
09 Mar 2021 · S5 · Health and Sport Committee
Item of business
Subordinate Legislation
Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel) (Scotland) Amendment (No 7) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/111)
Good morning. I made a statement to the chamber on 9 February, in which I set out the Scottish Government’s intention to introduce a comprehensive approach to managed isolation of international arrivals. The regulations that we are discussing today give effect to the policy that I announced in my statement. The principal managed accommodation regulations—SSI 2021/74—make it a requirement for non-exempt passengers who arrive in Scotland to enter at specific airports and to have booked accommodation in a managed isolation facility to undertake their 10-day isolation period. That applies to all direct arrivals and not just those from red list countries. The managed isolation package includes a requirement to take two polymerase chain reaction tests, on day 2 and day 8 of isolation. Positive test results are prioritised for genomic sequencing to give us an enhanced surveillance regime to monitor importation of variants of concern. Most exemptions from isolation for essential workers also require passengers to have booked and undertaken a testing package. The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel) (Scotland) Amendment (No 6) Regulations 2021 make additional technical changes to clarify the application of the rules on travel within the common travel area. That includes the need to take account of red list country arrivals to Scotland who have not been correctly identified at the point of entry into the UK. That instrument was supplemented by the third instrument, SSI 2021/107, which makes further technical changes to definitions of testing and offences, and introduces an exemption for managed isolation for offshore workers in the North Sea who have transited through other countries. Those workers must now self-isolate at home when they return to Scotland. The final instrument, SSI 2021/111, removes the Falkland Islands from the list of acute risk countries and territories. That decision was taken on the basis of a revised risk assessment from the joint biosecurity centre. I am happy to respond to any questions that members might have.
In the same item of business
The Convener
Lab
Agenda item 4 is consideration of further subordinate legislation. We have before us four made affirmative instruments on coronavirus and international trave...
The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity (Michael Matheson)
SNP
Good morning. I made a statement to the chamber on 9 February, in which I set out the Scottish Government’s intention to introduce a comprehensive approach t...
The Convener
Lab
Members will have questions, but I want to begin by returning to some of the evidence that we heard last week when we discussed the different approaches acro...
Michael Matheson
SNP
Please bear with me, convener—this might be rather a long answer, because I think that it is important to give you the background. When we suspended the tra...
The Convener
Lab
In brief, would it be fair to say that your approach is based on the advice of the joint biosecurity centre and of SAGE, and that the UK Government’s decisio...
Michael Matheson
SNP
That would be a fair reflection of the situation at the moment.
The Convener
Lab
If a red list approach continues to be operated for people travelling to England, what impact will that have on the comprehensive managed isolation programme...
Michael Matheson
SNP
Given that the UK Government chose to pursue the red list system, we made representations to it to ask that anyone who enters a port of entry in England and ...
The Convener
Lab
In practice, therefore, there are two classes of people who have returned from international travel to Scotland, one of which is people in managed isolation ...
Michael Matheson
SNP
There are actually three classes. There are those who arrive directly into airports in Scotland and go into managed isolation, and those who arrive at airpor...
The Convener
Lab
That is a helpful clarification. I have another question before I pass over to colleagues. Given that different parts of the world have different quarantine...
Michael Matheson
SNP
The 10-day period is based on the clinical advice that we received towards the end of last year that the risk of moving the self-isolation period from 14 day...
David Stewart
Lab
I will raise a big-picture issue that I have to confess I have been working on heavily for the past six months, which is about having an internationally reco...
Michael Matheson
SNP
I recognise Mr Stewart’s interest in the matter of vaccine passports, which could play an important part in re-establishing international travel. As you righ...
David Stewart
Lab
The cabinet secretary has been very open and honest on the subject. My comments generally are not made in a party-political way. I am enthusiastic about the ...
Michael Matheson
SNP
I would recognise your frustration if we were not already progressing the issue, but we are. We are already engaging and looking to take forward the matter o...
David Stewart
Lab
I turn to my final question, although the cabinet secretary might not have the relevant information to hand. I know from my experience in politics, for what ...
Michael Matheson
SNP
I can pick up the specific points that Mr Stewart has raised with the chief executive of NHS Scotland and ask for more specific information. I do not have su...
David Stewart
Lab
Thank you.
The Convener
Lab
As you said, cabinet secretary, it is impossible to predict where things will be at any point during the coming summer. However, in your view, what circumsta...
Michael Matheson
SNP
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George Adam
SNP
Following on from the convener’s question, what are the latest numbers for inward flights to Scotland from red list and non-red list countries? How many peop...
Michael Matheson
SNP
At present, there are no direct flights into Scotland from red list countries. Those flights are banned, on the basis that they would be coming from a red li...
George Adam
SNP
There is great concern among the public that people could potentially come into Scotland having gone through red list countries at some point. What communica...
Michael Matheson
SNP
That is being taken forward in two ways, through my direct representations to the Covid-O committee and my written correspondence with Michael Gove at the Ca...
George Adam
SNP
That is all very concerning and worrying. We had representatives of the airports and the hospitality sector before the committee last week. You had to creat...
Michael Matheson
SNP
I very much appreciate the concerns that were raised by the aviation sector, and in particular the airports, about the speed at which the policy had to be in...
David Torrance
SNP
Good afternoon, cabinet secretary. Why has it been necessary to bring in a series of different regulations on a short timescale? Can you explain how they wil...
Michael Matheson
SNP
We have introduced some of the regulations to close down potential anomalies in the system. As I mentioned earlier, individuals who arrive from red list coun...
David Torrance
SNP
Can you indicate the degree to which there is now an understanding of the new rules? What is the plan to communicate those rules to the aviation and hospital...