Hansard

The SSI seeks to extend the application of the two Coronavirus (Scotland) Acts for a further six months, to the end of September 2021. The Scottish Conservatives recognise that the Government has, in general, taken a constructive approach to these matters—for example, by expiring some redundant provisions in the legislation. However, a few weeks ago, the COVID-19 Committee heard powerful evidence from Inclusion Scotland, which represents disabled groups, and the Scottish Police Federation. Although they come from very different perspectives, those organisations were of the view that, instead of simply extending the legislation, we should take stock at this point.

We agree. A full year has passed, and much has happened in that time. Surely, at this point, it is correct to analyse what has worked and what has not worked in the emergency legislation, especially in the light of its significant impact on civil liberties and human rights. None of us want emergency legislation to persist. Indeed, by its very name and nature, it should only ever be temporary. It is also significant that we are about to enter an election period. When a new Parliament is elected and a new Administration is formed, the vaccination programme will be much further along and, hopefully, the virus will be in full retreat.

Today marks several milestones in the vaccination programme. Some 25 million people across the United Kingdom have been vaccinated, which is almost half the adult population, and, in total, 2 million people in Scotland will have been vaccinated by the end of today. Accordingly, after the election, we should be in a much less restrictive position in terms of our everyday lives. The First Minister highlighted that only yesterday, when publishing the Scottish Government’s strategy for exiting lockdown, which assumes a staged return to normality over the coming months. In our view, it would be right that a new Administration, with an electoral mandate, would decide at that point whether emergency legislation was required and, if so, in what form.

It is worth noting that the proposed extension applies to the Coronavirus (Scotland) Acts but that the two acts do not contain health protection measures or the power to make health protection measures. Instead, the Scottish Government’s power to make health protection measures arises under the UK act, so the Government’s ability to impose or ease public health restrictions will continue regardless of whether the dates in the Scottish acts are extended.

For all those reasons, the Scottish Conservatives will vote against the SSI at decision time.