Chamber and committees

Can we move to John Mason, please?

We move to questions from Murdo Fraser.

Sorry—I think that your sound has cut out. Do you have anything else to add?

Good morning, and welcome to the 13th meeting in 2021 of the COVID-19 Recovery Committee. This morning, we will take evidence on the Coronavirus (Discretionary Compensation for Self-isolation) (Scotland) Bill at stage 1.

I welcome Sandra MacLeod, chief officer of the Aberdeen city health and social care partnership; Michael Clancy, director of law reform at the Law Society of Scotland; Mike Brewer, deputy chief executive of the Resolution Foundation; and Susan McKellar, operations manager at the Scottish Women’s Convention. Thank you for giving us your time this morning.

This will be the first of the committee’s evidence sessions on the bill before we hear from the Deputy First Minister on 16 December. Each member will have approximately 12 minutes to speak to the witnesses and ask their questions. We should be okay for time, but I apologise in advance if I have to interrupt members or witnesses in the interests of brevity.

I will ask the first questions. What are your views on the rationale for the bill? Is the bill as proposed the most appropriate route for achieving its objectives?

We need to move on to Alex Rowley.

Are there any comments from members?

Susan McKellar is back and she would like to come back in.

Okay—thank you. I will go to Jim Fairlie.

Thank you.

Under agenda item 2, the committee will take evidence from the Scottish Government on the latest ministerial statements on Covid-19 and on subordinate legislation.

I will start by saying a few words about the draft Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No 4) Regulations 2021. Last week, George Adam, the Minister for Parliamentary Business, asked to speak to me about the changes to the Covid vaccination certification scheme that the First Minister outlined on 23 November. At our meeting, George Adam explained that the Government is mindful of the concern that this committee and the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee have expressed about the use of the made affirmative procedure and he suggested an approach whereby an expedited affirmative procedure might be used on this occasion.

Members will have seen the correspondence from the Minister for Parliamentary Business explaining the Government’s position. On this occasion, I was minded to accept that suggestion. That meant that the regulations were formally laid on Monday and were considered by the DPLR Committee on Tuesday.

Following its consideration of the regulations, the DPLR Committee has written to this committee. Members have a copy of that correspondence. Following our consideration of the regulations this morning, the regulations will be taken at decision time later today in the chamber.

Although I was minded on this occasion to agree to the Scottish Government’s proposed expedited timetable for scrutiny, that should not be viewed as setting a precedent for future scrutiny. That is something that we can keep under review.

I welcome to the meeting our witnesses from the Scottish Government: John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for COVID Recovery; Professor Jason Leitch, the national clinical director; and Elizabeth Sadler, the deputy director of the Covid ready society. Thank you for your attendance this morning.

Deputy First Minister, would you like to make any remarks before we move to questions?