Chamber and committees

I am sorry, Mr Fairlie. We are running out of time. We move to Alex Rowley.

The question is, that motion S6M-03168 be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members: No.

There will be a division.

For

Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP)
Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)

Against

Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con)

I thank all the witnesses for their written submissions, and everybody else who responded to the committee’s call for evidence.

The first thing that stood out to me when the committee launched its inquiry was that Scottish Government data showed that the number of deaths in Scotland was 11 per cent above the average for that time of year, and that it had been, on average, for the previous 26 weeks. That caused us alarm, and we wondered whether that would be a growing trend. However, the data that was published on 14 February shows that the number of deaths in Scotland is currently 6 per cent below average. Does anyone have any insight on, or explanation for, that trend?

My second question relates to a point that one of my colleagues brought up in the private briefing that we had before the meeting. The majority of respondents who answered our call for evidence did not think that there had been enough of a strategic focus on non-Covid conditions and suggested increasing staff and bed numbers. We will all appreciate and understand the pressure that there has been on the national health service over the past two years and that you cannot just magic up staff and beds overnight. However, can anything be done in the short term to address the backlog, given that so many capacity challenges still exist? Moreover, could the Government do anything in the short term to bolster the health and social care workforce?

Thank you very much. That is very interesting.

Thank you very much. We move to Alex Rowley.

Under agenda item 2, we will take evidence from the Scottish Government on the ministerial statement on Covid-19, the two-monthly reports on the Coronavirus Acts, and subordinate legislation. I welcome our witnesses from the Scottish Government: John Swinney, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery; Professor Jason Leitch, national clinical director, who is joining us remotely; Dominic Munro, director of Covid-19 exit strategy; and Elizabeth Blair, unit head, Covid co-ordination.

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

Professor Leitch, I do not know whether you can hear me. I think that you are on mute.

As I have already said, the announcement regarding the removal of some of the restrictions in March is very welcome, but a lot of people will have concerns, particularly our most vulnerable people—perhaps those who have been on the high-risk list during the pandemic. What measures will the Government take to ensure that our most vulnerable people at high risk still feel supported as we move on to the next stage?