Chamber and committees

Thank you. My second question is on the slightly different topic of the regulations that the First Minister announced to the Parliament on Tuesday and which are to be introduced from tomorrow. A draft has been shared with us, and the regulations relating to businesses and other venues such as places of worship refer to guidance being issued by the Scottish ministers and say that those responsible must have regard to it. Where is that guidance, and how do people access it?

I appreciate that clear answer. What would be the last date on which any additional restrictions that would impact on Christmas might be announced?

The regulations, as I read them, say that persons must have regard to the guidance. That does not sound to me like a legal obligation on businesses or places of worship to follow them. Is that correct?

Thank you for that clarity. The regulations say that they come into force on 17 December, which is tomorrow, but you have said that the guidance will not be available until then. I appreciate the need to consult those who will be affected, but it does not give people very much time to access and implement the guidance if the regulations come into force on the same day.

Thank you, convener. I will bring in some other panel members. Who will I pick on? Professor Quinn, I am interested to get your thoughts on the questions of vaccination hesitancy and people’s distrust of Government, which we discussed earlier and which Hilda Campbell just touched on. There is a conversation about making vaccines compulsory or at least, as other countries have done, imposing additional restrictions on the unvaccinated. Would that be helpful or counterproductive?

Dr Williamson, can you give us your perspective on this?

I say good morning to the witnesses.

My question is first of all for Magda Czarnecka from Feniks. I am interested to get her views on what has been said. The numbers show that there is a particular issue in the Polish community with a lack of vaccine uptake. We have heard from other witnesses that there is an issue with suspicion of Government. I am interested to get the witnesses’ thoughts on whether that is a driving factor.

Over the past few weeks, in other parts of Europe, a tightening of restrictions, particularly on the unvaccinated, has developed. Some countries have introduced lockdowns for unvaccinated people. In some countries, there has been a conversation about making vaccination compulsory. We have not gone anywhere close to that here, but vaccination passports have been introduced in Scotland and then elsewhere in the UK. I am interested in the witnesses’ perspectives on whether such an approach is likely to encourage people to be vaccinated or might have the opposite effect.

Thank you. Could Dr Lunan come in and give us some general observations and then some thoughts on that specific question?

The second question that I asked was whether making vaccinations compulsory or making it harder for people to be unvaccinated would help or make matters worse.

I will bring in Dr Paulina Trevena, who we have not heard from so far. Can we get your general reflections on the discussion that we have just heard and on my specific question about whether making vaccinations compulsory or bringing in more restrictions on the unvaccinated encourages people to take up the vaccine or has the opposite effect?