Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

Meeting date: Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Official Report 1016KB pdf

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Covid-19

The next item of business is a statement by Nicola Sturgeon on Covid-19. The First Minister will take questions at the end of her statement, so there should be no interventions or interruptions.

14:24  

Today, I will give a further update on the levels of and trends in Covid infections. I will also confirm that, when Cabinet reviewed Covid protections this morning—as we are required to do every three weeks—our decision was to keep in place the remaining baseline measures for now.

I will then give brief updates on guidance for schools and early years settings; on the BA.2 subvariant of omicron, which is currently under investigation; and on vaccination. I will conclude with a reminder of the basic steps that are still important to take to help curb transmission and reduce pressure on the national health service, the economy and wider society.

First, though, today’s statistics: 7,565 positive cases were reported yesterday through polymerase chain reaction and lateral flow tests; 1,177 people are in hospital with Covid, which is 30 fewer than yesterday; and 42 people are in intensive care, which is three fewer than yesterday. That figure includes 13 patients who have been in intensive care units for more than 28 days. Sadly, a further 30 deaths have been reported, taking the total number of deaths under the daily definition to 10,341. Once again, my condolences go to everyone mourning a loved one.

The most recent data continues to give grounds for optimism. The situation that we are in now is much less severe than we had thought it might be. That said, case numbers remain high and the significant fall seen in the first three weeks of January has now levelled off somewhat. Last week, I reported that the number of new cases had fallen by just over a quarter in the previous 7 days. This week, cases have risen, albeit very slightly, from more than 7,200 new cases a day to just under 7,400, which is an increase of 2 per cent.

The picture across different age groups is mixed. The biggest increase in the past week, of 7 per cent, was in the under-15s. However, that is significantly lower than the 41 per cent rise in that age group that was recorded in the previous week. That may well—indeed, I hope it does—indicate that the impact of the return to school after the Christmas break is beginning to tail off. Cases also increased last week, by 5 per cent, among 25 to 44-year-olds, which is likely to reflect infections among children now feeding through into that age group, many of whom are parents or carers. Case numbers are still falling in all other age groups, although they are falling more slowly now than was the case 7 days ago.

Although it is not as up to date as our daily case numbers, the weekly survey data from the Office for National Statistics is another important measure of infection levels. It shows that, in the week to 22 January, the percentage of people in Scotland infected with the virus declined to around one in 30 from around one in 20 in the previous week. Those figures are consistent with the trends in the daily data for that period in January.

There is a further point about the daily data that I want to highlight. Right now, someone who is reinfected with Covid does not count as a new case in the statistical reports. If, for example, you received a positive PCR result yesterday, you will not be included as one of the new cases reported today if you had also tested positive on a previous occasion. As of yesterday, reinfections are being reported by the United Kingdom Government in the daily figures for England. That means that, for a short period, the daily case numbers for England will not be directly comparable with those for Scotland. However, that will be temporary, as Public Health Scotland is also planning to report on reinfections. I can confirm that initial data will be included in the PHS weekly report tomorrow, and that data on reinfections will be included in daily case figures from later this month. That data on reinfections obviously becomes more important as the pandemic progresses and more people get Covid for a second time. That said, it is important to stress that, as things stand, the current daily figures capture the significant majority of people who test positive each day.

To return to the most recent data, the decline in cases in the first three weeks of January is now reflected in a fall in the number of people being admitted to hospital. In the week to 21 January, 768 patients with Covid were admitted. In the following week, that was down to 602. Hospital occupancy has also fallen. This time last week, 1,394 patients with Covid were in hospital; today, the figure stands at 1,177. The number of people with Covid in intensive care has also reduced—from 49 this time last week to 42 today.

Those improving trends are a result of booster vaccination, the proportionate measures introduced in December and the willingness of the public to adapt their behaviour to stem transmission. That has enabled us, over the past two weeks, to remove virtually all of the additional measures that were introduced in December. Most recently, as of yesterday, guidance on home working was updated to enable a partial return to the office, with hybrid working where appropriate. From the end of next week—11 February—the requirements for overseas travel will also be eased. Fully vaccinated travellers will no longer need to take a test on their arrival in Scotland.

The return to much greater normality is very welcome for individuals, households and businesses across the country. However, common sense, coupled with the strong desire that all of us feel not to go backwards, demands continued caution.

The national health service remains under acute pressure. As I reported a moment ago, the number of people in hospital with Covid is falling, but it is still double what it was just before Christmas. As I also reported earlier, the recent fall in the number of cases is now levelling off. As often happens when protective measures that have helped to stem transmission are lifted, the number of cases might start to rise again, exacerbating the already significant pressure on the NHS.

That is why the Cabinet took the decision this morning to retain, for at least a further three weeks, the current baseline measures. Those are the Covid certification scheme, the requirement to collect customer contact details in settings such as hospitality, the requirement to wear face coverings in many indoor public places and on public transport, and the requirement for businesses and service providers to have regard to guidance and to take all reasonably practicable steps to minimise the incidence and spread of infection on their premises. We will continue to ask the public to take lateral flow tests before mixing with people from other households.

Complying with those basic protective measures will, I hope, help to stem infections and therefore relieve pressure on the NHS, while allowing us all to get back to living much more normally.

There are three further issues that I want to touch on today. The first is to briefly update the Parliament on the subtype of omicron known as BA.2, which was recently designated as a variant under investigation.

As members will recall, with the main omicron variant, what is called the S gene is absent in PCR tests. However, in BA.2 cases, the S gene shows up. In the past week, the proportion of PCR tests with an S-gene dropout, which indicates the main omicron variant, has declined, with a corresponding increase in the proportion of tests showing S-gene positive results. That could be accounted for by delta cases, which also show positive S gene results. However, it might also indicate increasing transmission of the BA.2 subvariant. Genomic sequencing is being used to investigate that further.

I can confirm that, in Scotland, 26 cases of BA.2 have been confirmed through genomic sequencing so far, but we expect that number to increase as more sequencing results are reported. Given that not all tests can be genomically sequenced, the number will be an underestimate of the presence of the subvariant here.

It is important to stress that, at this stage, there is no evidence that BA.2 causes more severe disease than the main omicron variant, nor is there any evidence at this stage that BA.2 has any greater ability to escape the immunity that is conferred by vaccination or previous infection. However, BA.2 appears to have the ability to outrun the main omicron variant, which might indicate that it is more transmissible. Investigations into that are on-going in the UK and other countries such as Denmark, where the subvariant has been circulating for longer.

At the moment, therefore, the BA.2 subvariant is not a cause for any alarm or to change our approach, but it warrants further study. It is a reminder that the course of this pandemic—of any pandemic—remains uncertain, so, even as we get back to normal life, we must take care and remain vigilant. We must remember that, as this is a global pandemic, developments in other countries will impact on our ability to control the virus here, which underlines the vital importance of extending the protection of vaccination to all countries as quickly as possible.

The advisory subgroup on education met last week to review Covid measures in schools and early learning and childcare settings. I confirm that, in the light of its recommendations, revised guidance is being published today, which effectively returns schools and early years settings to the situation before the emergence of omicron. The revised guidance eases requirements for bubbles or groupings in schools, and it is less restrictive in its advice on school trips and on visitors to schools.

The subgroup considered the issue of face coverings last week. It concluded that, although we might be close, assuming that current trends continue, to the time when face coverings no longer need to be worn in classrooms, we have not yet reached that stage. No one wants young people to have to wear face coverings in the classroom for a moment longer than necessary but, given the current uncertainty about infection trends in the immediate future and the relatively high levels of Covid in younger age groups, continued caution is prudent at this stage. The subgroup will consider the issue of face coverings again at its meeting on 8 February.

The final point that I want to cover relates to Covid and flu vaccination. In December, flu vaccination was paused for some groups to allow priority to be given to the delivery of Covid booster jags. However, flu vaccinations have now resumed for higher risk groups such as the over-65s. Uptake in those groups was already high in December but, if you are in one of those groups and have not yet had your flu vaccination, the NHS Inform website will provide details of how to arrange it in your local health board area.

Covid vaccination has now started for five to 11-year-olds at the highest clinical risk and for those five to 11-year-olds who are household contacts of someone who is immunosuppressed. Parents and carers of children in those groups will receive a letter or phone call about vaccination soon. Some will have received that already.

In addition, invitations are now being sent to all 18 to 59-year-olds who are eligible for the booster but have not yet had it. Approximately 580,000 people are in that category. Invitations to scheduled appointments are being sent in blue envelopes, with the first appointments scheduled from Monday onwards. So, if you have not had a booster yet but are eligible for one, please look out for the blue envelope and go along to your scheduled appointment. If the appointment time you are given is not convenient, you can rearrange it to a more convenient time.

This is an important point: for anyone who has had only two vaccinations, protection against serious illness from Covid wanes significantly over time. The booster is a vital—in fact, essential—way of maintaining that protection. So please, get boosted. It is the best way to protect yourself from serious illness and to protect the NHS.

We can continue to be optimistic as we look ahead to spring. Case levels are likely to remain high for some time and may increase further as a result of the recent easing of protections, but there are good grounds at this stage for confidence that we are again entering a calmer phase of the pandemic.

Our revised strategic framework will be published after the February recess. It will set out in some detail our approach to managing Covid more sustainably in the remaining phases of the pandemic and as, hopefully, the virus becomes endemic. Between now and then, we will continue to engage on the contents of the framework and Parliament will get the opportunity to debate and vote on it.

For the moment, I will close with the steps that we can all continue taking to protect ourselves and others, while we return to more normal lives.

First, get fully vaccinated as soon as you can.

Secondly, continue taking care when out and about socialising. In particular, take a lateral flow test every time before meeting other people socially, and remember to take the test as soon as possible before you go out, rather than several hours before.

Finally, please take the other precautions that we know make a difference. Keep windows open if you are meeting indoors. Wear a face covering on public transport, in shops and when moving about in hospitality. Talk to your employer about a return to hybrid working and follow the guidance and precautions that they adopt to make your workplace safe. Follow all the advice on hygiene.

Those measures are making a difference. They will help us to protect the NHS and get it back to normal and they are enabling us to keep each other safe, even while other protections are lifted. So please, stick with them. I again thank everyone across the country who is doing exactly that.

The First Minister will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 30 minutes for questions, after which we will move on to the next item of business. Members who wish to ask a question should press their request-to-speak buttons now or enter an R in the chat function.

The latest figures show that Covid is under control. The success of Scotland and the UK’s vaccination scheme means that we can get back to normality. Yet, even though the data is very positive, the Scottish National Party Government is still insisting on the use of face masks in schools. Adults can go to the pub and not wear a face mask, but pupils in the classroom have to.

The First Minister said in her statement:

“No one wants young people to have to wear face coverings in the classroom for a moment longer than necessary.”

Just what has to happen for the First Minister’s Government to remove the requirement for face coverings in our classrooms?

Face masks are not the only Covid rule that this Government is keen to continue. The Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Bill that it introduced last week is a dangerous power grab. [Interruption.] SNP members are laughing at that. The legislation that they propose would give the Government the power to close businesses and schools, to let prisoners out of jail early and to force people back into lockdowns in their own homes. That is a power grab from this SNP Government. What is more worrying than anything is that the Government could do all that without ever coming back to the chamber and the Parliament. The powers are extraordinary. They were introduced to be used in an emergency only. Outside the most severe crisis, the Government should not have such sweeping, extensive powers to curb freedoms and control people’s lives. Why does the First Minister’s Government need to retain emergency powers indefinitely?

Not for the first time, I cannot help wondering whether Douglas Ross listened to a single word of the statement that I have just delivered to the Parliament. He gets up here and blithely, with an air of complacency, says, “Covid is now under control.” The pandemic—he did not say this, but the implication is that the pandemic is over. Yes, we are in a much stronger position because—

That is absolutely not what I said.

He said that the figures show that the virus is under control. I then accepted that he did not say that the pandemic is over, but the air that he gives is that that is what he wants us to think.

I narrated a situation that, because of the sensible, proportionate measures that have been taken, is much better than it would have been, and experts and other countries across the world are all of the view, or many of them are of the view, that continued caution in the face of the risks and uncertainties is the best way to see us get through the remainder of the pandemic.

Douglas Ross asks me why it is that adults can go to the pub without wearing a face mask—I remind him that we are asking adults who go to the pub to wear face coverings as they move about in hospitality—but children have to wear one in school. Let me point out a couple of important differences. First, adults have a choice about going to the pub and mixing with other people. Children do not have a choice about going to school and mixing with other people. Secondly, children are still less vaccinated than adults, because the vaccination of children was recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation at a much later stage. Those are all the reasons why it is right to continue to take a precautionary approach to the protection of children.

In another context, one of Douglas Ross’s members—I think last week, when the Parliament was talking about exams—had the question posed to her, “Don’t you think the safety of children is the most important thing?” Her answer was, “No, I don’t.” That seems to sum up the attitude of the Conservatives.

We will continue, in line with the views of the advisory council that gives us expert opinion on these things, to take that cautious approach. Interestingly, it was last week, I think, that Douglas Ross quoted the chair of the National Parent Forum of Scotland at me. She said that it would be sensible to have a phased approach to the lifting of restrictions.

On the point about the bill, the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Bill will bring public health protection powers in Scotland into line with public health protection powers that have been in place in England, under a Conservative Government, for the past 10 years. Douglas Ross calls the powers “dangerous”. Perhaps that is not a surprise, coming from the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, because one of the powers in the bill is to give continued protection to tenants. Here is what the homelessness charity Crisis said about that in the consultation:

“These protections can give private tenants more time and support to work through rent arrears and we welcome plans to make them permanent.”

Perhaps it is not a surprise that the leader of the Conservative Party describes that as “dangerous”.

I, too, send my condolences to all those who have lost loved ones.

As we begin the slow return to some form of normality, we cannot allow the children of Scotland to be left behind. Thousands of pupils across Scotland have endured two years of disruption to their education, but as Scottish pupils prepare to sit prelims, we are faced with high numbers of Covid cases in schools. Almost 33,000 children were not in school because of Covid-19 on just one day last week. Prelims are currently happening across the country, and many secondary 5 pupils have never sat formal exams before. They cannot afford to miss out at such a crucial time.

For months, Scottish Labour has asked the Government to address ventilation in our schools. At first, the Government offered money for carbon dioxide monitors to diagnose the problem, but there were few solutions to improve ventilation, other than to pop open a window. Pupils and teachers had to suffer through the cold months before Christmas in coats and scarves.

Three weeks ago, the First Minister announced £5 million to improve ventilation in schools, which is welcome, but with 2,476 schools and at least 25,000 classrooms across the country, that will barely touch the sides. If we are to live safely with Covid, we need to make our schools safe for pupils and teachers. That is why Labour has repeatedly called for high-efficiency particulate air filters in every classroom. That needs a fourfold increase in the budget and it will help to ensure that masks can be removed. Will the Government finally listen and deliver those filters, and will it do so urgently, to minimise disruption, so that thousands of young people are not further disadvantaged at such a crucial point in their lives?

First, trying to ensure that disruption in our schools is kept to a minimum is one of the reasons why we need to be cautious on an on-going basis about the mitigations that are in schools, including face coverings. As I think that Jackie Baillie and her party agree, to lift those would take us, potentially, in the opposite direction. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills will make a statement later this afternoon, confirming our intention that exams will go ahead this year and setting out some further decisions about support for young people in the lead-up to that.

On the £5 million ventilation fund, it is important to say that it is not the case that every space in our schools or early years settings needs such measures. Based on the assessment of the number of spaces that may need some additional mitigation, the funding that has been made available would be adequate for the purchase of air cleaning or filtration units; it would also cover, for example, the need for small mechanical ventilation or extractor fan units; and it would allow for repairs, for example, to doors or windows, to improve airflow. That funding covers the need that has been assessed, but we will keep it under review with local councils as we continue to take steps to ensure that we can live with Covid much more sustainably and much less restrictively in the months ahead.

We have just heard from Jackie Baillie why we need to limit the impact of Covid in our classrooms. That is why air quality and air flow matter. It was, therefore, astonishing to learn this morning, from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills herself, that 2,000 classrooms in Scotland currently fall below standards for air quality.

In addition, this morning, I was passed a paper that was commissioned by the City of Edinburgh Council, but is confidential and has been kept from the public since last May, which shows the extent of the problem. All but two of the schools that were surveyed for that report failed air-quality CO₂ threshold tests. During all that time parents, pupils and teachers have been kept in the dark.

Does the First Minister recognise that she has not been open with us on air quality in schools, and will she now publish all the data that her Government currently holds about school classroom air quality, so that we can make up our minds about whether what I have described is just the tip of the iceberg?

No, I do not recognise that. Obviously, I will look at what information the Government can publish that is not already published. What I think Alex Cole-Hamilton is referring to, in respect of the education secretary’s comments, is that we have assessed that not all spaces in schools or early years settings require additional measures. In those that do, the measures might include—temporarily, because they are not the recommended long-term solution—air cleaning or filtration units. Longer-term solutions include mechanical ventilation or extractor fans, increasing the space at the bottom of doors and allowing windows to open. That is what the £5 million ventilation fund is for.

As I have said, we will continue to keep the matter under review. Making sure—not just in schools, although that is what we are talking about right now—that the right ventilation measures are in place is going to be a long-term issue, because we know that good ventilation is one of the best mitigations against Covid. The actions that we have taken to date demonstrate how seriously we take that; we will continue to take the matter seriously as we go through the months to come; and we will, of course, continue to report fully to Parliament on that.

Presiding Officer,

“failures of leadership and judgment”

and

“serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working”

in

“Government but also ... the standards expected of the entire British population at the time”

are just a few of the points in the conclusion of the report that was published yesterday by Sue Gray. Does the First Minister have concerns that public confidence in the integrity of people who make decisions to safeguard the NHS and the economy might now be eroded, and agree that that risks undermining all the efforts that have been made so far?

Obviously, I have concerns about that. I would be surprised if not every member in the chamber shares those concerns. There is very little public trust remaining in the integrity and decision making of the Prime Minister and his Government over those matters.

The Sue Gray report that was published yesterday was obviously heavily constrained in terms of what it was able to say. However, what it did say in its conclusions, which were narrated by Evelyn Tweed, was very clear. It is also now impossible to reach any conclusion other than that the Prime Minister has seriously and serially misled the House of Commons.

It is always important that what people such as me and the Prime Minister say in the chambers of Parliament can be trusted—I, myself, have had cause over the past year or so to reflect very carefully on such things. That is never more important than it is during times of crisis such as we are living through. I suspect that my views on these matters are shared by members across the chamber and—more important—by the vast majority of people across the country.

Yesterday, every MSP received a letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy detailing some of the allocated spending for business support for omicron that was part of the £375 million package that was announced by the First Minister. This morning, the cabinet secretary confirmed to the Finance and Public Administration Committee that £103 million is still as yet unallocated. When will that allocation take place? Crucially, will it include the £2 million that was desperately sought—again, in a letter that was sent to all MSPs—by the outdoor education sector, which is desperate for support in the pandemic?

The remaining funding that is to be allocated will be allocated and distributed as soon as possible. We are, rightly, taking time to consult to ensure that the remainder of the support gets to the sectors in which it is needed most—perhaps to sectors that, without consultation, would not get the support and attention that they merit.

Liz Smith has previously raised the outdoor education sector in the chamber. The Government has provided support. Although I will not pre-empt decisions that are yet to be taken, we can see from our previous actions that the needs of the sector are very important to us, because they are important to children across the country. We will continue to take that into account as we reach final decisions.

As we return to much greater normality in our lives, thoughts inevitably turn to the longer term. Will the First Minister advise on where matters stand on the possibility of a fourth Covid vaccine dose being required, and on the potential need for annual Covid immunisation?

We continue to follow Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advice. I take this opportunity to thank the JCVI for all the advice that it has given us so far. Advice has evolved in line with evolving understanding of the virus and the JCVI’s consideration of how vaccination can help to reduce, in particular, serious illness and hospitalisation.

We will continue to be guided by the JCVI in the future, but I hope very much that we will get from it recommendations that will allow us to extend even further the scope and coverage of the vaccination programme, including to more people in the five-to-11 age group.

The easing of Covid restrictions is leaving immunocompromised patients facing an uncertain future. They may have needed to lock themselves—[Inaudible.]—agree that regular lateral flow testing is vital for everyone, but especially for that group so that they feel safe, and that free lateral flow tests are essential for that group? Will the First Minister say whether public health officials have estimated how long we might need regular testing?

Did you hear enough of the question, First Minister, or would you find it helpful if Ms McNeill repeated it?

I think that I got the gist of the question. I think that Pauline McNeill asked me about the use of lateral flow devices generally, and in particular in relation to people who are immunosuppressed. Can she nod if I have got that correct? She is nodding.

Yes, I strongly agree with that. As I said in my statement, and have done for several weeks, we recommend regular use of lateral flow tests for everybody, as people go out and about and socialise. It is especially important that people who are at the greatest potential clinical risk take that precaution, so I strongly encourage it.

How long testing might be required is a difficult question to answer, right now. It is one of the things that we will consider on an on-going basis; our up-to-date understanding will be included in our updated strategic framework. My view is that it is one of the protections that we are likely to ask people to follow for longest, because it is such an important way of breaking chains of transmission.

Procurement of tests and whether they should continue to be provided to the public free of charge—as I believe they should—remain, of course, matters of on-going discussion among the four nations of the UK. I have made clear to the UK Government my view that no change to the approach should be made without the agreement of all four Governments across the UK.

As restrictions ease, which is welcome, how will the First Minister continue to highlight the message, via social media and traditional media campaigns, that face coverings should still be worn in indoor spaces in order to increase protection and reduce transmission of the virus?

The most up-to-date polling, which is from December, showed that the vast majority of adults in Scotland—more than 80 per cent—believe that wearing a face covering is very or fairly important, so support for the approach is already high.

It is important that we continue to emphasise the message. The “Living safely this winter” campaign is running right now; we will amend it as circumstances change. We will continue to ensure that there are strong and appropriate public health messages through mainstream media, including television and radio, and across social media. For as long as we are asking the public to do certain things and to change their behaviour in certain ways, it is important that there is good communication in order to make it clear to people what they are being asked to do. We will seek to ensure that in all our marketing and public campaigns.

Hospital admissions for under-18s are second only to admissions for over-70s, which reflects the relatively high infection rate and low vaccination rate among the younger age group. As the First Minister acknowledged, the rising infection rate among 25 to 44-year-olds is, likely, a consequence of infections among children and young people.

That is causing concern among school staff, in particular. Does the First Minister acknowledge the heightened risk that adults face in indoor settings where there are large numbers of unvaccinated young people? What further assurance can she give to school staff, who have given so much of themselves throughout the pandemic?

I recognise that there is a heightened risk to people who are in indoor settings with a large number of people, particularly where some of those people are likely to be unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.

That does not apply only to schools, although clearly it applies to schools, which are the subject of the question. That risk is one of the reasons why we are deliberately taking a very cautious approach to easing mitigations in schools. The guidance that is being updated today eases mitigations to do with bubbles and groupings within schools, and it eases the requirements around visitors to schools but—as I said—it also asks for the current requirements on face coverings to be continued. That is part of the cautious and sensible approach to ensure that, in settings where the risks are perhaps higher, for the reasons that have been set out, we are doing everything that we can to protect people. In addition, of course, the steps on ventilation are important.

What is the First Minister’s response to reports that almost 5 billion items of personal protective equipment that were procured by the UK Government at a cost of £2.7 billion will be wasted because they are surplus or are unsuitable for safeguarding NHS staff?

We want to make sure that we have adequate supplies of PPE, as do all Governments. We work hard in the Scottish Government, at times in partnership with the other UK Governments, to ensure that we have supplies and use them to the full, and to ensure that we get the right PPE to the people who need it. That will be a matter of on-going focus for as long as the pandemic is with us. Indeed, it will be the case beyond that, because it is important in normal times, as well.

It is not for me to comment on the procurement decisions of the UK Government, although I know that many of those decisions are under great scrutiny and are being questioned. We will continue to take sensible procurement decisions in order to ensure that we have the right supplies of PPE and other items that the people who work on the front line of our national health service need.

We have been told that restrictions will not remain in place for a minute longer than is necessary. Since Covid passports were announced, infection rates are lower, the number of hospital admissions is lower and the number of ICU admissions is lower. Does the First Minister agree that the time has come to remove that financially disastrous restriction on the night-time economy, which has been devastated by the pandemic, and to allow businesses to get back on their feet and properly protect the tens of thousands of jobs that are still at risk?

I wonder whether it ever crosses the minds of the Conservatives that case numbers are down, the number of hospitalisations is down and the number of people in intensive care is reducing at least in part because of some of the protective measures that we are taking, not in spite of them. Without those protective measures, we might not have been in as relatively positive a position as we are in now.

Did the member listen to anything that was reported today? Case numbers are down compared with the numbers at the turn of the year, and we are in a much stronger position than we might have been in, partly because of such measures, but the immediate future trends remain uncertain. In the past week, case numbers have begun to rise again. I reported on a subvariant that might be more transmissible. There are reasons to be very optimistic and confident, but common sense and experience tell us that there are also reasons to be cautious if we want to avoid setbacks.

The Conservatives have opposed virtually every protective measure that we have introduced. If we had not introduced them, no doubt they would have said that we should have done. The opportunism and the opposition for the sake of opposition speak rather badly of the Conservatives. For my part, I will just get on with taking the best decisions that we can to keep driving and steering the country through the pandemic as safely as we can.

Public Health Scotland’s latest data indicates that the pandemic has resulted in a 60 per cent decrease in the number of people visiting NHS dentists. Although there is cause for optimism, the number of Covid cases remains high, and we need a cautious approach to the full resumption of dental services. Will the First Minister outline what engagement the Scottish Government has had with the sector to prepare for the safe remobilisation of dental services?

It has been very challenging for dentists, as it has been for others across the health service, to keep seeing patients during the pandemic, even during periods of recovery. We are assisting dentists in getting back to normal as quickly as possible. From this month, we are providing dentists with an additional £20 million of funding to help them to see more patients, and the 2022-23 budget delivers a 9 per cent increase in the budget for NHS dentistry. That is record investment.

We are moving forward with NHS dentistry recovery, and we aim to return to much more normal levels of activity as soon as the virus allows us to do so. We are also discussing with the British Dental Association Scotland how we can continue to support NHS dentistry in the longer term as we continue to secure a sustainable public service.

One of my constituents is a doctor who works for both NHS Scotland and NHS England. Although he had his first two vaccine doses in Scotland, he was given his booster dose in a hospital in England when he was at work. Due to that, his booster dose cannot currently be recorded in the Covid vaccination status app. As the First Minister might be aware, hospitals in England do not provide vaccination certificates or a QR code, nor was the particular hospital able to change the postcode on his vaccination record to his Scottish address. I would be grateful if the First Minister could advise what steps should be taken when Scots do not have a QR code but need to request an update to their vaccination record.

I thank Bill Kidd for his question. I will ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to write to him to set out in full detail the answer to his question.

In general terms, the Covid certification scheme allows people who have been fully vaccinated to evidence that if they need to do so. If someone has received a Covid vaccine outwith Scotland, they can upload their QR code as proof of vaccination in that country to the Scottish vaccination record through NHS Inform. Where a QR code is not available, alternative evidence can be provided to the local health board.

In addition, work is under way to include booster information with the automatic transfer of information between Scotland and England, and that will allow individuals to receive a combined fully vaccinated status, which will serve both domestic and travel purposes.

That is the broad situation in general terms, but I am aware that Bill Kidd asked for some particular details, so I will ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to write to him in a way that addresses any of the points that this general answer has not.

The British Medical Association and the health unions are calling for the use of the better FFP3 masks, which the BMA has described as

“a matter of life and death”.

In a recent BMA Scotland survey, only 15 per cent of clinicians who responded said that they were regularly provided with FFP3 masks or respirators when working in clinical areas with Covid patients. Can the First Minister take action to ensure that sufficient supplies are obtained of FFP3 masks for all NHS staff who need them?

The guidance on the use of PPE and what PPE is appropriate in what circumstances is carefully considered and is based on the recommendations and advice of experts. I regularly ask my officials about the issue in order to assure myself that it is still as we would expect it to be, given the current state of the pandemic, and I will continue to do that.

I will write to the member, or ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to do so, to set out the key components of that guidance. It gives a lot of latitude to NHS workers who feel that they should be using a particular grade of PPE to do so, and, obviously—to go back to an earlier question—it is the responsibility of Government to ensure that we are procuring adequate stocks of appropriate PPE.

I will ask the health secretary to write to the member with a bit more detail on exactly what the guidance says and the steps that we are taking through procurement to ensure that that guidance can be followed.

Emergency restrictions and protections were legislated for quickly when required during the pandemic. They were necessary and will have saved and protected lives. However, some people may feel that such provisions should only ever be temporary and be used only to deal with emergencies.

Although Scottish ministers have already removed many of the temporary measures that supported our country’s response to the pandemic, what assurance can the First Minister give that the measures that are being kept are those that have delivered clear benefits and, therefore, merit being extended in the long term?

That is an important point. I can give the assurances that we will give at every stage of the progress of the legislation through Parliament. An important assurance to give right now is that the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Bill is not emergency legislation; it is legislation that will be subject to the full normal and proper scrutiny of Parliament.

We have removed and will remove any of the emergency measures that rightly should be temporary and are not needed anymore. However, it is also the case that some of the measures that were introduced on a temporary basis have proved to be worth while for the longer term and, as I said earlier, retaining them will bring public health protections in legislation more into line with those that have been in place in England and Wales for some time. Earlier, I gave an example of the greater protection that the legislation will give to private sector tenants. It will also enable us to continue to allow for the remote registration of deaths and births, for example. Those are the kind of commonsense measures that we are taking—

Letting prisoners out early? Not much to say on that one.

—but we will continue to ensure that Parliament is fully consulted and that we continue to seek the right balance on this.

These are important issues, and it is important that everybody treats them seriously and responsibly. I am sure that most people—if not all people—across the chamber will do so.

That concludes the First Minister’s statement. There will be a brief pause before the next item of business.