Chamber and committees

If Sarah Boyack would like to drop me a note with the details of that particular case, I will have it specifically looked into. The logic of my answer is that, if people have had vaccinations in other parts of the United Kingdom, they can have that confirmed on their Covid status app in Scotland.

The NHS Inform system should enable that to be uploaded. If that is creating a difficulty in those circumstances, I will have it explored and remedied at the earliest possible opportunity. If Sarah Boyack will be so good as to give me that information, I will pursue that.

I think that the only caveat that I need to put into my answer to that is that it will be subject to the nature and approval of the vaccine that the individual has had. Providing that the vaccine has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, I do not see there being an issue with that.

First, I express my thanks to Mr Lumsden and people like him who have volunteered for such programmes. Frankly, we would not be where we are today without their generosity of spirit in doing that. It is therefore imperative that individuals who have made that commitment should be properly certificated for this purpose. I give Mr Lumsden the commitment that I will seek information on the issue and resolve it as quickly as possible.

I will make two points in response to that question. First, we have worked very closely with local authorities on the formulation of the Covid recovery strategy. Essentially, the strategy has been developed between the Government and local authorities. A programme board, which I co-chair with the president of COSLA, monitors the progress on the plan. I hope that that reassures Mr McLennan and Parliament that the Government is working closely with local authorities in that regard.

Secondly, in the strategic framework, we hope to achieve a document that lasts for a sustained period. We hope to be moving into a period in which the handling of the Covid pandemic is more consistent, so the document will require limited revision. Obviously, however, we will have to keep that point under review, and it will be the subject of updates to Parliament.

Again, the best thing that I can suggest is that Mr Rennie drops me a note with all the details, and I will have it looked at immediately. The logic of Mr Rennie’s point is that the gentleman concerned has had two vaccinations, which should be enough to satisfy the requirements for certification through the Covid status app. If Mr Rennie would be good enough to send me a note with the details, I will have the matter addressed and remedied.

The bill supports the Covid recovery strategy by embedding reforms in Scotland’s public services that, though necessitated by the pandemic, have delivered improvements for people who use public services. It also addresses systemic inequalities that have been made worse by Covid.

The bill maintains the possibility of remote registration of deaths and stillbirths and gives licensing boards the flexibility to hold remote hearings. It extends provisions that allow virtual attendance at court or tribunal hearings. The option to communicate digitally might help people with limited mobility who cannot travel or who encounter difficulties in doing so. The bill also provides additional protection for debtors with unsustainable debt and maintains provisions that have supported tenants and prevented evictions.

The Covid recovery strategy sets out an ambitious plan for Scotland’s recovery that is focused on creating a fairer future, particularly for people who have been most affected during the pandemic. Our plan for recovery includes supporting the recovery of our public services to ensure that they meet the needs of people across Scotland. For example, our national health service recovery plan is backed by over £1 billion of investment.

We are also focusing on creating good green jobs and fair work to support our recovery. Regional economic partnerships are central to achieving that. The West Scotland region benefits from a range of regional economic partnerships and deals, including the Glasgow city region deal, the Ayrshire growth deal and the Argyll and Bute rural growth deal. Those will see transformational investment in projects to support long-term, sustainable and inclusive growth as we recover from the pandemic.

I agree with Kenneth Gibson that the construction of affordable housing in the local authority sector is an essential part of our approach to recovery. Since 2007, the Government has demonstrated a commitment to that agenda, with more than 105,000 affordable homes having been delivered in that period, of which more than 73,000 were for social rent and nearly 17,000 were council homes.

The Government is committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which 70 per cent will be available for social rent and 10 per cent will be in our remote rural and island communities. Those commitments are part of an ambitious investment package of around £18 billion that will create 15,000 jobs each year, some of which will be in the sectors that Katy Clark has just asked me about.

Miserable.

Stage 2 consideration of the bill follows from the constructive stage 1 debate last week, which demonstrated broad support across the Parliament for the general principles of the bill. The debate highlighted a number of key considerations with regard to the bill, specifically the level of scrutiny that the Parliament is afforded when the made affirmative procedure is used. There were also contributions about the visibility and awareness of the support that is available for self-isolation, and there was a recognition of the importance of consulting health boards before implementing the measures that are set out in the bill.

I have considered the issues that were raised during stage 1, notably by this committee and the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, and I have lodged three Government amendments at stage 2.

As a reminder, I note that the bill’s core purpose is to maintain the modification to the Public Health etc (Scotland) Act 2008 made by the United Kingdom Coronavirus Act 2020 that changed the obligation on health boards to pay compensation to those isolating as a result of an infectious disease to a discretionary power, for the purposes of Covid-19 isolation only.

Amendment 1 outlines the need for the Government to consult health boards before making regulations that would either prolong the modifications to the 2008 act or expire the modifications early. The amendment also includes a provision to consult

“other persons as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate”

to ensure that important health stakeholders and others with a relevant interest are also informed.

Amendment 2 is a related amendment that has the effect that the consultation obligation does not apply when regulations prolonging the modifications are made urgently using the made affirmative procedure.

Taken together, the two amendments give effect to the commitment that I made to the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee to examine the matter, following its suggestion that consultation with health boards should be required before regulations altering the expiry date are made.

Amendment 3 relates to giving reasons for urgency and using the made affirmative procedure. In any circumstances in which the modifications to the 2008 act are extended, the Scottish ministers will lay a statement of reasons explaining why we need to keep the modifications in place a bit longer. That is covered by the text of the bill as drafted. The amendment ensures that, should the made affirmative procedure be needed in urgent circumstances, an explanation of that urgency will be included in the statement of reasons. The committee will recall that, in its evidence in December, the Law Society of Scotland called for the statement of reasons to include such an explanation. That point was highlighted in the committee’s recommendations and by various members in the stage 1 debate as an important consideration.

I move amendment 1.