Chamber and committees

There are currently no issues with vaccine supply to any of Scotland’s Islands.

The Scottish Government has been very clear from day one that the pace of our national vaccine programme is dependent on vaccine supply and delivery timescales and we continue to work closely across the 4 nations to ensure this is as smooth as possible.

We are now in a position to share weekly data about doses allocated and delivered to Scotland alongside our other regular published data about the vaccination programme.

I am now able to confirm number of doses allocated and delivered to Scotland, as of 15 February:

• Total number of doses allocated to Scotland: 1,618,320
• Total number of doses delivered to Scotland: 1,520,690

This data, together with supporting information, has been published on the Scottish Government website, and will be updated weekly. The difference between the doses allocated and doses delivered reflects the ongoing ordering and delivery of the vaccine from the UK holding centre.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-34189 on 24 February 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The number of marine fish farms where sea lice reporting and intervention levels were exceeded and the number of weeks sea lice levels exceeded the sea lice reporting and intervention levels in each marine fish farm is currently available from data published at Publication of Reported Sea Lice Data .

We aim to have offered everyone within the JCVIs initial priority list an opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccination by May 2021. Once this initial priority list has had the opportunity to receive their vaccinations the rest of the population will follow. We aim for a high uptake.

Our aim is to vaccinate as many people as possible with both their first and second doses, depending on the supply.

FHI enforcement powers are those detailed in Part 1 of the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007 and particularly section 6 on enforcement. These powers can be taken when a person who carries on the business of fish farming fails to demonstrate that satisfactory measures are in place for the prevention, control and reduction of sea lice. This includes issuing an enforcement notice which may require the execution of such works or the taking of such other steps as necessary.

The commitment made in the official record of the Scottish Parliament was to a further reduction of sea lice reporting and intervention thresholds unless there is compelling evidence to the contrary, and following the implementation of the a new statutory reporting regime. The Fish Farming Businesses (Reporting) (Scotland) Order 2020 will come into force on 29 March 2021, and will implement the new statutory reporting of average adult female L. salmonis sea lice counted per fish, per site, per reporting week by aquaculture production businesses. Reporting will now be required irrespective of whether the ‘reporting’ level of two is reached. Consideration with regards to lowering the intervention limit to 4 adult female lice per fish is underway in line with the timeline presented in the commitment and will take account of whether there is any evidence to the contrary.

Enforcement action is taken when the farm is unable to demonstrate that satisfactory measures are in place for the prevention, control and reduction of sea lice, as required by the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007. If a farm reaches the intervention limit and over a specified period of time does not reduce the average number of adult female sea lice per fish to below the required level, enforcement action will be taken as satisfactory measures will not have been demonstrated. Actions taken to date are:

2016 – 0 No enforcement during introductory period

2017 – 8 Advisory Letters, 3 Warning Letters, 1 Enforcement Notice

2018 – 8 Advisory Letters

2019 – 5 Advisory Letters

2020 – 3 Advisory Letters, 2 Warning Letters, 2 Enforcement Notices

2021 (up to 10 February) – 1 Advisory Letter

Any organisation that has offered to support testing provision is referred to NHS Scotland's National Services Scotland (NSS) as they co-ordinate the operational delivery of testing services.

A number of university and private laboratories stepped in to assist with testing in the early stages of the pandemic. However, as we have significantly increased our testing capacity from 350 tests per day to a maximum weekday capacity of more than 75,000 tests (based on the combined capacity of NHS Scotland and our share of UKG Lighthouse Laboratory Network capacity, so other laboratories that have assisted have been stood down.

A number of university and private laboratories remain part of the contingency plans should additional testing capacity be required. We are grateful for their continued support.

Any organisation that has offered to support testing provision is referred to NHS Scotland's National Services Scotland (NSS) as they co-ordinate the operational delivery of testing services.

A number of university and private laboratories stepped in to assist with testing in the early stages of the pandemic. However, as we have significantly increased our testing capacity from 350 tests per day to a maximum weekday capacity of more than 75,000 tests (based on the combined capacity of NHS Scotland and our share of UKG Lighthouse Laboratory Network capacity, so other laboratories that have assisted have been stood down.

A number of university and private laboratories remain part of the contingency plans should additional testing capacity be required. We are grateful for their continued support.