Question reference: S6W-00753
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 15 June 2021
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Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 29 June 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last had discussions with (a) airport, (b) airline operators, regarding the cost of PCR tests for those entering Scotland from green and amber list countries.
Answer
The Scottish Government has remained engaged with the aviation sector throughout the pandemic and will continue to do so, including on testing of international travellers.
Travellers returning from green and amber list countries must use the NHS tests, which can be booked through the UK Government’s booking portal for international travel. These kits are home test PCR kits provided by NHS Test & Trace. The cost of the kits is set by the UK Government and the process managed through its contract with the travel management company, so our ability to reduce costs unilaterally is limited.
Currently, we are not using private test providers for international travellers arriving into Scotland from green and amber list countries due to concerns about the speed and reliability of the flow of data from private companies. We are having on-going discussion with the UK government on any issues with using private test providers and any risks attached to this. We are keen to understand fully the key performance indicators (KPIs) that have been recently set for these companies and the process should these not be met.