Question reference: S6W-05725
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 14 January 2022
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Current status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 January 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish information that outlines the decision-making framework for using emergency COVID-19 powers.
Answer
Our approach to managing the Covid-19 pandemic has been underpinned by our Framework for Decision Making since its publication in April 2020. The Framework set out the key principles that guide our decision-making in responding to and managing the four key harms of Covid-19. These four harms are distinct but inter-related and comprise the direct health impacts of Covid-19; non-Covid-19 health harms; societal impacts; and economic impacts.
Covid-19 is first and foremost a public health crisis, and the use of legislative powers has been necessary to in order to limit transmission of the virus and save lives. We know that Covid-19 is not about to suddenly disappear, which is why we are currently undertaking work to consider the necessary adaptations to handle any future phases of the pandemic as proportionately and sustainably as possible.
We are working on a revised Strategic Framework, which will set out how we can adapt to managing the virus in the medium to long-term as it becomes endemic. This includes an update to our strategic intent by moving towards developing the necessary flexibility and resilience in our health and social care systems, wider public services, economy and society to deal with potential new variants of Covid-19 or other public health threats.
The updated Framework will set out how we can live as freely as possible while controlling the harms that the virus can cause, using lessons learned during the epidemic to benefit Scotland going forward. We are consulting with businesses, organisations and others across society as part of this process, and we will bring the update to Parliament in the coming weeks.