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Select Committee · Scottish Affairs Committee

Coronavirus and Scotland

Status: Closed Opened: 12 May 2020 Closed: 1 Feb 2021 16 recommendations 6 conclusions 2 reports

The Committee will be inquiring into the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on: the four-nation approach intergovernmental communication scientific advice policy divergence the impact of coronavirus on various sectors in Scotland Read the call for evidence for more detail about the inquiry

Clear

Reports

2 reports
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Second Report - Coronavirus and Scotland HC 895 22 Oct 2020 10 Responded
First Report: Coronavirus and Scotland: Interim Report on I… HC 314 23 Jul 2020 12 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

6 items
4 Recommendation First Report: Coronavirus and Scotland:… Deferred

Looking to the future, Ministers must outline, in response to this report, their plans for...

Looking to the future, Ministers must outline, in response to this report, their plans for the coronavirus Cabinet Committees, [Covid-19 Operations Committee and COVID-19 Strategy Committee] and how those Committees will incorporate the priorities of the devolved nations. In view of the previous Scottish Affairs Committee’s report on intergovernmental relations, … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government deferred a response to the detailed recommendations on devolved nation representation and staffing of COVID-19 Cabinet Committees, stating it would be premature and that these would be considered during an independent inquiry. It also mentioned that preparedness for future emergencies in Scotland is …
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Scotland Office
6 Recommendation First Report: Coronavirus and Scotland:… Deferred

We also recommend that the Government explain to us how it will incorporate concerns about...

We also recommend that the Government explain to us how it will incorporate concerns about the resilience and suitability of current IGR structures (particularly the JMC) into its ongoing review of Intergovernmental Relations.

Government response AI summary
The government states that a response explaining how it will incorporate concerns about IGR structures into its ongoing review will be produced in the coming weeks.
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Scotland Office
4 Recommendation Second Report - Coronavirus and Scotland Deferred

We recommend that the lessons learned from Exercise Cygnus in relation to intergovernmental working, specifically...

We recommend that the lessons learned from Exercise Cygnus in relation to intergovernmental working, specifically inviting devolved administrations to smaller meetings, are revisited. This should feed into the public inquiry of Covid-19, as committed to by the Prime Minister. A section of this public inquiry should relate to the pandemic … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states that lessons from Exercise Cygnus regarding intergovernmental working have already been implemented. It defers responding to the specific recommendations for the COVID-19 public inquiry's terms of reference, including a Scotland-focused section on intergovernmental relations, until the appropriate time.
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Scotland Office
6 Recommendation Second Report - Coronavirus and Scotland Deferred

The Government response to our predecessor Committee’s report on Immigration and Scotland is now more...

The Government response to our predecessor Committee’s report on Immigration and Scotland is now more than two years overdue. While we acknowledge the exceptional pressures on the Government in recent years, a delay of this length is wholly unacceptable. The response must now be produced as soon as possible, and … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states the overdue response will be produced "in the coming weeks," implicitly deferring the specific deadline of "no later than the end of 2020."
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Scotland Office
7 Recommendation Second Report - Coronavirus and Scotland Deferred

The Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme is vital for the Scottish food sector, the pandemic highlighted...

The Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme is vital for the Scottish food sector, the pandemic highlighted that there is not the local take-up for these seasonal roles. We believe that not having enough people to harvest Scottish food puts an important part of the Scottish economy at risk, along with the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government is carefully considering the pilot's findings and will provide further information in due course, without committing to an increase in numbers for the Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme.
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Scotland Office
8 Recommendation Second Report - Coronavirus and Scotland Deferred

We acknowledge there are staffing issues for the health and social care sector and that...

We acknowledge there are staffing issues for the health and social care sector and that the Migration Advisory Committee did not have enough information when making the decisions about the Shortage Occupation List for Scotland. We welcome the recent development of including senior care workers and nursing assistants to the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The UK government is deferring immediate acceptance of the recommendation to include all key health and social care workers on the Shortage Occupation List for Scotland, stating it will scrutinise them for consideration in 2021. It supports the recommendation for the Scottish Government to encourage …
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Scotland Office

Oral evidence sessions

10 sessions
Date Witnesses
17 Sep 2020 Gillian McGregor CBE · Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland, Iain Stewart MP · Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland, Rt Hon Alister Jack MP · Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland View ↗
10 Sep 2020 Dr Donald Macaskill · Scottish Care, Theresa Fyffe · Royal College of Nursing Scotland, Wilma Brown · NHS Fife View ↗
3 Sep 2020 Elspeth Macdonald · Scottish Fishermen's Federation, Jimmy Buchan · Scottish Seafood Association, John Anderson · Scottish Fishermen's Organisation View ↗
9 Jul 2020 Colette Cohen · Oil and Gas Technology Company, Deirdre Michie · Oil and Gas UK, Professor John Underhill · Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering View ↗
2 Jul 2020 David Phillips · Institute for Fiscal Studies, Professor Alasdair Smith · Scottish Fiscal Commission View ↗
25 Jun 2020 James Withers · Scotland Food and Drink, Jonnie Hall · National Farmers Union of Scotland, Karen Betts · Food and Drink Federation View ↗
18 Jun 2020 Akash Paun · Institute for Government, Professor David Bell · University of Stirling, Professor Linda Bauld · University of Edinburgh, Professor Nicola McEwen · University of Glasgow View ↗
11 Jun 2020 Jeane Freeman OBE · Scottish Government, Professor Jason Leitch · Scottish Government View ↗
21 May 2020 Dr Gregor Smith, Interim Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, Professor Andrew Morris · Scottish Government’s Covid-19 Advisory Group, Professor Sheila Rowan, Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland View ↗
14 May 2020 Douglas Ross · Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland, Gillian McGregor · Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland, Rt Hon Alister Jack · Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland View ↗

Who gave evidence

29 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Akash Paun · Senior Fellow Institute for Government 1
Colette Cohen · CEO Oil and Gas Technology Company 1
David Phillips · Associate Director Institute for Fiscal Studies 1
Deirdre Michie · CEO Oil and Gas UK 1
Douglas Ross · Parliamentary Under-Secretary Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland 1
Dr Donald Macaskill · Chief Executive Scottish Care 1
Dr Gregor Smith, Interim Chief Medical Officer for Scotland — 1
Elspeth Macdonald · Chief Executive Scottish Fishermen's Federation 1
Gillian McGregor · Director Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland 1
Gillian McGregor CBE · Director Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland 1
Iain Stewart MP · Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, (Minister… Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland 1
James Withers · Chief Executive Scotland Food and Drink 1
Jeane Freeman OBE · Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Scottish Government 1
Jimmy Buchan · Chief Executive Scottish Seafood Association 1
John Anderson · Chief Executive Scottish Fishermen's Organisation 1
Jonnie Hall · Director of Policy National Farmers Union of Scotland 1
Karen Betts · Chief Executive Food and Drink Federation 1
Professor Alasdair Smith · Commissioner Scottish Fiscal Commission 1
Professor Andrew Morris · Independent Chair Scottish Government’s Covid-19 Advisory Group 1
Professor David Bell · Professor University of Stirling 1
Professor Jason Leitch · Clinical Director of Healthcare Quality and Strat… Scottish Government 1
Professor John Underhill · Chair of Exploration Geoscience Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering 1
Professor Linda Bauld · Professor of Public Health University of Edinburgh 1
Professor Nicola McEwen · Professor of Public Policy University of Glasgow 1
Professor Sheila Rowan, Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland — 1
Rt Hon Alister Jack · Secretary of State for Scotland Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland 1
Rt Hon Alister Jack MP · Secretary of State for Scotland Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland 1
Theresa Fyffe · Director Royal College of Nursing Scotland 1
Wilma Brown · Employee Director NHS Fife 1

Correspondence

5 letters
DateDirectionTitle
4 Nov 2020 — Follow-up email from the Royal College of Nursing Scotland, relating to current…
15 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from Gillian McGregor, Director, Scotland Office, re: Coronavirus and Sc…
8 Oct 2020 — Correspondence with the Secretary of State for Scotland, follow-up to evidence …
22 Jun 2020 To cttee Letter from the interim Chief Medical Officer for Scotland providing additional…
22 Jun 2020 From cttee Letter to the interim Chief Medical Officer for Scotland requesting additional …

Meetings & visits

1 item
DateTypeDetail
16 Jul 2020 Formal meeting (private meeting) — · Virtual meeting