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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
2 Recommendation First Report: Coronavirus and Scotland:… Not Addressed

The UK Government has failed to make clear when its messaging applies only to England,...

The UK Government has failed to make clear when its messaging applies only to England, causing unnecessary confusion in the devolved nations. There should be messaging clarity to minimise confusion across national boundaries, and this must begin to happen with immediate effect. Then, in its response to the Committee, the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response focuses on concluding the Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) review and improving transparency of formal IGR documents and processes, but does not address the specific recommendation for immediate messaging clarity in policy announcements regarding their application to devolved nations.
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Scotland Office
3 Recommendation First Report: Coronavirus and Scotland:… Not Addressed

We are concerned to hear that Ministerial Implementation Groups (MIGs) and COBRA have ceased to...

We are concerned to hear that Ministerial Implementation Groups (MIGs) and COBRA have ceased to meet in the context of the pandemic. From what we have heard about how communication standards currently stand, decision-makers in devolved nations have come to be consulted in an informal way, rather than via formalised, … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response does not directly address why Ministerial Implementation Groups and COBRA ceased to meet or what consultation occurred with devolved governments prior to this decision. It also does not outline how decisions about the pandemic have been formally discussed with devolved nations or …
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Scotland Office
5 Recommendation First Report: Coronavirus and Scotland:… Not Addressed

We have also noted that the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) has not been used as...

We have also noted that the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) has not been used as a method of intergovernmental communication throughout the pandemic, although we have heard suggestions that it would not have been fit for purpose in the COVID-19 context. This raises further questions about the resilience and suitability … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response details the commitment to undertaking a detailed evaluation of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, with reports due in 2021 and 2022, completely unrelated to the recommendation about intergovernmental communication mechanisms.
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Scotland Office
8 Recommendation First Report: Coronavirus and Scotland:… Not Addressed

The Government must specify and define a clear role for the Office of the Secretary...

The Government must specify and define a clear role for the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland in the context of COVID-19 and similar UK-wide emergencies. We understand that the Department is committed to being Scotland’s voice in Whitehall and has already arranged a series of communications between … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response discusses the Migration Advisory Committee's recommendations on the Shortage Occupation List and encourages the Scottish Government to attract residents, but it does not address the recommendation regarding the role of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland in UK-wide emergencies …
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Scotland Office
9 Conclusion First Report: Coronavirus and Scotland:… Not Addressed

Communication on a scientific level appears to have been regular and consistent between the four...

Communication on a scientific level appears to have been regular and consistent between the four nations. Transparency around SAGE has improved with the publication of its membership and minutes. However, it is unclear whether the advice given by SAGE and the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 Advisory Group to their respective Governments … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response is irrelevant, detailing the launch of a UK Trade Hub in Edinburgh and progress on trade deals, without addressing the committee's observations about transparency of scientific advice during the pandemic.
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Scotland Office
10 Recommendation First Report: Coronavirus and Scotland:… Not Addressed

We call on the UK and Scottish Governments to provide details of the procedures and...

We call on the UK and Scottish Governments to provide details of the procedures and processes used by their advisory groups for providing scientific advice. A commitment to transparency around scientific advice would provide the public and Parliament with the means necessary to scrutinise decisions around the pandemic. (Paragraph 84) … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response does not provide details of the procedures and processes used by its scientific advisory groups for providing advice, as recommended. Instead, the response discusses general pandemic preparedness and appears to address a separate recommendation concerning messaging clarity across the nations.
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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