Recommendation 11

HM Government Not Addressed

SAGE actively releases information on gov.uk to meet the ongoing commitment to transparency and openness. This information includes: • detailed minutes of all SAGE meetings; • SAGE and Sub-Group participant lists; and • an extensive range of SAGE endorsed content covering all aspects of COVID-19 and its management. Through SAGE, the UK Government is able to bring together world-leading scientific advice from across the UK. This includes working with: • the CMO and deputy CMO for Scotland; • the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Scottish Government; • Professor Andrew Morris, chair of the Scottish Government COVID-19 Advisory Group; and • academics and clinicians from leading Scottish Universities. In his evidence to the Committee Professor Andrew Morris said: “We have a principle of reciprocity with SAGE, so we see all their papers and they see our minutes…That notion of reciprocity…has worked very well. Our specific role is to work in partnership with SAGE, but then to provide advice to Scottish Ministers through the CMO on the specific aspects of the science in relation to the context of Scotland.” The DAs and the UK Government have the same access to all SAGE outputs, including SAGE endorsed papers. The DAs also share expert opinion with SAGE. Questions about the role of the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 Advisory Group are for Scottish Government Ministers. Brief minutes of the Group’s meetings and other associated papers are published by the Scottish Government. Public health advice is primarily a matter for the CMOs to provide to Ministers. The SAGE convened for COVID-19 has a strong representation from public health officials as published lists of attendees indicates.