Seòmar agus comataidhean

The committee continues its enquiry into baseline health protection measures, taking evidence from stakeholders in health and social care services. I welcome to the meeting: Donald Morrison, a member of the British Dental Association Scotland’s Scottish dental practice committee; Dr Andrew Buist, the chair of the British Medical Association’s Scottish general practitioner committee; and Dr Donald Macaskill, the chief executive of Scottish Care.

I thank the witnesses for giving their time to us this morning. This is the second of the four evidence-taking sessions that we have planned on baseline health protection measures. Those measures are the main tools that we are using to respond to Covid-19. They include ventilation, face coverings, social distancing and vaccinations. Today’s meeting will focus on the role of baseline health protection measures in keeping health and social care services running over the winter. We will also consider what long-term support might be required to support the sector to recover.

Will the witnesses briefly outline the continuing impact of Covid-19 on their sector? Are we using the right approach to baseline health protection measures to help us to get through the winter?

I thank the witnesses for their evidence and insights into the challenges that they are facing. If you would like to submit further evidence to the committee, please do so in writing; the clerks will be happy to liaise with you on that.

The committee’s next meeting is on 18 November, when we will continue to take evidence on baseline health protection measures.

I am conscious of time; we have 14 minutes until the two-minute silence at 11 o’clock and we still have two members to go to, so we move to questions from John Mason.

Thank you for the challenging insights into all your sectors.

My question is probably for Donald Macaskill. During the pandemic, care home visiting was stopped to protect the most vulnerable. That was very difficult for all the families. However, following the petition that was lodged by the care home relatives Scotland group, the Scottish Government is planning to introduce legislation known as Anne’s law, which will define a resident’s right to see and spend time with those who are important to them. What are your views on the feasibility of balancing visiting in care homes with the need for infection prevention and control measures?

Under agenda item 2, the committee will take evidence on the ministerial statement on Covid-19, subordinate legislation and the other matters that are noted on the agenda. I welcome to the meeting our witnesses from the Scottish Government: John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery; Professor Jason Leitch, who is the national clinical director; Elizabeth Sadler, who is deputy director for Covid ready society; and Graham Fisher, who is deputy director in the legal directorate. I thank the witnesses for attending the meeting.

Deputy First Minister, would you like to make any remarks before we move to questions?

Mr Fraser, motion S6M-01399 is about local authorities.

Thank you, Deputy First Minister. I will ask a few questions first.

I thank you for your response to our letter on the vaccination passport regulations. In your letter, you stated:

“it is not possible to establish the individual impact of this scheme on changes in transmission of the virus.”

Given that reducing transmission is one of the scheme’s aims, will you clarify how you are monitoring the scheme’s impact on reducing transmission?

I will bring in Graham Simpson, but I must ask him to be very brief, as we are running short of time and, in fact, should have finished by now.

We will now consider the next motion under the agenda item, and I invite the Deputy First Minister to move motion S6M-01529.

Motion moved,

That the COVID-19 Recovery Committee recommends that the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/349) be approved.—[John Swinney]

We move to agenda item 4, under which we are taking evidence on baseline health protection measures from a panel of ventilation experts. I welcome Dr Hywel Davies, who is the technical director of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers; Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, who is the director of the Centre for Climate Repair at the University of Cambridge; Professor Catherine Noakes, who is the professor of environmental engineering for buildings at the University of Leeds; and Professor Tim Sharpe, who is the head of architecture at the University of Strathclyde. We thank them all for giving us their time.

This is the first of four planned evidence sessions on baseline health protection measures, which are the main tools that we are using to respond to Covid-19. They include the steps that we are taking to enhance ventilation in our homes and workplaces and in settings where public services are delivered. This will be a short scoping session to allow us to consider the role that ventilation will play in lessening the impact of Covid-19, especially during the winter. We will also consider the role that ventilation might play in the recovery phase of the pandemic.

We hope that the session will inform further sessions that we plan to hold as part of our inquiry. We will hear from stakeholders in health and social care services, the hospitality, business and leisure sectors, and schools.

Will the witnesses briefly outline what they think are the main ventilation challenges that we should address as part of our response to Covid and our long-term recovery?