Minutes: 24 February 2022

1. Excess deaths in Scotland since the start of the pandemic:

The Committee took evidence from—

Professor Andrew Elder, President, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh;

Dr John Thomson, Vice President (Scotland), Royal College of Emergency Medicine;

Dr David Shackles, Joint Chair, Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland;

Dr Barbara Miles, President, Scottish Intensive Care Society.

2. Ministerial statement on COVID-19; the Coronavirus Acts: Two-Monthly Reports to the Scottish Parliament; and Subordinate legislation:

The Committee took evidence on the Ministerial statement on COVID-19; the Coronavirus Acts: Eleventh Two-Monthly Report to Scottish Parliament and Tenth FOI Report; and the following instruments—
The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Alteration of Expiry Date) (Scotland) Regulations 2022 (SSI 2022/40)
The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 4) Regulations 2022 [Draft]
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Directions by Local Authorities) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022 [Draft] from—

John Swinney, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for COVID Recovery, Professor Jason Leitch, National Clinical Director, Dominic Munro, Director for COVID-19: Exit Strategy and Elizabeth Blair, Unit Head, Covid Co-ordination, Scottish Government .

3. Subordinate legislation:

John Swinney, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for COVID Recovery moved—
S6M-03168—That the COVID-19 Recovery Committee recommends that the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 4) Regulations 2022 [draft] be approved.

After debate, the motion was agreed to (by division: For 4 (Siobhian Brown MSP, Jim Fairlie MSP, John Mason MSP, Alex Rowley MSP), Against 2 (Murdo Fraser MSP, Brian Whittle MSP), Abstentions 0).

4. Consideration of evidence (In Private):

The Committee considered the evidence heard earlier in the meeting.