Wednesday Volume 688 27 January 2021 No. 167 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 27 January 2021 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 355 27 JANUARY 2021 356 Antony Higginbotham: Throughout this pandemic, House of Commons we have seen the incredible work done by the armed forces to support us up and down the country, and in Wednesday 27 January 2021 my constituency and across Lancashire, that has been help with testing. We know that in Scotland, the armed forces are now supporting vaccination centres, ensuring The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock that life-saving treatment can get to those who need it. Does my right hon. Friend agree that this shows the strength of the United Kingdom family, with help and PRAYERS assistance ready to be sent to any corner of it? [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Mr Jack: I am absolutely delighted to echo my hon. Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Orders, Friend’s comments. Our British armed forces have played 4 June and 30 December 2020). a number of essential roles in Scotland during the pandemic. They have airlifted patients to mainland hospitals from [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] islands.They have delivered personal protective equipment. They have run mobile testing centres in rural areas and, at present, as he alluded to, the Royal Scots Dragoon Oral Answers to Questions Guards are setting up 80 vaccination centres across Scotland. Dr James Davies [V]: The most recent statistics for SCOTLAND the number of covid-19 vaccination doses administered per 100 people stand at 11.4 for England, 9.8 for Northern Ireland, 9.2 for Wales and 8.1 for Scotland. Does my The Secretary of State was asked— right hon. Friend agree that directly comparable statistics Covid-19 Vaccine Roll-out across the UK can be incredibly helpful to drive up performance in the NHS, and will he outline the plans that he has to pursue this agenda further? Rob Roberts (Delyn) (Con): What assessment his Department has made of progress on the roll-out of the covid-19 vaccine in Scotland. [911209] Mr Jack: Government Ministers in both the UK and the devolved Administrations are committed to Antony Higginbotham (Burnley) (Con): What assessment transparency around the numbers of people who have his Department has made of progress on the roll-out of been vaccinated. There are also a number of mechanisms the covid-19 vaccine in Scotland. [911212] for sharing best practice between Ministers and officials of all Administrations. The faster we can vaccinate, the Dr James Davies (Vale of Clwyd) (Con): What assessment more lives we can protect and the quicker we can return his Department has made of progress on the roll-out of to normal. the covid-19 vaccine in Scotland. [911214] John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Alister Jack): (Con): May I start by thanking the GPs and other NHS The Government are procuring vaccines on behalf of staff across the Scottish borders, who have been working all parts of the United Kingdom and supplying them incredibly hard over the last few weeks to get vaccines to the devolved Administrations. It is for the Scottish into people’s arms? I have been speaking to GP practices Government to manage the roll-out of the vaccines in across my constituency. One of them said: Scotland. However,our British armed forces are supporting the NHS in Scotland in this vital task. “Our English counterparts over the border seem to have access to a lot more vaccines than us and that is causing a lot of unrest within the community.” Rob Roberts [V]: The vaccine roll-out has been excellent, with the United Kingdom again having among the She went on to say that strongest responses in the world. As there are varying “if we could have a guarantee of a definite amount of vaccines” degrees of success in the four different parts of the from the Scottish Government, it would make it a much Union, will my right hon. Friend confirm what discussions easier job to plan and administer. What assistance he has had with the vaccines Minister—the Under-Secretary can the UK Government provide to ensure that vaccines of State for Health and Social Care, my hon. Friend the are delivered to GPs more quickly and efficiently across Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Nadhim Zahawi)—in Scotland? order to guarantee that the four constituent parts of the UK will receive sufficient vaccinations to hit their targets of the first four groups by the middle of February? Mr Jack: The UK Government are ensuring that NHS Scotland gets an equitable share of those vaccines. Mr Jack: The devolved Administrations are receiving How it is distributed is a matter for NHS Scotland and, their shares of vaccine based on population, and the rightly, as health is devolved, that is a matter for the schedule of deliveries will fully support vaccinations of Scottish Government. If my hon. Friend’s constituents the first four priority cohorts by 15 February. All parts are concerned about any aspects of distribution, the of the United Kingdom therefore have an equal chance best thing for them would be to take up their concerns of meeting that mid-February target. with the Scottish Government. 357 Oral Answers 27 JANUARY 2021 Oral Answers 358 Strength of the Union The referendum took place in 2014. We respect that; it was a democratic outcome. The hon. Lady mentioned Brexit: that referendum took place in 2016, and again, it David Linden (Glasgow East) (SNP): What recent was a democratic outcome. We are the party that respects assessment his Department has made of the strength of democracy. the Union. [911210] The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Alister Jack): Mhairi Black: I know the Secretary of State is aware Scotland benefits greatly from being part of a strong United that a lot has changed since 2014. Scotland has been taken Kingdom. The most obvious recent examples are the out of the EU against its will; we have had three Tory unprecedented economic support offered to people and Prime Ministers we never voted for; and now,20 consecutive businesses in Scotland and the rapid supply of vaccinations polls have shown that a majority of people in Scotland to all parts of the United Kingdom currently taking place. now support independence. Given that he is the defender Neither of these would have been possible if Scotland of democracy, I ask him how, with that in mind, can the was not part of the United Kingdom. people of Scotland secure that preferred choice of independence? David Linden: Finland, a small independent country in the EU with a population comparable to Scotland, Mr Jack: Scotland receives over £1,600 more in support right throughout the pandemic has been paying workers’ per man, woman and child than the UK average—that benefits equivalent to their full pay if they are required is incredibly important. Added to that is the £8.6 billion to self-isolate. If tiny little Finland can pay people their of extra coronavirus support, and on top of that, the full wage, what does it say about the strength of the furlough support. An independent Scotland would have Union that we pay Scots a measly £95 a week? the largest deficit in the European Union, and it would break member state rules. I remind the hon. Lady of Mr Jack: There has been unprecedented support. what the SNP’s own economic adviser, Andrew Wilson, The sort of support that the United Kingdom has delivered said: that an independent Scotland would face austerity through the furlough scheme, the self-employment income like it had never been seen before, with increases in support scheme, the coronavirus business interruption taxation and cuts in public spending. I believe that as loan scheme, business grants and the £8.6 billion delivered we focus on coming out of the pandemic, all being in to the Scottish Government to help with the pandemic the rowing boat together and pulling on the oars in has not been delivered anywhere else within the European these choppy waters is the best place for Scotland and Union. for the United Kingdom. DavidMundell(Dumfriesshire,ClydesdaleandTweeddale) Mr Speaker: On his birthday, let us go to Douglas (Con) [V]: Does my right hon. Friend share my concern Ross, who will be having a virtual cake for us. that, at a time when my constituency has its highest ever level of coronavirus infections, rather than focusing Douglas Ross (Moray) (Con) [V]: Thank you very much, solely on beating this pandemic and planning for a Mr Speaker; I will share it with you when we come back recovery, Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government to Westminster. are prioritising another independence referendum and As we have just heard from the SNP spokesperson, breaking up the United Kingdom? the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire South (Mhairi Black), the SNP would rather obsess over another Mr Jack: I absolutely agree with my right hon. Friend. independence referendum than focus on Scotland’srecovery People in Scotland want to see politicians across the from covid-19. Does the Secretary of State agree that United Kingdom working in partnership to focus on this once again demonstrates that the nationalists’priorities defeating the coronavirus. That remains the top priority are all wrong, because right now, people want us to of the UK Government, who have supported jobs and focus on vaccine roll-out, defeating covid-19 and rebuilding businessesacrosstheUnitedKingdomthroughthepandemic our economy? —as I say, there has been unprecedented support—and now more than ever, we should be pulling together to Mr Jack: I wish my hon.