Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) Wednesday 10 February 2021 Session 5 © Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Information on the Scottish Parliament’s copyright policy can be found on the website - www.parliament.scot or by contacting Public Information on 0131 348 5000 Wednesday 10 February 2021 CONTENTS Col. FIRST MINISTER’S QUESTION TIME ................................................................................................................ 1 Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints (Evidence) ........................ 2 Ministerial Code (Potential Breach) ......................................................................................................... 6 Care Home Visits .................................................................................................................................... 8 Covid-19 (Protections for Tenants) ........................................................................................................ 10 Schools (Return During Holiday Period) ................................................................................................ 12 A9 and A96 (Dualling Completion) ........................................................................................................ 13 Covid-19 (Travel to Vaccination Hubs) .................................................................................................. 15 Covid Vaccination Priority Groups (Police Officers) ............................................................................... 16 Covid Vaccination Priority Groups (Offshore Medics and Workers) ........................................................ 17 Tesco (Livingston Distribution Centre) ................................................................................................... 18 Priority Families .................................................................................................................................... 18 Teachers (Extra Protections and Testing) .............................................................................................. 19 Cladding (Private Buildings) .................................................................................................................. 19 Cabinet Office (Recruitment) ................................................................................................................. 20 Extended Households (Covid-19) .......................................................................................................... 20 Climate Change .................................................................................................................................... 21 Vaccine Wastage .................................................................................................................................. 22 Maritime Businesses (Support) ............................................................................................................. 23 A9 and A96 (Dualling Completion) ........................................................................................................ 24 CROWN OFFICE AND PROCURATOR FISCAL SERVICE (MALICIOUS PROSECUTIONS) .......................................... 25 Motion moved—[Murdo Fraser]. Amendment moved—[Lord Advocate]. Amendment moved—[Rhoda Grant]. Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) .......................................................................................... 25 The Lord Advocate (James Wolffe) ....................................................................................................... 28 Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)........................................................................................... 30 Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD) .................................................................................................... 32 John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green) ......................................................................................... 33 Adam Tomkins (Glasgow) (Con) ........................................................................................................... 35 Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) ................................................................................. 37 Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) .......................................................................................... 38 Shona Robison (Dundee City East) (SNP)............................................................................................. 39 James Kelly (Glasgow) (Lab) ................................................................................................................ 41 The Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans (Graeme Dey) ................................................... 42 Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con) .................................................................................................. 44 COVID-19 (LOCAL NEWSPAPERS) ............................................................................................................... 47 Motion moved—[Graham Simpson]. Amendment moved—[Ivan McKee]. Amendment moved—[Claire Baker]. Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) ........................................................................................... 47 The Minister for Trade, Innovation and Public Finance (Ivan McKee) ..................................................... 49 Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) ............................................................................................ 52 Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)....................................................................................... 55 Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green) .......................................................................................................... 56 Annabelle Ewing (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) ................................................................................................ 57 Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) ................................................................................................ 59 Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Lab) ...................................................................................................... 60 John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)............................................................................................. 62 Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab) ............................................................................................................... 64 The Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills (Jamie Hepburn) .......................................................... 65 Maurice Golden (West Scotland) (Con) ................................................................................................. 68 BUSINESS MOTIONS ................................................................................................................................... 70 Motions moved—[Graeme Dey]—and agreed to. PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU MOTIONS ............................................................................................................ 72 Motions moved—[Graeme Dey]. POINT OF ORDER ....................................................................................................................................... 73 DECISION TIME .......................................................................................................................................... 74 1 10 FEBRUARY 2021 2 yesterday, that is—in my view—nothing short of Scottish Parliament extraordinary. My thanks go to everyone who made it happen—to those who are running the Wednesday 10 February 2021 programme across the country and, of course, to those who braved the elements to get the jag. [The Presiding Officer opened the meeting at We have now vaccinated with the first dose 99.8 12:30] per cent of residents in older people’s care homes, at least 96 per cent of people over 80 who live in First Minister’s Question Time the community, 80 per cent of 75 to 79-year-olds, and 45 per cent of people aged 70 to 74. We The Presiding Officer (Ken Macintosh): The remain on course to vaccinate everyone over 70 first item of business is First Minister’s question and all people with a serious clinical vulnerability time. Before we turn to questions, I invite the First by mid-February, and we are now accelerating Minister to update Parliament on the Covid-19 vaccination of 65 to 69-year-olds. pandemic. Vaccination will, in time, offer us a route back to The First Minister (Nicola Sturgeon): Thank greater normality, but we know that it must be you, Presiding Officer. accompanied by other measures. That is why, this I will give a quick update on today’s statistics. week, we have confirmed further steps to increase Yesterday, 803 new cases were reported, which testing, and it is why we are adopting strict travel was 4.8 per cent of all the tests that were carried restrictions. Yesterday, Michael Matheson out. The total number of cases now stands at announced that, from Monday, all travellers to 188,345. Currently, 1,542 people are in hospital, Scotland from outside the common travel area will which is 76 fewer than yesterday, and just 22 be required to undergo managed quarantine. above the peak last spring. That is positive. For the moment—alongside vaccination, testing Currently, 113 people who tested positive for and travel restrictions—lockdown continues to be Covid, or were admitted to hospital with Covid the most important