Scottish Government responds to UK Covid-19 Inquiry's first set
of recommendations.
Ministers will act on all recommendations relating to Scotland in
the UK Covid-19 Inquiry's report on pandemic resilience and
preparedness of the United Kingdom, Deputy First Minister has announced.
The Module 1 report contained ten recommendations for the four UK
nations to improve civil emergency planning and response.
Speaking on publication of the Scottish Government's formal
response, the Deputy First Minister said work was already
underway in a number of areas including pandemic planning,
improving risk assessment processes and ensuring the availability
of reliable health, economic and social data.
In addition a Ministerial Oversight Group, co-chaired by the
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and the Cabinet
Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, will meet for the first
time in the coming weeks to co-ordinate preparedness across
Government.
Scotland will also play a full role in the largest ever UK wide
pandemic response exercise this Autumn which will be designed to
test and strengthen the UK's preparedness for future pandemics.
Ms Forbes said:
“Our deepest sympathies remain with all those who lost loved ones
during the pandemic. And it is with those people firmly in mind
that we will work to ensure Scotland is in the best possible
position to prepare for, respond to and recover from future
threats, including pandemics.
“In advance of, and in parallel to, the work of the Scottish and
UK Covid-19 Inquiries, the Scottish Government has identified and
actioned a number of improvements, including establishing an
independent committee to provide expert advice on future pandemic
risks and how best to prepare for them. We are also working with
the other governments in the UK to deliver exercise plans for
UK-wide civil emergencies.
“We know the pandemic greatly impacted the most vulnerable in
society. As part of wider work to tackle inequalities, we will
improve how we identify, assess and address the potential impacts
of civil emergencies on those who need the most protection.
“We are also mindful of other potential emergencies – not
least the impact of extreme weather. We will work with
counterparts across the four nations and a range of organisations
to learn from past events and global best practice.”
Notes to editors
Background
The Deputy First Minister set out the response in a statement to
parliament.
The Scottish Government's response to the UK
Covid-19 Inquiry Module 1 is published online.
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry published the Module 1 report on
resilience and preparedness in July 2024 and asked all four UK
nations to respond by Saturday, 18 January, 2025.
The Scottish Government will provide regular updates to the UK
Covid-19 Inquiry on progress on the recommendations.
