Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19: Support to Scottish Government

Tuesday 1 September 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • UK Government supporting the covid-19 response in Scotland through the joint biosecurity centre and UK-wide test and trace programme
  • Both UK and Scottish Governments are working together to fight the pandemic in Scotland
  • British Army collaborating with Scottish Ambulance Service and local NHS boards to enhance testing capacity

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Bowie Con East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
NHS Scotland
Context

Inquiries about the UK government's involvement in supporting Scotland's covid-19 response.

Question

What support is being provided by the UK Government to the Scottish Government for tackling the coronavirus outbreak?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matthew Hancock

The UK Government are supporting the covid-19 response right across the country. We have established the joint biosecurity centre to ensure decision makers in Scotland and across the UK have the best possible information when responding to outbreaks. The UK-wide test and trace programme has significantly enhanced the ability to respond to covid-19 in Scotland, notably through six Department-funded testing sites and 18 mobile testing units, with additional deployments like a unit sent to Aberdeen during recent local outbreaks.

Answered
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Q2 Andrew Bowie Con East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
NHS Scotland
Context

Acknowledgment of the collaborative efforts seen during the pandemic in Scotland.

Question

I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. One of the things that has been welcomed in Scotland has been seeing both of Scotland's Governments working together to fight this pandemic—for example, the British Army working with the Scottish Ambulance Service and local NHS boards to increase our testing capacity. Can he confirm that this one nation approach to tackling covid will continue in the future?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matthew Hancock

There is absolutely no doubt about the combination of the UK Government putting in place the capacity that we can get only because we are one united nation, working in concert with the Scottish Government and local councils, which have people on the ground who are in the communities. That combination is the strongest possible approach to responding to an emergency such as covid-19.

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