Highlands and Islands MSP, Edward Mountain has accused the Cabinet Secretary of Health & Sport of showing a “lack of democratic accountability”.
This accusation was made after Edward Mountain MSP received correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary which he felt offered a lack of openness and transparency about the recording of positive Covid-19 cases during an outbreak in Grantown in September last year.
On 3 September 2020, NHS Highland confirmed that there were 31 cases of Covid-19 in the Grantown community, 29 of which were linked with Millers of Speyside abattoir.
In an email to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on 7 September 2021, Edward Mountain MSP asked:
“Can you explain which days figures these 31 cases are contained within, in the Scottish Government’s ‘Daily Data for Scotland’ in relation to Covid-19.”
Sixteen weeks later, the Cabinet Secretary avoided answering the question by stating:
“I appreciate that you had a conversation with the Director of Public Health in NHS Highland, who advised you that there were 31 positive cases notified to him on Thursday 4 September 2020. Although it would be inappropriate for me to comment on individual cases due to patient confidentiality, I have set out below links to our published data on positive cases with NHS Highlands board area.”
However, the Daily Data for Scotland offers little clarity as to how or when the 31 positive Covid cases were recorded:
Edward Mountain has now sent the following email to the Cabinet Secretary, criticising the Scottish Government of a lack of openness and transparency:
“After waiting around sixteen weeks for a response I thought that I might actually get an answer to the question I asked. I don’t believe that it is difficult or one that which needed such a long delay and such obfuscation.
I find the lack of an open answer deeply concerning and to me it also demonstrates a high level of disrespect to the parliamentary system.
I just cannot understand why you are unwilling to set out on which day or days the 31 positive cases, notified to NHS Highland’s Director of Public Health on Thursday 3 September 2021, were added to the ‘Daily Data for Scotland’ in relation to Covid-19. There is no way that this is decipherable from the Public Health Scotland data for that period (please see attached) how those 31 positive cases were recorded.”
Edward Mountain MSP further commented:
“I am seeking this information on behalf of constituents but I am struggling to receive straight answers from the SNP Government.
An open and transparent government should respond to a simple question in less than sixteen weeks and, when they do respond, they should answer the question directly.”
