Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston has accused SNP ministers of indecision over the possible extension of vaccine passports.
The Scottish Conservative MSP, who is also Shadow Minister for Business, issued his warning after Nicola Sturgeon delayed a decision on whether the vaccine passport was to be expanded, something he said could be particularly damaging for businesses in his region.
Mr Halcro Johnston said: “Small businesses are the backbone of economies across the Highlands and Islands, and they risk being disproportionately affected by any extension of the vaccine passport scheme. However, the continuing lack of clarity from Edinburgh is already causing real issues, and we are fast approaching Christmas – a vital time for the hospitality sector."
“Too many businesses still don’t know whether they will need to employ extra staff to check passport and if they can’t find staff, whether they will even be able to open at all. And this not only impacts on the businesses but also on existing staff and those hoping to be employed over the busy Christmas and New Year break."
“They should not be being left in the dark on this by SNP ministers who have repeatedly failed to consult with the sector, failed to provide any real evidence of the effectiveness of vaccine passports and are now prevaricating over whether to extend their scheme further – again, without the evidence to back that up."
“The Scottish Government simply isn’t listening or learning lessons on vaccine passports, and it’s local businesses and their staff who risk missing out”.
