– in the Scottish Parliament at on 8 November 2023.
Elizabeth Smith
Conservative
5. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the winter Covid-19 vaccination programme. (S6O-02692)
Jenni Minto
Scottish National Party
The winter flu and Covid-19 vaccination programme began on 4 September and will run until 31 March 2024; the Majority of vaccinations will be completed by 11 December to ensure that there is maximum protection over the festive period.
At the midway point of the programme, uptake is strong. As of 29 October, more than 810,000 Covid-19 vaccinations, along with more than 1.2 million flu vaccinations, have been administered. Getting vaccinated is the safest and most effective way for people to protect themselves and the national health service this winter, so if anyone who is eligible has yet to book an appointment, I encourage them to do so.
Elizabeth Smith
Conservative
That is an encouraging answer in terms of uptake numbers. However, I asked my question because I have had representations from quite a few constituents that they are not being sent information on the time when they will be eligible for vaccination. Will the Minister have discussions with the NHS to ensure that that information is as clear as possible?
Jenni Minto
Scottish National Party
I agree that the information that is sent has to be absolutely clear. I am happy to speak to my officials about that.
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
