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I thought that you were taking them together—I apologise.

I will start again. I do not question the intention of the Government in bringing in the vaccination certification scheme, but we are yet to hear evidence of its positive impacts. We have significant evidence of its negative impacts, including from the Scottish Human Rights Commission and those concerned about civil liberties, and we have heard about the negative economic impacts.

If the Scottish Government were to go down the route of offering the alternative that is offered in Wales and every other European country that has brought in a certification scheme, which is to produce a negative Covid test, we would be more sympathetic, but we cannot support the scheme as it stands.

We have heard in evidence and from our adviser this morning that every other country in Europe that has brought in a vaccination passport scheme allows, as an alternative, a negative Covid test. That gets round some of the concerns that people have expressed about the vaccination passport scheme—in particular, the impact on human rights and civil liberties. Previously, the health secretary told the committee that that alternative was still under consideration by the Scottish Government. Is it still being considered as part of the mix? I believe that it would remove many of the concerns about the compulsory vaccination passport scheme.

My question is about issues in schools. I have received a number of complaints from teachers. In most of the schools that I am aware of, ventilation is provided only by opening windows. That might be fine in the summer, but it creates for teaching staff and pupils an increasingly uncomfortable environment at this time of year. In many schools, the radiators are close to or under the windows, so the heating is on full blast but most of the heat is going straight out the window. That is bad for the climate and bad for school heating bills.

The First Minister said in the summer that she was providing local authorities with an additional £10 million to support enhanced ventilation in schools. Does anyone have a sense of the likely overall cost of fitting adequate ventilation in schools? If that money was available, how, practically, could the work be done and what would the timescale be? I presume that it would take not months but years to bring every school in Scotland up to an adequate standard.

Good morning, cabinet secretary and colleagues. I return to the matter of the vaccination certification scheme, which the convener touched on in her first question. One of the purposes of that scheme, as set out by the Scottish Government, is to encourage an increase in the uptake of vaccinations. In last week’s committee meeting, Mr Mason asked Professor Leitch whether there was evidence that that had been successful. Mr Leitch gave a straightforward and honest response, as we would, of course, expect. He said:

“I simply do not know”.—[Official Report, COVID-19 Recovery Committee, 28 October 2021; c 21.]

Indeed, you have confirmed this morning, cabinet secretary, that it is not possible to disaggregate from the general data whether the scheme is actually delivering on the objective that was set out. We do not know whether there are positive outcomes from the scheme.

What we do know, however, is that there are negative outcomes. For example, according to the BBC this morning, more than 42,000 people have reported errors in their vaccination records, which is causing difficulties for them in accessing vaccination certification, and we know that the night-time industries have seen a major drop of 40 per cent in business at their premises, which is having a major negative economic impact. That policy is turning into something of a disaster, is it not?

I want to ask again about the issue of economic impact. We have heard from the Night Time Industries Association and the Scottish hospitality group about a major decline in business at many of their premises since the vaccination passport was introduced. Does the Scottish Government recognise that concern and, if so, what are you doing to try to address it?

It is helpful to understand the mitigations. The part of my question that you did not address was on the issue of modelling. People are concerned that we might see a spike in cases and that further restrictions might be brought in for people in Scotland as a consequence of a spike in infections caused by the COP.

To continue with the convener’s theme of public engagement, members of the public have also raised the issue of COP26, which will happen next week and the week after. Up to 100,000 people will converge on Glasgow. Some of those who are travelling internationally to attend the main conference may not be double vaccinated. There is therefore a risk of further spread of Covid.

The public would like to know what mitigations have been put in place to avoid further spread of Covid at COP26 events. Has the Scottish Government carried out any modelling of the possible increase in case numbers as a consequence of COP26?

Basically, you are saying that there is a risk.

Thanks for that comprehensive answer. The one issue on which you did not touch is whether there is any difference in those figures in any other parts of the UK. I am interested in whether you have any data on that. Are you aware of any difference?