UK Covid-19 Inquiry - Module 1 report: Scottish Government response

1. Simplified Structure

Recommendation One – A simplified structure for whole system civil emergency preparedness and response

Chair’s recommendation:

The governments of the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should each simplify and reduce the number of structures with responsibility for preparing for and building resilience to whole-system civil emergencies. The core structures should be:

• A single Cabinet-level or equivalent ministerial committee (including the senior minister responsible for health and social care), responsible for whole-system civil emergency preparedness and resilience for each government, which meets regularly and is chaired by the leader or deputy leader of the relevant government
• A single cross-departmental group of senior officials in each government (which reports regularly to the Cabinet-level or equivalent ministerial committee) to oversee and implement policy on civil emergency preparedness and resilience.

This should be put in place within 12 months of this Report (by July 2025).

Within six months of the creation of the group of senior officials, it should complete a review to simplify and reduce the number of structures responsible for whole-system civil emergency preparedness and resilience.

Subsequently, within 24 months of the publication of this Report (by July 2026), the ministerial committee should rationalise and streamline subordinate or supporting groups and committees responsible for whole-system civil emergency preparedness and resilience. Any groups and committees retained or created to support this core structure should have a clear purpose and should report regularly about progress with, and completion of, tasks assigned to them.

Scottish Government response:

The Scottish Government accepts this recommendation. We accept the need for simplified core structures to prepare for and build resilience to whole system civil emergencies. To achieve this, our Cabinet will consider two papers per year on resilience preparations. We have already created a new single structure of senior officials to oversee the Scottish Government’s preparedness and resilience work, which first met in September 2024.

We recognise the importance of having uncomplicated, coordinated structures across the Scottish Government which are responsible for whole system civil emergency preparedness and resilience.

Resilience matters are often challenging and cross-cutting and require attention from the most senior levels of government. The Cabinet is the highest decision-making body in the Scottish Government, chaired by the First Minister and comprised of all Cabinet Secretaries. It is the main forum for ministers to consider and make key decisions on the strategic priorities and policies of the government to achieve its objectives. Cabinet covers our Programme for Government, which sets out the government’s commitments over the coming year.

The Cabinet will consider two papers per year relating to government action on whole system civil emergencies. This means that whole system civil emergency preparedness and resilience will be considered at the highest level of government on a regular basis. Considering these matters at Cabinet supports the overall aim of simplifying the layers of responsibility for resilience and ensures that the resilience landscape does not become cluttered.

A Future Pandemic Preparedness Ministerial Oversight Group (MOG), co-chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, with representation from across Ministerial portfolios has been established. The MOG will oversee the development and implementation of an updated pandemic preparedness framework, including responding to lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic. The MOG will receive and commission advice from a supporting Programme Board on matters such as capabilities assessments, resourcing and policy choices about integration with UK and international activities. The direction and lifespan of the MOG will be directed by its members. The MOG will meet on a six-monthly basis and will meet for the first time during early 2025.

The supporting Future Pandemic Preparedness Programme Board oversees the strategic planning, coordination and delivery of work to enhance the Scottish Government’s readiness for future pandemics and ensure a consistent approach to improved pandemic preparedness across the Scottish Government. The Programme Board is co-chaired by the Director for Population Health and the Director for Strategy and Delivery and comprises of representatives from each business area identified as core components to support pandemic preparedness, the Chief Medical Officer and outside expertise (as required). The Programme Board will also support work around data, research and modelling for future pandemics – including agreement of a framework setting out processes for sharing of analytical resource across the Scottish Government for rapid deployment in the event of a future pandemic.

A Cross Government Delivery Group has been established and will work to identify gaps, improve existing plans, develop new plans (as needed) and foster cross-government collaboration, to support the delivery of this programme of work.

We have also established a new group of senior officials within the Scottish Government to lead and coordinate work on preparedness for and resilience to a wide range of civil emergencies. This group will not be working on a ‘Lead Government Department’ model basis, but rather looking across government to ensure preparedness is joined up and holistic. Each will have clear responsibilities related to civil contingencies risks and impacts and will drive and closely monitor work across the organisation to understand, mitigate and plan for these risks. Work is already underway to bring in a supporting programme of risk and impact-based desktop exercises, the need for which will be driven by identified planning gaps.

These officials will come together quarterly as the Crisis Preparation Oversight Group (CPOG), chaired by the Director General for Strategy and External Affairs. Here a broader overview of cross-government preparedness and structures will be considered to drive a process of continual improvement and simplification, and to gather evidence to inform the twice-yearly briefings to Cabinet. The CPOG met for the first time in September 2024 and will meet quarterly going forward, with a strong focus on continuous improvement.

The work of the CPOG will be connected to the work of the Future Pandemic Preparedness Programme Board – as these processes are directly linked. The Future Pandemic Preparedness Programme supports the fulfilment of the objectives of the CPOG.

We are also already closely engaged in four nations structures on resilience. We attend the monthly Resilience Steering Board (RSB) which brings together the devolved governments and the UK Government Departments to oversee and implement policy on civil emergency preparedness and resilience.

Accountable Officer:

The Director General for Strategy and External Affairs, working with the Civil Contingencies Division within the Scottish Government, will be accountable for the implementation of the Scottish elements of this recommendation.

Implementation timescale(s):

• Cabinet will consider the first of its biannual papers on whole system civil emergencies in spring 2025
• The Future Pandemic Preparedness Ministerial Oversight Group will meet for the first time in early 2025 and will meet on a six-monthly basis thereafter
• The CPOG will continue to meet on a quarterly basis to discuss cross-government preparedness and structures and will meet again in early 2025.