was the scottish cabinet during _ that was made.ng the _ that was made. was the scottish cabinet during the pandemic - that was made. was the scottish cabinet during the pandemic a i cabinet during the pandemic a decision ratified body, rather than the main decision—making body? m0. decision ratified body, rather than the main decision—making body? his.” the main decision-making body? no, i wouldn't agree — the main decision-making body? no, i wouldn't agree with _ the main decision-making body? no, i wouldn't agree with that _ wouldn't agree with that characterisation for my attendance at cabinet — characterisation for my attendance at cabinet meetings, there was good, engage _ at cabinet meetings, there was good, engage in— at cabinet meetings, there was good, engage in conversation, as i said, at times— engage in conversation, as i said, at times disagreement on the approach. the approach that was to be taken, _ approach. the approach that was to be taken, but are cabinet meetings were a _ be taken, but are cabinet meetings were

ti 3 is the first time we will hear from a member of the scottish cabinet during the pandemic and theime we will hear from liz lloyd, the chief of staff to nicola sturgeon. she was nicola sturgeon�*s right hand woman during the pandemic and for many years prior to that. the inquiry is likely to examine what role she played in terms of guiding, in terms of helping nicola sturgeon, nicola sturgeon has been clear in a statement that was submitted to the inquiry that we have heard about from other witnesses, we haven't seen the statement ourselves, but other witnesses have spoken about nicola sturgeon saying that politicians made the decisions and advisors advised. but i think the inquiry will be keen to explore whether that was really the case. what role liz lloyd played? they know for instance that she made the decisions alongside nicola sturgeon on who would take to the podium sometimes during the daily press briefings. that may sound peripheral to the main decision—making process. but if she played a role in those decisions, what role did she play in others? we know that nicola sturge

the scottish cabinet is the main _ scottish government? the scottish. decisions are _ government. where important decisions are concentrated - government. where important decisions are concentrated in i government. where important i decisions are concentrated in the hands of a few people as opposed to the entire cabinet, the proper function of the cabinet would be usurped,is function of the cabinet would be usurped, is that correct? if function of the cabinet would be usurped, is that correct?- usurped, is that correct? if that had been the _ usurped, is that correct? if that had been the situation, - usurped, is that correct? if that had been the situation, that. usurped, is that correct? if that i had been the situation, that would be true, but that is not the situation and, indeed, i am absolutely firmly of the view that any reading of the cabinet papers and the minutes of cabinet meetings would make very clear that was not the case. the cabinet was where our substantive discussions happened and decisions were taken after full and frank discussion inv

the cabinet as well _ issues would come the cabinet as well so— issues would come the cabinet as well. so the scottisherves me right. _ assessment, if my memory serves me right, in _ assessment, if my memory serves me right, i'm pretty certain went to cabinet — right, i'm pretty certain went to cabinet over resilience thinking around — cabinet over resilience thinking around about that would have gone to cabinet _ around about that would have gone to cabinet as— around about that would have gone to cabinet as well. is around about that would have gone to cabinet as well. is it around about that would have gone to cabinet as well.— cabinet as well. is it the case that resilience was _ cabinet as well. is it the case that resilience was effectively - cabinet as well. is it the case that resilience was effectively a - resilience was effectively a reserved matter? l resilience was effectively a reserved matter? i suppose in a legislative _ reserved matter? i suppose in a legislative sense _ reserved matter? i suppose in a legislative sense they _ reserved matter? i suppose in a legislative sense they woul

is it fair - to describe the role of the scottish cabinet at times as being a decision making, ratifyingosed to a decision—making body so it ratify decisions made elsewhere, further in formal communications, gold command meetings or other one—on—one discussions between key decision—makers on the role of cap that was a times simply to ratify those decisions? t that was a times simply to ratify those decisions?— that was a times simply to ratify those decisions? i don't think so. i think everything — those decisions? i don't think so. i think everything that _ those decisions? i don't think so. i think everything that went - those decisions? i don't think so. i think everything that went to - think everything that went to cabinet was a proposal and cabinet ministers would push back some times, ask for amendments and changes, some decisions could be deferred because cabinet members wanted more information or the first minister wanted more information, there was an extensive process of engagement between individuals before the cabinet paper would come to cabinet so there would be opportuniti

try 3 is the first time we will hear from a member of the scottish cabinet during the pandemic and the

involving scotland's first minister at the time, nicola sturgeon, and senior advisers ahead of scottish government cabinettchell casey, who was the counsel for the scottish government, said that the scottish government had sought to be open and transparent. nicola sturgeon will be one of several politicians who will give evidence to the inquiry here in edinburgh. the worlds oldest dog has been temporarily stripped of their recognition after doubts emerged about his true life span. bobby the portuguese mastiff was said to be 31 years old when he died last year. the equivalent of nearly 200 years in human years. a purebred from portugal. bobby had apparently lived for 31 years and 165 days. the equivalent of 200 human years. but every dog has its day. with some reports questioning a change in colour of his paws from white in the late 90s to brown, close to when he died. and now a positive and his title by the guinness world records, and title handed too many dogs down the years who have defied the odds. there handed too many dogs down the years who have defied the odds.— who have defied the odds. there are

you - explain in your statement that you are responsible for leading the scottish government with the support of cabinet that correct? that is correct. ministers. is that correct? that is correct- you _ ministers. is that correct? that is correct. you became _ ministers. is that correct? that is correct. you became first - ministers. is that correct? that is | correct. you became first minister on the 29th _ correct. you became first minister on the 29th of _ correct. you became first minister on the 29th of march _ correct. you became first minister on the 29th of march 2023 - correct. you became first minister on the 29th of march 2023 taking l on the 29th of march 2023 taking over the rope from nicola sturgeon. during the course of the pandemic, you held two cabinet secretary rose as i understand it. the first role was cabinet secretary for justice. which you help from the 26th ofjune 2018 to the 19th of may 2021. and the second following the scottish parliamentary election in may 2021, you took over the health and social care portfolio, you take that over from jean freeman who held the role in the e

for the first time we will hear from someone a member of the scottish cabinet during the pandemic. the national clinical adviser told him when he thought he could and couldn't wear a mask at a social occasion.— social occasion. strictly speaking, that was breaking _ social occasion. strictly speaking, that was breaking the _ social occasion. strictly speaking, that was breaking the rules. - social occasion. strictly speaking, that was breaking the rules. it i social occasion. strictly speaking, | that was breaking the rules. it was during _ that was breaking the rules. it was during a _ that was breaking the rules. it was during a dinnerand that was breaking the rules. it was during a dinner and on occasion with, _ during a dinner and on occasion with. a — during a dinner and on occasion with, a social occasion, and therefore _ with, a social occasion, and therefore i thought it was legitimate and he was asking precisely that scenario. you used the phrase _ precisely that scenario. you used the phrase strictly _ precisely that scenario. you used the phrase strictly speaking. - prec

and this was a concern that was still being expressed to the scottish government in april, when the cabinetrly advice around care homes focused very much on isolation and keeping people separate. and notwithstanding the limited testing availability of the limited testing availability of the time, there was a concern that testing on its own would not be sufficient to guard against the risks. 0r care homes in particular, i think there are very serious issues for all of us to reflect on. testing is undoubtedly a significant part of that. discharges from hospitals in particular are a very serious part of that. they are not shying away from that. i also think there are other issues around what they have to take responsibility for that we should not lose sight of on testing. the report that public health scotland did in 202020 about discharges from hospital shows that almost all care homes in scotland from a period to march until may had discharges from hospital. but only a third of the care homes had an outbreak of covid, or had residents who died from covid. so, that suggests that, yes, dischar

in the scottish - parliament today, angela constance, cabinet _ parliament today, angela constance, cabinett secretary forjustice - parliament today, angela constance, cabinet secretary forjustice and - cabinet secretary forjustice and home _ cabinet secretary forjustice and home affairs. _ cabinet secretary forjustice and home affairs, talked _ cabinet secretary forjustice and home affairs, talked about - cabinet secretary forjustice and home affairs, talked about howl cabinet secretary forjustice and - home affairs, talked about how they would _ home affairs, talked about how they would like _ home affairs, talked about how they would like a — home affairs, talked about how they would like a pardon _ home affairs, talked about how they would like a pardon scheme - home affairs, talked about how they would like a pardon scheme but - home affairs, talked about how theyj would like a pardon scheme but they would _ would like a pardon scheme but they would like _ would like a pardon scheme but they would like it— would like a pardon scheme but they would like it to _ would like a pardon schem

the cabinet agreed on that date, did they not, to seek to promote _ that date, did they not, to seek to promote the cause of scottish., , , . , ., �* pandemic? no, i respectfully don't think that is _ pandemic? no, i respectfully don't think that is a — pandemic? no, i respectfully don't think that is a fair _ pandemic? no, i respectfully don't think that is a fair or— pandemic? no, i respectfully don't think that is a fair or accurate - think that is a fair or accurate reading of that. i remember the meeting. there was no particular discussion. this was a brexit paper. again, we are having to consider issues around brexit stop we had no choice in that matter, this was a brexit paper. i don't, there was no particular discussion around that recommendation, as far as i recall. we agreed that consideration should be given to restarting work. in matter of fact, work did not restart, it was not a consideration that led to that happening. and that is the fact of the matter. we agreed to consider something. i certainly am not aware of being part of any real consideration because in my mind there was no prospect of starting

point in particular, i will have spoken notjust in cabinet meetings but publicly about the need to listen to industry, to listen to different groups in scottishach the scottish government took, and in that we were listening as much as we could to different viewpoints. we were not always able to take account of those viewpoints because of the nature of the decisions, so i am absolutely certain that it would not have been news to anybody that we were struggling with the impact on industry of some of these decisions and we were at pains to show that as far as we could, given the nature of the decisions we were taken, we were listening to reasonable points that were being made. bloom i do think an interested member of scottish society, or indeed this inquiry, should take no interest at all in the process by which this decision is made in this discussion is arrived at, including the fact you say, it is all so random and there is nothing we can point to to say we listened to industry liz lloyd's response, her involvement in the discussion generally or in this specific issue. i'm not saying there should be no interest from the inquiry, the inquiry d

recommendation is put to cabinet and then at the end of day the final decisions dedicated to the first minister? the question, if i could, as does this not demonstrate that, in fact, the scottishy? he. decision ratifying body and not a decision taking body? no, because i think there is _ decision taking body? no, because i think there is one _ decision taking body? no, because i think there is one example - decision taking body? no, because i think there is one example being . think there is one example being identified — think there is one example being identified here where, particular decisions — identified here where, particular decisions dedicated to the first minister— decisions dedicated to the first minister but the first minister was making _ minister but the first minister was making that announcement having heard _ making that announcement having heard the — making that announcement having heard the details of the cabinet discussion and conversation about it. discussion and conversation about it to— discussion and conversation about it to look— discussion and conversation about it. to look at this slightly different way, if there was a member of the _ different way,