Latest news with #Covid-19Inquiry
South Wales Guardian
8 hours ago
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Scottish Government ending use of WhatsApp after Covid inquiry criticism
The Government had previously agreed to end its use of WhatsApp and other non-official messaging applications by spring this year. Opposition MSPs have said the new policy is a 'clear admission' from the Government that the pandemic deletions were wrong. The policy comes into force on Friday though some teams will continue to phase out the app by the end of the year. As part of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, it emerged ministers and top civil servants deleted WhatsApp messages which had been requested by the inquiry team. The Conservatives attacked former first minister Nicola Sturgeon in particular for deleting messages, though she said they did not relate to Government business. Her successor, Humza Yousaf, ordered a review of mobile messaging which was carried out by Emma Martins – the former Channel Islands data protection commissioner. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said the policy will apply to all Scottish Government employees, including contractors, senior civil servants, special advisers and ministers. Ms Forbes said: 'We are setting out a clear approach to ending Government use of mobile messaging apps, and this will support wider work to deliver on our commitment to openness and transparency. 'The use of mobile messaging apps increased during the pandemic as staff worked remotely in unprecedented and difficult circumstances. Having reflected on our working practices, we are now implementing changes to the use of such apps. 'This follows on from actions to implement other recommendations from Ms Martins's externally-led review including updating our hybrid working policy. 'I want to reassure the public that it is a priority of this Government to maintain secure and searchable data, ensuring compliance with all records management rules. 'We will continue to act to ensure our data policies are robust, especially considering technological advances.' Scottish Conservative MSP Craig Hoy said: 'This is as close as we'll get to an apology from the SNP for the shameful, industrial-scale deletion of Covid WhatsApp messages which was orchestrated by John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon. 'This change in policy is all well and good but the horse has already bolted for bereaved families who were denied the answers they deserved over the decisions taken by SNP ministers during the pandemic. 'Secrecy and evasion are hardwired into this SNP Government, so the Scottish people will not be duped into thinking one overdue concession marks a change in culture.'
Glasgow Times
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Scottish Government ending use of WhatsApp after criticism
The Government had previously agreed to end its use of WhatsApp and other non-official messaging applications by spring next year. READ NEXT: First Bus receive huge accolade at Scottish Transport Awards 2025 The policy comes into force on Friday though some teams will continue to phase out the app by the end of the year. As part of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, it emerged ministers and top civil servants deleted WhatsApp messages which had been requested by the inquiry team. The Conservatives attacked former first minister Nicola Sturgeon in particular for deleting messages, though she said they did not relate to Government business. Her successor, Humza Yousaf, ordered a review of mobile messaging which was carried out by Emma Martins – the former Channel Islands data protection commissioner. READ NEXT: Abusive social media posts directed at MSPs tripled in past year Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said the policy will apply to all Scottish Government employees, including contractors, senior civil servants, special advisers and ministers. Ms Forbes said: 'We are setting out a clear approach to ending Government use of mobile messaging apps, and this will support wider work to deliver on our commitment to openness and transparency. 'The use of mobile messaging apps increased during the pandemic as staff worked remotely in unprecedented and difficult circumstances. Having reflected on our working practices, we are now implementing changes to the use of such apps. 'This follows on from actions to implement other recommendations from Ms Martins's externally-led review including updating our hybrid working policy. 'I want to reassure the public that it is a priority of this Government to maintain secure and searchable data, ensuring compliance with all records management rules. 'We will continue to act to ensure our data policies are robust, especially considering technological advances.' Opposition MSPs have said the new policy is a 'clear admission' from the Government that the pandemic deletions were wrong. Scottish Conservative MSP Craig Hoy said: 'This is as close as we'll get to an apology from the SNP for the shameful, industrial-scale deletion of Covid WhatsApp messages which was orchestrated by John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon. 'This change in policy is all well and good but the horse has already bolted for bereaved families who were denied the answers they deserved over the decisions taken by SNP ministers during the pandemic. 'Secrecy and evasion are hardwired into this SNP Government, so the Scottish people will not be duped into thinking one overdue concession marks a change in culture.'
STV News
12 hours ago
- Business
- STV News
WhatsApp to be removed from Scottish Government devices
Mobile messaging apps, including WhatsApp, will be removed from Scottish Government devices as a new policy comes into effect on Friday. The new Holyrood policy states mobile messaging apps and non-corporate communication channels will not be permitted on government devices. The policy has been rolled out to all government employees, including contractors, senior civil servants, special advisers, and ministers. The announcement follows an externally-led review of the use of mobile messaging apps in December last year, which had been ordered by former first minister Humza Yousaf. The Scottish Government was previously criticised when it emerged ministers and top civil servants had deleted WhatsApp messages which had been requested by the UK-wide Covid-19 Inquiry. 'We are setting out a clear approach to ending government use of mobile messaging apps, and this will support wider work to deliver on our commitment to openness and transparency,' deputy first minister Kate Forbes said. 'The use of mobile messaging apps increased during the pandemic as staff worked remotely in unprecedented and difficult circumstances. Having reflected on our working practices, we are now implementing changes to the use of such apps.' Forbes previously stated: 'Government business should happen on Government systems which are secure, searchable and allow the appropriate sharing of information, in line with our statutory duties. 'I want to reassure the public that it is a priority of this government to maintain secure and searchable data, ensuring compliance with all records management rules. We will continue to act to ensure our data policies are robust, especially considering technological advances.' A small number of business areas will take part in a time-bound and limited transition period until the end of 2025. This includes areas responding to emergencies such as wildfires or for matters of safety and security. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The National
13 hours ago
- Business
- The National
Scottish Government removes WhatsApp from all official devices
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes announced the move on Friday, following an externally led review that concluded in December 2024. The new policy means that all Scottish Government employees will now be allowed to install WhatsApp or other similar messaging platforms on government devices. This rule will apply to ministers, special advisors, senior civil servants, and contractors working for the Scottish Government. READ MORE: JK Rowling called The National 'anti-woman' – here's my response Several Government agencies and departments will be allowed a 'transition period' until the end of 2025. The review was led by former Channel Islands data protection commissioner Emma Martins. Martins has made 20 recommendations on different areas of corporate governance, including the values of the Scottish Government, learning and development process, recruitment procedures, records management and the use of mobile messaging apps. 'We are setting out a clear approach to ending government use of mobile messaging apps, and this will support wider work to deliver on our commitment to openness and transparency,' Forbes said. (Image: Andrew Milligan) 'The use of mobile messaging apps increased during the pandemic as staff worked remotely in unprecedented and difficult circumstances. Having reflected on our working practices, we are now implementing changes to the use of such apps. 'This follows on from actions to implement other recommendations from Ms Martins' externally-led review including updating our hybrid working policy. 'I want to reassure the public that it is a priority of this government to maintain secure and searchable data, ensuring compliance with all records management rules. We will continue to act to ensure our data policies are robust, especially considering technological advances.' In response to a written question in the Scottish Parliament, Forbes set out the departments and agencies that will be allowed to use mobile messaging apps until the end of the year. READ MORE: SNP MSP Fergus Ewing to stand as independent in Holyrood election This includes agencies Forestry and Land Scotland, Science Advice for Scottish Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Food Standards Scotland. Departments include the Rural Payments and Inspection Directorate, communication staff, news staff only, 'for communications purposes', Culture and External Affairs Directorate, EU Directorate and the Directorate of International Trade and Investment. Forbes said certain organisations had 'no practical alternative' during emergencies, such as tackling wildfires, communicating with the media or 'overseas operational tasks'. It comes after WhatsApp messages deleted by ministers and officials during the Covid-19 pandemic were raised by the subsequent inquiry. Jamie Dawson KC, lead counsel to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, previously said most of the messages sent within the Scottish Government had been deleted. It later transpired a number of senior members of the Government, including John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon, had deleted messages, though both stressed they did not relate to Government business. Former national clinical director Jason Leitch was also criticised for describing deleting WhatsApp messages as a 'pre-bed ritual', while another senior clinician warned colleagues that messages could be published under freedom of information legislation.
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Matt Hancock gives verdict on botched Covid 'test and trace' operation
Former health secretary Matt Hancock is grilled at the Covid-19 Inquiry about setting up a privatised "test and trace" service which failed to prevent repeated lockdowns Matt Hancock has defended Britain's botched pandemic 'test and trace' operation at the Covid-19 Inquiry which failed to prevent repeated lockdowns. The former Health Secretary outsourced the nation's vital contact tracing rather than beefing up existing NHS and local public health laboratories and its failure contributed to the need for further lockdown measures. The disgraced ex-minister blamed health leaders for being unable to scale up testing laboratories, insisting 'Public Health England didn't have the operational capacity to scale [up]' The Tories' privatised 'NHS Test and Trace' operation was set up in May 2020 costing £37 billion and led by Mr Hancock's friend, Tory Peer Baroness Dido Harding. Outsourcing firms like Serco were paid millions to call people and advise them to self-isolate but used agency call centre staff paid the minimum wage who were largely not medically trained. The former I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here contestant said: 'The critical thing is that we absolutely must, as a nation, be ready to expand and radically expand testing capacity. Once the test is developed, I had to do that. 'And there are critics who said that it was done in the wrong way. What matters is that it's done and it is planned for next time to be ready to be done.' PM Boris Johnson promised a " world beating" system but the Public Accounts Committee later found NHS Test and Trace failed in its main objective of breaking chains of COVID-19 transmission. A BBC investigation at the time showed only half of close contacts were being reached in some areas. Mr Hancock said Public Health England (PHE) 'proved entirely incapable of expanding that testing capacity', adding: 'It was a cottage industry and we needed industrial scale capacity'. The inquiry heard how Mr Hancock set up a contract tracing system 'from scratch' rather than providing the funding to upgrade local authority labs and facilities run by PHE. The barrister questioning Mr Hancock on behalf of the inquiry asked whether he was aware that local contact tracing systems already existed. Sophie Cartright KC said: 'Did you appreciate that, that the directors of public health within local authority is discharged and performed the role of contact tracing? There was this resource in every local authority across the United Kingdom that had the resources.' Mr Hancock responded: 'Of course I appreciated that. There was one person in each of the upper tier local authorities and therefore, around 100 people, brilliant people, I engaged with a huge number of them throughout the pandemic. But the idea that they alone could have solved this problem was, unfortunately, the wrong attitude.' Mr Hancock resigned as health secretary in 2021 after admitting breaching social distancing guidance after photos showed him in a romantic embrace with colleague Gina Coladangelo. Lack of NHS testing capacity meant testing everyone who had Covid symptoms had to be abandoned early in the pandemic once 'community transmission' was established in the UK. Mr Hancock told the inquiry: 'The doctrine that we had going into the pandemic, that was shared by most of the Western world and the World Health Organisation, was wrong. 'The advice I received from Public Health England was that we should not need or try to test at scale or contact trace at scale as soon as there was community based transmission. There was no point in testing and contact tracing any further outside of hospitals because, effectively, everybody was going to get infected. 'That was the wrong attitude and it is absolutely critical that next time there's a pandemic… we are ready to take the actions to stop it spreading and protect the most vulnerable first.' He concluded: 'The single most important thing is to conclude that the industrial scale, expansion of testing is necessary and we need to be ready to do it.'
