NICOLA Sturgeon ripped up suggestions from a Tory MSP that her government tried to slow down vaccinations in part of Scotland.

Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, asked a question in the Scottish Parliament following the First Minister’s coronavirus update.

He claimed he’d had “concerns” raised with him that vaccination teams in his constituency were “asked to slow down in order to let other areas of Scotland catch up”.

The MSP’s question prompted groans and heckling from members in the Chamber.

Mundell’s contribution came shortly after Sturgeon confirmed nearly 40% of Scotland’s adult population has now received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

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Following the FM’s statement – in which she unveiled some minor easing of lockdown restrictions – Mundell asked: “I have had concerns raised with me that vaccination teams in Dumfries and Galloway have been asked to slow down in order to let other areas of Scotland catch up.

“Can the First Minister confirm if the Scottish Government approved this request and can she explain why vaccination rates could vary so significantly as to require this?”

Sturgeon was clearly frustrated with the MSP as she rose to her feet to answer the question.

“I am certainly not aware of that and I’d be astonished if that were the case,” she replied. “I mean, I know there’s political divisions between different parties. But what possible interest do I or anybody else in the Scottish Government have in slowing down vaccination in any part of the country. It really doesn’t make any sense.”

The First Minister explained there has been some slow down across Scotland and the whole of the UK in recent weeks. “If Oliver Mundell has been listening, he will know the answer to that,” she added.

The slow down has come because of a dip in vaccine supplies. Meanwhile, there have been slight differences in roll-out progress across the health boards, with recent severe weather playing a role in that.

“But all parts of the country are ahead of where we, in our wildest dreams, would have hoped to be at this stage,” Sturgeon concluded.

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“This vaccination programme is going really well in all parts of the country, and we should be thankful to vaccinators across the length and breadth of Scotland for that.”

Speaking earlier today, Sturgeon said an increase in supply will soon see a “very significant acceleration” of the vaccination programme.

She told the Chamber: “From about the middle of March onwards, however, we expect supplies to pick up again. This will allow for a very significant acceleration in the vaccination programme.

The National:

“It is worth noting that some of these supplies will be of short-dated stock – in other words, they will be of vaccines which must be used very soon after they have been received.”

The Scottish Government will now start to invite people in priority lists eight and nine, which includes those aged between 50 and 59 years old, to receive their first dose.