HOLYROOD ministers are considering plans to introduce so-called vaccine passports but are mindful of ethical concerns, the Health Secretary has said.

Jeane Freeman announced the Scottish Government is working on the tools needed for digital vaccine certificates while reviewing questions about equality.

The SNP minister said she favours digital certificates over paper versions as she believes the latter would place an unnecessary burden on the health service.

Her comments came ahead of a Downing Street news conference later on Monday at which the Prime Minister is expected to set out further details on the planned certification scheme in England.

Proposals were announced at the weekend for a "Covid status certification" scheme – dubbed "vaccine passports" – for mass gatherings south of the border, from sporting events to nightclubs.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon: Covid vaccine passports could be trialled in Scotland

The UK Government has said the certificates could be a mobile phone app or a paper document and they are expected to show whether an individual has received the vaccine, has recently tested negative for the virus, or has "natural immunity" having tested positive in the previous six months.

Freeman told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme there are ethical and equality questions over vaccine passports as not everyone can be inoculated.

She also said there are questions over how the scheme would work.

Freeman explained: "We're currently looking at what would be the digital infrastructure you would need for any form of certification, as we work through those ethical and equality and practical questions about how it might be used and in what circumstances.

"I don't want it to be paper – where it's possible I'd want it to be digitally done. I don't want to put an unnecessary burden on our health service – on our GP practices, for example – with everyone going to them to get the bit of paper that says 'Yes, I've been vaccinated'."