NICOLA Sturgeon has suggested there is not yet any evidence to suggest that people from BAME backgrounds are being disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in Scotland – but has set up a new expert group to investigate the impact. 

The Scottish Government’s new expert reference group will include academics and government officials – who will consider the evidence of Covid-19 and the impact it is having on minority ethnic communities. 

The announcement comes as the NASUWT union has written to Lesley Sawers, Scotland commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, warning the organisation is “deeply concerned” with the Scottish Government’s “failure to provide evidence” to show measures to suppress the virus and re-open schools will “not further impact disproportionately and adversely on black and minority ethnic children, young people and adults.” 

In the letter by Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “We note that, to date, no evidence of how the Scottish Government intends to fulfil these statutory duties in relation to the planned re-opening of schools has been published.  

“We have written to the First Minister on these matters to ensure evidence is urgently made available publicly on how the reopening of schools has been equality impact assessed.” 

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He added: “The NASUWT believes that the publication of national equality impact assessments is necessary alongside the communication of the Scottish Government’s guidance on the wider reopening of schools.  

“Indeed, we believe that this significant and serious omission to fail to provide such evidence may undermine the efforts of schools to meet their duties under the Equality Act 2010 as they seek to provide healthy and safe working and learning environments for staff and children.” 

The First Minister said Public Health Scotland's preliminary analysis does not appear to show people from ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by Covid-19 in terms of the impact on their health. 

But she warned that findings in other parts of the UK have been different. 

The First Minister said people from BAME backgrounds could be disproportionately affected by the social and economic impact of coronavirus. 

She said: "The Scottish Government has already allocated more than £500,000 to organisations that work directly with ethnic minority groups across Scotland. 

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"But we know we may well need to do more. For that reason, I am establishing a new expert reference group made up of academics and other advisers." 

The group will be able to make recommendations to ministers on what can be done to address any problems. 

Ms Sturgeon added: "It's always essential at any time to listen to people from our ethnic minority communities, to work with them and to ensure that the polices we adopt and implement don't have disproportionate and adverse consequences. 

"It is, however, especially important at this time." 

Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour MSP, has raised the concerns over the impact on BAME communities in previous weeks and has asked for the work to be carried out urgently. 

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He said: “Research carried out in England has caused anxiety for Scotland’s ethnic minority communities, so this announcement is a welcome step. 

 “While we do have different demographics compared to England, we still don’t have adequate data to understand the impact here.” 

Mr Sarwar added: “We should be looking at how we reassure and protect Scotland’s ethnic minority communities, particularly given the lifesaving work so many are doing on the frontline. 

“It has taken a lot of time to get to this point, so I hope this expert group now acts swiftly and any recommendations are implemented without delay.” 

The new advisory group will consider evidence and data being gathered by the Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland, National Records of Scotland and the NHS, and advise ministers on policy actions to mitigate any disproportionate effects. 

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie MSP said: “I commend the STUC Black Workers Committee, whose letter I highlighted at First Minister’s Questions last week, for drawing attention to the importance of adequately assessing the impact of Covid-19 on Scotland’s BAME communities.  

“While I welcome the First Minister’s commitment to establishing this expert group, I am concerned that it seems only limited analysis has been undertaken to date and I urge the Scottish Government to ensure that the group has all the resources it needs to undertake the analysis required as quickly as possible.”