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Scottish Labour has called for Holyrood to be recalled to debate a spate of deaths in care homes linked to the coronavirus epidemic and the crisis over the resignation of the chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, on Sunday.

Elaine Smith, Labour’s business manager in the Scottish parliament, has written to Ken Macintosh, its presiding officer, to urge him to call the parliament back from recess so the Scottish government could be questioned about it.

Holyrood is now suspended until 19 April for the Easter recess but because of the social-distancing and lockdown regulations, its sittings have been cut to one per week. It sat last Wednesday but will not meet again until Wednesday April 22.

Scotland's chief medical officer quits over second home row Read more

It has emerged that 16 elderly residents of the Burlington care home in Glasgow, many of whom had serious underlying health issues, have died over the last week with Covid-19 like symptoms but were not tested or taken to hospital. Two members of staff at the home are being treated for Covid-19.

She said that “requires urgent scrutiny”. Age Scotland, the charity for older people, said there were questions about a lack of NHS support in Scottish care homes, and a lack of personal protection equipment for care workers.

Smith said it was unfair that opposition parties were unable to challenge the Scottish government about these controversies, but had to rely on media questioning the first minister once a day in online news conferences.

“It is unacceptable that questions to the first minister are solely left to the Scottish press with members of parliament having to follow developments via the media.

“[I] hope you will agree that parliament should not now continue with an Easter break whilst questions remain unanswered regarding these issues and that the Scottish Government must be held to account and scrutinised by members during these unprecedented times of national crisis.”