Highlands and Islands MSP Donald Cameron has warned that the elderly must not be overlooked as ministers turn to technology in the drive against the coronavirus.

Mr Cameron said: “In a dispersed region like the Highlands and Islands, with a greater proportion of elderly people and with patchy broadband, a technological solution may not be a total solution.

“I welcome the development of apps which can help with the test, trace and isolate schemes, but we will have to take great care to ensure that the measures taken to tackle the virus are appropriate to rural regions like mine and don’t leave gaps.

“As we have sadly seen, elderly people are particularly at risk, and we have a special duty of care to them as we manage our way through this pandemic.”