He was responding to a report in the Independent that the number of swine flu cases in Scotland has risen six-fold in less than a week, making it the worst-hit part of the UK per head of population. Thirty-one cases were confirmed north of the border and in the past four days, 100 people have fallen victim to the illness, bringing the number of Scottish cases to 119. At last weekend, there were just 19.

A 44-year-old woman with the virus said to have an underlying health condition was admitted to the high-dependency unit at Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley, while a  23-month-old toddler in Lothian was also diagnosed and is being treated at home.

Three patients remain in intensive care at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. A 38-year-old woman  said to be in a "critical" condition. A 45-year-old man and 23-year-old woman were described as "critical but stable" and "stable" respectively.

Scotland now accounts for a quarter of all cases of the virus in the UK, which has recorded 428 sufferers, including 23 new cases confirmed in England yesterday and one in Wales.