Scotland’s snare ban “an important day for animal welfare”

Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill passed

Scotland’s wildlife will benefit from increased protection thanks to a new law passed by the Scottish Parliament yesterday.

The Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill includes a range of measures that will help tackle raptor persecution, and ensure that the management of species on grouse moors is done so sustainably and with animal welfare as a priority.

The Bill:

  • bans the practice of snaring in Scotland
  • bans the use of glue traps to catch rodents
  • gives greater powers to Scottish SPCA inspectors to tackle wildlife crime
  • introduces a new licensing framework for grouse moors
  • strictly regulates the use of muirburn, the controlled burning of vegetation on peatland

Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie said: “This Bill is a significant step in our wider journey to ensure Scotland’s environment is managed sustainably.

“People who live and work on our land have shown that it’s possible to manage wildlife. They have shown that muirburn, which is a key approach to helping manage wildfires, can be undertaken responsibly and in a way that protects biodiversity.

“We have struck the right balance between improving animal welfare, supporting rural businesses and reinforcing  a zero tolerance approach to raptor persecution and wildlife crime.”

Cats Protection says Scotland’s ban on snares is a turning point for animal welfare and will prevent cruel and horrific deaths being inflicted on pets and wildlife.

The UK’s largest cat charity has been campaigning for an outright ban on snares throughout the UK and says it is delighted Scotland is taking a step forward to protect cats and other animals from unnecessary suffering with the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill.

Alice Palombo, Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland at Cats Protection, said: “The introduction of this law is an important day for animal welfare in Scotland, and will put an end to the cruel and horrific deaths that snares inflict on pets and wildlife.

“Whether it’s domestic pet cats, feral or community cats, or any other animal captured in them, snares cause incredibly distressing injuries, often leading to animals suffering long, painful deaths.

“Those animals which do manage to free themselves, or are found and released, cannot be considered lucky as they will most likely suffer life-changing injuries requiring extensive veterinary treatment.

“We are delighted that Scotland has introduced an outright ban on snares, recognising the indiscriminate suffering they cause. These outdated, inhumane and cruel traps have no place in a modern, caring society.”

The Bill was also welcomed by cat owner Marion Brownlie, of Aberdeenshire, whose pet cat Harry was found collapsed in a field with horrific injuries last year.

Harry’s injuries were so appalling that she at first believed he had been “cut in two” when he was discovered close to his home in St Cyrus.

It is thought the ginger-and-white moggy may have been trapped in the snare for five agonising days before he was able to drag himself to safety.

Having confirmed his injuries were caused by a snare, vets carried out surgery to repair a deep wound running from hip to hip across Harry’s abdomen. He was later able to return home but needs to be confined to a cage for rest during his recovery.

Marion said: “Harry had been missing for five days when we found him collapsed in a field and it was like something from a nightmare – I was afraid to pick him up as it looked as though he’d been cut in two.

“He must have been in agony, but somehow he was still alive and after lots of veterinary treatment and rest he pulled through.

“No animal deserves the pain and suffering that these inhumane devices inflict, and I’m incredibly relieved that they have finally been banned.”

Major blow to the grouse shooting industry as Scottish Parliament passes reform Bill

Grouse moor management is to be regulated for the first time as snaring animals is also banned

The Scottish Parliament has now passed a Bill to license grouse shooting, to tackle illegal wildlife persecution on grouse moors. The killing of Scotland’s birds of prey has been associated with grouse moor management for decades and campaigners hope that this legislation will tackle the ‘national disgrace’ of raptor persecution.

The passing of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill (by 85 votes in favour to 30votes against) means that if a wildlife crime takes place on a grouse moor it could lose its licence to operate.

It also means that heather burning (known as muirburn) will also be licensed and restricted on peatlands which are considered a vital carbon resource.

Meanwhile environmental and animal welfare campaigners are celebrating the Bill’s banning of snares: the animal traps which they deem as ‘cruel and indiscriminate’.

Responding to the grouse moor reform bill, Max Wiszniewski, the Campaign Manager for REVIVE, the coalition for grouse moor reform said: “This Bill marks a significant intervention into land management practices in Scotland and finally regulates a controversial industry that’s responsible for environmental destruction, that restricts economic opportunities for rural communities and that kills hundreds of thousands of animals so a few more grouse can be shot for sport.

“While it doesn’t go far enough to end the ‘killing to kill’ on grouse moors, banning snares – the cruel and indiscriminate traps that are common on grouse moors – is an important win for animal welfare against an industry that was desperate to keep them.

“The extra protection of peatlands is welcome but with three quarters of Scots against moorland burning for grouse shooting, the Parliament still has some catching up to do.

“Nevertheless, this legislation will hopefully go some way to tackling the persecution of Scotland’s birds of prey, something that our First, First Minister Donald Dewar called a ‘national disgrace’ in 1998.”

Justice for WASPI women?

A comprehensive investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has found that thousands of women may have been affected by DWP’s failure to adequately inform them that the State Pension age had changed.  

The 1995 Pensions Act and subsequent legislation raised the State Pension age for women born on or after 6 April 1950. The Parliamentary and Health Servive Ombudsman investigated complaints that, since 1995, DWP has failed to provide accurate, adequate and timely information about areas of State Pension reform. 

PHSO published stage one of their investigation in July 2021. It found failings in the way DWP communicated changes to women’s State Pension age. 

This final report combines stages two and three of the investigation. It both considers the injustice resulting from the maladministration we identified during stage one and also sets out our thinking about remedy. 

To date, DWP has not acknowledged its failings nor put things right for those women affected. DWP has also failed to offer any apology or explanation for its failings and has indicated it will not compensate women affected by its failure. 

DWP’s handling of the changes meant some women lost opportunities to make informed decisions about their finances. It diminished their sense of personal autonomy and financial control. 

PHSO Chief Executive Rebecca Hilsenrath, said: “The UK’s national Ombudsman has made a finding of failings by DWP in this case and has ruled that the women affected are owed compensation. DWP has clearly indicated that it will refuse to comply. This is unacceptable. The Department must do the right thing and it must be held to account for failure to do so.   

“Complainants should not have to wait and see whether DWP will take action to rectify its failings. Given the significant concerns we have that it will fail to act on our findings and given the need to make things right for the affected women as soon as possible, we have proactively asked Parliament to intervene and hold the Department to account.

“Parliament now needs to act swiftly, and make sure a compensation scheme is established. We think this will provide women with the quickest route to remedy.”   

The investigation has been complex and involved analysing thousands of pages of evidence. On a number of occasions, parties were allowed additional time to consider and comment on our views.

PHSO also agreed last year to look again at part of their stage two findings following a legal challenge. All of this resulted to delays in the final report. 

The report has been laid before Parliament, with a request that it looks at PHSO’s findings and intervenes to agree a remedy for the women affected.

While Parliament will make its own decisions about rectifying the injustice, PHSO have shared what they consider to be an appropriate remedy.

In addition to paying compensation, PHSO have made it clear that DWP should acknowledge its failings and apologise for the impact it has had on complainants and others similarly affected. 

The Ombudsman has received a series of complaints relating to how well DWP has communicated a variety of State Pension reforms. Concerns about communication of changes to the State Pension age constitute only one such area of complaint.

The Department has also declined to act on other issues that have been consistently highlighted in complaints. A report from the Ombudsman later in the year will set these out. 

It’s understood that over three million women are affected. So far, neither Conservative nor Labour politicians have committed to paying compensation,

Leith murder: Man arrested

A 38-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of 65-year-old Nashir Ahmed on Sunday, 10 March, 2024.

Mr Ahmed died following an incident at a bus stop on Ferry Road, Edinburgh, near to its junction with Great Junction Street and Coburg Street, around 8.30pm.

The man is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today (Friday, 22 March).

A report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Choudhury: “Strengthen Bill to provide a true Circular Economy”

Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury has rang alarm bells that the Scottish Government’s Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill does not go far enough to tackle overconsumption and create a true circular economy, to meet climate change targets.

Mr Choudhury spoke in the debate in the Scottish Parliament’s Chamber yesterday (20th March 2024), to highlight the need for a more thorough and detailed plan. 

MSP Choudhury said: “The current Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill does not go far enough and seems more like a recycling bill, rather than a full circular economy bill.

“It does not provide a thorough enough framework for action for the Bill’s aims to be successfully implemented, monitored and evaluated across all areas of a Circular Economy, in particular on carbon consumption reduction targets, to ensure Scotland meets important climate targets.

“The Scottish Government also needs to show it has embedded climate justice approaches into its circular economy plan, upskill workers with reuse skills to create more sustainable economic opportunities and enable more robust monitoring of exported materials to ensure that Scotland doesn’t simply move its waste to other countries, shifting the climate burden in its mission to meet its own waste targets.”

Mr Choudhury pointed out in particular the need to work with businesses and local authorities on the Bill to avoid the mistakes of the failed Deposit Return Scheme.

He said: “If we have learnt anything from the Deposit Return Scheme debacle, it is that the Scottish Government must create thorough, actionable policies which have been thought out in partnership with businesses and local authorities and do not place significant bureaucratic burdens on small and medium enterprises.

“Some sectors have already been able to take steps to re-use materials and the Scottish Government should build on that by helping local businesses improve their reuse/recycle processes.

“The Scottish Government will also need to work alongside, and properly resource, local authorities.

“Instead, there has so far been a significant underestimation of funding needed to enable our local authorities to deliver on a Circular Economy-leaving our local authorities with yet another funding crisis they will have to precariously juggle.”

Mr Choudhury says he will continue to scrutinise the Bill as it progresses through Parliament, to ensure that Scotland’s commitment to climate action is progressed and a more sustainable planet can be built for all.

Foysol Choudhury MSP speech on 20/03/24 on the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/DgEJp04Uu5Q

Worried and Waiting: Record waiting times for children in NHS Lothian

NHS Lothian has the longest patients waiting times for treatment, with 69.1% of total patients waiting over 12 weeks. 2382 out of 3448 paediatric patients in NHS Lothian waited over 12 weeks for treatment.

In NHS Highland 48.9% of patients were waiting over 12 weeks at that time. This is in comparison to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde where over 12 week waits made up only 19.2%, and NHS Grampian which stood at 12.9%.

The report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Worried and waiting: A review of paediatric waiting times in Scotland 2024, stated that –

‘It is worrying that children and young people are waiting longer than 12 weeks to be seen in paediatrics. However, what is the most concerning is that in September 2023, 13 out of 14 health boards in Scotland were experiencing very high waits over 12 weeks, with only NHS Western Isles achieving the national standard rate.‘

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “It is extremely concerning that young people in Lothian are waiting over 12 weeks for treatment.

“Over two thirds of young people are now waiting over the 12 week waiting target which is unacceptable.

“SNP mismanagement of our NHS means that hundreds of children are not being seen a quickly as they should be, nowhere more so than in NHS Lothian.

“We urgently need to see our health service properly run. 

“It is also important that NHS Lothian receives funding parity with other health boards.

“This tired SNP Government has had no answers for years.”

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Charity calls for action as new figures show unacceptable levels of pensioner poverty in Scotland


Reacting to figures published today, Independent Age Chief Executive, Joanna Elson, CBE said: “Statistics released today are damning. Over 150,000 pensioners in Scotland are living in poverty with an extremely alarming increase in the number of pensioners living in severe poverty, up more than 30% compared to previous statistics.

“In a compassionate society, no one should have to experience the injustice of poverty and the impact this has on their daily life, health and wellbeing, including people in later life.

“With too many older people continuing to live in poverty and the number in severe poverty growing, it’s evident we need a step change in action from both the UK and Scottish Governments to reverse this alarming trend.

“The UK Government has key levers it can pull to change this. It’s vital there is action to make sure the amount people receive through the State Pension and Pension Credit is enough to live on.

“For this to happen, the UK Government must instigate a cross-party review to establish the adequate minimum level of income needed to avoid poverty in later life, alongside robust plans to get the existing financial support available to every older person.

“The Scottish Government also has a responsibility to recognise the scale of this issue and should respond to these alarming figures by urgently introducing a pensioner poverty strategy. While we have a child poverty strategy, we are unaware of any plans to produce a strategy to reduce poverty in later life.

“As today’s figures show, without a concerted effort from Government, too many older people are being left to suffer in poverty.The time for action is now.“

For more information, visit our website www.independentage.org.

Arrange to speak to one of our advisers for free and confidential advice and information. Freephone 0800 319 6789 or email advice@independentage.org.

To make a donation or find out more about how you can support the work of Independent Age and help older people stay independent, please visit:

 independentage.org/support-us.

Edinburgh primary is the first in the city to be named as a Reading School

 Canal View Primary in Wester Hailes has become the first school in Edinburgh to be given the prestigious Reading School accreditation by Scottish Book Trust.

The successful Reading Schools programme, developed by Scotland’s national charity changing lives with reading and writing, supports schools to build a reading culture, where every pupil is encouraged to feed their imagination through books.

Reading for pleasure is central to supporting wellbeing, improving attainment across the curriculum, and boosting critical thinking, creativity, empathy and resilience.

Canal View Primary is one of over 400 schools in Scotland to have been accredited through the programme and, having achieved the first level, the school is now working towards progressing to silver status. 

The third, and top level, to be achieved is gold status.

Susannah Jeffries, Depute Head Teacher of Canal View Primary School said: “We are so excited to be recognised as the first accredited Reading School in Edinburgh.

“Our whole school community is so proud that, in Edinburgh – the first ever UNESCO City of Literature – we are the first school to receive this award.

“We are also absolutely delighted to represent our community in Wester Hailes in such a positive way!”

Samuel, the primary seven Reading Leader said: “Everyone’s worked hard to get the Reading School accreditation, especially the Reading Leaders.

“It’s great that everyone gets to share what they like to read as a whole school. I am proud and grateful that I could help the team get the award and spread the reading bug to everyone in our school.”

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “We are thrilled that Canal View Primary has achieved the honour of being the first school in Edinburgh to be accredited as a Reading School.

“A Reading Schools accreditation is a fantastic accomplishment for pupils and teachers alike, and achieving this status is a way of demonstrating a school’s commitment to developing vibrant reading cultures and the many benefits this brings.”

Annual poverty figures show Government failed to protect most vulnerable from cost of living crisis

Today’s official annual poverty figures show that 600,000 more people, half of them children, are living in absolute poverty – the government’s preferred measure of poverty

Today’s official annual poverty figures show that:

  • 600,000 more people, half of them children, are living in absolute poverty, the government’s preferred measure of poverty
  • This is the second year in a row absolute poverty has increased
  • In comparison to 2020/21, 900,000 more people are living in absolute poverty, 400,000 of them children
  • This the joint highest increase in this statistic for 40 years (since 1982) and is the same increase as was seen following the Global Financial Crisis (between 2010/11 and 2011/12)
  • 100,000 more children are living in relative poverty since 2021/22, a slight increase. The overall figure has slightly decreased by 100,000. In comparison to 2020/21, 900,000 more people, 400,000 of them children, are living in relative poverty
  • Food insecurity has risen dramatically, increasing from 4.7 million people (7%) in 2021/22 to 7.2 million (11%) in 2022/23

Peter Matejic, Chief Analyst at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “The annual poverty figures published today confirm that the Government failed to protect the most vulnerable from the cost of living crisis. Absolute poverty, the Government’s preferred measure of poverty, has risen for the second year in a row. This is as big as we have seen for 40 years.

“At the same time, there is little to celebrate in the slight fall in overall relative poverty levels. This is largely due to the incomes of middle-income households falling, rather than people on the lowest incomes being better off. This is also likely to reverse now that earnings are growing faster than inflation.

“The Government’s short-term interventions to date haven’t stopped the incomes of poorer households from being swallowed up by the soaring cost of essentials. This is despite Jeremy Hunt speaking of his commitment to protect the most vulnerable in his Autumn Statement in 2022. These results show just how far away our social security system is from adequately supporting people who have fallen on hard times.

“The prospects for people on the lowest incomes should be at the forefront of politicians’ minds as we head into a general election. We need all political parties to treat this rise in poverty with the seriousness it deserves at the coming general election and set out an ambitious plan to reverse it.

“This must involve embedding an Essentials Guarantee into Universal Credit to ensure that everyone has a protected minimum amount of support to afford essentials.”

Colleges across Scotland open their doors for Big College Open Week

Colleges across Scotland are opening their doors from 21 to 28 March to mark the second national Big College Open Week – aka #BigCOW.

A host of exciting activities are taking place in colleges across Scotland during the week. Organised by the College Development Network (CDN) Marketing and Communications Network, the purpose of the week is to demonstrate all that colleges offer – including the wide range of learning pathways and options open to students.

Choosing to study at college is the best way to start, change or develop a new career right on your doorstep. By coming together, Scotland’s colleges will show how they are the right choice for anyone – young and not so young – who wants to start or change their careers, and for businesses looking to develop their workforce.

During the week colleges will be offering taster sessions, tours, the chance to meet course tutors and members of Students’ Associations, who will be on hand to talk about clubs, societies and support. There are taster days and open evenings, and you can ‘learn to student like a pro’ with short talks on careers, the library and admissions.

At Edinburgh College, a number of curriculum areas are showcasing their courses and facilities during open events which also allow perspective students to meet lecturers and ask any questions they may have.

The following events are taking place:

  • Performing Arts Studio Scotland (PASS): Monday 25 March, 2-3.30pm at Granton Campus. Information on course areas including: Acting, Costume, Dance, Make up Artistry, Musical Theatre, Technical Theatre.
  • Enterprise and Commerce:  Wednesday 27 March, 6-7pm. This is an online event – a joining link will be emailed to attendees 24 hours before the event starts.
  • Childhood Practice: Wednesday 27 March, 6-7pm at Sighthill Campus. Online joining is available on request in the form below.
  • Social Services: Wednesday 27 March, 6-7pm at Sighthill Campus.
  • Photography: Thursday 28 March, 1-3pm at Sighthill Campus.

To book a space, complete this form: https://forms.office.com/e/EUAeGvZ8h7

Audrey Cumberford, Edinburgh College Principal, said: “We are delighted to be taking part in this year’s Big College Open Week, which is an important campaign for Scotland’s colleges to showcase our first-class courses and facilities.

“We look forward to welcoming prospective students on to our campuses to find out more about study options we have available here at Scotland’s Capital College.”

Marie Hendry, Chief Executive, CDN, said: “We are really excited for this year’s Big College Open Week. It’s all part of the Choose College campaign and aims to highlight the incredible opportunities colleges offer.

“The week will showcase the support and expertise that has helped countless pupils, school leavers, career changers, career developers, employers, graduates and apprentices to take the next steps in their journey.

“We want to get the message out to parents, grandparents, guardians, teachers, mature students and school pupils that college is so much more than a course – it offers pathways, experiences and qualifications that lead to real careers and future success.”

Explore what is happening at your local college: https://www.cdn.ac.uk/choose-college/big-college-open-week/

Path upgrades create gateway for active travel in Musselburgh

A PATH connecting Queen Margaret University (QMU) to the centre of Musselburgh has been refurbished and upgraded to meet the needs of local users after receiving a grant through  Scotland’s national walking charity Paths for All on behalf of Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government and funding from East Lothian Council.

Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, Patrick Harvie MSP, joined representatives from Paths for All, East Lothian Council and QMU to see the benefits this project has delivered.

The path, which runs under the railway line between residential areas at Craighall Drive and Monktonhall Place also links the University with NCR1, has been revitalised following a £58,800 grant from Paths for All’s Ian Findlay Path Fund.

This grant funding for “A short path with a big impact’, has allowed the university, with support from East Lothian Council, to invest in making the route more accessible to all.

Work on the path involved removing physical barriers, resurfacing, new lighting and drainage. The result is path that is accessible to all and resilient to poor weather and flooding.

Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, Patrick Harvie MSP, said: “I’m really pleasedto be able to visit this project which has been made possible through grant funding provided by the Ian Findlay Path Fund (IFPF).

“Ian would have been enthused by the projects coming forward through the fund and that it continues to support communities across the country to put their ideas for local walking and cycling infrastructure into practice, and encourage more people to choose active forms of travel for their everyday journeys.

“This new path will not only help staff and students to travel in a more sustainable way, but also provides a safe and accessible connection to the wider National Cyle Network for surrounding communities.”

Queen Margaret University applied to the Ian Findlay Path Fund last year and was one of 22 successful projects to be offered funding and support to improve active travel networks in their area.  Most of those projects are now reaching their conclusion, delivering improvements for communities all around the country. 

Professor Richard Butt, Deputy Principal of Queen Margaret University, said: “As a university with sustainability central to our values, this new accessible path that helps our students and staff travel to and from the university safely, without the need for a car, is a huge benefit. Importantly, we know that it will also help people living around the campus.

“It’s been great seeing this project develop first-hand, knowing the positive impact it will have for our community and the surrounding area.”

East Lothian Depute Provost, Andy Forrest, said: “In recent years more people have expressed an interest in active travel both within and to our towns and villages.

“This new route offers a safe path segregated from traffic for people to walk or cycle to parts of Musselburgh connecting with the QMU campus.”

Senior Development Officer for the fund, Yvonne McLeod, said: “The Ian Findlay Path Fund team has been delighted to be able to support this project and it is fantastic to see the finished path being put to such great use. 

“The purpose of the fund is to support community projects just like this one and it has been great to witness this fantastic example of team work between the University and the Local Authority which has allowed this path to be upgraded to such a high standard.

“Seldom has a project been so well named  and we hope the newly refurbished path will continue to have a ‘big impact’ for this community, well into the future.”

CEO of Paths for All, Kevin Lafferty, said: “The QMU path has meant that people of all abilities can get outside, be safe and get exercise while commuting on routes that are used on a daily basis.

“Delivering safe environments for active travel is at the forefront of our Paths for All objectives, supporting people to live active healthy lives. The success from QMU’s use of the funding shows the differences that path development can make for communities.”

The fund concluded its second round of awards to community-based groups on the 8th March and a further £1.5 million will be allocated to similar path improvement projects located all around Scotland.

The Ian Findlay Path Fund, established in memory of Ian Findlay CBE, the late Chief Officer of Paths for All, continues to support local initiatives aimed at enhancing path networks and removing barriers to active travel.

The team works directly with communities to improve local path networks that will make it easier and more attractive for people to walk, wheel and cycle or choose public transport for local everyday journeys.

Community groups interested in potential future funding can reach out to the Ian Findlay Path Fund team at IFPF@pathforall.org.uk.

For more information about the Ian Findlay Path Fund, visit: 

https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/community-paths/cmp-grants/ian-findlay-path-fund