Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has spoken about the need to increase investment in public services across the South East of Scotland to meet growing demand – while at the same time his party is urging the Scottish Government to cut the highest rates of tax in line with England!
During a debate at Holyrood yesterday on Scotland’s Population – Meeting the Needs of our Communities, Economy and Public Services – the Conservative MSP said that “Edinburgh and the South East continues to be a resilient region and the only part of the Scottish economy which has seen continued economic growth.”
Mr Briggs went on to say that this should not “mask the huge pressures which are facing our public services.”
Scottish Government funding for NHS Lothian as well as Edinburgh City Council are at their “lowest level” according to Mr Briggs, while the region is projected to have a growing population, leading to greater demands on services.
Local authorities in Lothian have the fastest growing populations in Scotland.
Midlothian is predicted to have the fastest growing population in Scotland, 13.8%, East Lothian the second fastest at 7.2%, City of Edinburgh sixth fastest, 6.6% and West Lothian seventh fastest, 5.9%. These local authorities all have much faster predicted population growth than the Scottish average of 3.5%.
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs has previously campaigned for a change to the formula which determines funding for NHS Boards, saying that NHS Lothian has not been receiving their fair share over the last ten years.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“The financial sustainability of delivering public services is becoming more difficult to deliver here in Lothian and it is time for SNP-Green Ministers to recognise this.
“The fact that levels of homelessness and children living in temporary accommodation are at their highest anywhere in Scotland is a direct consequence of not being able to deliver on local housing outcomes.
“NHS Lothian is seeing an unprecedented demand on services and waiting times for treatments are unacceptably long.”
If only there was a magic money tree …
Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund has rebuked the UK Tory Government’s reckless ‘growth plan’ …
In its report, the Committee highlights substantive differences between the views of the UK Government and the Scottish and Welsh Governments regarding future alignment with EU law.
The Committee’s report makes clear that these differences raise fundamental constitutional questions including the extent the UK can accommodate four different regulatory environments within a cohesive internal market, as well as whether the existing institutional mechanisms are sufficient to resolve differences between the four governments within the UK when there are fundamental disagreements regarding alignment with EU law.
The Committee is concerned with how devolution needs to evolve to address these questions. This includes the operation of the Sewel Convention which the Committee agrees is under strain following Brexit and the extent of UK Ministers’ new delegated powers in devolved areas which the Committee agrees amounts to a significant constitutional change.
The report states there is a need for a much wider public debate about where power lies within the devolution settlement following the UK’s departure from the EU. This needs to address the extent of regulatory autonomy within the UK internal market.
Committee Convener, Clare Adamson MSP said: ““As a Committee, we have already set out our concerns about the risks for devolved Parliaments as a result of Brexit. But the questions raised in our report make it clear that there are fundamental issues which must be addressed urgently.
“Without wider debate, both in this Parliament and elsewhere, these fundamental questions will go unresolved, and the way devolution works outside of the EU will remain uncertain.”
Deputy Convener, Donald Cameron MSP said: “Our committee is agreed that there is a need for a wide debate on the very serious and complex issues raised in our report.
“However, this debate is not simply one for Governments and Parliaments, but businesses, civic society and the wider public as well in order that we can fully explore the current issues facing not just the Scottish Parliament, but the wider devolution process.”
The publication of the Scottish Government’s Resource Spending Review Framework in May set out possible spending of £11.6 billion on the justice sector over the next four financial years.
However, independent research by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) has suggested that if current inflationary pressures persist, this settlement would represent a significant reduction in spending across the justice sector.
Speaking as the call for views was launched, Criminal Justice Committee Convener Audrey Nicoll MSP, said: “There is no doubt the Scottish Government and public services will face cost pressures in the upcoming years and the ongoing cost of living crisis is creating a real sense of uncertainty over what is to come.
“However, if the current trend of rapidly increasing inflation continues then those in the justice sector will have some difficult decisions to make in order to balance budgets.
“We want to hear a range of views as part of our pre-budget scrutiny and are seeking views from those within the sector.
“But we also want to hear the views of ordinary people, any third sector organisations who may be impacted by these potential cuts in justice spending and groups who work to support those within the justice portfolio. This will help us to scrutinise the possible impact of cuts to key services such as the police, fire and rescue, courts and prosecution services and prisons.”
The call for views closes on Friday 21 October 2022.
The Scottish Parliament’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee will visit East Lothian tomorrow (Wednesday, 21st September) to explore the issues raised in a public petition.
The Committee will visit Pressmennan Wood, just south of the village of Stenton, as part of its consideration of a petition seeking the introduction of legislation which would provide Scotland’s remaining fragments of ancient, native and semi-native woodlands and woodland floors with full legal protection following concerns that large areas are being lost or damaged each year.
Committee Convener, Jackson Carlaw MSP, Deputy Convener David Torrance MSP, Alexander Stewart MSP and Paul Sweeney MSP will join officials from the Woodland Trust to learn more about the challenges around protecting Scotland’s woodlands.
Owned by the Woodland Trust, Pressmennan Wood has been continuously wooded since the early 15th century but has seen much human intervention throughout its history.
A large part of the woodland is currently classified as Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland, with some large areas of Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites.
At an earlier meeting, the Committee heard evidence from Mairi McAllan MSP, Minister for Environment and Land Reform, who indicated that the Scottish Government were undertaking work to develop the register of ancient woodlands and were looking at options to improve existing protections and enforcement measures.
Speaking ahead of the visit, the Committee’s Convener, Jackson Carlaw MSP, said: “Protecting Scotland’s native and ancient woodlands is incredibly important to supporting biodiversity and maintaining our natural environment. This petition has helped to shine a light on the challenges we need to address to ensure their long-term future.
“The Committee has heard directly from the petitioners and a range of experts who have expressed their concerns over the lack of these woodlands protection from inappropriate developments and other threats, which has resulted in large areas of ancient woodland being lost for good over recent years.
“The Citizens Participation and Public Petitions Committee’s visit to Pressmennan Wood in East Lothian alongside the Woodland Trust will help us see the issues first hand and look at what next steps the Committee can take to help protect our ancient woodlands”
Foysol Choudhury MSP’s contribution to Ending Institutional Racism in Sport debate at Holyrood following the publication of Plan4Sport report:
“Another investigation, another organisation found to be Institutional Racist and a long list of actions to be taken!
Twenty-three years after the 1999 Macpherson report, racism is still present across society.
Since then, positive moves towards equality have been taken and I applaud the work of campaigns such as Show Racism the Red Card and Kick it Out, which encourage the end of racism within sport.
Institutions that receive Government funding must be held to account and must promote anti-racist equality practices.
Institutions and their boards must not be given awards whilst failing to uphold standards of fairness, equality and accountability for those they serve.
It is unacceptable that Cricket Scotland was winning diversity awards whilst 448 cases of institutional racism were happening.
I commend those who shared their lived experiences of racism within the sport, including former Scotland internationals Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh.
Doing so has helped to expose the realities that racism does still exist in Scotland and that something needs to be done, now!
I hope that in the future, it will be easier for other victims of racism to share their experience and be supported in doing so.
The Plan4Sport report, whilst shocking and extremely disappointing, is a wakeup call about the reality of racism in sport and in Scotland today.
I am a cricket lover and have played the game myself. Sport should be an exciting, enjoyable pursuit for children and adults alike and we should not be allowing a culture where people feel that they cannot succeed in, or enjoy, sport because of institutional barriers against their skin colour, religion or cultural background.
I want to see strict laws, monitoring and methods to ensure change.
Racism in Scotland has gone on long enough. Now is the time to deliver change!”
The role of local government in helping to reach Scotland’s net zero targets will be the focus for the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee as it visits Linlithgow.
During the visit on Monday (12 September), Deputy Convener, Fiona Hyslop MSP, Monica Lennon MSP and Mark Ruskell MSP will visit projects which are at the heart of tackling climate change. – POSTPONED – SEE BELOW –
These will include for example a tour of the Linlithgow Community Development Trust; an introduction to the Linlith-Go-Solar’ solar energy project; and a visit to the proposed site for the newly approved community driven project – West Lothian Cycle Circuit.
The visit is part of the Committee’s work exploring the role of local government and its partners in achieving the challenging commitment of making Scotland net zero in greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Now the Committee are seeing this work in action by visiting projects and communities across Scotland.
Speaking ahead of the visit, the Committee’s Deputy Convener, Fiona Hyslop MSP, said: “So many of the key responsibilities in helping Scotland reach its net zero targets sit with local government. Issues such as travel, housing, recycling and the circular economy have a huge impact on Scotland’s environment.
“But we know that local government can’t make this huge change alone. That is why we want to see how councils across Scotland are working with their communities and building relationships with business, public agencies and the voluntary sector to embed these changes and make a difference to addressing climate change.
“The Parliamentary Committee’s visit to Linlithgow will help us see first-hand the positive work happening in our communities.”
VISIT POSTPONED
Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, all parliamentary business has been suspended. This committee visit has therefore been postponed.
Today, Thursday 8th September, Liam McArthur MSP for Orkney will lodge a final proposal in the Scottish Parliament for his Members Bill ‘Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland)’.
The report analysing the responses to the public consultation on the bill’s proposals will also be published. The proposals received the highest number of responses to date for a consultation on a Members Bill in the Scottish Parliament with 14,038 valid consultation responses submitted.
The report’s findings show:
• A clear majority of respondents, 76%, were fully supportive of the proposal, with a further 2% partially supportive.
• Many respondents have first-hand experiences of witnessing family, friends and patients with a terminal illness who had experienced great pain and suffered what was often described as a “bad death”.
• Many supportive respondents believe the proposal is an improvement on previous attempts to legislate for assisted dying and are fully satisfied with the proposed criteria – that the right to an assisted death should be available for competent terminally ill adults with a clear and appropriate set of safeguards built in to every step of the process, together with a right for health professionals involved to conscientiously object.
Ally Thomson, Director of Dignity in Dying Scotland said: “The overwhelming majority of people in Scotland support a change in the law and now MSPs have the opportunity to respond to this unprecedented call for change and deliver a safe and compassionate new law.
“That so many people across the country have recounted their personal experience of watching a loved one suffer shows the current blanket ban on assisted dying does not work, instead it creates heartache and injustice for so many families. An injustice that can now be put right.”
“Taken alongside the responses from dying people who wish to have the choice of an assisted death available to them, as well as the evidence from other countries where they would already have this option, it is clear that the case for change is compelling.”
“Liam McArthur MSP today is lodging the Final Proposal for his Members Bill on Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults. I urge MSPs to sign these proposals so that Scotland can move forward progressively by providing our dying citizens with what they need – excellent care and the choice of an assisted death for those who need it.”
The Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Stroke – of which we are secretariat, is exploring the current position of emotional support available to people affected by stroke in Scotland. Our aim is to support stroke improvements in this area.
A vital part of this is to gather the views of people affected by stroke in Scotland.
We want to know: what support you received? Was it the right support for you?
Please have your say by completing out short online survey.
MSPs are asking for the public to share their views on the support that is currently available for disabled children and young people as they grow into adulthood.
The findings will be considered by the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee as part of their scrutiny of a Bill which seeks to introduce more structured support for disabled children and young people in their transition to adulthood.
The Bill has been proposed by Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP, following on from work started by Johann Lamont in the last session of Parliament.
If passed, the Bill would make three main changes to the law:
the Scottish Government would need to have a strategy explaining how they are going to improve opportunities for disabled children and young people
a Scottish Government minister would be placed in charge of improving opportunities for disabled children and young people moving into adulthood
local authorities would need to have plans for each disabled child and young person as they move into adulthood
Sue Webber MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee said: “A young person’s transition to adulthood is a critical stage in their lives and our Committee wants to be sure that the right kind of support is available to help disabled children and young people as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.
“We want to hear the views of disabled children and young people, their parents and their carers on these proposals.
“We’re particularly keen to understand more about the how the support that is currently available is viewed.”
The Committee’s call for views and survey on the Bill opened on 1 September and people can share their views until 27 October 2022.
TALKS to resolve the local government workers strike ended without an agreement being reached yesterday.
Unions had sought clarity over a 5% offer tabled at a meeting with local government organisation Cosla but the employers were unable to give sufficient reassurances to enable unions to call off planned strikes across the country.
This means the ongoing strike in Edinburgh will continue, with other council areas also being hit by industrial action for the first time today.
Edinburgh North and Leith SNP MP Deirdre Brock said the capital’s Labour-run council had failed to put forward a decent pay offer.
Edinburgh council’sLabour leader Cammy Day was criticised last week for offering just 3.5% to council workers while other council leaders were pushing for a 5%pay rise for their workers.
Ms Brock said: “The SNP in government put an extra £140m on the table, on top of the £100m extra given to councils earlier in the year, yet Labour refused to offer that money to refuse workers for over a week, leaving our capital streets an eyesore.
“Residents and tourists alike need to see a plan from Labour to clean up the capital starting today. All we’ve seen so far is ineptitude.”
Her Edinburgh SNP colleague Angus Robertson MSP weighed in:
The Labour administration in Edinburgh is propped up by the Scottish Conservatives and the Lib Dems, but the Tory Local Government spokesperson Miles Briggs MSP had a go at both the Labour-led council and the SNP Holyrood government:
Lamenting the city council’s ‘astounding’ lack of contingency planning – trade unions have made their plans very clear in the run-up to the strike – Lothians list MSP Miles Briggs said: “More could have been done to prepare the city, such as working with private companies or providing additional bins.
“The SNP government must get around the table and fix this before it’s too late. They cannot stand by and watch while a situation that they created by giving councils a poor funding settlement spirals out of control.”
Scotish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole Hamilton lays the blame squarely on the Scottish Government:
“Think of the white elephants the SNP has splurged cash on: independence, the ferries debacle, the embassies so they can play ‘dress-up diplomat’. All of this could have gone to councils to allow them to settle these very reasonable pay expectations.”
Talking of white elephants, our cash-strapped city council chose yesterday to announce £1 BILLION plans for a new North-South tram line … but that’s another story!
Responding to the Edinburgh refuse workers’ industrial action, Labour Lothian list MSP Foysul Choudhury said:“SNP representatives should get off their high horse about the ongoing industrial action when they should have been canvassing their own party in the Scottish Government to agree extra cash with COSLA for councils to pay workers a fair wage, rather than expecting Edinburgh City Council to cut services elsewhere.
“It is up to the Scottish Government and COSLA to agree further funding, and then up to COSLA and the unions to agree the terms of any new pay deal, not Edinburgh City Council. As a former City Councillor, Deidre Brock knows this and yet has pretended otherwise in the media.
“Nobody wants to see the streets of Edinburgh in their current state, but the ongoing industrial action shows what a crucial job refuse and recycling workers do and demonstrates why we should be paying them fairly for their work.
“At the same time it is ridiculous for SNP representatives to lay the strike at the hands of a Labour-led council when it is their party which has repeatedly slashed local government budgets in real terms, forcing councils to cut their services to the bone.
“If the SNP really wanted to avoid these strikes rather than play politics, they should have come to an agreement with COSLA sooner, or better still, avoided imposing successive years of painful austerity for local authorities across Scotland.”
UNITE City of Edinburgh Branch pointed out: “Misinformation on #edinburghbinstrikes today is rife. Strike is a national dispute—one council can’t stop it. 14 more councils tomorrow.
“Local government funding has been slashed for a decade. Idea that 5% definitely would have stopped this is a fantasy. An insulting one at that.”
STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer is backing the striking unions. In a tweet yesterday, Ms Foyer said: “Solidarity to all of you. Keep fighting!
“All Scotland’s local government workers deserve a decent pay rise for the vital work you do. Let’s show our support on the picket lines across Scotland tomorrow.”
PLANNED INDUSTRIAL ACTION:
Unison
School and early years workers will strike on 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th September, joining UNISON waste and recycling staff who will have already started their strike action on 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th August and 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th September.
Unite
Strikes will be held between the 18th August – 30th in Edinburgh with a second wave expected in a further 14 local authorities this week.
Aberdeen City, Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Glasgow, Highland, Inverclyde, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian.
In the first wave of action cleansing workers will strike in Aberdeenshire, Clackmannanshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Stirling and South Lanarkshire councils for the first wave of strike action to take place on 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th August and 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th September.
Cleansing workers will strike in Aberdeenshire, Clackmannanshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Stirling and South Lanarkshire councils for the first wave of strike action to take place on 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th August and 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th September.
City of Edinburgh Council: Disruption to Waste Services
We appreciate the impact and inconvenience this will cause you and appreciate your understanding. Please help us to keep the city as clean and safe as possible during the strike by following this guidance:
Regularly check our website and Twitter account for updates on services suspended and when collections will restart in your area. Be aware normal collections may take a while to get back to schedule after the strike ends.
Don’t put any bins, boxes or bags out for collection until the situation changes.
Stock up on strong black bags, and be prepared to fill, seal and store these with extra waste.
When separating your recycling, please try to flatten all cardboard and crush drinks cans and bottles. You can bag these up, separated, to empty into the recycling bin when you can.
Store waste sensibly and safely. If possible, use and share empty garage space with your neighbours or store bags in your garden or driveway.
Don’t store waste in stairwells or landings, where it could become a fire hazard.
Be careful not to block bin chutes or overfill them.
Keep all food waste separate and in an enclosed container, to help prevent smells attracting wildlife.
Talk to your neighbours and share responsibility for keeping spillages to a minimum. Help neighbours who may need support managing their waste. Explain the situation to those who may not have heard.
Please do not leave bags or any bulky items next to full bins. These will not get cleared away and could become a hazard.
Join with neighbours to do local litter picking clean ups, especially around on-street bins and litter bins on your street.
If a bin is full to overflowing, don’t use it, particularly for dog fouling. Please either use a bin that’s not full or take it home and double bag it to reduce smells.
Report a waste emergency
If you need to report an emergency issue where waste is causing injury or hazard call us and listen to select an option carefully. Phone 0131 608 1100, from Monday -Thursday 1000-1600 and Friday 1000-1500. After these hours, phone 0131 200 2000.
You can also email waste@edinburgh.gov.uk with the specific location and details of the issue.
