Tag: Holyrood

“We must improve patient strategy for Brain Tumours” – Foysol Choudhury

Lothian MSP Foysol Choudhury has called for an improved Scottish patient strategy for brain tumours, following his Member’s Business Debate which marked March as Brain Tumour Awareness Month.

Mr Choudhury, whose Member’s Business Motion on Brain Tumour Awareness Month achieved Cross-Party Support this week (26th March 2024) opened the debate on that Motion and shone a light on the importance of increasing funding for brain tumour research and improved patient outcomes, which he says have changed little in over a generation.

One in three people know someone affected by a Brain Tumour and this prevalence of the disease,  Mr Choudhury argues, is why brain tumours must be treated as a clinical and strategic priority by Government, with increased funding for research into brain tumours.

Mr Choudhury said: “Brain Tumours are a cancer of unmet need- despite poor outcomes, funding for brain tumour research remains at just a percentage of research funding for other cancers.

“Money must be ring fenced to support the discovery science that could transform patient outcomes in the field. More investment in research can lead to more clinical trials, new knowledge, and improved options and outcomes for patients.“

MSP Choudhury also shared the experience of Rayhan and Theo, who both had to eventually attend A&E where a scan diagnosed their brain tumours after these went unnoticed by GPs.

Mr Choudhury said: “The saddening experiences of Rayhan and Theo are unfortunately not unique-many other patients have to struggle with misdiagnosis or their brain tumours going undetected for some time.

“The Brain Tumour Charity found 41 percent of people suffering from a brain tumour had to visit their GP three or more times before being diagnosed.

“This must change if we are going to achieve early and successful treatment for brain tumour patients.

“That’s why it should be a priority to develop new clinical pathways informed by specialist knowledge and clinical training to identify Brain Tumours.”

Thomas Brayford, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said of the debate: “We come together every March to mark Brain Tumour Awareness Month and to raise awareness of this deadly disease, which kills more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.

“And, only 12% of brain tumour patients survive beyond five years of their diagnosis. These outcomes can and must improve. But this will only happen if the Government prioritises brain tumours and declares them a clinical priority.”

Mr Choudhury says that Brain tumours have been left ignored for too long and that following his Member’s Business Debate, he will continue to argue for increased funding and clinical development to tackle the devastating outcomes for brain tumour patients.

Foysol Choudhury MSP’s Member’s Business Debate for Brain Tumour Awareness Month on 26/03/34 can be watched here: https://www.scottishparliament.tv/

Strong support for Assisted Dying Bill, says Dignity in Dying Scotland poll

  • Biggest ever public poll in Scotland conducted on assisted dying confirms every single constituency supports law change
  • More than three-quarters of respondents (78%) said that they would support making it lawful for someone to seek assisted dying in Scotland, with just 15% against
  • Findings released as Liam McArthur MSP’s ‘Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill published in Scottish Parliament (28th March 2024)

The vast majority of constituents in every parliamentary constituency and region in Scotland support a change in the law on assisted dying, according to the largest and most in-depth public polling ever conducted on the issue. The results of the poll are released as Liam McArthur MSP publishes his Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill in the Scottish Parliament.  

The polling was carried out by Opinium Research on behalf of Dignity in Dying Scotland, and canvassed the views of more than 4,000 people across the country. 78% said they would support a change in the law to allow dying adults to access assisted dying.

The polling results were modelled for every constituency and region in Scotland. The highest levels of support are reported in Orkney (82%), Shetland (82%), North East Fife (80%), Banff and Buchan (80%), Moray, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Mid Fife and Glenrothes, Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch and Inverness and Nairn (all 79%).

Every constituency has at least a two thirds majority in favour.

Constituents of the Party Leaders back Liam McArthur MSP’s Bill:

Humza Yousaf MSP, Glasgow Pollock, 67%

Douglas Ross MSP, Highland and Islands Region, 79%

Anas Sarwar MSP, Glasgow Region, 69%

Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP, Edinburgh Western, 76%

Patrick Harvie MSP, Glasgow Region, 69%

Lorna Slater MSP, Lothian Region, 76%

Ally Thomson, Director of Dignity in Dying Scotland said: “As Liam McArthur MSP’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill is published in the Scottish Parliament, the message from constituents to their MSPs is strikingly clear – it is time to change the law and vote to give dying people the choice of safe and compassionate assisted dying.

“In every constituency and region in Scotland there is an unshakeable majority of support for an assisted dying law, with tight safeguards that would benefit and protect dying people and improve end-of-life care as a whole.

“That law is now within our reach.  The Bill published today provides the compassion and choice dying people need and puts safety and protection in place where none currently exists.

“I’ve spoken to countless terminally ill people who are desperate for the peace of mind that this Bill would bring, and to so many who have watched someone they love endure a terrible death and don’t wish anyone else to suffer in a similar way. 

“The publication of the Bill today gives them all hope that needless suffering can be consigned to the past. We call on MSPs not to stand in the way of their choice.”

Liam McArthur MSP said: “Currently in Scotland assisted dying is illegal, a situation that I believe is failing too many terminally ill Scots at the end of life.

“It is leaving them facing traumatic deaths that impact not just them, but those that they leave behind. We can and must do better. That is why I am publishing my bill on assisted dying, which is being introduced formally in the Scottish Parliament today.

“For many years, polling has consistently shown overwhelming support for assisted dying. I believe we are now seeing the necessary political support, across all parties, to deliver this long overdue reform.

“The provisions I am proposing would be robustly safeguarded to ensure the process works as intended. Similar laws have been safely and successfully introduced in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the United States where they continue to enjoy strong public support.

“I hope that as they consider the provisions of the Bill, my colleagues will look at the evidence supporting a change in the law and the wishes of dying Scots and vote to give terminally ill adults the choice they need.”

In the Opinium polling, support for changing the law was consistently high across those who plan to vote SNP (84%), Conservative (72%), Labour (79%), Green (81%) and Liberal Democrat (78%).

The polling also found a strong majority for law change among religious people, with 75% of people who align themselves with Church of Scotland/England and 66% of those who state they are Catholic in favour.

In addition, the polling found that more than half of Scots (55%) would personally consider travelling to Switzerland for an assisted death if they were terminally ill, but 57% would not be able to afford it, with costs skyrocketing to £15,000 in the last five years.

Assisted dying bills are being considered in Jersey and the Isle of Man, an inquiry in Ireland has recently recommended law change, and a bill will be introduced in France this year.

Four hundred million people across Europe, North and South America and Australasia live in jurisdictions that have legalised or decriminalised assisted dying in some form.

Rare surviving Georgian fashions and majestic paintings go on display as The King’s Gallery reopens

A sword made for George IV’s historic visit to Edinburgh and other rare surviving items of Georgian clothing are among almost 100 works from the Royal Collection are now on show as part of Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians. 

It is the first exhibition to open at The King’s Gallery at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, formerly known as The Queen’s Gallery, following an 18-month closure for essential maintenance work.

Throughout the exhibition, the fashions recorded in portraiture are used as a lens to explore the many social, political and technological changes that characterised Georgian Britain. Paintings, prints and drawings by artists including Gainsborough, Zoffany and Hogarth are accompanied by a selection of clothing and accessories to tell the story of fashionable dress from George I’s accession in 1714 to the death of George IV in 1830. 

Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians takes a closer look at George IV’s 1822 visit to Scotland, the first by a reigning monarch in almost 200 years.

Visitors will see the set of accoutrements specially supplied to the King for the visit by George Hunter & Co, purveyors of Highland dress based on Princes Street in Edinburgh, including an ornate broadsword, made of blued steel inlaid with gold and decorated with Scottish emblems, a belt and a dirk.

Also on display is a full-length portrait of George IV by Fife-born artist Sir David Wilkie, showing the monarch in Royal Stewart tartan and wearing the accoutrements. 

The growing textile industries presented artists with fresh challenges as they strived to depict the latest fabrics. A rarely displayed, full-length portrait by Thomas Gainsborough of Queen Charlotte is paired with an embellished Indian muslin sacque gown on loan from Historic Royal Palaces, a close match in shape and style to the delicate white dress that glitters with silk netting and tasselled bunches of gold lace in Gainsborough’s painting.

An essential fabric for centuries in Britain, linen was used in a variety of ways in items from washable undergarments to delicate lace, and even shoes, as demonstrated by a pair of baby shoes which belonged to Princess Charlotte, George IV’s only child. 

The age of Enlightenment saw ideas about childhood evolve, and this materialised in childrenswear becoming more comfortable and practical. Benjamin West’s portrait of three-year-old Prince Octavius, the 13th child of George III and Queen Charlotte, shows him wearing a skeleton suit – a new style of children’s dress inspired by the functional clothing of working-class sailors. With a toy horse on the floor behind him as he carries his father’s cavalry sword, displayed nearby, it is as if the young prince is pretending to be a hardworking king.

Clothes and undergarments such as bonnets and stays were used to teach children good posture or provide protection. An embroidered bonnet thought to have been worn by Princess Charlotte is on display for the first time after being bequeathed to the Royal Collection in 2022 by a descendant of the then young Princess of Wales’s Preceptress (teacher), Miss Mary Hunt.

All four Georgian monarchs took great interest in military clothing, and the 18th century saw a proliferation of uniform styles.

A preliminary work by Sir Joshua Reynolds of Lord Eglinton, a respected military leader and patron of Robert Burns, demonstrates the finesse of 18th-century portraiture, with headdress feathers appearing to flutter in the Highland breeze.

A deep blue uniform jacket designed by George IV and captured in the monarch’s portrait by Sir William Beechey shows first-hand the richness of military dress.

Georgian jewellery was often highly personal, and much like clothing, was regularly repurposed – even by the royal family. Pearl-adorned buttons from a dress coat belonging to George III were reused to create an eye-catching necklace for the Duchess of Clarence, later Queen Adelaide, shown alongside items of Queen Charlotte’s impressive jewellery collection.

Anna Reynolds, curator of Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians, said: ‘The 18th century was an incredibly innovative period, and the Georgians were responsible for ushering in many of the cultural trends we recognise today.

“From the rising influence of practical working-class dress to the practice of recycling and reusing fabric wherever possible, fashion from this period tells a broader story about what was happening in society.

“It is fascinating just how much we can learn from the paintings, clothing, and accessories on display. And, thanks to our new scheme of £1 tickets, we are looking forward to sharing it with as many people as possible.’

Following a successful run in London, Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians at The King’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse is the first Royal Collection Trust exhibition to offer £1 tickets to visitors receiving Universal Credit and other named benefits.

The King’s Gallery will also continue to offer concessionary rates, including reduced tickets for Young People, and the option to convert standard tickets bought directly from Royal Collection Trust into a 1-Year Pass, allowing free re-entry for 12 months.

An accompanying programme of events at The King’s Gallery includes:

  • Style Natters: Free short talks for visitors will be held weekly on Thursdays at 11:00, each taking an in-depth look at a work of art in the exhibition.
  • Powder and Pomade: Exhibition curator Anna Reynolds will give a lunchtime lecture on Friday, 3 May on 18th-century wigs and hairstyles, an essential aspect of Georgian style.
  • Dressing Children in the 18th Century: Assistant Curator Lucy Peter will give a lunchtime lecture on Friday, 21 June exploring new ideas around childhood in the Georgian period, including attitudes towards education and the importance of playing outside.
  • Recycled Fashion: Family Workshop: The King’s Gallery’s Learning team will hold a fun family workshop on Saturday, 10 August exploring embroidery and other fashions in Georgian Britain. Children will have the chance to create a cape inspired by the exhibition, using recycled paper materials.

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.”

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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Scotland’s 2030 climate goals ‘are no longer credible’

Continued delays to the updated climate change plan and further slippage in promised climate policies mean that the Climate Change Committee no longer believes that the Scottish Government will meet its statutory 2030 goal to reduce emissions by 75%.

There is no comprehensive strategy for Scotland to decarbonise towards Net Zero.

The Scottish Government delayed its draft Climate Change Plan last year despite the 2030 target only being six years away. This has left a significant period without sufficient actions or policies to reach the target; the required acceleration in emissions reduction in Scotland is now beyond what is credible.

Professor Piers Forster, interim Chair of the Climate Change Committee, said: “Scotland has laudable ambitions to decarbonise, but it isn’t enough to set a target; the Government must act.

“There are risks in all reviewed areas, including those with significant policy powers devolved to the Scottish Government.

“Scotland’s Climate Change Plan needs to be published urgently, so we can assess it. We need to see actions that will deliver on its future targets.”

Scotland missed its annual target for 2021. This is the eighth time in the past 12 years that they have missed a target. The only sectors to reduce emissions in 2021 were electricity supply and industry. Most key indicators of delivery progress, such as tree planting, peatland restoration rates and heat pump installations are off track.

There is a path to Scotland’s post 2030 targets, but stronger action is needed to reduce emissions across the economy.

The transport and buildings sectors will require a particularly rapid increase in the rate of emissions reduction to meet the targets set out in the last Climate Change Plan update (2020 CCPu).

  • Buildings. The 2020 CCPu requires emissions from heating buildings to decrease by 71% by 2030, meaning the annual emissions reduction rate must increase by almost a factor of ten. There are welcome bold proposals in the Heat in Buildings consultation, which if implemented could become a template for the rest of the UK. But these proposals must be delivered in practice and the planned rate of decarbonisation will not achieve those promised in 2020.
  • Transport. The 2020 CCPu requires Scotland’s transport emissions to decrease by 44% by 2030, meaning the annual emissions reduction rate must increase by almost a factor of four. Scotland has an extremely stretching target to reduce car-kilometres by 20% on 2019 levels by 2030, but a clear strategy on how this will be achieved is still missing. Practical delivery plans must focus on deploying and improving electric car charging infrastructure – and developing plans for aviation.
  • Agriculture and land use. The 2020 CCPu requires this to decrease by 11% by 2030 – a reversal of recent emissions increases is needed. On woodland creation, Scotland needs to double its recent rate. On peatland restoration a tripling of Scotland’s rate is required to reach its own target, which remains less ambitious than the CCC’s.
  • Engineered greenhouse gas removals. The Acorn carbon capture cluster has received ‘Track 2 status’, which is positive progress for engineered removals in Scotland. But the Scottish Government should assess Acorn’s deployment potential against its own aim to achieve -3.8 MtCO2 engineered removals by 2030. A feasibility study published by the Scottish Government estimates potential for only 2.2 MtCO2 by 2030 in Scotland.   

This is a crucial time for Net Zero in Scotland. The handling of plans to close the Grangemouth refinery underlines the risk of omitting meaningful dialogue between communities, industry and government and the important role for the Scottish Government in ensuring a just transition towards Net Zero.

Further delay to the Scottish Government’s draft Climate Change Plan will prevent further progress on these strategic issues.

The STUC commented: “This is a hammer blow and cannot go unchecked. It’s the working class who bear the brunt of climate change and a lack of action from government has let them down.

“If the Scottish Government can’t meet their climate targets, then we cannot plan and manage a just transition.”

Commenting on the Climate Change Committee’s new report, which warns that “Scotland’s 2030 climate goals are no longer credible”, Convener of Holyrood’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee, Edward Mountain MSP, said: “This report is a reality check for us all. Reaching Net Zero means drastic measures need to be taken across all sectors and amongst every community.

“To make this happen, the Scottish Government must lead from the front.

“Clearly insufficient action has been taken to date. We urge the Scottish Government to present, as soon as possible, a coherent and practical delivery plan.”

‘Broad support’ for Edinburgh’s Tourist Tax plans

Edinburgh residents, visitors, and industry back plans for a visitor levy, an engagement exercise has revealed.

Generating close to 4,000 responses in total, a four-week survey conducted by the Council over Christmas and New Year found broad support for the aims and objectives of its Visitor Levy for Edinburgh proposals.

The survey found that Capital residents and community groups are particularly keen to see some of an Edinburgh levy reinvested towards enhancing essential public services, such as keeping the city clean and moving.

Business groups, who have largely fed back via focussed engagement sessions, express greater support for dedicated destination marketing and industry support, while everyone tends to agree a levy should be simple to administer and support the protection and enhancement of Edinburgh’s heritage and world-famous cultural offering.

The full findings – which echo evidence gathered by Council officers over the last six years – will be presented to Councillors on the Policy and Sustainability Committee on Tuesday (12 March).

Members of the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee will also meet on the same day to debate amendments to the national Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill which, if set in legislation as the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act this Spring/Summer, will allow Scotland’s local authorities including Edinburgh to charge a levy on overnight accommodation.

With much of the Capital’s scheme already researched and developed, Edinburgh is well placed to formally consult on and finalise its plans and is likely to become the first city in the UK to formally adopt a city-wide visitor levy.

Cammy Day, City of Edinburgh Council Leader, said: “Edinburgh has been lobbying the Scottish Government for more than a decade for the local powers to introduce a visitor levy. Finally, we are edging closer to this long-called for legislation.

“Throughout the years, we have repeatedly and actively engaged with our tourism and hospitality industry, as well as with residents, seeking views at various stages on the type of visitor levy Edinburgh needs.

“At every turn, we’ve had overwhelming backing at a community level and have witnessed growing support from those in the tourism and hospitality industry. This is only building as we head towards the last Parliamentary hurdle.

“Edinburgh has an enviable reputation across the world as a bucket list destination and just this week was crowned Europe’s Leading Cultural City Destination at the World Travel Awards and listed as the best city in Scotland to live in, visit and invest. 

“We’re very proud that Edinburgh is one of the world’s most popular visitor destinations, but we’re equally aware that this success comes at a cost. A small overnight charge is common practice in other major cities and destinations, so why not here?

“The introduction of a levy will provide a funding stream that would be reinvested in the city and our infrastructure, to the benefit of our visitors and, crucially, the people who live here in our great Capital city all year round.

“While I welcome how far the Bill has come, I also echo the concerns shared by COSLA last week that it needs to allow visitor levies to be more flexible and quicker for Councils to roll out.

“Now that Edinburgh is ready to lead the introduction, I hope to see these adopted in the amendments Members of Parliament debate next week.”

Further regulation of the process for buying dogs should be welcomed, says Holyrood Committee

Further regulation of the process for buying dogs should be welcomed, says the Rural Affairs & Islands Committee, but registering unlicensed litters is unlikely to make a difference to issues around traceability.

The Committee’s report concludes its stage 1 scrutiny of the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill which aims to establish ‘a more responsible and informed approach to acquiring and owning a dog’ and ‘regulate the selling or transferring of puppies from unlicensed litters’.

In light of a growing number of problems across Scotland resulting from people buying dogs which suffer from poor health or buying breeds unsuitable for their lifestyles, the Committee agrees that further measures are needed to promote the more responsible acquisition of dogs.

It says that educating people looking to buy puppies and dogs, so that they buy the right dog for their lifestyle, and avoid the pitfalls of purchasing through unscrupulous breeders, is key.

To this end, the Committee agrees with Part 1 of the Bill which would establish a code of practice and require both buyers and sellers to sign a certificate to confirm they have thought through the practicalities of owning a dog before taking on the responsibility.

It also says that a publicity campaign to raise awareness of the code of conduct is essential but calls on the Scottish Government to do all it can to ensure the campaign is more effective than some previous campaigns, which have had a limited impact.

However, the Committee does not agree with Part 2 of the Bill and the proposed requirement to register unlicensed litters. Members agree this approach wouldn’t give any indication about a dog’s welfare or whether it had been bred by a responsible breeder. Neither, the report says, do local authorities have the finances or the resource to be able to enforce it.

Instead, the Committee calls on the Scottish Government to continue to explore whether a UK-wide single microchip database would help solve the problem. If this is not possible, the Committee asks the Scottish Ministers to detail what other measures they will take to improve the traceability of dogs.

Launching the report, Beatrice Wishart, Deputy Convener of the Committee, said; “This is an extremely well-intentioned Bill, introduced at a time when dog welfare issues are, as we heard from stakeholders, almost at an unprecedented level.

“We were told that a fifth of people spend less than two hours researching whether to get a puppy and a third say they wouldn’t know how to spot a rogue breeder. Clearly measures are needed to promote the best chances for a dog’s happy and healthy life and to support buyers in making responsible decisions for their families, lifestyles and their finances.

“We support the Bill’s aim of influencing unscrupulous breeding by educating prospective dog owners and that is why publicity should be maximised around the strengthened regulation this Bill would create.”

“It is also vitally important that a solution is found to reassure buyers about the origins, health, and well-being of puppies they are buying, and we will continue to press the Scottish Government on this.

“Thank you to everyone who contributed to this inquiry.”

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Boyack: Scottish Government leaving Edinburgh less safe by slashing police officer numbers

Labour, Lothians MSP, Sarah Boyack has slammed the Scottish Government over cuts to Edinburgh’s police officer numbers.

From the end of 2020 to the end of 2023, the number of police officers in Edinburgh plummeted by over 300 from 3894 to 3556.

This comes as the Scottish Government has finished consultations on closing multiple Edinburgh Police Stations, including Balerno and Portobello.

Over the same period, Edinburgh has also seen a rise of over a 1,000 crimes or offences recorded, rising from 12,987 in 2020/21 to 14,017 in 2022/23.

Commenting on the figures, Ms Boyack said: “This fall in police officers is deeply distressing and leaving Edinburgh’s streets less safe.

“Edinburgh’s police force does a great job to keep us safe, but the Scottish Government is making them do it with one hand tied behind their back.

“Closing police stations and cutting officers are not going to help us lower Edinburgh’s crime rate.

“The Scottish Government need to reassess their plans and ensure that Edinburgh’s police force has the resources to do its job.”