Day: January 11, 2024

Places for People issues £8,500 of funding to 9 food banks in Scotland

Social Enterprise, Places for People has continued its support of local food banks with £8,500 of funding to help provide individuals and families with essential items over the winter period. 

The funding was allocated following Places for People annual survey which found that 26% of customers in Scotland were struggling financially. A number of customers also stated that they had ran out of food provisions and many expressed an interest in food-related cost-of-living support. It comes after the Trussel Trust reported a 16% increase in demand on local foodbanks between April and September 2023.  

The foodbanks that will be supported include:  

·         Edinburgh Food Project – with seven centres the funding from Places for People will look to benefit over 150 people with food parcels, totally over £5,500.  

·         The Vennie Food Outlet in Livingston, West Lothian – the centre based at Mosswood Community Centre will see over £1,500 going to support over 100 individuals through the donation.  

·         Newtongrange Development Trust in Newtongrange – the self-referral service for local residents, which opens on Sundays will receive £1,500 to support discounted weekly shops.  

This support is one of the ways Places for People works in their communities to make a difference and support activities across a wide range of areas.

Selected schemes are based on the insight from their annual survey and targeted based on local needs.  By taking this approach, Places for People has identified 9 foodbanks to allocate funding to.

In addition to the funding, Places for People is working directly with each foodbank to ensure that the customers who access the service are offered further support by being referred to any relevant support. 

Marcus Hulme, Director of Places Impact at Places for People commented: “We have seen first-hand the impact that the cost-of-living crisis is having on communities, and we want to do everything we can to support our customers and communities through this difficult time.

“The rise in the use of foodbanks across the country is deeply concerning, we hope that this funding will help to support our local foodbanks and help provide people with the essentials they need.

“This funding is only part of the continuing work we are doing to support our customers and communities, between April 2022 and March 2023 we provided £750,000 of financial support through our Cost of Living Fund including rent relief and vouchers for essentials including food and fuel. A fund which we have dedicated more funds to this financial year.” 

Places for People has an ongoing commitment to support communities, in April 2023 they dedicated £1 million to their cost-of-living fund to help ease the challenge of the steeply rising cost of living, the fund is used to support customers with food and fuel vouchers, rent and service charge relief as well as energy efficient packs.  

Asset Alliance Group helps Ratho Coaches lead the charge with new electric vehicle

Ratho Coaches has become the first operator in the central belt of Scotland to put an electric coach into service, after taking delivery of a new Yutong TCe12 from Asset Alliance Group.

The Edinburgh-based firm added the coach as part of its sustainability drive, and to ensure compliance with the existing Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in Glasgow city centre and ahead of the introduction of the LEZ in the Scottish capital on 1 June 2024.

Charles McIntosh, Co-Owner and Director at Ratho Coaches, says: “We are delighted to be leading the way as an environmentally-friendly coach operator. It’s the first time we’ve used Asset Alliance Group and we’re extremely pleased with the exceptional service they have provided.

“The Yutong TCe12 is a fantastic addition to our fleet and a key part of our mission to become a more sustainable business.

“It replaces a diesel coach previously used for city tours to places like Glasgow, Stirling and as far as St Andrews, helping the company to reduce its carbon footprint.”

After being certified as an Ultra Low Emission Bus (ULEB) in August 2020, the Yutong TCe12 is the first fully electric zero-emission coach to be made available in the UK. It means that the 50-seat, fully PSVAR-compliant vehicle is eligible to receive the 30p per kilometre Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) incentive payment in Scotland for qualifying work.

Using an identical electric driveline and control system to Yutong’s E10, E12 and airport buses, the vehicle’s 281 kWh battery offers Ratho Coaches a range in excess of 200 miles on a full charge.

“The excellent battery range of the coach, combined with the flexible seating and luxury specifications – including fold down tables and footrests – offers a high level of comfort for passengers joining our city tours,” adds McIntosh.

“We plan to add more electric coaches to our fleet in the coming years to take advantage of ongoing improvements in battery charging infrastructure for EVs, which will allow us to utilise them for UK-wide tours and further enhance our green transport credentials.”

Ratho Coaches currently runs a fleet of 76 vehicles, ranging from people carriers and 16-seat Mercedes-Benz Sprinters to 57-seat Executive coaches and 70-seat capacity coaches.

This year, the coach operator hopes to access the Scottish Government grant system designed to accelerate the bus and coach sector’s transition to net zero. The company has applied to the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB) to help acquire additional EVs.

Award-winning author and illustrator Morag Hood announced as Book Club Storyteller this month at The Centre

Award-winning author and illustrator Morag Hood is announced as the next author to read from her books at The Centre, Livingston’s free Book Club on Saturday, 20th January, ahead of National Storytelling Week at the end of the month.

The aim of the monthly Book Club is to encourage families to come together and enjoy interactive storytelling sessions once a month in the shopping centre and meet award-winning authors.

It follows on from the installation of the shopping centre’s free book recycling vending machine last year to enable people to swap their favourite novels.

Previous authors who have taken over the reading chair include Linda Erskine, Justin Davies, Catherine Rayner and Lindsay Littleson.

Edinburgh-based Morag, who has an MA in Children’s Book Illustration from Cambridge School of Art and a BA in Costume Design from Wimbledon College of Art, previously worked backstage in theatres before immersing herself in the world of illustration. 

She is the author and illustrator of 12 picture books, including ‘I Am Bat’, ‘The Steves’ and ‘Dig, Dig, Digger’, which is a witty and funny tale about a little digger with big dreams. The follow up, ‘Runaway Cone’, is due to be published later this month. Morag is also the author of the best-seller ‘Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert’.

Her books are published internationally and have been translated into multiple languages. She is twice winner of the UK Literacy Association Award, voted by primary teachers, and three of her books have been distributed to every primary one class across Scotland as part of Scottish Book Trust’s school reading programme.

Morag has also had five nominations for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Awards over the years and won the Teach Primary Book Awards for ‘Brenda is a Sheep’.

One of her books, ‘Teapot Trouble’, was narrated by the comedian and presenter, Josh Widdicombe, on CBeebies Bedtime Stories.

Morag’s session’s, which are aimed at kid’s aged 2 – 6 and start at 11am and 1pm, will focus on ‘Dig, Dig, Digger’ with a draw-along digger activity and a reading of ‘I Am Bat’.

The Book Club is located across from Waterstones, where her books can be purchased and signed on the day by the author.

Morag said: “I can’t wait to come to the Book Club at The Centre, Livingston this month and share some of my stories and make some muddy digger drawings together – it is such a great idea to run the sessions in the shopping centre and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”

Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “We are delighted to welcome another award-winning author, Morag Hood, to our Book Club this month at The Centre, Livingston and give our visitors the chance to hear readings from her award-winning books and take part in some interactive drawing sessions.

“Our free Book Club, which has been very popular since it started last year, is a great way for us to give families another reason to visit and enjoy some special time together.”

Details of the Book Club can be found on The Centre, Livingston website, www.thecentrelivingston.com and @shopthecentre on Facebook and Instagram.

National Storytelling Week, which takes place from the 27th January until the 4th February, is an annual event to celebrate the power of sharing stories, run by the Society of Storytelling.

Wassailing at Granton Castle Walled Garden

SUNDAY 21st JANUARY from 1 – 3pm

Come and join us at the garden for wassailing, the community will come together to sing to the orchard and scare away the bad spirits.

The king and queen will lead the procession down to the orchard and the signing and toasting to the trees will commence, it’s lots of fun!

Directions for how to get here are on our website, the singing starts at 1pm so please arrive in plenty of time, the gate shuts at 13:20 to allow everyone to join in so arrive in plenty of time.

Wrap up warm and there will be refreshments afterwards, spiced apple juice and delicious apple baked goods. See you there!

Edinburgh heritage site transforms listed courtroom into new retail experience

The Real Mary King’s Close invests £200,000 in listed Burgh Courtroom following over a quarter of a million visitors in 2023  

The Real Mary King’s Close has completed an exciting renovation project, costing £200,000, to transform its listed Burgh Courtroom, located in Edinburgh’s City Chambers, into an impressive new retail experience on the Royal Mile, further improving the visitor journey at the top Edinburgh tourist attraction.

Following a complete redesign, the new design allows the original assets of the courtroom to stand out thanks to celebrated interior specialists, Lumsden Design.
Working with the symmetry of the room to accentuate details, the layout of the newly curated gift shop takes inspiration from Edinburgh’s 17th century market stalls, the Luckenbooths.

The Luckenbooths were the city’s first permanent shops. Situated on the Royal Mile across from St Giles Cathedral, they could be found just a stone’s throw away
from Mary King’s Close before the street was hidden beneath the City Chambers in 1753.

Excitingly, the new space also aims to improve the visitor experience. By connecting the guest journey from Mary King’s Close to the gift shop more seamlessly,
the Burgh Courtroom now provides an interesting new extension of the tour itself, with the history of the room being revealed to guests on tour for the very first time.

The popular attraction views the renovation work as an investment following its hugely successful year, with over a quarter of a million people visiting in 2023.
Much of The Real Mary King’s Close’s highest footfall came during the annual Fringe festival and the school holidays.

July saw a record-breaking number of visitors journey underground, with The Met Office reporting that it was the UK’s wettest July since 2009, and the sixth wettest July on record.

With the addition of exclusive monthly special tours in 2023, including a Herstory Tour for Women’s History Month in March and the Pride History Tour in June, visitors were able to learn from a wealth of fascinating social history experiences, providing a deeper insight into Edinburgh’s dark and fascinating past.

Paul Nixon, General Manager at The Real Mary King’s Close, said: ‘Reflecting on knock-on effect of the pandemic on the tourism industry overall in recent years, we are delighted to see a consistent increase in our footfall.

“We want to invest in our fantastic Burgh Courtroom to ensure our guests are getting the highest quality visitor experience as possible. We’re really looking forward to seeing the gift shop transform to a space that is reminiscent of the time and feeds into the social history of Mary King’s Close itself.”

For more information about The Real Mary King’s Close, visit :

https://www.realmarykingsclose.com 

TUC: UK families suffering “worst decline” in living standards in the G7

UK is only country in G7 where household budgets have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels

  • Families would be £750 a year better off if real disposable income had grown in line with other leading economies 
  • Working people are being made poorer by Conservative failure, union body says 

The UK is suffering the worst decline in living standards of any G7 country – according to new TUC analysis published this week.

The analysis shows the UK is only G7 economy where real household disposable income per head hasn’t recovered to its pre-pandemic levels: 

Real household disposable incomes in the UK were 1.2% lower in the second quarter of 2023 than at the end of 2019. 

But over the same period they grew by 3.5%, on average, across the G7. 

The TUC estimates that if real disposable income in the UK had risen in line with the G7 average UK families would be £750 a year better off. 

More pain ahead 

The union body warned that the contraction in UK household budgets is going to get worse – despite falling inflation. 

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts that real house disposable income per head in Britain will fall by an additional 3.4% by the end of the first quarter of 2024. 

And according to the same forecasts household budgets won’t even recover to their pre-pandemic levels until the end of 2026. 

The OBR said in November that UK households are suffering the worst period for living standards since modern records began in the 1950s. 

Households in debt 

The TUC says the Conservatives’ failure to grow the economy and deliver healthy wage growth has pushed many households further into debt. 

Analysis published by the union body at the end of December revealed that unsecured debt (credit cards, loans, hire purchase agreements) is set to rise by £1,400 per household, in real terms, this year. 

The TUC says working people have been left brutally exposed to rising costs after years of pay stagnation. 

UK workers are on course for two decades of lost living standards with real wages not forecast to recover to their 2008 level until 2028. 

The TUC estimates that the average worker has lost £14,800 since 2008 as a result of their pay not keeping up with pre-global financial crisis real wage trends. 

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “The UK is the only G7 nation where living standards are worse than before the pandemic. 

“While families in other countries have seen their incomes recover – household budgets here continue to shrink. 

“This is a damning indictment on the Conservatives’ economic record.  

“Their failure to deliver decent growth and living standards over the last 13 years has left millions exposed to skyrocketing bills – and is pushing many deeper into debt. 

“We can’t go on like this. Britain cannot afford the Tories for a day longer.” 

Growth in real disposable household income in the G7 

Country change 2019Q4 to 2023Q2 
United Kingdom -1.2 
Italy 0.1 
Germany 0.2 
Japan * 0.5 
France 2.4 
Canada 3.0 
G7 3.5 
United States 6.0 
source: OECD; * Japan to 2022Q1 

– The analysis is based on OECD figures for real household disposable income per head, which extend to 2023Q2 (except for Japan, which go to 2022Q1). Looking forward, UK figures are based on Office for Budget Responsibility projections in the November 2023 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. As with the ONS outturns and OBR projections, cash figures are in 2019 prices. 

– The OBR measure living standards as real household disposable income (RDHI) per person. 

Vets call on Government to license unregulated dog fertility clinics

British Veterinary Association and British Small Animal Veterinary Association urge crackdown on services linked to organised crime and unethical breeding of fashionable dog breeds

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) are calling on Government to license premises offering unregulated fertility treatments for dogs, such as ‘canine fertility clinics’, many of which are undertaking medical procedures on animals without any veterinary involvement, putting the health and wellbeing of dogs and their litters at risk. 

Regulation would also help to close the legal loopholes that are enabling unethical and irresponsible breeding. Some of these services have been linked to organised crime and potentially dangerous breeding practices, as reported by BBC One’s Panorama in January 2022 and BBC Three’s ‘Britain’s Puppy Boom’ exposé in July 2021. 

Undercover footage showed people with no veterinary qualifications or regulation illegally taking blood from animals, advocating the unlicensed use of medicines, demonstrating poor animal handling and hygiene, as well as potentially illegal acts such as entering a body cavity during artificial insemination.

The call comes as BVA’s latest Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey shows that irresponsible breeding or sourcing of animals is the top animal health and welfare concern for vets in the UK, with over half (55%) vets in clinical practice citing it as the most pressing issue.

More than 9 in 10 (93%) vets are concerned about the boom in unregulated breeding services, such as canine fertility clinics, which offer procedures like semen collection and analysis, progesterone testing, ultrasound scanning, and trans-cervical or intra-vaginal artificial insemination without any veterinary involvement. Worryingly, among vets who work in companion animal practice, 30% said they were aware of such establishments operating in their local area last year.

BVA has now launched its new joint policy position on canine breeding services with the BSAVA. Key recommendations for government include:

  • Amend current animal welfare licensing legislations across the UK [Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 and equivalent devolved regulations] so all operators of establishments operating without direct involvement of an RCVS-registered veterinary surgeon requirea licence, with mandatory inspections by trained Local Authority personnel.
  • Increase the penalties for those in breach of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, including non-veterinarians and non-veterinary nurses or non-RCVS-registered vets carrying out acts of veterinary surgery.
  • Strengthen Local Authorities’ (and other relevant devolved bodies’) enforcement capacity.
  • Improve data sharing between Local Authorities and establish a framework so that there is a consistent application of existing regulations.
  • Strengthen the legislation regarding the use of stud dogs under the dog breeding licensing regime and address the current legislative loopholes around the ownership of breeding bitches. It is currently possible for breeders breeding three or more litters in a year to circumvent licensing requirements by making use of a co-owning agreement with another person, who will take ownership of the dog while it is pregnant.

British Veterinary Association Junior Vice President Dr Elizabeth Mullineaux said: “Vets across the UK are extremely concerned about unscrupulous individuals cashing in on the huge demand for certain fashionable puppy breeds by offering dog breeding services like artificial insemination and blood sampling without any qualifications or veterinary oversight, fuelling a potential animal welfare disaster.

“The British Veterinary Association would like to see the Government act swiftly to clamp down on these unregulated and dangerous practices, including bringing in licensing, mandatory inspections, and tough penalties if they are found to be operating outside the law.

“Our advice to anyone looking to get a puppy or to breed their dog is to always speak to their vet first. Ask any dog breeding premises the right questions before using their services to avoid getting duped. This includes questions around the staff’s qualifications and training, how they are regulated, and about relevant health tests to make sure the dog is fit to breed in the first place.”

British Small Animal Veterinary Association President Carl Gorman said: “The surge in the number of commercial businesses offering canine breeding services in the UK, driven by an increased demand for puppies, is a real cause for concern among vets in small animal practice.

“The procedures advertised by some such businesses, if carried out by unqualified laypersons, pose potential risks to the health and behaviour of the dogs involved and also their puppies.

“BSAVA would encourage breeders and prospective owners of puppies to do their homework when engaging the services of a breeding clinic or when getting a new puppy. For clinics, always ask who the veterinary qualified professionals are for the premises and also if the business provides an out-of-hours service.

“For prospective puppy buyers, the new addition to the family is a long-term commitment and brings with it responsibility, so it’s important to find out about the breed of your new puppy and ask to see its parents, especially the mother.

“BSAVA would like to see canine breeding services better regulated and unscrupulous breeding practices robustly tackled to protect animal health and welfare.” 

BVA and BSAVA’s recommendations on canine breeding services can be viewed at: https://www.bva.co.uk/take-action/our-policies/canine-breeding-services/

Visual Arts Scotland kicks off centenary celebrations with RSA Show

On a winter’s eve in Edinburgh, 1924, Visual Arts Scotland (VAS) held their first-ever meeting, becoming early pioneers of inclusivity within Scotland’s artistic landscape. One-hundred years later, the organisation has grown into a leading platform for national and international artists and now celebrates its centenary with a year packed full of opportunities for its members.  

To kick off 2024’s celebrations, VAS are holding their biggest-ever exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh, showcasing work from the finest contemporary artists across Scotland and beyond.

Then and Now: 100 Years of Visual Arts Scotland will showcase 242 artists and over 300 artworks, with art ranging from ceramics, paintings, mixed media, photography, sculpture, and a variety of contemporary art forms.

The exhibition’s preview night takes place on Friday 16th of February 2024, from 6pm – 8pm, giving creative enthusiasts an exclusive glimpse into the contemporary Scottish art scene.

The exhibition will then run from the 17th of February until the 13th of March, launching a year of centenary celebrations for Visual Arts Scotland members. 

Tavienne Bridgwater, VAS Co-President, said: “VAS has seen a lot of growth and change over the past 100 years.

“The organisation began as The Scottish Society of Women Artists in 1924 with the aim to empower women after their contribution to the war effort. VAS provided women with the opportunity to exhibit and create applied arts, an opportunity other arts organisations in Scotland did not encourage until later in the century. 

“In the early 90s, the organisation’s name changed to Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen to embrace the high-quality experimental crafts taking place. Today, the organisation is known as Visual Arts Scotland and boasts a membership of over 1,000 artists across Scotland and beyond, its sole purpose to promote and provide opportunities for artists with an association to Scotland. 

“As we enter our 100th year, we want to reflect on our deep history, but also provide as many opportunities for our current membership as possible. 2024 will be packed full of exciting opportunities with a TATHA Gallery exhibition in Fife, a partnership exhibition with Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) in Aberlady, participation at the Borders Art Fair, and an exhibition and maker’s market at Dalkeith Palace.

“We will also be facilitating a number of artist residency opportunities throughout Scotland and the UK and our online platforms will continue to provide an important space for networking and the sharing of ideas, artwork, and dialogue.”  

Amanda Airey, VAS Co-President, commented: “We’re really excited to be returning to the RSA for our Centenary Show. Visual Arts Scotland’s relationship with this iconic building began in 1945, so there’s no better place to celebrate VAS’s milestone.

“We received over 1,500 applications for our Centenary Show from both members and non-members, indicating the enthusiasm for Visual Arts Scotland’s history as well as an appetite for in-person exhibitions.

“This year, we also hope to create a centenary year book that will contextualise VAS, capture our evolution as an organisation and reveal how we have stayed true to our core aims and passions. VAS members will be integral to influencing its design and purpose. 

“Despite years of growth, our organisation’s core values have remained the same. Everything we do is influenced by inclusivity and the idea that artists should and can help one another.

“VAS is a volunteer-led charity, with the core council consisting of artists themselves, helping promote and provide opportunities for our members. I hope we continue to enable artists to support artists for another 100 years.”

Christina McKelvie, Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, said: “The Scottish Government would like to congratulate Visual Arts Scotland on achieving a century of creativity and for playing such a pioneering role in the development of women earning recognition in creative arts.

“Founded as the Scottish Society of Women Artists in 1924, VAS led the way by providing women with a much-needed platform to showcase their artistic skills in Scotland. Visual Arts Scotland continues to give an important voice to the artists, practitioners, and craftsmen, who are crucial in shaping Scotland’s world-leading artistic output. We look forward to celebrating the creativity produced during VAS’s Centenary Show in 2024.”

Visual Arts Scotland 100th Anniversary, 02/10/2023: In the archive room at the National Galleries of Scotland’s Modern Art Two Gallery, Edinburgh. Photography for Visual Arts Scotland from: Colin Hattersley Photography – cphattersley@gmail.com – (+44) 7974 957 388 – www.colinhattersley.com

Colin R Greenslade, RSA Director writes: ““The Royal Scottish Academy of Art & Architecture (RSA) extends a hearty congratulations to the team and membership of Visual Art Scotland (VAS) on the celebration of the Society’s centenary.

“VAS, under the auspices of the ‘Scottish Society of Women Artists’ and ‘Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen’, have exhibited alongside the RSA in the Royal Scottish Academy building across much of these past 100 years and we share many artist members both past and present.

“It is wonderful to congratulate VAS on this milestone achievement and wish them the very best as they enter their second century of representing artists in this way.”

The VAS Centenary Show will also have an exhibit of small works (30cm x 30cm) by society members, allowing every member of VAS to have their work included in the exhibition. These small works provide a varied selection of art for sale at affordable prices.

Former Leith bingo hall to be redeveloped

MORE STUDENT ACCOMMODATION EARMARJKED FOR LEITH

Members of the public are being invited to offer feedback on plans to redevelop the bingo hall located on Leith’s Manderston Steet.

Developer Longstone (2) Limited has unveiled plans to conserve and redevelop the existing building into new student homes. This is in response to a local desire to preserve the building, located in the Leith Conservation Area, and address a ‘chronic undersupply of student accommodation in the capital’.  

The proposals follow the decision by the current operators of the bingo hall, Club 3000, to move to new premises in nearby Ocean Terminal in summer 2024.  

The conservation and retention of the property does restrict its potential uses and following the building’s inclusion in the Leith Conservation Area, the potential to use the site for housing was explored.

However, the building is not well-suited to a residential conversion and a viable scheme would fail to comply with many of the Council’s planning policies for new housing (for example, dual aspect dwellings and minimum open space requirements). If housing were to be delivered, it would require the demolition of the building.

The proposed use as student homes allows for the creation of a high-quality development that complies with the Council’s student housing policies, while also retaining and enhancing the elements of the building that contribute to the surrounding Conservation Area.

The existing building is in poor condition and is extremely energy inefficient. In 2020, Historic Environment Scotland (Scotland’s heritage agency) assessed the building for potential listed status and concluded that it did not meet the criteria of special architectural or historic interest.

The use of the space for student homes, will also serve to free up residential properties that otherwise would have been used by students, whose numbers in Edinburgh’s universities have grown by over 25% between 2016/17 and 2021/22 (Cushman & Wakefield Student Needs Assessment, July 2023).

The public consultation event will take place on Wednesday 17th January 2024 between 4:00pm and 7:30pm in McDonald Road Library, 2-8 McDonald Road, Edinburgh EH7 4LU. 

Exhibition boards detailing the project will be available at the event, as well as from the project website (www.manderston-street.co.uk) from 9am on the day of the event. 

Feedback forms will also be available, and attendees are encouraged to share their views. The form will also be available on the website and all feedback should be returned by Wednesday 31 January.  

A Longstone (2) Limited spokesperson said: “The local community has expressed a strong desire to conserve the former mill building and our plans for the site allow us to do this.

“While enhancing the character of the Conservation Area, the conversion of the building will help to relieve pressure on the local housing market. The proposals will also deliver considerable economic benefits in terms of the construction and operation of the development, and with students spending money in local shops and other outlets.

“We are keen to welcome local residents to our public consultation event and to working with them as we progress the development.” 

Scottish ministers keen to work with UK Government to address Post Office Horizon scandal

Steps to be taken to ensure Scotland is part of a UK-wide approach to Post Office convictions

First Minister Humza Yousaf has written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling on joint working to ensure a UK-wide approach is taken to exonerate those wrongly convicted of criminal offences as a result of the Post Office Horizon IT system.

In the letter he wrote:

Dear Rishi

I am writing to you regarding the Post Office Minister, Kevin Hollinrake MP’s announcement in Parliament today that the UK Government intends to legislate to reverse the convictions of sub-postmasters convicted of criminal offences as a result of the Post Office Horizon IT system.

I welcome this announcement. The Post Office Horizon scandal requires urgent action to ensure those affected by unjust convictions can finally receive justice.  

In the course of his statement, the Minister noted that the power to legislate to reverse convictions imposed by the Scottish courts is devolved to the Scottish Parliament but that he is keen to work with the devolved Governments to ensure that sub-postmasters in Scotland and Northern Ireland are not disadvantaged.

Scottish Ministers are keen to work with the UK Government to deal with the impact on sub-postmasters convicted in Scotland, ensuring that a UK-wide approach is taken to exonerate those wrongfully convicted in Scottish courts.  

Given the unique circumstances arising from the Post Office Horizon scandal, it is right that normal processes for appeals are set aside to ensure that justice can now be delivered for those whose lives were greatly impacted by their wrongful conviction.

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Angela Constance MSP, will contact her counterpart, the Secretary of State for Justice, to discuss how best to progress work in this area, whether this is by ensuring that the UK legislation will either apply directly in Scotland or by developing separate Scottish legislation to deliver the same effect for Scotland.  

I trust that we can work together to ensure that those affected are now able to have their convictions overturned and obtain compensation.

Humza Yousaf