An Act that aims to promote the use of British Sign Language (BSL) in Scotland has significantly improved the daily lives of BSL users, according to a report by MSPs on Holyrood’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee.
Stakeholders told the Committee that the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act has increased visibility of BSL, improved access to services for BSL users and delivered greater empowerment of the Deaf community. The report also concludes that national and local authority plans have helped embed BSL into public service delivery.
However, challenges remain, including a shortage of qualified interpreters, finite funding and resources for services and a lack of enforceability and accountability around BSL plans.
In its report, the Committee expresses particular concern regarding the experiences of Deaf children and young people who face challenges accessing their native language.
It is also concerned that Deaf children in mainstream schools may feel a lack of identity and sense of isolation from the wider Deaf community. In response, the Committee calls for more work to be done to increase the visibility of Deaf role models and increase the number of teachers with BSL skills.
Similarly, the Committee’s report highlights concern about access to justice. It calls for greater education for Deaf people on rights and how the justice system works, increases to the number of suitably trained Deaf experts to help survivors of crime and improvements to data recording on victims of crime to ensure that appropriate support is available for BSL users.
The report also calls for greater support for BSL users in the health service. Witnesses drew attention to Deaf people with mental health issues, calling for them to be able to communicate directly with an expert who can read their body language and understand exactly what they are saying and how that is being expressed.
Karen Adam MSP, Convener of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, said: “In the 10 years since it became law, the British Sign Language Act has had a transformational impact on the lives of Deaf people, but this progress has been uneven and substantial challenges remain.
“For many Deaf people, BSL is not an additional language but their only language. That’s why we want to see the Scottish Government and public bodies continue with their commitment to consulting on and improving their support for BSL users.
“Our report makes a number of key recommendations that, if followed, will ensure that the excellent progress on implementing the BSL Act continues and that it fully achieves its aims.”
The life and legacy of one of Scotland’s most esteemed academics and humanitarians will be honoured at a memorial service in Edinburgh next month.
Professor Emeritus Sir Geoff Palmer KT OBE, who died in June at the age of 85, was Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, a pioneering scientist whose research transformed the global brewing industry, and a tireless campaigner for equality and justice.
Family, friends, colleagues, dignitaries and members of the public will gather at the city’s historic St Giles’ Cathedral to pay tribute to his extraordinary life and contributions.
The service will feature personal tributes, speeches, and musical performances from the University’s Chamber Choir and guest musicians.
Open to all, the ceremony will take place on Friday 11 October from 11am to 12:30pm, with doors opening at 10am. Those who wish to attend are advised to register their interest in advance.
Reflecting on Sir Geoff’s impact, Professor Richard A. Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, said: “Sir Geoff was an inspiration not just to me but to colleagues past and present, and countless students around the world.
“His infectious enthusiasm and passion for education were impossible to ignore, and this University was all the richer for having such a strong association with him over the years.”
The service is being hosted jointly by Heriot-Watt University and the City of Edinburgh Council, represented by the Rt Hon Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh.
In a lasting tribute to Sir Geoff, the University has created a new scholarship in his honour. The Sir Geoff Palmer Memorial Scholarship will allow a student of Jamaican descent or citizenship to for follow in his footsteps and reflects Sir Geoff’s dedication to opportunity, inclusion, and the belief that every student deserves the chance to thrive.
For those unable to attend in person, the service will be streamed live on YouTube.
Prime Minister announces plans for free digital ID for those living in the UK
Will curb the prospect of work for illegal migrants, a significant factor driving small boat crossings
Scheme will also make it easier for the public to access the services they are entitled to
A new digital ID scheme will help combat illegal working while making it easier for the vast majority of people to use vital government services. Digital ID will be mandatory for Right to Work checks by the end of the Parliament.
The scheme will be available to all UK citizens and legal residents, saving time by ending the need for complicated identity checks which often rely on copies of paper records.
Instead, the roll-out will in time make it simpler to apply for services like driving licences, childcare and welfare, while streamlining access to tax records. The new digital ID will be held on people’s phones, just as millions already use the NHS App or contactless mobile payments.
There will be no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it – but digital ID will be mandatory as a means of proving your Right to Work.
This will stop those with no right to be here from being able to find work, curbing their prospect of earning money, one of the key “pull factors” for people who come to the UK illegally.
It will send a clear message that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to work, deterring people from making these dangerous journeys.
This initiative builds on the government’s crackdown on illegal working and its mission to control borders as part of the Plan for Change. Under this government, illegal working arrests have soared by 50%, and new legislation is being brought forward to help stop illegal working in the gig economy.
The proposals also follow the government’s success in deporting the first illegal migrants under the landmark UK-France returns deal last week.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I know working people are worried about the level of illegal migration into this country. A secure border and controlled migration are reasonable demands, and this government is listening and delivering.
“Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure. And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly – rather than hunting around for an old utility bill.
“We are doing the hard graft to deliver a fairer Britain for those who want to see change, not division. That is at the heart of our Plan for Change, which is focused on delivering for those who want to see their communities thrive again.”
The plan will combat criminal gangs who promise access to the UK labour market in order to profit from dangerous, illegal channel crossings.
A new streamlined digital system to check Right to Work will simplify the process, drive up compliance, crack down on forged documents and create intelligence data on businesses that are conducting checks to help the Home Office take action on employers who are hiring illegally.
Building on the work already underway to roll out a GOV.UK digital wallet, the digital ID will sit on people’s phones, alongside the digital driving licence which the government has already announced plans to introduce.
The government will listen to a range of views on how the service will be delivered, as part of a public consultation to be launched later this year.
In designing the digital ID scheme, the government will ensure that it works for those who aren’t able to use a smartphone, with inclusion at the heart of its design. The public consultation will engage with groups who aren’t as experienced with the digital world, like the homeless and older people, learning from other countries that have done this well.
The scheme will be rolled out alongside an outreach programme, including face-to-face support for citizens who are struggling to access the scheme.
This will result in a service that takes the best aspects of the digital identification systems that are already up and running around the world:
In Australia, citizens can access a range of private services, from banking to buying alcohol, with their digital identification, reducing the need for multiple separate accounts and pieces of paper.
In Estonia, digital ID has revolutionised parents’ lives by enabling access to child benefits, health records and applications for nursery places seamlessly, never having to provide the same information twice.
In Denmark, students can use their national digital ID to log in and automatically retrieve education records and qualifications in job and university applications.
And in India, the government has saved around US $10 billion annually by reducing fraud and leakages in welfare schemes.
The new plans will offer significant benefits for reducing identity theft and preserving privacy, with security at its core.
Digital ID limits personal details being shared unnecessarily, by only sharing the relevant information for the specific scenario in question. It will also use state-of-the-art encryption and user authentication to ensure data is held and accessed securely.
Relatives of two World War 1 Scottish soldiers gathered in France yesterday to witness their burial with full military honours, alongside six other soldiers whose identities remain unknown
Lieutenant (Lt) James Grant Allan, 9th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders and Lance Corporal (LCpl) Gordon McPherson, 7th Battalion, Cameron Highlanders, were laid to rest alongside their comrades exactly 110 years after they were killed in action in France.
The service was supported by serving soldiers from 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Lt Allan left Edinburgh University to join the Gordon Highlanders in 1914, when war was declared. He joined at the same time as his brother Nimmo, and they both went to fight in France.
He was killed on 25 September 1915, the first day of the Battle of Loos. A friend and fellow officer wrote “Jim’s men thought the world of him” and continued “I have gained from his friendship…He may have left this world but only to go to a freer one…I have been strengthened by the thought of him, or his presence”.
He was identified after artefacts found with the casualties suggested one was an officer, which narrowed their search. The families of the battalion’s 14 missing officers were traced and tested, with Lt Allan’s family proving a positive match.
LCpl McPherson was working as a tobacconist when he joined the Cameron Highlanders in November 1914 alongside his two brothers and their father.
He too was killed on 25 September 1915, a fellow soldier of his machine-gun section, described him as “the life and soul of the section. His imitations of Charles Chaplin were enjoyed very much by his comrades. His favourite song, ‘Trumpeter, what are you sounding now!’, grew to be the most popular song in the section…It was Gordon’s song. We can’t sing it now.”
LCpl McPherson was identified by a small set of buttons from the Newcastle Corporation Tramway that he had in his pocket at the time of his death. After studying the 1911 census, the War Detectives discovered that LCpl McPherson’s father worked for the Tramway so a DNA test was sent to the next of kin, which came back positive.
All the soldiers buried yesterday were discovered during construction work for a new hospital on the outskirts of Lens.
The service was organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘MOD War Detectives’.
Nicola Nash, MOD War Detective said: “Lt Allan and LCpl McPherson have both been buried today 110 years after they were killed.
“With half a million British servicemen still missing from the First World War, every identity we make is a huge achievement. It has been a real privilege to give closure to their families and lay these heros to rest with honour.”
Nicholas Allan, great-nephew Lt James Allan, said: “I feel very moved and honoured by the work of the MOD that it is honouring this great-uncle of mine who I barely knew existed.
“I feel a profound sense that something has been completed. It speaks to me of all those whose bodies were never found, I feel we’re completing something for them too.
Alistair McPherson, great-nephew of LCpl Gordan McPherson, said: “It’s been emotional in a good way.
“We have known Gordon all our lives because of the letters we have got, and it’s just wonderful to have found him. He’s no longer lost.”
Jeremy Prince, CWGC France Area Director, said: “We are deeply honoured by the reburial of eight Scottish soldiers, six of whom remain unknown, at the CWGC Loos British Cemetery Extension.
“This cemetery, inaugurated just one year ago by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, was established to receive the remains of soldiers recently discovered (and those who may be found in the future) during ongoing work and research in the region.
“The ceremony also coincides with the 110th anniversary of the Battle of Loos – a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made during the First World War. We are proud to offer these soldiers a final resting place worthy of their courage and service. We will remember them.”
More than 500 schools across the UK set to receive free fruit & veg
Scheme will give thousands of young people fruit and vegetables every day at school
Last academic year (24/25), around 140,000 children were supported with over 10 million portions of fruit & veg
Tesco has announced that its Fruit & Veg for Schools programme, developed in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation, is to be expanded for another year to reach even more schools across the UK.
For the whole of the next academic year (2025/2026), free fruit and veg from local Tesco stores will give children in more than 500 schools a nutritious boost that they might not ordinarily get.
The Tesco Fruit & Veg for Schools programme launched in September 2024 as part of the supermarket’s Stronger Starts funding and community support for children.
The second year of funding will continue to be specifically targeted in areas where the proportion of pupils receiving free school meals is above 50%. The focus on areas with higher free school meal participation is particularly important because data shows that families on lower incomes struggle to afford a healthy diet.
Only 12% of children aged between 11 and 18 are meeting the five-a-day recommendation and for children taking part in the scheme, Tesco expects to see their overall fruit and veg intake increase by 23%, based on the average five-a-day intakes in school-aged children.
The schools taking part in the scheme will be able to shop for the fruit and veg the school needs in stores local to their school.
Most popular fruits in year one, were:
1. Apples (225,585kg)
2. Bananas (108,602kg)
3. Oranges (92,597kg)
4. Grapes (39,771kg)
5. Strawberries (37,735kg)
Ashwin Prasad, Tesco UK CEO, commented:“Schools have told us what a positive impact the Tesco Fruit & Veg for Schools programme has made on their children, so we are delighted we are able to support even more schools in year two.
“The first year of our programme has been a huge success and by expanding it we can ensure that even more young people in some of the most challenged communities in the UK get access to more fruit and veg.”
Astral Blanchard, Head Teacher at Twerton Infant School in Bath, said: “The Tesco Fruit & Veg for Schools programme has given our children the opportunity to try so many new fruit and vegetables, while also helping us build healthy eating into a valuable part of our daily routine.
“Snack time is now a calm and enjoyable moment where we read stories, talk about flavours and explore new tastes together in ways we hadn’t before.
“Children are helping to prepare the fruit, trying things they’ve never eaten, and even asking for fruit and vegetables at home. It has been a joy to see their curiosity grow and their enthusiasm for healthy eating thrive.”
Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive of the British Nutrition Foundation, said: “Tesco’s Fruit & Veg for Schools programme has helped to improve the diets of our young people by helping them get more of their five a day, try new varieties and develop healthy habits that we hope will stay with them through life.
“We’re delighted to see the programme expanded to provide daily fruit and vegetables to even more children who might not normally be able to access them.”
Equalities Minister @KaukabStewart has announced additional @scotgov funding of £300,000 this year to support projects that build strong and resilient communities across the country.
The Scottish Government will provide an additional £300,000 this year to support projects that build strong and resilient communities across the country.
The investment, announced by Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart, comes on top of the £7.9 million already allocated to third sector organisations for 2025-26. This existing funding supports anti-racism work, interfaith dialogue, hate crime prevention and asylum and refugee integration projects.
The additional funding will focus on building community cohesion across a broad range of local initiatives.
Ms Stewart said: “Community organisations play a vital role in supporting integration and bringing people together through their projects.
“The additional £300,000 will help to tackle division and promote the shared values that strengthen our communities, particularly at a time when hostile rhetoric is creating fear and uncertainty.
“I have witnessed first-hand many inspiring projects recently, including the multicultural Pitch-to-Plate meal event at Hibernian Football Club. This demonstrates how local initiatives can successfully unite people from different backgrounds, cultures and faiths through shared activities and mutual support.
“We cannot and will not allow division and hostility to define us – the Scottish Government will continue to invest in building the strong, connected communities that all of us want to see.”
The City of Edinburgh Council unequivocally condemns the violent protests that have been taking place against refugees and asylum seekers across the country.
This statement has been agreed by all of the elected members from the Labour, SNP, Liberal Democrat and Green groups setting out our shared concerns and positions:
‘Refugees and asylum seekers are people, with hopes, dreams and ambitions. Some have families and children, and are fleeing hardship, persecution, war and unimaginable suffering. That people fleeing such traumatic circumstances should be met by anger, hate and violence is heartbreaking and does not reflect the values that we in Edinburgh have lived by.
‘Harsh rhetoric on migration have contributed to this situation and the blame for this lies with large sections of the media as well as a great many politicians who ought to be courageously standing up for refugees and asylum seekers, not telling lies about refugees and immigrants. We condemn the racism, whether it be systemic or not, which is often at the root of these messages.
‘However, cynical attempts to paint working class communities as racist must also be challenged. Many communities are struggling with the rising cost of living and have seen their public services hollowed out by over a decade of austerity measures.
‘While some have reasons to be angry and upset, we must push back against attempts to direct that anger at some of the most vulnerable in our society. Our responsibility as leaders in this city includes helping build relationships between our diverse communities and building cohesion.
‘Peaceful protest is fundamental to our freedoms and complex policy issues should be discussed and debated thoroughly, but it is incumbent on everyone to do so in a manner which is civil, which does not dehumanise or scapegoat vulnerable communities, and which reflects reality, not myths.
‘We take a strong partnership approach to public safety here and the Council commends all of the organisations involved in making the welcome real for those who have newly arrived in our communities.
‘Within the Council we have agreed a cross-party statement between Labour, the SNP, the Lib Dems and the Greens – it reflects our combined desire to welcome refugees and asylum seekers, to recognise the important benefits that newcomers bring to our communities and to ensure that they have a good opportunity to flourish with us here in Scotland.
‘One of the key things we can do is to combat misinformation to ensure that the people of Edinburgh have access to accurate information on this topic. We also want to recognise and celebrate the stories of refugees who have found a new home in Edinburgh, their incredible contributions to our communities and society, and the benefit that they bring to us all.
‘While the Home Office is ultimately responsible for managing migration, the Council sees great value in firmly and unambiguously stating that Edinburgh is a welcoming and diverse city and is stronger for that diversity.
‘We reiterate our united position that all people who want to live, work and visit our city are welcome to do so.’
A programme funded from the seized assets of criminals delivered £6.2 million funding to support over 15,000 young people during 2024-25.
The money has been used by Cashback for Communities to support 29 organisations delivering projects that divert young people away from anti-social behaviour and crime.
A report into the second year of the programme’s three-year funding phase, which runs from April 2023 to March 2026, showed that after taking part in CashBack for Communities projects:
8,881 young people reported that they were less likely to engage in criminal or anti-social behaviour
7,049 young people reported they had reduced involvement in anti-social or criminal activity
11,810 young people reported an increase in their wellbeing
10,524 young people reported positive changes in behaviour
Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said: “This report highlights the success of the Cashback for Communities programme which helps to divert young people from crime and anti-social behaviour and to make informed choices about their future — choices that positively impact them, their families and communities.
“It is more than an early intervention programme – partners provide a range of support and activities offering safe spaces, trusted adults and opportunities that benefit young people to feel supported and inspired to thrive.
“Since 2008, CashBack has committed £156 million to supporting around 1.4 million young people across all 32 local authorities.
“Cashback’s success is also testament to the work of law enforcement partners in disrupting organised crime groups – bringing them to justice and seizing their ill-gotten gains, using them to deliver a successful programme across the country.”
New powers let residents reclaim beloved assets and drive patriotic renewal, ‘street by street’ – delivering on the Plan for Change
Millions to benefit as communities revive high streets, parks and public spaces
Up to £5 billion Pride in Place programme puts local people across 339 neighbourhoods in the driving seat of national renewal, as government chooses unity over division
New powers let residents reclaim beloved assets and drive patriotic renewal, street by street – delivering on the Plan for Change
Neighbours and families across the UK will lead the revival of their communities, as the Prime Minister launches a landmark £5 billion Pride in Place programme — backing the ‘true patriots who build their communities up, and choosing unity over division’.
As part of the fund, 169 areas will receive £2 million every year for a decade, giving long-overlooked communities the certainty and control they need to plan for the future. A further 95 areas will receive an immediate £1.5 million to upgrade public spaces with new green spaces, play areas and sports and leisure facilities.
From Bootle to Bridgwater, local people will decide how funding is spent — reviving high streets, restoring parks, and breathing new life into pubs, leisure centres and community halls. This is renewal in action, led by the people who know their neighbourhoods best.
Communities will also gain new powers to seize boarded-up shops, block nuisance businesses, and buy beloved local assets before they close – restoring pride and unity to every corner of the country.
Yesterday’s announcement is part of the government’s Plan for Change, a decade-long mission to back the people who make their communities thrive. It sits alongside wider work to deliver cleaner, safer streets, create opportunities on every doorstep, and build the homes, roads and GP surgeries people need to thrive.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:“For too long, people have watched their towns and streets decline – powerless to stop boarded-up shops and neglected parks. That ends now.
“We’re investing in the UK’s future, by backing the true patriots that build our communities up in neighbourhoods across every corner of the country. Because it’s people who bring pride, hope and life to our communities.
“This is a huge investment, but what matters most is who decides how it’s spent: the neighbours, volunteers and parents who know their communities best – the people with real skin in the game.
“We’re choosing renewal over decline, unity over division. This is our Plan for Change in action – giving power and pride back to the people who make Britain great.”
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed said: “Building pride in place starts with people, not politics. Local people know what they want to see in their neighbourhoods – and they don’t need government to dictate it.
“This plan will spark an historic grassroots movement that will restore local people’s power, boost national pride and help people get on in life across the UK as part of our Plan for Change.”
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:“We’re giving local people the power to transform their hometowns. Giving them more control of how money is spent where they live so that together we can invest in Britain’s renewal and build an economy that rewards working people.
“This £5 billion investment doesn’t just reverse decades of underinvestment in our public infrastructure – it cuts through the bureaucracy by giving local people the power to deliver the change they want to see.”
This announcement significantly scales up the work already underway in 75 areas, helping communities regenerate and restore local pride.
The up to £5 billion package includes an additional £3.5 billion to roll out the programme to 169 more areas, each receiving up to £20 million over ten years.
Separately, 95 areas receive a share of £150 million capital funding to improve public spaces, parks and high streets.
Local people in the existing 75 areas are already shaping their communities, every project is the result of local people’s ideas and priorities—chosen by the community, for the community. It’s the people who know best what their area needs, and their voices are shaping the future of their towns and cities.
£292 million Pride in Place investment for Scottish neighbourhoods
Scottish Local Authorities backed by Scotland Office to revitalise communities as part of our Plan for Change, with spending decisions in the hands of local people
Local communities are at the heart of Scottish life – and the Scotland Office is backing them with millions of pounds to improve the opportunities and environment for people across the country, the Prime Minister announced yesterday.
The Pride in Place programme will see up to £280 million shared among 12 Scottish local authorities to precisely target areas which can benefit most from funding being made available for a wide range of regeneration projects. Across the UK 169 of the most-in-need communities will benefit.
This includes revitalising high streets and town centres, preserving local heritage, providing housing, creating jobs, boosting productivity and skills, improving health and well-being, creating new transport links, providing education and opportunity and improving safety and security.
And a Pride in Place Impact Fund will see eight local authorities share £12 million to fund the types of changes people have said they want to see. These could include new green spaces, play areas and town centre revitalisation to sports and leisure facilities and the improvement and ownership of key community assets.
Across the UK a total of 95 areas will receive this capital funding.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said yesterday: “The UK Government is committed to delivering a decade of national renewal for Scotland. Through the Pride in Place programmes we’re announcing today, the UK Government will provide 14 places in Scotland with up to £20 million over 10 years and eight Scottish local authorities with £1.5 million over two years.
“We are providing almost £300 million new direct investment to local authority areas to revitalise local communities.
“The UK Government will be working with local partners to deliver economic growth and l see these improvements made to communities up and down Scotland making them even greater places to live, work and play.”
(Friday 26 September)
