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Charities Bill passes first stage

Measures will increase transparency and maintain public trust

Proposed legislation to update and strengthen charity law has passed its first parliamentary stage.

MSPs have voted to support the general principles of the Charities (Regulation and Administration) Bill which improves accountability and transparency of charities and increases the powers of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).

Welcoming Parliament’s unanimous support at Stage 1 of the Bill, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Our focus is to ensure the best possible conditions for the sector, which plays a vital role in our society, to thrive.

“Current charity law is now over 17 years old and the sector has changed significantly in that time. That is why we want to strengthen, modernise and improve charity regulation to ensure it meets the needs of charities.

“Scottish charities have a combined income of £14 billion each year so it’s crucial the way they are regulated remains fit for purpose.

“Charities are widely supported by the public. Trust in them and what they deliver is high, and we want to keep it that way.”

The Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill is a 2022-23 Programme for Government commitment.

Provisions in the Bill include:

  • updating the criteria for the automatic disqualification of charity trustees and extending it to individuals with specific senior management positions in charities
  • removal from the Scottish Charity Register of unresponsive charities that fail to submit statements of account.
  • a requirement for all charities in the Scottish Charity Register to have and retain a connection to Scotland.
  • a requirement on OSCR to publish the statements of account for all charities in the Scottish Charity Register.
  • requirements on OSCR to include charity trustee names in the Scottish Charity Register, to keep an internal schedule of charity trustees’ details and to create a publicly searchable record of charity trustees removed by the courts.

The Scottish Government consulted on proposals put forward by OSCR in 2019 and consulted again on a number of specific reforms in 2021 and found a majority of support for the changes.

Traffic Wardens on the buses!

Parking attendants ride city buses to target inconsiderate drivers

A trial to crack down on drivers parking in bus lanes will see parking attendants riding Lothian Buses services to target city hotspots.

From tomorrow (Tuesday 9 May) parking attendants will begin travelling on specially selected routes, which experience issues with vehicles blocking bus lanes.

Attendants will be able to disembark buses to move on or issue parking tickets to any drivers breaking the rules and board the next bus on the same route.

The initiative, being carried out in partnership with Lothian Buses, aims to improve bus reliability and journey times by reducing disruption to services caused by incorrectly parked vehicles. In turn this will support and encourage sustainable, low carbon travel by public transport.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We already have an excellent bus service in Edinburgh, relied on by many, and our bus lanes are really important to making sure services can run smoothly and on time, especially during peak hours.

“This trial, in partnership with Lothian Buses, will let parking attendants target hotspots in real time, where drivers continue to park inconsiderately. We’ll continue monitoring its effectiveness to make sure we’re focusing on the right areas.

“Encouraging and supporting travel by sustainable, reliable public transport is crucial to our net zero 2030 aspirations, as well as helping to reduce congestion, improve air quality and provide accessible transport for everyone.”

Willie Hamilton, Operations Director, Lothian Buses, said: “Lothian is committed to providing a safe, reliable and trusted service across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

“As we look to encourage the use of public transport in support of the Scottish Government and The City of Edinburgh Council’s wider environmental goals, it is important that we work with partners across the city on effective ways to ensure bus priority measures are followed which will enhance our ability to provide a consistently reliable standard of service for our customers.”

Find out more about bus lanes in Edinburgh.

First shows confirmed for Green Home Festival

The first four shows have been confirmed for this year’s Green Home Festival, with just 100 days to go until the start of the keenly anticipated event which is again being organised by the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV).

Tickets are now available for the second festival, which will run from 14-18 August as part of the official Edinburgh Festival Fringe and once again deliver practical assistance and advice to help Scotland become a Net Zero nation.

Organisers have announced the first four shows in the free hybrid event and say that other events and special guests will be announced shortly, with a special focus on consumer issues.

The first shows to be confirmed are:

  • Ingredients for a Greener Kitchen, a show which will focus on three vital areas that can make kitchens eco-friendly: water efficiency, electrical efficiency and sustainably sourced kitchen units. Delegates will have the chance to quiz experts from SNIPEF, the plumbing employers’ body, SELECT, the electrical trade association and FMB member James Alan Construction, who will all share their first-hand knowledge and advise on what to consider when planning a kitchen.
  • Festival of fabric first, which will help homeowners understand more about the steps to take before embarking on a retrofit project to improve energy efficiency in their homes. The talk will offer tips and insights from a retrofit co-ordinator, architect and builder on what to look out for and the  materials and products to use. It will also feature a discussion on Passivhaus.
  • Garden rooms and offices, which have become increasingly popular in recent years as homeowners change how they live and work. Experts will offer advice and tips on building a garden room and how to make it as eco-friendly as possible. Delegates will also have chance to ask questions relating to their next project.

Gordon Nelson, who is among the organising team from CICV, said: “The second Green Home Festival is shaping up to be as big a success as the inaugural event last year and the planning is firmly on track for another informative and helpful week.

“Once again, in a mix of in-person and virtual presentations, the Festival will highlight issues such as accessible green funding sources, air source heat pumps, electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging.

“All the events will be relevant to the construction industry, which will be at the forefront of delivering net zero, but they will also have a strong focus on the interest of the consumers who will be the end users of the new technologies which are so rapidly being developed.”

Targeting homeowners, professionals, local authorities, housing associations and local authorities, the Green Home Festival is the latest in a string of practical and constructive initiatives launched by the CICV since its creation as the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum in March 2020.

Made up of 29 trade associations, professional services bodies and companies, it has maintained a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector as well as carrying out surveys, producing animations and posters, hosting webinars and maintaining close dialogue with Scottish Government ministers.

  • Tickets for all Green Home Festival events are free and can be reserved here.

Strikes looming in Scotland as junior doctors vote for industrial action

Junior doctors in Scotland have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action over pay following a five week ballot of BMA Scotland members.

With more than 5000 junior doctors in Scotland eligible to vote, turnout was in excess of 71% – with a total of 3610 votes cast, and almost 97% in favour of strike action.

While negotiations with the Scottish Government over pay are ongoing BMA Scotland will use this clear mandate for strike action to push forward in our ongoing efforts to reverse the unacceptable pay erosion junior doctors in Scotland have suffered for more than a decade.

Should the Scottish Government not put forward a credible offer that the BMA believes could be put to members, junior doctors in Scotland would then begin preparations for a 72-hour walkout at dates to be confirmed in due course.

Dr Chris Smith, chair of the BMA’s Scottish Junior Doctors Committee, said: “This ballot result shows, beyond doubt, that junior doctors in Scotland have had enough.

“Years of pay erosion have seen the take home salary of a newly qualified FY1 doctor decline by 23.5% in real-terms compared to 2008, and the pay of an average registrar reduced by 23.9%. This is simply unacceptable, and we are no longer prepared to stand aside, feeling overworked and undervalued, while witnessing so many junior doctors seeking employment abroad or outside the NHS where our considerable skills are properly valued.

“Investing in today’s junior doctors by paying them the salary they deserve is essentially making a down payment on the future of Scotland’s NHS – today’s junior doctors are the GPs, specialist doctors and consultants of the future. Without a serious plan to reverse pay erosion, these doctors will go on leaving Scotland’s NHS, undermining any plans to build a sustainable NHS for generations to come.

“We have made, and continue to make, progress with Scottish Government in formal negotiations on pay, but there is still some work to do before there is an offer that we believe could be credibly put to members.

“In the meantime – we will use this mandate to urge the Cabinet Secretary to signal a clear commitment to investing in the future of Scottish junior doctors, to make Scotland’s NHS an attractive place to train, grow and progress our careers, and show us that the work we do is finally properly, and fairly, valued and appreciated.

“We are not asking for huge pay increases – we are simply asking for a tangible step towards addressing the pay erosion our profession has suffered for well over a decade, combined with a clear plan for this to be reversed and restored.

“Should a credible pay offer not be forthcoming in the wake of this overwhelming mandate, our members are clear that they would have no choice but to stage a 72-hour walkout of all services across Scotland’s NHS.”

Health Secretary Michael Matheson said that he was disappointed with the junior doctors’ ballot decision but said the Scottish Government will continue to negotiatw with BMA Scotland to find a resolution.

Book launch at granton:hub

Join us at granton:hub to launch Kenneth G. Williamson’s book, Edinburgh, Granton and Leith Railways, a collection of historic photographs on Sunday 28th of May 2023 from 2pm – 4pm.

Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/book-launch-edinburgh…

With a wealth of superb rare and previously unpublished images, Kenneth G. Williamson tells the story of Edinburgh, Granton and Leith railways.

‘In 1861, the Caledonian Railway, in its efforts to gain a foothold in Granton and Leith, opened a line from Slateford to Granton with a connection to Granton Harbour, where the Edinburgh, Dundee & Perth Railway (NBR) was already established. The CR further built, at great expense, an elevated line to Leith Docks in an effort to establish itself in one of Scotland’s busiest ports. Significant dock traffic never materialised and the CR’s 1903 Leith New Lines failed. The North British Railway meanwhile, in their attempt to keep the CR out of Leith, opened Leith Central station in 1903 – the largest station constructed in Britain from scratch in the twentieth century. The station was much larger than necessary and as such was never used to its full potential. It was converted in 1955 to a Diesel Maintenance Depot and in 1972 closed completely.’

This is one story, come along on the day and enjoy many others!

A small number of books will be available for purchase or bring your own copy for signing.

Increasing childcare in disadvantaged communities

£4.5 million for after school and holiday clubs

Councils can now apply for their share of £4.5 million to support the provision of after school and holiday clubs for Scotland’s most disadvantaged areas.

The funding will help improve both indoor and outdoor spaces in the school estate, with schools also encouraged to consider wider community needs.

First Minister Humza Yousaf set out details of the funding as he convened a national anti-poverty summit in Edinburgh yesterday.

The First Minister said: “Tackling poverty must be a shared priority for us all and this summit offers the opportunity to listen to a wide range of views to help us take the right action to drive down inequality across Scotland.

“Helping families deal with cost of living pressures is one of our key priorities and providing further funding for affordable and accessible school age childcare will help deliver that.

“Funded school age childcare supports parents and carers into work and enables them to support their families, while also providing a nurturing environment for children to take part in a wide range of activities.

“Scotland already has the most generous childcare offer anywhere in the UK. All three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds are entitled to 1,140 hours a year of funded early learning and childcare. We are working with partners to make further progress, with plans to develop a funded early learning and childcare offer for one and two-year-olds by 2026, focusing on those who need it most.”

The Scottish Government will provide a £4.5m recurring Capital Fund, managed and administered by Scottish Futures Trust, to deliver improvements to the school estate that will support the provision of before and after school and holiday clubs within Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities.

The intention is that the fund will be limited to the school estate (both indoor and outdoor spaces) for year one, but schools will be encouraged to consider wider community needs and spaces where children want to be after school or during the holidays, particularly where links or partnerships already exist.

The £4.5m fund will be open to all Local Authorities who will be required to demonstrate how they have worked in partnership with school age childcare and activities providers, to be ambitious in their ideas, and to define projects which will deliver benefit for children and families, particularly those from low-income areas.

Funded school age childcare is targeted at families on the lowest incomes, specifically the six priority family types identified in the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan (lone parent families, minority ethnic families, families with a disabled adult or child, families with a younger mother [under 25], families with a child under one, and larger families.)

SEPA working with Scottish businesses to prepare for water scarcity this summer

Businesses in Scotland abstracting water from the environment are being urged to plan for possible shortages this summer, with some parts of the country already recording low river levels and dry ground conditions.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has published the first water scarcity report of 2023, which shows parts of western, central and northern Scotland have reached Early Warning level for water scarcity.

It follows mixed conditions over the last six months, with winter drier than average across most of the country, in contrast to a mostly wet autumn. A particularly dry February has also contributed to lower than normal river flows and groundwater levels for this time of year.

Nathan Critchlow-Watton, Head of Water and Planning at SEPA, said: “Given the mixed weather we’ve experienced in autumn and winter, and the fact that some parts are already at Early Warning level, what happens next will shape the risk of water scarcity this summer. We can’t rule out a repeat of the water shortages businesses experienced last year.

“It’s vital that water abstractors licensed by SEPA have a plan to deal with water scarcity and we can help by providing advice and guidance on ways to reduce pressure on the water environment. Taking the right steps now will lower the likelihood of resources reaching a critical level again this summer and SEPA having to suspend licences to protect the water environment.”

SCOTLAND’S CHANGING CLIMATE

The latest IPCC report on climate change, published in March 2023, is clear that the window of opportunity to secure a sustainable future is rapidly closing and meaningful action is needed in all corners of the world.

Scotland is no exception. Although a country famed worldwide for its natural water environment and wet weather, the reality is water is not an infinite resource here. Climate change is bringing hotter, drier summers and is forcing the nation to change its relationship with water.

Significant impacts from water scarcity were apparent during 2022, particularly in the east of the country. Groundwater levels in the region were their lowest since records began in 2009 and there was below average rainfall in eight out of the twelve months.

In August and September 2022, SEPA took steps to protect the environment from the effects of prolonged dry weather by imposing suspensions on 175 water abstraction licences in four catchment areas. This required support and compliance from businesses, predominantly within the agriculture sector, around the rivers Eden, Tyne, Tweed and Ythan. Abstractors were required to stop taking water from these areas or reduce volumes for a brief period to allow levels to recover.

Environmental Resources Policy Manager at NFUS, Sarah Cowie, said: “Water is a vital resource for the agricultural sector, we cannot produce food without a consistent and plentiful water supply.

“Last year, SEPA suspended abstraction licences for some growers for the first time. This stark response to a prolonged period of dry weather highlights the impacts of a changing climate and the pressures it can bring on farm businesses.

“NFUS encourages all farmers and growers to think about water use on farm as early as possible, to plan for the coming summer season. This will ensure businesses can remain resilient at all times of the year.”

WORKING WITH BUSINESSES

Thriving, successful and sustainable Scottish businesses will be those that recognise the link between environmental and economic prosperity. Part of that is the critical role of managing our water resources and SEPA supports organisations to do this in sectors such as agriculture, aquaculture, hydropower, golf, and whisky production.

Pulteney in Wick is one of Scotland’s most northerly mainland whisky distilleries and relies solely on Loch Hempriggs to supply its water for production of its single malt whisky, Old Pulteney.

In Summer 2021, operators could see water levels at the loch were perilously low. Instead of waiting for regulatory action, the distillery worked with SEPA and followed advice on managing the resource. Production was voluntarily halted, and personnel were instead deployed to other maintenance tasks to ensure lost production days were made up efficiently once water supplies increased again.

International Beverage Group Distilleries Manager, Sean Priestley, said: “We’re acutely aware of the real risk of water scarcity, particularly in an area like Caithness where water is constrained. We made a decision not to shy away from this and to instead do the right thing for the environment, no matter how challenging this might be for our business.

“Loch Hempriggs is a vital natural resource, not one that we can simply replace or use technology to fix. It needs careful management, time and of course plenty of rain to sustain it. Responsibility for its stewardship falls to us.”

As well as implementing current water scarcity plans, the distillery is also focusing on innovation to find more sustainable ways of distilling whisky.

The team has been conducting a number of high gravity mashing trials to establish the best possible production process, minimising water usage while still maintaining the character of the Old Pulteney spirit.

High gravity mashing has proven successful at other International Beverage distilleries in Scotland and will have a positive impact on water usage at Pulteney once implemented.

ADVICE AHEAD OF THIS SUMMER

All water abstractors should be aware of the potential risk of water scarcity this summer, monitor their water use, and plan ahead for a range of weather conditions.

Businesses should review available options to increase their resilience and reduce the impacts of water scarcity. For example, land managers could consider investing in equipment and infrastructure to improve water-use efficiency such as an irrigation lagoon. Information on any financial support available to land managers can be found via the Scottish Rural Development Programme.

Those collecting water from the same source are urged to work together with neighbours and stagger abstractions to make best use of available water.

Further advice and support is available at www.sepa.org.uk/waterscarcity.