Tag: consultation

Holyrood Committee seeks views on proposals to simplify and strengthen crofting legislation in Scotland

Holyrood’s Rural Affairs & Islands Committee has launched a call for views to ask people with knowledge of the crofting sector what they think about proposals set out in the Crofting and Scotland Land Court Bill.

The Scottish Government has committed to simplifying crofting law. This first phase of legislation seeks to “correct known anomalies” in the current legislation. The Scottish Government also acknowledges that a future conversation to consider more fundamental changes may be needed.

This phase 1 Bill would aim to:

  • help more people become crofters and better support existing crofters and their activities and businesses;
  • enable more and different activity to be undertaken on common grazings, including peatland restoration and other environmental initiatives;
  • empower the Crofting Commission to tackle breaches of duty through streamlined processes, and;
  • resolve crofting regulatory issues more quickly through new and revised powers for Crofting Commission.

The Bill would also merge the Scottish Land Court and Lands Tribunal for Scotland.

Launching the call for views, Committee Convener, Finlay Carson MSP, said: “The Scottish Government is clear that, although more fundamental reform of crofting legislation may be required in the future, this more tightly focused Bill would “correct known anomalies” in crofting legislation.

“Our inquiry will look at these proposed corrections and we’re asking for your views on whether they will address some of the current difficulties in crofting law. Will the proposals solve the problems they seek to address? What other changes are needed that are not included? And will merging the Scottish Land Court and Lands Tribunal for Scotland effect positive and necessary change?”

The Committee intends to take formal evidence on the Bill at Holyrood from September to November with a report to Parliament expected by the end of the year.

Members also hope to visit a crofting community as part of their scrutiny, to speak with crofters about how the Bill’s proposals would impact crofting communities.

The call for views will be open until Friday 5 September 2025.

Access the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill call for views

Tackling fuel poverty in privately rented homes

Proposals for minimum standards of energy efficiency

Private rented homes could be subject to a Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) from 2028 to support efforts to tackle fuel poverty and reduce emissions that contribute to climate change.

Under proposals published today, regulations would be brought forward under existing powers requiring privately rented properties, as far as possible, to reach the reformed EPC Heat Retention Rating (HRR) band C from 2028 for new tenancies and by 2033 for all privately rented homes.

In 2022 there were 300,000 privately rented properties in Scotland. The regulations would prohibit the letting of properties which fall below the minimum standard of energy efficiency, until the landlord has made any relevant energy efficiency improvements.

The current system of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) is due to be revised and updated from 2026 with a new set of ratings to give clearer information on the fabric energy efficiency of a property; the emissions, efficiency and running costs of its heating system; and the cost of energy to run the home.

Alasdair Allan, Acting Minister for Climate Action said: “It is vital that we find the right balance to both reach net zero by 2045 and reduce fuel poverty. Improving energy efficiency is one of the levers available to the Scottish Government that enables this dual progress.

“The lowest rates of fuel poverty are associated with higher energy efficiency standards. A majority of privately rented properties are already at a good standard of energy efficiency, based on the current EPC regime, but others still need improvement to bring them closer to reaching a good level.

“These proposals will improve those homes, reduce energy costs for tenants and support the transition to clean heating – which we will be further strengthening through the Heat in Buildings Bill that we have committed to bring forward later this year. Installing better insulation and other energy efficiency measures will also benefit people’s health, by reducing the risk of cold and dampness-related conditions.

“The Scottish Government continues to offer a wide range of support to people and organisations looking to move to clean heating or improve energy efficiency, including to private landlords.”

Exemptions are proposed to provide protection to landlords in situations where they are prevented from obtaining third party consent or permissions to carry out work; and where undertaking work could have a negative impact on the fabric or structure of the property.

Previous proposals to regulate energy efficiency for the private rented sector were put forward in 2020 but withdrawn as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Edinburgh residents encouraged to share views on Community Payback Orders as consultation opens

With over 46,000 hours of unpaid work time carried out in Edinburgh in the year 2024-25, residents are being asked to share their views on Community Payback Orders (CPO).

CPOs are given by the Court to people to pay for their crimes as an alternative to a prison sentence, with local communities putting forward ideas to their local authority for the unpaid work carried out where they live.

Edinburgh residents are now being encouraged to feed back on the unpaid work that has been carried out in their area and how it has helped the local community. There is also the chance to suggest local community groups or projects that could benefit from unpaid work.

CPOs were set up in 2011 by the Scottish Government as a replacement for community service.

Examples of unpaid work include:

· developing and maintaining children’s play areas

· recycling projects including bicycles and outdoor furniture.

· cleaning beaches, graffiti, litter

We welcome views on the effectiveness of Community Payback Orders as a way to reduce re-offending and we want to know:

· Do you have any experience of people doing unpaid work in your community?

· Do you think unpaid work gives people the opportunity to repay the community for the crimes they have committed?

· Do you have any ideas about residents, community projects or organisations who could benefit from unpaid work support?

· Recommendations for groups, residents, organisations or projects that may benefit from unpaid work,

Councillor Tim Pogson, Chair of Edinburgh Community Safety and Justice Partnership, said: “Community Payback Orders offer a positive alternative to a prison sentence for many people convicted of a criminal offence providing them with the opportunity to serve their sentence in a way that benefits local communities through unpaid work.

“CPOs support participants to learn new skills, gain confidence, and work as part of a team, whilst making a difference in their own life and the lives of those around them

“In Edinburgh we have several successful projects underway which enable CPOs to be completed, including community clear ups, repainting community centres and the ‘Brake the Cycle’ scheme, which involves individuals undertaking CPOs repairing bikes for reuse as part of community projects.

“I would encourage local Edinburgh residents to engage with the consultation and share their views to help shape CPO unpaid work in the City.”

Consultation opens on offshore wind developments

The way in which offshore wind projects are developed in Scotland is being consulted on, with an updated plan now published for views.  

The draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (SMP-OWE) aims to balance the needs of nature, communities, and other users of the sea.  

It will be used to help inform the delivery of offshore wind projects  from the ScotWind and Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) seabed leasing rounds. 

Proposals in the plan aim to:

  • use the latest  data and scientific evidence to inform decisions on energy developments – such as how projects will impact wildlife and nature 
  • ensure the environmental, social, economic opportunities and constraints from offshore projects are clearly set out to help inform decision making
  • ensure the interests and views of other marine users, including fishers, coastal and island communities and environmental groups are taken into account  

Acting Net Zero and Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said: “Growing Scotland’s offshore wind sector presents enormous economic opportunities for our country, with the chance to create thousands of well-paid, green jobs while accelerating our journey to net zero.     

“Our updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy sets out the opportunities as well as the constraints to developing offshore wind in Scottish waters.

“It seeks to provides clarity, certainty and confidence to investors and other marine users, to ensure development is sustainable and balances the needs of communities, nature and other users of the sea, to deliver for the people of Scotland and nature.  

“It is important that everyone with an interest has their say and the Scottish Government will continue to engage closely with the fishing industry, island and coastal communities and other sectors throughout the consultation.”

Crown Estate Scotland Director of Marine, Mike Spain, said: “We welcome the publication of the draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan and encourage all those with an interest in Scotland’s offshore wind sector to engage with this consultation. 

“We are proud to have conducted two successful offshore wind leasing rounds and are working in partnership with the sector to enable these projects to deliver maximum value for Scotland.” 

Consultation – draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy 

The consultation will run until 22 August 2025 

Council Leader: Resetting our relationship with the third sector

Council Leader Jane Meagher writes about the need to support Edinburgh’s third sector

With our population growing and more people struggling with the cost of living, Edinburgh’s third sector is in a precarious position.

According to the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, seven in 10 charities now cite financial trials as their biggest challenge, up significantly in just two years. Traditional funding streams from the public sector, which provide vital grants to allow charities to operate in our local communities, are under growing pressure too.

Echoing these concerns, a report to the Scottish Parliament’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee late last year made it clear that short-term funding cycles are creating financial instability for charities, diverting time and resources away from what’s important – delivering valuable services for vulnerable people.

This predicament came into sharp focus for Edinburgh earlier this year when the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) – which oversees health and social care spend in the city – had to make difficult decisions to help it make necessary savings of close to £30m. Dozens of local projects and charities have seen their funding pulled as a result.

Immediately, councillors united to intervene and see what could be done to prevent the devastating closures and redundancies these cuts could bring. Thankfully, we’ve been able to step in to provide emergency £2m funding, providing short term relief for 46 projects.

Yesterday at Policy and Sustainability Committee, we also agreed how to spend a contingency fund worth £273,473 to further support primarily small, local projects and organisations in our communities which have lost EIJB funding. Grants of £10,000 will be made available this autumn to help with the resilience of the sector.

Yet, the fact remains that the council also faces significant financial challenges. We remain the worst funded council in Scotland and plugging this gap will be difficult in future years. To that end, we need to find a longer-term sustainable way forward for this sector which provides so much good.

Tackling poverty is one of our city’s top priorities and we cannot achieve this without the support of projects which focus on prevention.

To get ahead of this, we’ve engaged the Edinburgh Partnership to conduct a review of how it supports and works with third sector organisations in Edinburgh, and to ultimately find solutions for improving funding certainty in future years.

This includes how grant funding and commissioning is delivered, how third sector organisations monitor and report on their work, and what in-kind support is provided.

We want to hear about how we can make it simpler, provide more stability, and collaborate to help those who need this sector’s support most.

You can share your views through our Consultation Hub webpage, or by attending a workshop from now until Thursday 5 June.

Results will be shared with those who take part and with the wider third sector, and will be reported to our next Policy and Sustainability Committee in August.

In a successful city like Edinburgh, it is unacceptable that 80,000 people are living in poverty–  including close to a quarter of all children – which makes tackling inequality and preventing poverty one of the biggest challenges facing the capital.

This article first appeared in the Evening News

Edinburgh Partnership launches review of longer-term support for the city’s third sector

The Edinburgh Partnership is conducting a review of how it supports and works with third sector organisations in Edinburgh.

The review into the relationship between the public sector and third sector in Edinburgh seeks to improve funding certainty in future years. This includes how grant funding and commissioning is delivered, how third sector organisations monitor and report on their work, and what in-kind support is provided.

Third sector organisations of all types – voluntary, social enterprises and charities – are being asked to share their views through the City of Edinburgh Council’s Consultation Hub survey or by attending a workshop.

The results will be reported to the Policy and Sustainability Committee in August.

Council Leader and Chair of the Edinburgh Partnership, Jane Meagher, said: “The third sector provides vital support to local communities, with many giving direct support to the most vulnerable in our city. 

“We know that they, like the Council, are under significant financial pressure and that there needs to be longer-term change in how they are supported by us and our partners.

“We want to hear about how we can make it simpler, provide more stability, and work better together to help vulnerable people. You can share your views through the council’s consultation hub webpage, or by attending one of the workshops.”

Workshops run from Monday 19 May until Thursday 5 June. Details are available on the Consultation Hub and booking is required.

As part of the city’s commitment to help the sector, the council has dedicated £3.5m this year to help organisations impacted by unexpected loss of grant funding or reduced commissioning.

Visit the Council’s website for more information about the Third Sector Resilience Fund.

Heart of Midlothian FC: Club Statement on Investment Proposal

INVESTMENT PROPOSAL

Heart of Midlothian can confirm that Tony Bloom has made a proposal to invest capital of £9.86m into the club for which he shall receive a 29% stake in the club via non-voting shares.

A consultation period with the club’s majority shareholders – the Foundation of Hearts – will now begin.

The consultation will explain the proposal to FOH members and ascertain their views before asking them to vote on this.  A majority of FOH members’ acceptance is required (as determined by the FoH board) for the proposal to be successfully carried forward.

Following the FOH consultation process, an Extraordinary General Meeting of the club’s shareholders will be called in order to formally approve the transaction.

In the meantime, the transaction remains subject to entry into legally binding documentation, SFA approval and other normal course regulatory requirements.   

Details on the proposal and the consultation, including a video explainer and FAQs, can be found on the FOH website by clicking here.

Rent control consultation published

Views sought on exemptions from rent control and where rent could be increased above cap

A consultation has been published on potential for certain exemptions from rent controls or increases above the rent cap.

Last year, the Scottish Government set out its plans for long-term rent controls in the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which will help create a fairer, better-regulated rented sector for tenants and landlords.

Tenants, landlords and others in the rented sector are being asked to share their views on possible exemptions to the rent cap, for example in connection with mid-market and Build to Rent properties.

The consultation also considers where landlords could be allowed to increase rents above the cap, for example where there have been improvements to their property or where rents have consistently been charged at a level below market rates.

Views are also being sought on how Ministers’ regulation-making powers could be used to clarify how private sector joint tenancies are ended.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The rent control proposals we have published as part of the Housing Bill are just some of the measures we are taking to improve lives and work towards achieving our goal of ending child poverty in Scotland.

“Our rent control proposals will help provide certainty for tenants by keeping them in their homes and ensure rents remain affordable during a cost-of-living crisis.

“Rental properties are a crucial element of our efforts to tackle the housing emergency and we want landlords to have the confidence to invest and continue to provide good quality, affordable homes.

“We have published this consultation as part of our ongoing engagement with those who will be affected by rent control.  The responses will help us strike the right balance between supporting tenants, whilst ensuring the rights of landlords are protected and we continue to support investment in the rented homes we need.”

Housing (Scotland) Bill – Scottish Government consultations – Citizen Space

Government to ‘listen, learn and deliver’ as consultation on welfare reforms begins

Welfare reforms must be shaped by and for disabled people, the Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said today [Monday 7th April], as the official consultation on the government’s proposals begins.

  • Publication of all accessible versions set to trigger the start of official consultation into welfare reforms announced by Work and Pensions Secretary.
  • Disabled people and those with health conditions are encouraged to have their say so their views are at the heart of the new system.
  • Reforms will fix the broken welfare system by giving people genuine support to unlock work and boost living standards as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

Welfare reforms must be shaped by and for disabled people, the Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said today [Monday 07 April], as the official consultation on the Government’s proposals begins.

It comes as the government commits to the establishment of ‘collaboration committees’ to further develop the reforms, bringing together groups of people for specific work areas to provide discussion, challenge, and make recommendations. 

Announced on Tuesday 18 March, the proposed reforms will ensure that sick and disabled people have the same opportunities to work as anyone else, and will unlock work, boost living standards, and help grow the economy as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

They will also seek to overhaul the broken benefits system so it supports those who need it, while helping those who can work into jobs and delivering fairness to the taxpayer. 

The Minister for Social Security and Disability is urging those likely to be affected by the changes – either individually or through disability charities and organisations – to have their say through the consultation, ensuring their views help shape the proposed changes.

Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said: “We inherited a broken welfare system, which incentivises ill-health, locks people out of work and isn’t fit for a future in which so many of us will face long-term health conditions.

“We want a system that genuinely works for disabled people and those with health conditions, as well as the country and the economy, and we want to hear their views and voices at the heart of the new system. 

“I encourage people to engage so they can have their say as we listen, learn and deliver support which will help millions into work, put welfare spending on a more sustainable path, and unlock growth as part of our Plan for Change.”

The 12-week consultation on reforms to health and disability support officially launches today with publication of all accessible versions of the Pathways to Work Green Paper. 

The proposed reforms aim to support people into work, protect people who can never work and put the welfare system on a sustainable footing so that it can continue to support those in need now and into the future. One in three of us faces a long-term health condition, so we all need a system that can support us to stay in work or get back into work.

The measures are the latest step in the government’s drive to build a modern welfare system that helps people get jobs rather than creating unnecessary barriers, with ministers’ proposed plans set to:

  • Provide more tailored employment support for those who can work, breaking down barriers to opportunity.
  • Simplify the system and reduce unnecessary assessments, cutting bureaucracy and making it easier to navigate.
  • Improve the way financial support is assessed and delivered, ensuring it reaches those who need it most and that people using the system have a better experience and are treated with dignity and respect.
  • Build a more flexible approach that recognises the diverse needs of disabled people and those with long-term health conditions.

Without changes, it is forecast that the system could cost as much as £70 billion a year by the end of the decade and risk not being there for people when they need it in future.

Issues open for consultation include:

  • Supporting people to thrive with the new support offer.
  • Supporting employers and making work more accessible.
  • Reforming the structure of the health and disability benefits system.

These are part of the wider reforms that also include reintroducing reassessments for people on incapacity benefits who have the capability to work to ensure they have the right support and aren’t indefinitely written off, targeting Personal Independence Payments for those with higher needs, and rebalancing payment levels in Universal Credit.

Draft legislation should generally set out a high degree of detail to ensure proper democratic engagement, Committee finds

A framework approach to legislation should only be used in very limited circumstances, according to Holyrood’s Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee.

In a new report, the Committee said that draft legislation in the Scottish Parliament should generally set out a high degree of detail on the face of a bill to allow for proper democratic engagement by both stakeholders and parliamentarians.

The report comes as the Committee concludes an inquiry into how framework legislation and so-called Henry VIII powers are used in Scotland and elsewhere.

There is not a single, precise definition for framework legislation. The Committee described it as legislation which sets out the principles for a policy, but without substantial detail as to how it will be given practical effect. Instead, broad powers are given to ministers or others to fill in this detail at a later stage.

While there was a lot of consensus around what this sort of legislation is in practice, the Committee recognised that, within this description, there will be a spectrum of framework provision, grey areas, and scope for reasonable disagreement.

The Committee recognised the need for framework legislation in appropriate and very limited circumstances, mainly to allow for flexibility. Although each bill needs to be considered on its own merits, flexibility is more likely to be needed in areas which need to be updated frequently, in ways which cannot reasonably be foreseen.

The Committee found that any framework provisions should be as clear and as narrow in scope as possible. Where a bill proposes the delegation of a broad power, the Scottish Government should think about using an appropriate super-affirmative procedure to improve parliamentary scrutiny of how the power is used.

Considering the balance of evidence across jurisdictions, the Committee concluded it is likely the occurrence of framework legislation has increased since 1932 when the Report of the Donoughmore Committee on Ministers’ Powers was published, and that the trend seems to be accelerating.

Framework powers that allow flexibility “just in case” are unlikely to be considered appropriate, the Committee also found, and consultation and “co-design” on a bill’s provisions should take place before it is introduced to enable sufficient policy detail to be provided.

Stuart McMillan MSP, Convener of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, said: “Proper scrutiny is vital to the work of the Scottish Parliament to improve the quality of legislation and ensure that laws are well considered and effective.

“Our Committee agreed that, where possible, parliamentarians and stakeholders should be able to engage with solid proposals to make it easier for them to consider the impact of legislation, set out views or advocate for a particular outcome.

“Where a framework approach is being taken, we see it as essential that a full justification is given at the bill’s introduction as to why the framework provision is appropriate in the circumstances.

“We hope our report is useful, by sharing our views on how to strengthen the scrutiny of primary legislation that delegates framework powers, and the secondary legislation made under them.

“We are keen to hear the Scottish Government’s response to our report.”

As part of its inquiry, the Committee was also interested in hearing views of how Henry VIII powers are used. These powers allow Ministers to amend primary legislation by secondary legislation

The Committee concluded that Henry VIII powers can be a necessary, efficient tool when used suitably but should be appropriately limited in scope.