Please respond to the Scottish Government Consultation on buffer zones.
Sending a response only takes 10 minutes.
The DEADLINE to respond is 10th August 2022 Gillian Mackay MSP has launched a Private Member’s Bill for Safe Access Zones, or buffer zones, outside abortion facilities across Scotland.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT.
This is a really important step in the move for buffer zones. You can access the consultation here www.bufferzones.scot Y
The UK Government announces new guidance to help businesses apply the Crown symbol to pint glasses, alongside a new consultation on units of measurement
Businesses helped to display the Crown symbol on pint glasses
Consultation launched on scrapping the EU ban on imperial measurements, benefitting businesses with greater choice when serving shoppers
Plans will restore “common sense” to the statute book and ditch ‘overbearing’ EU rules
Post-Brexit plans to return the Crown symbol to pint glasses and to remove the EU ban on imperial measures have been set out yesterday (Friday 3 June).
In a tribute to Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, new government guidance published today will help businesses apply the Crown symbol to pint glasses.
As long ago as 1698, British pint glasses intended for measuring and serving beer were marked with a crown stamp as a declaration that the glass, when filled to the brim or to a line measure, accurately measured a pint of beer.
The Crown stamp gave customers confidence that they were not being sold a short measure of beer. But the symbol was replaced by the EU-wide ‘CE’ marking’ in 2006 in order to conform with EU rules in the UK.
Alongside the Crown symbol guidance, a consultation has been published today on how to implement a change to the law on weights and measures, so that shoppers and business have greater choice over the way they buy and sell products.
The consultation will help the government consider, for example, allowing vegetables to be sold in pounds only, or in pounds with a less prominent metric equivalent, should businesses wish to do so. This will help inform the Government’s plans to legislate to give businesses greater choice in the units they use. There is no intention to require businesses to change their existing practices and so this will not place greater costs on businesses.
Today’s announcement is not just about pounds and ounces, but about where the UK’s laws are made. The ‘metric martyrs’ was a totemic case in establishing the supremacy of EU law. Now we have left the EU, the UK can take decisions in the best interests of British businesses and consumers.
Business Minister Paul Scully said: “This Platinum Jubilee weekend we’re raising a toast to Her Majesty The Queen’s health and service to this country. It’s a fitting tribute that we’re now helping businesses to restore the Crown symbol to pint glasses.
“While we think of our fruit and veg by the pound, the legacy of EU rules means we legally have to sell them by the kilo. Our consultation today will help shops to serve customers in the way their customers want.
“UK law currently requires metric units to be used, as the primary indication, for all trade purposes with only limited exceptions, reflecting rules from our time in the EU. Currently, imperial units are only authorised for use on their own in a small number of cases such sales of draught beer and cider. Now we have left the EU, the UK can act in the best interests of its businesses and consumers.”
A public consultation has started on ambitious plans by the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) to construct a vitally important new building in Granton, North Edinburgh. Titled The Art Works, the facility will house Scotland’s extraordinary national art collection and provide a significant, long-term contribution to benefit and enhance the local community for years to come.
Located at the heart of one of Scotland’s most diverse yet socioeconomically deprived areas, The Art Works has a unique dual purpose at its core: firstly, as a base for more than 100,000 works of art to be cared for, conserved and researched; and secondly as a key focal point for community investment, pride and growth.
The building will by fully accessible and open to all, offering world-class visitor facilities, rooms for education and community programmes, and new outdoor public spaces – all designed to meet the needs of and help realise the huge potential of the local community.
Previously known as the National Collection Facility, proposals for a building of this kind have been in the early stages of concept development since 2015. Now known as The Art Works, the project aims to bring Scotland’s vast and extraordinary national art collection into a single future-proofed location.
At present the collection is stored across several sites where access and space are extremely limited, logistics are difficult, and conditions are suboptimal for enabling the full potential for public access, conservation and research to be realised; and also for allowing works to be made available for display and loan.
The Art Works will be instrumental in addressing each of these issues, enabling much greater access to and engagement with Scotland’s artistic treasures. The scope for touring the collection around Scotland and internationally will be greatly increased, meaning more people than ever before will be able to connect and engage with Scotland’s incredible artistic legacy.
Sir John Leighton, Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland said: “This is an incredibly exciting moment for both the National Galleries of Scotland and the communities of North Edinburgh.
“The Art Works has the potential to be truly transformative, not only in how Scotland’s national collection of art is cared for and shared more widely, but also by providing much needed new facilities to unleash the creative confidence and spirit of the local area.
“I would encourage everyone to get involved in the consultation and together help design a major new building in Granton that will work for and provide inspiration to all.”
As part of the Granton Waterfront project, which is adopting ambitious plans on low-carbon travel modes and energy-efficient new housing, The Art Works will play an important role in Scotland’s green recovery as the country’s largest building designed to the Passivhaus standard, which goes beyond the requirements for meeting Scotland’s 2030 carbon reduction targets.
The Art Works will be located on a site west of Madelvic House on Granton Park Avenue. The project is at the pre-planning application consultation stage which enables members of the public to share their views on the proposals.
These will be considered before NGS proceeds to submit a full planning application.
People can find out more about the proposals at an event on Monday 6 June 2022 from 3pm-7pm at Edinburgh College (Granton Campus).
In addition, an online question and answer session with the project team is planned for Tuesday 7 June 2022 between 5pm-7pm.
The Lothian Health & Care System is refreshing its strategic direction, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Lothian Strategic Development Framework (LSDF) describes what we are trying to achieve, our current situation, the challenges we face and the direction of travel we propose to take.
The summary document is the core of the LSDF and gives an overview of our Framework. You can access it here.
An easy read version of this summary can be found by clicking the picture
We are keen to ensure the LSDF has captured all of the elements required to provide a credible strategy, and would like to hear your views. You can share your thoughts on the LSDF by emailing us at loth.lsdf@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
In particular, we would like to hear your responses to the following questions:
·Do you feel the LSDF addresses the issues that are most important? If not, why not?
· Have we missed anything really significant in the LSDF? If so, what?
· What, if any, or the proposals set out in the LSDF worry or concern you?
· What would you suggest that the Lothian Health & Care System could do to alleviate your concerns?
· Is there anything else you would like to tell us before we finalise our strategy?
You can also join us at one of the public sessions we are holding over the next few weeks. Your inputs from these sessions will help shape the new Framework.
To see dates and to register for one of these sessions, go straight to Meeting Dates.
A suite of supporting documents provides more detail on the concepts and initiatives explored in the summary document. All of these documents can be accessed below in the full version of the Framework:
New measures will help cut waste and preserve precious resources
Proposals to help tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis by supporting Scotland’s transition to a zero waste and circular economy have been launched.
The measures, designed to significantly increase reuse and recycling rates, and modernise and improve waste and recycling services, are set out in two consultations – on a Circular Economy Bill and a Waste Route Map.
Key proposals include:
banning the destruction of unsold goods to ensure that products never end up landfilled or incinerated when they could be used or recycled
improving household recycling and reuse services and consulting on separate kerbside collection of textiles by 2025
introducing new reporting to show where recycling goes once it has been collected
measures to reduce the consumption of problematic single-use items and promote reuse of products
new powers to tackle littering from vehicles
a mandatory requirement for businesses to report surplus and waste figures for goods such as food and textiles
powers to set local recycling targets, reflecting the success of Wales, which has the one of the highest household recycling rates in the world
Scotland’s circular economy targets, outlined in the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan, include ending the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste by 2025, reducing the percentage of all waste sent to landfill to 5% by 2025, and recycling 70% of all waste by 2025.
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater launched the consultations on a visit to the Edinburgh Furniture, which is run by the homelessness charity Foursquare.
The charity uses donated furniture to furnish its homeless accommodation and to raise money for its other services.
Lorna Slater said: “To tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis, we need to rapidly reduce our demand for raw material, increase reuse and repair, and recycle more.
“We must make a circular option the easy option for Scottish households, businesses and the public sector. I want everyone in the country to experience a modern, easy to use waste service that makes it easy for people to do the right thing for the planet.
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“We are already taking action, including delivering Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme and our £70 million Recycling Improvement Fund, but we know we need to move faster if we are to meet our climate obligations.
“It requires us to be bold, brave, and focused on delivering the actions needed – and this must be a collective effort.
“These consultations set out the key proposed actions and the tools we will put in place to help everyone play their part in cutting waste in our economy, capitalising on the economic opportunities that a circular economy presents to businesses.
“The Circular Economy Bill will give us the powers to cut waste in our economy, while preserving precious resources and protecting our natural environment.”
Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland Iain Gulland said: “Today marks a tremendous step in Scotland’s transition towards a circular economy. “For years, Zero Waste Scotland has championed and helped usher in a more circular economy to reduce over-consumption.
“By supporting Scottish citizens, communities and businesses, through funding and tailored advice we are working hard to implement more sustainable ways of living.
“The Circular Economy Bill includes measures and approaches that will further cement and support the strides we’re making and crucially, it is a step in the right direction to end our contribution to the climate crisis.
“I encourage everyone in Scotland to take part in these vital consultations.”
Environmental campaigners have welcomed the move and are calling for strong targets to reduce the global extraction of resources supplying the Scottish economy, and measures to change the way materials are used in Scotland.
A circular economy is when materials are reused and recycled as much as possible before new resources are taken from nature, as opposed to our current linear ‘take, make, dispose’ model.
Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “Over-consumption by the wealthy few is pushing our whole planet to breaking point.
“Our current economic system, built on the idea of unlimited growth, is driving climate breakdown and leading to global material supply disruptions – it can’t go on. We need to reduce our reliance on new materials by changing our economic consumption patterns.
“The Scottish Government has made some really encouraging suggestions in the Circular Economy Bill. We need circularity to be embedded throughout government and Scotland’s economic sectors for it to be as effective as possible. The commitment to regular reviews and the creation of a circular economy public body are welcome.
“This new organisation needs to be independent of government and adequately funded. Creating a circular economy will require a step change in the scale and rate of change, based on strong leadership and collaboration. Now is the time to be bold.
“Targets to reduce both Scotland’s carbon footprint and material footprints need to be at the heart of the Circular Economy Bill to create real change, so it’s great to see that these have been prioritised in the bill. We must reduce Scotland’s carbon footprint to zero by 2050 to ensure Scotland contributes its fair share to global climate mitigation. Scotland’s material footprint must more than halve by 2050.”
Scotland’s material footprint was 18 tonnes per person in 2017, which is higher than the EU average (14 tonnes per person). Experts suggest that we can live sustainable, high quality lives with eight tonnes per person, by moving to a circular economy where materials are reused and recycled as much as possible.
82% of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes from the products and services we buy. Over half these emissions are due to imported goods but these are not included in Scotland’s climate targets. This means the environmental and social damage caused overseas by demand for goods in Scotland is virtually invisible at the moment, which is stopping it from being tackled.
The Scottish Government launched a review on waste targets at the same time as the consultation on the circular economy bill. The waste targets consultation is a key part of rapid system change required in Scotland.
Plans to progress Scotland’s ground-breaking children’s rights legislation have been announced by Deputy First Minister John Swinney.
The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill was backed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament in March 2021, but could not be implemented because of a legal challenge brought by the UK Government. In October, the Supreme Court ruled that certain parts of the Bill were outwith the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Government has now set out how it will address this. Over the next few weeks, there will be targeted engagement with relevant organisations and children and young people on proposed changes to the Bill. These will then be brought before Parliament via the Reconsideration Stage.
The Deputy First Minister said: “The UNCRC Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament to deliver the highest protection possible for children’s rights. The Supreme Court ruling was bitterly disappointing, but we have fully respected and carefully considered its implications.
“We sought support from the UK Government to make modest adjustments to the Scotland Act to address the issues with the devolution settlement that the Supreme Court ruling highlighted. Despite their public commitment to engage constructively, this was rejected by the Secretary of State for Scotland.
“As a result, we will remove UK Acts from the remedial provisions within the Bill, which is a dilution of the effect of the legislation, and we will consult with children and young people on the proposed changes.
“It is disappointing that this will not become law in the form which our Parliament agreed. However, we can now move forward with legislation to build a Scotland where respect for human rights anchors our society and the institutions which govern and deliver public services.”
Pupils, parents and carers are being asked to give their views on school uniform to help shape new national guidance.
A key aim of the guidance will be to reduce costs for families, while ensuring pupils can go to school feeling comfortable and ready to learn.
A consultation to inform the national guidance is launched today, with a wide range of views being sought, including from schools, families, education authorities and suppliers.
There will also be engagement with young people to seek their views.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “School uniform can promote a sense of identity, belonging and connectedness to school. However, the cost can be a significant burden for families, although there is no legal requirement to wear uniform.
“We have increased the school clothing grant to help families who need it most. Now we intend to go further by bringing forward national guidance aimed at reducing uniform costs. This could mean increasing the use of generic items of uniform.
“I would encourage anyone with an interest to have their say on how this guidance should look. It is essential that the views of children and young people are heard as part of this consultation.”
Local authorities and individual schools decide on school uniform policy at local level. The national guidance, which will be underpinned by a range of principles, will inform those policies.
There is no legal requirement to wear school uniform in Scotland. The new guidance is not intended to change this or to mandate the wearing of school uniform at national level.
Members of the public are being asked for their feedback on a new Scottish Flood Forecast, which will give communities an indication of where flooding is likely to occur in Scotland up to three days in advance.
A digital, colour coded map has been developed to show potential flood risks for the three days following the publication date of the map, and whether the source of flooding is from the sea, rivers or from surface water.
It will describe the potential impacts of flooding and link to advice and information on what protective action people can take if required. The map will also provide reassurance to communities when significant flooding is not expected.
The forecast will be produced every morning, 365 days a year, and published on SEPA’s website. It is an additional tool for the public to use alongside the current Floodline service, which issues shorter notice regional flood alerts and local flood warnings to those signed up, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Scottish Flood Forecasting Service, a partnership between the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Met Office, has created the new Scottish Flood Forecast following extensive user research.
It involved the public, community flood groups, emergency responders, partner organisations and SEPA and Met Office employees. The findings identified a need for flood information to be provided earlier, in a simple and clear way, and the ability to check when no flooding is expected.
The new national service can be viewed online from Thursday 12 May 2022 and is the first step on the journey to providing communities with improved flood information. Feedback from the public will be gathered to inform the next steps and refine the design. The forecast is expected to be finalised and launched later this year.
Pascal Lardet, Flood Warning Unit Manager at SEPA, said: “More extreme weather and rising sea levels due to climate change mean we have to learn to live with flooding.
“It’s vital communities are supported to safely prepare for the potential impacts as early as possible. Thanks to this new product and the extra notice it offers, they’ll have the best chance to reduce the risk of damage and disruption.
“The three-day Scottish Flood Forecast is the biggest change to our flood warning service since it began in 2011. We have listened to customers to ensure we are creating a product that will help them prepare for flooding at the earliest opportunity.
“We will continue to engage and capture customer feedback during the initial pilot period before launching the final version of the Scottish Flood Forecast expected later this year. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Scottish Flood Forum and the communities at risk of flooding who have already helped to develop this service so far.”
Mark Gibbs, Head of Environment and Energy at the Met Office said: “We have worked in partnership with SEPA to develop the Scottish Flood Forecast which embodies our ethos at the Met Office to help people stay safe and thrive.
“This is becoming increasingly challenging as climate change impacts threaten to affect communities across Scotland and the risks from flooding increase. The Met Office are continually working on improvements to forecasting which feed into the Scottish Flood Forecast.
“During this pilot period we look forward to hearing the views and opinions from communities throughout Scotland to create an improved final version.”
The Scottish Flood Forecast will be available and tested on:
A consultation on improving victims’ experiences of the justice system, with a particular focus on sexual offences, has opened.
It takes forward the work of the Victims Taskforce and Programme for Government commitments to establish a Victims’ Commissioner, introduce a statutory right to anonymity for complainers in sexual offence cases and carefully consider the recommendations from Lady Dorrian’s Review into the management of sexual offence cases.
The 12 week consultation is part of a wide-ranging programme of work to transform the justice system and deliver the Scottish Government’s new Vision for Justice in Scotland.
Justice Secretary Keith Brown said: “The Scottish Government recognises that the justice system can be distressing and re-traumatising for those who come into contact with it. We are committed to improving victims’ experiences of the system by putting them at its centre.
“This consultation explores how to do this by making the justice system more trauma informed and person centred.
“It is an important part of far-reaching and ambitious plans to bring about transformational change necessary to ensure our justice system is trusted, modern, smart and effective.
“We will continue to take an open and collaborative approach to achieve this aim, and this consultation will seek to capture the views of legal professionals, the third sector and those with experience of the system.”
