We’re now in the consultation stage of our Community Asset Transfer, and this is your last chance to have your say before the survey closes this Sunday.
Every single response makes a real difference. The more people who take part, the stronger our case for securing the land our Centre sits on, and protecting it for the future of our community.
You can get involved by:
– Completing the online survey here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/drylaw – Filling in a paper copy at the Centre It only takes a few minutes, but your input helps us hugely.
Please take part and share this post to help us reach as many people as possible before Sunday!
Edinburgh has changed dramatically since the current community plan (LOIP) was last revised. We need people working in the third sector to share their insights at an in-person event:
Thursday 26th February, 9.30am – 12.30pm
at Norton Park Business and Conference Centre
AGENDA:
09:30am – 10:00am
Registration, breakout group signup and refreshments
10:00 am – 10:15am
Overview of the refresh of the Community Plan (2018-2028)
Westminster Government will give parents and carers greater clarity and support as the Prime Minister announces immediate action to make the online world safer for children
PM announces new powers to act within months to keep children safe amid rapid technology changes
New action will ensure no platform gets a free pass – as government today will close loopholes that put children at risk, and lays the groundwork for further, faster action
PM leads new crackdown on AI chatbots to protect people from illegal content
The UK Government will give parents and carers greater clarity and support as the Prime Minister announces immediate action to make the online world safer for children.
Speaking to parents and young people later today [Monday 16 February], the Prime Minister will make clear this government will act at pace to keep kids safe online as they navigate a digital world that did not exist a generation ago, and one that is shaped by powerful platforms, addictive design and fast-moving technologies.
The new measures announced today include crackdown on vile illegal content created by AI. The government will move fast to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law. This will ensure the Act keeps up with rapidly evolving harms.
This follows government action to call out abhorrent non-consensual intimate images being shared on Grok, which subsequently led to the function being removed.
The Prime Minister will also make clear today that his government is taking new legal powers to lay the groundwork for immediate action following its consultation on children’s wellbeing online. The Government is committed to following the evidence, and these powers will mean we can act fast on its findings within months, rather than waiting years for new primary legislation every time technology evolves.
That means being able to act quickly on measures like setting a minimum age limit for social media and restricting features like infinite scrolling that are harmful, in line with the consultation. The law is crystal clear: the distribution of nude images of children is already illegal. But the government will also consult on how best to ensure tech companies can safeguard children from sending or receiving such images in the first place.
The consultation will also confront the full range of risks children face online. This includes examining restrictions on children’s use of AI chatbots, as well as options to age restrict or limit children’s VPN use where it undermines safety protections and changing the age of digital consent.
The government will also strengthen protections for families facing the most devastating circumstances, by ensuring that vital data following a child’s death is preserved before it can be deleted, except in cases where online activity is clearly not relevant to the death.
This marks a clear shift in how the UK approaches child online safety, meaning the UK can continue to be a world leader in keeping children safe online.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “As a dad of two teenagers, I know the challenges and the worries that parents face making sure their kids are safe online.
“Technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up. With my government, Britain will be a leader not a follower when it comes to online safety.
“The action we took on Grok sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass.
“Today we are closing loopholes that put children at risk, and laying the groundwork for further action.
“We are acting to protect children’s wellbeing and help parents to navigate the minefield of social media.”
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “I know that parents across the country want us to act urgently to keep their children safe online. That’s why I stood up to Grok and Elon Musk when they flouted British laws and British values.
“We will not wait to take the action families need, so we will tighten the rules on AI chatbots and we are laying the ground so we can act at pace on the results of the consultation on young people and social media.
“We are determined to give children the childhood they deserve and to prepare them for the future at time of rapid technological change.”
The children’s digital wellbeing consultation will launch next month and will be guided by what parents and children say they need now, not in several years’ time.
Ministers are already engaging with parents, young people and civil society groups, and the message has been consistent and clear that parents want support and fast.
You won’t always know what your child is seeing online – unless you ask.
We’re supporting parents with practical guidance to talk to their children about harmful online content, from misinformation to misogynistic material.
— Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (@SciTechgovuk) February 10, 2026
To help parents immediately, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has launched the ‘You Won’t Know until You Ask’ campaign. It offers practical guidance on safety settings, conversation prompts parents can use with their children, and age‑appropriate advice on dealing with harmful content, including misogynistic material and ragebait.
Chris Sherwood, NSPCC CEO, said: “We welcome the Prime Minister’s promise to act quickly and decisively to hold tech companies to account and make the online world safer for children. The status quo can’t continue, and without real change the pressure for an under‑16 social media ban will only increase.
“Much of what is being proposed mirrors what we have been pressing for: proper age‑limit enforcement, an end to addictive design, and stronger action from platforms, devices, and AI tools to stop harmful content at the source. Delivered swiftly, these measures would offer far better protection than a blanket ban.
“We also strongly support putting children’s voices at the centre of this debate. They understand both the benefits and risks of being online and – after their insights have been overlooked in discussions so far – their experiences must now help guide the decisions made in the months ahead.
“We need urgent action and an ambitious agenda if the Government is going to take on tech bosses and make a difference for children and young people.”
Andy Burrows, Chief Executive of Molly Rose Foundation, said: “Parents are right to demand urgent action on online safety, and we strongly welcome the Government’s ambition to move quickly and decisively to tackle appalling and preventable harm.
“This announcement should reassure parents that change is on the way. It means that children and families could see much needed safety improvements within months, including action against high-risk AI Chatbots and new measures to prevent girls from being coerced into sending nude photos.
“This a welcome downpayment but the Prime Minister must now go further. Sir Keir Starmer should commit to a new Online Safety Act that strengthens regulation and that makes clear that product safety and children’s wellbeing is the cost of doing business in the UK.”
SHARE YOUR VIEWS ON DRYLAW COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP PLANS
DNC are in the process of trying to buy the land that we sit on – we currently own the building, but not the land.
We would love to hear your views about this.
If you could spare ten minutes to complete our survey we would be most grateful.
This can be accessed at bit.ly/Drylaw
We are hosting two drop in events over the next week: one TONIGHT – Thursday 12th February from 6pm – 8pm and one on Monday lunchtime (16th February) between 10:30 – 1:00.
Please come along and view the space and give us your views.
We really would appreciate it.
Drinks and snack will be provided at both drop ins.
Views are being sought on proposed changes to the Code of Practice for how Scotland’s police officers use stop and search powers.
The Code covers the conduct, recording and oversight of stop and search activity. The Scottish Government is legally required to periodically review the Code and has now published a consultation on a proposed update.
The revised Code aims to strengthen protections for children and vulnerable individuals, provide clearer guidance on the steps officers must take before, during and after a search, and introduce enhanced requirements on data recording, oversight and accountability.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said the proposed changes would ensure the Code continues to support effective policing while maintaining public trust and confidence in the appropriate use of stop and search powers.
Ms Constance said: “Stop and search powers remain a vital tool for police to tackle crime and keep people safe, provided it is exercised lawfully, proportionately and with respect for an individual’s dignity and rights.
“The revised Code aims to improve clarity, transparency and safeguarding, while strengthening safeguards for children and vulnerable people, with clearer guidance on the steps officers should take before, during and after a search.
“The consultation is an opportunity to listen, reflect and to strengthen public trust. I encourage everyone with an interest in justice, equality and community safety to take part.
“Their views will help ensure the Code remains robust, fair and fit for the future – supporting effective policing while upholding the rights and freedoms that define our society.”
DRYLAW NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE PLANS COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP
Our community has an incredible opportunity right now: the chance to own the Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre and the land around it, and shape it into something truly special for everyone who lives here.
But to make it happen, we need as many local people as possible to fill in the community survey. Your ideas, your hopes, and your experiences matter.
The more responses we get, the stronger our case becomes – and the more likely it is that we, as a community, take ownership of the space and its future.
Imagine what this could mean …
A place where families can spend time together
Safe, welcoming spaces for children and young people
New activities, events, and facilities shaped by you and your neighbours.
A centre and grounds designed around the real needs of local people.
This is about more than a building. It’s about building a better future for Drylaw; a future shaped by the people who live here, who care about the place, and who want to see it thrive.
Views are being sought on measures to speed up the delivery of new homes as part of the Scottish Government’s response to the housing emergency.
The measures would help accelerate building on sites allocated for development or which have planning permission. They include fiscal incentives to discourage delays and initiatives to fine tune the system to work better for SME housebuilders.
The 2026-27 draft Scottish Budget includes record funding of £926 million for the affordable housing supply programme and anational housing agency, More Homes Scotland, is being set up to help meet the housing need.
Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee said: “Since 2007, the Scottish Government has supported the delivery of 141,000 affordable homes, including 101,000 for social rent.
“But we know that Scotland urgently needs more homes and planning permission is already in place for a significant amount of housing land. We need to encourage construction to start or re-commence on those sites.
“This consultation seeks views on how incentives, clearer expectations and – where appropriate – stronger interventions could help local authorities, developers, landowners and communities undertake and complete more housing developments, more quickly. It builds on existing work to tackle stalled housing sites, support public sector led development, and strengthen planning capacity across Scotland.”
Consultation responses support new hate crime regulations
Women and girls will have greater protection against hate crimes under legislation laid in the Scottish Parliament by Ministers yesterday/today.
The regulations, if agreed by MSPs, will designate ‘sex’ as a protected characteristic under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021. There are protections in the Act for individuals’ rights in respect to freedom of expression for the new stirring up hatred offences. Hate crime is behaviour that is both criminal and rooted in prejudice and can be verbal, physical, online or face-to-face.
This will make it a specific criminal offence to stir up hatred against women and girls, as well as men and boys, because of their sex. The regulations will also allow courts to treat crimes motivated by hatred of someone’s sex as aggravated offences, which are considered more serious – including when passing sentence following conviction.
A consultation was held on the draft regulations, with 309 out of 365 responses supporting adding the characteristic of sex to both the stirring up of hatred offence and the aggravation. The final regulations now laid for MSPs’ scrutiny are largely unchanged from the draft.
The change will mean that women and girls have the same legal safeguards available under the Act to groups targeted by hate crime because of their age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and variations in sex characteristics.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “These regulations will significantly strengthen legal protections for women and girls from offences motivated by prejudice and hatred because of their sex and they will ensure that Scotland’s justice system can respond appropriately.
“The changes will mean women and girls have the same protections as victims who are targeted because of a specific characteristic, such as age, religion or disability. Men and boys will also be protected, however, we know that women and girls suffer significantly more from threats, abuse and harassment based on their sex, so they are likely to benefit most from those new protections.
“The vast majority of responses received during the consultation on these proposals supported adding the characteristic of sex to both the stirring up of hatred offence and the aggravation.
“The regulations will come into force on 5 April 2027, giving Police Scotland the necessary time to update training and guidance and ensuring they are operationally ready for the change.”
Clearer pricing will help pet owners compare costs and shop around, saving families money
Millions of pet owners and vet professionals across the country will benefit from major reforms to the veterinary sector – the first overhaul in sixty years.
The reforms help households understand what they are paying for, avoid unexpected costs and choose the best value care for their pets.
They come after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found problems in the veterinary market could be costing households up to £1 billion over five years. The CMA found that vet fees have risen at nearly twice the rate of inflation – which is why this government is taking action.
The proposals will make the system clearer, fairer and more transparent for owners – while supporting veterinary professionals alike.
Benefits for pet owners:
Clearer prices easing the ability to look around: Vet practices will be required to publish price lists for common treatments, and be transparent about options and changes allowing pet owners to choose the best treatment for their animals. Knowing key prices beforehand helps owners to choose the best value.
More competition to lower costs over time: Vet businesses must disclose who owns them so pet owners know if their local practice is part of a larger chain or independent. This knowledge and price transparency helps owners to decide which practice to use which increases competition and bring down costs over time.
Greater confidence in care: Every vet practice will need an official operating licence – similar to GP surgeries and care homes.
Fairer treatment complaints process: Stronger rules on how veterinary businesses must operate with an easier and more effective route for customers to raise concerns along with more support offered to allow vets and vet nurses to carry out their roles successfully; benefitting animal health and welfare.
Better access to quality care: New measures will bring veterinary nurses and certain allied veterinary professionals into regulation, freeing up veterinary surgeons to focus on more specialist care, improving access and reducing delays.
Benefits for veterinary professionals:
Legal recognition for veterinary nurses to strengthen professional identity, helping improve job satisfaction and boosting retention rates.
Regulatory oversight of veterinary businesses, not just individual vets, so the responsibility for upholding standards is shared and clearer.
Modernised processes for registration and “fitness to practice”, focusing on current competence rather than past mistakes.
A modern governance model for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), whose current structure has remained largely unchanged since 1966 and now lags behind other healthcare regulators. Proposals will reduce potential conflicts of interest and strengthen public and professional trust.
Animal Welfare Minister Baroness Hayman said: “Pets are part of the family, and owners deserve clear information, fair treatment and confidence in the care their animals receive.
“We’re focused on making vet services work better for families by improving transparency, increasing choice and helping people make informed decisions, while continuing to support the professionals who care for our animals.”
UK Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Christine Middlemiss said: “Updating these rules will help build a modern veterinary service that is easier for the public to understand and navigate, while strengthening animal health outcomes and supporting a skilled, resilient workforce.
“Reforming the Veterinary Surgeons Act is a crucial step towards building a stronger, more resilient profession. This consultation gives pet owners and professionals the chance to help shape a system that works better for everyone.”
British Veterinary Association President Dr. Rob Williams MRCVS said: “Veterinary teams play a vital role in society, from caring for the nation’s animals and supporting our farmers and food production, through to assisting international trade, disease control and public health.
If we’re to continue delivering this work effectively, we need reformed veterinary legislation, and those changes will impact how we go about all aspects of our work; it’s therefore imperative that colleagues engage with Defra’s proposals, ensure their voices are heard and grasp this opportunity to shape a veterinary sector that’s fit for the 21st century.”
Martin Coleman, Chair of the CMA Inquiry Group said: “We welcome the government’s consultation to update this vital regulation and protect pet owners.
“Our vets investigation is ongoing, but we have already set out our strong concern that the current rules are not fit for purpose and need reforming to keep pace with commercial practice and further build pet owner trust in veterinary businesses.”
Why change is needed:
60% of vet practices are owned by non-vets, with many operating under unclear ownership structures. The reforms propose a new licencing system requiring businesses to meet clear standards – with enforcement action, including potential loss of licence, where they fail to do so.
A modern disciplinary process will accompany the reforms, with a wider range of sanctions to ensure customer concerns are properly addressed and support veterinary professionals to safely carry out their roles. This will work to improve care whilst reducing punitive outcomes and will benefit both owners and professionals alike.
Veterinary professionals are essential to the UK’s high animal health and welfare standards. These reforms strengthen professional recognition, modernise outdated regulation and help safeguard the profession’s ability to continue to protect the UK from the threats to disease and food security.
This announcement follows the publication of the Animal Welfare Strategy, and is part of this Government’s ambitious reforms to animal welfare – improving the lives of millions of animals across the UK.
The consultation will run for 8 weeks.
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said: “For years, Which? has been exposing unclear pricing and poor practice in the vet industry so it’s good to see the government taking steps to modernise the sector and ensure it treats pet owners fairly.
“The current regulation is decades out of date and oversight of veterinary businesses, not just individual vets, is urgently needed. The government needs to ensure that its new licensing system has the right sanctions in place for businesses which break the rules.
“The government must ensure these changes are introduced as soon as possible to restore consumer confidence in the sector. As part of these reforms, it should also legislate to establish a mandatory Ombudsman scheme with the power to make binding judgements about customer complaints and take action against any vets or vet practices falling short.”
BVA calls on vets to support reform of outdated veterinary legislation as Government launches proposals
Following years of campaigning by the British Veterinary Association (BVA), the UK Government has today (27 January 2026) taken a major step towards reforming the outdated Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA), launching a public consultation seeking views on its proposals for reformed legislation.
The consultation will run for eight weeks and seeks input from across the veterinary team and from the public on a range of proposals that could see significant changes to how veterinary professionals are regulated, including the introduction of regulation for allied veterinary professionals (e.g. equine dental technicians and cattle hoof trimmers); vet businesses could be regulated for the first time; and there could be significant changes to the governance arrangements including the roles undertaken by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published its proposals following months of intensive engagement with a group of key organisations including BVA, RCVS, the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) and the Vet Schools Council (VSC), to understand the challenges and opportunities facing the sector and develop recommendations on what the options for proposed reform could look like.
Reform of the VSA will have a significant impact on vets’ daily work, the service they provide their clients and the care given to animals. BVA will formally respond to the consultation on behalf of its members. BVA is also strongly encouraging all vets to support reform by engaging with the proposals and sharing their views with Defra via the consultation.
British Veterinary Association President Dr. Rob Williams MCVRS said: “Vets play a vital role in society, from caring for the nation’s animals and supporting our farmers and food production, through to assisting international trade, disease control and public health.
“If we’re to continue delivering this work effectively, we urgently need reformed veterinary legislation, and those changes will impact how we go about all aspects of our work. It’s therefore imperative that colleagues engage with Defra’s proposals, ensure their voices are heard and grasp this opportunity to shape veterinary legislation that’s fit for the 21st century.”
For more information on what Defra’s proposals mean, BVA members can access a series of recorded webinars explaining the detail.
There is also a Frequently Asked Questions section on the BVA website:
The First Minister has expressed deep concerns over proposals to end the STV North tea-time news bulletin.
The Scottish Government’s response to Ofcom’s consultation on STV’s request to change its regional programming commitments strongly urges consideration of the long-term implications this would have on local public service broadcasting in Scotland.
There has been significant public and political pressure to reverse the plans to end the STV North news bulletin.
First Minister John Swinney said that removing public service obligations to deliver regional news would set a ‘damaging precedent’.
Mr Swinney commented: “The Scottish Government strongly believes that these proposals would not achieve the vital aim to ensure audiences are well-served with high-quality news across Scotland.
“Regional news coverage and bulletins are essential for democratic accountability and local representation; maintaining audience trust and engagement and supporting regional journalism and sustaining jobs.
“It is vital that high-quality, independent local bulletins are preserved, editorial centres outside Glasgow are maintained, and Scottish-based jobs and equitable news access across Scotland are safeguarded.
“We strongly urge Ofcom to consider the long-term implications for plurality, local democracy, and the health of Scotland’s media landscape before removing current public service obligations. Weakening these obligations would set a damaging precedent and accelerate the decline of public interest journalism in Scotland.”
The Scottish Government’s response to Ofcom’s consultation can be found here:
