consultation – Page 25 – The NEN

Ending the sale of peat in Scotland

Phasing out use of peat to protect the environment

The sale of peat is set to be banned in Scotland, as part of wider plans to protect peatlands and reduce carbon emissions.

As most extracted peat is used for horticulture, the Scottish Government is looking for views from gardeners and commercial growers.

The government is also asking for views from industry – those who extract peat, those who supply it, garden centres and other users of peat such as the fuel and whisky industries.

The intention is to ban the retail sale of peat for home gardening first, before considering how a wider ban would affect commercial users.

Responses to the consultation will inform plans and timescales for moving away from using peat products in order to protect peatlands from further damage. Their protection and restoration form important components of Scotland’s response to the climate and nature emergencies.

Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said: “Peatlands are an integral part of our cultural and natural heritage and cover over a third of Scotland’s land area. In good condition, they help mitigate climate change and can support communities with green jobs. In poor condition, though, the benefits are lost and peatlands become a source of carbon emissions.

“Restoring Scotland’s peatlands can help us fight climate change, support biodiversity and provide good, green jobs – often in rural communities. This is why we have invested £250 million to restore 250,000 hectares of peatlands over a 10 year period to 2030.

“Hand in hand with our efforts to restore degraded peatlands, we must also do all we can to protect them. This means we must consider how to stop using peat, whether extracted in Scotland or elsewhere.

“We welcome a wide range of views to this consultation to ensure that we can set dates for ending the sale of peat that are both realistic and ambitious.”

Kirsty Wilson, Herbaceous Supervisor at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Director of Horticulture at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Raoul Curtis-Machin said: “The use of peat by gardeners now needs to be seriously challenged, when healthy non-degraded peat bogs in Scotland are critical in our fight against climate change and are immensely valuable for biodiversity.

“The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is dedicated to plant conservation and stopped using peat more than 20 years ago, with no negative impacts on our world-class horticulture. Materials like milled pine bark and other fibrous woody material have proved to be a successful alternative to peat, even for the most challenging plants such as rhododendrons.”

Find out more: Ending the sale of peat: consultation – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Take part in the consultation: Ending the sale of peat in Scotland – Scottish Government – Citizen Space (consult.gov.scot)

Holyrood committee seeks views on proposed changes to young people’s criminal justice system

Changes to the care of children and the involvement of children in the criminal justice system are to come under scrutiny at the Scottish Parliament.

The Education, Children and Young People Committee will consider the proposals laid out in the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill and would like to hear the views of people from across Scotland.

The Bill changes how the justice system approaches offences committed by people under the age of 18. This will include allowing most 16- and 17-year-olds to attend a Children’s Hearing, rather than a court.

Changes would also be made to regulations around accommodations for young people. Under the proposals 16- and 17-year-olds, accused of or guilty of offences would not be held in Young Offenders Institutions or prisons, but instead would be sent to secure accommodation. The Bill would also change how care services providing residential accommodation to children are regulated.

The Committee is opening a call for views so it can hear the views of organisations supporting young people in conflict with the law, young people and parents. The Committee is also very interested in hearing the views of legal professionals, secure accommodation providers and victims of crime.

Following the end of the consultation the Committee plans to hold a series of evidence sessions to discuss the Bill, before reporting its findings to the Parliament later in the year.

Sue Webber, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee said: “The Bill we will be scrutinising will allow all 16- and 17-year-olds to access the Children’s Hearings System for the first time.

“This aims to safeguard those at risk of harm and change how the justice system deals with young people who have committed offences. It also introduces a range of further measures designed to improve the way that children are treated, including ensuring no young person under the age of 18 will be sent to a Young Offenders’ Institution or prison.

“We want to get a thorough understanding of how the proposals in the Bill might impact on people across Scotland, including young people themselves, children’s support organisations and youth justice bodies.

“Please share your views on these proposals with our Committee before the 17 March 2023 deadline.”

Community Wealth Building: Scottish Government launches consultation

Views are being sought on ground-breaking proposals to help grow local economies and ensure more money stays in the hands of communities.

The Scottish Government is consulting the public on plans for new Community Wealth Building legislation – the first of its kind in the world – as part of its wider strategy to transform Scotland’s economy.

The consultation, which launched yesterday, will run for 12 weeks and seeks community, business and wider feedback on proposals to:

place a legal duty on public bodies such as health authorities and local councils to use the economic levers they have – for example in sourcing goods and services – to support the transformation of local and regional economies
promote co-operative, social enterprise and employee-owned businesses to ensure that more wealth which is generated locally stays local
create fair work opportunities for local people and those who face barriers to employment
ensure land and property are used for the benefit of local communities, business and the environment

Community Wealth Minister Tom Arthur launched the consultation at the Red Lion Inn in Culross, Fife, a community-owned pub and key local employer which aims to reinvest its profits back into the community.

Mr Arthur said: “We want to create an economy which delivers prosperity for all of Scotland’s people and places. Community Wealth Building is about enabling people to have a stake in the wealth that their local economy generates. This is central to our plans to reform Scotland’s economy for the wellbeing of current and future generations.

“While Community Wealth Building has grown in popularity in recent years, legislation has the potential to achieve more rapid benefits for communities, helping both people to earn incomes from fair work and more locally-owned businesses to bid for public sector contracts. Money spent locally is more likely to stay in the local economy and support local jobs.

“This public consultation will inform a Community Wealth Building Bill, which we will introduce to Parliament, to achieve these aims.

“I look forward to hearing a wide range of views on how we can use this process to transform our local economies to become greener, fairer and more prosperous.”

Fife is one of five pilot areas supported to develop Community Wealth Building action plans.

Fife Council Leader Cllr David Ross said: “We are committed to creating a fairer Fife where we grow the local economy and everyone benefits from the wealth generated within our communities.

“That’s what community wealth building is about. In Fife, in conjunction with local partners, we are already forging ahead with ground-breaking changes to embed community wealth building so that local people, communities and businesses benefit now and into the future.

“The pilot programme in Fife has seen us implementing progressive procurement practices that are helping local businesses to bid for public sector contracts, making sure more local people receive the living wage and rolling out innovative training and recruitment programmes to ensure people have access to quality local jobs. Our key partners are all signed up to a charter to deliver change.

“Whilst we have seen this significant progress locally, reform of legislation would provide powers for greater change, and we welcome the opportunity to help shape a future Community Wealth Building Bill.”

Anyone who wishes to have their say on Community Wealth Building legislation can do so here: https://consult.gov.scot/economic-development/community-wealth-building-consultation

Views sought on disabled peoples’ experience of the labour market

What are the barriers that disabled people face in finding their ideal job is the question that MSPs on the Economy and Fair Work Committee will be asking as part of work into the issue.

Statistics show that people with a disability in Scotland have a lower employment rate than non-disabled people. The Scottish Government also has a target to half the disability employment gap by 2038 within the Fairer Scotland for disabled people – employment action plan. This work will try and identify what barriers exist and what more can be done to help disabled people and employers.

Claire Baker MSP, Convener of the Economy and Fair Work Committee said: “There have been some really good examples of where employers have put in place measures to make sure that everyone, regardless of their background, is able to get and keep a job.

“But we know that this is unfortunately not the case for every disabled person who is actively looking for employment.

“We want to hear directly from people about these barriers and what more we as policymakers can do to help make looking for a job a more equitable experience for everyone.”

The Committee is asking for those interested in this issue to give us their views. We’ll be asking for views on the following issues:

What progress has been made to reduce and remove barriers faced by disabled people to access Scotland’s labour market?

What are the remaining challenges, and why has progress been difficult?

What policy measures would you like to see to support disabled people and employers to increase participation rates?

What has been the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on disabled people’s experience of the labour market?

R&D Tax Relief Reform consultation

R&D tax relief reform set to simplify the system and help grow the economy
Clearer information about how much relief business will receive to be offered up front, helping them budget for R&D
Follows £20 billion investment in R&D from government at Autumn Statement and the Chancellor’s pledge to understand how to provide further support for R&D intensive SMEs

The Government has launched a consultation to simplify the UK’s R&D tax relief system, drive innovation and grow the economy.

The 8-week consultation, which runs from 13 January to 13 March 2023, sets out proposals on how a single scheme could be designed and implemented. This would replace the two R&D tax relief schemes currently in place – the Research and Development Expenditure Credit (RDEC) and the small and medium enterprises (SME) R&D relief.

A scheme modelled on the current RDEC for SMEs would also give decision makers in smaller companies clearer information, which will help them set budgets for R&D. In contrast, for those claiming SME tax relief in the current setup, the exact amount of money their firm will receive can only be known with certainty at the end of accounting period.

This is part of the government’s ongoing R&D tax reliefs review, and follows changes announced at Autumn Statement 2022 where the generosities of the two R&D tax schemes were broadly aligned, with the Chancellor pledging to work with industry to understand how to provide further support for R&D intensive SMEs.

The UK’s R&D tax reliefs have an important role to play in encouraging more businesses to invest in R&D, helping them to grow and create the technologies, products and services which reshape lives and livelihoods.

Government spending on R&D plays a crucial role in stimulating private sector investment which is why it is increasing investment to £20 billion a year by 2024-25 – the largest ever increase in a Spending Review period.

Victoria Atkins MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said: “We are focussed on growing the economy – with thriving businesses bringing more jobs, higher pay and more tax revenue to fund our precious public services.

“Getting R&D tax relief right and fit for the future sits at the heart of making sure the UK remains a competitive location for cutting edge research – helping new firms grow.

“I welcome views on the option to simplify the scheme, especially from those who have experience of the existing tax reliefs.”

The UK is unusual in having two schemes and moving to a single measure would simplify the R&D tax system in line with the government’s overall plans for tax simplification.

The government would like to hear from a wide range of sources including individuals, companies, representative and professional bodies, and especially invites comments from research and development intensive businesses and those representing them.

The government recognises the reform to the rates creates challenges for some R&D intensive SMEs and those in the life sciences sector in particular and believes there is merit to the case for further support. Any further changes will be announced in the usual way, at a future fiscal event.

If implemented, the new scheme is expected to be in place from 1 April 2024.

Views sought on proposals to modernise trusts and succession law

Scots are being invited to share their views on the Scottish Government’s Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Bill. The Scottish Parliament’s Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee has launched a consultation on the proposed changes, which would modernise the operations of trusts and rules around succession.

The Bill aims to change the law in two areas. It would alter how trusts are administrated and managed and would also change the order of who has a right to inherit when someone dies without a will.

Trusts are used for a wide range of legal purposes that impact on families, businesses, charities and financial institutions. A trust enables assets to be legally owned by one person or entity while a different individual, entity or group of people can benefit from the asset.

The Scottish Law Commission has recommended that both trust law and succession law be updated. Currently Scots law around trusts is largely based on an Act passed in 1921. It is now believed that there are £500 billion worth of assets held in trusts in Scotland today.

The Commission completed a comprehensive review of trust law in 2014, which identified a number of outdated areas of law in need of modernisation. Furthermore, changes to succession law were recommended by the Commission following extensive reform work and public consultations over many years. The Scottish Government is now seeking to change the law around both trusts and succession with this Bill.

The Committee’s scrutiny of this Bill follows its recent work on the Moveable Transactions (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1. In that case, the Committee welcomed the general principles of the Bill, but did raise concerns with the Government about the impact it might have on consumers.

Stuart McMillan MSP, Convener of the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, said:

“Trusts are long established in Scotland. It is thought that assets in trust may hold a combined value of £500 billion in Scotland, yet their significance is not recognised in wider society.

“We would like to understand more about how trusts are used in Scotland and what impact the changes in this Bill might have on Scottish individuals, businesses, charities and institutions.

“We’re particularly keen to hear from professional trustees, whose commercial business includes handling trusts for other people, and lay trustees, who are not acting in a professional capacity in their role.”

In addition to its consultation, the Committee will hold a series of public evidence sessions on the Bill in the spring.

Electoral reform consultation opens

Views sought to strengthen democracy

Expanding candidacy rights to 16 and 17 year olds is one of a number of electoral reforms being considered in a consultation launched today.

Following the lowering of the voting age to 16 in devolved Scottish elections, the consultation asks about changing the age of candidacy from the current minimum of 18 to allow young people to stand for election.

Views are also being sought on how best to encourage all those eligible to register to vote, especially among under-represented groups and on measures to protect the privacy of candidates addresses.

Other proposals in the consultation include extending candidacy rights to foreign nationals who already have the right to vote, and measures to improve the accessibility of voting, including for voters with sight loss.

Minister for Parliamentary Business George Adam said: “A robust electoral system is fundamental to the success of Scotland being an inclusive and vibrant democracy that makes everyone feel included and empowered.

“It is important as many people in our society as possible feel they have an effective and independent means to hold government to account and also feel encouraged take an active interest in politics and civic life.

“The measures set out in this consultation are wide-ranging and include key questions on how best to improve the accessibility of elections and to promote electoral registration. We will consider all responses very carefully before deciding on our next steps.”

Take part in the consultation

Read the Scottish Government’s consultation paper on electoral reform

Views sought on Bill to strengthen charity regulator

Proposals that would see the powers of Scotland’s charity regulator strengthened are to be considered by the Scottish Parliament’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee.

Under the proposals in the Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), would have wider powers to investigate charities and charity trustees. Rules around who can be a charity trustee or senior office-holder in a charity would also be tightened.

The proposed changes to the law were developed following suggestions from OSCR. Some of the changes are intended to ensure Scottish legislation is in line with updated legislation in England and Wales.

The Committee wants to understand what impact the changes in the Bill might have. To make this as easy as possible for all charities to respond, no matter their size, the Committee is inviting people to share their views either through a detailed consultation, or a short survey.

They hope to get an insight into how the charity sector has changed since the Charities Act was passed in 2005 and get a better idea of how the updated laws might impact the Scottish public.

Natalie Don, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee said: “Charities are a cornerstone of public life in Scotland, with millions of people across the country supporting, or benefitting from their work. It is important that the public can have faith in the often vital work that they do. We’re keen to understand the extent to which the Bill might strengthen that accountability and transparency.

“We also want to understand what administrative impact the Bill might place on charities and their trustees. We understand that many people volunteer for charities and we want to know how these changes might impact on the way that they are able to perform these roles.

“There are more than 25,000 charities in Scotland and we would like anybody who has a role working or volunteering for one to share their views on the Bill, either by completing the detailed call for views, or the shorter survey.”

The Committee’s survey and detailed consultations will both close on Friday 3 February 2023. Following the closure of the consultation, the Committee will undertake several public evidence sessions before producing a report commenting on the principles of the Bill in the spring.

Improving access to information about public services

Consultation on reform launched

The public and organisations are being asked to give their views on improving access to information about public services.

The Access to Information Rights in Scotland consultation aims to gather views and evidence on what information rights should look like.

This includes whether additional third sector bodies and private businesses should be brought within the scope of existing freedom of information (FOI) legislation, if they carry out work for the public sector or receive public funds, as well as what information should be published proactively by Government and public services.

The consultation also looks at whether guidance on the use of different technology platforms should be introduced.

Minister for Parliamentary Business George Adam said: “Scotland has the most robust FOI laws in the UK. We want to build on this further by engaging with people and organisations on the development of information rights.

“We want to understand how existing legislation affects the work of civil society groups and public bodies.

“The responses to the consultation will inform our work to improve FOI rules and deliver on the Scottish Government’s commitment to openness and transparency.

“I would urge those with experience of FOI, whether as requesters, public authorities or as partners of public authorities to respond to the consultation and let us know your concerns and experiences.”

Access to Information Rights in Scotland: A Consultation.

The deadline for responding is Tuesday 14 March.

20-Minute Neighbourhoods: focus on Gorgie Dalry ‘town centre’

Edinburgh’s 20-Minute Neighbourhoods strategy is progressing a programme of engagement across local town centres and high streets in the city, with a new focus on Gorgie Dalry.

In partnership with local communities and businesses across Edinburgh, the City of Edinburgh Council is working to develop a network of healthier, greener and thriving neighbourhoods where everyone can access key services and amenities by a short walk, wheel, cycle or trip on public transport.

A key part of delivering this 20-Minute Neighbourhoods strategy is improving local town centres and high streets which provide many of the essential facilities and services that people need easy access to.

The Council’s City Mobility Plan identifies a need for Edinburgh’s town centres to be more liveable places with reduced car dependency, improved active travel connections and quality public spaces for everyone.

The initial engagement to prepare a plan for Gorgie Dalry town centre has been designed to roll out alongside planned road renewal projects to minimise potential disruption. It will start by focussing on Dalry and local schools, before looking at Gorgie in more detail in the future.

Local residents in Gorgie Dalry are now being invited to share their thoughts on how the area around Dalry Road could be improved. Participants have the option of sharing their views either online or in person at a series of local events.

An online survey is available until 15 January, 2023, where residents can feed back on specific parts of Dalry and the area around Tynecastle High School. They can also share their views on how they currently experience the area, what they think is good and what could be better.

The 20-Minute Neighbourhoods team will also be available to speak with local people at the corner of Dalry Road and Easter Dalry Road on the afternoons of Thursday, 1 and Saturday, 3 December. Further engagement with Dalry Primary School and Tynecastle High School students, businesses and community groups is planned over the coming weeks.

Work is well underway on progressing the town centre and high street strategy elsewhere across the city, including in Leith, Craigmillar, Muirhouse and Queensferry.

Plans for future improvements to Portobello, Corstorphine, Stockbridge and Bruntsfield and Morningside town centres, will be progressed to take account of the Our Future Streets framework and associated action plans once they have been agreed.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “20-minute neighbourhoods are a new way of thinking for Edinburgh and our local town centres and high streets are at the very heart of many people’s local lives, so they are a natural starting point for this exciting strategy.

“It is clear that these spaces could be much better at serving the daily needs of residents, businesses and other organisations, particularly by being easier for everyone to move around. They should also have identity and purpose, supporting local employment opportunities and providing an inclusive economy.

“Each neighbourhood in the city is different, with its own unique set of requirements. That’s why it’s so important that local communities participate in this process to help us understand everyone’s needs and make sure their views shape the neighbourhood approach.

“I hope we hear from as many people as possible on how their town centre could be better for them. This is a fantastic opportunity for local people to help set a new direction for these areas so that they are more welcoming and benefit the health, wellbeing and pockets of people across the city.

“Ultimately, this strategy is aiming to deliver more sustainable, inclusive places, improve access to quality services and empower local communities across Edinburgh.“

The 20-Minute Neighbourhood strategy was launched in June 2021. Its vision is to enable a net zero Edinburgh where everyone can live well locally.

The city needs this level of ambition to achieve a significant shift away from longer journeys to active travel and meet its net zero carbon target. It will help to create more social, inclusive and accessible places. This will also support physical and mental wellbeing and help to end poverty in Edinburgh.