Changes were introduced in 2022 to improve flexibility and choice in how disabled people are supported to vote at polling stations. The changes mean councils are now required to provide equipment in polling stations to help people vote independently and in secret, and to allow anyone who is over the age of 18 to act as a companion to assist a disabled voter.
The Commission’s role is to provide guidance for electoral administrators on how to provide this support at polling stations.
The Commission has looked at how the changes have worked to date and engaged with a range of organisations representing disabled people. Ahead of elections in May 2026, it has reviewed and updated its guidance, and is now seeking feedback on these changes through a consultation, which opens today and runs until 26 October.
Jackie Killeen, Director of Electoral Administration and Regulation, said:“Everyone should be able to vote in secret and without barriers. The Commission’s guidance is intended to support electoral staff in making accessibility arrangements at polling stations that can have a real and positive impact for disabled voters.
“To ensure we are getting the right feedback and information, we will be listening to the advice of the electoral community, electoral administrators, and civil society, charity and third-sector organisations representing disabled people.
“We are keen to hear from voters, so if you have views on the accessibility guidance, please share them with us.”
More information about the consultation and how to respond is available on the Commission website, including in easy read and BSL formats.
The Commission expects to publish its updated guidance ahead of the Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections and English local elections taking place in May 2006
Stakeholders and organisations have gathered at a roundtable in support of Lothian MSP Sarah Boyack’s Member’s Bill as it aims to put an end to short-term thinking in policy development.
This meeting comes as a consultation has been launched into the bill by the Social Justice and Social Security Committee.
Ms Boyack’s bill would create a clear and legal definition of wellbeing and sustainable development and embed those into the decision-making process.
It would also establish a Future Generations Commissioner to ensure public bodies and government are complying with new national outcomes as well as these newly established duties.
Ms Boyack hosted the roundtable alongside representatives from Carnegie.
Commenting on the roundtable, Sarah Boyack said: “It was great to host such a positive and constructive discussion about my Member’s Bill with so many stakeholders.
“I am glad to see such widespread support for my bill among the sustainability and wellbeing sectors.
“I hope that this consultation will lead members of the committee and Parliament to support this bill and implement it into law.
“We have the opportunity to truly imbed long-term thinking into the decision-making process and create a more just and sustainable Scotland for decades to come.”
Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) has launched a public consultation on a draft of its new Strategy that will set the direction of work for the organisation for the next five years.
The consultation will give organisations and members of the public in Edinburgh with an interest in ESS’ role the opportunity to provide their views and help shape the final Strategy, which will be submitted to Parliament later this year.
The draft Strategy sets out a clear framework for how ESS will ensure public bodies in Scotland are complying with environmental law, as well as how ESS will scrutinise the effectiveness of environmental law in Scotland, and how it is implemented and applied.
The document includes an updated vision and new strategic objectives for the organisation, and sets out a fresh approach to prioritisation within its work. The consultation will also seek feedback on ESS’ proposed response to a recommendation made to ESS by Scottish Ministers following the Scottish Government’s review of environmental governance.
Mark Roberts, Chief Executive of ESS, said: ‘This consultation will enable us to refine our final Strategy which will be submitted to the Scottish Parliament for approval later this year.
‘Environmental law directly and indirectly impacts every resident, business and community in Edinburgh so we’re keen to hear from as wide a range of people and groups as possible. I would encourage anyone with an interest in our work to take part.’
ESS was established in October 2021 to ensure environmental laws and standards are adhered to in Scotland, replacing the European Union’s scrutiny and enforcement role after Brexit.
ESS’ first Strategy covered the period from 2022-2025. During this time, ESS has investigated compliance with a wide range of environmental law on issues including the management of special protection areas for birds, air quality and wrasse fishing. The organisation has also examined the effectiveness of environmental law in areas such as storm overflows, marine litter and soils.
Views are being sought on a new Bill which aims to reduce incidences of domestic abuse, by the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee.
The Prevention of Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill is a Members Bill which has been introduced by Pam Gosal, MSP.
The Bill is in four parts and would introduce notification requirements for certain people convicted of domestic abuse offences, similar to those for registered sex offenders. This would mean people would have to inform the police of things like their address or passport details.
It would give courts the power to order an assessment of the suitability of certain people convicted of domestic abuse to take part in rehabilitation or behaviour change programmes.
The Bill would place a data collection duty on Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and charities working with victims of domestic abuse, and an annual reporting duty on the Scottish Government.
If passed, the Bill would also require schools to provide education on domestic abuse and healthy relationships as part of the curriculum.
Police Scotland recorded 63,867 incidents of domestic abuse in 2023-24, an increase of 3% compared to the previous year.
Criminal Justice Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said:“Our Committee is acutely aware of the devastating impact domestic abuse has on individuals, families, and communities across Scotland, and the latest statistics on domestic abuse show the scale of this issue.
“This Bill presents a range of proposals aiming to prevent domestic abuse, including statutory data collection on authorities and improving school education but we want to hear views on whether individuals and organisations support these proposals.
“We are particularly keen to hear from those with lived experience, their families and frontline professionals on if they agree with the proposals in this Bill, or if they feel other actions are required to tackle domestic abuse in Scotland.”
UK Government launches the Post Office Green Paper, the first comprehensive review of the Post Office in 15 years
First comprehensive review of the Post Office in 15 years, with customers and postmasters shaping its future.
Post Office Green Paper will seek to transform the organisation’s culture in the wake of the Horizon scandal and changing customer demands.
Better services at the heart of new £118 million subsidy to fund the Post Office’s Transformation Plan and further network investment, moving the organisation closer to delivering growth in line with the Plan for Change.
Postmasters and the public will have the opportunity to shape the future of the Post Office for the first time in 15 years, as the Government sets out its vision for the next decade for the organisation.
The Post Office Green Paper, published today, will move further and faster to deliver a decade of renewal for customers and postmasters, building on the cultural reset being led by Post Office Chair Nigel Railton that will be so crucial to its success.
Working hand in hand with postmasters and the public the Government will ensure the network is put on a path to a strong and sustainable future with Post Office branches remaining at the heart of communities across the UK.
This includes on the Post Office’s ownership model, with concepts including mutualisation on the table for consideration following the publication of the final Horizon Inquiry report later this year.
The report is expected to provide recommendations on improving the structure of the Post Office so that this miscarriage of justice is never allowed to occur again, protecting postmasters whilst also providing reassurance for customers.
This follows an unprecedented period in which the Post Office has faced a series of major challenges, from the Horizon IT scandal to significant changes in consumer behaviour, such as a rise in online shopping and falling demand for traditional post.
Post Office Minister Gareth Thomas said: “Post Offices continue to be a central part of our high streets and communities across the country. However, after fifteen years without a proper review, and in the aftermath of the Horizon scandal, it’s clear we need a fresh vision for its future.
“This Green Paper marks the start of an honest conversation about what people want and need from their Post Office in the years ahead.
“I look forward to hearing the views of customers, business owners and postmasters so we can build a Post Office capable of serving the public for generations to come.”
The consultation will run for 12 weeks, closing on 6th October 2025. It will examine key areas including:
How Post Office services should evolve to meet changing consumer needs
Ways to strengthen the relationship between the Post Office and its postmasters
Options for modernising the network while ensuring services remain within local reach
Ensure the Post Office is well-equipped to adapt to consumer trends
How the Post Office can improve and develop the banking services it provides
Research published alongside the Green Paper today also highlights the important role the Post Office still plays in the daily lives of people and businesses, adding social value of around £5.2 billion per year to households and £1.3 billion annually to small and medium sized businesses.
As part of the Government’s commitment to securing the future of this vital national institution, Ministers have also announced plans to award a new subsidy package of up to £118 million to fund the Post Office’s Transformation Plan and further investment to improve the network.
This funding will protect key services, including access to cash deposits and withdrawals as well as key government services, such as passport applications and the DVLA, alongside helping the Post Office deliver cost-saving measures in its Transformation Plan, part of the New Deal for Postmasters.
The Green Paper and details on how to respond to the consultation can be found here.
Stakeholders across Scotland are invited to support the development of Public Health Scotland’s new strategy for 2025-2035.
As Scotland’s national public health body, we work to protect, improve, and sustain the health of Scotland’s people. We provide leadership for population health protection and improvement, supply trusted and evidence-informed advice, curate Scotland’s health data, and collaborate across all sectors turning policy into action.
Our vision remains simple but ambitious: a Scotland where everybody thrives. Within the next ten years, our aim is to boost average life expectancy by at least a year and reduce inequalities in life expectancy.
Scotland’s Population Health and Service Renewal Frameworks provide the ambition and direction for how Scotland will achieve this, through the core principles of preventing ill health, improving access and strengthening service quality.
Our strategy will define our role: what we will do and how we will lead and work with partners to deliver these plans for Scotland’s health.
We invite stakeholders from across Scotland to contribute their views to shape our strategy and to help us understand how we can achieve these goals in collaboration with partners.
We will proactively contact and engage with a diverse range of stakeholders based on Shaping our Strategy, however we would also like to hear from other individuals and organisations.
To support this process, several questions are provided. The closing date for submissions is Friday 29 August 2025. Feedback should be emailed to phs.strategicdevelopment@phs.scot.
These submissions will inform our strategy which we will publish later this year.
Find more information, including how to submit a consultation response, by viewing Shaping our Strategy.
Views are being sought on how to improve legal rights intended to help community groups take ownership of local land and assets.
Discussions with those who have engaged with the Rights to Buy have been taking place since last year to develop the proposals published for consultation today (Monday).
Since 2003, 268 applications for Rights to Buy have been received from community groups seeking to acquire their own assets, with two-thirds of these (175) approved by Scottish Ministers.
Rural Affairs and Land Reform Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “The first Community Right to Buy was introduced more than 20 years ago in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.
“Those rights have since been extended to cover rural, urban and crofting communities, pre-emptive and compulsory rights, neglected land and assets, and land to support the sustainable development of communities.
“Our discussions with stakeholders have shown that the Rights to Buy process can be complicated and demanding. These insights have helped us set out proposed improvements that we are now seeking views on.
“I would encourage anyone with an interest to take part in this consultation over the next 12 weeks to help Scotland remain a world leader in driving community ownership and investment in our land and assets.”
Chair of the Scottish Land Commission, Michael Russell, said: “Community Rights to Buy give people a real chance to take an active role in the future of their local places.
“This consultation is an important step to ensure these rights remain clear, practical and effective in helping communities take ownership of land and buildings that matter to them.
“We are pleased to be chairing a reference group to support the Scottish Government’s review, and we encourage everyone with an interest to share their views through this consultation.”
The City of Edinburgh Council is inviting residents and stakeholders to take part in a consultation on the city’s Affordable Housing Policy (AHP).
Edinburgh led the way by becoming the first local authority in Scotland to introduce an AHP in 2000. Under the current policy, housing developments with 12 or more homes must include 35% affordable housing.
Today, the city faces growing housing pressures – higher than average rents and house prices, a low proportion of social housing, and over 5,000 households in temporary accommodation. The city also has a lower proportion of social rented homes – just 16% compared to the Scottish average of 22%.
The Council is reviewing the policy’s non-statutory elements and is seeking public feedback on the next version of the Affordable Housing Guidance, due to be considered by the Planning Committee in November 2025.
Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Lezley Marion Cameron said: “Too many people and families in Edinburgh are struggling to find a stable and affordable place to live, and too many are still in temporary accommodation.
“We are making progress, however, there is much more to do to meet the increasing demand for housing in Edinburgh.
“That is why I am encouraging people to participate in the consultation and share their views to influence how we shape our communities and deliver the much needed affordable homes our city and citizens need.”
Draft plan to tackle nature loss, climate change and pollution
Members of the public are being asked to have their say on proposals aimed at boosting the health, prosperity and wellbeing of communities by improving Scotland’s environment.
The draft Environment Strategy sets out the opportunities for strengthening Scotland’s economy and improving people’s lives as a result of restoring and regenerating biodiversity, cutting levels of pollution and waste, supporting national net zero targets and improving Scotland’s environmental impact on countries across the world.
It includes key government actions which aim to support green jobs and industries, tackle poverty and promote social justice including:
the transition to a circular economy through the reuse and repurposing of materials
increasing renewable energy generation in Scotland and supporting industrial decarbonisation with independent scenarios from Ernst and Young (EY), showing that with the right support, Scotland’s low carbon and renewable energy sector could support nearly 80,000 jobs by 2050
projects to restore nature – including those supported through the Nature Restoration Fund – which are also improving people’s physical and mental wellbeing by providing greater access to nature
Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy Gillian Martin said: “This draft Environment Strategy sets out ways in which Government action will help tackle the nature crisis, as well as reduce pollution and support our net zero targets.
“These issues are interlinked, and by tackling them together we can protect our planet in ways that improve people’s health and wellbeing, reduce inequalities, and create new opportunities for business and investment.
“We have already made significant progress in improving Scotland’s environment. We have cut pollution levels by banning a number of the most problematic single-use plastic products and introduced Low Emission Zones.
“Scotland’s energy grid is also greener, thanks to the increase in the amount of renewable energy we now generate, we are more than halfway to reaching net zero by 2045, and our forthcoming Natural Environment Bill will introduce new statutory targets for restoring nature.
“However there is still much more we can do – and it is vital we tackle these global crises in ways that create wider benefits for Scotland – supporting green jobs and industries, improving people’s health, tackling poverty and promoting social justice.
“I urge everyone with an interest to have their say on the proposals.”
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic Kate Forbes said: “This draft Strategy shows how we can achieve both our environmental and our economic ambitions for Scotland, highlighting the business and investment opportunities that will flow as we move to a net zero, nature positive future.”
