consultation – Page 8 – The NEN

Holyrood committee launches call for views on mental health budget

The Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee is seeking views on the Scottish Government’s mental health spending for 2026-27, as part of its pre-budget scrutiny.

The Committee is considering the effectiveness of current spending and whether investment is aligned with the right priorities.

In 2023-24, mental health services received £1.5 billion in funding—equivalent to 9% of total NHS expenditure. The Committee is now seeking views on whether this level of investment is appropriate, how spending decisions are made, and the extent to which preventative approaches are being supported.

The Committee is particularly interested in:

The adequacy and transparency of current mental health spending;
Evidence of preventative investment in mental health;
Whether national priorities—such as CAMHS, suicide prevention, and community-based support— are the right priorities for mental health investment and to what extent these priorities are reflected in mental health service delivery.

The Committee’s scrutiny takes place ahead of the publication of the Scottish Budget, expected later this year, and aims to inform Scottish Government’s spending decisions while they are still in development.

Speaking as the call for views was launched, Clare Haughey MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said: “It’s vital people dealing with mental health issues are able to access appropriate and effective care, support and treatment.

“That’s why we are scrutinising the funding for these services and ensuring any money spent is going to the right places to help people get the support they need.

“Through this call for views, we want to hear from individuals, professionals and organisations about what’s working, what’s not, and where investment should be focused for the greatest benefit.

“Your insights will help us hold the Government to account and ensure that mental health services are properly resourced and effectively delivered.”

The call for views closes on 15 August 2025.

Read the questions and submit your views on Citizen Space

Proposed move for Wester Hailes Post Office

Move to Plaza News, Unit 23-26 Upper Ground Floor Level, Westside Plaza, Edinburgh, EH14 2SW
Monday to Saturday: 9am – 5.30pm
51 hours of Post Office service per week
Branch would open on Saturday afternoons
Experienced postmasters

Post Office is proposing to relocate Wester Hailes Post Office to a new location – Plaza News, Unit 23-26 Upper Ground Floor Level, Westside Plaza, Edinburgh, EH14 2SW.

Wester Hailes Post Office, which is currently directly managed by Post Office, would be run by our new retail franchise partner at the new location within the same shopping centre.

Father and son, Mohammed and Aamir Arshad have run Plaza News, a hardware and convenience store, since 2016. Previously they ran Whitecraig Post Office and off-licence store in Musselburgh for six years.

Post Office Limited recently announced it is moving to a fully franchised network, as part of our wider commitment to deliver a “New Deal for Postmasters”. Over 99% of the Post Office network is already successfully operated on a franchise basis by carefully selected retail partners.

We are confident this would create a long-term, sustainable future for post offices in communities across the UK, including Wester Hailes.

The same range of services would still be available, including an internal ATM.

The opening hours would be Monday to Saturday: 9am – 5.30pm. This would be an extra 5 hours and 30 minutes of Post Office service a week including Saturday afternoon and earlier opening on a Tuesday morning than currently for the convenience of customers.

Wester Hailes Post Office would have two open plan serving positions at the retail counter.

There is a car park at the shopping center with dedicated disabled parking bays on upper level where the proposed branch would be located.

Current Post Office employees have the opportunity to TUPE across to continue to work at the relocated branch.

Consultation will close on 13 August. Customers can share their views during the consultation online at postofficeviews.co.uk with the branch code 018824.

Submissions can also be made via email to comments@postoffice.co.uk, by post to Freepost YOUR COMMENTS, or by telephone 03452 66 01 15 or Textphone 03457 22 33 55.

Improving the safety of non-surgical cosmetic procedures

Measures to protect the public and establish industry standards

New proposals to improve safety and standards in the non-surgical cosmetic procedures sector have been set out as the Scottish Government publishes its response to a consultation on the issue.

The proposals, informed by over 2,200 responses and broad stakeholder engagement, intends to introduce a minimum age of 18 for all procedures and classify treatments into three distinct groups which will be regulated to reflect the associated risk:

group 1 procedures – such as microneedling and non-ablative laser treatments – will require both a premises licence and individual practitioner licences issued by local authorities
group 2 procedures – including injectables like Botox® and dermal fillers – will have to be supervised by a qualified health care professional in a setting regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS)
group 3 procedures – for instance, breast and buttock augmentation – will have to be performed by a qualified healthcare professional in an HIS-regulated setting

The Scottish Government will take forward a combination of primary and secondary legislation to implement the proposals.

A new Bill regulating Group 2 and Group 3 procedures will be introduced later this year. Secondary legislation under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 will establish the licensing regime for Group 1 procedures.

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “It is deeply upsetting to hear of cases where people have suffered as a result of non-surgical cosmetic procedures going wrong.

“The current gaps in regulation mean that anyone can perform most of these procedures without the need for any formal training or qualifications. These proposals reflect our determination to protect the public and ensure high standards across this growing industry.

“I am particularly heartened by the broad support for action to make the sector safer, and we will continue to work closely with Healthcare Improvement Scotland, local authorities, and the wider industry to support a smooth and effective implementation.”

Remember, remember …

FIREWORK CONTROL ZONES

Is your community being considered for a Firework Control Zone in November?

Streets in Balerno, Calton Hill, Corstorphine, Gracemount, Longstone, Moredun, Niddrie, Seafield and Sighthill have been nominated.

We’d like to hear your views at http://edinburgh.gov.uk/firework-control-zones…

Sustainable Development consultation

Holyrood committee seeks views on proposals aimed at protecting future generations

A proposed new law that aims to ensure public bodies consider the long-term impact of their decisions on sustainable development and the wellbeing of future generations is the subject of a new call for views from a Scottish Parliament committee.

The Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill, introduced earlier this year by Sarah Boyack MSP, would place a legal duty on public bodies to promote sustainable development and wellbeing in the work they undertake. It also proposes the creation of a Future Generations Commissioner to support and oversee this work.

The Social Justice and Social Security Committee has launched its call for views to inform its Stage 1 scrutiny of the Bill during which it will also take account of the findings of a recent parliamentary committee report that recommended against the creation of more commissioners.

Sarah Boyack MSP has set out her hopes that the Bill will encourage more joined-up thinking across public services. She also believes that her proposals will help Scotland tackle long-term challenges such as climate change, inequality, and environmental degradation.

The Bill also sets out definitions of “sustainable development” and “wellbeing” and aims to embed these principles into public decision-making in Scotland.

The Committee’s call for views will be open until Sunday 24 August 2025, with the Committee due to start taking formal evidence in the Autumn.

Collette Stevenson MSP, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said: “This Bill could have a significant impact on how decisions are made across Scotland’s public sector.

“We’re keen to hear what the public sector and local authorities make of the proposals, and we’d also like to hear from professionals, academics, children and young people, as well as anyone else with an interest in wellbeing and sustainable development.

“By sharing your views with us, you’ll help us explore how the proposals could work in practice and what the changes could mean for Scotland’s future generations.”

Holyrood Committee seek views and experiences as part of new inquiry into ADHD and autism

HOLYROOD’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee is launching an inquiry into treatment pathways and support for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The inquiry aims to:

Understand why waiting times for diagnosis and management of ADHD and ASD are reportedly long, including the drivers of increasing demand;
Understand how these conditions are diagnosed and managed;
Examine the impact of high demand and delays on individuals and healthcare staff;
Explore solutions to improve capacity of services, referral pathways and support.

Both ADHD and ASD are neurodevelopmental conditions. ADHD is characterised by a group of symptoms that includes difficulty in concentrating, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour, while Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental condition that affects the way a person communicates, interacts and processes information.

As of March 2025, there were 42,530 children waiting for neurodevelopmental assessments in Scotland (across all health boards except NHS Grampian, who could not provide data).

The Committee is asking individuals and their families to share their experiences of accessing pathways to treatment and support for ADHD and ASD. They also want to hear from individuals who work supporting those with ADHD or ASD.

As part of the inquiry, the Committee will also be writing to relevant organisations directly to seek their views.

Clare Haughey MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said: “Our Committee is launching this inquiry because we are concerned by reports of long waits for neurodevelopmental assessments in Scotland.

“Data from Scotland’s health boards shows that eight NHS boards currently report waiting times exceeding three years for these conditions. We want to learn what is causing these delays, explore potential solutions and find out ways to improve treatment and support for individuals with ADHD or ASD.

“We’re keen to hear personal experience of any issues faced in terms of diagnosis, waiting times and access to care and support. We also welcome any positive experiences and examples of good practice which could potentially be rolled out across all of Scotland’s NHS health boards.

”The insights we gather will be a vital element of our scrutiny and will help to inform the questions we pose to support organisations, healthcare providers and the Scottish Government in future evidence sessions.”

The call for views closes on 18 August 2025.

Let the Committee know your views:

ADHD and ASD pathways and support – call for views for individuals and professionals

ADHD and ASD pathways and support – call for views for organisations

Get in touch: https://ow.ly/kCXs50WeBBE

MSPs want views on proposals that would give pupils a stronger voice in religious education decisions

Changes to the law which would give children a greater say in decisions around being withdrawn from religious instruction or observance in schools will be considered by a Scottish Parliament Committee, which has today launched a call for views on the proposals.

The Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill would require schools to inform pupils if their parent has requested that they be withdrawn from religious education or observance.

It would also give pupils the opportunity to express their views and object to the withdrawal. Under the proposals, where a pupil objects, and is considered capable of forming a view, the school would be required to follow the pupil’s wishes.

In addition, the Bill, which was brought forward by the Scottish Government, seeks to clarify how public authorities should act when duties under the UNCRC conflict with other legal obligations.

The Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee wants to hear the views of children and young people, parents and carers, teachers, local authorities, human rights organisations and any stakeholders with an interest in the proposals.

Karen Adam MSP, Convener of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, said: “This proposed change to the law would give children and young people more say in whether they want to take part in religious education or observance at school.

“It also aims to update how public bodies, like councils and schools, make sure they are respecting children’s rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“We want to hear what people across Scotland think about these changes. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, pupil, or just interested in children’s rights, we want to understand how these proposals might work in practice and what impact they could have.”

The Committee’s call for views opened on Friday (20 June 2025), and will be open until Monday 1 September 2025.

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

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

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

This phase 1 Bill would aim to:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Access the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill call for views

Tackling fuel poverty in privately rented homes

Proposals for minimum standards of energy efficiency

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Examples of unpaid work include:

· developing and maintaining children’s play areas

· recycling projects including bicycles and outdoor furniture.

· cleaning beaches, graffiti, litter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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