Tag: COSLA

Primary Schools: Attainment at a record high, says Curriculum for Excellence report

Latest statistics show widespread improvement

The proportions of pupils in primary achieving expected levels of literacy and numeracy have reached record highs for children from both the most and least deprived areas, according to official statistics.

Overall, the Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL) 2022/23 show:

  • for numeracy, a total of 79.6% of pupils reached the levels expected in 2022/23, a rise of 0.5 percentage points compared to the previous high (79.1% in 2018/19).
  • for literacy a rise to 72.7%, up on the previous high of 72.3% in 2018/19

The gap between the proportion of primary pupils from the most and least deprived areas achieving expected levels in literacy has also decreased to the lowest on record in 2022/23.

The figures also show improvements at secondary level compared to 2021/22, with increases in attainment across the board and the gap between those from most and least deprived areas has reduced.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “These figures show record levels of attainment across primary school level and significant improvements in secondary. I congratulate our pupils and teachers for their hard work over the last year.

“These findings are the most up to date statistics on attainment and are comprehensive across all publicly funded schools in Scotland, demonstrating a clear rise in standards above pre-pandemic levels among primary school pupils. Along with this year’s SQA results, they point to widespread rises in attainment.

“I recognise that there is no room for complacency and our programme of reform across the education and skills system will help identify where further improvements can be made and will look to drive enhanced attainment to ensure all young people meet their full potential.”

COSLA’s Children and Young People Spokesperson Cllr Tony Buchanan said: “Today’s Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels publication shows increasing attainment and the attainment gap narrowing reflecting the work and dedication of schools, councils, and partners to improving children’s outcomes. Mainly, it demonstrates the efforts of children and young people themselves and this should be celebrated.

“The improvements are made despite the backdrop of severe and increasing pressure on local budgets and recruitment challenges in specific subjects and areas of the country. Earlier this year we set out clearly to the Scottish Government that additional core funding is crucial to enabling further improvement in the attainment, health and wellbeing of children and young people, as opposed to financial penalties relating to school staffing numbers.

This was particularly important in the context of falling school rolls, changes to Scottish Attainment Challenge funding and the ending of additional resource for councils to support Ukrainian refugees. We are clear that Local Government needs flexibility to provide the right support within and outwith schools, drawing on the expertise of a range of professionals.

“Councils have continued to demonstrate their ambition to further improve outcomes for children and young people across Scotland. In line with the Verity House Agreement, we will seek to engage constructively with the Scottish Government to work collectively towards this shared aim, including on further education reform in line with recent reports on the curriculum, qualifications and new national education bodies.”

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Legislation passed on council tax on second and empty homes

Increasing housing availability using the tax system

New powers enabling councils to charge up to double the full rate of council tax on second homes have been agreed by the Scottish Parliament. Councils will be able to increase the charges from 1 April 2024, with rates for the first year being based on those from 2023-24.

The change brings second homes into line with council tax policy on long-term empty homes and aims to increase housing availability by encouraging more homes to be used for living in.

New owners of properties that have previously been empty for more than twelve months will now have a six-month grace period, during which they will be protected from paying double the full council tax rate, with the potential for the six months to be extended by councils. This is subject to evidence that renovations or repairs are being undertaken by the owner with a view to the building being brought back into use.

Public Finance Minister Tom Arthur said: “I’m pleased Parliament has backed this important legislation. These changes to council tax were a commitment made in our Programme for Government and aim to make sure the tax system works as an incentive to prioritise homes for living in.

“A majority of those who responded to our consultation earlier this year supported councils being able to charge a council tax premium on top of regular rates for second homes.

“By protecting those renovating an empty home from paying the empty home premium, we are incentivising new ownership and giving them time to organise and undertaken the work necessary to bring it back into use.”

Councillor Katie Hagmann, COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson, said: “I am delighted that this important legislation has now been given Parliamentary approval. COSLA very much welcomes the ability for councils to take the decision to increase the premium on second homes in their areas.

“This supports our long-standing position that councillors who are closest to their communities should be empowered to take the decisions about what best works in their local communities, demonstrating the value of the Verity House Agreement.”  

The Council Tax (Variation for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023

A second home is classed as any home that is not used as someone’s primary residence but that is occupied for at least 25 days in a year.

Latest figures show that at the end of September 2022, there were 24,287 second homes in Scotland.

Second homes are currently subject to a default 50% discount on council tax. However, local councils can vary council tax charges and the majority already charge second home-owners the full of council tax, the maximum currently allowed.

Tackling violence against women and girls

Equally Safe strategy refreshed

A national strategy to prevent and address all forms of violence against women and girls has been renewed to build on recent progress.

Equally Safe, a joint strategy with COSLA, was first published in 2014, and is backed by the Delivering Equally Safe Fund that is providing £19m per year to support 121 projects from 112 organisations.

One significant milestone reached, supported by the strategy’s aims, saw the Domestic Abuse Act passed by Parliament in 2018, which created a specific offence of domestic abuse that covers physical and psychological abuse as well as coercive and controlling behaviour.

Published today during 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, the refreshed strategy is focussed on increasing collaboration across sectors to tackle the attitudes and values that result in violence against women and girls.

A delivery strategy will be published next Spring and will set out further actions to achieve that goal.

Victims Minister Siobhian Brown said: “Violence against women and girls has no place in our society. The impact of violence is wide-ranging and can have a long-term lasting effect on the lives of those affected, their families and communities. 

“This refreshed strategy builds on progress made to date in raising awareness of the prevalence and harmful effects of violence against women and girls, strengthening the law, and providing support and resources to public and third sector workers helping those affected. 

“Our Delivering Equally Safe Fund focusses on early intervention and prevention, as well as support services and I am pleased that around 32,000 adults and children benefitted last year.

“There remains work to do and sustained action is needed. That is why our future vision focuses on finding opportunities to work collaboratively and constructively whenever possible to stamp out violence wherever we see it and preventing it happening in the first place.” 

COSLA’s Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, Councillor Maureen Chalmers said:  “For nearly a decade, COSLA and the Scottish Government have worked in partnership to eradicate violence, abuse and exploitation of women and girls from Scotland.

“Our collaborative efforts have been undertaken with specialist services, public sector organisations, and local authorities. These have propelled us forward in building a more equal and safer Scotland for everyone.

“These firm foundations have allowed us to refresh the Equally Safe Strategy. It emphasises the importance of prevention, collaborative leadership, and reaffirms the unwavering commitment from both local and Scottish governments to achieve our shared goals.”

 The refreshed Equally Safe strategy

Helping Ukrainians into longer term housing

Steps to provide displaced people with accommodation stability

Ukrainian people seeking refuge from the war will be supported to access longer term housing, under plans to further reduce the number of displaced people in Scotland living in temporary welcome accommodation.

From Thursday 7 December, Ukrainians arriving in Scotland for the first time through the Super Sponsor scheme and entering welcome accommodation will be supported by local authorities to identify two longer term accommodation options. Temporary welcome accommodation will be available for a maximum of six months, but may be extended in certain circumstances.

Ukrainians who are already in welcome accommodation will also be supported to find two longer term accommodation options. Where a displaced person chooses to make their own accommodation arrangements after six months and has declined offers, a maximum of 60 additional days in welcome accommodation will be permitted to allow them to safely move on.

From January, displaced people who have previously stayed in welcome accommodation and have left for an extended period will not be able to return in most cases, but will be offered help and advice to identify alternative housing options.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Over 26,000 people from Ukraine have arrived in the UK with a Scottish sponsor, more than 20,500 of them through our Super Sponsor scheme.

“Our welcome accommodation ensures that we can offer everyone who needs it an initial safe place to stay. However, we do not want people to spend longer than necessary without a settled place to call home.

“Thanks to our close working with local authorities and the third sector, the number of Ukrainians living in welcome accommodation has more than halved over the past year. These next steps will help us support even more people to find safe, settled accommodation for the longer term. This will provide much-needed stability, helping them set down roots and make the most of local opportunities.

“We will work with local authorities and COSLA to help meet the needs of individuals and families – helping those who need additional support and considering affordability, employment and education. Many Ukrainians choose to make their own accommodation arrangements and the resettlement and housing teams in our local authorities can also support this.”

COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, Councillor Maureen Chalmers said: “Since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, Scottish Local Government has worked in strong partnership with Scottish Government, third sector colleagues and the Ukrainian community to support displaced people seek refuge and safety in Scotland.

“Throughout this period, we have seen an exceptional level of public support. This has included thousands of people offering rooms in their homes to support hosting arrangements; a flourishing network of community and third sector activity to welcome Ukrainian households into local neighbourhoods; and support from colleagues across public services to ensure that guests have access to vital services which support resettlement and integration.

“This announcement is the next step in ensuring Ukrainian households who have arrived in Scotland have access to a home which meets their needs. Prolonged stays in welcome accommodation are unable to support the long-term integration needs of displaced people.

“Local Government is committed to supporting displaced households settle into longer term accommodation and integrate into local communities to ensure they benefit from the enhanced wellbeing that this brings.”

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COSLA: Well-funded councils are the key to unlocking the very best for Scotland’s communities

Councils are key to unlocking both the potential and the best outcomes for our local communities but require proper funding to do so, COSLA said yesterday.

The comments came as COSLA launched their Budget Lobbying campaign for the coming year, ahead of the Scottish Government’s Budget announcement on December 19th.

COSLA President, Councillor Shona Morrison, said: “Councils really are the key to unlocking the best for our communities – from safe, quality housing; to clean streets; to supporting the most vulnerable people to thrive; to education and social care – the importance of these services cannot be emphasised enough, but they need to be funded properly.

“We all see the headlines in our local and national press about the difficult financial choices councils need to make, deciding whether to reduce or even cut vital services and ending funding for essential charity and community partners.

“Unfortunately, Councils have no choice but to protect core statutory services, especially with the unprecedented financial challenges we are all experiencing. Budgets are tight, creating risks to many other local services our communities rely on, such as programmes supporting children and young people, sports and leisure facilities and public transport.

“The Verity House Agreement has facilitated positive working between Scottish Local Government and Scottish Government since being signed in June, but COSLA is clear that we must use this to jointly tackle poverty, make a just transition to Net Zero, and achieve sustainable public services.

“Fair funding for Local Government must be a Scottish Government priority in order to unlock the full potential of our councils to achieve these goals.

“The campaign we are launching today clearly illustrates not only the challenges our Councils are facing, but the great potential they have if funded properly. We will continue to work closely with Scottish Government and other partners to get the best deal for our councils and our local communities.”

COSLA Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann added: “What councils deliver with and on behalf of communities is key to creating the safe, healthy, vibrant and empowered communities we all want to see.

“Local Government holds the key to unlocking the potential in local areas, with its unique understanding of context, challenges and opportunities in individual local areas.

“Sadly, our reality right now is an extremely challenging financial climate coupled with years of real-terms cuts to council budgets while additional policy commitments are continually being introduced.

“If this situation doesn’t start to improve soon, it will mean tough choices being made and the many essential services councils currently provide will cease – services that not only address problems on the ground, but actively prevent bigger issues occurring down the line.

“We have been clear that cutting frontline staff isn’t the answer. We need to see Scottish Government investing in Local Government, so we can do what we do best – preventing problems in the first place and improving quality of life.

“The challenges we face nationally are best addressed at the local level, not at crisis point in A&E or within the criminal justice system. From better health to reaching our net zero ambitions to improving our economy, a well-funded Local Government is the key to Scotland achieving a better future.”

Council Tax premium on second homes

Draft legislation aiming to prioritise homes for living in

Draft regulations allowing local authorities to charge up to double the full rate of Council Tax on second homes have been laid before the Scottish Parliament.  

If approved, local authorities would be able to apply the Council Tax premium on homes that are not used as a main residence.

This change, a Programme for Government commitment, attracted majority support in a joint consultation with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). It will bring second homes into line with long-term empty homes from 1 April 2024.

In the 2024-25 financial year, it will be based on rates from 2023-24.

Public Finance Minister Tom Arthur said: “We want everyone in Scotland to have a home that meets their needs. We know second homes can sometimes benefit local communities, but they can also restrict the availability of housing and increase costs for people who want to rent or buy.

“Subject to approval by Parliament, this legislation aims to prioritise housing for living in by allowing local authorities to charge a Council Tax premium on second homes. Backed by a majority of respondents to our joint consultation with COSLA, it will enable councils to seek a fair contribution towards local services from second-home owners.”

COSLA Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann said: “Subject to Parliamentary approval, COSLA very much welcomes the ability for councils to take the decision to increase the premium on second homes in their areas.

“Allowing the politicians who are closest to their communities to take decisions about what best suits local needs and circumstances is well aligned to the Verity House Agreement.”  

Edinburgh schools set to close as UNISON announce new strike date

UNISON has served notice of further strike action in the dispute over local government pay to South Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh and Fife councils.

Staff working in schools, and early years establishments linked to schools, within the four local authorities will walk out on Wednesday 8th November.

This is the second week of a rolling programme of action that will take place, says UNISON, with further strike dates and other councils being announced in due course.

UNISON have already notified Glasgow City, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and Inverclyde councils, that staff working in schools, and early years establishments linked to schools will be taking strike action next Wednesday (1st November).

The move comes after UNISON members voted overwhelmingly to reject Cosla’s latest pay offer. More than 21,000 workers represented by the union took three days of strike action in September, resulting in the closure of 75% of Scotland’s schools.

UNISON Scotland’s head of local government Johanna Baxter said: “Despite our repeated calls for Cosla and the Scottish government to get back round the table for meaningful discussions we have had no invitations to even exploratory talks.

“The union is committed to reaching a resolution to this dispute as soon as possible.  And there is still time for Cosla and the Scottish Government to get back round the negotiating table to explore every avenue to reaching a negotiated settlement and avoid further disruption for parents and students.

The strength of feeling amongst UNISON’s 91,000 local government members, who voted overwhelmingly to reject Cosla’s latest pay offer, is clear.  They are determined to continue to fight to get an improved pay offer.”

UNISON Scotland chair of the local government committee Mark Ferguson said: “No one takes the decision to strike lightly.

“I’m a parent myself, so I understand the disruption strikes cause. But if wages don’t rise, school staff will leave for other jobs beyond education that pay significantly more. That would be a disaster and would help no one.

“The current offer amounts to a real-terms pay cut and adds further stress to a dedicated workforce already suffering from the cost-of-living crisis.

“Cosla and the Scottish government need to give school staff a decent wage rise, fund any increase properly and commit to implementing a minimum underpinning rate of pay of £15 per hour for all local government workers.”

Extra support for NHS this winter

£50 million to build Scottish Ambulance Service capacity

A £50 million funding boost for Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) recruitment and up to £12 million to expand Hospital at Home are among measures to support the health and care system this winter.

The Scottish Government and COSLA’s joint Winter Plan, published today, identifies new funding for SAS to support work already underway to recruit a further 317 frontline staff to help increase capacity to emergency response. It will also see 18 additional clinicians working in the call centre hub who, through additional triage, can offer patients alternative treatment routes in cases which are not time-critical, reducing the number of hospital admissions.

The expansion of Hospital at Home, which enables people to be treated at home rather than on a ward, is intended to deliver at least 380 additional beds this winter – significantly increasing the total service capacity.

The Scottish Government has been working closely with COSLA, Health and Social Care Partnerships, and NHS Boards on a number of further measures to ensure they are prepared for the winter period. This includes a Delayed Discharge Action Plan and improvements to the reporting of data to better identify specific areas for further support or escalation.

Health Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Our highly skilled and committed workforce are the cornerstone of our response every winter, both in health and social care. I am extremely grateful for their continued hard work and dedication in the face of sustained pressure. As we approach the Winter period their efforts will be vital in ensuring we deliver high quality care for the public.

“We are in no doubt that this winter will be extremely challenging for our health and social care system. Our Winter plan builds on the lessons we have learned from previous years and preparations have been on-going since spring. Our whole system approach is based on ensuring people can access the care that is right for them – at the right time and in the right place.

“Our additional investment of up to £12 million to expand the Hospital at Home service will allow people, especially elderly patients, patients with respiratory conditions and children, to receive treatments in the comfort of their own home and will crucially help reduce pressure on our A&E departments this winter.

“As a result our significant investment of over £15 million, an additional 1,000 nurses, midwives and Allied Health Professional from overseas have joined NHS Scotland in the last two years to bolster our existing workforce this winter.

“Our £50 million funding boost for the Scottish Ambulance Service will also help tackle increased demand and support on-going recruitment to drive up capacity for emergency response. This investment will also help reduce the need for people to go to hospital which is a key part of our approach this winter.”

Cllr Paul Kelly, COSLA’s Health and Social Care Spokesperson said: “As key partners in ensuring people and communities are safe and cared for over the winter period, and indeed throughout the year, local authorities have a vital role in enabling people to continue to safely access the care and support they need when they need it.

“We expect the winter to be a very challenging period across the whole health and social care system at a time when the system is already experiencing significant demand pressures and challenges with recruitment and retention.

“That is why COSLA have worked closely with Scottish Government in producing this plan, recognising the importance of the integration of health and social care, and the clear leadership role of Local Government in doing everything we can to maximise capacity across health, social care, and social work, and ensure people get safe and timely access to services during peak winter pressures.”

The Scottish Ambulance Service has welcomed the announcement of £50 million funding by Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care.

Michael Dickson OBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “This funding will allow us to invest in frontline staff, ambulances, vehicles and our 999 call centre operations. We know that winter will be challenging but the Service, and our committed staff, are working hard to meet those challenges.

“We have a whole range of initiatives which will come into place over winter to help us meet the increased demands on our services, including work to ensure we provide the quickest possible response to our most critically ill patients and we continue to support, where appropriate, less seriously ill patients to be managed at home or in the community, avoiding unnecessary A&E visits.

“Our patients and our staff are our most important priorities, and this investment will ensure we can continue to deliver the very best to our patients whilst supporting our staff who play such a critical role in their care.”

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New resources for Community Councils

A new set of guidance documents for Community Councils have been published by the Improvement Service, Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC), COSLA and the Scottish Government.

The documents, which include a Model Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils and Good Practice Guidance for how Community Councils should operate, were launched last week. Local Authorities can use this set of documents as the basis for their local versions which set out how community councils will run in their area.

Community councillors and local authority Community Council Liaison Officers (CCLOs) were involved in reviewing the existing Model Scheme and guidance document at a series of meetings in 2021 and 2022. These documents needed to be updated to take into account technological changes in the way Community Councils are meeting, conducting their finances and engaging with their communities.

There is some useful good practice guidance included, containing the latest information on topics such as planning, community empowerment and GDPR.

We felt that it is important that the key documents are available in accessible formats and that these should be available at a national level, to ensure that everyone within our communities can access and use the documents. The Good Practice Guidance for Community Councils, the Code of Conduct and the Standing Orders are now available in a range of formats.

There’s a video with BSL and captions, large print versions of the documents, text only versions that are suitable for braille conversion, and Easy Read. 

The Easy Read versions contain all of the information but break it down into small chunks, with explanations of some of the terms that are used. 

This helps make the information more accessible for people with learning disabilities, people who have memory problems, people who speak English as their second language and anyone who finds reading difficult. 

It can also be useful for people who are anxious or stressed and struggling to take in information because of that or those who have to take in information in a hurry.

All of the documents are also available in Gaelic, and other language translations can be requested.

Access the set of documents on the Community Councils website.

Yousaf announces Council Tax freeze

STUC: ‘Today’s announcement will only make situation worse’

COSLA: ‘We were unaware of it in advance‘

Council tax rates will be frozen in the next financial year to support people struggling with the effects of high inflation, the First Minister has announced.

The freeze will benefit every Council Tax-payer in Scotland at a time when rising prices are putting significant strain on household finances. The Scottish Government will fully fund the freeze to ensure councils can maintain their services.

First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “Today’s announcement will bring much needed financial relief to those households who are struggling in the face of rising prices. Council tax is already lower in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK, and some 2.5 million households will now benefit from this freeze.

“Of course, the public sector across the UK is facing budget pressures as a result of UK Government austerity, and we know councils are facing financial challenges themselves. That’s why the Scottish Government will be fully funding this freeze to ensure they can continue providing the services on which we all rely. This is on top of the real-terms increase to local government revenue funding this financial year.

“The Scottish Government remains wholly committed to the Verity House Agreement, and as part of that are continuing work with COSLA on a new fiscal framework for local authorities.

“We are also working on longer term reforms to the council tax system, which are being considered by the working group on local government funding that we are chairing jointly with COSLA.”

A COSLA Spokesperson said: “We have just heard the announcement made at the SNP Conference in relation to freezing council tax.  We were unaware of it in advance.  

“This has longer term implications for all councils right across the country, at a time when we know there are acute financial pressures, and where we are jointly looking at all local revenue raising options.

“We will need to consider the implications for COSLA and Local Government with our members when we get more of the detail.  

“This will also need to be examined against the principles of the recently signed Verity House Agreement.”

COSLA arranged an emergency meeting of their Executive, who issued the following statement:

There is absolutely no agreement to freeze Council Tax next year COSLA’s Presidential Team said today (Wednesday 18th October).

“The announcement of a council tax freeze as we said yesterday was made completely without reference to Local Government and there is no agreement to freeze council Tax next year, the decision to freeze council tax is one which can only be made by Councils.

“Our Cross-Party Group Leaders held an emergency meeting first thing this morning on the back of the announcement and there is real anger at the way this has been handled and what it puts at risk.

“On the back of this our Political Group Leaders also asked us to seek an urgent meeting with the First Minister.

“We deplore the way the announcement was made and its substance, both of which fly in the face of the Verity House Agreement which we all recently signed.

“It has been shown that previous council tax freezes have been regressive, having no impact for the poorest in society and eroding the council tax base, compounding councils’ ongoing underfunding.

“We will explore the implications arising and what the Scottish Government might propose when we meet with the Deputy First Minister later today – but we are clear that local taxation and particularly Council Tax should be left for democratically elected councils to determine.”

THE STUC responded swiftly to the First Minister’s announcement of a council tax freeze:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1714597373681279306

THE Scottish Greens, the SNP’s partners in government, have also expressed concerns. Scottish Greens finance spokesperson Ross Greer MSP said: “We are concerned about the effect this freeze could have on already-strained frontline public services if it is not properly funded.

“Our local councils and people who rely on services like social care, schools and early years centres must not lose out as a result of this announcement.

“Green MSPs will now work with our government colleagues in the SNP to work through the details, ensure that their decision is sustainably financed and that the most vulnerable people in our communities do not see the services they rely on being underfunded as a result.

“The First Minister is right to want to support those who are struggling the most through the cost of living crisis, but the way to do that is to completely replace the deeply unfair Council Tax with a more progressive system.

“As we have repeatedly highlighted, council tax is a ludicrously broken system. It hasn’t been accurate since before I was born, with most people now paying the wrong rate as a result of those 1991 valuations. 

“The Scottish Greens have ensured that Scotland’s income tax system is the fairest in the UK, raising a billion pounds more every year for essential services like the NHS and our schools by asking those earning the most to pay a bit more.

“That is the progressive approach we will take once again as we work with SNP colleagues to agree the national budget for 2024-25.”

Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU Scotland, said: “LGIU Scotland is deeply concerned by yesterday’s announcement from the First Minister to freeze council tax.

​​”The lack of consultation with local government demonstrates a failure of the principles of trust and respect that should be the foundation of the working relationship between the Scottish Government and local authorities and which are at the heart of the Verity House Agreement. 

“Our research shows how important it is that local government is empowered to make decisions regarding its financing. International comparisons clearly show the detrimental impact that undermining the financial independence of local authorities has on the financial sustainability of the sector and the delivery of essential local services.

“Freezing council tax should be a decision for councils, not for central government. Even where those freezes are funded by grants, the loss of growth in the council tax base undermines the council’s finances for years to come. Many councils in England are still recovering from this nearly a decade on. 

“Everyone aspires to a sustainable, stable future for local government finances but this can only be achieved by giving councils control, not by imposing decisions upon them. 

“Scotland had seemed to be making good progress in this regard with the Verity House Agreement and commitments to empowering local government. So it’s disappointing to see this backward step.”