Responding to Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar raising his late constituent Anne Sinclair’s case at First Minister’s Questions this week, Foysol Choudhury MSP said:“I am grateful to Anas Sarwar for raising the case of Anne Sinclair with the First Minister.
“I raised the case with the First Minister in February and was told that the seven months of delays she had faced in her cancer diagnosis were ‘not at all acceptable’. I agreed with that assessment.
“Unfortunately Anne passed away this summer. Throughout her journey with cancer she was determined that I raise her story in the Parliament, find answers for the delays she faced, and fight so that nobody else was left in the same position. Her sons, who were in the gallery of the Scottish Parliament for FMQs today, have kindly given me permission to continue that fight on their mother’s behalf.
“Anne’s case starkly demonstrates the real people behind the numbers we hear every week in the Scottish Parliament. There are faces behind all the waiting lists, the people waiting in ambulances, and the people who cannot get the care they need. These are not just statistics, they are human beings who deserve dignity in their healthcare.
“Unfortunately Anne was let down, and her sons deserve answers and an apology for the delays in their mother’s diagnosis.
“I want to thank my office staff for pursuing what has often been an emotional case. We all want to see that Anne’s family can be assured that lessons are learned and nobody else will be left in the same position.”
The family of Anne Sinclair, 64 from Edinburgh, said:“We are happy that Foysol Choudhury MSP and Scottish Labour have continued to raise our late mother’s case at the Scottish Parliament.
“We do not wish for any other families to go through what our mum and our family have gone through. Our mum was a fighter and she would want her questions about her late diagnosis to be answered.”
Responding to the report by the Institute of Race Relations “Citizenship: From Right to Privilege”, which finds that British Muslims have had their citizenship reduced to “second-class” status, Foysol Choudhury MSP said:“I want to ensure all minority communities that I will continue my lifelong fight for freedom, justice and equality for all.
“As the report suggests, some groups are targeted more than others due to a mixture of unconscious biases and racist stereotypes and views within our institutions.
“We have seen through the Windrush scandal and the increasing use of the power to revoke citizenship from Muslims that minorities now cannot rely on British citizenship to guarantee their rights, and that the value of British citizenship is not equal for everyone.
“No one should be made to feel any less welcome in our society because of the colour of their skin, their culture or their religion, and every British citizen should be treated the same way. Unfortunately, this does not always happen and will always be a work in progress until every aspect of our society and institutions decolonise their mindsets and their practices.
“When the Home Office says they “make no apology for doing whatever is necessary to protect the UK from those who pose a threat to our security”, this is fine to the extent that it applies equally to every culture, race and religion living in the UK.
“Any security measures must also apply to, for example, the forces of the far-right, who have in recent years conspired to plot the murder of a sitting Member of Parliament and are responsible for almost two fifths of plots foiled by the security services. We do not, however, see their citizenship being in any way threatened, no matter how dangerous they may be.
“I am not asking for any special treatment for any particular ethnic or religious group, simply for justice and fairness for all.”
Commemorating the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Foysol Choudhury MBE MSP said:“This week I had the privilege of meeting King Charles III and expressing to him and the Royal Family my condolences during this difficult time. I had the honour of meeting Queen Elizabeth II, and she will be greatly missed.
“I believe it is important in this period that we reflect on the late Queen’s legacy of the Commonwealth.
“I was an infant when the founding father of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, took a newly independent Bangladesh into the Commonwealth of Nations. It was the first international organisation that Bangladesh joined, such was the offer that it presented.
“Queen Elizabeth II oversaw the building of the relationship between this family of nations – one based on shared values and a brighter future together. In 1953, she defined the Commonwealth as a family, built on the highest qualities of the spirit of man: friendship, loyalty and the desire for freedom and peace.
“Her Majesty pledged then to give her heart and soul to that new conception of an equal partnership of nations every day of her life. We can affirm that she was true to her word.
“We therefore celebrate not only her legacy of public service in this country, but her role in bringing our family of nations and their people ever closer together in friendship and peace.
“In recent days I have noted that in the spirit of that friendship, and as a mark of respect for the late Queen, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina announced three days of national mourning. In her note of condolence to our Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina highlighted the conversations Sheikh Mujib and Her Majesty held at Commonwealth conferences. It is that link to the past which we have now all sadly lost.
“But this is just one of many signs around the world of the respect and esteem in which Queen Elizabeth was held right across the Commonwealth, far beyond these shores.
One did not have to meet the late Queen for long to see why she was held in such esteem by so many people across the world. The dignity and grace with which she held herself has been a steadying hand in our public life for 70 years.
“We are thankful for her long life of service, and we offer our prayers to her family and to our new King.”
Foysol Choudhury MSP’s contribution to Ending Institutional Racism in Sport debate at Holyrood following the publication of Plan4Sport report:
“Another investigation, another organisation found to be Institutional Racist and a long list of actions to be taken!
Twenty-three years after the 1999 Macpherson report, racism is still present across society.
Since then, positive moves towards equality have been taken and I applaud the work of campaigns such as Show Racism the Red Card and Kick it Out, which encourage the end of racism within sport.
Institutions that receive Government funding must be held to account and must promote anti-racist equality practices.
Institutions and their boards must not be given awards whilst failing to uphold standards of fairness, equality and accountability for those they serve.
It is unacceptable that Cricket Scotland was winning diversity awards whilst 448 cases of institutional racism were happening.
I commend those who shared their lived experiences of racism within the sport, including former Scotland internationals Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh.
Doing so has helped to expose the realities that racism does still exist in Scotland and that something needs to be done, now!
I hope that in the future, it will be easier for other victims of racism to share their experience and be supported in doing so.
The Plan4Sport report, whilst shocking and extremely disappointing, is a wakeup call about the reality of racism in sport and in Scotland today.
I am a cricket lover and have played the game myself. Sport should be an exciting, enjoyable pursuit for children and adults alike and we should not be allowing a culture where people feel that they cannot succeed in, or enjoy, sport because of institutional barriers against their skin colour, religion or cultural background.
I want to see strict laws, monitoring and methods to ensure change.
Racism in Scotland has gone on long enough. Now is the time to deliver change!”
Ground-breaking new TUC research finds hundreds of thousands of BME workers face racist behaviour – from “banter” and jokes, through to bullying and harassment
But 4 in 5 don’t report the racism, for fear of it not being taken seriously or having a negative impact on their work life
TUC calls on government to act now and introduce a new duty on employers to stop racism in the workplace
A new report published today (Wednesday) by the TUC reveals two in five (41%) Black and minority ethnic (BME) workers have faced racism at work in the last five years.
This rises to more than half (52%) of BME workers aged 25 to 34 years old, and nearly 3 in 5 (58%) of those aged between 18 and 24 years old.
The TUC believes that the research – carried out by Number Cruncher Politics for the union body’s Anti-Racism Taskforce – is the UK’s largest ever study into the experiences of BME workers in the labour market.
There are 3.9 million BME employees in the UK, so the TUC is concerned that hundreds of thousands of BME people are at risk of racist treatment and discrimination at work.
The study found that:
More than 1 in 4 (27%) BME people told the TUC they experienced racist jokes or “banter” at work in the last five years.
More than 1 in 4 (26%) BME workers said that they were made to feel uncomfortable at work due to people using stereotypes or commenting on their appearance.
1 in 5 (21%) said they had racist remarks directed at them or made in their presence.
And 1 in 5 (21%) said they were bullied or harassed at work.
BME workers told the TUC that the most common perpetrator of harassment was one of their colleagues (38%). For 1 in 6 (17%), it was a direct manager or someone else with direct authority. And in 1 in 7 (15%) cases, it was a customer, client or patient.
The study found that the vast majority of those BME workers subjected to harassment do not tell their employer.
Only 1 in 5 (19%) of those who have experienced harassment told the TUC that they had reported the most recent incident to their employer.
More than 2 in 5 (44%) didn’t report the incident because they didn’t believe it would be taken seriously, and 1 in 4 (25%) told the TUC that they were worried about the impact on their working relationship with colleagues.
Of those who did report an incident, nearly half (48%) were not satisfied with how it was handled. And around 1 in 14 (7%) said reporting the racist incident made their treatment at work worse.
BME workers told the TUC that racism at work had long-term impacts on them:
1 in 13 (8%) left their job as a result of the racism they experienced.
More than 1 in 3 (35%) reported that the most recent incident of racism left them feeling less confident at work.
A similar proportion said it made them feel embarrassed (34%) and had a negative impact on their mental health (31%).
Around 1 in 4 (26%) of those who have experienced harassment said the most recent incident had left them wanting to leave their job, but financial or other factors made it impossible to do so.
The new report also exposes “hidden” institutional racism for BME workers – like being unfairly disciplined at work or being passed over for promotion.
Around half (49%) of BME workers told the TUC they had experienced at least one form of discrimination consistent with institutional racism:
1 in 7 (14%) BME workers reported facing unfair criticism in the last five years.
1 in 9 (11%) said they were given an unfair performance assessment.
1 in 13 (8%) told the TUC they were unfairly disciplined at work.
1 in 14 (7%) said they have been subjected to excessive surveillance or scrutiny.
1 in 8 (12%) of BME workers said they were denied promotions.
1 in 8 (12%) of BME workers reported being given harder or less popular work tasks than white colleagues.
And around 1 in 11 (9%) told the TUC they had their requests for training and development opportunities turned down.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “This report lifts the lid on racism in UK workplaces. It shines a light on the enormous scale of structural and institutional discrimination BME workers face.
“Many told us they experienced racist bullying, harassment – and worse. And alarmingly, the vast majority did not report this to their employer.
“Others said ‘hidden’ institutional racism affected their day-to-day working life, from not getting training and promotion opportunities, to being given less popular shifts and holidays.
“It’s disgraceful that in 2022 racism still determines who gets hired, trained, promoted – and who gets demoted and dismissed.
“This report must be a wake-up call. Ministers need to change the law so that employers are responsible for protecting their workers and preventing racism at work.
“And employers must be clear they have a zero-tolerance policy towards racism – and that they will support all staff who raise concerns about racism or who are subjected to racial abuse.”
NASUWT General Secretary and chair of the TUC’s anti-racism taskforce Patrick Roach said: “Racial injustice at work is damaging lives and holding back the economic recovery the UK desperately needs.
“This report delivers further damning evidence of a labour market that is unequal, unfair and highly discriminatory.
“Despite 50 years of legislation to outlaw race discrimination at work, the situation facing Black workers today appears to be going from bad to worse.
“We want to see urgent action from the government to create a level playing field for all workers, backed up with stronger workplace rights and robust enforcement measures.
“And a positive statutory duty on all employers to identify and root out racial disparities at work.”
The TUC is calling on the government to work with trade unions and employers to:
Ensure that employers have a duty to take action to prevent racism at work. Bosses must ensure that they take measurable steps to prevent situations in which their employees are at risk of encountering racism.
Improve workers’ rights. BME workers are significantly more likely to experience insecure and poor-quality work. Raising the floor of rights for everyone – by, for example, banning zero-hours contracts – will disproportionately benefit BME workers. Reversing outsourcing, introducing fair pay agreements – starting in sectors like social care – and giving workers the right to access their union on-site would also improve rights for all.
Ensure that there are swift and effective penalties when workers experience racism. It is vital that any forms of alleged harassment and bullying are dealt with seriously and swiftly.
Introduce mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting. Business and unions are united in their support for compulsory ethnicity pay gap monitoring. Alongside publishing the raw data, every employer must publish an action plan setting out how they will close their pay gap.
Case studies
Mary*, south west, Black Caribbean: “I work as a lecturer, and I have experienced racist abuse from members of staff and students. I drive a nice car and one member of staff asked me if I was a drug dealer, because how else could I afford to drive the car I drive? I have been asked on numerous occasions if people can touch my hair.
I have been sunburnt, and somebody has said to me: “how on earth can you be sunburnt when you’re Black already?”. I have been called a N*** on more than one occasion. I have reported these incidents and been told it’s because of the area of the country we live in, which is predominantly white.”
Rose*, London, British-Indian: “When I first started working, I couldn’t take my food into work because colleagues would tell me it smelled, so I had to start taking cheese and tomato sandwiches to work.
I remember going to a job interview and not getting the job, and later being told the company didn’t want front facing staff wearing “funny clothes”. I’ve never reported a racist incident because I have always been afraid that I would lose my job.
Over the years you just put it to the back of your mind because you just want to get on with work, you just want to have a job to put food on the table and a roof over your head, and if you start creating waves you worry you will end up with nothing.”
Mohammed*, north west, British-Bangladeshi: “I was on the receiving end of systematic racism from group of managers at my job in a supermarket. They made my life difficult by giving me unrealistic tasks without providing any support.
They had unrealistic expectations of me compared to my other colleagues and did not appreciate the hard work I did. It went on for a few years and I suffered in silence. There were many times I felt like leaving my job because it was starting to affect me mentally.
I had rep training through my union and found the confidence to speak up for myself. I started having one-to-one informal conversations with some of those managers concerned in a polite and professional way.
One manager admitted to me that when he was young an Asian boy had taken a football off him and punched him in the face, and since then he had a negative mindset towards all Asian people.
I made the managers aware that no one deserves to be treated unfairly because of their background or religious beliefs and they as managers have the responsibility of making sure that the workplace is fair and inclusive for everyone.”
*names have been changed.
Responding to the TUC report “Still Rigged: Racism in the UK Labour Market 2022”, Foysol Choudhury MSP said:“The findings in the TUC report aren’t a surprise to anyone and I am sure the true numbers of people affected by workplace racism are much higher than reported.
“I spoke out in February about my concerns over racism in the workplace after the publication of the Scottish Government’s equality impact assessment into its Race Recruitment and Retention Action Plan. Unfortunately, these recent findings have reinforced the concerns that I raised then.
“Racism is damaging to our society and our people. It has detrimental effects on one’s mental health and sense of belonging. Making fun of people, their culture, skin colour or making assumptions about others shouldn’t be the norm, nor accepted in a civilised society.
“The report underlines the folly of the efforts in some corners of our politics to roll back policies of diversity and inclusion and dismiss them as ‘woke’ concerns. It shows us the real, pernicious impact that racism has in the workplace, on real people. It shows us the value of workplaces being aware of cultural and anti-racist behaviours and unconscious biases, and how much more there is to do in developing true equality.
“We all need to work together to promote fairness, anti-discriminatory and anti-racism across society. Our institutions and workplaces need to be monitored regularly. Racism won’t end until everyone realises we are one humanity and no one is inferior to another. The past cannot be changed, the present and future can. Let’s put a stop to racism.”
Cancer patients are set for faster access to treatment as an additional £10 million has been allocated to help improve waiting times.
The new money, to be shared among the health boards, will boost the number of operations available, creating extra clinics, and upskilling new staff to speed up the delivery of endoscopy, radiology and chemotherapy treatment to get patients the care they need as quickly as possible.
This builds on the Scottish Government’s £114.5 million National Cancer Plan, to support patients and deliver equal access to care across the country that means anyone can access the best standard of care despite their location or background.
This extra cash is on top of the £10 million that was allocated to Health Boards last year (2020-21) to support the running of cancer services in the face of the pandemic. This delivered new healthcare staff, additional weekend clinics and operations for the areas that need it most and helped create a brand new Urological Diagnostic Hub in NHS Highland that is already showing signs of improved waiting times.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf announced the fund while visiting NHS Forth Valley’s Breast Cancer One-Stop Clinic, which has been funded by this scheme.
This modernised service, provided diagnostics for more than 5,000 additional breast patients from out-with NHS Forth Valley during the pandemic and continues to see and treat 80-100 new patient referrals each week from the local area.
Mr Yousaf said: “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, NHS Scotland has consistently met the 31-day standard for starting cancer treatment with an average wait of four days once a decision to treat has been made – that’s testament to the relentless efforts of our fantastic healthcare staff across the country. However we must to more to improve our 62-day performance.
“Covid has not gone away and pressures remain, which is why we are providing health boards with a £10 million cash boost to drive down waiting times so that cancer patients can receive the best care as early as possible.”
Commenting on the Scottish Government’s announcement of £10 million funding to tackle cancer waiting times, Foysol Choudhury MSP said:“Any additional funding for cancer treatment is welcome, but the Scottish Government’s announcement of an additional £10 million to address cancer waiting lists is scarcely adequate to deal with the scale of the crisis in cancer waiting times in Scotland.
“The latest figures show that only 76.9 per cent of cancer patients are being seen within 62 days, a new record low and well short of the 95 per cent target. The Scottish Government cannot blame this entirely on the pandemic as it has not met this standard since 2012.
“Only recently, I sadly lost a constituent who contacted me about appalling delays in their cancer diagnosis and treatment. That constituent asked that I do everything in my power to ensure that nobody else goes through the same ordeal. I will continue to raise this issue until Scotland sees an improvement in outcomes, not just more hollow promises.
“Earlier this year I raised with the First Minister the fact that almost two fifths of cancers in Scotland are only being diagnosed at A&E, which is a sad indictment of the state of primary care under the SNP. But ever more are now waiting far too long for diagnostic tests and treatment for cancer.
“In spite of the heroic efforts of NHS staff, the cumulative failures in the running of the health service over the last decade are leaving patients frustrated and let down. In cases of cancer, this can mean the difference between life and death.
“I implore the Scottish Government to get a grip of this crisis. Those waiting for cancer treatment cannot afford further delay.”
There are two waiting time standards for cancer in Scotland. The 62-day standard is the time taken from receipt of urgent suspicion of cancer (USC) referral to start of first treatment for newly diagnosed primary cancers .
Patients can be urgently referred by a primary care clinician or general dental physician; referred through a national cancer screening programme; direct referral to hospital where the signs and symptoms are consistent with the cancer diagnosed in line with the Scottish Referral Guidelines for example self-referral to A&E.
The 31-day standard is from the decision to treat to start of first treatment for newly diagnosed primary cancers, regardless of route of referral.
The National Cancer Plan details how cancer services will be redesigned to benefit patients and increase resilience to future rises in COVID-19 prevalence.
Plan4Sport, the organisation leading an independent review into racism in Scottish cricket, has today (Monday 25 July) published its final report.
Global Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) experts, Plan4Sport, were commissioned by Scotland’s national agency for sport, sportscotland, to lead the independent review in December 2021. The review process included almost 1,000 direct engagements from a broad cross-section of all levels of Scottish cricket.
The Plan4Sport Changing The Boundaries report found the governance and leadership practices of Cricket Scotland to be institutionally racist. It confirms 448 examples that demonstrated institutional racism. Reoccurring themes were mapped against 31 indicators of institutional racism, with 29 failing to meet the standard required and only two partially meeting the standard.
As part of the review 68 individual concerns have been referred for further investigation. These relate to 31 allegations of racism against 15 different people, two clubs and one Regional Association. In some instances, multiple concerns have been raised against individuals. Some of these alleged incidents are recent while others were non-recent. These investigations will be concluded in due course.
Other key findings include:
62% of all survey respondents had experienced, seen, or had reported to them incidents of racism, inequalities or discrimination.
A lack of any EDI or anti-racist training in place for board, staff, volunteers, players, coaches or umpires.
No consistent mechanism or process for handling racist incidents and people who did raise issues were sidelined or ignored.
A lack of diversity from board level and Hall of Fame right through the coaching workforce within the talent pathway.
Lack of transparency in the selection process in the talent pathway and the absence of a single uniform approach to selection.
Changing The Boundariesincludes three immediate high-level recommendations, with associated sub recommendations, including:
Cricket Scotland is placed in special measures by sportscotland until at least October 2023.
Cricket Scotland to commence an immediate recruitment process for new independent Board members, with appointments made no later than 30 September 2022.
The diversity of Board members should be a minimum of 40% men and 40% women, ensuring that a minimum of 25% of the total Board makeup come from of Black, South-East Asian, or other mixed or multiple ethnic groups.
Action Plan to be developed by Cricket Scotland which addresses the immediate actions and short-term KPIs. The Action Plan should be approved by sportscotland not later than 30 September 2022.
Western District Cricket Union (WDCU) is placed in special measures by Cricket Scotland with immediate effect.
Temporary and immediate suspension of WDCU’s role in managing all disciplinary matters relating to its competitions and clubs. These are to be handed to an alternative organisation to manage.
An urgent, independent review into the overall effectiveness of WDCU’s governance, and its culture of inclusion, as a Regional Association of Cricket Scotland, to be completed by the end of September. This does not include the Western District Junior Cricket Union.
Cricket Scotland addresses the backlog in referrals generated from the review.
All investigations resulting from referrals to be expedited by a third party with the appropriate expertise.
Managing Director of Plan4Sport, Louise Tideswell, said: “We’ve been working on the review since January this year and our view is clear: the governance and leadership practices of Cricket Scotland have been institutionally racist.
“Over the review period we have seen the bravery of so many people coming forward to share their stories which had clearly impacted on their lives. People who have loved cricket and, despite the many knockbacks, continued to try and make progress, umpires who committed so many hours even though promotion never came, and players who saw or heard racism and hostility, but kept coming back to play.
“The reality is that the leadership of the organisation failed to see the problems and, in failing to do so, enabled a culture of racially aggravated micro-aggressions to develop. It didn’t address the lack of diversity at board and staff level and missed the need to develop transparent reporting, investigation and case management processes to address incidents of racism and discrimination.
“But I also want to add that whilst the governance and leadership practices of the organisation have been institutionally racist, the same should not be said for cricket in Scotland. There are many outstanding clubs and individuals delivering local programmes which truly engage with diverse communities.
“We have heard from grassroots players, volunteers and umpires who were passionate about ensuring cricket was open and welcoming to everyone. Plan4Sport sees this as a real opportunity to invest in and build on the good work already taking place through development programmes and club opportunities to truly create a game for everyone.”
Chief Executive of sportscotland, Stewart Harris, said: “We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the review, particularly those who came forward to share their experiences.
“This will have been a very difficult, and in some cases traumatic experience, and we hope this report provides the victims with some degree of assurance that their voices have been heard and that action will be taken.
“We also want to thank Louise Tideswell and the team of experts from Plan4Sport, who have worked tirelessly over the past seven months. They have shown an incredible degree of professionalism, compassion and empathy when speaking to the hundreds of people who contributed to the Changing The Boundaries report.
“The findings in this report are deeply concerning and in some cases shocking. Sport should be a welcoming place for all and it is unacceptable that anyone has suffered racist abuse and discrimination while playing the game they love.
“As the national agency for sport, we will work with and support Cricket Scotland to help change the culture of Scottish cricket and that must now be the focus. There has been some progress in recent months but we need to see more steps being taken to address the issues raised and importantly that includes the referrals.
“We will keep all options on the table as we hold Cricket Scotland to account on all of the recommendations contained within this report.
“Today should also act as a wake-up call for all of Scottish sport. Racism is a societal problem and it is no longer good enough to simply be non-racist, Scottish sport must now be actively anti-racist.”
Publication of Changing The Boundaries follows an in-depth consultation exercise involving hundreds of people from across all levels of Scottish cricket including grassroots players, staff, national squad players, board members, coaches, regional association management committee members and match officials and club members.
Responding to the Plan4Sport report into institutional racism in Cricket Scotland, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “I am greatly saddened by the institutional racism within Cricket Scotland that has been uncovered by the Plan4Sport report.
“The extent of the racial and religious discrimination, and the seemingly casual disregard for any notion of good equalities practices within Cricket Scotland, are truly shocking.
“I echo the concerns voiced by the lawyer acting for Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh this week that the resignation of the entire Cricket Scotland board leaves nobody to account for such a damning indictment of the practices of a national sporting body, but meaningful action to clean up Scottish cricket is what will now matter most to players, staff and fans alike.
“Several incidents highlighted in the report remain open to police investigation and it is right that this happens to find if the law has been broken. What is clear from the report however is how many incidents fell short of illegality but were nonetheless motivated by racial animus. This pernicious underlying racism is a problem across society and must be rooted out wherever it is found.
“Lessons need to be learned. Asian players make a massive contribution to Scottish cricket and they should be welcomed at all levels of the game. I would be happy to facilitate constructive discussions that need to happen to progress the future of our beloved sport here in Scotland.
“We must ensure that remedies are promptly and effectively applied in the wake of this shameful episode. Cricket Scotland must clearly be overhauled, and Sportscotland have started this process. But it is now up to the whole of Scottish civil society to ensure that this is not only followed through in a way that makes a tangible change to people within the sport, but also that the warning signs from Cricket Scotland can be recognised and swiftly dealt in future.
“Together we must ensure that the environment that has been allowed to fester in Cricket Scotland is not present in any of our other national sporting bodies, and ensure that such grotesque failures as these are never again allowed to happen within Scottish sport.”
Closing from Wednesday ‘ensuring support can continue after large increase of new applications’
A three-month pause on new visa applications for displaced Ukrainians to come to Scotland will be in place from 9:00 am on Wednesday 13 July.
The pause on new applications will not affect anyone who has already made an application or had their visa granted.
With visa applications listing the Scottish Government as sponsor up 21% on the previous week as of 5 July, visas issued up 27%, and arrivals under the super sponsor scheme up 20%, a temporary suspension is needed to ensure safe accommodation can continue to be provided to those who have already applied and may now travel to Scotland.
A total of 21,256 visas have been issued naming a Scottish sponsor – more than 20% of the UK total, and the highest number per head of population in the UK. Scotland is currently providing sanctuary for over 7,000 people, two-thirds of whom applied under the Scottish super sponsor scheme.
This exceeds the 3,000 the Scottish Government committed to welcome when the scheme launched in March, to provide a rapid route to safety for those fleeing the crisis caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
In addition to the pause, the following actions are being taken:
the chartering of a passenger vessel the M/S Victoria, which will be docked in Leith in Edinburgh to provide an additional 739 rooms where people can be temporarily accommodated
the refurbishment of 200 unused council properties in North Lanarkshire to provide more longer-term accommodation, supported by £5 million of Scottish Government funding
additional staff will be deployed in ‘surge teams’ to assist local authorities matching those in temporary premises to suitable longer-term accommodation
the Wheatley Housing Group, Scotland’s largest social landlord, has pledged to make 300 homes available to local authorities across Scotland to house displaced people from Ukraine
Minister with Special Responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine, Neil Gray will also meet today with Lord Harrington, UK Minister for Refugees, to seek clarity on existing funding arrangements for the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme and, given the very high demand experienced by the Welsh and Scottish Government schemes, ask whether the UK Government will consider introducing its own super sponsor arrangements
Mr Gray said: “As a nation Scotland has risen in solidarity with Ukrainians in their hour of need. I am proud that thanks in large part to our super sponsor scheme, we are now providing safe accommodation to the most Ukrainians per head of population in the UK.
“We have been able to ensure thousands of people displaced by Russia’s horrific and illegal war were able to travel immediately and receive support and a place to stay without the need to be matched with a private host first.
“Our absolute priority has been to respond quickly to support those forced to flee their homeland and I thank all local authorities, third sector organisations, the private sector and the public, who have all mobilised in a major effort to help – together we have coordinated accommodation and delivered essential services at a large scale and in a very short space of time.
“With a recent decrease in people applying for private sponsorship in England, and Wales having paused their own scheme, the number of applications naming the Scottish Government as sponsor has increased considerably in recent weeks. For this reason we have taken the incredibly difficult decision to follow Wales in pausing our scheme so we can continue to provide a high level of support and care to everyone who has already been granted a visa.
“We will review our position in three months, but of course if circumstances change during that time we will bring that date forward. In the meantime we are taking significant action to increase the capacity of our temporary accommodation and are also boosting our matching system to maximise the number of displaced people placed with volunteer hosts who have completed the necessary safeguarding checks.”
Responding to the news, Labour MSP Foysul Choudhury said: “I have been warning the Scottish Government for months that while they congratulated themselves for welcoming thousands of new refugees, hundreds of Afghan and Syrian refugees had been stuck in hotels and other temporary accommodation for years on end with seemingly no plan to tackle this accommodation shortage.
“Now we finally have the admission that the Scottish Government cannot house many of the refugees who have arrived, to the point where they are suspending the Super Sponsor Scheme and chartering a ship to hold refugees instead.
“I cannot overemphasise the disruption that this will cause to the lives of refugees who have arrived in Scotland seeking sanctuary. Being stuck in temporary accommodation means that people are unable to put down roots and begin to rebuild their lives, because they never know when they might be moved on and forced to start again. It is safety without security.
“I have spoken to many refugees from Syria and Afghanistan who have now been stuck in hotels for several years, often accommodation that is unfit for the family they have with them. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, I have urged the Scottish Government to learn the lessons from the experiences of these previous waves of refugees. That they have failed to do at best demonstrates their unrealistic expectations and at worst represents negligence.
“The Scottish Government must ensure that its plans to charter a ship to hold refugees are truly only temporary, and that conditions aboard are sanitary and fit for purpose in the meantime. We cannot afford to end up in a situation where people are still stuck on the ship as many years later as the previous waves of refugees have now been stuck in hotels.”
Speaking on the eve of this weekend’s Eid Al Adha celebrations in Edinburgh. Lothian MSPFoysol Choudhury said: “It will be an honour to attend once again “Eid Al-Adha Pray in the Park” event at Inverleith Park on 9th July, which will start with a prayer at 9.30am. The event is organised by the Adha Trust in Edinburgh and is supported by Edinburgh Mosques.
“Last year’s celebration saw more than 2,000 people attending and this year, organisers are expecting 10,000 people to attend – if the weather holds up!
“Eid Al-Adha or the “Feast of Sacrifice” is a four-day celebration, which will be celebrated this year in the UK from 9th till 13th July according to moon sightings. This Muslim holiday also marks the end of the yearly Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
“It is the biggest Muslim holiday, which is celebrated every year with friends, family and neighbours by Muslims across the world, with the symbolic sacrifice of a lamb that is divided in three to be shared with loves ones and the needy.
“I would like to offer my good wishes to the Muslim communities in the Lothians and across Scotland and the UK. It is special time where we can again celebrate Eid Al-Adha with our friends and family in person again and I hope Muslims worldwide will be able celebrate in peace and safety particularly during these challenging times.
“I find that these religious festivals are a great way for communities to get together, allowing us to share our cultures and traditions so we can better understand our differences and celebrate them to foster more tolerance in our society as well as enriching our daily lives.
“I have also submitted Motion S6M-05178 for Eid Al-Adha 2022, which has already gained great cross-party support.
Ambitious new targets have been set out for NHS Scotland to address the impact of the pandemic on long waiting times for planned care.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf announced NHS Scotland will aim to eradicate waits of more than two years, and then one year in most specialities by September 2024.
Mr Yousaf has asked health boards to take a focussed approach to tackle the waiting lists now that activity in the NHS is beginning to recover from the pandemic.
The targets are to treat those patients waiting longer than:
two year waits for outpatients in most specialities by the end of August 2022
eighteen months for outpatients in most specialities by the end of December 2022
one year for outpatients in most specialities by the end of March 2023
two years for inpatient / daycases in most specialties by the end of September 2022
eighteen months for inpatient / daycases in most specialities by the end of September 2023
one year for inpatient / daycases in most specialities by the end of September 2024
Mr Yousaf, who made the announcement while visiting Perth Royal Infirmary said: “We know that waiting times have grown as a result of the pandemic, which is why we now need to focus on treating these people that are waiting too long for treatment. That’s why I am announcing some of the most ambitious targets in the UK.
“From speaking to patients and clinicians across the country, I know there is a physical and mental consequence in having to wait a long period to be treated, that is why addressing long waits is a key focus of our plans for NHS recovery.”
Mr Alastair Murray, Chair of Scottish Committee for Orthopaedics and Trauma said: “Scottish orthopaedics very much welcomes the introduction of targets to address the growing number of people waiting for essential treatment. It is hoped that the targets set out will drive ongoing efforts to reduce waiting times for orthopaedic surgery in Scotland.”
The NHS will work together to reduce backlogs of care, specifically longest waiting patients, and that will mean some patients will be offered appointments outwith their local health board area to provide treatment more quickly – for example, the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital or at National Treatment Centres as they become operational over the next year.
The approach will also build on the success of the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, which was established to drive innovation and introduce new ways of delivering care that will create additional capacity for inpatient, daycase and outpatients.
The National Clinical Prioritisation Framework will be revised to ensure any patient waiting more than two years is prioritised and treated, as well as those who require urgent clinical care.
Funding for the new drive will come from the £1 billion allocated for the NHS Recovery Plan.
LOTHIAN LABOUR MSP: “Our NHS is in a state of year-round crisis”
Lothians list MSP Foysul Choudhury said: “The latest figures show that waiting times in NHS Lothian A&E departments are at historic highs. The last eighteen months have seen a significant drop in compliance with the Scottish Government’s target of 95% of A&E patients to be seen within four hours.
“The figures for NHS Lothian currently sit at 65% of A&E patients being seen within four hours, with the Royal Infirmary currently around 50%, one of the worst figures in the country.
“I welcome the new appointments system for the Minor Injuries Unit, but this will only have an impact on overall waiting times if the whole system – including NHS 111 – is properly staffed, resourced and able to cope with the current and future levels of demand.
“Speaking to staff from NHS Lothian, they too often feel the stress of the pressures on the NHS. They are increasingly being abused at work by patients frustrated at long waiting times, and staff absences are being kept high by repeated waves of COVID. The Scottish Government must better support NHS staff to defuse the building crisis of morale among our healthcare workers.
“Our NHS is now in a state of year-round crisis. The Scottish Government promised the Scottish people only last year that they would focus on pandemic recovery, and these latest figures only make it more disappointing that they are instead being distracted by their obsession with the constitutional question.”
