Tag: Holyrood

Scottish Government must ‘supercharge’ efforts to tackle child poverty

A new report from Holyrood’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee calls on the Scottish Government to take steps to “supercharge” its efforts to tackle child poverty.

The Committee has been undertaking an inquiry into the issue, focusing on parental employment, which the Government sees as key to reducing the number of children living in poverty.

During the inquiry the Committee travelled to several places in Scotland to hear the views of parents. Not being able to access childcare from a child’s first birthday to when they start school, both during the school term and holidays, was the most common barrier to employment that they talked about with affordability and flexibility seen as critical.

Parents spoke of needing to find work that fitted in with school hours, while one contributor reflected that women could not develop in their careers until their children had reached high school age. In response, the Committee calls on the Government to accelerate its work on expanding the availability of childcare.

Public transport is a major theme in the report. Witnesses in urban and rural areas spoke about a range of issues including access and cost. The report asks the Government to consider how public transport services can be designed and better supported to provide affordable, frequent and direct services that support the type of trips more regularly made by parents.

The Committee’s report also encourages the Government to investigate how an integrated system of discounted travel offers for low-income working-age people could be provided. The Committee believes this would enable some families to access a wider range of employment opportunities by being able to travel further, more cost effectively.

Witnesses also identified an issue faced by parents who embark upon study to improve their career prospects. Student funding means that low-income parents at college or university would be ineligible for benefits such as Universal Credit. To help, the Committee calls for Scottish Child Payment eligibility to be extended.


Bob Doris MSP, speaking on behalf of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said: “In Best Start, Bright Futures, the Scottish Government said that parental employment is a key driver to meet the statutory targets to address child poverty. Our report looks at how the aims of that plan could come closer to being realised.

“The Scottish Government believes that without its actions to date, 28% of children would be living in poverty. Even so, the Government expects to narrowly miss its interim child poverty targets, with modelling predicting that 19% of children will be living in poverty this year. Therefore, we are calling for the Government to take decisive action now by clarifying its priorities and commitments and producing explicit delivery and spending plans to make sure progress is on track.

“We recognise the good progress the Scottish Government has made in reducing child poverty. We now want to see the Government supercharge its efforts so that the ambitions it has set can become reality.”

Holyrood: Boyack slams SNP failure to demand a housing emergency

Parliament

Yesterday the SNP/Green led Scottish Government voted down Scottish Labour’s Motion to declare a housing emergency across Scotland.

In her speech Scottish Labour’s Sarah Boyack MSP, praised the leadership shown by City of Edinburgh Councillors but called out the SNP and Greens for failing to do so in Holyrood.

Ms Boyack urged the Scottish Government to provide local authorities, like Edinburgh, the resources they need to take substantial steps in tackling the Housing emergency.

Ms Boyack also used her speech to highlight practical solutions, that could be taken to make an immediate start on tackling the housing emergency, such as bringing empty homes back into use. However, Edinburgh Council need resources from the Scottish government, to make this happen.

Speaking after the debate, Sarah Boyack said: “Tackling the housing emergency in Edinburgh needs to be a priority. Every day I receive emails from constituents who are struggling to access the housing they need or are being priced out altogether.

“SNP Councillors recognise the magnitude of the crisis, so why doesn’t the SNP Government?

“So far, the Scottish Government has failed to recognise the scale of the challenge. The Scottish Government needs to work constructively with all councils, to ensure the resources are in place, to adequately tackle this emergency

“MSPs will have another opportunity to recognise that we are facing a housing emergency through my motion and subsequent members business in the new year.”

Holyrood Committee visits Leith in search of circular economy innovation

Members of the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee have visited Leith based businesses and social enterprises to learn more about the different ways in which businesses are evolving and adapting to help accelerate Scotland’s transition to a circular economy.  

The visits form part of the Committee’s scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s Circular Economy Bill, as Parliament seeks to make sure the Bill encourages a new approach to the use and consumption of materials in a way that will ultimately help Scotland achieve it net zero goals. 

Committee Members, Deputy Convener Ben Macpherson MSP (delegation lead) and Douglas Lumsden MSP began the visit at local refill shop WeighToGo, where Members looked back to a time before single use plastics and saw a simple and convenient solution to sustainable living. 

Members then continued their research at the Edinburgh Remakery – a social enterprise which encourages regenerative practises linked to upcycling and the reuse of products. The visit ended at the Edinburgh Tool Library which offers the public access to all sorts of tools by promoting a ‘why buy when you can share’ ethos. 

Following the visit Deputy Convener Ben Macpherson MSP, said: “Throughout our scrutiny of this Bill, we’re keen to understand each stage of the waste hierarchy – and what’s preventing reusing, recycling and recovering products and materials. 

“It was great to hear more about the environmental benefits these organisations in Leith have generated, by offering more sustainable products and services for consumers. They’ve also helped social cohesion by bringing people together to share ideas and lived experiences, as well as learn new skills.” 

“We want this Bill to support and drive change to reduce waste. Our thanks to all the hosting organisations for the invaluable insights they have shared.”

The Committee has also issued the video as a tweet – https://twitter.com/SP_NetZero/status/1726899661078716688

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill was introduced on 13 June 2023. More information on the Bill can be found here. 

Holyrood publishes data charges bill

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has instructed Holyrood officials to conduct an urgent review of the Scottish Parliament’s policies on mobile devices and data roaming charges for MSPs.

The review will include options on disabling sim cards, a mandatory opt-in to data roaming bundles, and personal liability for MSPs where Parliament’s procedures have not been followed.

The Parliament has also published the full billing it holds for Michael Matheson’s data charges incurred while in Morocco.

Presiding Officer Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP said: “Following a meeting of the SPCB on Tuesday afternoon, officials have been instructed to carry out an urgent review of the Parliament’s policies and procedures around mobile device use and data roaming charges, and how these are handled.

“This is an issue which I and the SPCB take very seriously. We must be in a position where we have reviewed and tightened all policies to ensure the present situation cannot happen again.

“The policy review will also set out the circumstances, and cost thresholds, for ‘out of the ordinary’ bills to be escalated to the SPCB for explicit sign off.  This will ensure full transparency and full accountability. It is vital that we have every confidence in the expenses scheme and that its integrity is maintained.” 

On Michael Matheson’s data charges, the Presiding Officer said: “The Member himself has acknowledged he failed to update his sim card and incurred significant charges, which he has now agreed to meet in full. 

“The review will give officials and the SPCB greater ability to intervene where Members have not followed guidance. 

“The SPCB recognises that Members are the elected representatives of their constituents and privacy and confidentiality is fundamental to that relationship.”  

The expenses scheme operates on trust, transparency and assurances from Members. The SPCB is satisfied that appropriate due diligence checks were carried out on Mr Matheson’s ipad and his billing charges – and that written assurances were sought and received that all use was for parliamentary purposes.

The SPCB is satisfied that the checks carried out by officials on Mr Matheson’s ipad struck the necessary balance between confidentiality and due diligence.

Mr Matheson’s data charges bill is available on the Parliament’s FOI disclosure log.

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Five city projects shortlisted for public service awards

Edinburgh is a five-time nominee for this year’s Scottish Public Service Awards. Now in their tenth year, the awards are run by Holyrood Communications in partnership with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament to help celebrate the contribution of public servants.  

Capital-based nominees include Edinburgh’s Warm Scots Welcome, a community and voluntary sector partnership which has helped welcome more than 11,000 Ukrainian refugees since the Russian invasion early last year.

The initiative, which was organised in collaboration between the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) and Volunteer Edinburgh (VE), is in the running for the Voluntary Sector Partnership Award.

Also nominated is the Edinburgh Ukrainian Welcome Hub, a partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council and the Royal Bank of Scotland which has supported Ukrainians arriving in Scotland by providing property and facilities management, opening bank accounts, raising aid, distributing donations, volunteering, running events, giving specialist expertise, and offering women and girls tech training and employment. The project is in the running for the Commercial Partnerships Award.

The City of Edinburgh Council-led Granton Waterfront Regeneration has also been shortlisted for this year’s Sustainability Award.

Led by the council, the plan involves working with partners to deliver a new and sustainable 20 minute neighbourhood community for Edinburgh. The regeneration is already underway and once complete, will feature around 3,500 new net zero carbon homes and business start- up space.

This is all within what will become Europe’s largest coastal park – with new and enhanced green spaces and opportunities for the creative arts, culture, and leisure, connected to the rest of the city by sustainable transport routes.

Welcoming the news Council Leader Cammy Day said: “We’ve been putting a huge amount of work and ambition into creating a better, greener, fairer future for residents so recognition like this – for how the Council and city partners are trailblazing in many areas of Scottish public service – is very welcome.

“For instance, the huge amount of change we’re seeing in Granton is creating an exciting and sustainable place to live, work, travel and have fun. It is fantastic to see it shortlisted for a sustainability award.

“It is also positive to see our efforts with partners to help those from Ukraine being recognised. These projects have allowed people to not only move to Scotland but put down roots. Our work with NatWest to help those fleeing war into work and study is one of three employability projects supported by the council to be nominated for an award.

“We face big decisions about how we address our housing and climate emergencies, and one of our biggest priorities is make sure those in our communities feel supported and welcome. All of these projects are successfully working towards that aim. I’d like to wish everyone involved in the very best of luck.”

Other council supported nominees include the Whole Family Equality Project, supported by the Capital City Partnership, which supports families from diverse ethnic backgrounds in Edinburgh to reach financial resilience, improved health and wellbeing, and positive participation in school life.

Delivered by Children 1st and CHAI and funded by the City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Government and Robertson Trust, the project empowers people to take leading roles in decision made about the project’s design and delivery and is nominated for the Championing Diversity and Inclusion Award.

The Integrated Regional Employability and Skills Programme (IRES) as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal programme, is also in the running for the Project and Programme Management Award.

The programme seeks to evolve regional labour market policy and practice to drive inclusive growth, promising to deliver deliver an additional 14,700 skill improvements across the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region and help 5,300 people into employment.

The finalists will be announced on Wednesday 6 December.

Holyrood committee launch public consultation on legislation addressing unsafe cladding after Grenfell tragedy

A Holyrood Committee has launched a new call for views on legislation which would give Scottish Ministers new powers to assess and remediate buildings in Scotland with unsafe cladding, following the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire.

The Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, which is leading scrutiny of the plans, has now launched a public consultation on the Scottish Government’s Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill.

The legislation seeks to give Scottish Ministers powers to assess and remediate buildings with unsafe cladding, including where consent of the owners cannot be provided.

Under proposals in the Bill, the Scottish Government would also create and maintain a Cladding Assurance Register to give residents confidence about the assessment and works undertaken once those buildings are remediated.

The Bill would also give Ministers the power to establish a Responsible Developers Scheme, to support engagement by developers and encourage them to pay for or carry out remediation work.

Such a scheme would likely include agreement to pay for remediation costs by developers, with potential sanctions for developers that are eligible but do not join or fail to comply with the terms of membership.

As the Scottish Government has not carried out public consultation on the Bill, the Committee’s call for views will be critical in providing stakeholders including owners and residents of properties in buildings with potentially unsafe cladding, developers, insurers, surveyors, and fire safety experts an opportunity to comment on the proposals.

The call for views is open now and will run until Friday 8th December 2023.

Committee Convener, Ariane Burgess MSP, said: “Cladding was a major contributing factor to the fire which destroyed Grenfell Tower in June 2017, one of the UK’s worst modern disasters.

“We’ve launched our call for views on the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill, as it provides the first opportunity for public input on the proposals.

“It’s vital that we hear from the owners and residents of property in buildings with potentially unsafe cladding, to hear if this Bill addresses their concerns, as well as from industry professionals and developers about their views.

“The Committee understands the urgency in addressing the issue of unsafe cladding, and this Bill represents a critical step towards achieving safer conditions for all those affected.”

Holyrood’s Finance Committee calls for long-term planning to ensure fiscal sustainability

The Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Public Administration Committee is not convinced the Scottish Government is carrying out enough long-term financial planning to ensure Scotland’s fiscal sustainability.

On the Scottish Government’s public service reform programme, the committee says it has no overall strategic purpose with limited oversight and direction from government. 

Finance and Public Administration Committee Convener Kenneth Gibson MSP said: “As the Scottish Budget approaches, we’ve seen little evidence to suggest a shift away from the Scottish Government’s short-term approach towards financial planning; an approach hampered by reliance on one year UK financial settlements.  

“We therefore strongly recommend that the Scottish Government produces a full response to the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s sustainability report, setting out the actions it will take to address the longer-term challenges ahead. 

“We are also concerned that the UK Government’s decision not to inflation proof capital funding available to Scottish Ministers will mean a 16% reduction in 2028-29 compared to this financial year, at a time when governments need to invest in infrastructure to stimulate economic growth. 

“The creation of a Scottish Government advisory group on taxation is welcome. Given the financial challenges ahead, it is imperative that their work to create a clear taxation strategy for Scotland proceeds at pace.” 

On the government’s public service reform programme, Mr Gibson said: “We are concerned that the focus of the government’s reform programme has changed multiple times since May 2022, as have the timescales for publishing further detail on what it will entail.  

“Given the financial challenges facing the Scottish Budget, this represents a missed opportunity to be further along the path to delivering more effective and sustainable public services.  

“The recommendations in our report aim to bring much-needed impetus, focus and direction to the Scottish Government’s reform programme.” 

Read the full report:

Pre-Budget 2024-25 Report on the Sustainability of Scotland’s Finances

Wellbeing: Boyack takes the initiative with Members’ Bill

Scottish Labour’s Sarah Boyack MSP has today lodged her final proposal for her Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Members’ Bill.

Despite ’empty promises’ for action from the SNP-led Scottish Government to legislate in this area there have been no tangible results to date.

As a result Sarah Boyack MSP has taken the initiative and pursued this issue as a Members Bill.

The lodging of the members’ bill follows an extensive consultation process which confirmed overwhelming support from stakeholders and constituents for all aspects of Ms Boyack’s Bill.

Scottish Labour’s Sarah Boyack explained: “Over 100 organisations called for this action in the run up to the 2021 elections. My Members’ Bill will end short-termism in the Scottish Government, and commit to the long-term thinking and action that has Wellbeing and Sustainable Development at its heart.

“Successive Programmes for Government have promised a bill of this nature, but as always its warm words and little action from the SNP.

“After a long and comprehensive consultation process it is clear that there is overwhelming support for action and a new Future Generations Commissioner and I encourage all members to support my bill now that it has been lodged”.

Also commenting Sarah Davidson, Chief Executive of Carnegie UK, said: “New wellbeing laws in Scotland would help to hardwire long-term thinking into our political and governmental decision-making.

“Backed by a new Future Generations Commissioner, the legal framework would help our decision-makers to look toward the horizon as well as deal with current emergencies.

“We’d urge MSPs from across the political spectrum to back these moves to help us to tackle the biggest challenges of our time.”

Holyrood launches inquiry into Additional Support for Learning

The services that schools and local authorities provide to children and young people with additional support needs will be scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee.

More than a third of children and young people in Scotland’s public and grant-maintained schools have an identified additional support need. Working under the direction of the Scottish Government’s policies, local authorities are responsible for identifying, providing and reviewing the additional support needs of children and young people.

The Committee is launching its inquiry with a call for people to share their experiences of how services are provided to people with additional support needs. The Committee is keen to hear from parents, teachers, support staff, carers, pupils themselves and support organisations.

The inquiry will consider how Scottish legislation that aimed to support children and young people, including 2004’s Additional Support for Learning Act, has been implemented and is working in practice.

The Committee is particularly interested in hearing views about the presumption that children and young people should receive a ‘mainstream education’, which aims to ensure they could be included alongside their peers; the impact of COVID-19 on the availability of additional support; and what happens when people are in dispute with their local authority over the services provided to a child or young person.



Sue Webber MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, said: “Earlier this year, the Additional Support for Learning Project Board told us about its role in improving the support that is available for children with additional support needs, but it acknowledged that there is not a quick fix to the recommendations laid out by the Morgan Review.

“We would like to hear what people with additional support needs, parents and carers, teachers and support organisations make of the current system and the services that local authorities and schools provide.

“If you have experience of accessing additional support for learning in mainstream education or a specialist unit, views on the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery of additional support for learning, or have been involved in discussions about the support a child or young person receives, please get in touch.”

The Committee’s call for views, which is now open, will close on 31 December 2023. Variations of the call for views are available in an Easy Read format and British Sign Language.

Holyrood seeks views on Abortion Safe Access Zone Bill

The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee is seeking views on a new Bill which would establish ‘safe access zones’ around locations where abortion services are provided, what it calls ‘protected premises’.

If passed, the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Scotland Bill, introduced by Gillian Mackay MSP, would make it an offence to behave in certain ways within a safe access zone.

Examples of behaviour that could be considered an offence include influencing a person’s decision to access services, preventing them from accessing those services, or causing harassment or distress while doing so.

The Bill also makes it an offence for someone within 200 metres of protected premises but not on public land (and so not within the safe access zone) to act in a way that might result in pressure or distress for someone within a safe access zone who is accessing abortion services.  

Fines of up to £10,000 could be issued for those convicted of disrupting people within safe access zones attempting to access abortion services. However, in very serious cases, there would be no limit on the fine.

The Bill also creates provision for future protected premises to be created, and for the safe access zone radius surrounding a protected premises to be extended or reduced, if appropriate. 

Speaking as the call for views was launched, Clare Haughey MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said: “We recognise the strength of feeling about this Bill. As a Committee we always aim to consider any Bill or issue in a careful, balanced and thorough way.

“We are committed to ensuring we scrutinise this Bill in detail so that we can hear and consider all views.

“The Bill’s stated aim is to ensure that people can access abortion services without fear of, and free from, intimidation, harassment or public judgement.

“We want to hear views from individuals and organisations on whether they agree with the proposals within this Bill and if they would welcome the changes it would bring about.”

Give your views to the Committee using the online survey

The call for views closes on 20th December.