The Scottish Government must ensure more funding is provided for the justice sector in this year’s budget otherwise the sector could face severe cuts to services and staff numbers, say the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee.
The Committee’s pre-budget scrutiny was primarily focused on the proposed flat-cash settlement for the justice sector set out in the Scottish Government’s Resource Spending Review framework (RSR).
Independent research by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) suggested that if current inflationary pressures persist, this settlement would represent a significant reduction in spending across the justice sector, with resource spending falling in real terms by £102 million, or 3.6%.
The Committee’s report highlights extensive evidence gathered from across the sector outlining deeply concerning scenarios of depleted services and cuts to staff numbers, should the figures outlined in the RSR come to fruition.
The Committee say budgets for capital investment in the emergency services, prisons and courts have invariably been less than requested in recent years and that worryingly, the pressures on public spending and the high rate of inflation, mean budgets for day-to-day running costs are at risk too.
Maintaining current staffing levels in our police and fire services, upgrading the prison estate or investing in efforts to improve the prosecution of sex offences could all be under threat if no further funding is provided.
Criminal Justice Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said: “As a Committee we recognise the huge financial pressure facing government budgets, however the evidence we have taken during this year’s pre-budget scrutiny is stark and deeply concerning.
“We have heard from across the criminal justice sector of potentially severe cuts to services and hefty reductions in police and fire service staff numbers if these funding cuts were to come to fruition,
“Although we welcome the commitment from the Justice Secretary that there will be no cuts to police staff numbers, we want to see this recognised through a suitable budget settlement.
“We understand the difficult decisions facing the Scottish Government in this year’s budget but it is essential that criminal justice services receive appropriate funding and a greater settlement than that proposed in the Resource Spending Review, and that any extra resources do more than simply get swallowed up by increased pay awards.
“Otherwise, there is a substantial risk of services in the justice system being downgraded to unacceptable levels and drastic cuts to staff numbers.”
Autumn has arrived the the Scottish Parliament with leaves changing from green to gold and the final bits of gardening being done for the year in the landscaped gardens. 18 October 2022. Pic-Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament
A proposal to establish a Commissioner with a remit over wellbeing and sustainable development and to strengthen duties on the public sector has been published in a proposal for a Member’s Bill by Lothian Labour MSP Sarah Boyack, and is now out to public consultation.
Boyack hopes her planned Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill proposal will introduce a duty for public bodies to promote these principles and establish a Commissioner for Sustainable and Wellbeing in order to address the devastating consequences of short-termism at both local and global scale.
The Members Bill proposal comes on the back of calls for a Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill during the Scottish Parliament election by a large number of individuals and organisations. The proposal builds on the 14 recommendations for policy makers published by the Scotland’s International Development Alliance in their report Towards a Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill and Carnegie UK’s recent Five steps to put wellbeing at the centre of policymaking in Scotland publication.
The proposed Bill seeks to place new definitions of sustainable development and wellbeing into legislation and to bring forward the Scottish equivalent to the Welsh Future Generations Commissioner.
Introducing her consultation, Sarah Boyack said, “The climate emergency demonstrates in real terms the consequences of short-termism. We are now seeing countries that did nothing to aggravate the unfolding environmental catastrophe, bearing the cost for a damage they didn’t cause.
“Future generations in Scotland and across the world will be faced with the results of the actions we take – or not – right here and now. The proposal I am launching today is neither a new nor untested idea. In Wales, the Future Generations Commissioner was established in 2015 and has already made a difference.
“The Scottish Government talks a lot about wellbeing and sustainable development, but it has repeatedly failed to define them, let alone implement them.
“I want to hear from as many people as possible so we can strengthen the legislation currently in place and ensure that Scotland is a country that takes wellbeing and sustainable development seriously both now and for future generation.”
Speaking in support of the proposal; Frances Guy, Chief Executive Officer at Scotland’s International Development Alliance said: “The Alliance is delighted to see the launch of this Members Bill consultation.
“The Bill is an opportunity for Scotland to demonstrate joined-up policymaking, linking global and domestic priorities, alongside human and environmental wellbeing and putting them at the forefront of decision making. It’s clearer than ever before that our systems are not working for people, or for the planet.
This legislation could trigger a step change in the way decisions are made in Scotland, ensuring sustainable development and wellbeing become the main drivers of policy and practice across public life”.
The Members’ Bill is supported by Carnegie UK, a Dunfermline-based charitable foundation that advocates for putting collective wellbeing at the centre of policymaking.
Sarah Davidson, Chief Executive of Carnegie UK, said: “It is time for Scotland to up the pace on putting wellbeing at the centre of big decisions.
“That means a new commissioner to look after everyone’s interests now and in the future, backed with statutory powers. That means policies and spending-decisions which balance the needs of the economy with other social, environmental, and democratic imperatives. It means longer term thinking, after a decade of crisis management at home and abroad.
“That’s why we’re pleased to see Sarah Boyack’s Members’ Bill and would urge forward-thinking organisations and individuals to get involved in this consultation.”
Speaking after the AGM and second Cross-Party Group meeting on Bangladesh held on 30th November 2022 at the Scottish Parliament, Foysol Choudhury MSP said:“It was great to host the Cross-Party Group on Bangladesh meeting for the first time in person at the Scottish Parliament.
” I was pleased that it received cross-party support from my colleagues Miles Briggs MSP, Sarah Boyack MSP and Kaukab Stewart MSP.
“Saida Muna Tasneem, the High Commissioner of Bangladesh, also joined us from London and spoke of the great bilateral relations between our nations and of her visit to Scotland last year during COP26, when H.E. Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, visited the Scottish Parliament.
“The Assistant High Commissioner, Kazi Ziaul Hasan, gave an excellent presentation on the current situation of Bangladesh regarding its economic growth, developing regional connectivity, increase in education enrolment, climate change impacts on Bangladesh, the Rohingiya crisis and UK -Bangladesh trade relations.
“The CPG was very well attended by local community organisations and professionals from the Bangladeshi community as well as politicians Cllr Nurul Hoque Ali of Aberdeen, Cllr Naz Anis Miah of Fife and Cllr Lynn Wardlaw of Dunfermline.
“During the meeting, we discussed at length climate justice and adaptation, with many attendees expressing their concerns on the progress made since COP26 in Glasgow and potential delays in loss and damage funding release.
“We also discussed improving the travel and tourism industry to make Bangladesh appeal to an international market and create better connectivity with the world to attract visitors.
“When I was first elected in May 2021 as the first Bangladeshi-born MSP, I knew that I wanted to establish and convene a CPG on Bangladesh with the aim of promoting and enhancing understanding between Scotland, the UK and Bangladesh. I have worked very closely in the past year with the High Commission of Bangladesh in the UK to strengthen ties with Scotland and Bangladesh.
“The purpose of the CPG on Bangladesh aims to promote and enhance understanding between Scotland and Bangladesh at cultural, social, academic, political and economic levels.
“It has a focus on trade and investment, tourism and education. It also gives the opportunity for community members and anyone interested in Bangladesh to meet with their policy-makers to raise concerns and ways we can collaborate together to further contribute to the development of Bangladesh and ensure that it becomes a climate-resilient nation.
“I look forward to advancing the mutual interests of Scotland and Bangladesh and to representing the interests of people and organisations with Bangladeshi backgrounds living and working in Scotland. I hope the CPG can act as a forum for the Community living in Scotland.”
A charity supporting secondary breast cancer patients took its campaign to be heard to the Scottish Parliament from the 29th November to the 2nd December.
Edinburgh-based Make 2nds Count is highlighting the shocking toll of the disease which claims 1000 lives each month in the UK – an average of 31 deaths every day – and its pioneering Patient Trials Advocate service (PTA).
Make 2nds Count raises awareness of secondary breast cancer, a form of the disease which has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body. Also known as metastatic, advanced or stage IV breast cancer, it currently affects around 35,000 people in the UK.
It is incurable but can be treated and the charity has developed the PTA service to introduce patients to clinical trials which can help to improve outcomes and extend life.
The initiative, the first of its kind in the UK, started in Scotland through nurses based in Edinburgh, the Borders, and the Highlands, and has recently been extended across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The Make 2nds Count team is in the parliament building for the next week staging an exhibition highlighting its work and the signs of secondary breast cancer.
Emma Hall, Head of Operations for Make 2nds Count says: “Secondary breast cancer is a little-known form of the disease and we are delighted to have this opportunity to raise awareness of it and our work, particularly the Patient Trials Advocate service.
“We would like to thank the Scottish Parliament for the chance to get our message across to such an influential audience.”
To find out more about Make 2nds Count and the Patient Trials Advocate service visit:
Photo Caption: MSPs pictured in the Scottish Parliament buildings on Wednesday 30th November supporting Make 2nds Count and their work campaigning for more research, support and education for the Secondary Breast Cancer community across the UK
In a report published yesterday, the Committee says that without an indication of the potential scale of all costs associated with the Bill, it is difficult to assess whether the proposed National Care Service is either affordable or sustainable.
The cross-party Committee is therefore calling on the Scottish Government to provide “much needed clarity” and to bring forward fully costed plans at least two weeks before the Stage 1 vote on the Bill, scheduled for March 2023.
Finance & Public Administration Committee Convener Kenneth Gibson said: “The Finance Committee has significant concerns over the costings in the Financial Memorandum (FM) to this Bill. The FM in its present form does not provide an overall estimate of the cost of creating a National Care Service.
“A large number of decisions are yet to be made, and no estimate of costings has been provided for VAT liability, transfer of assets and staff, and the creation of a nation-wide digital health and social care record. All of which has the potential to result in significant costs.
“The Committee appreciates the Scottish Government’s intention to co-design the service with those most closely affected. That work could, however, have been undertaken prior to the introduction of primary legislation.
“Major Bills should not be implemented via secondary legislation, or through business cases, which cannot be subject to the same in-depth, formal scrutiny as Financial Memorandums to bills.
“The significant gaps highlighted throughout our report have frustrated the parliamentary scrutiny process.
“We are therefore calling for a revised Financial Memorandum, with detailed costings, at least two weeks before Parliament considers the Bill at Stage 1.”
The Scottish Parliament should introduce proxy voting for those unable to vote due to illness, bereavement or on parental leave.
That’s the view of the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee which has published a report calling for the introduction of a proxy voting pilot scheme with a view to it being established permanently in the Parliament.
The scheme would allow MSPs unable to vote for agreed reasons to nominate a proxy MSP who would cast their vote according to their wishes.
In a report published earlier this year, on Future Parliamentary procedures and practices, the Committee made clear that a hybrid parliament should be here to stay, including a recommendation to introduce proxy voting for those unable to vote in person.
Speaking on the report’s publication, Committee Convener Martin Whitfield MSP, said: “Our Committee is unanimous in their support for the introduction of a proxy voting scheme.
“We think Scotland’s democracy and its people are best served by ensuring that MSPs can still cast their votes even if they are unable to participate in parliamentary business due to the very human reasons of bereavement, illness or parental leave.
“We believe this is a positive, progressive step for the Parliament as we look to continue to evolve and to make the Parliament as accessible and inclusive as possible.”
Deputy Convener Bob Doris MSP added: “As a Parliament it is vital that we continue to look at ways to modernise and to increase participation in democratic processes.
“The introduction of a proxy voting scheme will ensure that MSPs can represent their constituents whether on parental leave, suffering serious illness or bereavement.
“We will continue to review current working practices as we look to innovate and improve Parliamentary processes, and to shape a Parliament fit for the future.”
Key points of the proxy voting being proposed:
MSPs may request a proxy vote due to illness, bereavement or if on parental leave;
A Member can designate any other Member as their proxy and it is for the Member to decide who to nominate;
A proxy vote is actioned by informing the Presiding Officer;
The proxy vote has the same status as a vote cast by a Member in person;
The use of a proxy will be recorded in the minutes of a meeting to ensure transparency;
The pilot would remain in force until 31 December 2023.
MSPs on the Economy and Fair Work Committee have called for action to halt the long-standing decline of town centres, as it publishes a new report following an inquiry into the issue.
The Committee’s inquiry concluded that the planning system needs to be strengthened to ensure no new developments unfairly compete with town centre provision. Alongside this, a rebalancing of the cost of doing business to make town centres more competitive including how non-domestic rates currently operate, to support investment in town centres.
Every town in Scotland should have their own Town Plan, a long-term strategic vision for the future that recognises the unique nature of our towns, their histories and the community that brings them together. It should be driven locally by communities and not imposed from the top down. Transparency of ownership and powers to tackle derelict or dangerous buildings also need further action.
Claire Baker MSP, Convener of the Economy and Fair Work Committee said: “This report should signal a line in the sand for how we support, develop and prioritise investment in our town centres. We all know a town centre that has empty shops, a lack of investment and few thriving businesses.
“Throughout this inquiry we heard that although the pandemic accelerated trends towards online shopping, people really care about the future of their town centre and what is on their doorstep. The positive benefits that a thriving town centre can bring are clear – not just economically but socially and culturally as well.
“As we move into a challenging period of our retail sector, our Committee is unified in its call that vibrant, thriving town centres must be prioritised. This report recognises that the only way to do that is through changing how we support these developments through various measures from planning to non-domestic business rates.
“This report signals that change is needed. We know there is no quick fix but unless we start now, then we won’t be able to halt the accelerated decline of recent years we’ve seen already in too many communities across Scotland.”
Specific measures include:
Strengthening the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) to ensure that any proposed developments can demonstrate that town centre sites have been pursued and thoroughly evaluated and that developments will have no adverse impact on town centres and will not compete with town centre provision.
The overarching principle must be rebalancing the cost of doing business in town centres versus out-of-town sites. Approaches that could be considered include giving Councils the power to levy an out-of-town development premium or a business rates surcharge which could then be used for town centre regeneration.
The current non-domestic rates (NDR) system acts as a disincentive when trying to attract businesses back to our town centres. For businesses already located in town centres, the current NDR system acts as a disincentive to invest in already occupied property, as any investment leads to an increase in NDR. The Committee consistently heard that the current system works against investment and growth in town centre retail and that the NDR system should be rebalanced to support town centre development.
There is strong demand amongst Scotland’s smaller retailers for more and better support to build their online presence and to be able to take advantage of platforms that already exist. A broader range of opportunities must be made available to upskill, strengthen and future-proof our retail workforce.
Transparency of beneficial ownership of town centre property and land and absentee owners can still be a problem, particularly where an individual lives or is based overseas. It is the Committee’s strong view that all property and landowners should be contactable and there should be clarity on who the owner is. The Scottish Government has said its focus is on Compulsory Purchase Orders. The Committee is of the view that the Scottish Government’s actions may be insufficient and that more may need to be to address this problem.
Local authorities have a range of powers available to them to tackle derelict or dangerous buildings but they are not used as frequently or proactively as we would like. There can be a reluctance to resort to those statutory powers, in part due to a lack of resources to carry actions through. The Committee welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to reform and modernise the compulsory purchase orders.
The Committee recognises the value of, and increased demand for, online and e-commerce activities and the importance of increasing the use of technology as a driver of increased productivity. A strategically driven action plan should be developed by the Scottish Government to support the take-up of training and capacity building to support Scotland’s eCommerce activity.
An inquiry has been launched into the impact of Part 2 of the Community Empowerment Act (2015) (“the Act”) on community planning and how Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) can respond to significant events such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the current cost-of-living crisis.
The Committee is seeking views from organisations directly involved in Community Planning Partnerships as well as communities and individuals about the impact the Partnerships have had.
Community Planning aims to improve how organisations such as local government, health boards, and the police work together with other partners to improve local outcomes in an area.
Commenting, Committee Convener Ariane Burgess MSP said: “The Community Empowerment Act recognised in 2015 how important community planning is to improving people’s lives across Scotland and our inquiry will seek to understand how successful the Act has been in bringing partners together to deliver better services that make a real difference to people’s lives.
“We want to understand how effectively Scotland’s Community Planning Partnerships have been able to respond to challenges such as the current cost crisis and unprecedented events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
“By hearing directly from organisations involved in Community Planning Partnerships as well as from communities and individuals about the impact the Partnerships have had we can understand what further improvements may be required to truly empower communities, tackle inequalities and bring about real change.”
Environmental campaigners have said that while the new National Planning Framework 4 is a step in the right direction in tackling the climate emergency it is seriously undermined by an over reliance on unrealistic techno-fixes.
The updated NPF4, laid in the Scottish Parliament today, sets out to tackle the climate and nature emergency. It gives Councils much needed tools to prioritise sustainable transport, has a greater emphasis on the reduction and reuse of materials, and reduces the risk that vast swathes of the country will be opened up for dodgy carbon offsetting schemes.
However, the Scottish Government has failed to rule out new fossil fuel infrastructure in the planning framework which prioritises controversial technologies and so-called negative emissions technologies (NETs) such as carbon capture and storage and hydrogen.
The NPF4’s reliance on NETs is in contradiction to the Scottish Government’s own Climate Change Plan monitoring report which states that there has been: ‘No public commitment to date by a commercial operator to employ a NETs model for a single large power station in Scotland. Given lead in times for development of such a facility and proposals for CCS deployment for the Peterhead CCGT power project, it is unlikely that a new NETs power facility will be developed in the 2020s.‘
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s head of campaigns Mary Church said: “While the emphasis on tackling the climate and nature emergencies is welcome, this is a real missed opportunity by the Scottish Government to rule out any more infrastructure for the fossil fuels that are driving us to extinction.
“This plan sets out what developments are going to be prioritised over the next decade and it’s absolutely crucial that we transition away from fossil fuels over that same period.
“Despite this, there are some welcome improvements to the planning framework including much needed tools for local councils to prioritise sustainable transport, a greater emphasis on the reduction and reuse of materials, and the reduced risk that vast swathes of the country will be opened up for dodgy carbon offsetting schemes.
“The overall direction of travel is seriously undermined by continued over reliance on so-called negative emissions technologies like carbon capture and costly, inefficient hydrogen. The longer the Scottish Government falls for industry spin and the fantasy that we can solve the climate crisis without ending our use of fossil fuels, the harder it will be to deliver a just transition to a renewable energy economy.
“This plan puts some important policies on the table, but due to the urgency of the climate crisis, the time for half measures has long since passed.”
The new NPF4 is published as world leaders meet in Sharm El-Sheikh for the annual UN climate negotiations.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that investing in new fossil fuel infrastructure was ‘ moral and economic madness’.
Planning for net zero
Plan for future developments ‘will help combat climate change’
Developments which reduce carbon emissions to tackle climate change and restore nature would be promoted under finalised proposals for long term planning reform.
The revised draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets out sustainable policies against which planning applications would be assessed for the next decade.
It has been tabled in the Scottish Parliament against the backdrop of crucial intergovernmental climate talks at COP27 in Egypt and seeks to deliver a new and bold direction, with a shift in culture and approach to planning in Scotland.
Proposals in NPF4 include:
enabling more renewable energy generation, outside National Parks and National Scenic Areas, to support the transition away from reliance on fossil fuels
supporting emerging low-carbon and zero emissions technologies – including hydrogen and carbon capture – and developments on land that unlock the transformative potential of offshore renewable energy, such as expansion of the electricity grid. Waste incineration facilities would be highly unlikely to receive permission
facilitating creation of cycling or walking routes, low carbon transport, more green spaces and opportunities for play, culture and tourism
helping rural communities grow by enabling more local homes and encouraging a more diverse rural economy
regenerating city and town centres to help them adapt to economic change while enabling people to access shops, schools and workplaces within a 20 minute walk or cycle
adopting a planned and evidence-based approach to delivering good quality and affordable homes that benefit communities.
Planning Minister Tom Arthur said: “The window of opportunity to act to reduce emissions and adapt to already locked in changes is narrowing. Our statutory and moral obligation to tackle climate change means change is necessary and urgent.
“This final version of the Framework makes clear that we won’t compromise on climate change. It also clarifies what is to be delivered, and how. And it is now clear through the weighting to be applied to different policies, that the climate and nature crises are the priority.
“It is timely that we have tabled final proposals during COP27, as we set out to do when Glasgow hosted COP26 last year. This shows that Scotland’s ambition and commitment to delivering on international calls for action is unwavering.
“There is now a clear expectation of the role that planning must play in delivering the expansion of renewable energy needed to realise the just transition from reliance on fossil fuels.
“This Framework creates the foundation upon which to build the fairer, greener Scotland we want to see for the benefit of future generations.”
A Holyrood committee has warned of difficult tax and spending decisions in the budget if the Scottish Government is to balance the books and address both the cost of living crisis and the lasting impact of Covid.
In a report published today, the Finance and Public Administration Committee’s says an ‘open and honest debate’ with the public needs to be fostered on how to balance spending priorities and taxation.
In its report, the Committee notes that public sector pay rises will be funded, at least in part, through a headcount reduction in the public sector, but calls on the Scottish Government to ensure this is done in a co-ordinated way that minimises the impact on public services.
The report adds it is also now time for the UK Government to concentrate on putting in place measures to bring more stability to the UK economy and recognise the impact of inflation on the Scottish block grant.
Finance and Public Administration Committee Convener Kenneth Gibson said: “Our Committee accepts that the Scottish Government faces difficult choices in balancing its approaches to spending and taxation – especially if it’s to maintain financial sustainability and support households and businesses through the cost of living crisis.
“An open and honest debate with the public about how services and priorities are funded is now needed, including on the role of taxation in funding wider policy benefits for society.”
On the challenges facing the public sector, Mr Gibson said: “We acknowledge the challenge the Scottish Government faces in identifying additional money to fund public sector pay rises which respond to inflation.
“The UK Government should also recognise the impact of inflation on the Scottish block grant.
“We ask for assurances from the Scottish Government that it will approach reducing the public sector headcount in a systematic, transparent, and co-ordinated way. This should be done in tandem with the public service reform agenda, with a view to minimising any impact on the delivery of public services.
“As we say in our report, it is now time for the UK Government to concentrate on putting in place measures to bring more stability to the UK economy.”
