Tag: Holyrood

Reform of criminal justice sector too slow amid growing financial pressures, say Holyrood Committee

The wholesale reform of the criminal justice sector required to tackle increasing financial pressures has been too slow, say the Criminal Justice Committee.

The findings are part of the Committee’s pre-budget scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s budget for 2025/26.

The Committee say organisations across the sector have said they are looking for increases in their resource funding and significant investments in capital budgets for 2025/26 but there is ‘a stark gap’ between what these organisations say they need for 2025/26 and what they may be given.

The Committee say that the wholesale reform of the sector which is required can only be achieved by adopting a new strategy, moving away from short term fixes of a few years or a single parliamentary term. It recommends that the Scottish Government explores moving to a system of multi-year funding cycles to help aid this reform.

Whilst a range of current reform work is welcomed, such as the pilot of the Summary Case Management system, there are other areas where progress on reform has been too slow.

The Committee again highlight the inefficiencies and wasted cost of citing police officers to attend courts, only for them not be called, and the time that the officers spend on calls with vulnerable people experiencing poor mental health due to a lack of wider support services.

The Committee welcome in-year investments by the Scottish Government in various parts of the criminal justice system, but call for increased transparency about these payments to ensure adequate scrutiny.

Issues around underestimating the costs of implementing new legislation impacting the sector are also highlighted in the report. The Committee call for financial memorandums to be as accurate as possible and say proposed legislation must be accompanied by appropriate resources.

The Criminal Justice Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said: “Right across the sector we are seeing increasing cost pressures, and it’s clear there is a stark gap between what these organisations say they need for 2025/26 and what they may be given.

“Last year we emphasised the need for change in how the Scottish Government fund and support the justice sector and that the status quo could not continue. However, progress still needs to be made to implement the wholesale reform required, which takes the long-term view.

“The evidence we have gathered has made clear that multi-year funding could be hugely beneficial for the sector, help them manage resources and plan for the future, and we’re calling for the Scottish Government to explore this route further.”

Rent controls welcomed, but more clarity needed

The introduction of rent controls has received support from the majority of the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee.

The Housing (Scotland) Bill aims to improve housing outcomes for people who live in private rented accommodation and ensure a fair balance between protection for tenants and the rights of landlords. It comes as the Scottish Government and an increasing number of councils have declared housing emergencies.

In its report, the majority of the Committee welcomes the ambition in the provisions to re-balance the private rental sector and improve affordability for tenants. However, despite recent announcements from the Scottish Government about how the rent cap would operate in practice, the Committee has called for further clarity noting that continued uncertainty could impact investment within the sector, in turn impacting on choice and affordability for tenants.

The report also recognises that, in isolation, the Bill in itself is not the answer to the housing emergency, which has been caused by a range of factors, including the shortage of affordable and social housing, increased rents in the private sector, high inflation, freeze of housing allowance rates, labour shortages linked to Brexit, and cuts in Scotland’s capital funding settlement from the UK Government.

However, the Bill does have a role to play in better balancing tenants’ rights with landlords’ needs.

Speaking as the report launched yesterday, Committee Convener Ariane Burgess MSP said: “We are currently in the midst of a housing emergency and this Bill is an important part of the solution to address that by redressing the imbalance in the relationship between tenants and landlords.

“For rent controls to be effective, however, there is a need for certainty for both tenants and landlords about measures within the Bill and how the proposals will work. It’s disappointing that it was only last week that the Housing Minister made an announcement about how rent controls might work.

“The Bill before us does not provide detail on many aspects of how the legislation will operate, and with consultation on some aspects of the Bill continuing until 2025, there will be little room for parliamentary scrutiny in an area which is critical to get right for the long-term sustainability of the private rental sector.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/1857000722153214066

The Bill also puts in place requirements for the collection of data from private landlords in order to make a case for the creation of local rent control area . But with the onus on local authorities to collect and monitor the data, the Committee is concerned that there is a lack of resource to deliver that requirement which could hinder the effective use of rent control areas.

The Convener continued: “For rent controls to work, there must be accurate data but the Bill before us has no clear plans for robust data collection. This is why our report recommends that there is a national approach to data collection to help assess rental markets.

“We would also like to see the onus put on landlords by creating a requirement for them to routinely provide data rather than only respond to requests from local authorities.”

The Committee also welcomed measures within the Bill which support tenants’ rights to personalise their homes and their right to own pets.

It also makes recommendations for there to be more support for tenants in exercising their rights, and for landlords too to help them better understand their duties, saying that legislation is not enough on its own to achieve the necessary balance between tenants and landlords’ rights.

Short-term funding cycles are creating financial instability for Scotland’s charities, says Holyrood Committee

SCVO: Fair Funding needed now more than ever

  • Calls come as Holyrood Committee publishes report on public funding to voluntary organisations

Short-term funding cycles are creating financial instability and diverting time and resources away from charities’ delivery of services, according to a pre-Budget report by the Scottish Parliament’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee.

At the outset of the Committee’s inquiry the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations painted a stark picture of the challenges faced by charities in Scotland, identifying a 2.1% real terms decrease in Scottish Government funding in the previous budget, against a backdrop of increased inflation and high demand for services.

In recognition of the critical role charities play in supporting Scottish society, the Committee’s report calls on the Scottish Government to look at options to prioritise three-year-funding and include provisions for inflation-based adjustments.

During the inquiry, witnesses raised concerns about inconsistency, complexity and a lack of transparency in the application process for funding. In response, the Committee’s report recommends that the Government, and its partner grant awarding-bodies, streamline and standardise application processes and improve the transparency of the grant-making decision process.

The Committee also heard about the challenges some charities have faced because of delays to funding decisions and payments, issues the Committee wants the Scottish Government to resolve.

Bob Doris MSP, Deputy Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said: “The Scottish Government has a commitment to provide fair funding for the essential work done by Scotland’s charity sector.

“We make it clear in our report that this commitment should be recognised in the upcoming budget, so that the sector’s vital work can be safeguarded. We call on the Government to prioritise strengthening its approach to multi-year funding and improving its processes.

“Whilst we acknowledge the Scottish Government’s ability to agree to multi-year funding when it does not know what funding it will receive from the UK Government for subsequent years, our committee has made practical suggestions to overcome these challenges.

“We believe that implementing the straightforward measures outlined in our report, including multi-year funding, could positively impact the effectiveness of a sector that does so much to help so many.”

Responding to the report, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) Chief Executive Anna Fowlie said: “I welcome today’s report, and the committee’s recommendations. Throughout their inquiry, the Committee heard from witness after witness of how the practice and culture around public  funding for voluntary organisations is broken.

“Too often and for too long voluntary organisations providing vital services to people and communities across Scotland contend with budget cuts, short-term funding cycles, late payment, incoherent decision-making, poor communication, inadequate grant management and more. That must end. 

“The voluntary sector needs a funding landscape that is fair, flexible, sustainable, and accessible – as long-advocated by SCVO and recommended by the committee today. 

“At a time when many voluntary organisations are facing extreme financial difficulties, these long-standing calls are more essential than ever. 

“The prize is a sustainable sector, strong public services, and resilient communities – one the Scottish Government must grasp with both hands.”

The Committee report:

sp-third-sector-funding-principlesDownload

Worth Every Penny? MSPs expenses claims rise by more than 8%

MSPs’ EXPENSES INFORMATION FOR 2023/24 PUBLISHED ONLINE

Latest details of all MSPs’ parliamentary expenses have been published . Quarter 4’s expenses from the financial year 2023/24 are now available online via the Parliament’s searchable database facility.

A briefing paper setting out end year total expenditure figures has also been published (7th November).

The end year total for the financial year 2023/24 is £25,359,035. This represents an increase of £1,891,082 or 8.06% on the previous year’s corresponding figure of £23,467,953.

A Scottish Parliament spokesperson said: “As with every year, staff salaries comprise the largest single expense, with £20.60m covering staff employment in MSPs parliamentary and local offices – that’s 81.25% of the total cost.

“The remainder covers the cost of running those offices, travel, and support for party leaders who are not in government.”

“The 8.06% rise in expenses reflects that the Retail Price Index was running at more than 13% in January 2023, and Average Weekly Earnings was above 5%.”

Search function:

Details of all MSPs expenses claims can be viewed on the Parliament’s searchable database:

Scottish Parliament MSP Allowances Search

2023/24 briefing document:

A briefing document setting out expenditure details as a whole for 2023/24 can be found here:

Total costs for the financial year

MSP staff salary information

Staff costs for 2023/24 can be found here:

Staff cost provision: 2023-24

MSPs’ expenses scheme

More information on the Expenses’ Scheme is available here:

Search MSP expenses | Scottish Parliament Website

Expenses in Open Data format

Quarterly expenses information is also published in an open data format that is machine-readable and enables the user to manage raw information and re-present in different ways.

The data sets can be accessed via our API or as a single downloadable item which is around 60-70MB in size.

Quarters 1-3 for 2023/24 are already available. Note: Quarter 4 will be available in open data format from Monday 11 November.

Home page for Open Data

https://data.parliament.scot/#/home

Link to the Datasets we publish:

https://data.parliament.scot/#/dataset

Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP)

Foysol Choudhury MSP, Scottish Labour Spokesperson on Culture, Europe and International Development is congratulating the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) on its 25th anniversary and recognising its important work in representing young people’s views.

Last week Foysol Choudhury attended a parliamentary reception marking the 25th anniversary of the SYP, meeting with recently elected Edinburgh MSYPs and attended the Autumn Session of the SYP, hearing the issues most important to young people today.

The Scottish Youth Parliament was formed in 1999 following the United Kingdom’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which established the right for children to have their views heard and taken seriously.

Following the autumn sitting Mr Choudhury said: “It was inspiring and humbling attending the Autumn sitting of the Scottish Youth Parliament. It was great to see the talent of our young people on show and their commitment to creating a more fair and equitable society.

“The Scottish Youth Parliament is one of our best organisations and does great work in making our young people’s voices heard through their campaigns and giving their views on the impacts of legislation on young people.

“The SYP is often ahead of politicians when it comes to their campaigns, whether that be universal music tuition in schools, banning single-use plastics or free bus travel.

“If Saturday’s sitting is anything to go by, the future of the country is in safe hands. I hope the next 25 years of the Scottish Youth Parliament are as successful and impactful as the first and they continue to push politicians to be better and represent our young people.”

Mr Choudhury wished all MSYPs well, and hopes to work with the Scottish Youth Parliament in the future on tackling racism.

“Deep concern” over the Scottish Government’s strategic approach to public finances

The Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Public Administration Committee says it is “deeply concerned” about the Scottish Government’s strategic approach to public finances.

In its pre-budget scrutiny report published today, the committee says there is “little evidence” that medium and long-term financial planning is taking place.

While some of the report’s conclusions are critical, the committee welcomes recent progress on the Scottish Government’s public service reform programme, saying it is encouraged by the focus on preventative and early intervention approaches.

The committee also welcomes the Finance Secretary’s commitment to consider what more can be done to support research and development within Scotland’s universities, with a view to boosting innovation and economic growth.

Finance and Public Administration Committee Convener Kenneth Gibson MSP said: “Our committee is deeply concerned about the Scottish Government’s lack of strategic approach to managing Scotland’s public finances.

“There is little evidence of medium and long-term financial planning. Year-on-year budgeting has become increasingly challenging, with significant emergency controls being required in each of the last three years.

“We recognise devolved governments have fewer flexibilities to deal with ‘shocks’. However, many issues impacting the 2024-25 Budget – such as higher than anticipated pay settlements and increasing social security payments – could have been foreseen and mitigated when the Budget was set, last December.

“At the very least, scenario plans could have been put in place to allow spending commitments to be ‘flexed’ to adapt to fiscal strain.

“We also believe that if key strategy documents looking beyond the year – such as the Medium-Term Financial Strategy, Infrastructure Investment Plan pipeline reset, Tax Strategy, and multi-year plans – had been published when originally committed to, they would have ensured the Scottish Government was considering the medium to longer term approach as part of its budget planning.

“Repeated delays to key financial strategies have led to a perception of the government being in a state of indecision.

“Taken as a package, the recommendations in our report are designed to support the Scottish Government in achieving a much more strategic and coherent approach to managing Scotland’s finances. We urge the government to adopt these in full, placing our finances on a much more stable and sustainable footing.”

On public service reform, Mr Gibson added: “Our committee is encouraged by the focus on preventative and early intervention approaches within the Scottish Government’s public service reform programme.

“We ask the government to consider and report back to us on the potential benefits, risks and costs of introducing a new category of public expenditure on preventative spend, which we were told will establish a benchmark and enable investment to be tracked over time. This would be a welcome development.”

Read the full report: Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2025-26: Managing Scotland’s Public Finances: A Strategic Approach

Holyrood’s Climate Change Bill passed

CARBON BUDGET APPROACH TO SETTING CLIMATE TARGETS AGREED

Legislation that will see Scotland move to using five year carbon budgets to set climate targets has been passed.

The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill amends the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 to introduce limits on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in Scotland over a five-year period.

The move, which is based on recommendations from the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC), aims to provide a more reliable framework for emissions reduction. This is because the previous annual emissions targets are vulnerable to year-to-year fluctuations caused by events such as a particularly cold winter or a global pandemic.

The legislation enables the carbon budgets to be set through secondary legislation based on the expert advice from the Climate Change Committee. The Bill also changes the current deadline to finalise the next Climate Change Plan for Scotland so the Plan can align with the process for setting the new carbon budgets.

Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero Gillian Martin said: “Scotland is now halfway to net zero and continues to be ahead of the UK as a whole in delivering long term emissions reductions.

“The Scottish Government’s commitment to ending Scotland’s contribution to global emissions by 2045 at the latest, as agreed by Parliament on a cross-party basis, is unwavering. It is crucial that our target pathway to 2045 is set at a pace and scale that is feasible and reflects the latest independent expert advice. 

“Carbon budgets are an established model for assessment of emissions reductions used by other nations including Japan, France, England and Wales, and they will include emissions from international aviation and shipping and there will be no provision to “carry over” emissions from one carbon budget to another.

“We will continue leading on climate action that is fair, ambitious and capable of rising to the emergency before us and reflects our commitment to the ambition of credible emissions reduction.”

The Stop Climate Chaos coalition have written to First Minister John Swinney:

Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill

Views sought on Bill which would give people with addictions the right to receive treatment in law

HOLYROOD’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee is seeking views on a Bill which would enshrine the rights of persons addicted to drugs or alcohol to receive treatment for their addiction.

The Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill was introduced in the Scottish Parliament on 15 May 2024 by Douglas Ross MSP.

The Bill would provide people who have been diagnosed by a health professional as addicted to either alcohol or drugs, or both, to be provided with treatment. Those diagnosed would have a say in what treatment they receive and the treatment would be made available to them within three weeks of treatment diagnosis.

If a health professional decided no treatment is appropriate, or that the treatment which the person wants is not appropriate, then they must inform the individual in writing why this is the case.

Individuals could seek a second opinion from a different health professional if they did not agree with the original decision.

Clare Haughey MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said: “The tragic impact of alcohol and drug addiction is clear and is an issue this Committee takes extremely seriously.

“We’re keen to hear views on whether people agree with the purpose and extent of the Bill and whether it will help those facing drug and alcohol addiction.  We want to know what the key advantages and/or disadvantages are of placing this right to receive treatment, for people with drug and alcohol addiction, in law.

“We also want to hear views on the proposed procedure for determining treatment, and timescales for providing treatment.

“We want to hear from individuals, charities and support groups who work in this area, health organisations, local and national government, the legal sector and academics. We look forward to hearing your views.”

The call for views closes on 20 December.

Around three quarters of older people feel their issues are not understood by Scottish Government

Scottish Parliament debates committee report on commissioners

  • Over seven in ten (74%) older people (over 65)  in Scotland feel their issues are not understood by the Scottish Government.
  • Charity Independent Age calls for greater focus on the issues affecting older people in Scotland and the creation of an Older People’s Commissioner. 
  • Polling revealed as Scottish Parliament set to debate Finance and Public Accounts Committee report that proposes a pause on new commissioners in Scotland.  

Independent Age, the national charity supporting pensioners in poverty is calling on the Scottish Parliament to ‘carefully and urgently’ consider how it will ensure older people on a low income will be protected, have their voices heard and their rights upheld.  

As the Scottish Parliament is set to debate a report from the Finance and Public Accounts Committee into the commissioner landscape in Scotland, new polling commissioned by the charity shows that 74% of pensioners in Scotland feel their issues are not understood by the Scottish Government.1  

The report calls for a moratorium – a pause – on any new commissioners in Scotland until a review can be carried out2  , which the charity says risks continuing to leave older people without an independent champion in these times of rising energy costs, the onset of winter, and recent changes to the eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments.

Support for an Older People’s Commissioner is wide-spread. In May last year, over 30 organisations working with and supporting older people across Scotland called for an OPC.3 The MSP Colin Smyth introduced a Private Member’s Bill calling for the creation of the position which recently secured the cross-party support required to be formally introduced to Parliament.   

The charity says this has never been more urgent as the number of pensioners in poverty – 150,000 – is up in number by 25% since 2012 and has remained stubbornly high in recent years. 4

Debbie Horne, Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Independent Age, said: “It’s hard to overstate the devastating impact that deepening poverty is having on older people across Scotland.

“In a socially-just society, no one should live in poverty. It is also incredibly worrying that the majority of older people feel their issues are not understood by the Scottish Government. 

“While we welcome the robust efforts of many MSPs to support their older constituents and represent their views in Parliament, polling shows that more needs to be done. Careful and urgent action is required to support the many pensioner households suffering the impacts of poverty.

“We firmly believe the only way to tackle pensioner poverty in Scotland is through a strategic approach. A key part of this being the introduction of an independent Older People’s Commissioner. Without such a champion we worry that older people’s issues will continue to fall between the gaps.” 

Scottish Parliament Boundaries Consultation: Have Your Say

CLOSING DATE – 26 OCTOBER

What is happening?

The Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries started in September 2022. In early 2023 and again in April/May 2024 we consulted on proposals for constituency boundaries and names.

We are now consulting on Provisional Proposals for region boundaries and names.

The rules that govern Scottish Parliament region design are

  • a constituency must fall wholly within a region.
  • the electorate of a region must be as near the regional electorate of each of the other regions as is practicable, having regard (where appropriate) to special geographical considerations.

Why is this happening?
Boundaries Scotland undertakes reviews of Scottish Parliament boundaries every 8-12 years to ensure each region or constituency has an equal number of electors.

What Boundaries Scotland says

We now want to hear the views of the public on our proposals, we will reflect on responses to the consultation and make changes where appropriate and where the legislation allows us to do so.  We strongly encourage people to make their views heard. 

This review is of electoral boundaries (constituencies and regions) only and therefore does not affect any other boundaries (UK constituencies, local authorities, community councils, health boards etc).  For individuals, this review does not affect the council area in which they live nor the way local services are accessed. 

Why your views matter

Your views play a vital role in shaping our boundaries and they also provide important local knowledge to help us improve our proposals. 

We are also consulting on our Further Proposals for Scottish Parliament Constituencies. Click here to take part in that consultation.

Give us your views on our Provisional Proposals for Regions

Online Survey