Join the Centre for Public Policy and the Scottish Parliament on Monday 16 February, for a free event at The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh – hear from a panel of experts as they explore how the next Parliament could redefine the path to net zero and the implementation of the Climate Change Plan.
As Scotland heads toward a pivotal Holyrood election in May 2026, join the panel of experts to explore how the next Parliament could redefine the path to net zero and the implementation of the Climate Change Plan.
As MSPs examine the plan ahead of dissolution, this discussion will delve into the political, economic, and social pressures shaping Scotland’s climate future, examine public attitudes to environmental policy in an election year, and highlight the importance of women’s role in driving Scotland’s green energy transition.
Chaired by Edward Mountain MSP, Convener of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
Speaker biographies
Dr Hannah Salamon is a Research Associate at the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Public Policy with expertise at the intersection of gender, climate change policy, and equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Her work brings a gendered and EDI-focused perspective to climate governance and policy, including the role of women’s representation in shaping climate outcomes. As a ClimateXChange Research Fellow, she is currently working with the Scottish Government to investigate the socioeconomic benefits of nature connectivity.
Mark McGeoghegan is a Research Associate at the Centre for Public Policy, Associate Advisory Director at Ipsos, and Associate Member of the Centre on Constitutional Change. He is an expert in Scottish polling and politics who has written for The Herald and a range of other publications.
Professor Jaime Toney is a leading environmental and climate scientist. She is the Sustainable Futures Lead for Glasgow Changing Futures, directs the Centre for Sustainable Solutions at the University of Glasgow and leads GALLANT: Glasgow as a Living Lab. Her recent work focuses on systems approaches for sustainable solutions and puts co-production and partnership working at the core. She is passionate about enabling action and building capacity for change towards sustainable futures. Toney is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and has held expert roles, such as, Advisor to Scottish Government.
Dr Dominic Hinde is a Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Glasgow, author and climate journalist. He is an expert in transitions and recently completed ‘Drifting North’, an extensive multi-year ‘public sociology’ of climate and energy in Scotland, and works academically on the storytelling aspects of energy transition and climate impacts. He recently released the podcast ‘The Energy That Made Modern Scotland’ bringing alive the story of North Sea energy.
The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee published its report today into Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism pathways and support.
The Committee calls for urgent action to deliver a national plan that ensures autistic people and people with ADHD can access clear, consistent pathways to support across every health board in Scotland.
The Committee welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to accept the recommendations in the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathways report.
It also notes the Scottish Government’s intention to review implementation of the National Neurodevelopmental Specification for Children and Young People through its new task force.
The Committee expresses concern that many people wait years for neurodevelopmental assessments and that some health board areas have closed waiting lists. It emphasises that long waits harm individuals and may prevent people from making a full contribution to society.
The unprecedented demand for neurodevelopmental assessment is recognised by the Committee and the need to put certain thresholds in place before a referral is made. But the Committee warns that this approach can be seen as gatekeeping and can cause delays to accessing assessments and support.
The report further highlights evidence that long waiting times can push people into crisis, which can increase complexity of the support needed and put additional pressure on services. It calls on the Scottish Government to work with health boards to deliver a shift towards early, progressive support, in line with the principles of the Population Health Framework.
The Committee also heard evidence that long NHS waiting times can push people towards private diagnosis at significant cost, risking a two-tier system.
The Committee calls for a comprehensive review of assessment processes across all areas, leading to a National Standard that guarantees consistency, responsiveness and support across Scotland.
Given current waiting times, the Committee calls for consistent high-quality communication with people on waiting lists, including accurate, supportive, up-to-date and neuro-affirming information that meets the needs of each individual.
Countering claims that neurodevelopmental conditions are subject to over-diagnosis, the report instead notes evidence that rising demand for assessments reflects historic under-diagnosis and improved understanding of these conditions. The report recognises that diagnosis can validate lived experience and help people access adjustments, support and medication if needed.
While the Committee welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment that diagnosis should not be a prerequisite for support, it remains concerned that, for many individuals, the lack of a formal diagnosis can create a barrier to accessing support. The Committee calls on the Scottish Government to set out actions to prevent diagnosis status becoming an artificial barrier to receiving support.
To improve fairness and consistency, the Committee calls for a plan to deliver mandatory training for everyone involved in making referrals to neurodevelopmental pathways and all health and social care staff in patient-facing roles.
The Committee supports a whole systems approach across health, social care, education and other sectors to improve awareness, reduce stigma and strengthen support for those with neurodevelopmental conditions.
It calls on the Scottish Government to set out what it is doing to advance whole society action, including workforce planning, funding distribution that supports integration, inclusive education, support for families with multiple neurodivergent members, and stronger collaboration across public services.
On publication of the report, Clare Haughey MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee said:“Our inquiry has shone a light on the myriad issues those with neurodevelopmental conditions face in accessing and receiving support from Scotland’s NHS.
“We acknowledge the huge rise in demand for assessment and diagnosis and the huge pressure this places on services. But we are concerned that inconsistent care pathways and a lack of support can leave some feeling isolated and unable to access the support they need.
“We are concerned to have heard evidence of long waits for assessments or closed waiting lists, meaning some individuals are unable to access support due to where they live or because they haven’t been diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition. It’s clear things need to improve.
“We’re calling for urgent delivery of a national plan so that autistic people and/or people with ADHD are able to access clear, consistent pathways to support regardless of where they live in Scotland.
“We’re also calling on the Scottish Government and health boards to work together to undertake a comprehensive review of the assessment process in order to introduce a National Standard for assessments that guarantees consistency and quality of access throughout Scotland.
“Our Committee wants to see a whole systems and whole society approach to ensure autistic people and/or people with ADHD can access equitable and timely pathways to assessment, treatment and support across Scotland.
“Thank you to all of the individuals who shared their personal experiences of ADHD and autism with us and helped inform our inquiry.”
Other findings in the report:
The report also stresses the need for consistent national data on referrals and waiting times. The Committee calls for steps to enable routine quarterly reporting of data on referrals and waiting times for autism and ADHD, underpinned by national guidance, and for longer-term work to culminate in a comprehensive dashboard.
The Committee pays tribute to third sector organisations that support people who have not received, or are waiting for, diagnosis. It welcomes ongoing commitments such as the Autistic Adult Support Fund and calls for clearer plans to place third sector funding on a sustainable long-term footing.
Both ADHD and autism are neurodevelopmental conditions.
ADHD is characterised by a group of symptoms that includes difficulty in concentrating, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour. It affects around 5% of school-aged children, and between 2.5% and 4% of adults.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental condition that affects the way a person communicates, interacts and processes information.
It is often characterised by social and communication difficulties and by repetitive behaviours. Current estimates indicate about 1 in 34 people are autistic, just under 3% of the population.
In its Stage 1 report on the Freedom of Information Reform (Scotland) Bill, the Committee has found that while there is a clear need to update FOI law, elements of the Bill have not been sufficiently considered or laid out.
Introduced by Katy Clark MSP, the Bill aims to update the original 2002 Act by introducing a presumption in favour of disclosure and establishing a new duty for public authorities to publish information proactively.
Other proposals include creating a new mechanism to bring more bodies under FOI rules and removing the First Minister’s power to ‘veto’ certain decision of the Scottish Information Commissioner.
The Committee is not persuaded that the Bill in its current form would deliver the intended change. It has particular concerns about how workable the proposals are and the financial and resource implications for public bodies.
Instead, the Committee concludes that the Scottish Government should be taking a lead in bringing forward its own proposals for freedom of information reform.
Speaking as the report was published, Committee Convener Martin Whitfield MSP said: “Freedom of information is a fundamental part of how our public services in Scotland are delivered. The work done by Katy Clark MSP establishes a clear need to update the law that underpins it.
“However, our Committee is not convinced that this Bill is the right approach in its current form.
“The Scottish Government should be taking action to develop an updated and forward-looking FOI regime for Scotland. If not, a committee bill may be the most appropriate legislative means to deliver this complex and important reform.”
Elements of the Bill highlighted in the Committee’s report include:
Presumption in favour of disclosure: The report makes it clear that the Committee doesn’t think it necessary to legislate for making openness the default in releasing public information. It suggested that efforts to improve culture and practice within organisations is a preferable approach.
Proactive publication duty: the Committee is not persuaded that proposals to replace the current scheme with a rule that requires public bodies to publish information more broadly and pro-actively would work in practice.
Designation of public bodies: The Committee is unconvinced that the proposal for the Parliament to make bodies subject to FOI rules is workable.
There remains significant uncertainty about the financial and resource implications for public bodies.
The Health Social Care and Sport Committee is recommending Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill.
The Bill seeks to regulate non-surgical procedures including cosmetic treatments such as fillers, Botox, certain chemical peels and microneedling. In its Stage 1 report, the Committee says patient safety must come first and that it agrees it should be illegal for under-18s to access these treatments.
The Committee is supportive of the two-tiered approach to regulation being proposed by the Scottish Government. This would mean procedures deemed ‘higher risk’ could only be undertaken in permitted premises under supervision from authorised medical practitioners, while lower risk procedures would be subject to a licensing scheme to be introduced via secondary legislation.
The Committee acknowledges concerns expressed by some of those businesses currently providing non-surgical procedures about the Scottish Government’s proposed approach to regulation. To alleviate these concerns, the Committee asks the Scottish Government to provide appropriate support and guidance to help responsible providers to make the transition successfully to the new regulatory framework.
The Committee is concerned over a lack of clarity around requirements for clinical supervision of those procedures covered by the Bill, including minimum qualification requirements for those providing supervision and the scope of their clinical and managerial responsibilities.
On enforcement, the Committee calls for a staged approach which will give responsible operators time and support to meet the requirements of the legislation, while punishing those irresponsible operators who show no interest in complying with the law.
The Committee says the current sanctions set out in the Bill are insufficient and would not deter irresponsible providers from committing repeat offences. It has therefore called on the Scottish Government to introduce stronger penalties for offences committed under the Bill.
The Committee also highlights concerns that Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) may lack the capacity and resources to be able to enforce the Bill effectively. The Committee’s report seeks assurances that, in the short term, the Scottish Government will commit additional funding to enable HIS to enforce the Bill properly from the outset.
The huge variability in the quality of training and qualifications held by or available to those providing non-surgical procedures is highlighted by the Committee. It wants to see the creation of clear and appropriate standards for all practitioners.
The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee Convener, Clare Haughey MSP, said:“Our Committee believes patient safety must always come first and that’s why we are supportive of this Bill which will provide much needed regulation of the non-surgical procedures industry.
“We fully back provisions making it illegal for under 18s to access these procedures and believe the Scottish Government should work with the UK Government to improve and standardise training and qualifications so all providers meet a minimum standard.
“Healthcare Improvement Scotland must be given the resources to be able to enforce the law effectively in this area – and penalties for offences must be set at a level that creates a suitable deterrent.
“We acknowledge that there will be many practitioners who are concerned about the impact this new regulatory framework may have on their businesses. That’s why we’re calling on the Scottish Government to provide appropriate support and guidance to help responsible providers make a successful transition and continue operating in compliance with the law.
“Thanks to everyone who gave evidence to our Committee and helped inform our scrutiny of the Bill.”
On the 2nd part of the Bill, the Committee is supportive of updating the processes by which Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCDs) are processed in Scotland.
This would include allowing interested persons to request a review of a MCCD even when it has already been randomly selected for review.
Consultation responses support new hate crime regulations
Women and girls will have greater protection against hate crimes under legislation laid in the Scottish Parliament by Ministers yesterday/today.
The regulations, if agreed by MSPs, will designate ‘sex’ as a protected characteristic under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021. There are protections in the Act for individuals’ rights in respect to freedom of expression for the new stirring up hatred offences. Hate crime is behaviour that is both criminal and rooted in prejudice and can be verbal, physical, online or face-to-face.
This will make it a specific criminal offence to stir up hatred against women and girls, as well as men and boys, because of their sex. The regulations will also allow courts to treat crimes motivated by hatred of someone’s sex as aggravated offences, which are considered more serious – including when passing sentence following conviction.
A consultation was held on the draft regulations, with 309 out of 365 responses supporting adding the characteristic of sex to both the stirring up of hatred offence and the aggravation. The final regulations now laid for MSPs’ scrutiny are largely unchanged from the draft.
The change will mean that women and girls have the same legal safeguards available under the Act to groups targeted by hate crime because of their age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and variations in sex characteristics.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “These regulations will significantly strengthen legal protections for women and girls from offences motivated by prejudice and hatred because of their sex and they will ensure that Scotland’s justice system can respond appropriately.
“The changes will mean women and girls have the same protections as victims who are targeted because of a specific characteristic, such as age, religion or disability. Men and boys will also be protected, however, we know that women and girls suffer significantly more from threats, abuse and harassment based on their sex, so they are likely to benefit most from those new protections.
“The vast majority of responses received during the consultation on these proposals supported adding the characteristic of sex to both the stirring up of hatred offence and the aggravation.
“The regulations will come into force on 5 April 2027, giving Police Scotland the necessary time to update training and guidance and ensuring they are operationally ready for the change.”
Foysol Choudhury MSP has called for greater clarity and faster progress on plans for a new East Calder Health Centre, following a roundtable meeting at the Scottish Parliament today.
The meeting brought together elected representatives, NHS Lothian officials, local campaigners and community leaders to discuss the future of primary and community healthcare provision in the area and agree next steps.
The Scottish Government has confirmed that work will begin to develop detailed plans for new primary and community care infrastructure in East Calder. This progress reflects the efforts of dedicated local campaigners, alongside the continued support of MPs and MSPs.
“I was pleased to meet with local campaigners to discuss the future of East Calder Health Centre and the next steps for our community,” said Mr Choudhury. “It is encouraging to see progress being made, and I want to thank everyone who has worked so hard to get us to this point.”
Mr Choudhury has welcomed recent correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Neil Gray. “I am pleased that the Cabinet Secretary recognises East Calder as a key focus and that his team is working with NHS Lothian closely to ensure this project can progress.” he said.
He added that recent updates from NHS Lothian confirm that East Calder remains a central priority but stressed that significant questions remain unanswered.
“Local residents deserve clarity,” Mr Choudhury added. “We need to know when funding will be confirmed and when a timetable will be put in place for developing a business case. We also need transparency about the budget that has been allocated and what it will cover. Most importantly, we need a clear date for when construction of new facilities will begin.”
With the area experiencing rapid population growth, pressure on existing health services continues to increase. “While progress is being made, it is simply not happening quickly enough,” he said.
“The need for improved health facilities is urgent. Our community deserves timely action, not ongoing uncertainty. I will continue to press the Scottish Government and NHS Lothian for clear answers and real improvements on behalf of local residents.”
WITH welfare and benefits in danger of becoming a political football in the Holyrood election campaign (see today’s FMQs for starters – Ed.), Scotland’s Poverty Alliance has spoken out:
Poverty Alliance Policy & Campaigns Manager Gary Christie said: “When it comes to ending the injustice of poverty and investing in a better future, the Poverty Alliance works constructively with leaders from all political parties.
“One of the things we ask of all is that they avoid creating false division between people. Very few politicians would criticise someone for using our NHS or claiming Pension Credit. So, it’s morally wrong to point at others who use our shared social security system.
“Nearly 40% of the people on Universal Credit are in work. Nearly 1 in 3 people referred to Trussell Trust foodbanks are in working households.
“We all pay into our shared public services, and we all benefit. People who don’t pay income tax contribute every time they buy something that has VAT on it. And many people on the lowest incomes in Scotland have higher tax rates than the wealthiest in society. We are all in it together.
“Instead of risking stigmatising and hurting our friends, neighbours and fellow citizens, it would be good for politicians to look at their own responsibilities first. They have the power to move towards a Minimum Income Guarantee based on fair work, strong services, and a just social security system for all of us. These must be pursued together, not traded off against one another to score political points.
“The Scottish Child Payment is a vital building block of that future. It helps give a decent start in life to more than 300,000 of Scotland’s children.
“Rather than talking about unjustly cutting some children off from that vital help, politicians can boost the value of the payment as one important stepping stone towards the Minimum Income Guarantee.”
The Scottish Parliament has installed a new Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) outside the public entrance to the Parliament building.
The installation is a collaboration between The Scottish Parliament and St John Scotland.
Every year, over 3000 people in Scotland suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, an event which is fatal unless CPR and defibrillation are started by bystanders within minutes.
The installation provides 24 /7 access for the public 365 days a year to the PAD.
The Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament said:“We’re pleased to partner with St John Scotland to give the public access to a defibrillator outside the Parliament building.
“Evidence shows the chances of survival from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest can be increased two-to-threefold by the immediate provision of bystander CPR and defibrillation so this is a very positive step which can help save lives.”
Barri Millar, Chief Operating Officer, St John Scotland said:“St John Scotland is proud to support the Scottish Parliament with a new Public Access Defibrillator. We are committed to strengthening community resilience across Scotland and ensuring lifesaving equipment is accessible in every community.
“Together with our ‘Save a Life for Scotland’ partners, we continue to expand CPR awareness and increase access to defibrillators — helping save lives across the country.”
Questions have been raised around whether the Ecocide (Scotland) Bill, as drafted, is the best way forward, says Holyrood’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee.
In its Stage 1 Report of the Member’s Bill, the Committee say that they consider ecocide should be treated as a ‘grave criminal wrongdoing’. However, owing to the lack of time remaining to address significant issues raised in evidence, a majority (see note 1 in Background) agree that the Bill as it stands should not proceed further during this parliamentary session.
The Bill, introduced by Monica Lennon MSP (above) in May 2025, aims to create a distinct criminal offence of ecocide; to reduce the likelihood of future incidents; and help protect Scotland’s population, wildlife and ecosystems.
Its proposals allow for both people and organisations to be convicted, with custodial sentences of up to 20 years and unlimited fines.
The report highlights questions over the definitions of key terms in the offence as set out in the Bill and an alternative approach of amending Section 40 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014.
It says also that there are issues around the enforcement of environmental law and concerns that existing legal sanctions are rarely used.
https://twitter.com/i/status/2014642871215751250
Convener of the Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee, Edward Mountain MSP, said: “The Committee commends Member in Charge, Monica Lennon MSP for her work on this Bill, which has launched an important discussion about how we deal with ecocide.
“We agree with the principle of having stronger criminal penalties for severe environmental damage. However, the concerns raised during our scrutiny must be fully explored and this would require detailed consultation with prosecutors, regulators and expert stakeholders.
“Realistically, we do not believe there is any prospect of the issues being addressed comprehensively within the time we have remaining during this Parliamentary session. As a result, it would not be responsible for us to recommend that the Bill proceeds further at this stage.”
A key question raised during scrutiny was whether, instead of creating a standalone offence, existing environmental legislation (Section 40 of the 2014 Act) could be amended to create an ‘apex’ tier for ecocide-level harm, with increased penalties.
Related to this, the report says the Committee was struck by the lack of prosecutions under the existing Section 40. To gain a better understanding of why this is the case, and irrespective of any future route taken with this legislation, the Committee recommends that the Scottish Government undertake a short, targeted review of Section 40, early in next parliamentary session.
The report says that concerns about the legal clarity and workability of the Bill were raised. Uncertainty around the definition of key terms such as ‘severe environmental harm’ along with the Bill’s treatment of harm caused over a period of time, omissions and courses of conduct, left doubt as to whether prosecutors would be able to achieve the criminal standard of proof.
Furthermore, the report says that the Bill in its current form could create legal uncertainty within the planning system and potentially have a ‘chilling effect’ on decision-taking and major developments. It recommends that any future legislative approach, should provide a clear defence for licensed or authorised activities, which would protect operators acting within permits and public authorities exercising statutory functions lawfully and in good faith.
The SNP government voted down Sarah Boyack’s Wellbeing and Sustainable Development bill yesterday (Thursday), despite promising to deliver such a bill in their manifesto.
Ms Boyack has been working on this bill since 2021, and it was formally introduced in March 2025.
The SNP Government initially put forward a consultation in 2023 on their own wellbeing and sustainable development bill before not progressing with it.
Ms Boyack highlighted in her speech that the Deputy First Minister had assured her that the Scottish Government would work constructively with her on her bill.
However, the government then came out in opposition to Ms Boyack’s bill.
Dozens of stakeholders and industry experts came out in support of the bill and took part in the consultation process.
The bill aimed to create a Future Generations Commissioner, to deliver guidance and have investigatory powers, to ensure that key policy decisions are made with the long-term interest in mind.
It would also have delivered a legal definition of sustainable development that public bodies would have to abide by.
Speaking after the vote, Ms. Boyack said: “I am extremely disappointed with today’s decision.
“The SNP promised this bill in their manifesto but now vote it down just weeks before an election.
“Instead of ensuring Scotland is a world leader in sustainable development, the SNP Government has kicked the issue into the long grass.
“I hope after the election, the new government takes this issue on board and finally cements joined up, long-term thinking into Scottish policy making and decisions.
“I am certain Scotland can and will be a world leader in sustainable development and deliver the change people urgently need but we must have a government that is willing to prioritise the long-term over short-term gains.”
