Gordon MacDonald SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands has welcomed the recent launch of Vodafone’s charities.connected, an initiative to tackle digital exclusion and connect one million people by the end of 2022.
This initiative gives charities the opportunity to apply for free connectivity to help individuals and families they support get online or to improve its own digital capability.
The connectivity, in the form of SIM cards offering 20GB of data plus free calls and texts every month for six months, will work in any SIM-enabled device.
Registered charities of any size can apply by completing a simple online application form with applications closing on 1 November 2022.
Gordon MacDonald said: “The pandemic has highlighted the scale of digital exclusion and in particular its impact on the most vulnerable in society.
“Digital connectivity is increasingly essential to access work, education, healthcare and to keep in touch with family and friends.
“The Scottish Government is already providing support in tackling digital exclusion through their Connecting Scotland programme and this initiative from Vodafone contributes in those efforts to close the digital divide.
“I would encourage third sector organisations providing support to families and individuals that would benefit from this initiative to apply.”
MSPs on the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee are to examine all areas of the Scottish Government’s criminal justice budget in the coming weeks, and consider whether the current funding patterns are sustainable, effective and achieving good outcomes.
Ahead of making recommendations to the Scottish Government on how it spends money on justice services, the Committee is looking to hear opinions on funding for bodies such as prisons, courts, police, fire and rescue, victim support and community justice initiatives.
It will also consider whether funding is in place to support the sector to recover from Covid, and whether any of the changes brought in to help cope with the pandemic may lead to longer term savings, if those were desirable and made permanent.
Speaking as the call for views was launched, Criminal Justice Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said:“Criminal Justice services play a crucial role in keeping Scotland safe, supporting complainers and victims of crime, working to rehabilitate offenders, and diverting people who are at risk of doing wrong.
“Our Committee wants to take a wide look at the funding for these services – public and voluntary – and examine whether what we have in place supports the justice system to do what we ask of it.
“It goes without saying that we will need to consider the impact of Covid-19 on the justice sector’s budgets.
“We asked a great deal of those working on the frontline and administering justice throughout the pandemic.
“And while there may be savings from some of the new ways of working, overall, the sector will need a lot of help to recover from the pandemic – for instance, to deal with the huge backlog of trials.”
• Whether the Scottish Government is providing enough budget for the criminal justice sector to recover from COVID-19?
• What the cost will be of making permanent some of the temporary changes brought in because of the pandemic (if these are to become permanent)?
• Whether organisations in the criminal justice sector have enough budget and staff to be able to cope with a return to pre-pandemic levels of working (e.g. expected growth in the number of court trials)?
• Whether there have been any savings and efficiencies because of the different way of working during the pandemic, what these savings have been used for elsewhere, and could they be kept once the pandemic is over?
• Where are the opportunities for future reform and savings?
The budget provided for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS)
• Whether the Scottish Government is providing enough budget for the work expected of the COPFS?
• What is the expected impact of the budget of the COPFS from the recent cases of malicious prosecution?
Prisons, prison reform and secure care
• Whether the Scottish Government is providing enough budget for the work expected of the Scottish Prison Service?
• Whether enough money has been allocated for the future modernisation of the prison estate beyond the work currently underway at HMP Glasgow and HMP Cornton Vale?
• Whether the current funding model for secure care in Scotland needs reformed?
Police and fire and rescue
• Whether the Scottish Government is providing enough budget for Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service?
• In particular, is there enough budget to modernise the services, their buildings, vehicles and equipment etc?
The support for victims of crime
• Whether the Scottish Government is providing enough budget to enable organisations to support victims of crime?
Legal aid
• Whether the Scottish Government is providing enough budget to enable people to access justice through the support provided by legal aid in criminal cases?
• Whether further budget and reforms are necessary to tackle the problem of accessing legal aid in remote and rural areas of Scotland?
• Whether the Scottish Government is providing enough budget to attract people to work for organisations providing services funded by legal aid (e.g. defence solicitors)?
The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government
• What money will be required to finance the different criminal justice policies set out in the new Programme for Government and whether any new and extra finance has been allocated for the various initiatives?
The Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee is launching an inquiry into the Scottish Government’s international work.
Post Brexit constitutional change has inevitably impacted on how the Scottish Government engages with the European Union and the wider world.
The Committee will examine what the Scottish Government is trying to achieve in its work with foreign governments, international organisations like the European Union and also with its international development efforts. The committee will engage with stakeholders, examine best practice and, where necessary, make recommendations to inform the Scottish Government Policy.
The Committee is seeking to engage with stakeholders on what the Scottish Government’s external affairs policy could look like, recommend what areas should be prioritised, and to learn from examples of best practice.
It will examine issues including the Scottish Government’s engagement with the EU set in the context of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, successful examples of non-EU nations and regions engaging with the EU, and asking how the Scottish Government’s overseas work interacts with UK foreign and diplomatic efforts.
Speaking as the call for views launched, Committee Convener, Clare Adamson MSP, said: “The Scottish Government has an overseas footprint including representative offices in key cities, an international development budget and staff working to promote Scotland and its interests internationally.
“A key question for the Committee now that the UK has left the EU is Scotland’s future relationship with the EU. This includes how Trade and Co-operation Agreement will impact on how the Scottish Government engages with the EU and how that engagement interacts with UK government policy in this area.
“We are also keen to look at good ideas and best practice from elsewhere, so we can make recommendations where necessary.”
You can respond to the call for views at this page.
The Committee is asking questions including:
• How should the Scottish Government engage with the EU and what should it seek to achieve from its engagement? • How might the EU-UK TCA affect how the Scottish Government engages with the EU and how will that engagement interact with UK government policy in this area? • What role should the Scottish Parliament have in scrutinising the operation of the TCA and how the TCA influences the Scottish government’s engagement with the EU? • What should the priorities of the Scottish Government be in developing its external affairs work and overseas presence, including its international development policy? • Does the Scottish Government’s budget for external affairs deliver value for money? Please elaborate. • What principles should inform the Scottish Government’s international engagement (e.g. economic, democratic, human rights, climate change or cultural / ‘soft power’ priorities)? And should that engagement be based on geographical or policy focus? Please elaborate. • How do the Scottish Government’s EU and international policies interact with UK foreign and diplomatic policy in these areas?
Children and young people from across Scotland are to take part in a nation-wide climate surgery with MSPs next month as part of a new initiative to ensure their voices are heard as part of the debate on the climate emergency.
Taking place on Friday 29 October, titled The Moment, it will be an opportunity for children and young people to engage with their elected representatives in places where they live, learn and play. It will allow them to communicate their expectations and hopes for their future.
Ahead of this, children and young people will be encouraged and supported to communicate their calls to action in tackling the climate emergency ahead of the COP26 conference in Glasgow. A number of new resources have been developed to enable children and young people to have their say.
The Children’s Parliament has developed a digital toolkit for children to explore climate issues and take part in creative activities to identify what issues they want to raise. The Scottish Youth Parliament has similarly developed resources to empower young people across Scotland to explore and raise issues.
The initiative is in partnership with Globe International and children and young people will also report on the commitments from the day at the international COP26 GLOBE Legislators’ Summit – one of the biggest online gatherings of international parliamentarians – being hosted at the Scottish Parliament on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th November.
Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament Alison Johnstone MSP said: “As all eyes turn to Glasgow in November, this new initiative is a unique opportunity for parliamentarians to hear what is important to children and young people and what they can expect from their elected representatives on how we tackle the climate emergency.
“I am proud the Scottish Parliament can play its part in supporting and encouraging young people to feel part of this global debate on one of the most fundamental issues our world is currently facing.”
Member of Children’s Parliament, age 11, Highlands said:“We want to see more awareness of the climate emergency, and changes in our community.
“We think everyone should be involved to make changes for our planet. We need to talk about our ideas with adults that can make change.”
Cathy McCulloch, co-director of the Children’s Parliament, said: “A world free of climate disasters, where all children can be healthy, happy and safe without worry of losing their homes to flooding or their food to drought, is integral to their human rights.
“Since the establishment of Children’s Parliament in 1996. Children have consistently told us that they are passionate about the environment and concerned about their future.
“The Moment gives children and young people a unique opportunity to communicate their concerns and their calls to action to their elected representatives.
“By taking part in The Moment, children and young people continue to highlight critical climate and environmental issues that many adults are not yet fully engaged with but which we all need to take seriously.”
Wiktoria Orlicka MSYP, Trustee of the Scottish Youth Parliament, said:“We hope that COP26 in Glasgow will be a fantastic opportunity for the whole world to come together and commit to create a better, healthier, and more just future for us all.
“Our From Scotland’s Young People Manifesto described the climate emergency as an issue of climate justice. This has to be one of the most important themes at COP26, and ‘The Moment’ offers a genuine opportunity for young people to bring issues like this directly to Scotland’s decision makers.
“It’s always fantastic to see children and young people taking initiative to campaign for the environment, and I urge Scotland’s decision-makers to listen to children and young people at ‘The Moment’ and take our perspectives on board.”
“Vaccinations are undoubtedly the route out of this. But vaccine passports are not.”
Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has spoken out against Scottish Government proposals to introduce a vaccine certificate in Scotland.
The Edinburgh Western MSP said: “Next week the Scottish Parliament will vote on SNP/Green proposals to introduce vaccine certification in Scotland.
“For the first time, Scottish People will have to share private medical data with strangers in order to access venues and services.
“These are COVID ID cards in all but name and the Scottish Liberal Democrats are leading the opposition to their introduction.
“Our hospitality and events businesses see COVID ID cards as a threat to their recovery.
“COVID ID cards will not stop the spread of the virus, reduce case numbers or make up for the week-long delays in contact tracing. There are no time limits on their use and the door will be left open to expand their use in the future.
“Vaccines are our way out of the pandemic and I urge everyone who can receive a vaccine to get one. But COVID ID cards are illiberal and dangerous precedent and are not part of the answer.”
Lothian Conservative MSP Miles Briggs has called on SNP and Green Minister to do more to support Edinburgh Council in preventing homelessness.
Yesterday the city council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee met to discuss challenges facing the capital.
Councillors raised concerns that the number of people presenting as homeless would rise over the next few months. Between 1st April 2020 and 30 June 2021, 2,550 people presented to the Council as homeless.
The number of household in temporary accommodation increased from 3,570 in March 2020 to 4,431 in March 2021, an increase of 24%.
Mr Briggs has also supported calls for tenants to contact Edinburgh Council if they are having trouble paying their rent to help resolve the issue sooner rather than later.
The pledge to end homelessness across Scotland by the end of this Parliament has received cross party support, with Lothian MSP Miles Briggs going even further, calling for homelessness to be ended by 2023.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“If we are going to end homelessness in Scotland then the first step is to prevent people becoming homeless.
“Charities, such as Crisis, do excellent work to stop people becoming homeless, by working with Private landlords and Edinburgh Council.
“In Edinburgh we face unique challenges to preventing homelessness and SNP/ Green Ministers are not providing enough support to prevent people from becoming homeless.
“I will be meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government later this month to discuss these issues in greater detail.”
The Scottish Parliament has launched its ‘Emerging Leaders’ programme to improve minority ethnic diversity and seniority amongst Holyrood staff.
In a dual approach, the initiative aims to develop existing minority ethnic talent within the organisation and seeks to attract future employees from a wider range of backgrounds.
While the diversity of MSPs increased at the 2021 Scottish Election, diversity monitoring within the Parliament found minority ethnic staff were under-represented in its staff group compared to the national population, along with an ethnicity pay gap.
The new scheme will help develop the leadership skills of existing staff, while a paid internship programme for 18 to 29 year olds aims to promote the Parliament’s profile as an employer for people from black and minority ethnic communities.
Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone MSP said: “We now have a Parliament of MSPs that better reflects the diversity of Scotland. It’s fundamentally important however that the talented staff who make the Scottish Parliament function also reflect the diversity of our country, and further progress must be made on that front.
“I wholeheartedly welcome the Emerging Leaders programme and the steps being taken to improve ethnic diversity at all levels of seniority within the Scottish Parliament.”
Lothian Tory MSP, Miles Briggs, has warned that NHS Lothian needs a record level of financial support to match a record number of patients waiting for treatments.
The number of patients waiting for an outpatient appointment in NHS Lothian has risen to almost 75,000 people, 74,546. This is an increase of 19,873 patients from 54,673 at the end of June 2020, an increase of 36%. The number of patients waiting for an appointment has increased from 65,855 at the end of June 2019, pre the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the last ten years, the number of patients waiting for an outpatient appointment in NHS Lothian has almost doubled, from 38,880 at the end of June 2011.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has repeatedly called for NHS Lothian to receive fairer funding from the Scottish Government with the health board receiving a lower percentage of funding than other health boards due to the formula used to work out allocations.
The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Spice) found the gap between the amount NHS Lothian should receive and its actual allocation added up to a total of £365.7m, over the last 10 years.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“Under this SNP Government the number of patients waiting for an outpatient appointment has almost doubled.
“Over the last decade NHS Lothian has been underfunded by SNP Ministers and it is patients in Edinburgh and the Lothian’s who are suffering.
“NHS Lothian staff have made an incredible effort over the last year and a half and patients waiting numbers are still growing.
“Significant investment will be needed to return services to even where they were five years ago and this SNP/ Green government -who is independence first and recovery second – isn’t up to the job.”
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs is supporting Scottish Conservative colleague Murdo Fraser MSPs plans to introduce a Members’ Bill to tackle fly-tipping.
Mr Briggs has highlighted the increase in fly tipping across Edinburgh and the Lothians over the last five years.
Incidents of fly tipping have become worse in Edinburgh and West Lothian in particular, with the number of fly tipping incidents in Edinburgh increasing from 7,439 in 2016 to 10,358 in 2020. In West Lothian the number of fly tipping incidents rose to from 1,404 in 2016 to 2,367 in 2020.
So far this year Edinburgh has had 7,599 incidents of fly tipping and West Lothian has had 1,795 incidents. [Figures from SPICe, see below]
Work has begun with the Scottish Parliament Non-Government Bills Unit on the new law, which would crack down on those caught fly-tipping by increasing fines and making offenders liable.
Scottish Land and Estates (SLE) have welcomed the intention to introduce a Bill to tackle the “scourge of fly-tipping”.
NFU Scotland also called for action on fly-tipping, branding it a “permanent scar on our natural environment”.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“The level of fly-tipping in Edinburgh and the Lothians has got out of control, with the number of incidents on the rise, especially in Edinburgh and West Lothian.
“It is clear that something needs to be done and the low number of penalties for fly tipping shows that the current sanctions are not working.
“I fully support my colleague Murdo Fraser’s bill to crack down on fly-tipping and change the liability of cleaning up fly-tipping, to those who have committed the crime, rather than the landowner.
“SNP Ministers have let fly-tipping in Scotland get out of control, so the Scottish Conservatives are introducing legislation to make a positive difference and crack down on fly-tipping.”
This data was provided by Zero Waste Scotland on behalf of the Local Authorities.
Table 1: The number of annual flytipping incidents in City of Edinburgh, West Lothian, East Lothian and Midlothian council, 2016 to 31 July 2021
Year
City of Edinburgh
West Lothian
East Lothian
Midlothian
2016
7,439
1,404
779
505
2017
5,701
1,590
654
651
2018
8,145
1,999
500
502
2019
9,322
2,089
487
*352
2020
10,358
2,367
415
558
2021 (to 31 July)
7599
1795
275
293
*Note: In 2019, there were 2 months with limited data available in Midlothian.
While the new session of the Scottish Parliament gets underway this week, MSPs on the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee have been quick off the mark. Last Thursday members visited the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) and HMP Edinburgh.
The Committee heard how Scottish courts have adapted to COVID and how they see the recovery progressing, including plans to clear the backlog of almost 50,000 trials.
The SCTS visit included a demonstration of courtroom facilities and links to remote jury centres, and meetings with the Lord President, Rt Hon Lord Carloway, Scotland’s most senior judge, and SCTS Chief Executive, Eric McQueen.
At HMP Edinburgh, MSPs focused on: • facilities offered to prisoners, including those with more complex health or disability issues, • new arrivals to prison, • dealing with serious organised crime groups and violence in prisons, and • parole, education, rehabilitation and ‘Throughcare’ for those leaving prison.
Criminal Justice Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said: “The new Criminal Justice Committee is currently on a mission to listen and learn about the priorities of those working in the justice sector.
“Courts and prisons are a cornerstone of justice in Scotland, and I know Members will appreciate the views of everyone we meet today – from the prisoners in HMP Edinburgh to the Lord President, our most senior judge.
“We will use September to hear from others with frontline experience and expertise. This knowledge will shape where we focus our attention in the months ahead.”
The Committee has agreed that its first meetings will hear from a wide range of Criminal Justice sector stakeholders, as well as hearing what the Scottish Government’s priorities are in this area.
This is expected to include updates around the role of the Lord Advocate within the prosecution system and government, the future of Scotland’s three-verdict system and the wider sector’s recovery from COVID-19.
Details of initial September work programme:
• Morning of Wednesday 1 September – evidence session with Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Minister for Community Safety on the Scottish Government’s justice and policing priorities for session 6, • Morning of Wednesday 8 September – roundtable with a range of witnesses on the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the justice sector, • Morning of Wednesday15 September – two roundtables: 1) Priorities for prisons and prison policy in session 6, and 2) Priorities for youth offending, community justice and alternatives to prisons in session 6, • Morning of Wednesday 22nd September – two roundtables: 1) Priorities for domestic abuse, gendered-violence and sexual offences in session 6, and 2) Victim support and victims’ rights, • Morning of Wednesday 29 September – roundtable on reform of legal aid.
Subject to agreement, a further roundtable on the misuse of drugs is also planned.
