Tag: Holyrood

Twenty years of Holyrood: short film competition launched

Student film-makers are being encouraged to enter a nation-wide competition to produce a short film on the impact the Scottish Parliament has had in their area. Continue reading Twenty years of Holyrood: short film competition launched

P1 testing: Heed the evidence, say Greens

Risk of Results Data Being ‘Invalidated’

Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer MSP has called on the Scottish Government to listen to the experts, after the Scottish Parliament’s Education Committee heard a number of concerns regarding the Scottish National Standardised Assessments at its session yesterday.

In response to a question from Mr Greer, Professor Lindsay Paterson confirmed that the differential in the age of Primary one pupils being tested – between four and six – ‘invalidates’ the use of this data beyond the level of the individual pupil, particularly given the shortage of staff who have sufficient statistical experience within local councils.

On the issue of these staff having been cut from councils over recent years, Dr Keir Bloomer of the Royal Society of Edinburgh said: “Local authorities have a declining capacity to offer support to schools.”

The committee also heard from Professor Louise Hayward that the test are extremely narrow, and do not yield a wide range of information.

Ross Greer said: “The already thin evidence base for the government’s Primary One tests is falling apart under the most basic of scrutiny.

“There is a huge difference between a four and a half year old child taking this test at the start of the school year and another pupil who takes it late in the year, by which point they could be six years old.

“Professor Paterson was clear that this significant difference and an inability to control for it when using the data, for example at school level, would simply invalidate it.

“An evidence-led approach in the first place would have avoided so many of these problems but the SNP ploughed on without one. It’s time that they listen to experts, to teachers and to parents, like any responsible government should.”

First Minister refers herself to standards panel over Salmond investigation

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that she has referred herself to the panel of independent advisers on the Ministerial Code. 

The panel will look at the First Minister’s actions during an investigation into Alex Salmond.

Nicola Sturgeon made phone calls and had meetings with Mr Salmond while claims of sexual harassment – which he strongly denies – were being investigated.

Continue reading First Minister refers herself to standards panel over Salmond investigation

“Completely Unacceptable” waits for drug and alcohol treatment in Lothian

Scottish Conservative Health Spokesman and Lothian MSP Miles Briggs, has hit out at SNP Ministers over waiting times for Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) in NHS Lothian.

Latest figures from ISD Scotland, for quarter ending 30 September 2018, have revealed that only 81.6% of patients have been seen within three weeks to start their first treatment, a drop of 2.5% from 84.1% in the previous quarter ending 30th June 2018.

NHS Lothian has not met the national target of 90% of patients seen within three weeks in any of quarters over the last year, and patients are forced to wait longer for first alcohol and drug treatments at Lothian ADPs than any other health boards across Scotland.

For the latest quarter, ending 30 September 2018, Midlothian ADP had by far the lowest percentage of patients seen within three weeks for first treatment than of any ADP across Scotland, with only 61.7% of patients seen within three weeks and only 66.7% of patients seen within five weeks.

For the previous quarter, ending 30th June 2018, West Lothian ADP had the longest waiting times in Scotland for Drug and alcohol treatment, with 66.2% seen within 3 weeks and 71.6% seen within 5 weeks.

In November, the Scottish Conservatives launched their new drug strategy that would halve the number of drug deaths in 5 years and increase the number of problem drug users accessing treatment from just 40% to the UK average of 60%.

Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative Lothian MSP, said: “These figures show that previous cuts by SNP Ministers to Alcohol and Drug partnerships have had a detrimental impact in NHS Lothian.

“Patients in Lothian are being forced to wait longer than anywhere else in Scotland for Alcohol and Drug treatment, which is completely unacceptable.

“It is critical that  patients who need treatment for alcohol and drugs are not having to wait months to get the support that they need, but this is what some are having to do.

“I have written to the Scottish Government to again raise my concerns over waiting times for treatment at Lothian ADPs and asking what actions are being taken to improve waiting times.”

Scottish Government commits £125 million to combat UK austerity

Scottish Ministers are on course to invest over £125 million in 2018-19 to mitigate against the worst impact of UK Government welfare reforms and to protect those on low incomes. Continue reading Scottish Government commits £125 million to combat UK austerity