Tag: Holyrood

Holyrood Committee calls for urgent action to improve access to and delivery of healthcare services in remote and rural areas

The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee is calling on the Scottish Government to take urgent action to address the specific challenges faced by remote and rural communities in accessing and delivering healthcare services.

The Committee’s inquiry has found that recruitment and retention of staff is one of the key challenges to effective delivery of services in remote and rural areas. The report highlights the availability and affordability of housing, and access to education and training as significant barriers to recruiting and retaining staff.

The Committee is calling on decision-makers to recognise the extent to which a lack of available and affordable housing is acting as an indirect barrier to healthcare provision in remote and rural areas of Scotland, by making it very challenging for healthcare workers to locate themselves within the communities they wish to serve. It calls on relevant NHS Boards, local authorities, professional bodies, trade unions and other key stakeholders to work together to find practical solutions to these problems.

Another barrier highlighted in the report is the lack of locally available training and development opportunities for staff. The Committee is calling on the Scottish Government and the new National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care to set out how they will improve the availability and suitability of local training and development opportunities.

Difficulties with accessing healthcare services in remote and rural areas were repeatedly raised during the Committee’s evidence gathering. These include practical challenges for patients attending in-person appointments and the often substantial additional travel and accommodation costs, which the Committee say must be addressed.

The Committee highlights significant variations in policy on reimbursement of patient travel costs, depending where an individual lives and whether or not they are in receipt of benefits. It calls for a fairer and more consistent policy for reimbursement of travel and accommodation costs to be developed.

The importance of technology and digital infrastructure in facilitating access to healthcare in remote and rural areas was also raised repeatedly during the Committee’s evidence gathering.

While recognising that some will continue to prefer face-to-face appointments, the Committee is calling on the Scottish Government to set out the specific actions it is taking, or that may be required at UK Government level, to improve digital access to healthcare services in remote and rural areas.

The Committee commends existing good practice in the provision of remote and rural healthcare services, including that demonstrated by third sector organisations. However, it concludes that more action is needed to ensure this good practice is more consistently and widely shared across different organisations and areas.

Clare Haughey MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said: “Our inquiry has shone a light on the unique challenges facing remote and rural healthcare services, both for those accessing and those delivering those services.

“The evidence suggests that often healthcare policy is developed as ‘one size fits all’, which fails to address the particular needs of remote and rural communities.

“We want to see a whole system approach which designs services in a way that is more flexible and responsive to local needs – while systematically learning from the good practice that is out there.

“We believe that developing a tailored approach to healthcare service delivery that reflects local challenges and circumstances should be an overarching priority of the new National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care.

“We also look forward to the forthcoming publication of the Scottish Government’s Remote and Rural Workforce Recruitment Strategy and how this strategy will address some of the workforce-related issues our report highlights.

“The voices of people who live in remote and rural areas and work or receive care in these settings have been at the centre of our inquiry and we thank them for their vital contribution to this report.”

Other findings in the report include:

  • The evidence gathered by the Committee suggests that the current NRAC funding formula fails to meet the specific needs of remote and rural areas. The Committee reiterates previous calls for this formula to be reformed to take better account of the specific challenges and associated higher costs of healthcare delivery in those areas, which include an ageing population, depopulation, and the greater requirement for small scale service delivery.
  • The Committee says it has heard extensive evidence of the specific challenges associated with implementing the 2018 General Medical Services (GMS) contract in remote and rural GP practices, in particular the practical challenges associated with trying to develop multi-disciplinary teams. The Committee is calling on the Scottish Government to explore the extent to which a revised, more flexible approach to implementation of the contract, specifically in remote and rural settings, might help to improve the sustainability of these services.
  • The Committee highlights evidence of acute pressures on the provision of social, palliative and end of life care services in remote and rural areas and warns that the tendency of an ageing population increasingly living in more remote and rural areas of the country will mean demand for these services will increase significantly in the years ahead.

Housing: Briggs slams ‘out of touch’ Housing Minister

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs has slammed the Housing Minister over his statement to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday last week saying “Paul McLennan should be ashamed of his out-of-touch statement, which seems to be an embarrassing attempt from the SNP to congratulate themselves on their own failures.”

Mr Briggs highlighted the damage that rent controls have done to the rental sector, as well as the disastrous impact of SNP Ministers slashing £200 million from the housing budget.

Edinburgh, Midlothian, West Lothian and East Lothian have received a total of 6,513 homelessness applications in the last year. The number of live homelessness applications across the four local authorities is 9,971.

The shockingly high number of children living in temporary accommodation, across Lothian local authorities, has risen to 3,700, well over the a third of the total number of children living in temporary accommodation across Scotland, 10,110.

Miles Briggs spoke in Labour party business on Housing last week to again raise the issue of homelessness as well as lack of appropriate housing stock in Scotland.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “Over the last eight years in which I have served as an MSP, I have never seen a more out if touch statement delivered by a Government Minister.

“After 17 years of this SNP Government homelessness across Lothian is dramatically worse than when the SNP came to power.

“The number of children living in temporary accommodation is shockingly high, with local authorities in Lothian having over a third of all children living in temporary accommodation across Scotland.

“SNP Ministers have made blunder after blunder leading to a national housing crisis, which could have been avoided with better leadership.

“We urgently need to see a new Scottish Government, with new ideas to start tackling Scotland’s homelessness crisis.”

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Support for Boyack’s Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill


Over 130 organisations, including NGOs, social justice charities, think tanks and economists, have come together to urge First Minister John Swinney to give the government’s backing to Sarah Boyack MSP’s Member’s Bill.

In a letter organised by WEAll Scotland, they tell Mr Swinney that “this is a key opportunity for the Scottish Parliament to work together to pass world leading legislation that delivers for the people of Scotland”.

Ms Boyack’s Member’s Bill aims to create better outcomes for future generations by placing new definitions of sustainable development and wellbeing into legislation.

It also seeks to establish a Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Commissioner to end short-term thinking in policy decisions.

The bill received cross party support but has not yet been formally endorsed by the SNP.

In the SNP’s 2021 manifesto they committed to bringing forward a Wellbeing and Sustainability Bill, however only put a consultation forward after Ms Boyack published her bill.

In the open letter, signatories highlighted the benefits of this bill and urged Mr Swinney to support Sarah Boyack in bringing it into law

Commenting on the support, Ms Boyack said: “It is great to have such a wide range of support from stakeholders across sectors, for my bill.

“There is clearly a deep recognition of the benefits that this bill can bring Scotland.

“This gives us in Scotland the opportunity to be a real leader in this field.

“I hope the First Minister listens to these stakeholders and supports my bill to ensure that we can finally embed wellbeing into the heart of Scotland’s politics.”

WEAll Director Aileen McCleod added: “In a just and compassionate Scotland, everyone should have the opportunity to live a good and dignified life.

“We know that people are struggling as we face multiple crises for people and planet. It doesn’t have to be this way.

“Right now, the Scottish Government is not utilising the full extent of their devolved powers. The recent Programme for Government was a missed opportunity to deliver lasting change.”

Sarah Davidson, Chief Executive of Carnegie UK also commented: “New wellbeing legislation could help Scotland make headway with the biggest challenges of our time by forcing more long-term thinking.

“The Scottish Parliament should get behind Sarah Boyack’s Bill because the only way we’re going to tackle issues like climate change or child poverty is through thoughtful action, co-ordinated across government and the wider public sector.”

WEAll stakeholder letterDownload

Public health levy needed to stop alcohol deaths, says Scottish Greens

A public health levy on alcohol and tobacco retailers is a crucial step to supporting frontline recovery services, says Scottish Green MSP Lorna Slater.  

Ms Slater’s comments come as new Scottish Government stats show that 1,277 people in Scotland died in 2023 from alcohol misuse, with 163 of those deaths in the City of Edinburgh. 

In the Scottish Parliament Lorna Slater pushed Scottish Government Minister Jenni Minto to reconsider the reintroduction of this levy as a surcharge on the non-domestic rates for large retailers selling alcohol and tobacco.  

Currently retailers keep the additional revenue raised from minimum unit pricing. A recent report by the Fraser of Allander Institute for Alcohol Focus Scotland showed that a levy on retailers with a licence to sell alcohol and tobacco, set at 13p per pound, could raise £57 million a year for support services.  

The majority of the funds raised would come from big national supermarket chains, who they say would make up 86% of all revenues.    

The Scottish Government has committed to exploring the potential for the introduction of a levy as a result of budget negotiations with the Scottish Greens.  

Ms Slater said: “Every one of these lost lives is a tragedy, and there will be people missing them and mourning them. We clearly need to change Scotland’s relationship with alcohol.  

“We urgently need to tackle the root causes of alcohol misuse and ensure that we are funding recovery services to support people and communities that need it.  

“Minimum unit pricing has been an important step forward, but the money made from it is staying with the supermarkets rather than being used to support people and families who are on the frontline of the crisis.  

“If retailers are profiting from the sale of products that are damaging public health, like alcohol and tobacco, then they should also pay towards mitigating the health and social costs that they cause.  

“This is something that I hope MSPs from all parties can agree on and work together to deliver. With a budget due later this year, I hope that the Scottish Government will apply a public health levy to ensure that we are supporting frontline recovery services.” 

Global Warming? Knit in my name!

KNITTERS URGE FIRST MINISTER NOT TO CROSS CLIMATE ‘RED LINE’

A group of concerned citizens calling themselves the ‘North Sea Knitters’ gathered outside the Scottish Parliament yesterday to knit a ‘red line’, representing the critical limit of 1.5 degrees of global temperature rise.

Taking place during Scottish Climate Week, as the ‘Knitting for Climate’ group gathers outside the EU Parliament in Brussels, the North Sea Knitters’ message was simple: the Scottish Government needs to stop blaming the climate crisis on individuals and use its powers to speed the phase out of fossil fuels.

The group spoke to MSPs and gave out their famous hand-knitted red scarves to remind them not to lose sight of the 1.5 degrees limit of warming enshrined in the Paris Agreement.

Several MSPs including the First Minister could be seen sporting the red scarves and discussing vital climate issues like the Stop Rosebank campaign, the Peterhead gas power station, and the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The Scottish Government is currently considering whether to approve a controversial new gas burning power station in Peterhead which would prolong the lifetime of the fossil fuel industry and lock the public into high energy bills and fuel poverty.

Chris Aldred, a member of the North Sea Knitters Group, said: “Knitting is a craft that has been passed down through generations. It symbolises the hope that we can pass on, not just our skills, but a thriving future for all that come after us.

“The knitted red line represents the 1.5C threshold of dangerous planetary warming that nations have committed not to cross. Our scarves are being created through concern, uncertainty and fear for the future, but also through our joy, love and unity.

“The Scottish Government says that climate is a priority but it must turn these words into concrete action to cut pollution now and into the future. This means using its power to firmly reject new fossil fuels, standing up to the oil industry and prioritising the needs of workers through the transition.

“We are allied with our European friends in Knitting for Climate, a movement of people using the art of knitting to express concern over climate change and inadequate political response to the crisis that is already affecting us all. Through our grassroots efforts, we demand climate justice.”

The knitters’ demands for the Scottish Government are:

 + Refuse all on-shore planning permission for fossil fuel infrastructure, including the proposed new gas plant at Peterhead.
 + Oppose and work to halt extraction from all new oil and gas fields, including Rosebank.
 + Ensure all public subsidies and tax concessions to fossil fuel companies are revoked.
 + Back the call for a Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty.
 + Ensure that workers and communities have a Just Transition to renewables, without allowing the fossil fuel industry to call the shots for the transition.

Scottish Parliament going to Glasgow to continue 25th anniversary events

HOLYROOD Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone will go to Glasgow next week as she continues her series of visits to all eight Scottish Parliament regions as part of marking the Parliament’s 25th anniversary.

The visit is an opportunity for the Presiding Officer to hear directly from local people about their reflections on the Parliament and their aspirations for its future. The Presiding Officer is seeking views on 25 years of devolution and how the Parliament has impacted local communities.

Taking place on Monday 30 September, the visit has been set up in collaboration with community organisations Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector and Willowacre Trust.

In the morning the Presiding Officer and Glasgow MSPs will meet with people who are supported by local community groups, voluntary organisations, and social enterprises. They will discuss the opportunities that exist for people to get involved in the Parliament’s work and will also hear about efforts to improve citizen engagement in the city.

In the afternoon, the Presiding Officer and MSPs will attend an interactive presentation of Willowacre Trust projects from community members. This will be followed by an opportunity to hear their views on the Parliament at 25 and what their priorities are for the future.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Presiding Officer Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP said: “I’m excited to continue our visits across Scotland to meet with local people and to hear their views on the Parliament and their aspirations for its future.

“Although in its 25 years the Parliament has become an established part of public life in Scotland, we know there is work to do.

“Having already visited the Highland and Islands region and the Borders, this visit to Glasgow is an opportunity to meet with local community groups to hear about the challenges facing them and how their Parliament can best meet the needs of their communities.

“Scotland’s Parliament belongs to its people and its vital their voices are heard and help shape the Parliament’s future.”

Linda Allan, Community and Support Services Manager at Willowacre Trust said: “We are excited to welcome the Presiding Officer and members of the Scottish Parliament to Willowacre Trust’s community centre at the heart of Glasgow’s bustling Barrowfield community.

“Our team works in partnership with a diverse range of residents, volunteers and organisations from the local area to provide services and host events that address the needs of residents and help encourage community togetherness.

“This visit will be a valuable opportunity for our community members to meet the Parliamentary Team, and to speak with them about their experiences and the issues that matter most to them.”

Ian Bruce, Chief Executive Officer, Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector (GCVS) said: “We look forward to welcoming people to this Scottish Parliament anniversary celebration with the Presiding Officer and MSPs.

“This event will contribute to people feeling that the Scottish Parliament is accessible to them, which is so important. It won’t be too serious, though, and we’ll make sure everyone has fun with a little help from our friends at Nemo Arts.”

Housing Bill presents an opportunity to prevent homelessness – but more detail required, says Holyrood Committee

A Holyrood Committee has raised concerns about a lack of detail in a Bill which proposes a move away from a crisis management approach to a preventative approach to homelessness in Scotland.

The Social Justice and Social Security Committee has been scrutinising the homelessness and domestic violence aspects of the Housing (Scotland) Bill. While the Committee supports the principles of the proposals in the Bill, it wants the Scottish Government to outline how the measures will work in practice.

The practicalities of the “ask and act” duty, which calls on relevant public bodies to ask a person about their housing situation and to take action to prevent homelessness, were one aspect the Committee would like to understand in greater detail.

The Committee’s report asks how the Scottish Government will ensure that relevant bodies do not just refer people to the homelessness officers in their local authority.

The report also notes that there are problems with the Bill’s costings, as laid out in the Financial Memorandum. The Committee calls for this to be updated.

Collette Stevenson MSP, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said: “Our Committee agrees with this Bill’s goal of shifting Scotland’s approach to homelessness away from crisis intervention towards prevention.

“However, we do share witnesses’ concerns about the lack of detail in the Scottish Government’s plans. In particular, we would like to see more detail about how the ‘ask and act’ duty will operate in practice.

“We also acknowledge concerns raised about the Financial Memorandum. Our report recommends that the Scottish Government consult with stakeholders again and update costings as appropriate ahead of the Stage 1 debate on the Bill.”

The Committee also backed proposals in the Bill to support people affected by domestic abuse, although its report requests more information about the measures in the Bill will interact with other relevant policy and legislation.

In particular, the Committee heard that the Bill is linked to the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021. As the Act has not commenced in full, the Committee calls for a detailed plan and timeline to confirm when the laws in the Act will come into force.

Enough’s enough: No more Commissioners, says Holyrood Committee

‘ROOT AND BRANCH REVIEW NEEDED’

Holyrood’s Finance and Public Administration Committee has called for a moratorium on the creation of any new commissioner-style bodies in Scotland.

The committee says it heard compelling evidence that the current framework for how such bodies operate “lacks coherence” and “isn’t fit for purpose”.

In its inquiry report, the cross-party MSPs say a “root and branch” review is necessary before any further bodies are created, or the powers of existing ones are expanded.

While the committee’s report specifically focuses on bodies directly responsible to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB), it hopes the findings can “set the tone” for decisions around the wider public body landscape in Scotland.

Scotland already has seven SPCB-supported bodies in operation, but the number could double before the end of the current five-year parliamentary term if current proposals were to progress.

Finance and Public Administration Committee Convener Kenneth Gibson said: “Our inquiry isn’t about the merits, or otherwise, of existing SPCB-supported bodies. The post-holders we spoke to are a dedicated group of people with a common purpose to serve Scotland in the public interest.

“The evidence shows, however, there is no clear, coherent framework underpinning how all of these bodies operate. Over the years, the landscape has developed in an ad hoc way, with new commissioners being agreed on a case-by-case basis.

“It’s led to a disjointed landscape of individual bodies with varying functions and powers. There is also evidence of duplication and overlap between existing SPCB-supported bodies and other public bodies in Scotland.”

SIX new bodies being considered

Mr Gibson added: “Once the Patient Safety Commissioner becomes operational the number of SPCB-supported bodies will stand at eight. Proposals for a further six new advocacy-type SPCB supported bodies are currently being considered.

“This proliferation appears primarily to have been driven by calls to respond to perceived failures in public service delivery, or to bring prominence to certain issues or policies.

“It is our clear view that this advocacy role is for MSPs to undertake, with Parliament holding Government to account. We also believe that funding for new bodies would be better spent on improving the delivery of local public services, where greater impact can be made.

“Continuing the trend for creating new advocacy-type SPCB-supported bodies is not sustainable, especially at a time of significant pressure on public finances in Scotland.”

Root and branch review

Mr Gibson concluded: “Now is the time to pause and take stock. Before adding any more to the mix, we must first design a coherent structure, with enhanced accountability and scrutiny mechanisms, along with effective delivery and measurement of outcomes.

“The committee therefore calls for a moratorium on creating any new SPCB-supported bodies, or expanding the remit of existing bodies, until a ‘root and branch’ review of the structure is carried out, drawing on the evidence and conclusions set out in this report.

“We also make a series of recommendations that will, in the meantime, improve transparency, accountability, scrutiny and value for money of existing bodies.”

The committee also recommends:

  • the review should be undertaken by a dedicated parliamentary committee, including all political parties, and with meaningful engagement by the Scottish Government – to be completed by June 2025.
  • the Scottish Government should set out how it plans to use this report to “set the tone” for the Scottish Government’s wider review of the public body landscape, as highlighted by the Minister for Public Finance during evidence.

https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/committee-reports

Thousands of Scottish students facing homelessness, says new report

Thousands of students across Scotland are at risk of homelessness unable to access the right housing in the country’s biggest cities, according to a new report for a cross party group of MSPs.

It says there is a severe student housing crisis in cities including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee and calls on the Scottish Government to take immediate action to tackle the issue.

The report for the Cross Party Group on Housing highlights significant shortfalls in student accommodation, including a shortfall of 13,852 bedspaces in Edinburgh, 6,093 in Glasgow, and 6,084 in Dundee.

An acute shortage of accommodation compounded by a lack of affordable and/or accessible options for students with additional support needs or mature students with families, has left many students facing precarious living situations.

“The Scottish Government declared a housing emergency earlier this year, but students are often left out of the conversation,” said Graham Simpson MSP, Convenor of the Cross-Party Group on Housing.

“We have come up with a set of recommendations for the government that are clear and challenging. These include the need for a collaborative approach to student housing, more robust data on student accommodation, and the integration of student housing into local housing strategies.”

The report, co-authored by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland, the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), the University of Stirling, StudentCrowd, the Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative (ESHC) and Slurp Edinburgh (Students for Action on Homelessness), also stresses the importance of city-wide one-stop shops that would guide students to suitable and affordable accommodation, an initiative that could help alleviate some of the pressure on housing markets in major student cities.

“The issue of student housing can be contentious as developers compete for prized land and local residents may feel pushed out due to lack of affordable housing supply,” said Ashley Campbell, Policy and Practice Manager, Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland.

“The challenge for government, local authorities and universities is to work together more proactively to ensure that everyone can access a home to meet their needs and that students can find their place within existing communities.”

Lawrence Williams of Slurp Edinburgh added: “From hidden homelessness to unaffordable rents, students in Scotland face a range of housing issues that have long been overlooked by policy-makers and universities.

“This report is a promising first step towards recognising the crisis and identifying structural barriers to student housing security.

“We urgently need bold measures like rent controls, cooperative student housing, and guaranteed emergency accommodation for homeless students.”

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Businesses face significant challenges in exporting goods to the EU, says Holyrood committee

Businesses in Scotland are experiencing “significant challenges” in exporting goods to the EU as a result of considerable non-tariff barriers which have arisen due to the post-Brexit UK-EU trading relationship, according to a new report by the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee.

The Committee is calling for the new UK Government to negotiate improvements to the trading relationship to better facilitate UK-EU trade.

The findings are part of a report focused on how trade in goods between the UK and EU is working under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The Committee also looked at the opportunities to improve the trading relationship.

The report highlights that non-tariff barriers have placed “considerable administrative, resource and cost pressures on businesses”, and “harmed exports”. Key amongst these barriers include the requirements for customs formalities and regulatory checks for all exports from the UK to the EU.

The Committee considers the challenges facing Scottish businesses to have been a consequence of leaving the EU as well as the type of Brexit which the TCA has delivered.

In order to address these trade barriers, the Committee identifies that there will be a need to seek closer regulatory alignment with the EU.  It says that the reduction of trade barriers will therefore depend on the extent of alignment the new UK Government is prepared to commit to in negotiations with the EU.

A key recommendation of the report is that the UK Government seek a veterinary agreement with the EU to significantly reduce border checks and the administrative burden on exports of agri-foods. The Committee say this could significantly reduce barriers to trade for many Scottish businesses.

Further recommendations to reduce barriers to trade include a mutual recognition agreement with the EU on conformity assessments, and the linkage of the respective UK and EU emissions trading schemes. In each case, the Committee say that greater regulatory alignment with the EU will likely be necessary.

The Committee also believe that the UK and Scottish governments need to provide greater support to businesses in managing the complexity of the current trading environment. In particular, it highlights that support is needed for businesses to comply with changing EU regulations, and to navigate the customs and regulatory requirements of trading with the EU.

The Convener of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee, Clare Adamson MSP, said: “It’s clear to us that the UK-EU trading relationship under the terms of the TCA has presented significant challenges for Scottish businesses exporting to the EU post-Brexit.

“These barriers to trading with the EU have resulted from the decision to leave the EU, but also from the post-Brexit trade agreement with the EU.

“While the EU may noy be willing to substantially renegotiate the agreement, there are nevertheless significant opportunities to improve the trading relationship, including through our important recommendations such as the need for a veterinary agreement with the EU.”

The Convener added: “We heard overwhelming evidence that the non-tariff barriers resulting from the TCA have placed considerable administrative, resource and cost pressures on Scottish businesses, with many withdrawing from the EU market as a result.

“These challenges have been particularly acute for exporters of agri-food products, which are required to meet the EU’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures, as well as SMEs, who have been less able to absorb the additional costs and regulatory burdens.

“Therefore, it’s clear that there is a need for the UK Government to negotiate improvements to the trading relationship to better facilitate UK-EU trade, including through the formal review of the TCA in 2026.”