Tag: letter

Boyack demands Yousaf is honest with public over fate of Eye Hospital

Labour MSP for the Lothians, Sarah Boyack, has written an open letter to First Minister Humza Yousaf urging him to be honest about the fate of Edinburgh’s replacement eye hospital.

This comes after the First Minister confirmed that the Scottish Government was still committed to the eye hospital, despite the capital spending freeze imposed on health boards.

However, excerpts from the NHS Lothian board papers confirmed that work on the eye hospital would “cease” and stated that the board “should recognise the loss of this future infrastructure” will lead to major, negative challenges in delivering scheduled care over the coming years.

This admission throws into doubt the First Minister’s commitment, given the Scottish Government’s instruction to NHS Lothian to “immediately cease all capital projects”. The instruction includes “the New Eye Hospital at the BioQuarter”.

It also highlights a lack of certainty within the health board about the project’s status.

The current Eye Pavilion was deemed not fit for purpose in 2014, and a new replacement has been deemed a top priority by NHS Lothian.

Since 2014, the average wait time in days for inpatient and outpatient appointments more than doubled.

Ms Boyack has urged the First Minister to end the uncertainty around the project, as it is having detrimental impacts on patients and their treatment.

Commenting on her letter, Ms Boyack said: “The First Minister needs to level with the public about the replacement eye hospital.

“It was promised at the last election, then in the budget we found out that no new capital project can go ahead.

“While the First Minister says he is committed to the project, his government have kicked it into long grass.

“NHS Lothian has been put in an impossible position.

“If the First Minister is serious about delivering Edinburgh’s eye hospital, then he must come forth with a concrete timeline to deliver it.

“Anything less is just being dishonest with the public and damaging to patients.”

The letter reqads:

Dear First Minister,

I am writing regarding the recent announcements in relation to the construction of a replacement Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh.

As you are aware, you and your predecessor have both committed to a new Edinburgh Eye Hospital since the 2021 Scottish Parliament election following the current Eye Pavilion being deemed not fit for purpose in 2014. However, in a letter I received from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on the 18th January confirmed that the building of a new Eye Hospital will not go ahead.

Moreover, NHS Lothian Board papers, published in advance of the board’s meeting on the 7th of February, have stated “NHS Lothian was directed to immediately cease all capital projects”. The board paper observed that  “the loss of this future infrastructure will substantively and negatively impact on our ability to deliver compliant access to scheduled care for our population in coming years.” Worryingly the paper also highlighted the “the significant and detrimental impact this decision has had on our teams many of whom have dedicated time, expertise, and leadership in supporting progress of these vital projects.”

In light of your comments during First Minister’s Questions, on January the 25th, which appear to contradict NHS Lothian, I would appreciate if you could give an overview of the timeframe for the Eye Hospital being delivered if it is still the Scottish Government’s intention to proceed with the project, after the two year capital spending project freeze. Given the lengthy and increased waiting times for operations, the Scottish Government must also provide immediate support to ensure that NHS Lothian is able to provide adequate care for those with vision impairments.

My concern is that confused information and delays will only cause more disruption for patients, on top of increasing numbers of cancelled and delayed appointments.

Best wishes,

Edinburgh MSPs unite to demand funding for new Edinburgh Eye Pavilion Hospital

A cross-party group of Edinburgh MSPs have come together to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Michael Matheson, highlighting the urgent need to fund a new Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh.

MSPs representing Scottish Labour, Scottish Conservatives, the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Alba, and the Scottish National Party have all co-signed the letter, in the run up to the capital spending allocation.

This letter reflects the strength of feeling of residents, right across Edinburgh towards the need for a new Eye Hospital in the city.

MSPs request Michael Matheson set out a clear timetable for the construction of a new Edinburgh Eye Hospital, after the current Eye Pavilion was declared not fit for purpose in 2014.

The MSPs have also called on Michael Matheson to consult with patients, visual impairment charities and elected representatives to achieve the best outcomes possible for Edinburgh and Lothian Residents.

The joint-letter follows a meeting of Edinburgh MSPs, Sight Scotland, Visibility Scotland and RNIB, at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 30th November, to discuss the situation in the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion.

During the meeting, MSPs heard moving testimonies from patients and staff about the dire state of current facilities and why a new hospital is so vital going forward.

All parties involved emphasised that continuing to rely on the current Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion is not sustainable and will lead to deteriorating outcomes for patients and staff.

The MSPs who signed the joint letter are Sarah Boyack, Daniel Johnson, Foysol Choudhury, Miles Briggs, Jeremy Balfour, Ben Macpherson, Sue Webber, Alex Cole-Hamilton and Ash Regan.

The MSPs in attendance at the breakfast briefing were Sarah Boyack, Daniel Johnson, Miles Briggs, Ben Macpherson, Sue Webber. Alison Johnstone and Jeremy Balfour sent staff members, as they had previous engagements.

Commenting on the letter, Sarah Boyack said: “I am glad that MSPs across Edinburgh were able to come together to campaign for such a vital project.

“None of our constituents deserve to be relying on facilities that have been designated not fit for purpose, for over a decade.

“Michael Matheson needs to take note of the strength of feeling for this project – delivering the new Eye Pavilion is a priority for Edinburgh Residents 

“As Edinburgh MSPs, we will continue to work together to ensure the best outcome for our constituents, and the city.”

Lothian-Joint-Letter-regarding-Edinburgh-Eye-PavilionDownload

Holyrood votes for immediate Gaza ceasefire

FIRST MINISTER CALLS FOR RECOGNITION OF STATE OF PALESTINE

MSPs have voted in favour of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas, following a debate in the Scottish Parliament.

Opening the debate, First Minister Humza Yousaf said the chamber was unified in resolute condemnation of Hamas’ abhorrent terrorist attacks and the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.

This followed a letter sent by the First Minister to the Prime Minister and Sir Keir Starmer this morning, calling for the UK to officially recognise the State of Palestine in order to break the political impasse that has condemned Israelis and Palestinians to successive cycles of violence.

The First Minister said: “In Scotland, the Muslim and Jewish communities have enjoyed decades of friendship, decades of shared humanity and faith. Nowhere is that more evident than in East Renfrewshire, home of Scotland’s largest Jewish community, and a significant Muslim population too, who have lived side-by-side in harmony for many years.

“But we cannot be complacent. We must all be proactive in rooting out any hint of Islamophobia or antisemitism wherever it occurs. Presiding Officer, even though it feels impossible to look past the current horrors of war, we must ensure that this perpetual cycle of violence that we see occur far too often finally ends, once and for all, in a peaceful resolution.

“To that end, there must be a renewed, and serious international effort towards a two-state solution. Israeli and Palestinian states that can co-exist in safety, security and with equal rights for each of its citizens.

“Unfortunately, the world has not kept its promise to the Palestinian people. They have not been given a free sovereign state, along the 1967 borders, as they were promised. Quite the opposite.

“The continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank is not only illegal but works against a peaceful resolution. So it is simply not enough anymore to pay lip-service to a two-state solution, we must take steps to turn that into a reality.

“To that end, I have written to the Prime Minister, and to Sir Keir Starmer, and urged them to immediately take steps to ensure the UK recognises the State of Palestine. It is only with full recognition of Palestine, as a State in its own right, that we can truly move forward towards a two-state solution.

“To conclude, Presiding Officer, to prevent further deaths, the bombs, the rockets – they must stop. The Scottish Government continues to call for an immediate ceasefire, for the safe release of all hostages, for an end to the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza, for an end to the siege of Gaza, and for all parties to abide by international law.

“The UK government and the international community must use their influence to prevent the further loss of innocent life. Every child the world over deserves to grow old. The children of Gaza and Israel deserve nothing less. It is our moral obligation to act. Let us hope even in these, the darkest of times, that humanity prevails.”

Gaza and Israel debate: First Minister’s Speech

UK urged to use influence to end violence in Gaza  

First Minister Humza Yousaf has written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling for the United Kingdom to officially recognise the State of Palestine to break the political impasse that has condemned Israelis and the Palestinians to successive cycles of violence.

The FM’s appeal came on the day Scotland’s MSPs voted in favour of ceasefire in Palestine.

The letter, sent ahead of a debate on the situation in the Middle East in the Scottish Parliament yesterday, has also been sent to the Leader of the Opposition in the UK Parliament Sir Keir Starmer.

The First Minister later opened the Holyrood debate on a Government motion which condemned the Hamas atrocities on 7 October, called for the release of the hostages and for all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire.

First Minister letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

First Minister letter to the Leader of the Opposition in the UK Parliament Sir Keir Starmer

Call for funding to support newly recognised refugees

Minister says councils must have UK Government support

Migration and Refugees Minister Emma Roddick has urged the UK Government to provide financial support for local authorities as it presses ahead with plans to close asylum hotels.

In a letter to Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, Ms Roddick welcomed measures to end the inappropriate use of hotels to accommodate people seeking asylum along with UK Government measures to tackle the backlog in asylum decisions.

However, she said the move was placing further pressure on local services and called for increased funding to enable councils to meet the needs of refugees when they receive a positive asylum decision.

Ms Roddick said: “The Scottish Government has long been clear in our view that hotels are not appropriate accommodation for people seeking asylum.

“While I welcome your recognition that the asylum decision backlog must be tackled, I want to make clear that it is completely unacceptable and reckless for the UK Government to shift a significant burden onto local authorities without providing financial support.

“The UK Government must provide funding to local authorities and work constructively with them to ensure that people receiving a positive asylum decision are supported to move-on from asylum accommodation, without creating unmanageable pressure on housing and homelessness services over a short space of time.

“It is UK Government mismanagement of asylum decision making which has created the backlog and the consequences of that cannot be passed to local authorities without any support to manage them.

“I request urgent provision of funding to local authorities to support move-on associated with the backlog clearance.”

Asylum: letter to UK Government

Cataclysmic: First Minister calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

Letter to UK political leaders to support a humanitarian corridor

First Minister Humza Yousaf has written to UK political leaders urging them to support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, to allow a humanitarian corridor to open. The First Minister says the UK should stand together to stop the humanitarian disaster that is unfolding in Gaza.

The letter reads:

To: UK political leaders
From: First Minister Humza Yousaf

The abhorrent terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on 7 October must be unequivocally condemned, and I will continue to join you in doing so. Hamas must release immediately and unconditionally all hostages and cease its missile attacks on Israel.

The killing of innocent civilians can never be justified, wherever it occurs. Israel, like every other country, has a right to protect itself from attack, but in doing so it must comply with international law.

Since the tragic events of that day, the loss of life has escalated. More than 1,400 Israelis and 5,700 Palestinians are reported to have been killed. More than 1.4 million Palestinians have been displaced and in excess of 600,000 people are sheltering in UN-run facilities. Many British citizens are trapped in a warzone with nowhere to go, under intense daily bombardment of the Gaza strip.

Food, water, fuel, and medicine are being restricted, with limited humanitarian supplies – nowhere near enough – being allowed in. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) – the largest humanitarian agency working in Gaza – has warned that unless fuel is allowed into Gaza immediately, the agency will be forced to halt all operations as of today.

I am, therefore, writing to ask for your support in helping to stop the staggering humanitarian disaster we are witnessing, which is set to get even worse.

We should stand together and united in unequivocally calling on all parties to commit to an immediate ceasefire to allow a humanitarian corridor to be opened, so that lifesaving supplies can get into Gaza and innocent civilians who want to leave be given safe passage out.

The situation in Gaza is at the point of being cataclysmic. All of us must do everything we can to prevent that. There must be no more dithering, or delay, together we must call for an immediate ceasefire.

The First Minister’s letter has been sent to:

Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales

Michelle O’Neill First Minister (Designate) of Northern Ireland

Sir Keir Stamer, Leader of the Labour Party

Sir Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats

Rhun ap Lorwerth, Leader of Plaid Cymru

Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsey, Co-Leaders the Green Party of England and Wales 

Douglas Ross, Leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Anas Sarwar, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party

Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater, Co-Leaders of the Scottish Green Party

Alex Cole Hamilton, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats

Clare Adamson, Convenor of the Scottish Parliament Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Alicia Kearns, Chair of the UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Select Committee

MEANWHILE, THE UK GOVERNMENT HAS ABSTAINED IN A VOTE CALLING FOR A HUMANITARIAN TRUCE IN GAZA …

UK statement following the UN General Assembly vote on the Jordanian draft resolution on the situation in Gaza, Friday 27 October 2023:

The UK abstained on the Jordanian-drafted resolution.

We welcome the draft’s call for all parties to respect International Humanitarian Law, including the protection of civilians, for the immediate release of hostages and for full and sustained humanitarian access.

These are UK priorities and we have been working tirelessly with partners to achieve these on the ground, including the UK Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary’s engagements with Egypt to open the Rafah crossing to get aid to the Palestinian people.

We are proud to have pledged an additional $37 million in UK aid to help civilians in Gaza since the beginning of the crisis. The UK Prime Minister has been clear that we recognise the need for humanitarian pauses to deliver this aid safely and in a sustained way.

We also welcome the draft’s emphasis on preventing regional escalation of the conflict. It is in no-one’s interest for this conflict to spread.

However, we are deeply disappointed with the draft’s omission of an unequivocal condemnation of Hamas’ terrorist attacks that killed over 1,400 people and took over 200 hostages last week. This should not be controversial.

That is why we voted in favour of the Canadian amendment which would have corrected this.

But we cannot vote for a resolution that is silent on the largest terror attack in Israel’s history.

Hamas has embedded itself in civilian populations, is still holding civilians hostage, and firing rockets at Israel while using Palestinians as human shields. It is clear that Israel is under attack by terrorists and is entitled under international law to defend itself. Any resolution on the situation in Gaza and Israel should be unequivocal on that too.

This is why we abstained on this resolution.

We will continue to work closely with Israel, Palestine, the UN and our partners in the region to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. To ensure that civilians are protected and have access to food, water, medicine, and shelter. And to work towards the peace and stability which can only be achieved by working towards a sustainable Two State Solution.

UK Health Secretary offers waiting list support to Wales and Scotland

The UK Health and Social Care Secretary has invited the devolved administration for talks to discuss lessons learnt and tackle waiting lists across the UK

The UK Government Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay has written to the devolved administrations inviting them for talks about how all parts of the UK can work together to tackle long-term waiting lists in all parts of the UK.

NHS services across the UK are a devolved matter, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cutting waiting lists a priority across the UK. Although approaches taken across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland share many common features, significant variations in outcomes exist.

In Wales, more than 73,000 people are waiting over 77 weeks for treatment, and at least 21,600 people are waiting over 78 weeks for an outpatient, day case or inpatient appointment in Scotland. In England, waiting times for patients over 78 weeks have been virtually eliminated.

The Secretary of State is inviting health ministers from the devolved administrations to discuss what lessons can be learnt from the different approaches taken.

In England for example, NHS patients are offered a choice of provider at GP referral – NHS or independent sector – provided that it meets NHS costs and standards. And from October we will proactively notify patients waiting over 40 weeks for treatment of their right to choose to be treated elsewhere.

In his letter, the Secretary of State writes that he would be open to requests from the devolved administrations to allow patients in Wales and Scotland who are waiting for lengthy periods to choose to be treated at providers in England, NHS or independent sector – building on the current arrangements for cross-border healthcare.

The Secretary of State has also asked UK health ministers to discuss how health data can be made more comparable across the UK. Northern Ireland official counterparts have also been invited to the ministerial meeting.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “I hugely value being able to share knowledge and experiences on the joint challenges facing our healthcare systems. I want to support collaboration between our nations to share best practices, improve transparency and provide better accountability for patients.

“This will help to ensure we are joined up when it comes to cutting waiting lists – one of the government’s top five priorities – and will allow us to better work together to improve performance and get patients seen more quickly.”

The letter reads:

Dear Michael and Eluned,

Thank you for a constructive meeting last month.

As you know, the NHS is at the forefront of people’s minds, and the Prime Minister has made cutting waiting lists a priority to ensure people across the UK get the care they need more quickly. We must continue to take steps to support the NHS and reduce waiting times to ensure no part of the UK is left behind. I am therefore concerned by the variation in performance across NHS services.

As we look to address this issue, it is important that the UK Government and Devolved Administrations work together to ensure that no matter where you are in the country, citizens can access vital services quickly.

In England, we are delivering on the actions set out in the NHS’s Elective Recovery Implementation Plan published last February. Our target to virtually eliminate waits of longer than two years by July 2022 was achieved on time and waits for treatment of more than 78 weeks have been virtually eliminated. Although data is not collected on the same basis across the UK, recent figures show more than 73,000 people are waiting over 77 weeks for treatment in Wales, and at least 21,600 people are waiting over 78 weeks for an outpatient, daycase or inpatient appointment in Scotland.

Whilst there are common features across the approaches of England, Wales and Scotland, one area of difference relates to patient choice. In England, patients have the legal right to choose the provider for their first outpatient appointment (at the point of GP referral) for many healthcare services. Patients may choose to be treated free of charge at any provider – NHS or independent sector – provided they meet NHS standards and costs and hold a contract for the provision of services to the NHS. A Patients Association study has found that this can reduce a patient’s waiting time by up to 3 months.

From October, we will proactively notify patients in England who have been waiting over 40 weeks of their right to request to be treated at a different provider if clinically appropriate, again in the NHS or in the independent sector, provided they meet NHS standards and costs, and they hold a contract for the provision of services to the NHS.

The Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales share my desire to see patients across the UK have the same rights when it comes to accessing treatment. I would therefore be happy to facilitate a Ministerial working group session (with NI official counterparts) to share how we are implementing this choice approach in England, and to share lessons on work across the UK to tackle the elective waiting list. I would also be open to considering any request from you for patients waiting for lengthy periods for treatment in Scotland and Wales to be able to choose from alternate providers in England – NHS or independent sector – in line with the approach we are taking here, and building on the existing arrangements for cross-border healthcare.

I also believe we need to work together to ensure that health data is more comparable across the UK. It is important that all our citizens can understand the performance of the health services they are receiving and that we can learn from what has been tried and tested in one part of the UK to improve services across the country. I welcome the work our respective teams have been doing to improve data comparability, for example through the Office for National Statistics’ work to improve key UK-wide health performance metrics.

I am very keen to see this work progress and ask for your continued support in prioritising this moving forward.

In the absence of Ministers in Northern Ireland, I am copying this letter to the Department of Health in Northern Ireland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Yours sincerely,

RT HON STEVE BARCLAY MP

OIL: ‘It’s Time to Walk the Walk’

CLIMATE GROUPS CALL ON SCOT GOVT TO SURPASS UK LABOUR PHASE OUT PLANS

Climate campaigners have written to the First Minister Yousaf to call on the Scottish Government to ‘not only match but go further’ than the commitment of UK Labour to block future oil and gas development. It says the transition away from fossil fuels is an opportunity for the “political leadership that is needed to build a fairer and more equal Scotland.”

The letter comes ahead of Scottish Parliament debate (7/6/23) on fossil fuels and urges the Scottish Government to prioritise planning and action that delivers a just transition away from fossil fuels for workers and communities currently employed by this industry.

The letter, signed by 5 coalitions and 34 climate, fuel poverty and international justice groups from RSPB to Christian Aid to Extinction Rebellion Scotland, states how countless credible institutions are clear about the incompatibility of new oil and gas fields with a safe climate future.

The call comes amidst concerns that Humza Yousaf’s Government is going backwards on oil and gas after statements about future North Sea activity from Cabinet Secretary Màiri McAllan and criticism of the Labour position by Energy Minister Gillian Martin.

The letter also says that “workers in the oil and gas industry already have a plan for a just transition, they just need political support to make it happen” and that to ensure secure affordable energy Scottish Ministers must use their powers to “accelerate well-planned domestic renewable energy production and improve the energy efficiency of our buildings.”

The chair of the UK Climate Change Committee Lord Deben has also spoken out in support of the Labour position saying that it “should be the common view of all parties.”

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s head of campaigns Mary Church said: “Every new barrel of oil worsens the climate crisis and takes us further away from a fair and fast transition to renewable energy.

“The Scottish Government must be willing to stand up to oil companies and commit to ending oil and gas extraction as an essential part of planning for a just transition for workers and communities.

“Oil and gas workers are ready to lead a rapid and fair transition away from fossil fuels, and have a blueprint to create an energy industry that protects workers, communities and the climate.

“Ministers must set an end date for oil and gas this decade to  provide certainty for the sector, enable workforce planning and make it clear that investing in renewables is the only choice for our energy future.”

Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland highlighted how support for oil and gas expansion will “undermine Scotland’s global climate leadership” commenting: “It’s estimated that one person will die of hunger every 28 seconds across East Africa this month because of a drought that would not have happened without climate change.

“A just transition for those working in the oil and gas industry in the UK is essential, but this transition must also be much faster to avert further devastating global impacts. That starts with blocking all new oil and gas extraction. No ifs, no buts. The Scottish Government’s leadership on global climate justice will only remain credible if it strongly opposes the UK Government granting any new licences for climate-wrecking fossil fuels.”

Anne McCall, Director of RSPB Scotland, said: “The shift away from fossil fuels and toward renewables is essential if we are to tackle the intertwined nature and climate crisis. Continuing to extract and burn oil and gas makes no sense if we want to stop climate change causing chaos for ourselves and the other living creatures that human activities have already harmed.

“With robust ecological evidence informing where new renewable developments go, we must make the shift to clean energy in a nature positive way. Scotland is one of the most wildlife-depleted countries in the world, and our progress in reducing emissions has stalled, so there is no excuse for delaying the transition.”

Dylan Hamilton from youth climate group Fridays for Future commented, “”The Scottish Government has talked the talk, but it’s time to walk the walk.

“We have allowed the climate crisis to worsen and now people are already suffering all over the world. We can’t afford to take our time, it is a fact that to prevent catastrophic climate breakdown we must end oil and gas extraction. You can’t make deals with physics, and millions of lives and the future are on the line.”

TUC welcomes civil liberties’ groups condemnation of ministers’ attack on the right to strike

50 leading civil liberties organisations and rights groups slam the government’s strikes bill

The TUC has welcomed an open letter penned by 50 civil liberties organisations and rights groups slamming the government’s new anti-strikes bill as an attack on the fundamental right to strike.

The organisations including Liberty, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam and many more said the Bill will allow “a further significant and unjustified intrusion by the state into the freedom of association and assembly.”

The groups also warn of the “enormous scope” the legislation would give ministers to decide key provisions, including the minimum service levels, without proper parliamentary scrutiny.

The Bill was back in parliament yesterday for its third reading.

The TUC has launched a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to discover why the government published the Bill without a required impact assessment.

Previous government advice – published in the Autumn – warned that minimum service levels in transport could poison industrial relations, and lead to more frequent industrial action. 

Despite this warning, the Conservatives are now proposing to extend minimum service levels to a range of other sectors including – health, education, fire, border security and nuclear decommissioning.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Ministers are launching a brazen attack on the right to strike – a fundamental British liberty.

“This draconian legislation would mean that when workers democratically vote to strike, they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply. 

“It is little wonder that civil liberties organisations up and down the country are lining up to condemn this spiteful Bill.

“It is undemocratic, unworkable and almost certainly illegal. And crucially it will likely poison industrial relations and exacerbate disputes rather than help resolve them.”

On the need for ministers to come clean about the true scope of the Bill, Paul Nowak added: “Instead of levelling with the public about the bill’s draconian nature, ministers are railroading it through without proper scrutiny or consultation.

“With inflation running at over 10%, the last thing working people need is for ministers to make it harder to secure better pay and conditions.

“It is shameful that parliamentarians are being forced to vote blindly on such far-reaching new laws. We urge MPs from all parties to vote against this nasty Bill.”

Letter in full – also found on the Liberty website

Dear Secretary of State,

Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

We are writing to you as organisations concerned with the protection of civil liberties in this country to urge you to reconsider the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill.

The right to strike is a fundamental liberty.

In Great Britain it is already highly constrained by detailed rules concerning balloting, notice periods and picketing.

We believe the proposals for minimum service levels during industrial action will unfairly constrain the activities of trade unions and their members by allowing a further significant and unjustified intrusion by the state into the freedom of association and assembly.

The government has produced no evidence that such draconian measures are necessary. Voluntary life-and-limb cover has long been a feature of industrial action by essential workers.

This Bill has the potential to cause significant damage to fair and effective industrial relations in this country by making it harder to resolve disputes. Indeed the government itself has acknowledged that minimum service levels risk leading to an increased frequency of strikes.

We are also concerned by the lack of detail in the Bill, and the enormous scope it gives you and your successors as Secretary of State to decide key provisions, including the minimum service levels themselves, free from proper Parliamentary scrutiny.

In particular, the vast power given to Ministers to amend or revoke primary legislation, including Acts that do not even exist yet, is an extraordinary denial of the duty of our elected representatives to legislate on our behalf.

The Bill will expand the power of Ministers over Parliament and employers over workers, undermine rights protections, and inject uncertainty and precarity into the lives of millions of people who may now face dismissal for going on strike.

We urge you to reconsider these plans for an unwarranted curtailment of freedom of assembly and association

Martha Spurrier, Director, Liberty

Justine Forster, CEO, Advocacy Focus

Robert Rae, Co-Director, Art27 Scotland

Clive Parry, England Director, Association for Real Change

D ame Sara Llewellin, Chief Executive, Barrow Cadbury Trust

Silkie Carlo, Director, Big Brother Watch

Rosalind Stevens, Project Manager, Civil Society Alliance

Brian Gormally, Director, Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ)

Isobel Ingham-Barrow, CEO, Community Policy Forum

Megan Thomas, Policy and Research Officer, Disability Wales

Ele Hicks, Engagement, Research, and Policy and Influencing Manager, Diverse Cymru

Andrea Simon, Director, End Violence Against Women Coalition

Clare Moody, Co-CEO, Equally Ours

Kyle Taylor, Founder, Fair Vote UK

Peter Wieltschnig, Policy & Networks Officer, Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX)

Clare Lyons, Director of Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns, Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)

Nick Dearden, Director, Global Justice Now

John Gaskell, Chair, Grassroots for Europe

Areeba Hamid & Will McCallum, Co-Executive Directors, Greenpeace UK

Declan Owens, Co-Chair, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers

Kevin Hanratty, Director, Human Rights Consortium Northern Ireland

Mhairi Snowden, Director, Human Rights Consortium Scotland

Yasmine Ahmed, UK Director, Human Rights Watch

Deborah Coles, Executive Director, INQUEST

Zehrah Hasan, Advocacy Director, The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)

Jess McQuail, Director, Just Fair

Nimrod Ben-Cnaan, Head of Policy and Profile, Law Centres Network

Barry Gale, Group Leader, Mental Health Rights Scotland

Fizza Qureshi, CEO, Migrants’ Rights Network

Zara Mohammed, Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain

Kevin Blowe, Campaigns Coordinator, Netpol

Mark Kieran, CEO, Open Britain

Kate Flannery, Secretary, Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign

Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, Chief Executive, Oxfam GB

Becky Peters, Director (Interim), People’s History Museum, Manchester Police Spies Out Of Lives

Lubia Begum-Rob, Director, Prisoners’ Advice Service

Ariane Adam, Legal Director, Public Law Project

Mia Hasenson-Gross, Executive Director, René Cassin, the Jewish Voice for Human Rights

Agnes Tolmie, Chair, The Scottish Women’s Convention

Sue Tibballs, Chief Executive, Sheila McKechnie Foundation

Susan Cueva, Chair, Southeast and East Asian Centre (SEEAC)

Chris Jones, Director, Statewatch

Louise Hazan, Co-Founder, Tipping Point UK

Chris Brian, Researcher, Undercover Research Group

Katrina Ffrench, Director, UNJUST C.I.C

Tom Brake, Director, Unlock Democracy

Bob Miller, Secretary, Wearside Amnesty International

Joyce Kallevik, Director, Wish

Raewyn Jones, Interim CEO, Work Rights Centre

Letters: Charity makes sure no child faces hospital alone this Christmas

Dear Editor,

Christmas is a time when many of us look forward to being with our loved ones, making lifelong memories while getting into the festive spirit of caring for each other.

For the majority of us the festive period will be full of joy and an occasion to look forward to. However, for families whose children will be seriously ill in hospital, this Christmas will be a time full of worry. Hospital can be a lonely and scary place for anyone, but especially a child. We want to make sure no child faces hospital alone and like all charities we are in desperate need of support to do this.

Without a place to stay close to the hospital our families will have to travel, on average, 90 minutes to be with their seriously ill child. The alternative is paying out for expensive hotels, sleeping on a chair in the hospital or even sleeping in their cars. Neither are viable options, worsened further by the current cost of living crisis. These extra expenses are another burden that families shouldn’t have to shoulder at a time when all they want is to be with their child.

Our ‘Homes from Home’ are free for families who need them and it currently costs us approximately £40 to support one family for one night, but this cost is rapidly rising.

By donating £40 to our appeal your readers will give families all the precious gifts of Christmas; care, wellbeing, warmth, rest and most precious of all, time together in our ‘Homes from Home’.

Our ten ‘Homes from Home’ are located at specialist children’s hospitals and support families from across the UK. They are completely free of charge to all the families that stay with us, but as a charity we rely on the generosity of our supporters to make sure every child can be with their family this Christmas.

We want to make sure that no child faces hospital alone and that all families can be together this Christmas, making special festive memories rather than travelling in their car or sleeping in uncomfortable waiting room chairs.

Every £40 donated will give another family the precious gift of togetherness, ensuring that they can always be just minutes away from their ill child’s hospital bedside.

Donate £40 today by visiting sickchildrenstrust.org


Jane Featherstone,

Chief Executive at The Sick Children’s Trust

International figures call on world leaders to end factory farming

More than 200 prominent individuals – including actors Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Steve Coogan, and Dame Joanna Lumley – have united through an international open letter to call on world leaders at the COP27 climate conference to end factory farming and transform our global food system.

The letter – organised by Compassion in World Farming as part of its new End of the Line for Factory Farming global campaign – highlights the urgent need to transform our global food system and calls on world leaders to support and deliver a global agreement on food and farming at the United Nations General Assembly. It is being released on Solutions Day at the conference.

208 people from around the world have signed the letter, including:

  • Hollywood actors Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Steve Coogan and Eva Green
  • British TV personalities Chris Packham, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Dr Amir Khan GP and actors Dame Joanna Lumley, Kate Ford, Peter Egan and Miriam Margolyes.
  • Award-winning authors Michael Morpurgo, and Barbara Kingsolver
  • Religious leaders Bishop John Arnold, Bishop of Salford, Chair of CAFOD and Rabbi David Rosen CBE, International President, The World Conference on Religion and Peace 
  • Eminent experts Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, Founder – the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace; Frans B. M. de Waal, Ph. D., C. H. Candler Professor Emeritus, Primate Behaviour, Emory University; Peter Singer, AC Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics Princeton University; Carl Safina, PHD, President, The Safina Center, Endowed Professor for Nature and Humanity, Stony Brook University
  • Business leaders Dale Vince OBE, owner, green electricity company Ecotricity; Julian Richer, business owner

The letter states: “If the global community is to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement targets and the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity, action must be taken now to end industrial animal farming. 

“From pollution to the climate crisis and wildlife extinctions. From animal cruelty to human hunger and malnutrition. Take a closer look at almost any global challenge, and you’ll find food at its core. A system based on overproduction and unhealthy food is propped up by intensive farming methods.

“The livestock sector produces more greenhouse gases than the direct emissions of all the world’s planes, trains and cars combined. Without urgent action, intensive animal agriculture threatens our very survival. We need a food transformation. Our people, animals and planet cannot wait any longer.” 

End of the Line for Factory Farming is the new global movement dedicated to ending this cruel and unnecessary practice.

Launched this week by Compassion in World Farming with partner NGOs from all over the world, the campaign aims to get a global agreement to end factory farming and transform our global food system so that it benefits people, animals and the planet.

New YouGov research released by Compassion this week shows that almost two thirds of people (63%) in 13 countries polled believe factory farming puts profits ahead of climate and environment. 

Stage, TV and film actor, Alan Cumming OBE FRSE, known for roles in The Good Wife and X2:X-Men United, said: “The amount of human edible food we produce just to feed the animals we slaughter for meat is beyond wasteful – especially when millions of people around the world go hungry every day. q

“We need a food system that is fair, kind and sustainable. That’s why I’m supporting Compassion in World Farming’s End of the Line for Factory Farming campaign – to help change this broken system once and for all.”

Dr Nick Palmer, Head of Compassion in World Farming UK, said: “This is the first campaign action from the new End of the Line for Factory Farming global movement dedicated to ending this cruel and unnecessary practice as it’s causing a climate and nature emergency – one third of global warming is driven by food production and consumption.

“Our open letter, released on Solutions Day at COP27, sends a clear message to world leaders highlighting the urgent need for action. It’s quite simple – without ending factory farming and transforming our food system, it will be impossible to meet climate targets. What’s needed is for world leaders to put forward a global agreement that meets our climate and SDG commitments before it’s too late.”

For more information about the campaign visit END.IT