Environmentally-friendly hydrolysis, also known as water cremation, was introduced under draft regulations laid in the Scottish Parliament testerday.
The regulations will, if approved, give an option for people interested in alternatives to burial or cremation for the first time in more than a century.
Through this process, the body is wrapped in a silk or woollen shroud, or other biodegradable material, before being placed in a chamber with hot water and chemicals, speeding up decomposition. Remains can be returned to next of kin, similarly to ashes following cremation.
International evidence suggests hydrolysis is more sustainable than traditional cremation, which uses large amounts of natural gas.
The Scottish Government consulted on the issue in 2023, with 84% of those who responded supporting the introduction of hydrolysis.
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “We are introducing these regulations today following extensive consultation which has shown significant public support for the introduction of new, environmentally-friendly alternatives to burial or cremation. This included hydrolysis – which is already in use in some countries including Ireland, Canada and the USA.
“These regulations, if passed by Parliament, will give an option for people interested in alternatives to burial or cremation for the first time in more than 100 years.
“We are not suggesting hydrolysis replaces or displaces traditional methods of burial or cremation in any way.
“It is a matter of individual choice, but it is important that we ensure bereaved families and friends can have confidence in the care and dignity given to their loved ones when they pass.”
Professor Alexis Jay to chair National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Care Inspectorate will undertake an independent national review of responses to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation.
Professor Alexis Jay will chair the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group from January 2026, and will provide expert advice to Ministers on the findings of the national review as it reports on its progress.
The work of the national review will be undertaken alongside that of the independent Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, and work already underway by Police Scotland to review previous cases, to gather evidence on the extent of group-related child sexual abuse and exploitation. This evidence will inform any decision on the need for a future inquiry into group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Our thoughts are with victims of child abuse who have already suffered so much – this matter must be handled sensitively and with the utmost respect and consideration for their experiences.
“The issue of group-based sexual abuse and exploitation of children is sensitive and complex, and the Scottish Government has been giving it very detailed consideration.
“We have been clear that we are prepared to give every consideration to an inquiry on this issue, and that any such decision needs to be based on information, evidence and a greater understanding of the scale and nature of this form of abuse and of the responses to it.
“Professor Alexis Jay has extensive expertise in this area, and her insights will be invaluable to Ministers as this work is taken forward.
“I have written to the leaders and spokespeople of other political parties to offer a briefing with Professor Jay and Police Scotland on this work in the new year.”
Professor Alexis Jay said: “I am pleased to take on the role of Chair of the National Group, and to build on the excellent leadership of my predecessors, Iona Colvin and Sarah Taylor.
“There is much to do and do quickly. The work of the independent Inspectorates should provide the evidence for Scottish Ministers to determine whether further action is required to disrupt child sexual exploitation in Scotland.”
HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, Craig Naylor said: “His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland acknowledge the announcement that along with the Care Inspectorate, HM Inspectorate of Education and Healthcare Improvement Scotland we will work jointly on this independent national review of responses to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation.”
Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate, Jackie Irvine said: “This an issue of vital importance to victims and communities and we look forward to working closely with partners to take this forward.”
Sustained improvement in mental health care for children and young people
Progress on waiting times for children and young people waiting for specialist mental health care has been maintained for a year, according to the latest statistics.
New figures from Public Health Scotland show that between July and September, 91.5% of children and young people started treatment within 18 weeks of referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This exceeds the national standard of 90%.
CAMHS provides specialist NHS support for children and young people with serious mental health needs. To provide alternatives to this specialist service, over £80 million has been invested in community mental health services, plus £16 million a year for school counselling.
From this year, £15 million annually will go to local authorities to maintain community-based support for children and young people who need it.
Mental Wellbeing Minister Tom Arthur said: “I welcome the continued progress in these specialist children and adolescent mental health services.
“Over the last year, these services have exceeded the national standard, with 91.5% of children and young people starting treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS in the latest quarter.
“This achievement is down to the dedication of our CAMHS staff, who work tirelessly to support families during some of their most difficult moments. We have invested significantly in strengthening services, increasing CAMHS staffing by more than 50% over the last decade and exceeding our commitment to fund 320 additional posts by 2026.
“Local CAMHS teams are responding quickly, with half of all children and young people beginning treatment within five weeks. We are also seeing positive signs, with the overall CAMHS waiting list decreasing by 5.3% in the previous year.
“While we continue working with Boards to reduce waiting lists, we recognise that services remain under pressure and that performance may vary in coming months. There is still more to do to ensure performance is consistent across the country, and we are supporting all NHS Boards to meet the standard and continue delivering improvements.”
Latest figures highlight 128 children waiting more than a year for mental health treatment
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, is calling for parity of action and parity of spend as new figures highlight that 128 children and young people have been waiting more than a year for mental health treatment in Scotland.
These figures were highlighted in the latest waiting time statistics from Public Health Scotland published yesterday (2nd December, indicating that 128 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the quarter ending September 2025.
This is an increase from 115 for the same period last year.
Additionally, 277 individuals have been waiting between nine months and a year for treatment.
This comes against the background of a mental health emergency, with an increasing demand on services, exacerbated by the long shadow of the Covid lockdown and cost-of-living crisis.
The Scottish Government’s target, dating back to December 2014, is for 90 per cent of children and young people to start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS.
Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, cases of poor mental health in children and young people were at unprecedented levels, with overstretched and under-resourced services struggling to keep pace with growing demand.
However, despite this greatly increased demand, only 0.82 per cent of the total frontline NHS budget was spent on CAMHS in the 2023/24 financial year, amounting to £134.188 million (real terms). This equates to just 82p in every £100 of the NHS budget. 2
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “The latest figures highlighting that 128 children and young people have been waiting over a year for mental health treatment are extremely alarming.
“While the fact that the Scottish Government is meeting its waiting time target is to be welcomed, many children and young people are still waiting years for help, which worsens their mental health and is a sure-fire way to add to their pain.
“What we need is not just parity of esteem between mental health and physical health, it’s parity of action and parity of spend.
“We are facing a mental health emergency, and many of our children and young people are at breaking point, with stress and anxiety reaching alarming levels as they battle with the long shadow of lockdown and the rising cost of living. This is also having a negative impact on classroom behaviour, affecting the young people concerned, their fellow pupils and staff.
“Each one of these statistics is an individual, and we would urge the Scottish Government to ensure the adequate resourcing of mental health services for our children and young people so that they can get the care and support they need, without lengthy waits.”
Lorna Slater, the Scottish Green MSP for Lothian has called for the upcoming Scottish budget to extend free bus travel to everyone under 30, describing it as a lifeline for young workers and families in the area.
This would build on the groundbreaking free bus pass scheme already delivered by the Scottish Greens for those under 22. Over 250 million free journeys have been taken by young people since the scheme’s launch, with over 45 million of those in Edinburgh.
Free bus travel for young people has been one of the greatest successes of devolution, saving them and their families a fortune and helping to tackle the climate crisis.
Extending it to everyone under 30 would give over half a million more people a free bus pass, opening up new opportunities to find work or education and to see more of Scotland.
Lorna Slater the Scottish Green MSP for the Lothian region said: “The Greens’ introduction of free bus travel for everyone under 22 has been a huge success for people across our capital city.
“Thousands of young people across our communities are saving money, finding new opportunities, and helping to tackle the climate crisis.
“This scheme is one of the clearest achievements of the Scottish Parliament. Families all over Edinburghhave saved thousands of pounds in a period when bills and other costs have otherwise soared.
“But the cost of living crisis doesn’t stop for people the day they turn 22. For many young people the impact of losing their bus pass is huge, with new travel costs eating into their budgets.
“Too many workers in their 20s are trapped in a cycle of ever-rising costs and insecure work, with far too many in the citystruggling to cover their rent and bills every month.
“Lowering the cost of public transport is a win-win for people and planet. That’s why the Scottish Greens are pushing for more people to get a free bus pass as soon as possible.”
12-hour waits in EDs joint worst on record for October
The Scottish government must take urgent action on overcrowding and delayed discharges, or Emergency Departments (EDs) in Scotland will be completely swamped – and patients will be the ones who suffer.
ED performance figures, released today (2 December 2025) by Public Health Scotland (PHS) for October 2025, showed that one in 16 (7,362) patients waited 12 or more hours before being admitted, transferred or discharged in that month.
That is the same proportion as last October, which was the worst since records began in 2007 for 12-hour waits.
The figures also showed:
16,659 patients, or 14.1% of all attendances, waited eight or more hours, the worst of any October on record, and an increase of 1,211 on last year
Only 62.8% of patients were seen within four hours at major (Type-1) Emergency Departments, which is the worst four-hour performance for any October since records began and far below the target of 95%
There was an average of 1,981 beds each day occupied by patients medically fit to be discharged
These figures come shortly after the publication of the Scottish government’s winter plan, in which it pledged £20m to tackle delayed discharges across the devolved nation.
Dr Fiona Hunter, RCEM Vice President for Scotland, said: “The figures for October demonstrate the unacceptable pressures our departments are under, and just how bad things are as we go into winter.
“Now, seasonal pressures such as flu are beginning to hit EDs and the system is starting to crack under pressure,which means patients and staff are suffering. And we are only in the early stages of winter so it will likely become even worse for patients if nothing changes.
“As our hospitals deal with the inevitable strains and stresses on vital resources that the colder weather brings we’ll once again see the consequences of the failure to properly tackle the issues EDs face; overcrowding, long delays and avoidable deaths.
“The number of patients experiencing the longest waits is utterly unacceptable and something must change. Clinicians, through no fault of their own, are struggling to provide our patients with the care they deserve and need.
“Last month, we welcomed the government’s £20 million funding announcement to boost social care capacity this winter, and its accompanying plan for the health service to tackle the cold months.
“This showed that the government understood the issue. But we need that understanding to translate into further meaningful short and long-term action. Urgent action is needed to ensure that health boards can make the improvements that are needed to improve patient flow and tackle delayed discharges.
“Our EDs will only get through the coldest months if the government steps in – or we all need to brace ourselves for a truly ugly winter.”
Views are being sought on whether the law on Football Banning Orders (FBOs) should be updated to crack down on pyrotechnics use and other forms of football-related disorder.
Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown has launched a public consultation seeking views and evidence on the legislation around FBOs and whether it needs to be improved so it meets current needs.
FBOs are court orders that prevent individuals from attending all regulated matches in the UK, and they can be imposed for engaging in violence or disorder.
The consultation will explore whether extending the reach of FBOs could be an effective deterrent against disorder such as pyrotechnics misuse, online abuse and other emerging challenges associated with the game.
The consultation was informed by an expert group including football authorities and justice agencies, set up by the Scottish Government last year.
Ms Brown said: “Football fans are passionate about the sport, supporting their club and of course our national team.
“The vast majority of supporters are well-behaved and want to enjoy football safely. However, the behaviour of a small minority can put others at risk and spoil their enjoyment of the game and have consequences for the football club.
“Whilst we have significantly strengthened the law to tackle pyrotechnic misuse in recent years, so that those who carry fireworks and flares into football stadia can face fines and up to six months in prison, pyrotechnic misuse at games remains an issue.
“The legislation governing Football Banning Orders in Scotland was introduced in 2006, when the use of flares at matches and harmful social media behaviour associated with the game were much less common.
“While FBOs can already be imposed on conviction for pyrotechnics offences that involve violence or disorder, we want to hear from people whether the law needs to change so these orders could be used more widely for pyrotechnics possession and misuse – ultimately to become a more effective deterrent and keep people safe.
“We have worked with football authorities, fans’ groups and justice partners on this consultation and I would encourage anyone with an interest to give their views.”
Alan Marshall, Chair of the Football Safety Officers Association Scotland, said: ““The Football Safety Officers Association Scotland welcomes the launch of this consultation.
“Safety officers across the country see first-hand the evolving challenges in ensuring a safe environment at football matches, including the increased misuse of pyrotechnics, which are illegal and becoming a bigger issue at football matches across Europe.
“Football Banning Orders are an important tool in helping prevent disorder, and to help stop the actions of a small number of supporters negatively impacting the experience of law-abiding football fans. It is appropriate that the legislation is reviewed to reflect modern realities.”
The Edinburgh Retail Crime Task Force launched its first day of action last week in the North East of the city, focusing on Leith Walk and Fort Kinnaird.
This initiative, funded by the Scottish Government and supported by Crimestoppers Scotland , aims to tackle shoplifting and violence against retail workers.
The operation combined two key approaches – Prevent and Pursue:
Plain-clothes officers targeted hotspot areas to identify and apprehend offenders.
High-visibility patrols visited retailers to offer reassurance, crime prevention advice, and act as a visible deterrent.
Retailers have welcomed this proactive approach and the ongoing partnership to address prolific shoplifters.
PC Sarah Brotherston, who led the operation, said: “Shoplifting is not a victimless crime. We know the harm it causes to retailers and staff, and we’re committed to reducing theft and bringing offenders to justice.
“This day of action is just one piece of work that the Edinburgh Retail Crime Task Force are involved in. Further days of action and targeting of those who are repeatedly involved in shoplifting will be taking place in the run up to Christmas”
If you have information about shoplifting or stolen property, report it anonymously at https://orlo.uk/3Fp70 or call 0800 555 111.
Scheme launched to help return more empty homes to active use
A new online portal has been launched to bring empty homeowners together with prospective buyers or developers with the aim of facilitating more properties to be used as homes again.
Covering the whole of Scotland, this builds on the success of local pilots, referred to as “matchmaker schemes”, which allow owners of empty homes to upload details of their properties to a website through which anyone, such as first time buyers, families, developers or local authorities, can make purchasing enquiries.
The portal is hosted by the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership and has been developed as part of a £2 million investment this year to recruit additional empty homes officers and fund initiatives that will accelerate the pace and numbers of empty homes that are brought back into use.
Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “If you have an empty home to sell, this new portal is for you.
“Making best use of existing housing stock is central to tackling the housing emergency. Bringing owners and buyers together is a great way of adding to the overall housing supply, be that for affordable housing or use on the private market and it complements our ambitious house building programme.
“We are already making progress in turning around empty properties. Over the past 15 years we have helped return almost 13,000 privately owned homes to use and last year we saw 2,066 homes brought back in a single year, the highest in a year to date.
“I would encourage anyone who has a home lying empty to use this new scheme and seek advice from the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership and their local council to bring their home back into use.”
Tahmina Nizam, Scottish Empty Homes Partnership National Manager, said: “Every home matters in our collective fight against the housing emergency, so we’re delighted to launch this brand-new matchmaker scheme.
“We know selling an empty home can be a daunting task; the matchmaker scheme is designed to make that process easier and to help get more homes back into productive use.
“We want anyone who owns an empty home to know that support is available, either from the network of dedicated local empty homes officers working in local authorities across the country or directly from the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership.
“No home was built to sit empty and it’s vital that we make the best possible use of the assets we already have. Every individual empty property could provide a safe and secure place for someone to call home, but collectively Scotland’s empty homes can make a huge contribution to ending the housing emergency.”
Financial boost for carers ahead of the festive season
Carer’s Allowance Supplement will be paid to more than 96,000 carers across Scotland from 4 December.
Carer’s Allowance Supplement is an extra payment, currently made twice a year, for people in Scotland who get Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on the qualifying dates.
The payment of £293.50, which is only available in Scotland, will be made automatically from 4 December to people who were paid Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on 13 October 2025. Carers due to get the payment will get a letter from Social Security Scotland before the payment is made.
Social Justice Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said: “As one of the first payments introduced by Social Security Scotland in 2018, I’m proud of the difference that Carer’s Allowance Supplement has made for carers across the country.
“The payment recognises the important role that carers play in our local communities and wider society. We have also recently widened eligibility for our Young Carer Grant, meaning even more unpaid carers in Scotland are benefitting from extra help.”
Paul Traynor, Head of External Affairs, Carers Trust Scotland, said: “Since its introduction, Carer’s Allowance Supplement has provided vital additional support to unpaid carers in Scotland, helping to recognise the invaluable contribution they make to their cared for people and communities.
“With over one million payments made and hundreds of millions of pounds delivered, this supplement has helped ease financial pressures for thousands of unpaid carers.”
If a carer is eligible for December’s Carer’s Allowance Supplement payment but has not received a letter or payment by 15 December, they should contact Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222.
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT MUST HAND OVER STURGEON INFORMATION
Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton has issued a decision which requires the Scottish Government to disclose some of the written evidence supplied to James Hamilton as part of his investigation into whether former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had breached the Ministerial Code.
Previously, the Scottish Government had claimed that it didn’t hold the requested information but, in December 2023, the Court of Session agreed with the Commissioner that the information was in fact held, and that the Scottish Government should therefore issue a response.
The decision comes after the requester appealed the Scottish Government’s subsequent response to the Commissioner, on the basis that much of the information was exempted from disclosure.
In his decision, the Commissioner finds that, while some information was appropriately withheld, other information should be disclosed to the requester.
In particular, the Commissioner finds that the Scottish Government had incorrectly applied the exemption which protects information where disclosure would harm the effective conduct of public affairs to all the withheld information, finding that disclosure would not substantially harm the Scottish Government’s ability to carry out future investigations of this type.
The Commissioner also meticulously reviewed the redactions applied by Scottish Government to information which was withheld to avoid breaching court orders. Following this, he instructed the release of further material.
Similarly, The Commissioner found that, while some information had been appropriately withheld because it related to confidential legal communications, other information where this exemption had been applied should be disclosed.
In some cases, this was because it did not meet the standard required for the exemption to apply while, in others, he found that, while the exemption could be appropriately applied, the public interest nevertheless favoured the disclosure of the information. Under freedom of information (FOI) law, many exemptions must be set aside if the disclosure of the information is in the public interest.
The Commissioner also identified significant procedural concerns in the Scottish Government’s handling of this case.
He found, for example, that the Scottish Government had failed to provide all of the information falling within the scope of an Information Notice served on the authority in March 2024 to enable the Commissioner to investigate the case.
Under FOI law the Commissioner can issue legally enforceable Information Notices to secure the provision of information needed to investigate FOI appeals.
During his investigation, the Commissioner subsequently found that there was additional material falling within the scope of the Information Notice which had not, initially, been supplied to his office.
While the Commissioner’s decision finds that this failure to fully comply with the Information Notice was a matter of significant concern, he also accepts that the omission was a genuine oversight, as opposed to an attempt to deliberately obstruct his investigation. As a result, he took the decision in this case not to refer this failure to the Court of Session.
The Commissioner’s decision also raises concerns with the Scottish Government’s interpretation of the request, the changing of its position during his investigation, and its failure to make a full and appropriate case for the application of exemptions to all of the information it proposed to withhold.
Commenting on this case, Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton said: “This was a very complex case, and that complexity was compounded by the way in which elements of this case were handled by the Scottish Government.
“When a public body seeks to withhold information under FOI law, it is the responsibility of that body to appropriately make their case to me. It is not for my staff to identify sensitive information on behalf of an organisation, or to make the case for an exemption on its behalf. Authorities must, therefore, ensure that its case is fully and appropriately stated in its entirety.
“It is also particularly disappointing that, had it not been for the diligence of my staff and their forensic analysis of this case, many of the failures that arose may have gone undetected.
“While there is no evidence of impropriety, this nevertheless reflects poorly on the Scottish Government handling of this case, and I trust it will take urgent action to prevent such occurrences happening again.”
The Commissioner’s decision requires the Scottish Government to disclose some information which had been wrongly withheld, and issue a revised response in relation to a small amount of other information, by12 January 2026.
Plain-clothes officers targeted hotspot areas to identify and apprehend offenders.
