Tag: Scottish Parliament

Residential Outdoor Education Bill backed by Holyrood Committee

A Bill that would allow all pupils in state and grant-aided schools to have at least four nights and five days of residential outdoor education during their school career has been supported by a Holyrood committee.

Following a vote, members of the Education, Children and Young People Committee agreed with the general principles of the Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill. However, the Committee unanimously agreed that concerns related to the costs, provision for pupils with additional support needs and the impact on teachers need to be resolved if the Bill is to become law.

The Bill was introduced by Liz Smith MSP against a backdrop of declining provision of residential outdoor education, with only a quarter of Scotland’s primary pupils and a third of secondary pupils having the chance to attend.

During evidence the Committee heard strong arguments for the Bill based on the “life-changing benefits” residentials have on pupils’ confidence and resilience. Several witnesses also spoke about the positive impact this can have on pupil-teacher relationships and attainment.

The Committee heard that residential outdoor education could be particularly beneficial to pupils from more deprived areas, however these pupils were often not able to go on trips as they were unaffordable for many parents.

The Committee identified several practical concerns that would need to be overcome though for the Bill to be delivered, with costs proving a significant barrier.

Estimates suggest delivering the Bill would cost the Scottish Government between £20 million and just over £40 million a year. However, in its report, the Committee says that national funding of residential outdoor education is a good example of preventative spend where the benefits are well documented.

The report also raises concerns about staffing, which currently is provided by teachers on a voluntary basis. While teachers were positive about their experiences, if residential education became statutory it might lead to a renegotiating of teachers’ terms and conditions, adding further barriers to delivering the Bill.

Douglas Ross MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee: “Throughout this inquiry we heard about the hugely positive impact that outdoor residential education can have on the development and attainment of children and young people.

“While we agree with the general principles of the Bill, there are financial challenges attached to the delivery of outdoor residential education that need to be overcome for it to become law.

“We want to see the Scottish Government and the Member who introduced the Bill, Liz Smith MSP, work together to resolve these.”

Child Poverty Act focused minds, but greater collaboration needed, finds Holyrood Committee

A law passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2017, has focused minds on work to reduce child poverty, but more collaboration is needed for the Scottish Government to continue to make progress, according to a report from Holyrood’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee.

The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act was passed by the Parliament in 2017 and aimed to tackle, report on and measure child poverty. It also established targets relating to the eradication of child poverty by 2030. The Scottish Government will publish statistics that will outline whether it has met its interim targets in March.

The Committee wanted to understand the impact of the Act, and in particular the difference that has been made by having a framework for reducing child poverty set in law.

In its report on post-legislative scrutiny of the Act, the Committee has found that, while the Act has instilled an appetite and motivation to tackle child poverty, something most clearly demonstrated in the establishment of the Scottish Child Payment, it has not led to sustained progress towards reaching the Scottish Government’s 2030 targets.

The report outlines a series of recommendations that could help the Government make further progress, including encouraging a culture of collaborative working across portfolios and engaging with local authorities to understand whether they can reach the targets and what further resources they might need.

The Committee also calls on the Government to share details on how its own research into child poverty in rural areas and in the islands has impacted on the Scottish Government’s approach.

Collette Stevenson MSP, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said: “Our scrutiny has shown that the Child Poverty Act has helped ensure the Scottish Government keeps its aim of eradicating child poverty focused in people’s minds.

“However, it looks as though more progress can be made towards achieving the targets that were set out in the act, so we are calling for change on a bigger scale to happen.

“We’re keen to hear more from the Scottish Government about how it intends to do this so that it can meet its targets and make a real difference to the daily life of children and families in Scotland.”

Holyrood-child-poverty-reportDownload

Scottish Government must provide fiscal and economic clarity, says Finance Committee

Holyrood’s Finance and Public Administration Committee says the Scottish Government must provide fiscal and economic clarity.

In a wide-ranging report on the Scottish Budget 2025-26 published today – ahead of two parliamentary debates on the Scottish budget – the committee emphasises the need for more detail on behavioural responses to tax policy, the impact of Employer National Insurance Contributions and rising social security spending.

The cross-party committee also highlights the need to help Scotland’s educational institutions and businesses drive investment and growth, while urging the Scottish Government to publish its over-due infrastructure plan and ‘hit the ground running’.

Repeated delays and unanswered concerns are indicative of a lack of medium and long-term financial planning, says the committee’s report.

Finance and Public Administration Committee Convener Kenneth Gibson MSP said: “As the Scottish Government is aware, we are strongly of the view that more research is needed on behavioural responses to tax policy.

“We also set out in this report recommendations which we consider would help to support growth in earnings and revenues in Scotland.”

On Employer National Insurance Contributions, Mr Gibson added: “The Committee is aware that the expected shortfall in UK funding for increased Employer National Insurance Contributions for the direct costs to the public sector will be significant and we ask what plans the Scottish Government has in place to meet these.”

Rising social security costs are of concern. He commented: “Given that the Scottish Government has not included any funding in the 2025-26 Budget to cover the lifting of the two-child cap, the Committee asks for details of where this funding will be found if it’s introduced early, as well as potential impacts on other areas of spend.

“The Committee also seeks greater transparency around the overall public sector pay bill.”

On growing the economy and capital spending, the convener said: “We look forward to receiving evidence from the Cabinet Secretary on the sustainability of higher education and work to improve the flexibility and responsiveness of the college sector to enable skills to match the needs of business and the economy.

“We note the creation of a Cabinet Sub-Committee on Investment and Economy to ‘help create a business environment that drives investment and growth.’

“The Committee ask the Scottish Government how it is maximising opportunities to enable Scotland’s universities and the high-performing sectors of the economy to be globally competitive.

“The significant increase in capital spending in 2025-26 allows the Scottish Government to restart paused capital projects and make some new commitments.

“We strongly urge the Scottish Government to prioritise its capital commitments to ensure it’s in the best possible position to ‘hit the ground running’ with infrastructure projects from the start of the next financial year.”

On delays to key strategic financial documents, Mr Gibson concluded: “Regarding delays in publishing key strategic financial documents, the committee repeatedly expressed concerns.  This is indicative of a wider problem where vital medium and longer-term financial planning within the Scottish Government is lacking.”

Read the full Report on the Scottish Budget 2025/26

Double-jobbing no more?

Draft regulations to be laid at Holyrood in autumn

Views are being sought on the implementation of the ban on MSPs from also serving as MPs or in the House of Lords.

Following the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill being passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament in December, a consultation seeking views on the principles and practical issues of ending dual mandates has launched.

The consultation, which runs until 23 March, looks at issues such as grace periods once elected and salary or parliamentary limitations during this period.

The Bill places a duty on Scottish Ministers to bring forward regulations which prohibit MSPs from also serving in the House of Commons or the House of Lords, and may additionally prohibit MSPs from also serving as councillors.

The regulations will be laid in autumn 2025 so they are in place for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, and will be subject to scrutiny and a vote by MSPs.

Minister for Parliamentary Business Jamie Hepburn said: “Following the unanimous passage of the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill in December, MSPs will be barred from also being an MP or Peer through regulations to be brought forward in autumn 2025.

“This consultation on the issue will allow political parties, local government and most importantly the public to comment on the details of how that will work in practice, ahead of the practice being ended before the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.”

The consultation paper is available at Consultation on Dual Mandates

Public Health Emergency: People’s panel calls for action on drug related harms

A cultural change and “brave and bold action” are required to tackle a “public health emergency” created by drug use in Scotland, according to a report sent to MSPs by a people’s panel.

The panellists’ report recognises that progress has been made, but says that further action is needed. It calls for public campaigns to raise awareness of drug harm and drug use, recommends funding should be ring fenced and prioritised on prevention and seeks improvements in information shared between government agencies.

However, the introduction of the Naloxone programme to prevent fatal drug overdoses, and the opening of the safer drug consumption room, The Thistle, are welcomed in the report.

The panel’s report also calls for greater involvement of the third sector and people with lived experience. It concludes that a lack of urgency in responding to drug harm and use reinforces the stigma already associated with these issues.

The creation of the people’s panel, formed of 23 people, was requested by the Cross-Committee on tackling drug deaths and drug harms. Members of the Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee commissioned the panel to gather public views on the question, ‘What does Scotland need to do differently to reduce drug related harms?’. The panel met at the Parliament in October and November 2024.

Over the course of two weekends, members of the panel heard evidence from people with lived experience of drug harms, from academics and researchers, and from stakeholders who work in this area, before developing their report.

The panel’s report will help inform the cross-Committee’s scrutiny of matters related to reducing drug deaths and tackling problem drug use. It’s 19 recommendations cover rights and people’s lived experience, justice, access to treatment, care and support, prevention and harm reduction.

Panel Presentations Weekend 2Download

Mairi McIntosh, from the Highlands and Islands region, was one of the members of the People’s Panel. She said: “I found participating in the People’s Panel humbling.

“The team at the Scottish Parliament organised a diverse range of experts and worked hard to lay out the worrying and rapid escalation in drug related deaths and harms in Scotland. The wide range of speakers gave us great insight into the data and evidence about the complexity of the issue including the causes, impacts and ways they believed the Scottish government could help.

“Hearing from those such as Steph McCutcheon about having success with service users through the East Ayrshire Recovery Hub, matches up with what we heard from others about the importance not only of the third sector’s role in local based solutions but how it is imperative those with lived experiences are valued and involved in every stage of the planning and implementing of measures being taken.

“All the evidence we heard highlighted the urgency for action from the Scottish government to implement brave and lasting change. Change needed to seriously reduce the deaths, impacts of harms to individuals, their families and communities and the pressure this puts on health, care, police, justice, other services and the people who are working to help those suffering.

“I feel it would be a poor reflection on our country to allow this issue to further impact some of the most vulnerable groups in our society.

“I am hopeful that our report shows that as voices from across Scotland, representing different backgrounds and lives, some directly affected by the issues of drug harm and death and others not, that we want the Scottish government to acknowledge the causes and barriers like stigma and discrimination and realise that we cannot afford to not take bold action now.”

Reflecting on the publication of the panel’s findings Audrey Nicoll MSP, Convener of the Criminal Justice Committee said: “We would like to thank the panel for their focused and determined work in delivering this serious and well considered report.

“Our Committees look forward to thoroughly considering the panel’s findings and putting its report’s recommendations to the Scottish Government.”

Read the report

Read the Panel’s report

Report of the Peoples Panel on reducing drug harm and deaths in ScotlandDownload

Holyrood publishes new British Sign Language Plan

The Scottish Parliament has published its British Sign Language Plan, setting out the actions it will take over the next six years to improve access to parliamentary information and services for BSL users in the Deaf and Deafblind communities.

This follows a consultation on the proposed Plan, in which over 120 people took part in a series of in-person events across Scotland, as well as online. Contributions from these participants have helped to shape the 20 actions that will be taken between 2025 and 2031.

Some of these actions include continuing to provide BSL interpretation for First Minister’s Question Time, offering educational materials in BSL, and encouraging the use of BSL among Scottish Parliament staff.

“As an official language of Scotland with its own rich cultural heritage and history, BSL is central to the interests of Deaf and Deafblind people and the wider BSL community across the country,” said Presiding Officer, Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP.

“I am proud to present it, reaffirming our commitment to British Sign Language and its communities across our work.

Mark McMillan, BSL Communities Officer for the Scottish Parliament, said: “I am really pleased with how the new BSL Plan has been shaped by feedback from over 120 people, and importantly with many of them being Deaf BSL users sharing their lived experiences.

“I think this will really help to ensure that the Parliament continues to improve access to parliamentary information and services to BSL users in the Deaf and Deafblind communities, and the wider BSL community in the years to come.”

Since passing the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015, all public institutions must commit to producing a BSL Plan, laying out how they will promote the use and understanding of British Sign Language.

These individual plans should aim for consistency between their own plan and the Scottish Government’s National Plan, which seeks to make Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn.

BSL Plan 20252031Download

The Plan is available as a series of BSL videos, or as a downloadable PDF

BONUS – watch a video about how the Scottish Parliament protects Scotland’s languages

Scottish Parliament continues anniversary events with visit to Sauchie and Alloa

The Presiding Officer is visiting Sauchie and Alloa in the Mid Scotland and Fife region this month to meet local people to talk about their Scottish Parliament.

The visits continue a series of events in each of the eight Scottish parliamentary regions to mark the Scottish Parliament’s 25th anniversary. The events are to hear people’s reflections on the Parliament and to understand more about what they want from their Parliament in the future. They will also reflect on 25 years of devolution and the impact of the Parliament on local communities.

Taking place on Monday 20 January, the visits have been set up in collaboration with community partners Wimpy Park Community Group, Sauchie Community Group, Scottish Rural Action and Forth Valley & Lomond Youth Local Action.

The morning will see the Presiding Officer and Mid Scotland and Fife MSPs join the Chatty Latte Café at Sauchie Resource Centre, which started to encourage socialising after the pandemic and provide a free warm space for the community. MSPs will then get a tour of Wimpy Park in Alloa from volunteers and residents to hear more about their work to re-establish the space as a resource for the community, reinstating the gardens and play area.

In the afternoon, the Presiding Officer and MSPs will visit the Bowmar Centre in Alloa for a community conversation with local groups. There will be opportunities for MSPs to hear about local projects and for local people to share their views about the issues that matter to them about the role, purpose and future of the Scottish Parliament.

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.

“I’ve so far visited four regions across the country from Shetland to Hawick and what has struck me with every visit is the passion and drive of the work that is going on the length and breadth of the country to improve the lives of those who live and work in our communities.

“I’m really pleased we’ve partnered with four local groups on this visit to Sauchie and Alloa and I’m looking forward to hearing more about how the Parliament can best represent people in Mid Scotland and Fife and to hear more about the exciting community projects that are taking place here.

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

Kate Turner, from Sauchie Community Group said: “Sauchie Community Group is delighted to have this opportunity for our members and users to speak to and get to know our Holyrood parliamentarians.

“Chatty Latte is a weekly coffee morning-style event, started to encourage socialising after lockdown and provide a free warm space for people to come and enjoy a cuppa and camaraderie.

“It’s one of our favourite events that has grown from strength to strength. It’s a great group of people to meet and learn about our group and community from.”

Mary Fox, from Wimpy Park said: “The Wimpy Park Community Group was established in 2017 with an aim to take over the wasted land within the walled garden. The community group secured a 19-year lease from the Council and have since reinstated the gardens and play area and host 4 community events each year in the park and local Bowmar Centre.

“Volunteers of the Wimpy Park Community Group alongside partners who have supported our work including members of Neils Hugs (supporting families affected by suicide), Play Alloa (supporting children and young people with additional support needs) and Community House (supporting local residents of all ages through group work sessions) all look forward to this event.” 

Michaela Scott, member of Forth Valley and Lomond Youth Local Action Group, said: “Along with our fellow youth groups, the Youth Local Action Group is very excited to meet the Presiding Officer and our regional MSPs. 

“We are looking forward to the two-way conversation between the Parliament teams and the young people we’ve invited along to this event, including the youth members and volunteers from the Clackmannanshire Council Youth Forum, the Stirling High School Climate Ambassadors, the Hawkhill Community Centre, Active 8 Sauchie, and The Gate, as well as our friends from the Fife Youth Local Action Group.

“We hope this is the start of a long-lasting collaboration between the Scottish Parliament and the youth voices in our region.”

Mia Lalanne, Rural Youth Action Network lead at Scottish Rural Action, said: “The enthusiasm from rural young people and community-led groups across the Mid Scotland and Fife region to participate in this event and engage directly with the Presiding Officer, the MSPs, and the Scottish Parliament teams has been remarkable.

“Rural and island areas are the worst hit by today’s cost of living, climate, biodiversity, and housing crises, and those residents innately understand the needs and opportunities to address those challenges.

“The run-up to this Community Conversation has clearly demonstrated that rural young people and their communities are keen to share and engage with decision-makers, and greatly welcome any opportunities to help shape the Scottish Parliament.”

The Mid Scotland and Fife visit is the fifth of eight planned events across Scotland for the Presiding Officer to meet communities to hear about the issues they care about and encourage more people to join in with the work of the Scottish Parliament, as it marks 25 years.

Choudhury leads Holyrood debate on access to diabetes technology

“TYPE 1 DIABETES DOES NOT CHANGE ONCE YOU CROSS THE BORDER, WHY SHOULD TYPE 1s IN SCOTLAND MISS OUT AND RECEIVE WORSE CARE BASED ON WHERE THEY LIVE?”

Scottish Labour MSP for Lothian Region, Foysol Choudhury, led the Scottish Parliament’s first Member’s Business of 2025 on one of Scotland’s most pressing healthcare technology issues – access to medical technology for diabetic patients.

This debate comes after much campaigning from both in and outside of parliament, including groups like iPAG (Insulin Pump Awareness Group), Diabetes Scotland, and MSPs like Mr. Choudhury, fellow Lothian MSP Sarah Boyack and Labour’s health spokesperson, Jackie Baillie.

Access to diabetes technology is crucial for people with Type 1 diabetes (T1D), an incurable autoimmune condition that requires lifelong insulin therapy and constant management, including making up to 180 more daily decisions about their health to balance blood glucose levels.

Access to diabetes technologies is essential to reducing the physical and mental burden of type 1 diabetes and preventing serious complications like seizures, heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and death.

The physical and mental toll of T1D is immense, often causing symptoms like lethargy, nausea, and anxiety, as well as diabetes distress, but tailored treatments and access to current technologies are critical to easing this burden and improving quality of life.

This push for access to technology comes not only from campaign groups and politicians but also from those suffering long wait times to access HCL systems, with Scottish Labour figures showing about 3,000 patients waiting across Scottish health boards. Nearly 1,000 are waiting in Lothian alone, with some in Scotland waiting over five years for an insulin pump.

In June 2024, the Scottish Government announced “up to” £8.8 million to improve access to diabetes technology, including pumps and continuous glucose monitors. Yet health boards are still facing significant pressures to fund diabetes technology with the ongoing cost of managing and replacing these devices.

Some have stated that patients outside the identified priority groups will not have access to this technology for the foreseeable future. As of November, NHS Lothian has stated that there has been no additional funding for dieticians, diabetes nursing, and administrative costs from the Scottish Government.

As a result, these constraints are driving a shift toward less suitable options, such as systems that prevent carers from monitoring glucose levels remotely. Families report being offered Freestyle Libre 2+ or Freestyle Libre 3 as standard, with little consideration for individual needs.

This approach poses significant safety risks, particularly for young children and individuals unable to manage their own systems. This goes against SIGN 170, a toolkit published by NHS Health Improvement Scotland and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network.

During the debate, MSP Choudhury emphasised: “Type 1 diabetes does not change once you cross the border, why should type 1s in Scotland miss out and receive worse care based on where they live?

“Diabetes technology is genuinely preventative care which will save the NHS money in the long term.”

Mr. Choudhury concluded: ““I want to finish by asking members to place themselves in the shoes of a type 1. Knowing the technology to change your life is available, but there is no political will to ensure you get it soon. Imagine the frustration you would feel day by day. We cannot just tell people to wait.”

Online activist and T1 diabetic, Lesley Ross, contributed online: “We shouldn’t have to fight for the best possible care when we are struggling to manage our condition.”

Chair of iPAG Scotland, Mary Moody contributed online: “We know that diabetes teams across Scotland want to do the best for their patients but are restricted by administrative and budgetary constraints.

A toolkit to assist decision-making is published by NHS Health Improvement Scotland and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network,

(SIGN 170 – https://www.sign.ac.uk/our-guidelines/optimising-glycaemic-controlin-people-with-type-1-diabetes/)

but may be disregarded with people being given equipment that does not meet their exact needs and may put them at risk. This has got to improve. Patient safety has to come first.”

Following the debate, MSP Choudhury concluded: ““I want to thank the campaigners and type 1s who have been advocating and contributing to this discussion and thank them for their hard work.”

Costs of leaving abusive relationships to be explored by MSPs

Victims of domestic abuse are among those invited to share their views as part of a Scottish Parliament inquiry into the financial implications of leaving an abusive relationship.

The Social Justice and Social Security Committee is running the inquiry to find out what support women leaving abusive relationships can access, how public sector and social security rules and practices take account of financial issues in these circumstances and how much information and advice women have access to.

Since 2018-19, Police Scotland has recorded over 60,000 incidents of domestic abuse each year, however, research from Scottish Women’s Aid suggests that the actual figure is much higher as not all incidents are reported to the police.

Reports of domestic abuse can rise substantially over the Christmas period, a time when family finances can be at their most stretched. Research from charities including Refuge and Women’s Aid has found that this, alongside the pressures caused by the cost-of-living crisis, can effectively trap victims of domestic abuse.

The Committee’s inquiry will explore economic abuse, a form of coercive control where an abuser restricts a person’s ability to get, use and keep money or other economic resources.

It is also likely to cover the Scottish Government’s work on violence against women and girls, including its Fund to Leave pilot project and its Equally Safe strategy. The Fund to Leave offered women up to £1,000 to pay for the essentials they need when leaving a relationship with an abusive partner and was delivered by Women’s Aid groups.

Collette Stevenson, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said: “The Christmas period should be a time where women can get together with their families. But sadly for many women suffering from abuse Christmas can be a lonely and terrible time, with economic abuse trapping them in abusive relationships.

“We know that over 60,000 incidents of domestic abuse are reported to the Police in Scotland each year, and we want to use this inquiry to learn about the support available to women in this awful situation and get an idea of what else can be done.

“If you have any experience of this issue, or work for a charity or public body that supports women in this situation we want to hear from you. Share your views with us by responding to our call for views.”

The call for views opened on Friday 13 December, and will close on Thursday 20 February.

To ensure that people can respond in full, the Committee welcomes receiving anonymous responses, where appropriate.

Strong and positive action needed to ensure that disabled people can realise their rights

The Scottish Government should take strong and positive action to address the barriers that disabled people continue to face in realising their rights, according to a new report from the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee.

The Committee has been considering a Bill proposed by Jeremy Balfour MSP which calls for the creation of a Disability Commissioner. The Commissioner would be expected to promote and safeguard the rights of disabled people.

Following the Parliament’s recent support for a moratorium on creating any new SPCB supported bodies, the Committee has not made recommendations on the principle of creating a Disability Commissioner. Instead, it invites the Parliament to have a full and focused debate on the findings in its report and calls for the Scottish Government to ensure disabled people can realise their rights.

During evidence sessions, disabled people expressed their frustrations at a system that left them feeling desperate, dehumanised and deprioritised. The report explains that these feelings grew following the Scottish Government’s decisions to delay the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill and Human Rights Bill.

While people who gave evidence were generally supportive of the proposal to establish a Disability Commissioner, there were concerns about duplication and overlap with other commissions and commissioners in what was characterised as ‘an already complicated and fragmented landscape’.

However, witnesses representing disabled people pointed to the challenges they faced as evidence that their rights were not the priority of the existing public bodies.

The Committee’s report also identifies the critical importance of the involvement of disabled people in the development of policies related to the lives of disabled people to gain trust and respect.

Karen Adam MSP, Convener of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee said: “We heard upsetting evidence about the challenges experienced by disabled people and their advocates during this inquiry. Their feedback was clear, disabled people too often feel let down and abandoned by public bodies.

“While we have not made a recommendation on the Bill, we do believe that the Scottish Government must take strong and positive action to address the barriers that disabled people continue to face in realising their rights.

“It is crucial that disabled people and disabled people’s organisations, who frustratedly told us that any trust they had in the current system has been lost, are able to play an active role in the development of the policies and approaches that are required to overcome these barriers.”