Tag: Scottish Parliament

Scottish Parliament going to Glasgow to continue 25th anniversary events

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thousands of Scottish students facing homelessness, says new report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

160924-student-housing-v3Download

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Holyrood Committee highlights serious shortcomings hampering implementation of Self-Directed Support Act

A new report by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has found that implementation of the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 has been hampered by a range of factors.

The legislation was introduced to ensure that care and support is arranged, managed, and delivered in a way that supports choice and control for individuals. Although the Committee has heard that Self-Directed Support (SDS) has been implemented well and is transformational for individuals in some areas, the report highlights a number of challenges that have meant the legislation is not always implemented in a fair and equitable way across the country.

The Committee say that restrictions on available providers, how services are commissioned and procured, and the financial systems and models of care currently in place mean that, in many parts of the country, SDS has not been delivered in the way intended by the legislation.

The post-legislative scrutiny report concludes that a lack of knowledge and understanding of the principles of the Act among key staff is also limiting effective implementation of SDS. The Committee says social workers face a number of constraints which prevent them from taking a relationship-based approach to their work in a way that would enable them to fully implement the principles of SDS.

Other issues highlighted by the Committee include inconsistent application of eligibility criteria by Health and Social Care Partnerships. The Committee concludes that, in many instances, the way current eligibility criteria are applied contradicts the aims and principles of SDS.

While the Committee heard examples of good practice from certain local authority areas, which are offering those in receipt of care more choice using a range of different collaborative initiatives, they say there have been challenges in applying this good practice across the country.

The Committee also concludes that there is an urgent need to establish a process of national oversight and clear lines of accountability across all levels of decision-making to ensure a significantly improved approach to monitoring and evaluation of SDS.

On the report’s publication, Clare Haughey MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said: “While it’s clear from our evidence that stakeholders strongly support this legislation, its implementation has not been consistent across the country.

“During our scrutiny, the Committee has heard that there is a lack of national consistency in relation to information, advice and support to ensure fair and equitable access to social care through SDS.

“We also have concerns over recruitment and retention of the social care and social work workforce, the continued impact of Covid-19 and wider funding constraints across the social care system that are affecting proper implementation of the Act.

“Our conclusion is that the current underlying system of social care delivery based on individual assessment, eligibility and transactional care contracts is incompatible with the principles of SDS.

“The Social Care (Self-directed Support) Act was introduced ten years ago with the intention of empowering individuals to have greater choice and control over the care they receive. However, in too many cases, the principles of SDS are not being observed, meaning individuals are not receiving the care they want or deserve.

“We are calling on the Scottish Government, Local Authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships to ensure proper implementation of the legislation through greater national consistency, by improving local authority practice and processes, addressing issues around commissioning and tendering, and significantly improving processes for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the policy.

“We would like to thank all of those who contributed to our post-legislative scrutiny of SDS.”

Holyrood’s Finance Committee visits University of Dundee

MSPs from the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Public Administration Committee  visited the University of Dundee on Thursday (29 August).

The cross-party committee of MSPs learned about the contribution life science research can make towards growing Scotland’s economy.

The visit forms part of its parliamentary inquiry into ‘Managing Scotland’s public finances’, which aims to influence the Scottish Government’s Budget before it is announced in autumn.

The MSPs are examining how the Scottish Government uses its capital expenditure to achieve innovation, productivity, and growth – and whether its priorities are the most effective choices.

Finance and Public Administration Committee Convener Kenneth Gibson said: “Our parliamentary inquiry is about examining the effectiveness of the Scottish Government’s overall approach towards managing Scotland’s public finances.

“With a really challenging fiscal and economic outlook, it’s vital that we look critically at boosting innovation, productivity and growth.

“Life sciences already contribute to the Scottish economy, but we want to learn more about its potential for growth and what that could mean in terms of high-value Scottish jobs, high return research and successful spin-out companies.”

“A key part of our inquiry is examining how the Scottish Government currently uses its capital expenditure to boost growth – but we want to ensure its priorities are the right ones ahead of the coming budget.

“Our visit to the University of Dundee’s school of life sciences, to meet leading figures in the field, will give us a good insight into what scope there is to expand research and boost innovation and growth.

“We’ll take the learning from our visit back to Holyrood to inform our inquiry and our recommendations to the Scottish Government ahead of the budget.”

Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Dundee, Professor Iain Gillespie, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Finance and Public Administration Committee to Dundee and help boost innovation and growth.

“As the UK’s top university for both biological sciences research and for nurturing spinout success we are a key driver of the economy, learning and skills, as well as a vital part of the scientific ecosystem that is addressing the great health challenges of our time.

“Investment in research and innovation is an investment in the nation’s health and wealth, and we are happy to share our expertise in creating high value companies and anchoring jobs in Scotland.”

The committee’s Dundee visit will provide insight into:

  • funding of research & development at the University
  • commercialisation: turning research into innovation
  • creating, support and scaling of high growth spin-out companies

Background provided by the University of Dundee:

Dundee has been the UK’s top ranked university for Biological Sciences in the last two Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercises. It was also named the UK’s best university for supporting spin out companies by venture capitalist firm Octopus Ventures last year.

While at the University, members of the Finance and Public Administration Committee toured Dundee’s Drug Discovery Unit (DDU), which bridges the gap between academic scientific research and industrially experienced drug discovery.

DDU’s successes include the invention of cabamaquine, a new compound currently in human trials that has been shown to treat malaria with a single dose, while potentially protect people from contracting the disease and prevent its spread.

The committee also viewed the site of Dundee’s Life Sciences Innovation Hub, which will anchor a new generation of high-growth companies and high-value jobs in the city, and visited the Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation (CeTPD).

The University is one of the world leaders in targeted protein degradation, a field of research which has received billions of pounds of investment in recent years and is making the treatment of diseases previously thought to be undruggable a reality.

Scottish Parliament to visit Shetland

The Presiding Officer will continue her series of visits to all eight Scottish Parliament regions with a visit to Shetland in the Highlands and Islands to speak to local people about the future of their Scottish Parliament.

The visits, which form part of the Scottish Parliament’s 25th anniversary commemorations, are to hear people’s reflections on the Parliament and devolution and their aspirations for the future.

Taking place on Monday (26 August), the visit has been set up in collaboration with community partners Shetland Community Bike Project and Voluntary Action Shetland.

The Presiding Officer and Highlands and Islands MSPs will meet with Shetland Community Bike Project at Lerwick Town Hall. This session will involve discussions, workshops and an opportunity to network, followed by a guided tour of Lerwick.

The event will mark both the Parliament’s 25th anniversary and that of Shetland Community Bike Project.

In the afternoon, the Presiding Officer and MSPs will hear more about the work of Voluntary Action Shetland, which supports a local Third Sector Forum made up of organisations delivering services to the community. This is an opportunity to recognise the work of the Third Sector Forum and for members of the Parliament to meet and hear from local organisations and people.

Participants will include those involved in: Ability Shetland, Shetland Carers, COPE Ltd, Shetland Community Connections, Mind your Health, Moving On, Shetland Link Up, Shetland Befriending Scheme, OPEN Project, school pupils and MSYPs.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Presiding Officer Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP said: “As we reflect on the Parliament’s achievements over the last 25 years, I want us to be focused on the future by hearing from people in Shetland and all over the country about their aspirations for their Parliament.

“I am particularly pleased to be visiting the Highlands and Islands region, to listen to people living in rural and island communities about the challenges facing them and how their Parliament can best meet the needs of their communities.

“This visit is also an opportunity to learn about the achievements of community groups working in Shetland, whose work provides vital support for many people.”

Caroline Adamson, Manager of the Shetland Community Bike Project, said: “I have been in this position since the project started 25 years ago.

“The Bike Project is much more than a bike repair shop. It provides paid and volunteer placements for people facing barriers to employment, equipping them with transferable skills, experience and confidence to help them get back into work.

“We support them to lead a healthier lifestyle and enable them to feel and be part of the community. This is not only of benefit to them but also the ripple effect which extends to their friends and family. So, one supported placement reaches out to many more in the community.

“We support up to 30 people in any one year and have a good success rate, on average, of 90% them being supported into mainstream employment, education and volunteering.

“At the event on 26th August we want to celebrate what we have achieved and say thank you to all who have supported us over the years. And we will hear from some of our service users whose stories highlight how the supportive environment that is provided by the Bike Project can lead to meaningful and lasting employment opportunities and benefit our community.”

Lynn Tulloch, Executive Officer at Voluntary Action Shetland, said: “We are delighted to support the Parliament visit in engaging in a range of third sector groups from Shetland.

“Part of Voluntary Action Shetland’s role is about ensuring the voice of the community and third sector is heard, and we look forward to the event this month.”

Festival of Politics starts on Monday

The Festival of Politics starts on Monday and we can’t wait to welcome you into the Scottish Parliament!

For those of you needing last-minute tickets, here’s a list of handy links to every single event …

MONDAY 19th

Dementia – the power of dance and playlists

In Conversation with Jack Lowden

Healing Arts Scotland performance with Edinburgh International Festival

In conversation with Benedetta Tagliabue with a performance by Roberto Cacciapaglia

TUESDAY 20th

The power of age-friendly communities and the arts

Who controls AI – ethics and legality?

Health creators: health inequalities in Scotland

20 years of Holyrood

What is local government for?

Home sweet home?

Place and displacement: reconnecting to the world through the arts

WEDNESDAY 21st

AI and creativity

Why do we need whistle-blowers?

Space – launching Scotland’s ambitions

Jobs and the just transition – back to the 80s?

Are standards in public life really declining?

U.S. elections – Trump or Harris?

Making amends for the Empire – has Scotland done enough?

THURSDAY 22nd

Global politics in 2024 – testing times ahead?

Consent

GameApocalypse now: can games solve Scotland’s digital skills crisis?

Sexism in the workplace

Not the end of the world?

Reading between the lines: information literacy

25 years of the Scottish Parliament – where are the young women?

Join the Climate Café ®

FRIDAY 23rd

Mental health and young people

AI – deep fake politics

Raising the curtain on St Andrew’s Day

Incel culture

Elections in 50 countries

Think local, act global? – international cultural ambition in perilous times

Responsible debate

The Scottish Parliament at 25

There’s also live music, exhibitions, book signings, food and drink and merch on offer! 

Find more Festival information here.

Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP sees community in action in Corstorphine

  • Scottish Lib Dem leader sees value of a local branch to prevent fraud and scams and build financial confidence
  • Corstorphine branch supports charities including their upstairs neighbours at Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust
  • Long-serving colleague’s retirement marked with gifts from local community

Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP, the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, visited the Nationwide branch in Corstorphine to learn more about how important the branch is to its local community.

The MSP toured the branch and learned more about what branches do to tackle fraud and scams. Fraud has become more sophisticated, and branch staff often act as a last line of defence. In recent times Corstorphine branch staff have noticed spikes in attempted WhatsApp scams and cowboy tradespeople.

Nationwide has promised that everywhere it has a branch, it will still be there until at least 2026 – making sure that face-to-face service stays available on the high street. This policy has led to Nationwide becoming the biggest banking brand network on the high street, with more branches than any other provider across the UK.

Corstorphine’s branch supports a range of charities by acting as a collection point for the Kids Love Clothes clothing bank and with staff from the branch volunteering for Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust, which is located above the branch.

Nationwide offers all its staff two days a year of paid volunteering time, and in 2023 donated over £50,000 to the charity to support young people aged 16-26 who are in or leaving care.

Mr Cole-Hamilton also saw the Safe Space in the branch for people facing abuse, which forms part of an initiative Nationwide has introduced in over 400 branches across the UK. Branch staff at Corstorphine are able to offer a private space for someone to call friends, family, support charities or the police.

Customer representative, Lorraine Mudie, has worked for Nationwide for 42 years and met Mr. Cole-Hamilton a week before her retirement.

She said: “It was such an honour to welcome Alex Cole-Hamilton to our branch. I’m glad to be able to show how important the branch is to our local community here in Corstorphine.

“Some of our customers heard I was retiring and have been bringing in gifts and cards just to say thank you and goodbye – which I find really touching.”

Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said: “At a time when most other banks are closing branches everywhere, it’s refreshing that Nationwide have decided to stick by their communities in this way.

“I know many of my constituents will be delighted to have the reassurance that their local branch will remain open.”