World Press Photo 2017
Friday 4 August – Saturday 26 August 2017 (closed Sundays) Free entry
The worldwide touring exhibition of award-winning photos opens at the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood today. Continue reading See World Press Photo Exhibition at Scottish Parliament
The safety of Scotland’s high rise tower blocks will be examined by a Holyrood Committee, following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower. The Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Communities Committee will scrutinise accommodation in Scotland’s high rise communities, by expanding an on-going inquiry into housing and building regulations in Scotland. Continue reading Safety of Scotland’s high rise homes under scrutiny
One of the world’s longest tapestries, which has been described as a “medieval cartoon strip” bursting with Scottish history, is now on display at the Scottish Parliament. The Prestonpans Tapestry tells the story of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s journey from exile to victory on the battlefield in 1745 against the Redcoat British army. It will be on display for free until 20 July. Continue reading Scotland’s ‘medieval cartoon strip’ on display at Scottish Parliament
What areas of the health and sport budget should be prioritised?
Holyrood’s Health and Sport Committee is looking to provide an opportunity for people to have their say on spending priorities before the Scottish Government publishes its draft budget later this year. Continue reading Have your say on health and sport spending
Do you know your zlotys from your forints? And where is the highest bathroom in Europe located? These are examples of some of the taxing questions that may face hundreds of primary six children from all over Scotland who will take over the Scottish Parliament’s Debating Chamber on 15 May. Continue reading School pupils set out to prove they’re top Euroquiz whizz-kids
Scottish Football Association ‘asleep on the job’
A scheme intended to protect children from abuse in sport may not be working and needs to be rectified now, according to a Holyrood parliamentary report. The Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee says there is a compelling case for the current voluntary Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme (PVG) to be made mandatory for all sports organisations in Scotland.
Whilst the report notes that Ministers plan to have new legislation in place by 2019, the Committee believes action needs to be taken now to strengthen the PVG scheme and to ensure ‘unsuitable people’ are prevented from doing regulated work.
The report also calls for a strengthening of the ‘Minimum Operating Requirements’ that sports governing bodies (SPGs) are required to meet in relation to child protection, recommending that future grants from SportScotland to SPGs “be conditional on adequate procedures not only being in place but being timeously adhered to”.
The committee’s inquiry into Child Protection in Sport followed allegations of historical child sexual abuse in football. The inquiry sought assurances that current safeguards in place across football and other sports clubs are such that child sex abuse in sport could not happen today.
On football, the report highlights concerns raised about a backlog of checks waiting to be carried out on coaches and officials working with young players.
MSPs say the Scottish Youth Football Association “misled government officials and the committee in relation to the levels of backlog being experienced since at least August 2016” and that the Scottish Football Association has been “asleep on the job” and complacent.
Neil Findlay MSP, Convener of the Health and Sport Committee, said: “Our evidence highlighted variations in how the PVG scheme operates in sports across Scotland. Ultimately, we believe the current system of PVG checks may not be preventing unsuitable people from doing regulated work with children.
“We’re talking about the safety of children – urgent action is needed now to strengthen the scheme as 2019 is too long to wait for new legislation.
“In relation to football, we have raised serious concerns about the ability of the SYFA to ensure PVG checks are carried out efficiently. We cannot even now be confident that the SYFA is being truthful in relation to the size of their backlog and consequently that as an organisation they are committed to undertaking the appropriate PVG checking expeditiously. We consider the SFA to have been asleep on the job and continuingly complacent in this area. Based on the information provided, we are left with concerns about the current protections being afforded to youth footballers in Scotland.”
The committee noted the relationship between the SFA and SYFA and the measures being adopted to ensure child protection policies are in place. However, the report goes on to say:
“A soft touch approach may have been previously warranted, however it is clear from the evidence we have received this is no longer applicable. The SFA have, whatever they claim, responsibilities. The current approach is simply not working effectively to protect children and young people in football and in our view the ultimate responsibility for this lies with the SFA as the governing body.”
The report also makes reference to concerns raised in evidence by the Children and Young People’s Commissioner about a “power imbalance” in the relationship between children and football agents acting on behalf of children, pointing out that agents are not covered by the need for child protection checks. The report calls for “this anomaly to be addressed and rectified immediately by the Scottish Government to prevent agents who have not been through the full disclosure procedure having access to and contact with children and young persons”
Edinburgh is one of three colleges ‘facing financial challenges’, according to a report published by the Audit Scotland yesterday. Continue reading Edinburgh College: ‘financial position remains challenging’
A Holyrood committee has called for the public to submit their views on City and Region Deals, as it begins its research into the economic growth deals. Continue reading Are City Region Deals worth the headlines?
The UN Special Rappoteur on the Right to Food, Hilal Elver, visited Scotland for the first time last week, and Ben Macpherson MSP was delighted to welcome her to The Scottish Parliament for a discussion on the Right to Food. Continue reading The right to food: ‘A real chance for Scotland to be a leading nation’
The barriers to participation and the availability of sports facilities across the country were just some of the issues explored as members of the Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee visited facilities in North Edinburgh yesterday. Continue reading A sporting chance: Holyrood comes to North Edinburgh
