Tag: Scottish Parliament

Spotlight on obstacles facing BAME women in the workplace

Better support is needed to help BAME women in the transition from school to the workplace, according to a report issued today by a group taking part in a Scottish Parliament project aimed at increasing women’s involvement in politics.

The Young Women Lead leadership programme has this year explored employment opportunities for women from ethnic minorities considering recruitment, retention and development policies and practices

The report examines routes into employment for BAME women and the role employers play in this process. The report also looks at addressing racism and discrimination, including unconscious bias, in the workplace through diversity networks, raising cultural awareness, flexible working and harassment policies.

It recommends that local authorities promote BAME identifying individuals to senior positions in primary and secondary schools, with representation at the top of organisations key to improving the systems in place.

It is also recommended that the Scottish Government ensure employers collect and use workforce data to benchmark current levels of BAME women within their workplace in order to identify underrepresented populations.

Deputy Presiding Officer Linda Fabiani MSP, who convened the group, said: “With the Black Lives Matter movement demonstrating that the fight for racial equality continues, it is so important that we look to Scotland’s  young people to help us find solutions and push for change.

“I have seen first-hand the commitment and determination of these young women, in the face of a global pandemic, to make a difference in the lives of women across Scotland. They are nothing short of inspirational. I believe the recommendations in this timely report are a step towards creating real change for future generations.

“It has been a highlight of my time as Deputy Presiding Officer to convene the Young Women Lead Committee and I wish all of this year’s participants the utmost success in their future endeavours.”

Speaking as the report was launched, Dr Patrycja Kupiec, CEO of YWCA Scotland – The Young Women’s Movement, said: “This year’s Young Women Lead is the first parliamentary committee in the history of the Scottish Parliament that comprises solely of young women from ethnic minority backgrounds. 

“Investing in diverse leadership is key to building a fairer Scotland for all, and despite challenges brought on by lockdown restrictions, this group of 23 young women have demonstrated that they are a force for change. They have investigated barriers young BAME women experience during transition from education to employment and barriers in the workplace.

“The results of this timely and much needed research are highly relevant for any organisation in the public or private sector looking to implement innovative young women-led solutions to create an equal, diverse and inclusive culture in which young BAME women can thrive and progress.”

 Revati Campbell, Young Women Lead Committee member, said: “This year’s YWL Report is about a really important issue that’s directly affected the lives of every one of the participants in this year’s cohort.

“This is such a distinct issue, often overlooked. I’m so proud of all the work we’ve done to create this report and excited to see it released.”
 
Madeleine Planche, Young Women Lead Committee member, said: “I am so grateful that despite the challenges this year – with the support of our wonderful Parliament team – that our report will be published.

“Everyone is so passionate about this topic and hopefully it will help to create meaningful change.”

Lauryn Mwale, Young Women Lead Committee member, said: “Young Woman Lead was a once in a lifetime experience. The people I met and what they taught me will stay with me forever. I used to call myself apolitical, but this experience has really opened my eyes to the scope and power of government.

“As a young black woman in a country which isn’t my own, it was a great privilege to contribute to the report. Today, Scotland is my home and I am very fortunate to live in a place that appreciates my voice, not in spite of my background but because they see value in my lived experience”.

A Positive View of Our Future

Holyrood’s Festival of Politics starts online tonight

Scotland’s Futures Forum, the Scottish Parliament’s in-house think-tank, has published the findings of its 2030 programme, looking at what sort of country we might become, and what our response might be to the great changes of the next decade and beyond.

The report, which examines the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change, technological innovation and an aging population, will also be debated at the Parliament’s first online Festival of Politics. The event, ‘Scotland 2030: What do we want, and how can we get there?’, opens the Festival today and will be chaired by the Presiding Officer, Rt Hon Ken Macintosh MSP.

The work, which aims to help parliamentarians think about long term challenges, outside of electoral cycles and party politics, found that:

• Around half a million babies are due to be born in Scotland in the 2020s. To give every one of them the best chance in life, fundamental change is required to end child poverty – either through ‘pre-distribution’ or radical redistribution via taxation and spending.
• Technological disruptors such as Uber and Amazon will continue to have an impact on jobs and society. We need a school and lifelong education system that helps people adapt to changing circumstances, giving them the freedom to be creative, to take risks and, on occasion, to fail safely.
• To meet our ambitious targets of net zero carbon emissions by 2045, radical change is required in our working lives. There are clear pathways to a more sustainable future if Scotland switches investment towards sectors and industries that bring long-term benefits.
• Scotland need to make more progress on creating gender equal workplaces. Realities of life for women such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause need to be taken more seriously by employers. Increasing the uptake of paternity leave will also help redress imbalances in the distribution of unpaid work
• Aging and death need to be addressed earlier in life. Most of us will become dependent on other people as we age. We need to tackle the taboo of discussing these things by normalising planning for this inevitability in our 40s and 50s, if we are to support the right care at the end of life.

The forum is also recommending ten ‘ideas for 2030’ to be debated in the Scottish Parliament from the creative suggestions heard during its events.

These include a Scottish island test site for autonomous vehicles, ‘digital havens’ with limited internet access – allowing visitors to switch off from their devices – and a Museum of Failure to show the role of failure in the path to achievement and encourage people to embrace risk.

Speaking ahead of the Festival, Chair of the Forum and Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Ken Macintosh MSP, said: “How we tackle the great issues of the next decade will shape Scotland for generations to come. Climate change, technological advancements and an ageing population all present profound challenges for the country, but also opportunity.

“This report highlights the importance of taking a positive view of the changes we’ll experience by 2030. As the response to the Covid-19 pandemic has shown, people can and do respond positively when life throws up huge challenges. But it has also shown the importance of including people in the process when the decisions on how to respond are made.

“A key part of the Futures Forum’s work, a central theme throughout this programme from all our events, and one of the founding principles on which the Parliament operates, is the importance of including everyone in discussions about our long-term future.

“How we move forward, harness new technologies, create more environmentally sustainable jobs and tackle child poverty are all topics ripe for debate as we look ahead. I am sure it will be a very interesting discussion at this year’s Festival of Politics.”

You can find out more and watch the event in full on the Festival of Politics website here.

The festival takes place from Thursday 19th to Saturday 21st November. The first event starts at 7pm tonight.

Full programme details can be found at the Festival of Politics website.

You can read the full Future’s Forum report, ‘Scotland 2030: A Positive View of Our Future’, here.

Visit Scotland’s Futures Forum at: http://www.scotlandfutureforum.org/

Ethnic employability gap in public sector ‘unacceptable’, says Holyrood Committee

MSPs call for action to tackle ‘institutional racism’ in public sector employment

MSPs have called for public bodies to be compelled to publish employee ethnicity pay data to address “institutional racism” and tackle the “unacceptable” levels of unemployment and in-work poverty among minority ethnic communities in Scotland.

Holyrood’s Equalities and Human Rights Committee, which has been investigating what actions are being taken to make sure minority ethnic communities have parity of employment and career progression, urged public authorities to produce an action plan to increase the number of people they employ from minority ethnic communities and reduce the ethnicity pay gap in their organisations.

The focus of the Committee’s inquiry was employers covered by the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010, which includes large employers like local authorities, health boards as well as other public bodies.

Removal of the barriers faced by black and minority ethnic groups in accessing employment opportunities is key to addressing inequalities in housing, health, education, and participation in public life.

The Committee heard evidence that, despite various initiatives, recruitment, retention and progression of minority ethnic groups in the workplace had regressed over the last two decades and that there was a resistance on the part of employers to acknowledge the existence of institutional racism and its effects.

MSPs made a series of recommendations to address the issues highlighted by the inquiry. In a report published today, the Committee called for more use of “positive actions” to address under-representation of minority ethnic communities in the public sector workforce, and new regulations to require public bodies to publish their ethnicity pay gap, with an action plan to deliver identified outcomes with associated timescales.

Committee Convener, Ruth Maguire MSP, said: “The inquiry heard evidence that unemployment and in-work poverty remains disproportionately higher for people from minority ethnic communities than it is in the majority of the population. We are seriously concerned by the lack of progress in tackling this issue.

“It is extremely disappointing and frustrating that we regularly have to revisit this issue, and it’s little wonder that during our inquiry we heard many witnesses and representatives of black and minority ethnic communities refer to ‘consultation fatigue’.

“From the evidence we heard, there is a sense that many employers prefer to look outwards rather than inwards; as though the issue lies with the minority ethnic communities, when the reality is that the issue lies with the public authorities themselves.

“It is evident that a key factor within this is the failure of the leaders of public authorities to acknowledge the existence of institutional racism and, in so doing, failing to act to deliver a culture shift within their organisations.

“The Committee is unanimously of the view that, despite all the mechanisms at the disposal of public authorities, including their equality duties and responsibilities, the ethnicity employment gap remains unacceptable and much more needs to be done to reduce the ethnicity pay gap, so we see more minority ethnic people in senior positions.”

Ms Maguire added: “Leaders of public authorities need to be accountable for their organisations’ record on employment of ethnic minority people. They must demonstrate leadership in this area. Now is the time for them to take concerted, definitive action.
 
“To address the lack of progress to date and decades of damage, our report recommends that public sector employers prioritise employment from minority ethnic communities within their strategic plans. We also recommend the Scottish Government regulates to ensure public authorities publish their ethnicity pay gap figures and set out actions to deliver improvements within an agreed timeframe.

“We sincerely hope that our successor committee will not have to revisit this subject, unless it is to reflect on the result of positive action, accountability, and eradication of institutional racism in Scotland.”

A summary of written evidence in response to the Committee’s call for views has been published on its webpage. The committee also held oral evidence sessions throughout September 2020.

Scottish Parliament’s Economy Committee publishes report on the impact of COVID-19 on Scotland’s economy

The Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee has today published its interim report on the impact that COVID-19 has had on the economy in Scotland.

Over the summer, the Committee sought written evidence on four key strands of their inquiry:

• Impact on businesses and workers
• Role of the enterprise agencies and SNIB
• Plans for economic recovery (including scrutiny of the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery (AGER) report)
• Impact on young people.

The report published today is the result of focus groups and evidence sessions where the Committee heard about struggles that are being faced due to COVID-19.

Commenting, Committee Convener Gordon Lindhurst MSP said: “This is an extremely difficult time for many businesses and workers. They play a central role to life in Scotland, providing vital services and the revenue to fund public services.

The Committee would like to thank Scotland’s businesses and workers for their resilience and hard work throughout the pandemic and to acknowledge the trying times that many are facing.”

“More than ever our economy needs to be understood and given a helping hand and the work the Committee has been doing has had the aim of reaching out to those that need help and provide them a voice.”

While the Committee has published its report today, it is still welcoming evidence from stakeholders who have been affected by COVID-19.

Gordon Lindhurst MSP added: “The Committee is particularly concerned about the impact on the pandemic on young people; for example, there has been a severe drop in the number of young people starting Modern Apprenticeships for the period April to June 2020 (which fell by 80% over the year). ”

“Every effort must be made to support young people at this time; the Scottish Government must invite young people to participate in developing policies to help them at this critical time in their lives”

The published report can be found here

Change law to guarantee all publicans a decent living, Scottish Government urged

The Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee has published its report into legislation proposed by Labour MSP Neil Bibby to govern the relationship between tied pub tenants and pub-owning businesses. 

The Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill is being backed by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, which is calling on the Scottish Government and all parties in the Scottish Parliament to vote for the legislation when it is debated later this month. 

Licensees in Scotland are currently exempt from regulations that are in place across the rest of Great Britain which stop large pub companies from taking more than is fair or sustainable from pub profits by forcing licensees to buy their beer from them rather than on the open market. 

Responding to the publication of the Scottish Parliament Committee’s report, CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said: “CAMRA is calling on Business Minister Jamie Hepburn and the Scottish Government to do the right thing and give their backing to the Tied Pubs Bill when it is debated later this month.

“This Bill will create, in law, a powerful pubs code to guarantee tied pub tenants are treated fairly and can earn a decent living. 

“Scottish Government support for this legislation would be very warmly welcomed by both consumers and the licenced trade as a positive move to help pubs, publicans and pub-goers, after weeks and months of harsh restrictions which are devastating the industry. 

“Just a few weeks ago Heineken’s pub arm, Star Pubs and Bars, were fined £2 million by England and Wales’ Pubs Code Adjudicator for serious and repeated breaches of the pubs code. But despite being headquartered in Edinburgh, their Scottish tenants don’t have similar protections to stop pub companies taking more than is fair or sustainable from tied licensees’ profits or make it harder to sell a range of locally-brewed products in their pubs. 

“The Scottish Government must now take this opportunity to change the law so that tied pub tenants here have the same protections as those south of the border.” 

More than half of home care was reduced or stopped completely as a result of pandemic, survey reveals

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on home care has been revealed following an online survey by the Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee.

Published yesterday, the survey found that 54% of recipients of home care saw their care either reduced or stopped completely. In one instance, a respondent reported having their care stopped for more than six months.  Reduction in care was a recurring theme from respondents with families feeling that they were “left to get on with it”.

The survey, which ran during August and September, sought to hear the experiences of both carers and care recipients during the pandemic. Key concerns raised include: 

  • In the event of a second wave, the most important issue for those surveyed was safety. They told us it was vital to have access to appropriate PPE as well as frequent testing, and that carers should receive adequate training in both infection control and social distancing.
  • Additional pressures and a loss of routine led to increased anxiety for unpaid carers, who stressed the need for respite. Respondents felt “mentally exhausted” and “frightened to let staff back into their homes”. 
  • It was agreed that there needs to be greater recognition of unpaid carers who were often “left to pick up the slack”. There were calls for more support and financial help as well as a ‘professionalisation’ of the system, with a move towards a professional career model.
  • A fear of services shutting down again left respondents feeling determined to “not be forgotten about” or “left to manage entirely on [their] own”.  They called for the continuity of care services and care packages to remain in place in the event of future outbreaks.

Speaking as the findings of the survey were published, Committee Convener Lewis Macdonald MSP said: “The first wave of Covid-19 had a devastating impact on the social care sector in Scotland.

“Now that we’re in the midst of a second wave, and continuing national restrictions, it is vital that we hear the voices of home care workers and those receiving care at home across the country. These findings are deeply concerning suggesting over 50% of those receiving care at home saw their care reduced or stopped completely during the pandemic.

“Other concerns raised around mental health, safety, and the prospect of care shutting down again, make it clear that things must improve. 

“The Committee recognises the hard work of carers, paid and unpaid, who have gone above and beyond during this unprecedented challenge and we also want to thank all those who took part in the survey for sharing their experiences in what are still very difficult times.”

Scottish Government must measure impact of cancelling non-urgent care, says Holyrood Committee

The Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee has called on the Government to measure the consequences of cancelling all non-urgent care at the height of the pandemic. They say this must be done as a matter of urgency with the pandemic continuing to impact every aspect of the health service.

In the Committee’s pre-budget report, they looked into the wider impact of Covid-19 upon individuals’ health and their use of the health service, with the pandemic causing a huge reduction in those seeking use of these services.

Figures suggest just under 60,000 planned operations took place in Scottish hospitals from March to August of this year, compared to 168,000 over the same period in 2019. The Committee has said detail must be provided on when the backlog of NHS work caused by the pandemic will be resolved.

The Committee express concern about the large degree of uncertainty over budgeting for current and future years caused by Covid-19 and are seeking more detail on the implications for longer term funding plans.

In a wide-ranging pre-budget report, the Committee highlight that health and social care spend accounts for over 50% of the Scottish budget, but there is currently no coherent attempt to identify the outcomes of this spending. The Committee say this makes it difficult to tell whether the taxpayer is receiving value for money.

The Committee also criticise the current budget process whereby Integration Authorities, who account for £9billion of health and social care spending, do not provide basic budget details until six months into the financial year to which the budget relates.

Lewis Macdonald MSP, Convener of the Health and Sport Committee, said: “Covid-19 has caused a huge disruption to many NHS patients and treatments with Public Health Scotland data revealing hospital admissions, attendances at A&E departments, and people attending out of hours services all falling to around half the average levels seen in 2018-19.

“As the pandemic continues to impact every aspect of our health service, the consequences of cancelling all non-urgent care must be measured and the backlog of treatments and waiting lists resolved as quickly and safely as possible.

“The pandemic has created a huge degree of uncertainty over current and future health and social care budgets and we are keen to be given more detail on the long-term implications of this uncertainty.

“We are also surprised at the lack of information available on potential NHS savings caused by the large number of services which ceased operating during lockdown.

“Since the arrival of the pandemic we have seen a remarkable reduction in delayed discharge numbers and there have been welcome innovations across the health service to help respond to this crisis, but the challenge now is to continue these successes and to ensure we do not revert to the old way of working.”

The report also looks into the impact of the pandemic on GP practices. Concerns are raised by the Committee about evidence received which suggested some GPs were refusing to see patients as a result of the pandemic.

The Committee has said there must be consistency in service delivery and accessibility across all GP practices.

The Committee also calls on the Scottish Government to provide detail on how GP workload has been affected by the pandemic, saying the introduction of community hubs inevitably leads to questions of what GPs have been doing during the coronavirus crisis. Similar questions are asked about non-emergency NHS staff.

The Covid-19 international travel and quarantine regulations were also scrutinised by the Committee and they have recommended that all passengers arriving into Scotland should be tested for the virus as a health protection measure and to potentially shorten the length of quarantine periods.

MSPs on the Committee have said identifying, checking and tracing those persons subject to quarantine should be given the highest priority and the numbers being followed up must be substantially increased beyond current target figures.

The full report is attached.

A comprehensive route-map on Green Recovery is essential for Scotland, says Holyrood’s Environment Committee

The creation of a comprehensive route-map to a green recovery from Covid-19, with policy and budgetary coherence at its heart, must be a key priority for the Scottish Government, according to Holyrood’s Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee.

In its Green Recovery report published today, alongside its pre-Budget Scrutiny 2021/22 report, the Committee states that we need an integrated, bold approach to recovery that is based on community cohesion, wellbeing and equality and transcends sectoral boundaries.

The Committee recommends a green recovery route-map is needed to signpost the way: with clear timelines, clear responsibilities for delivery across all parts of the public sector and clear delivery plans for each sector.

Budgetary alignment with the responsibilities is vital, as is regular reporting (to the Parliament, and to the people) and the route-map should enable a shared understanding of where we want to be – the vision.

Importantly, the reports also call for an increased commitment and front-loaded financial resourcing of efforts aimed at the recovery from Covid-19.

The Committee goes further to recommend that new policies, proposals and public spend must meet certain tests to ensure that they are aligned to the delivery of strategic goals. It says that to date there has been a lack of policy coherence, which has undermined objectives and the delivery of outcomes.

To this end, the reports lay out substantive recommendations for action which are “often interlinked and overlapping – and to maximise their benefits, need to be delivered together, and with urgency”.

Speaking as the reports were launched, Committee Convener, Gillian Martin MSP, said: “The cross-cutting nature of the challenges presented by Covid-19 and the climate and ecological crisis represents a whole system challenge never witnessed before.

“Yet through Covid, Scotland has seen first-hand how a coherent route-map approach, combined with strong leadership, can affect the necessary change in our policies and behaviour and with the urgency needed.

“Scotland must use this impetus, and the opportunities presented in both the Budget 2021-22 and the Climate Change Plan update, to create a net-zero emissions economy.

“So much needs to be done and done now. We need to capture and lock in positive behaviours, front-load investment in low-carbon solutions and build resilience through valuing nature more.

“We need to tackle the implementation gap, where solutions have already been identified but not applied, and deal with policy incoherence, where parts of Government, and the wider public sector, are not working collaboratively.

“Underpinning this, we must focus on people, innovation, skills and jobs. Financial support for a green recovery must also be significantly increased, front loaded and be conditional on delivering national outcomes around the climate and biodiversity emergencies.

“Our Committee took onboard extensive evidence during the inquiry and our recommendations should provide a solid springboard for the swift action needed to deliver a truly green recovery for Scotland – a recovery where no-one is left behind.”

Amongst its key recommendations, the Committee has called on the Scottish Government to:

  • Repurpose the Inter-Ministerial Group on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development and the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Climate Change, as a green recovery group to drive the Green Recovery across the public and private sector – to be chaired by the First Minister.
  • Implement a communication and reporting plan to include regular addresses on roles, expectations, progress and next steps (to Parliament and the Nation) by the First Minister, Cabinet colleagues and those providing the evidence and advice.
  • Review the founding legislation for all public bodies to ensure that responding to the climate and ecological crises is at the centre of statutory requirements placed on all those receiving public sector funding.
  • Carry out a skills audit and produce a skills action plan which offers upskilling and reskilling to those who need it, so people transition into low carbon, green jobs with no gap in employment.
  • Work with the UK Government to co-ordinate and finance a sufficiently large investment stimulus.
  • Ensure low carbon capital investments are delivered through green jobs to support recovery – by front-loading spend in the Budget 2021-22 and through multi-year spending plans such as the Infrastructure Investment Plan and Capital Spending Review.
  • Bring forward a Natural Capital Plan for Scotland, establish a natural capital baseline with monitoring reports to check progress and align plans for job creation with the need for nature-based solutions/natural capital enhancement.
  • Set out a green investment strategy and increase the level of assets available to the Scottish National Investment Bank for lending.
  • Establish an enterprise fund to provide financial support including grants and low-cost loans, to support business models that have emerged as a result of innovation during lock-down.
  • Support capacity building in communities and prioritise and fund the creation of community work hubs attached to childcare facilities and community spaces.

The Scottish Parliament has released a podcast which provides detail about the Green Recovery & Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2021/22 inquiry process along with commentary from Committee Convener, Gillian Martin MSP on the specific recommendations being made in the reports (15m/55 secs into podcast) –  https://scottishparliament.podbean.com/

Human rights should be central to budget decisions post-Covid, say MSPs

A Holyrood Committee has called on the Scottish Government to set out how it intends to address the disproportionately negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on protected groups, such as women and young people as well as disabled people and black and minority ethnic communities, in its post-Covid economic recovery plan.

As part of the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities and Human Rights Committee pre-budget scrutiny, MSPs heard evidence from a range of organisations on the financial implications of Covid-19 on local authorities and third sector equalities organisations and how health and social inequalities exacerbated by Covid-19 can be addressed in Scotland’s economic recovery.

In a letter to the Minister for Older People and Equalities, Christina McKelvie MSP, the Committee called for human rights-based approach to budgeting, with more effective targeting of resources.

Committee Convener, Ruth Maguire MSP said: “The Committee is acutely aware that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing health and social inequalities, increasing the demand on third sector support services and, as the crisis continues, placing increased pressure on public services.

“We are therefore asking the Scottish Government to commit to providing further financial support for the third sector in the longer-term to take pressure away from public services, over and above the emergency funding provided.

“An equality and human rights-based approach to public spending, grounded in high quality evidence and placed at the heart of decision-making, should be the cornerstone of this year’s budget. This would give the Committee confidence that already disadvantaged people would not be forgotten, that there would not be unintended consequences, and equalities impacts could be properly addressed.

“We are calling on the Scottish Government to clearly set out the specific actions it intends to take in its Economic Implementation Recovery Plan to address the gendered impact of the pandemic, as well as for other protected groups such as disabled, BME and young people.

“The Committee is also seeking assurance that childcare will be treated as an economic issue and that the role of unpaid carers more generally will be translated into actions in the Recovery Plan.”

MSPs acknowledged that the Scottish Government had introduced new measures to monitor the impact of spending decisions on sex, race, disability and socio‑economic disadvantage, but heard evidence that Scotland was falling behind compared with international comparators.

The letter states: “The Committee very much hopes the new measures put in place by the Scottish Government will have the desired impact, however, we recognise we are coming to the end of the Parliamentary session and so it will be for another committee to continue to scrutinise whether these measures have worked.

“For this reason, the Committee intends in its legacy report to emphasise in the strongest terms to the future committee that if there has not been significant change on mainstreaming, the new committee should consider whether legislating is a viable option to promote change more quickly.”

The full letter is available here.

Review group calls for tighter control of fireworks

An expert group that includes police, fire and animal welfare representatives has called for the introduction of no fireworks zones and tighter restrictions on the purchase and use of fireworks.  

The independent Firework Review Group has submitted its final report to Ministers, urging a fundamental shift in the way fireworks are bought and used.

The call comes following widespread public support across Scotland to reduce the negative impact of fireworks.

The group, chaired by former Chief Fire Officer Alasdair Hay, has recommended a number of measures be taken forward, including:

  • the introduction of mandatory conditions when fireworks are purchased from retailers
  • restricting the times of day fireworks can be sold and volume of fireworks that can be purchased at any one time
  • restricting the days and times fireworks can be set off
  • the introduction of no firework areas or zones
  • the creation of a proxy purchasing offence to prevent adults from buying fireworks on behalf of those under the age of 18

Responding to the report, Community Safety Minister Ash Denham told Parliament: “I welcome and fully endorse these recommendations and thank Alasdair Hay and the members of the Review Group for their diligent work, especially in recent months during the pandemic.

“We are determined to keep all of Scotland’s communities safe from the harmful use of fireworks and the group’s findings will help us achieve that.

“I will now explore how these recommendations can be implemented, within the powers available to Parliament, and bring forward legislation to make these a reality.

“With Bonfire Night approaching, it is vital the public continues to adhere to the rules on meeting up with other households to help stop the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

“If someone does plan on using fireworks I would urge them to please do so responsibly and safely and to be mindful of their neighbours.

“I would also ask them to consider the various harmful impacts the noise of fireworks can have, including on our veterans, those with sensory issues and on our pets and livestock. Adapting alternative celebrations and sticking to the rules in place can go a huge way to ensuring everyone’s safety.”

Chair of the Review Group Alasdair Hay said: “I am pleased to set out the recommendations from the Firework Review Group.  We have carefully considered the available evidence, and believe a step change is needed in how fireworks are accessed and used by the general public. 

“This is not to prevent adults using fireworks sensibly and safely – rather, to ensure all safety requirements are fully understood and adhered to, and the impact on others has been fully considered.”

Firework Review Group: Report to the Scottish Government.

Community Safety Minister Ash Denham’s full statement to parliament.