The services that schools and local authorities provide to children and young people with additional support needs will be scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee.
More than a third of children and young people in Scotland’s public and grant-maintained schools have an identified additional support need. Working under the direction of the Scottish Government’s policies, local authorities are responsible for identifying, providing and reviewing the additional support needs of children and young people.
The Committee is launching its inquiry with a call for people to share their experiences of how services are provided to people with additional support needs. The Committee is keen to hear from parents, teachers, support staff, carers, pupils themselves and support organisations.
The inquiry will consider how Scottish legislation that aimed to support children and young people, including 2004’s Additional Support for Learning Act, has been implemented and is working in practice.
The Committee is particularly interested in hearing views about the presumption that children and young people should receive a ‘mainstream education’, which aims to ensure they could be included alongside their peers; the impact of COVID-19 on the availability of additional support; and what happens when people are in dispute with their local authority over the services provided to a child or young person.
Sue Webber MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, said: “Earlier this year, the Additional Support for Learning Project Board told us about its role in improving the support that is available for children with additional support needs, but it acknowledged that there is not a quick fix to the recommendations laid out by the Morgan Review.
“We would like to hear what people with additional support needs, parents and carers, teachers and support organisations make of the current system and the services that local authorities and schools provide.
“If you have experience of accessing additional support for learning in mainstream education or a specialist unit, views on the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery of additional support for learning, or have been involved in discussions about the support a child or young person receives, please get in touch.”
The Committee’s call for views, which is now open, will close on 31 December 2023. Variations of the call for views are available in an Easy Read format and British Sign Language.
The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee is seeking views on a new Bill which would establish ‘safe access zones’ around locations where abortion services are provided, what it calls ‘protected premises’.
If passed, the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Scotland Bill, introduced by Gillian Mackay MSP, would make it an offence to behave in certain ways within a safe access zone.
Examples of behaviour that could be considered an offence include influencing a person’s decision to access services, preventing them from accessing those services, or causing harassment or distress while doing so.
The Bill also makes it an offence for someone within 200 metres of protected premises but not on public land (and so not within the safe access zone) to act in a way that might result in pressure or distress for someone within a safe access zone who is accessing abortion services.
Fines of up to £10,000 could be issued for those convicted of disrupting people within safe access zones attempting to access abortion services. However, in very serious cases, there would be no limit on the fine.
The Bill also creates provision for future protected premises to be created, and for the safe access zone radius surrounding a protected premises to be extended or reduced, if appropriate.
Speaking as the call for views was launched, Clare Haughey MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said: “We recognise the strength of feeling about this Bill. As a Committee we always aim to consider any Bill or issue in a careful, balanced and thorough way.
“We are committed to ensuring we scrutinise this Bill in detail so that we can hear and consider all views.
“The Bill’s stated aim is to ensure that people can access abortion services without fear of, and free from, intimidation, harassment or public judgement.
“We want to hear views from individuals and organisations on whether they agree with the proposals within this Bill and if they would welcome the changes it would bring about.”
A Bill that seeks to improve disabled children and young people’s transition to adulthood would not fully achieve its aims, according to report from Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee.
The Committee has been scrutinising the Disabled, Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill.
While the Committee is supportive of the aims of the Bill, it is not convinced that it will resolve the issues being experienced by disabled young people.
During its inquiry, the Committee repeatedly heard about the challenges faced by disabled young people and their families. They said they often did not feel they were listened to by professionals, found there was nobody to take the lead on transitions and felt there was a disconnect between children’s and adult services.
Furthermore, many witnesses, including professionals working to support disabled young people, characterised the current legislative landscape as complex, cluttered and difficult to navigate.
The Committee heard that whilst the Bill sought to address this, several aspects of the Bill risked inadvertently complicating this landscape further.
The Committee recognises, however, that doing nothing is not an option and makes a series of recommendations setting out which changes to current practice are urgently required.
During its inquiry, the Committee was also told that existing legislation and policies suffered from an ‘implementation gap’ due to limitations in resources, inconsistent practices, organisational cultures and difficulties with information sharing.
Commenting on the publication of the report, Sue Webber MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, said: “We want to see the support available for disabled children and young people’s transition to adulthood improve and commend the Member for her work in bringing forward this legislation.
“This Bill has shone a light on the challenges faced by disabled young people and their families.
“However, the views we heard during our inquiry were clear. The Bill is unlikely to resolve the substantial issues that families with disabled young people are facing. The Scottish Government must urgently act to fix these issues.”
Martin Whitfield MSP dissented from the following sentence within the report: “However, for the reasons set out in this report, the Committee is not convinced that the general principles should be agreed.”
Reduction in people receiving alcohol treatment in Lothian
A 1,000 fewer people receiving treatment compared to eight years ago
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for Lothian Miles Briggs says the fall in the number of people starting alcohol treatment in NHS Lothian over the last decade is “deeply troubling.”
Figures obtained by Scottish Conservative MSP Miles Briggs, from SNP Drugs and Alcohol Minister Elena Whitham, show that across Scotland the number receiving treatment has fallen by a staggering 40 per cent.
In 2013/14, 32,556 accessed alcohol treatment programmes, but by 2021/22 that figure had dropped to 19,617.
In Lothian there has been a 30% percentage drop in those accessing programme.
In 2013/14 in Lothian 3303 accessed programmes, but in 2021/22 that figure stood at only 2303 – a drop of 1000 people.
These figures follow news that the highest number of Scots since 2008 have lost their lives to alcohol in the last year at 1,276.
In the light of these figures, Mr. Briggs has now demanded that SNP ministers back the Right to Recovery Bill in Parliament.
That would enshrine in law a right to access treatment for anyone in Scotland who needs it most.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Miles Briggs said: “The drop in the number of people accessing alcohol treatment programme in Lothian is something I find deeply troubling.
“It is a shameful reflection of how the SNP have mishandled Scotland’s problems with alcohol that there has been a 30% decrease in the numbers accessing treatment programmes since 2013/14.
“This fall is replicated right across the country, and it is astounding that SNP ministers would allow treatment places to be so dramatically reduced at a time when alcohol deaths across the country are at their highest level since 2008.
“This latest example of incompetence will come as no surprise to anyone witness to the SNP’s failure to tackle Scotland’s drug death emergency, and once again it is the most deprived people in Lothian that these cuts are harming the most.
“These concerning findings only reaffirm the need for SNP ministers to finally back the Right to Recovery Bill.
“This legislation would enshrine in law the right for those suffering from addiction in Lothian to receive potentially life-saving treatment and has been backed by frontline experts and charities.
“I will continue to put pressure on the SNP-Green government to give this bill their backing, so it becomes law as quickly as possible.”
Ayrshire and Arran: 2013/14 (4777 patients received treatment) 2021/22 (1546 patients received treatment)- decrease of 13%
Borders: 2013/14 (431 patients received treatment) 2021/22 (310 patients received treatment) Down 28%
Dumfries and Galloway 2013/14 (922 patients received treatment) 2021/22 (918 patients received treatment) Down 0.4%
Fife 2013/14 (1635 patients received treatment) 2021/22 (1092 patients received treatment) Down 38%
Forth Valley 2013/14 (1491 patients received treatment) 2021/22 (773 patients received treatment) Down 48%
Grampian 2013/14 (1761 patients received treatment) 2021/22 (1214 patients received treatment) Down 31%
Greater Glasgow and Clyde 2013/14 (11895 patients received treatment) 2021/22 (4901 patients received treatment) Down 59%
Highland 2013/14 (1531 patients received treatment) 2021/22 (735 patients received treatment) Down 52%
Lanarkshire 2013/14 (5727 patients received treatment) 2021/22 (4789 patients received treatment) Down 16%
Lothian 2013/14 (3303 patients received treatment) 2021/22 (2303 patients received treatment) Down 30%
Orkney 2013/14 (54 patients received treatment) 2021/22 (23 patients received treatment) Down 57%
Shetland 2013/14 (73 patients received treatment) 2021/22 (54 patients received treatment) Down 26%
Tayside 2013/14 (1651 patients received treatment) 2021/22 (912 patients received treatment) Down 44%
Western Isles 2013/14 (305 patients received treatment) 2021/22 (47 patients received treatment) Down 84%
Last week at the Scottish Parliament, Lothian MSP Miles Briggs called on SNP and Green Ministers to progress the A720 Sherrifhall roundabout.
At the start of February this year a Public Local Inquiry was carried out, to address objections which were received in relation to the project.
In his question, Mr Briggs asked if the Scottish Government has received any recommendations from the independent reporter.
In response, Minister for Transport Fiona Hyslop, said: “The Scottish Government has not yet received any recommendations from the independent reporter regarding the A720 Sherrifhall roundabout following that public inquiry, held between the 31st January and the 8th February 2023.”
Mr Briggs has previously called on SNP and Green Ministers to make progress on upgrades to the junction, with £120 million being earmarked for the project as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.
The announcement on Thursday by Audit Scotland that the Scottish Government will not meet their infrastructure goals has raised concerns over the delivery of the project.
Lothian MSP Miles’ Briggs said: “I am disappointed to hear that and I think that people across Edinburgh and the Lothians and the South of Scotland as well, will really be wanting to see when those will be given to Ministers and how fast we can see this progress, because we need the A720 Sherrifhall roundabout to be upgraded.
“It is now over five years since the Sherrifhall Roundabout was included in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. We need to see this upgrade urgently progressed.”
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Meghan Gallacher MSP yesterday (Wednesday) launched her Proposed Desecration of War Memorials Prevention Scotland Members Bill for consultation at Holyrood.
The legislation would ensure that attacks on war memorials – which have been on the rise over the last decade – are actively discouraged by amending vandalism law to recognise the desecration of these monuments as a specific offence, which would bring Scotland into line with England and Wales.
The consultation will run from now until December 19.
In the early hours of Monday 14th November the war memorial in front of Edinburgh City Council was vandalised in what was a mindless act of vandalism.
Miles Briggs asked an FMQ at the Scottish Parliament that Thursday describing the incident as an “absolutely appalling insult to our fallen war heroes”.
Groups including the Friends of Dennistoun War Memorial have campaigned tirelessly for this legislation, which has also secured the support of veterans’ organisations, past and present British Armed Forces personnel – including Simon Weston – veterans campaigners, community action groups, and leading veteran charities.
Miles Briggs is now encouraging people to make their views known through the consultation so that Scotland’s War Memorials will receive the protection that they deserve.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“I fully support my colleague Meghan Gallacher’s proposed bill to protect our war memorials in Scotland.
“Vandalising war memorials is an abhorrent act and those who damage these memorials should be punished appropriately.
“I encourage everyone in the Lothians to engage with this consultation to prevent our war memorials from being vandalised .”
People from across Scotland are being invited to the Scottish Parliament’s first Summit to celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Holyrood.
Taking place on Saturday 25 November and in partnership with the Cross-Party Group on Disability it will be held just ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities (Saturday 3 December). It is hoped it will bring hundreds of people together both in Edinburgh and online.
The event will recognise and value the role disabled people play in our society whilst also focusing on some of the barriers that continue to exist.
It will feature a number of speakers including Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE, a renowned athlete and a multi-gold medal winner in Paralympic sport and Jim Elder-Woodward OBE, a disabled activist and prominent campaigner for equality and human rights.
The Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer, the Rt. Hon Alison Johnstone MSP who will chair the Summit said: “The Scottish Parliament is here for everyone across Scotland, but we know that for some people there are barriers that can make it harder to access and get involved in the work we do.
“This Summit is an opportunity for us to come together, share experiences and learn from each other. It also provides a platform to discuss what can be done to help more people overcome barriers that still exist.”
Jeremy Balfour MSP, Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Disability said: “‘I am very excited about this event. It is the first the Scottish Parliament has held this type of event for the disabled community.
“I hope it will be a positive opportunity for individuals to learn and celebrate together”.
Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP, Deputy Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Disability said: “Too often disabled people are shut out of decisions that affect them. There should be nothing about us, without us and so I’m excited we’re opening the Parliament to bring disabled people from across Scotland, right into the room where it happens.
“The Scottish Parliament is everyone’s Parliament and I can’t wait to look across the chamber for the first time and see all the glorious diversity and talent of the disabled people of Scotland looking back at us. It really will be a moment for celebration and I’m proud that we’re able to do it”.
To register your interest in attending in person or online, please go to:
Holyrood to reconsider UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Bill
The Scottish Parliament has agreed to consider amendments to the legislation that will incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law.
The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill requires Scotland’s public authorities to protect children’s rights in their decision-making. It also allows for children, young people and their representatives to use the courts to enforce their rights.
The Bill was passed unanimously in 2021 but certain provisions within it were later ruled outwith the Scottish Parliament’s legislative competence at the Supreme Court.
Proposed changes will mean that public authorities will be required to comply with the UNCRC requirements only when delivering devolved functions conferred by or under Acts of the Scottish Parliament or under common law powers.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Our priority is to provide the greatest protection that we can to children’s rights.
“The amendments that will now be considered will ensure that the Bill protects children’s rights in the most effective way within our devolved powers.
“This is an important milestone in ensuring that we are a country that fully respects, protects and fulfils children’s rights. However, without the political commitment of the UK Government to legislate for children’s rights we are limited in what we can achieve.
“The simplest way to secure the greatest protection for children’s rights would be for our counterparts in Westminster to incorporate the UNCRC into UK law.”
A Holyrood Committee has published a new report highlighting the challenges in supporting culture to thrive within communities across Scotland.
The report from the Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee found that while progress has been made in implementing a place-based approach to culture, there are still “several significant challenges” facing local and national government that need to be addressed to “realise the ambitions” of the Scottish Government’s culture strategy.
The Committee concluded that the “cross-cutting” nature of the challenges facing Scotland’s culture sector requires “a whole-system approach” across different levels of government.
During the inquiry the Committee gathered evidence on best practice and barriers to cultural participation within different communities across Scotland, with visits to Wester Hailes and Craigmillar , Dumfries, and Orkney.
Members also heard from a wide range of stakeholders, many of which agreed on the importance of cultural work being grounded in local communities, as outlined in the Scottish Government’s culture strategy.
The report’s findings outline the need for “much greater prioritisation in practice” being placed on community-led culture, which it says should be “at the heart” of the sector.
It also suggests the potential of existing community empowerment mechanisms, which could be used to improve place-based cultural delivery at the local level.
The Committee also noted that the funding of community-based cultural organisations and projects, local government cultural services, and of publicly owned community spaces where cultural activity can take place have all been put under pressure.
The financial constraints within the current economic environment are identified as posing a “significant challenge” to the successful implementation of place-based cultural policies, with the Committee calling on the Scottish Government to set out how it will “accelerate the implementation of innovative approaches to the funding of the culture sector”, an issue it will pursue further through its forthcoming pre-budget scrutiny.
The Committee also raised its concerns that some cultural and community assets were said to be becoming “less available, less affordable, and at risk of closure”, recognising that “the loss of community spaces is likely to impact on the access to culture for those communities”.
The report urges the Scottish Government to address these challenges and incorporate the Committee’s findings and recommendations into the forthcoming refresh of the Culture Strategy Action Plan and Budget 2024-25.
Commenting on the report, Committee Convener, Clare Adamson MSP said:“Through our work on this inquiry, we have seen first-hand the positive impact of place-based cultural work in communities across Scotland.
“Support for community-led culture can help enrich the cultural landscape and further empower local communities, particularly those which face the greatest barriers to participating in cultural life.
“However, the Committee’s report has clearly demonstrated that while progress has been made, there are significant challenges facing both national and local government in delivering Scotland’s ambitions for a place-based approach to culture.
“We urge the Scottish Government to take our findings and recommendations on board as it refines its forthcoming Culture Strategy Action Plan and its Budget for 2024-25 to ensure that culture can thrive in our local communities.”
Unleashing the Power of the People: Holyrood Committee urges bold moves to enhance public participation
A Holyrood Committee which has been considering how the public engages with the Scottish Parliament has published a new report which makes a series of recommendations on removing barriers to participation, embedding deliberative democracy and establishing regular ‘Citizen’s Panels’ to support the scrutiny work of the Parliament.
The Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee (CPPPC) undertook a year-long inquiry into Public Participation, recognising that the views of some groups and marginalised communities across Scotland weren’t being heard enough in the Parliament.
The inquiry focussed on what more could be done to bring the Parliament closer to the people and how to improve wider public participation in parliamentary scrutiny.
To assist the inquiry, the Committee established its own “Citizens’ Panel” – a group of 19 people from across Scotland who were asked: “How can the Scottish Parliament ensure that diverse voices and communities from all parts of Scotland influence our work?”
The Panel met over two weekends in late 2022 and made 17 recommendations which were published in the Committee’s interim report.
Following this, the Committee concluded that the Parliament should use Citizens’ Panels more regularly to help committees with scrutiny work as they give the public a greater voice and can help achieve consensus on difficult issues.
The Committee has recommended that the Parliament should hold two further Citizens’ Panel pilots this session, one undertaking post-legislative scrutiny and the other looking at a live political issue.
Following these panels, the Committee will then review how well they worked before seeking to suggest a more permanent model that the Parliament can adopt after the 2026 election.
The Committee recommends that, each time a Panel is set up to help a committee with an inquiry as recommended, the subsequent report should be debated in the Parliament Chamber, with Panel members invited to watch from the public gallery.
As well as considering how future Citizens’ Panels might work, the Committee has considered other ways that people can find out what the Parliament is doing, and how to get involved. Some of the ideas it looked at came from the recommendations made by its own Citizens’ Panel.
The Committee agreed with the need to reduce the barriers to public participation with the Parliament and supported additional recommendations including:
paying people back if they have to take time off work or pay for childcare to engage
translating information into other languages, or making it easier to read
making it easier for people to engage in the evenings or at weekends, or by using online tools
considering a review of citizenship education in schools
Throughout the inquiry, the CPPPC examined various mechanisms for citizen engagement and looked at how “Citizens’ Assemblies” at varying levels of government were being implemented and operated in other European countries including Belgium, France and Ireland.
Committee members also considered suggestions for broader Parliamentary reform put forward by the Panel including changes to the Code of Conduct for MSPs, an evaluation of the Presiding Officer’s authority to ensure Ministers give adequate responses to questions, and the possibility of dedicating weekly parliamentary time for the public questioning of Ministers.
Commenting, Convener of the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee, Jackson Carlaw MSP said: “Over the course of the past year, we’ve heard time and time again that the Parliament doesn’t hear enough from some groups and communities across Scotland. This report is therefore a significant milestone in our pursuit of a more inclusive parliamentary process.
“The recommendations, particularly the introduction of increasingly regular Citizens’ Panels and the embedding of deliberative democracy in the work of the Parliament, underscore our commitment to amplifying diverse voices.
“This report sets a strong foundation for a more participatory and collaborative democracy in Scotland, and we hope it will be welcomed by the Citizens’ Panel that was integral to its development, as well as Parliamentary colleagues from across the political spectrum.”
Citizens’ Panel member, Jaya Rao, from the North East said:“Participating in the Citizens’ Panel and visiting the Scottish Parliament was a truly enlightening experience.
“Interacting with diverse individuals and witnessing the democratic process first-hand has deepened my appreciation for our shared commitment to a better future for Scotland.”
Citizens’ Panel member, John Sultman, from Glasgow added:“This experience has shown me how much difference turning up and speaking up can make.”
Citizens’ Panel member Alan Currie, from Glasgow. said:“Our seventeen recommendations were taken seriously by MSPs and the Committee, due to the facilitators, experts and presentations, which enabled us to learn more about not just the Parliament, but the concept of deliberative democracy, improving parliaments ability to reach and engage the public.”
The full report and recommendations can be found on the Scottish Parliament website.
Alongside this the report is being published in a longer version and a summary version, in multiple languages, in BSL and Easy Read, reflecting the range of groups who engaged in the inquiry and demonstrating the importance of making the Parliament’s work accessible to all.
