This week the doors reopened to Holyrood’s crèche facility.
The crèche offers pre-school childcare provision for MSPs and staff who work in the building. It is also available to people with childcare responsibilities who are engaging with parliamentary business or with their MSPs, or who are visiting Holyrood, giving them the opportunity to have their children looked after in a safe and fun environment.
The Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, visited the crèche to meet staff and children.
The Presiding Officer said: “The Scottish Parliament was one of the first parliaments in Europe to offer childcare facilities of this kind for young children and I’m delighted that we’re once again able to offer this.
“The crèche is there to provide childcare to MSPs carrying out their duties, to all staff working in the Parliament, and to visitors giving evidence to our committees, touring the building or meeting their MSP.
“It’s important that the Parliament challenges itself to do all that we can to enable those with childcare responsibilities to work in, engage with and visit the Parliament.”
Thousands of people each year experience severe financial difficulties. If you have ever been in that situation, a Scottish Parliament committee wants to hear from you to find out how the process could be improved.
The Bankruptcy and Diligence Bill will, among other provisions, create a “mental health moratorium”, meaning enforcement action against someone with serious mental health problems can be stopped.
The Bill will also make changes to the process for recovering money for creditors, including a requirement for creditors to provide a debtor with information about debt advice before enforcement.
Now the Economy and Fair Work Committee wants to hear your views on this Bill – especially if you have lived experience of the issues it covers.
Committee Convener Claire Baker MSP said: “The stress and worry of severe financial difficulties is something that all too many people are facing. The Bill aims to make changes to the bankruptcy process, but we want to know what impact these changes will have on those people affected.
“By sharing their insights, people from across Scotland can help shape a fairer and more compassionate system that addresses the challenges faced by individuals in financial distress.
“We particularly want to hear from people who have been in this situation and experienced significant mental health challenges on the difference the proposed moratorium would have made.”
Scottish Conservative & Unionist MSP Miles Briggs is supporting calls for ‘Hugo’s Law’ to pass in the Scottish Parliament, making it law that drivers must contact a vet, the police and the RSPCA in the event that they hit a cat.
The calls come after Hugo, a much-loved cat that stalked the streets of Edinburgh’s West End, sadly died last month after being struck by a car. Those who loved Hugo are now leading the calls for a change in the law.
At present, motorists are obliged to inform the authorities if they hit dogs, horses, sheep, pigs, foxes, badgers, mules, cows and goats with their vehicle, under a section of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which applies to England, Scotland and Wales. A vet must also be contacted to look over the animals and treat them for injuries, however this section does not apply to cats.
Mr. Briggs has already written to the Scottish Government requesting a meeting so that discussions around the law change can begin.
Lothian MSP Miles Briggssaid: “I wholeheartedly support the campaign for ‘Hugo’s Law’ to change the law on stopping for animals to include cats.
“A cat’s life is worth no less than a dog’s and a change in the law would increase the chances of survival for cats who are struck by vehicles.
“It is imperative we include cats so that more people are not left bereft like Hugo’s family.
“A change in the law would bring comfort to Hugo’s family and other cat owners who will be safe in the knowledge that tragic incidents such as Hugo’s passing can be avoided, and that is why I am seeking a meeting with government officials to push this through”.
The Scottish Parliament’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee have visited Edinburgh City Youth Café, 6VT, as part of their ongoing inquiry into youth violence.
The Committee have been considering Petition PE1947: Address Scotland’s culture of youth violence which “calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to address the disturbing culture of youth violence in Scotland.”
As part of their evidence gathering, the Committee agreed to engage directly with individuals, families and communities affected by youth violence.
Visiting 6VT, the Committee joined a drop-in session with the Cairn Service which offers support to children and young People, aged 10-25 from the Edinburgh area, who been victims or witnesses of crime.
During the visit the Committee met with 6VT CEO, Dot Horne, Operations Manager, Fiona Horne and young people to discuss the impact of youth violence, the role that social media plays in fuelling this and how safe people feel in their communities.
Commenting after the visit, Committee Convener, Jackson Carlaw MSP said: “The Committee agreed that hearing first-hand from those who have been impacted by the issues raised in the petition was essential to our considerations and any recommendations we may make to the Scottish Government.
“Visiting 6VT in Edinburgh has provided us with the opportunity to directly engage with young people affected by youth violence and hear about the changes they want to see to make their communities feel safer.
“By continuing to engage with communities and organisations involved in tackling youth violence, we hope to gain deeper insights into the challenges faced and to be able to identify appropriate actions for Government to take in order to tackle the key issues.”
The Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee is holding a session on community councils to coincide with the 50th anniversary of their establishment in Scotland, with two panels of witnesses scheduled to give evidence.
As part of the first panel the Committee will hear from Jackie Weaver who rose to fame after a video of her managing a virtual meeting of Handforth Parish Council went viral in 2021.
The Committee has invited Jackie Weaver to share her insights and experiences in local governance and management, particularly in relation to supporting parish councils.
The Committee will also hear from a panel of community councillors representing Edinburgh, Shetland, Aberdeenshire, West Lothian, Moray, Clackmannanshire and Cambuslang in South Lanarkshire who will provide evidence in a roundtable format.
The session is part of the Committee’s ongoing work looking at the Scottish Government’s Local Governance Review which aims to reform the way that Scotland is governed to give greater control to communities.
Ariane Burgess MSP – Green
Commenting ahead of the meeting, Committee Convener, Ariane Burgess MSP said: “Fifty years on from the establishment of Community Councils, it’s important that we recognise and celebrate the contributions that individuals and groups involved make to their communities.
“We also hope this session can contribute towards shaping the Scottish Government’s Local Governance Review, ensuring communities continued to be empowered and supported to do so in the decades ahead.
“The Committee are looking forward to welcoming Jackie Weaver and Community Councillors from all over Scotland to share their experiences of community involvement in decision making, and their views on how this can be improved.”
Pupils from Edinburgh and Scottish Borders schools joined MSPs outside Scottish Parliament to celebrate Walk to School Week yesterday (17 May 2023).
Walk to School Week is organised by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking as part of their National Walking Month campaign each May.
Families are encouraged to walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ for the whole week to see the big differences that come from small steps, from healthier and happier children to fewer cars outside the school gates.
Over 250 schools in Scotland signed up to receive special Walk to School Week packs from Living Streets, joining 356,000 pupils across the UK to learn about the important reasons to walk to school and the difference it can make to individuals, communities and the planet.
WOW is a pupil-led initiative where children self-report how they get to school every day using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker. Pupils who travel actively at least once a week for a month are rewarded with a WOW badge.
WOW schools see on average a 5 -10% increase in pupils walking to school in Scotland with a corresponding drop in car use, helping to reduce congestion and increase safety outside the school gates.
Stuart Hay, Director, Living Streets Scotland said:“Walk to School Week is an excellent opportunity for families to give walking to school a go. Walking our short journeys helps us stay healthy, while reducing traffic, pollution and road danger on our local streets.
“We’re delighted that so many of our schools were able to join us to celebrate the great strides Scottish pupils are making to get more active and tackle the climate emergency.”
Patrick Harvie MSP, Minister for Active Travel said:“I’m pleased to support Walk to School Week. Walking to school is a simple step that many young people and their parents and carers can make for a healthier and happier start to the day – with each step improving health and taking climate action.
“More people walking or wheeling means fewer cars, less congestion and safer environments for everyone to enjoy – both outside the school gates and beyond. I hope many people who try making the change during Walk to School Week will find that it’s a change they want to stick with, every week of the year.
“I’m grateful to the pupils from various local schools that took the time to walk to the Scottish Parliament, helping encourage even more people to choose active and sustainable travel.”
Christine Grahame MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale said:“It’s great to see Living Streets actively encouraging our primary school pupils to walk more and reduce congestion at the school gates and in built-up areas, especially during Walk to School Week!
“Walking is so important for young bodies and minds; the WOW Challenge is a great incentive to get pupils and their parents walking and actively travelling”.
Living Streets celebrated Walk to School Week with a group of Edinburgh and Borders schoolchildren taking a trip to the Scottish Parliament on the 17th of May, where MSPs were invited to join in on the festivities.
Foysol Choudhury MSP for Lothian Region said:“I am pleased to be supporting Walk to School Week once again this year. It is a great initiative that encourages families to change their school run habits and choose to walk to school instead.
“It is a healthy option that allows children and their parents or guardians to be more active, reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and road safety. I hope this week will raise awareness of the importance of walking to school and various benefits to the community and environment and, will in turn motivate families to make walking to school a daily habit”.
Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire said:“It was great to join Living Streets outside the Scottish Parliament alongside pupils from Burnfoot Primary School.
“Living Streets is doing fantastic work in encouraging young people to walk to school and it is important we keep our children active and reduce congestion in built-up areas.”
The Scottish Government’s Air Quality Improvement Plan has been met with approval following scrutiny carried out by Holyrood’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee.
In its report published today, the Committee described the strengthening of policy guidance around air pollution as ‘a positive step forward’ in addressing nitrogen dioxide levels in Scotland. However, it says the Scottish Government must address important questions about how it will improve governance and enforcement of air quality standards.
The Committee calls for SEPA to take a more robust enforcement approach and says that clarity is needed as to whether the body has all the statutory powers and resources it needs to fulfil its role in relation to air quality – especially given its resources are already limited and it has other existing obligations.
The report also emphasises the need for local authorities to be better funded. With resource and staffing constraints relieved, councils would be better able to perform their crucial preventative, attention-raising, monitoring and enforcement role.
Edward Mountain MSP 22 November 2022. Pic-Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament
Launching the report, Committee Convener, Edward Mountain, said; “A robust system of monitoring and enforcement is crucial to tackling air pollution. Yet historically SEPA has not been assertive enough in its approach to tackling non-compliance by local authorities in meeting their air quality standards.
“If SEPA is to conduct its oversight role to full effect, the Scottish Government must ensure it is adequately resourced. Likewise, without the right funding and resources in place, councils will not be able to deliver the expected improvements to air quality in their local areas.
“To access the many economic, social and environmental benefits good air quality will deliver, including helping to meet the Scottish Government’s target of achieving Net Zero by 2045, positive action must be taken. We hope the findings and recommendations in our report will help to achieve this.
“Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge and expertise with us during our consideration of the Improvement Plan.”
Additional recommendations made by the Committee to accelerate the improvement of air quality in Scotland include that the Scottish Government should;
Lean harder on local authorities to ensure they speed up the implementation of their Air Quality Action Plans.
Clarify whether it is satisfied that SEPA has all the statutory powers and resources it needs to fulfil its oversight and enforcement of the Local Air Quality Management system.
Set out what steps it will take to ensure SEPA delivers greater transparency and accountability as Scotland’s main air quality watchdog.
Complete an air quality data review paying particular attention to the proportion of monitoring sites to be situated near schools and hospitals.
During the inquiry, the Committee also assessed the effectiveness of Scottish Government policy and practise by considering its’ ‘Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 Strategy’; the implementation and impact of Low Emission Zones; and Scotland’s performance in relation to international best practice.
Related recommendations include for example;
In the Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 Strategy – air quality considerations should be mainstreamed across all climate change, health, transport and planning policy decisions whether at a national or local level. There should also be a focus on encouraging an uptake in qualifications and roles within planning and environmental health professions.
The Scottish Government should work with all local authorities to find bespoke transport-based air quality solutions in urban areas and in rural areas it should identify what further support is needed for the launch of Low Emission Zones.
Measures will increase transparency and maintain public trust
Proposed legislation to update and strengthen charity law has passed its first parliamentary stage.
MSPs have voted to support the general principles of the Charities (Regulation and Administration) Bill which improves accountability and transparency of charities and increases the powers of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).
Welcoming Parliament’s unanimous support at Stage 1 of the Bill, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Our focus is to ensure the best possible conditions for the sector, which plays a vital role in our society, to thrive.
“Current charity law is now over 17 years old and the sector has changed significantly in that time. That is why we want to strengthen, modernise and improve charity regulation to ensure it meets the needs of charities.
“Scottish charities have a combined income of £14 billion each year so it’s crucial the way they are regulated remains fit for purpose.
“Charities are widely supported by the public. Trust in them and what they deliver is high, and we want to keep it that way.”
updating the criteria for the automatic disqualification of charity trustees and extending it to individuals with specific senior management positions in charities
removal from the Scottish Charity Register of unresponsive charities that fail to submit statements of account.
a requirement for all charities in the Scottish Charity Register to have and retain a connection to Scotland.
a requirement on OSCR to publish the statements of account for all charities in the Scottish Charity Register.
requirements on OSCR to include charity trustee names in the Scottish Charity Register, to keep an internal schedule of charity trustees’ details and to create a publicly searchable record of charity trustees removed by the courts.
The Scottish Government consulted on proposals put forward by OSCR in 2019 and consulted again on a number of specific reforms in 2021 and found a majority of support for the changes.
Medical specialist tells MSPs about the multiple health benefits of swimming
AN EXPERT in the medical benefits of swimming has told an influential group of MSPs how encouraging the population to take up the sport could transform Scotland’s health.
Dr Mark Harper is renowned for his research in the area and was one of a series of guest speakers at an “Everyone Can Swim” event at the Scottish Parliament.
He told some of Scotland’s key political figures how 15% of people in the UK are taking five or more medicines a day, in some cases to deal with the side effects of another medicine and how taking up swimming can act as a medicine in its own right.
Dr Harper, who swam competitively as a Masters swimmer, told the audience: “There is one medicine that everyone should use and its exercise. For a lot of people, swimming is one of the only things they can do.
“If someone is frail or has a loss of balance, swimming is really the only option. It improves heart and lung health while strengthening joints and lowers diabetes.
“Swimming, as a life skill and an exercise, can have hugely positive impacts on people’s lives and it’s important that people in Scotland are taught to swim from a young age.”
The event was hosted by Scottish Swimming, which in partnership with Scottish Water delivers the Learn to Swim programme for children – a Framework that is creating Scotland’s “Generation Swim”, as a lasting legacy for the nation.
It has already helped more than 100,000 youngsters to be safer and more confident in the water and aims to reach a further 100,000 by 2025, helping them to unlock long lasting health benefits.
Across Scotland there are 37 National Learn to Swim Framework providers, working across 160 pools, with currently 76,500children learning to swim each week.
Dr Harper, a Consultant Anaesthetist at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals whose research has focused on cold-water swimming, told the Holyrood audience that one in three adults in England can’t swim, yet 7.5 million take to the water outdoors every year. He cited swimming lessons as the only way to keep people safe in the water.
Euan Lowe, CEO of Scottish Swimming, said: “To have an expert of Dr Harper ‘s calibre reinforcing the huge benefits of swimming really helped the message cut through with the audience.
“All of us at Scottish Swimming share his mission to ensure awareness is raised about the major health advantages that swimming offers, along with the other benefits it can bring to so many lives.”
Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs with Scottish Water said: “Our drive to create Generation Swim is about leaving Scotland with a long-lasting legacy.
“Teaching children how to be safer and more confident in the water is a first step to unlocking significant health and wellbeing dividends. It was brilliant to hear Dr Harper underline that so emphatically.”
The ‘Everyone Can Swim’ event featured a range of high-profile advocates for the importance of swimming and its impact on safety, health and communities.
Speakers included popular triple Olympian Hannah Miley MBE; Alan Lynn, former national coach of Scottish Swimming and Head of Performance Development at British Swimming; and Fulton MacGregor MSP, who sponsored the reception.
Dr Harper is a consultant anaesthetist at Sussex University Hospitals in the UK and Kristiansand in Norway. He is a leading expert in the prevention of hypothermia in surgical patients and the therapeutic uses of cold-water adaptation and open-water swimming.
Learn to Swim is a National Framework committed to creating supportive and quality environments in which children can learn to swim regardless of their age, ability, or skill level. It aims to develop competent swimmers, as well as encouraging youngsters to adopt a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle with sport and fun at its heart.
For more information on the Learn to Swim programme, visit:
The Scottish Parliament’s COVID-19 Recovery Committee has launched a new survey of Scotland’s dentists as part of a snapshot inquiry examining the recovery of NHS dentistry services.
The inquiry will track progress by the Scottish Government on the aims set out in the NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026, which includes a commitment to return Scotland’s NHS dentistry services to pre-pandemic levels.
Dentists who provide NHS services are being invited to share their views and experiences on the recovery of services through an on-line survey which runs from Friday 5th May to Wednesday 31st May.
The inquiry will also consider the impact of additional funding for equipment and ventilation in NHS dentistry practices and the availability of access to services in communities experiencing health inequalities.
Commenting, Committee Convener, Jim Fairlie MSP said: “The COVID-19 Recovery Committee want to get the root of the issues facing Scotland’s NHS dental recovery in the wake of the pandemic.
“This inquiry will scrutinise the Scottish Government’s commitment to improve the provision of dental services as set out in the Recovery Plan.
“Scotland’s NHS dentists, who work daily on the front-line, are best placed to tell us how services are recovering, and we are encouraging them to share their experiences and views directly with Committee to inform our scrutiny and assist us in tracking progress towards recovery.”
