The Scottish Greens have been accused of betraying children after voting against a rollout of free school meals.
28.05.2022 - 07:01 / dailyrecord.co.uk
Scotland's drugs minister has been accused of moving the goalposts “in the face of failure” in delivering drug policy reforms.
Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson Claire Baker said Angela Constance repeatedly pledged to fully embed crucial Medically Assisted Treatment targets by April this year.
But the complex system of reforms, which bring rights to quicker treatment and more choices for people at risk of overdose, are now way behind schedule.
Baker said that a statement by drugs policy minister Constance in Parliament on Thursday involved a major backtracking on MAT standards.
She said: “In the statement Angela says ‘we set Integration Authorities the ambitious target of embedding MAT targets by April this year’.
“But in March 2021, in the chamber, she said this: ‘We will ensure that those standards are fully embedded across the country by April 2022’.
“And in October 2021, in the chamber, she said ‘I reiterate the commitment that I made to Parliament that those standards should be implemented across the country by April 2022.’
“To me this represents a clear change in emphasis in the face of failure.”
Baker said the delays risk derailing efforts to turn around our drug deaths crisis, which saw a record 1,339 people die of overdoses last year.
She said: “The Scottish Government has declared a public health emergency yet it is clear that progress is sluggish. The vital life-saving MAT standards are so far from delivery that lives continue to be needlessly lost.
“There are people living with addiction who are in desperate need of heroin assisted treatment to get them on a path to recovery and stabilise their lives, but too many doors are still closed to them.”
She added: “It is now 18 months since the Minister promised action on
The Scottish Greens have been accused of betraying children after voting against a rollout of free school meals.
Dame Emma Thompson has congratulated staff and pupils at Dunoon Grammar in Argyll and Bute for reaching the final 10 of the T4 Education World’s Best Schools Award for community collaboration. In a video to the school, Dame Emma said the news was “amazing” and added: “I’m here to congratulate you so, so much on this extraordinary global award category that you’re in, ‘Community Collaboration in the World’s Best Schools Awards’. “It means that all you wonderful young people have been going out nationally, internationally and locally, and sharing your skills, learning and giving.
A Scottish Tory councillor has been arrested over an alleged romance fraud.
A big St Johnstone fan is tackling one of the world’s most difficult one-day events to raise money for an autism charity.
The SNP Government has been slammed for spending more than £423 million in one year on temporary doctors in the NHS - a rise of 30 per cent.
Just three Perth and Kinross play parks have so far benefited from Scottish Government funding aimed at improving all of Scotland’s play areas.
Attention all gin lovers, because it is almost that time of year when you can get a group of friends together and raise a glass of your favourite G&T.
An independence referendum will take place in Scotland by the end of next year, according to the SNP Constitution Secretary.
Craig Napier, a Category one official, went public with his announcement in a video that was posted from the Scottish Football Association account.“We need to see the climate change so that people feel they can be their true self and live happily and comfortably in their own skin.”An important conversation with Category One referee Craig Napier. pic.twitter.com/bYygya2k23— Scottish FA (@ScottishFA) June 2, 2022In conversation with Scottish FA, Napier spoke of the importance of sharing this with the world because, “we need to see the climate change so that people do feel that they can be their true self and live happily and comfortably in their own skin.”Napier became the first openly gay figure in Scottish football since late Hearts forward Justin Fashanu in the mid-1990s.“It’s been really inspiring to see what happened recently, with Josh Cavallo and Jake Daniels”, said Napier.
An SNP MSP has blamed Westminster for slashing the Scottish Government budget amid fears thousands of public sector jobs could be lost.
Warm weather on the way you say? Well, it's Scotland so you know we better make the most of it.
Plans for the new £12 million Scottish Crannog Centre have been submitted to Perth and Kinross Council.
Nicola Sturgeon's government has been slammed by opposition parties for earmarking £20 million to be spent on an independence referendum.
Kate Forbes has acknowledged Scotland faces a "very difficult financial position" ahead of her resource spending review later today.
Three Scottish locations have been named in the top 20 most Instagrammed landmarks across the UK.
As the cost of living crisis deepens, millions of households are struggling to cover the spiralling cost of living. The UK government has responded by announcing a financial package designed to assist those who need help the most.
Monkeypox cases will 'likely' continue to rise and could turn deadly, an international public health professor has warned.
Scotland, and in particular Glasgow, has been named the home of the sexiest accent in the UK.