We are a Children's Mental Health Charity who work with families whose children are on waiting lists for CAHMS for anything up to 2 years. This significantly affects their child's education as they refuse to attend school or when they do they struggle and are unable to concentrate or engage.
We believe that access to a CAHMS worker and a nurse in secondary schools will allow children to be identified early when they are struggling with their mental health, and have referrals completed correctly and efficiently. They could also link in with the local primary schools and early education facilities, as early intervention for our children's mental wellbeing is key.
Pass a law making exercising a dog in a cemetery an offence
- 275 Signatures
I am a father who lost his 3-year-old son in 2020. We live opposite where our son is buried and visit his grave at least once a day. Whilst visiting my son’s grave, my family have witnessed up to 100 people exercising their dogs daily with dogs being let off-lead or on long leads, resulting in them urinating and defecating on graves, including that of my own son, and damaging teddies left by the public.
I have approached dog walkers to explain my issue. Most of the time I have been met with hostility and even threats of violence.
We witness some dog walkers driving to the cemetery, obviously from another area, just to exercise their dog.
Pre-Covid the Edinburgh Council rule was no dogs apart from assistance dogs.
We feel this is not enough of a deterrent, and a law is needed with an exception for dogs with mourners and assistance dogs.
Review the council tax system
- 33 Signatures
Council tax should be based on everyone using services, rather than property values. Adult children still living at home earning a reasonable income use services but don’t make any contribution.
Many of us have worked hard during our careers to provide ourselves with a nice house. However, the current level of council tax is like a mortgage that can never be repaid. I am aware of some people whose annual payment is 15-20% of their annual income.
In my opinion, the poll tax was a far better system. There were failings in how it was rolled out and most councils failed in their ability to collect from non-payers.
If the system became a per capita payment I believe this would be far fairer.
Commercial properties aren’t currently protected under property factor laws, nor is there a complaint procedure to take action against a commercial factor for failing to provide minimum service standards.
My property is an office in Glasgow, where the factor has failed to meet the minimum service standard set out in the 2011 Act. However, this Act only allows homeowners to seek a property factor enforcement order.
The roof of the building has come in and the property insurance was going to be voided. I’ve complained in writing and confirmed the factor has no contract with anyone in the building. They have no provision in the title deeds of the property, yet they continue to bill and mismanage the property.
Due to the gap in the legislation, there’s no punishment for them as the property is entirely commercial. We would only be able to get help from the First-tier Tribunal if one or more of the property occupants was residential. It’s a massive loophole that’s being exploited.
Update the legislation granting permission for Digital Display Boards
- 41 Signatures
The existing planning laws are not adequate and generally result in a default go ahead for any application covering an existing display site. These display boards are bright, intrusive and affect public amenity. Within 200 yards of my home, there are now four such displays, one in particular is very large and is positioned 20 feet in front of a small row of terraced houses. Another two face across the main road into a residential square, three sides of flatted accommodation. I mention these two examples, along with my own home, as being entirely residential on a street that is also largely residential apart from a short stretch owned by a company. The guidance for applications to upgrade existing display boards to Internally Illuminated Display boards does carry within a proviso that these would normally be granted where the existing boards were in an already busy commercial area. I think I have highlighted that the four around me are clearly not in a busy commercial area. There is no requirement for "neighbours" to be informed in order to object.
To be well adjusted and under its owner's control, an XL Bully needs 2 hours of outdoor exercise daily, both walking to heel on a lead and a small amount of running off-lead. Without the ability to "run off" energy each day, excess energy builds up and a well-adjusted dog can quickly become an anxious dog, resulting in it becoming more dangerous in the home.
Vital control commands cannot be practised effectively on a leash or with a muzzle. A trusting bond is built up between owner and dog through daily off-leash practice of basic recall and other commands including "stop", "leave" (which prevents the dog from picking up an item of interest or chasing potential prey) and "drop it".
It is important that regulations do not curtail these existing successful strategies, which would result in owners losing the level of command, and dogs quickly becoming de-skilled and much more dangerous, not safer.
Help eliminate cervical cancer through improved and at home HPV testing
- 1,297 Signatures
While I was going through treatment for cervical cancer, I started to look into the smear programme and how we could improve it in Scotland to make smear testing easier and more accessible.
The uptake is at an all-time low and we need a testing programme that catches the disease at a pre-cancerous stage, helping woman and those with a cervix avoid harsh, life-changing cancer treatments. The Minister for Public Health & Women's Health Jenni Minto supports this.
I previously started a petition on change.org, which has gained over 2200 signatures.
Monica Lennon MSP shared my story during a [debate on Cervical Cancer Prevention Week 2023] (https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/meeting-of-parliament-08-02-2023?meeting=14139&iob=128087#orscontributions_M5580E302P789C2466095).
I contributed to the discussion on cervical cancer prevention at the [CPG on Women’s Health meeting on 25 January 2023] (https://www.parlamaid-alba.scot/-/media/files/cross-party-groups/womens-health/cpg-womens-health-250123.pdf).
Recognise the vaccine injured and offer appropriate treatment
- 710 Signatures
My wife was injured by the Covid-19 vaccine and we had to find a private doctor to help her. Through this journey we met others who had been injured by the vaccines. Most of them have failed to find any help or acknowledgement from the SNHS and have been gaslit by those who are supposed to care for them.
Through this journey we found this group of volunteers
https://scottishvaccineinjurygroup.org/
They now hold core participant status in both the UK and Scottish covid enquiries and the number of members continues to grow.
The frustration at being unable to access proper health care has also led to suicides from those injured and it’s now time for our government to give the help needed by people who "did the right thing " and now feel abandoned by their government.
We were informed through a third party and not official channels about the death of our dearly loved family member overseas. We have named suspects, suspected foul play and motive.
It’s clear that the system defined by the Lord Advocate is broken and not understood by the Scottish Government as the ‘term ordinarily resident’ is undefined in law.
The common response is that the 2016 Lord Cullen report offers extra support. There have been no FAIs following the deaths of Scots abroad since its introduction, despite statements from the Scottish Government that FAIs would take place if it is in the public interest to do so or an investigation would prevent further deaths.
Scotland should afford as a minimum similar protection and support as England and Wales when an individual who lives or works abroad is repatriated.
Most families, if correctly informed of the differences and lack of intervention by Scotland would choose to repatriate to England or Wales. Clearly, it’s the duty of the Scottish Government to make the UK Government aware of this.
Implement the recommended screening guidelines for people with Li Fraumeni Syndrome
- 933 Signatures
Li Fraumeni TP53 mutation is a genetic syndrome that predisposes a person to cancer, usually of an aggressive type.
The UK Cancer Genetics Group (UKCGG) have made recommendations for screening which have been implemented in parts of England, however they have not been implemented in Scotland. I am calling on the Scottish Government to implement screening for Li Fraumeni patients in line with the guidelines set out in the [UKCGG paper in the Journal of Medical Genetics] (https://jmg.bmj.com/content/58/2/135).