Extend Young Persons' Free Bus Travel to include all under-26s
- 1,069 Signatures
The current age threshold at 21 creates a significant "cliff-edge" for young people transitioning into the workforce, apprenticeships, or higher education. While the scheme has been transformative for those under 22, the 22-25 age group remains heavily affected by high transport costs during a critical career establishment period.
The Government’s Fairer Scotland Duty requires reducing socio-economic disadvantage. The Under 26 Concessionary Fares Review (2022) identified transport costs as a major barrier to employment. Transport Scotland’s Year 1 Evaluation showed affordability rose from only 26% to 38% even after free travel for under-22s, highlighting ongoing barriers for 22-25 year-olds.
With £414.5 million already allocated to concessionary travel in 2025-26, the estimated £100 million for this extension is a strategic investment in Scotland’s workforce and net-zero goals. As major parties pledged this in their 2026 manifestos, Parliament must now turn these promises into action.
From 6 April 2026, the UK Government’s published LCWRA rates are £429.80 per month for protected claimants and £217.26 per month for most new claimants, a difference of £212.54 per month or £2,550.48 per year.
This creates a two-tier system in which disabled people who are newly assessed after 6 April 2026 receive substantially less support than those already protected. That reduction increases the risk of poverty, worsening health, housing insecurity, and social exclusion.
The Scottish Parliament already has powers to create new benefits in devolved areas and to top up reserved benefits, and Scotland already fully funds mitigation of the bedroom tax through Discretionary Housing Payments, with a published budget of £90.5 million in 2024/25.
This petition calls for an automatic, non-means-tested Scottish top-up payment that covers 100% of the £212.54 monthly gap for all new LCWRA awards in Scotland from 6 April 2026, without application or reassessment.
The type of scale I believe that we should be using is similar to the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland where businesses are inspected and then given a hygiene rating between 5 (very good) and 0 (urgent improvement required).
https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/how-food-hygiene-ratings-work
The Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) is a tax applied to the purchase of additional residential properties, introduced to discourage speculative buying and reduce pressure on housing supply. Its primary aim is to limit commercial investment that drives up house prices and restricts access for first-time buyers. ADS applies regardless of intent, meaning it also affects individuals purchasing homes for non-commercial reasons.
The impact of ADS has been significant. While it has helped curb some investment activity, it has also created unintended consequences for families buying property to support dependent relatives. These purchases are not for profit but to provide stable, suitable housing for vulnerable relatives. The tax can make this impossible, delaying housing solutions, forcing families into unsuitable housing, making essential purchases unaffordable, and increasing pressure on public services. A targeted waiver supports family care, independent living, and aligns the tax with its original purpose.
Support Retrofit Training for a Greener Scotland and Just Transition
- 111 Signatures
Scotland has committed to ambitious climate targets, requiring large-scale retrofitting of homes to ensure safe, effective installation of insulation, ventilation and low-carbon heating. These measures will also reduce fuel poverty and improve public health.
However, Scotland lacks one of the most fundamental ingredients for success: a large enough skilled, retrofit-ready workforce. A skilled workforce is central to safeguarding the public interest and delivering Scotland’s climate commitments.
A competent workforce is essential to protecting residents’ health, safety and wellbeing. Yet there is no dedicated government funding for retrofit-skills training, despite urgent and growing need.
This shortage risks poor-quality work, failure to meet national targets, harm to householders, and lost opportunities to rebuild trust in the industry and develop local community skills.
Introduce the Small Animal road signs in Scotland
- 1,063 Signatures
We are a hedgehog rescue service, and part of our mission is to raise awareness and help educate people on the hazards hedgehogs face. We want to help this vulnerable to extinction species as much as possible.
Hedgehogs are in the top 5 most commonly recorded roadkill species by the Citizen Science Project. 1 out of 3 will die on our roads.
We feel the wild animal signage (featuring the deer) should only cover larger animals and if you saw that sign you would not be looking out for small animals such as hedgehogs.
We held a poll and the overwhelming majority of people said that if they saw that sign they would think there was a danger of deer running out in front of them not hedgehogs!
We have had many orphaned hoglets into the rescue who have been found at the side of the road next to their deceased mothers.
Children with exceptional complex medical needs in Scotland receive intensive paediatric support including specialist teams, therapies, rapid hospital access and 24-hour clinical respite. However, when they reach adulthood these essential services are lost, not because their needs change, but because adult services aren't designed for individuals who remain medically and developmentally child-like for life. Families face crisis, unsafe care, and collapsing support. For young people in foster care the situation is worse: foster carers are told to either continue caring with no financial support or return the young person to institutional care. This denies stability, family life and equality.
Such young people lose vital paediatric support and family financial support when moved to adult institutional services that cannot meet their lifelong child-level needs. It is my view that Scotland must ensure continuity, safety, dignity and proper lifelong support for such young people.
Despite raising these concerns with the former Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and advisers, no meaningful action has been taken. A “stage not age” system is urgently needed to provide lifelong specialist care, therapies, proper respite and a lifelong foster care model. This petition is supported by many paediatric professionals.
Although the Scottish Government has produced guidance—most notably Respect for All—this guidance is not statutory and does not create a uniform, enforceable standard across all schools and local authorities.
The impact of bullying on young people can be significant and long-lasting. Many children experience anxiety, depression, trauma, sleep difficulties, and declining academic performance.
Children with additional support needs (ASN) are particularly vulnerable.
This highlights the need for a national framework that empowers schools and ensures accountability.
Sir William Wallace is Scotland’s national hero.
In 1296 he led the cause to secure Scotland’s sovereignty from England's overlordship and restore Scotland’s place in Europe.
In 1297 he secured a national and monumental victory with his co-Commander Andrew de Moray at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
In 1298 he was declared High Guardian of Scotland and protector of the realm.
Between 1299 and 1301 he spent time in mainland Europe fighting for Scotland’s sovereignty.
In 1305 he was betrayed and captured resulting in his judicial execution at Smithfield on 23rd August.
His impact on Scotland’s history thereafter has been huge, from Bannockburn to Prestonpans. In the 1800s a huge wave of monuments to Wallace were erected and in 1995 Hollywood dedicated a full film to his story.
Additionally, stats indicate tourist numbers could increase as a result of the declaration of a national Sir William Wallace day.
Evidence gathered between 2024 and 2025 from cases including that of Moray Council demonstrates a recurring national pattern where local authorities:
• Divert safeguarding disclosures into administrative or behavioural policy mechanisms (e.g., UCAP), contrary to ASPA 2007 section 4 duty to inquire.
• Misapply or ignore statutory duties under the Equality Act 2010 (sections 20-22, section 149) concerning reasonable adjustments and the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).
• Fail to implement consistent safeguarding escalation pathways across Scotland, creating postcode disparities in adult protection.
• Lack clear external accountability when Equality or Safeguarding breaches occur, as neither the SPSO nor the Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) have enforcement powers.
These issues are not isolated to one council but reflect structural gaps in national policy, particularly the lack of ministerial oversight or mandatory training standards for equality and safeguarding compliance across all 32 Scottish local authorities.