Deputy First Minister John Swinney has unveiled a public consultation on removing the March 2022 expiry date for a host of extraordinary powers.... These include the ability to impose lockdowns, close schools and require people to wear face coverings. Other controversial rules include more prisoners being granted early release, as well as the wider use of fines instead of prosecutions. The SNP politician argued that while many of the emergency measures would be redundant, those with a" demonstr

Data released under FOI laws reveal 984 schools have not been inspected since 2011 during the first SNP administration under Alex Salmond.A further 71 are still due an inspection after almost 15 years with two schools not being inspected since 2004 when Jack McConnell was Scottish First Minister. Five schools were last inspected in 2005 alongside 20 more in 2006 prompting calls for swift reform of the inspection system north of the border. There are 2, 449 state or grant-aided schools in Scotlan