Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Quarterly Report: September 2026 published today: Fall in emergency hospital admissions due to assault since 2015-16. In 2024-25, there were 1,554 emergency hospital admissions due to assault, including 376 due to assault with a sharp object. These were, respectively, 36% and 33% lower than in 2015-16. Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/safer-communities-and-justice-statistics-quarterly-report-september-2026/pages/statistics-on-community-safety/ There were about 3,500 hospital episodes for assault by a sharp object in English hospitals in 2024/25. That is a 10.4% fall on 2023/24 and a 4.1% fall on 2014/15. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn04304/ From 2015-16 to 2024-25 … Continue reading Emergency hospital admissions due to assault with a sharp object fall by 33% in NHS Scotland and more than twice the 14% reduction in NHS England

Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Quarterly Report: September 2026 published today: Public perception that the crime rate in their local area had decreased or stayed the same over the last couple of years has increased since 2008/09. The SCJS found that almost three quarters (72%) of adults in 2024-25 said that the crime rate in their local area had decreased or stayed the same over the last couple of years. This is higher than the 60% in 2008/09 but unchanged since 2023/24. Most adults feel safe walking alone … Continue reading Scots know that crime has decreased and far more feel safe walking home in their local area after dark than in last days of Labour

Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Quarterly Report: September 2026 published today: Property and violent crime has fallen by 42% since 2008-09. Results from the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) show that one-in-five (20.8%) adults were estimated to have experienced at least one crime in 2024-25. This included property crime (9.4% of adults), violent crime (2.5%) and for the second time fraud and computer misuse (11.5%). The latest findings show that the overall level of property and violent crime combined and the likelihood of being a victim of … Continue reading Property and violent crime has fallen by 42% in Scotland since 2008-09

Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Quarterly Report: September 2026 published today: Increase in crime clear up rate. The clear up rate for all recorded crimes was 56.7% in 2025-26, up from 56.0% in 2024-25. Crimes against society (91.5%), non-sexual crimes of violence (68.5%) and sexual crimes (61.2%) continued to have higher clear up rates in 2025-26 than crimes of dishonesty (36.7%) and damage and reckless behaviour (32.5%). Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/safer-communities-and-justice-statistics-quarterly-report-september-2026/pages/statistics-on-crime-in-general/ *The sharp differences between reported clear-up rates in Scotland and in England & Wales, above, point to differences in … Continue reading Scottish clear up rate for all recorded crimes was 56.7% in 2025-26, up from 56.0%, many times higher than in England*

Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Quarterly Report: September 2026 published today: Number of victims of homicide at the lowest level since 1976. There were 45 homicide victims recorded by the police in Scotland in 2024-25, a 21% decrease from 2023-24 and a 24% decrease from 2015-16. Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/safer-communities-and-justice-statistics-quarterly-report-september-2026/pages/statistics-on-crime-in-general/ How does Scotland 45 homicides in 2024/2025 compare with other parts of the UK, Europe and beyond? Scotland recorded 45 homicide victims in 2024–25, the lowest figure since comparable records began in 1976. That is a 21% drop from 57 … Continue reading Homicide in Scotland lowest since 1976 and among very lowest in the World

BBC Scotland this morning, telling us that experts are predicting a waste crisis. ‘Experts?’ David Balmer ‘Landfill manager’ Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 They have one more – ‘Waste consultant Alasdair Meldrum, of Albion Environmental, says he has not seen such a looming crisis in almost 40 years of working in the industry.’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqlymw74g20ro These people have vested interests, are ‘company men’, and are not impartial nor are they ‘experts’ in the sense of being researchers in higher education. Does this BBC report accurately reflect recent impartial academic research on their suggestion of a … Continue reading Real experts do not predict waste piling up on streets but BBC Scotland rely on two ‘company men’ to scare you

Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 From Martin Williams in the Herald today: Ministers pushed ahead with the purchase and redevelopment of a major Scottish ferry port despite an internal warning that the costs posed an affordability risk to future budgets of its Transport Scotland agency. The warning was made by an internal Transport Scotland Assessment in February as the Scottish Government prepared to take place Ardrossan harbour into public ownership and press ahead with plans to turn it into the main mainland port for Arran. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26573121.ardrossan-ferry-port-166m-redevelopment-faces-affordability-warning/ When I saw this, I thought – ‘Have … Continue reading Buy Ardrossan harbour! Don’t buy Ardrossan harbour! The Herald pivots to be always against the Scottish Government