WITH the political and media focus understandably continuing to be on the response to the pandemic, the public could be forgiven for thinking that little else has been happening recently in Parliament.

However, the reality is very different, with work ongoing on numerous important pieces of legislation.

One of these was the Protection of Workers Bill, which passed its final stage last week. It introduces a new statutory offence of assaulting, threatening or abusing a retail worker and provides further legal protections when the worker is carrying out their statutory duties, such as age restricted sales.

Another Bill that passed its first stage last week, and which I was pleased to speak in support of, was the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill. This legislation will directly incorporate the UNCRC into Scottish law and make it unlawful for public authorities to act incompatibly with the UNCRC requirements.

There is a local link to this work, too, thanks to StreetsAhead Tranent.

This project saw children from the Ross High School cluster visit Geneva to share their work directly with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, and other children and adults from around the world.

On a less positive note, the Culpable Homicide Bill fell last week after SNP MSPs failed to support it.

It sought to ensure suitable convictions would take place in the event of a workplace death, where recklessness or gross negligence of individuals, companies or organisations could be proven. It is a missed opportunity to act and help save lives at work.

One political development we could do without is the SNP government’s new 11-point route map to independence.

It really does beggar belief that even in the middle of the pandemic they continue to make breaking up the UK their top priority.

It seems clear that its focus must be on recovering from the pandemic and uniting the country.