// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
'Clear human rights failures' in southern Scotland, report finds
The Food Train charity provides support to older people - including food delivery - across southern Scotland
A new report has found "clear human rights failures" across the south of Scotland with basic obligations on food, health and housing not being met.
The study was carried out over eight different local authority areas which are home to more than a million people.
The Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) concluded that the biggest challenge was accessibility as, even if services did exist, they were often unreachable in practice.
Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth said the Scottish government already offered free transport for a range of groups, while public service reform represented an opportunity to "push power out" to communities around the country.
In February and March, the SHRC visited communities including Stranraer, Ayr, Dumfries, Kilmarnock, Hamilton, Irvine, Arran, Galashiels, Kelso, Dalkeith, Haddington, Melrose, Ardrossan and Tranent.
"Overall, the south of Scotland is a region where many communities and duty bearers are working hard to protect dignity and their human rights, often in difficult circumstances," its report concluded.
"But we have also found clear human rights failures.
"In many areas, rights are not improving. In several areas, they are getting worse."
Prof Angela O'Hagan, who chairs the commission, said the report highlighted the "gaps" between rights everyone was entitled to and the "lived reality" in southern Scotland.