Botanics’ Edible Garden Project wins national award

Horticulture Week Custodian Awards

Edible Gardening Project – Best Food Growing Initiative

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) Edible Gardening Project has won an award at this year’s Horticulture Week Custodian Awards. The local project scooped the Best Food Growing Initiative award, one of 18 presented at Woburn Abbey Sculpture Gallery on Wednesday. Continue reading Botanics’ Edible Garden Project wins national award

Westminster welfare cuts ‘damaging our people’

New report examines evidence of impact in Scotland

Social Security Minister Jeane Freeman says that women, disabled people and young people would be those disproportionately affected by damaging UK Government welfare cuts.The Minister was commenting on a Scottish Government report detailing the impact of UK Government welfare cuts on people across Scotland published yesterday.

The statutory report, which was submitted to the Scottish Parliament, estimates the impact of all welfare measures passed by the UK Government between 2010 and 2017 drawing upon independent analysis by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Based on the latest forecasts, it is expected that the UK Government annual social security spend in Scotland will reduce by £3.9 billion by 2020/21. In addition, hundreds of thousands of people have lost or will lose some of their benefit payments.

Local authority level analysis suggests that West Dunbartonshire, North Ayrshire, Dundee, Inverclyde and North Lanarkshire will see the most significant falls in welfare spending by 2020/21 relative to their working-age population size.

Social Security Minister Jeane Freeman said: “This report presents the stark reality of the UK Government’s austerity programme which imposes unjust welfare cuts that not only continue to cause misery and push more people into poverty, but also directly affect local economies across Scotland and attract international criticism.

“These cuts are damaging our people and they are harmful to our communities.  Every pound taken away from those entitled to financial support not only affects those individuals and their families, it is also a pound less that is spent locally.

“Shockingly, with many of the harshest cuts still to come, the reforms will reduce spending on welfare in Scotland by nearly £4 billion a year by the end of this decade.  This is in addition to the 9.2% (or £2.9 billion) real terms cuts between 2010-11 and 2019-20 that the Scottish Government will see in the day-to-day budget that pays for public services – and that is before the further £3.5 billion of cuts that are expected to be applied to public spending across the UK in 2019-20.

“That will obviously have an impact on the amount of money the Scottish Government has available within its budget to spend.  And while we have used over £350 million since 2013/14 to mitigate against the worst damage, it is simply not possible to for us to mitigate all of the UK Government’s welfare cuts without major reductions in our expenditure in other vital public services, in growing our economy and in providing real opportunity to our young people

“The UK Government is responsible for all of this damage to individual lives and local communities and we will continue to use every opportunity to press the UK Government to reverse these unjust policies.  They need to recognise that social security is the foundation of a just and decent society and that everyone, no matter their social or economic status, deserves to be treated fairly and with dignity and respect. ”

Yesterday the Scottish Government laid regulations in the Scottish Parliament to help people by making their Universal Credit payments more flexible.

The regulations, which represent the first use of the new devolved social security powers, will give Universal Credit claimants in Scotland the option of :

  • being paid Universal Credit twice a month rather than monthly
  • having their Universal Credit housing element being paid directly to landlords

Welcoming this, Ms Freeman continued: “We have consistently said the new social security system in Scotland will treat everyone with dignity, fairness and respect.  Introducing this flexible approach to Universal Credit demonstrates this and I look forward to the new regulations coming into force and making life that little bit easier for a number of people.”

The flexibilities will come in to force on 4 October 2017 and, because Universal credit remains a reserved UK Government benefit,  will be delivered by the DWP on behalf of the Scottish Government.

This year the Scottish Government will spend around £454 million on measures that either directly mitigate the changes introduced by the Act or are part of wider measures tackling poverty in Scotland.

Scottish Ministers are required by the Scottish Parliament to report annually on the Welfare Reform (Further Provision) (Scotland) Act 2012.

The report is published here: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/6808 

Following this publication, a series of shorter reports will be published later this year focusing on groups who are particularly affected by UK Government welfare cuts. The reports will cover the impact on children and families, people with disabilities and the impact of welfare reform on homes and housing. 

Universal Credit remains a reserved benefit.  In January the Scottish Government committed to introducing flexibilities for Universal Credit. More detail can be found here: https://news.gov.scot/news/scottish-flexibilities-for-universal-credit

The Universal Credit (Claims and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 can be viewed here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/

The Scottish Government’s also today published its response to the Consultation on Universal Credit (Claims and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 2017, which can be viewed here: http://gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/8512

Continue reading Westminster welfare cuts ‘damaging our people’

NHS Lothian hits four hour A & E target

The most recent data for NHS Scotland reveals that 96.5% of patients in NHS Lothian’s emergency departments were seen, admitted or discharged within four hours – beating the 95% target. Scottish hospitals have now had the best performing emergency departments in the UK for more than two years.

Ben Macpherson, SNP MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, has welcomed the latest figures. He said: “Scotland has had the best performing emergency departments in the UK for more than two years – which is testament to the hard work of our NHS and social care workers.

“It is extremely encouraging that Emergency Departments in NHS Lothian are frequently meeting the four hour waiting times target, with the latest figures published showing that 96.5% of patients are being seen within four hours.

“We will always value the vital work done by our NHS staff – and we should always celebrate their success and continue to support their efforts.”

Summer Pass: everything you need for a sport-filled summer

With Edinburgh’s numerous festivals about to begin, festival goers and workers can keep up their energy levels and enjoy their fittest summer ever.  Edinburgh Leisure has launched its ‘Summer Pass’, with everything you need for a sport filled summer, with something for everyone to keep active and healthy throughout the heady days of the festivals.  Continue reading Summer Pass: everything you need for a sport-filled summer

Tackling exploitation: tougher action against traffickers

The police and courts will have greater powers to protect the public from perpetrators of human trafficking and exploitation from today. Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Orders (TEPOs) can now be used by the courts to impose restrictions on people who have been convicted of trafficking and exploitation offences.

Continue reading Tackling exploitation: tougher action against traffickers

Fire chief appeals for zero deliberate fires this summer

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service fought hundreds of needless fires across the country last summer, latest figures reveal. Firefighters worked throughout the hot summer months of 2016 battling blazes at homes, vehicles, grassland, refuse and derelict buildings. The majority of those fires were deliberate and reckless – putting pressure on firefighters when genuine emergencies arose and placing lives at risk. Continue reading Fire chief appeals for zero deliberate fires this summer