Category: Uncategorized

COSLA: ‘Poverty gap in Scotland will continue to grow’

‘A BUDGET OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES ON TACKLING POVERTY AND LITTLE FOCUS ON PREVENTION’

COSLA has described the Scottish Government’s Draft Budget as a missed opportunity for the communities of Scotland in relation to tackling poverty.

COSLA also added that Scotland’s Council Leaders, Councillors, the Local Government Workforce and communities should be treated with the respect they deserve demonstrated through investment, not cuts.

COSLA said:  “At a special meeting just before Christmas, there was dismay and frustration from Scotland’s Council Leaders about the way Local Government and the communities we represent had been treated in the Scottish Government’s Draft Budget.  As the Budget currently stands, communities will see and feel a range of negative impacts.

“COSLA’s ‘Councils are Key’ budget lobbying campaign set out the case for fair funding that would allow Local Government to deliver for the people of Scotland, particularly around tackling poverty, one of the three shared priorities laid out in the Verity House Agreement.

“The response from the Scottish Government to our Budget ask is disappointing and will mean that the potential that councils have to prevent problems occurring will be limited severely.

“Specifically on poverty, the Budget should have had a focus on tackling the root causes of poverty, particularly its impacts on children. This would have needed a greater prioritisation of the work councils do in prevention and early support.

“The essential social supports councils provide in homes, schools, hubs and communities that aim to support and empower people will be further eroded – this has been the case for a number of years now, due to poor Local Government settlements that cut core funding.

“Services that support Local Government to Keep the Promise made to Scotland’s care experienced children and young people like family support and youth work, are under threat as a result of the proposed Scottish budget. 

“Tackling poverty in Scotland will continue to be a significant challenge when councils do not have the resources they need to support communities.

“This year’s Budget presented the opportunity prioritise prevention and tackle inequity, to invest in communities and realise our ambitions to end poverty in Scotland.

“It did not deliver. Without a fair settlement for Councils, the poverty gap in Scotland will continue to grow. Investing in Local Government is key to a fairer Scotland.”

“The proposed Council Tax Freeze means that money which could have been invested in tackling poverty upstream – in families, communities and schools – is lost, missing a real opportunity to unlock Councils’ potential.

“COSLA’s President, Vice President and political Group Leaders from all parties have written to the Deputy First Minister and are seeking an urgent meeting.  

“Council Leaders will not let this lie, they simply cannot afford to because it will have such a detrimental impact on the communities they represent.”

‘The lungs of the world are collapsing at an alarming rate’

Westminster committee urges UK Government to act with urgency to tackle global deforestation

UK consumption is unsustainable, with the nation’s appetite for commodities including soy, cocoa, palm oil, beef and leather putting enormous pressure on forests, Westminster’s Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) warns today.

Forests host 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, support the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people and provide vital ecosystem services to support local and global economies. Deforestation threatens irreplaceable biodiverse habitats and contributes 11% of global carbon emissions.

The intensity of UK consumption on the world’s forests – its footprint per tonne of product consumed – is higher than that of China.

The EAC is calling on Ministers to develop a Global Footprint Indicator to demonstrate this impact to the public, and a target to reduce the UK’s impact on global deforestation. Such a measure will only be meaningful if sufficient monitoring and reporting is embedded for forest risks – including mining – so EAC recommends that the Government work with international partners to improve oversight in the UK and globally.

Through legislative provision in the Environment Act, the Government has committed to establishing a regime  to require forest-based commodities to be certified as ‘sustainable’ if they are to be sold into UK markets. At COP28 the Government announced that the first four of these commodities are to be cattle products (other than dairy), cocoa, palm oil and soy, which the EAC was pleased to see.

While the Government’s intention to tackle sustainability concerns of products is welcome, EAC is concerned  over the seeming lack of urgency about the implementation of this regime, given global commitments to halt and reverse current deforestation trends by 2030.

For instance, no timeline has been offered as to when this important legislation will be introduced, and its phased approach of incorporating products gradually into the regime does not reflect the necessity of tackling deforestation urgently.

The Government should also bring other forest-risk commodities, such as maize, rubber and coffee, into the certification regime as soon as possible to be ‘sustainable’. 

The Committee recommends that the Government strengthens the existing legislative framework so as to prohibit financial sector businesses from trading or using commodities linked to deforestation.

At global COP summits, the UK has been instrumental in delivering ambitious agreements to address global deforestation. However, despite this, the world does not appear to be on track to halt deforestation by 2030: a key commitment made during COP26 and at the Kunming-Montreal COP15 summit in December 2022.

The Government has announced large sums for programmes on climate and nature, amounting most recently to £11.6 billion with £1.5 billion earmarked for deforestation.

However, the Committee has heard concerns that  there is a lack of transparency over how this investment will be spent. The Committee is therefore calling for clarity from Ministers as to how the money will be used to support activities to halt and reverse deforestation.

The Committee was alarmed to hear from Global Witness that one person is killed every other day defending land and the environment. Indigenous peoples are protectors of the world’s forests and can possess detailed knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem trends. It is therefore critical that they are facilitated to participate fully in negotiations to address deforestation activity.  

To fulfil its commitment to put environmental sustainability measures at the heart of global production and trade, the Government must ensure that biodiversity considerations are more consistently applied into its trade agreements and operations.

EAC therefore repeats its earlier calls for sustainability impact assessments to be conducted for all future trade agreements. Ministers must also develop strategies to monitor effectively and deliver environmental net gains in the UK’s international activity, including gains through halting and reversing deforestation.

Environmental Audit Committee Chair, Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, said: “UK consumption is having an unsustainable impact on the planet at the current rate. UK markets must not be flooded with products that threaten the world’s forests, the people whose livelihoods rely on them and the precious ecosystems that call them home.

“Yet despite the recent commitment before and at COP28 to invest more in reforestation measures and The Amazon Fund to help halt the speed of global deforestation, the UK needs to take tangible steps to turn the dial at home.

“The Government’s ambition and stated commitment at COP26 to halt deforestation by 2030 was very welcome: but it is not on track now. Its legislation for a regime to require certain products to be certified as ‘sustainable’ before they can be sold in UK markets was welcome: but the implementing legislation has still not come forward. There is little sense of urgency about getting a rapid grip on the problem of deforestation, which needs to match the rhetoric.

“Countries all around the world contribute to deforestation, and the international community of course needs to do much more to tackle deforestation. Yet on some measures the intensity of UK consumption of forest-risk commodities is higher than that of China: this should serve as a wake-up call to the Government.

“To demonstrate genuine global leadership in this critical area, the UK must demonstrate domestic policy progress, and embed environmental and biodiversity protections in future trade deals.”

Letters: Volunteering with RNID

Dear Sir/Madam, 

Have you made your new year resolutions yet? Need one more? Why don’t you sign up as an RNID volunteer? 

RNID, the charity supporting people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus are looking for volunteers to support our vital work across Scotland. 

Last year, our volunteers gave more than 9,000 hours of their time to support people in their communities with practical information and essential hearing aid care. But with one in five adults in the UK being deaf or having hearing loss or tinnitus there is much more to do to make sure everyone in the UK gets support 

Volunteering for RNID could involve providing information to local organisations and community groups, helping people get the most out of their hearing aids, or giving a friendly welcome to everyone who passes through the door at one of our support sessions.  

Many of our volunteers have hearing loss themselves or in their family, and volunteering with us is a great way to meet new people, gain new skills and experience, try something new and help people in your community.  

What are you waiting for? For more information, visit rnid.org.uk/join or contact us on 0808 808 0123.  

Yours sincerely, 

Jackie White, Director at RNID 

Busy night for ambulance staff on Hogmanay

Ambulance staff had an extremely busy night across Scotland on Hogmanay as they dealt with 2,006 calls to Ambulance Control Centres between 7pm on New Year’s Eve and 7am on January 1st.

Hogmanay is traditionally one of the busiest nights of the year for the Service and during this year’s New Year’s Eve, there was an increase of 2.2 percent compared the same period in 2022.

The most intense period was between 1:30am – 2:45am where staff handled 328 calls – around a call every 15 seconds.

Julie Carter, On-call Executive Director with the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “The overall level of demand for our service over the festive period has exceeded previous years and Hogmanay was one of our busiest nights of the year.

“Yet again, our staff in our Control Centres, on the frontline and support staff showed what an incredible group of dedicated professionals they are. They are a true credit to the SAS.

“This winter we continue to face significant challenges as a result of the time of year and continuing long hospital turnaround times at some hospitals which are stopping our staff from getting back out on the road to help other patients in need.

“To help our staff, we’d like to remind people to please only call 999 in a life-threatening emergency.

“If you need urgent care, but it’s not life-threatening, you can call NHS 24 on 111, day or night, or your GP during opening hours.”

‘Best ever’ year for local travel agency as holiday demand remains high

RECORD BREAKING YEAR FOR BARRHEAD TRAVEL CAMERON TOLL

Barrhead Travel Cameron Toll is set to close 2023 as its “best ever” trading year as demand for travel continues to soar.

The Glasgow-headquartered travel agency group has celebrated 11 consecutive record-breaking months since January 2023 and has forecast that the month of December will also conclude with record sales. Year to date bookings for the group are up by 26 percent, compared with 2019 sales which, before 2023, was the company’s best trading year.

Barrhead Travel’s performance is bucking the trend on the high street. Despite recent ONS figures indicating that October retail sales fell to the lowest levels since the 2021 lockdowns, the travel group says its retail network is “busier than ever” with sales in-store growing by more than 25 percent. The group attributes its strong retail performance to the continued demand for travel as well as consumers returning to reputable travel agents to book their holidays.

Forward bookings for 2024 are performing particularly well with the agency reporting that customers have been securing their annual holiday plans earlier than usual. Last-minute bookings for winter holidays remain a popular option with around 25 percent of new bookings travelling across the 2023/24 winter period.

Earlier this year, Barrhead Travel confirmed it would pursue further expansion during 2024 with multiple store openings planned for the year ahead. Investment will also be channelled into existing stores for refurbishments, additional full and part time roles, and new technology.

Victoria Dodds, Manager at Barrhead Travel Cameron Toll said: “Over the last year, we prioritised smart and sustainable growth, which has seen us deliver record breaking results. This year, we will have recorded our highest ever sales and we expect to continue that pace in 2024.

“Holidays remain a spending priority for consumers of all ages. The demand for a reputable travel agent is at an all-time high which is why we believe that now is the time to move ahead with further expansion throughout the UK.

“Retail travel is thriving, and communities across the country are benefiting from busy travel agency stores. Our commitment to investing in retail has never wavered and we’re excited to be bringing new jobs and opportunities as our expansion progresses over the coming 12 months.

“We are in the process of reviewing our new locations and we expect to announce details in the first quarter of 2024.” 

Barrhead Travel has also announced the addition of a USA specialist division which will be launching in early 2024 as part of its wider plans for organic growth.

Minister urges those eligible to apply for Council Tax support

Scottish households have saved more than £3.5 billion in council tax since the Council Tax Reduction (CTR) scheme was introduced a decade ago.

The latest figures published by the Scottish Government show 460,860 recipients received CTR in October 2023, meaning one-in-five households were benefiting from the scheme.

People on low incomes are eligible for CTR if they live in Scotland – there is no equivalent benefit in England where most councils require each household to contribute a minimum amount of council tax, irrespective of ability to do so.

People who receive CTR save on average £800 a year and become eligible for up to 35% off their water and waste charges.

As part of the 2024-25 Scottish Budget the Deputy First Minister also made £144 million available to enable local authorities to freeze Council Tax rates at their current levels, benefitting every Council Tax payer in Scotland.

Public Finance Minister Tom Arthur said: “The Council Tax Reduction scheme celebrated its tenth anniversary in April and these latest figures show the scale of support it has provided to people in Scotland over the last decade.

“Our social contract with the people of Scotland means we are committed to giving an extra helping hand through targeted additional support to those who need it most and it is important everyone is aware of the help that is available to them. 

“Some people are also eligible for other council tax discounts or sometimes full exemptions, including students, people with disabilities and carers amongst others.

“I urge people to check their eligibility for council tax reduction , council tax discounts and other financial support by visiting our online resources or by contacting their local council.”

People can check whether they are eligible for Council Tax Reduction through mygov.scot or by contacting their local council.

Details of other help available including extra financial support or for things like food, heating and electricity can be found on the Scottish Government’s cost of living crisis support website.

First Minister’s warm words won’t give shopworkers the break they deserve on New Year’s Day says Usdaw

Retail trade union Usdaw is disappointed with the response of Scotland’s First Minister, Humza Yousaf, to a question from Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie about closing large retail stores on New Year’s Day 2024, so that retail workers can spend the day with their loved ones.

The exchange took place in the Scottish Parliament at today’s First Minister’s Questions. The Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Trading (Scotland) Act 2007 barred large stores from opening on Christmas Day and gave the Scottish Government powers to introduce a similar ban on New Year’s Day. However the SNP Government continues to refuse to use that power to give shopworkers a proper festive break.

Tracy Gilbert – Usdaw’s Regional Secretary for Scotland says: “The First Minister’s warm words about ‘fair work’ and taking another look at this issue is too little too late.

“It won’t mean much to our members while the Scottish Government continually refuses to enact their power to stop the opening of large stores on New Year’s Day. They have persistently not listened to the 98% of Scottish shopworkers who want stores to close. Too many will now being going to work on 1 January next year when they’d rather be somewhere else.

“Our members are deeply disappointed with the attitude of the Scottish Government. Retail staff have work every day to keep our communities fed and healthy, face high levels of abuse and are now dealing with a very busy run up to the festive season. The very least these key workers deserve is that the Scottish Government shows their appreciation for the essential work they do by giving them a proper festive break.”

Budget: Local authorities given real terms INCREASE in funding, says Scottish Government

BATTLE LINES DRAWN OVER COUNCIL FUNDING

Councils will receive a record £14 billion funding settlement, according to provisional details published by the Scottish Government last night.

Local authorities have each been allocated a share of £13.9 billion to fund their day-to-day activities, including £6 million to support the expansion of free school meals, £242 million for teacher pay rises and more than £266 million for local government pay deals.

Ministers have also made available a further £144 million to enable local authorities to freeze Council Tax rates at their current levels, equivalent to an above-inflation 5% rise in council tax nationally. The Scottish Government is in talks with COSLA over how this will be allocated.

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance Shona Robison said: “In the face of a profoundly challenging financial situation, we are making available record funding of over £14 billion to councils – a real-terms increase of 4.3% on the previous year – should they agree to freeze council tax.

“The £144 million for the council tax freeze would be equivalent to an above-inflation 5% rise in council tax nationally.

“We recognise the crucial role councils play in their communities, which is why we have increased their overall share of the Scottish Budget.

“We have made no secret of the tough choices that have been required to balance our Budget, after an Autumn Statement that failed to provide the funding Scotland needs for its public services. While I know councils had sought more funding, the settlement confirmed today represents a fair and sustainable offer.

“We have chosen to invest in our people and public services. This is a Budget that reflects our shared values as a nation and speaks to the kind of Scotland that we want to be with a record settlement for local councils at its heart.”

The Deputy First Minister’s comments are a response to a statement made on Thursday by local authority umbrella body COSLA. Scotland’s council leaders argue that their funding has been CUT.

The Scottish Government has delivered a major blow to communities and has put councils at financial risk with a cash cut to Local Government in its draft Budget (published on 19th December) and no provision for inflation or pay increases, COSLA said.

COSLA Leaders described the draft Budget as not only leaving councils at real and significant financial risk for the coming year, but as it stands, it will mean cuts in every community in Scotland and job losses across Scottish Local Government.

Following a full meeting of Council Leaders on Thursday COSLA said that whatever way the Government presents the figures, the reality is that once again the people in our communities have been left at the end of the queue.  That is why we are calling for urgent discussions with Scottish government to ensure a meaningful negotiation on the budget takes place before the final budget is presented to Parliament.

COSLA’s President Councillor Shona Morrison said:  “COSLA’s initial analysis, shows a real terms cut to our revenue and capital spending power which will leave Council services at breaking point, with some having to stop altogether.  

“The Budget in its current form could result in service cuts, job losses and an inevitable shift to providing statutory services only. This means potentially losing Libraries, leisure centres and all the things that improve our lives.

“COSLA’s initial analysis of the Budget is that the Council Tax freeze is not fully funded. Leaders from across Scotland agreed today that decisions on Council Tax can only be made by each full Council, and it is for each individual Council to determine their own level of Council Tax.  With any sort of shortfall in core funding, the £144m revenue offered for the freeze is immediately worth less.”

COSLA Vice President Steven Heddle said:  “Despite the Verity House Agreement rhetoric about working together on shared priorities it is the same outcome at Budget time for Local Government in reality.  

“The Scottish Government is claiming to protect public services, but are not protecting the essential public services provided by councils– Scotland’s councils are key, they deliver your homecare, schools, road maintenance, street lighting, leisure and waste services and have been locked out again.

“We needed increased funding to cope with inflation, but have been given less instead. The cut to Revenue funding we have been given is a devastating blow and the cut to our Capital funding means that we will be unable to meet our targets in terms of a move towards Net Zero and mitigating climate change targets.”

COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann said:  “The Scottish Government has disappointingly failed to recognise that investment in Councils is investment in cities, towns and villages across Scotland.

“As it stands, this is not a good Budget for our communities or the people who deliver our essential front-line services.  This is a Budget which will mean job losses – real jobs that support families, and deliver vital services that make a positive difference to people’s lives. 

“Sadly, the budget as it stands, leaves nothing for meaningful pay rises in 24/25 so we would call on the Scottish Government to look again, so that our workforce can get the pay rise they deserve next year.”

So much for the Season of Goodwill …

A recently updated (21.12.23) factual document from COSLA entitled ‘Budget Reality’ can be downloaded here.

Police: Have you seen Connie?

POLICE are seeking your assistance in trying to locate a 14-year-old girl, missing from Penicuik.

Connie Cochrane was last seen in Dean Place, Penicuik around 1.30pm on Tuesday, 19 December, 2023. She is around 5ft 2 inches in height with long black hair. When last seen, she was wearing a black, shiny Canada Goose body warmer, a pink jumper and black leggings.

Police are growing increasingly concerned about Connie and just want to know she is safe and well.

Officers have been checking relevant CCTV images and continue to liaise with partner agencies in case Connie is using public transport to get around.

Inspector Cheryl Blanch said: “We are continuing to speak to Connie’s family and friends for any small details that could assist in our enquiries.

“I would appeal to anyone who may have seen Connie or who has any information about her whereabouts to please contact us.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 2905 of 19 December, 2023.