A dramatic increase in the number of violent and threatening incidents in Edinburgh’s schools has been revealed by figures from the city council.
In the 2014-15 academic year, there were 111 violent or threatening behaviour incidents across Edinburgh’s primaries and secondary schools. In the 2022-23 academic year this had skyrocketed to 618.
These figures come after the Scottish Government’s latest Research Report into school behaviour showed that almost 2/3rds of Scottish teachers have experienced verbal abuse and 59% have encountered physical aggression.
The number of incidents is higher in Edinburgh’s primary schools, which saw a leap from 242 for the academic year 2021/22 to 487 in 22/23.
High schools have seen a similarly dramatic jump but from a lower base, seeing an increase from 44 incidents in 21/22 to 131 in 22/23.
Commenting on these figures, Lothians MSP Sarah Boyack said: “The dramatic increase in violent and threatening behaviour in schools is extremely distressing.
“No teacher deserves to face violence or abuse in their classroom.
“The Council and school staff are doing a great job with the resources they have, but its clear more is needed to tackle this issue.
“Investing in pupil support will help us to tackle many of the root issues that cause disruption. We must also ensure that schools equip teachers with the necessary support if they are facing violent behaviour.
“Violence and threatening behaviour are not part of a teacher’s job, and it must be the Education Secretary’s top priority to tackle it.”
The data, acquired by FOI from City of Edinburgh Council is below:
Academic Year
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Total number
01/08/2014 to 30/06/2015
104
7
111
01/08/2015 to 30/06/2016
112
7
119
01/08/2016 to 30/06/2017
199
7
206
01/08/2017 to 30/06/2018
178
15
193
01/08/2018 to 30/06/2019
292
37
329
01/08/2019 to 30/06/2020
17
24
41
01/08/2020 to 30/06/2021
129
4
133
01/08/2021 to 30/06/2022
242
44
286
01/08/2022 to 30/06/2023
487
131
618
The Scottish Government Behaviour in Schools Research Report can be found here:
IRAN launched drones in a retaliatory attack on Israel last night.
Iran was responding to an Israeli attack on their embassy in Damascus earlier this month in which a senior military leader was killed.
Israeli defences, with the support of US allies, intercepted ‘hundreds’ of missiles in last night’s attack and it’s understood there are few casualties
Words from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the Iranian regime’s attack against Israel:
“I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime’s reckless attack against Israel. These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region.
“Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard.
“The UK will continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq.
“Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed.”
UK Military Activity in the Middle East
Statement from UK’s Ministry of Defence
In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks.
We have moved several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers to the region. These will bolster Operation Shader, which is the UK’s existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq and Syria. In addition, these UK jets will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required.
We will continue to cooperate closely with our regional partners in the interest of de-escalation.
Noting that the Prime Minister did not agree to his call to end the license of arms exports to Israel, the First Minister has written to Lord Ahmad to warn that the UK Government is in danger of being complicit in the killing of innocent civilians.
Thank you for your letter of 8 April replying to mine to the Prime Minister of 23 February and 3 April.
I welcome the UK Government’s stated commitment to International Humanitarian Law, our diplomats’ contribution to finally achieving a UN Security Council Resolution, and the UK’s wider efforts to bring an end to the tragedy befalling the people of the Middle East.
I share with you the grief at the killing of three British aid workers, along with every other innocent man, woman and child killed in Gaza and Israel since Hamas’s terrorist attacks of 7 October and Israel’s response, which has gone far beyond any legitimate response.
In spite of everything contained in your comprehensive reply, I note that you have not agreed to my call to end the license of arms exports to Israel, which means that the UK will continue to arm Israel’s war in Gaza. A war that has left tens of thousands dead, the majority reported to be women and children.
As I said in my letter of 3 April, by continuing to arm Israel, the United Kingdom Government is in danger of being complicit in the killing of innocent civilians.
I find it difficult to comprehend that this continues to be the United Kingdom’s position against the backdrop of the ICJ ruling; UN Security Council, General Assembly and Human Rights Council Resolutions; countless UN officials’ statements about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza; and the recent open letter signed by over 600 legal professionals warning of potential UK complicity in grave breaches of international law, including violations of the Genocide Convention.
If this, alongside the killing of British nationals among at least 35,000 dead – the majority of whom are innocent women and children – is insufficient to change your policy, what more will it take?
The Scottish Government is not doing enough to engage the public on climate change and Scotland’s climate change targets.
This is the collective view expressed in a report published yesterday by 23 members of the public, selected at random from across Scotland, who recently came together at Holyrood to form a ‘Climate Change People’s Panel’.
The panel was set up to support Holyrood’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee in its post-legislative scrutiny of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. The Act mandates that the Scottish Government should produce and periodically review a public engagement strategy for climate change.
The panel’s report concludes that the Government has not communicated effectively with the public on climate change saying that it “could be more ambitious, delivering a positive narrative and enabling Scotland to set a standard of excellence.”
The panel also considered that “collaboration with expert local and community led organisations is key” and that there is an “inconsistency in communication, education, evaluation, the allocation of funding and ultimately, that there is an action gap across Scotland.”
The report outlines 18 recommendations which panellists will formally present to the Committee during a broadcast evidence session on Tuesday 16 April 2024.
Panellist Kevin Roarty, an Analyst Programmer living in Paisley said of his experience; “This has been a fantastic experience but at the heart of it all is the most serious topic.
“We felt that there needs to be more truth and honesty from the Scottish Government about the scale of the challenge, and that creating a more compelling vision of the better world we’re all aiming for would help.
“We hope the Committee will accept our recommendations as positive, concrete actions that must be taken forward and that our efforts will make a positive difference to national engagement on climate issues.”
In the report, panellists unanimously recommend, for example, that: –
Climate change should exist as a compulsory subject within the primary to high school curriculum and children should be involved in its development as a subject.
Robust, timely and longer-term funding (minimum 3-5 years) should be provided to help expand and adequately resource climate hubs.
There needs to be a legal obligation on all local authorities to co-create local climate policy, supported by funding from the Scottish Government.
Edward Mountain MSP, Convener of the Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee, said; “This report identifies the need for the Scottish Government to lead from the front to bring governments, business, and the public together in a mutual understanding of the shared challenge we all face and the actions that need to be taken to effect change.
“Just last month the Climate Change Committee said that Scotland’s 2030 climate goals are no longer credible. Collaboration on all levels of society will be essential to help drive action forward.
“We look forward to taking evidence from the panellists during next week’s committee meeting and exploring their findings further with them.”
All disabled children and young people in Scotland who receive disability benefits will now be paid directly from Social Security Scotland.
Those children and young people who receive Child Disability Payment will also benefit from a review system different to that of the wider UK, one based on dignity, fairness and respect.
The latest figures show around 47,000 children and teenagers have had their awards moved to Child Disability Payment delivered by Social Security Scotland.
The transfers began in 2021 when the new benefit was launched to replace Disability Living Allowance for children, paid by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).
Around 76,000 disabled children and young people in Scotland now receive Child Disability Payment, including around 31,000 who applied since the new benefit was launched.
Child Disability Payment helps cover the extra costs of caring for a disabled or terminally ill child or young person.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, said:“One of the defining characteristics of the benefits system in Scotland is that people are treated with dignity, fairness and respect.
“Everyone in Scotland who previously received Disability Living Allowance for children from the UK Government now gets Child Disability Payment from Social Security Scotland. This has been a significant and important undertaking.
“The change means 47,000 more children in Scotland and their families can now look forward to less anxiety, less uncertainty and more financial security when their disability benefits come up for review.
“Social Security Scotland takes a human rights-based approach to reviews. The time between reviews is also set by case managers and can vary from two years to ten years. This is especially important for people with life-long disabilities and helps provide the financial security that is needed to pay for ongoing care and support.”
Rebecca, 40, from Edinburgh says her experience with Social Security Scotland since her son’s benefit was moved has been markedly better than under the UK system.
She said: “The transfer all went smoothly, but the biggest difference for me was when his yearly review came around. The DWP review is a 48-page document. Just writing down again and again, that nothing had changed.
“It used to be a couple of months of feeling anxious. Not knowing how the application was going to be scored this time.
“Even though nothing had changed, the person scoring it might have a different view from the person who did it the last time.
“You don’t know if you’re going to get any money at all, if you’ll get less or if it will be the same rate that you had before the review. It’s difficult to plan ongoing support when there’s so much uncertainty.
“There was also always a kind of feeling that somebody was trying to catch you out with the DLA application. It’s absolutely inhumane.
“This time when the renewal letter came through instead of saying, ‘You have to go through the whole traumatic process again,’ it was, ‘Has anything changed?’
“The short answer was, ‘No, my son still has cerebral palsy. There hasn’t been a miracle overnight.’ And that was accepted, what a difference.
“There are a lot of hard things about being in a family that’s affected by disability. This was someone taking away one of those hard things.
“That has been fantastic and I’m incredibly grateful for the values that underpin Social Security Scotland.”
The review period for awards is decided on a case-by-case basis depending on the client’s condition and whether their needs are expected to change. Generally, review periods range from two to ten years.
29 million workers receive largest ever cut to National Insurance
Government is sticking to its economic plan and rewarding hard work in this month’s pay packet, with over £900 a year boost for typical worker
Signals government’s long-term ambition to end unfair double tax on work
29 million workers will see their hard work rewarded from tomorrow (6 April), as record tax cuts come into full force.
Since Autumn 2023, National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for workers have been slashed by a third – the largest cut to NICs in history – with a longer-term ambition to end the unfair double tax on work and abolish employee and self-employed NICs altogether.
Since January, the main rate of employee National Insurance has been cut for 27 million workers from 12% to 8%, saving the average employee on £35,400 over £900 a year.
Over 2 million self-employed people will benefit from the main rate of Class 4 NICs being cut from 9% to 6% alongside the abolition of the requirement to pay Class 2 NICs – simplifying the tax system and saving an average self-employed person on £28,000 over £650 a year.
These cuts are possible because the economy is turning a corner, thanks to the government’s decisive action to bring inflation down from 11.1% to 3.4% and ensure borrowing costs start to fall. Because of this progress, the government can now cut taxes to reward work and grow the economy.
The tax cuts – worth £20 billion a year – mean that those individuals on average salaries will now pay less in personal taxes than they would in any other G7 country.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:“Hard work is one of my core values, and the progress we have made on the economy means we can reward work with a tax cut worth £900 for the average earner.
“This marks the next step in our plan to end the unfairness of double taxation of work by abolishing National Insurance in the long term.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, said:“The record tax cuts taking effect tomorrow show our economic plan is working – because of the progress we’ve made we’re putting hundreds of pounds a year back into the pockets of working people across the country.
“It shows we stand behind those who work hard and fires the starting gun on our long-term ambition to end the unfair double tax on work.”
The tax cuts will also help grow the economy by bringing more people into the labour market. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expects that, as a result of these combined cuts, total hours worked will increase by the equivalent of almost 200,000 full-time workers by 2028-29.
To mark the record cuts to NICs, HMRC has launched an updated online tool to help people understand how much they personally could save in National Insurance this year.
They come into effect on the same day as an increase to the income threshold at which the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) starts – from £50,000 to £60,000 – taking 170,000 families out of paying the charge altogether.
The rate at which the HICBC is charged will also be halved from 1% of the Child Benefit payment for every additional £100 earnt above the threshold, to 1% for every £200, meaning Child Benefit will not be withdrawn in full until individuals earn £80,000 or higher.
As a result of these changes, 485,000 hard-working families will gain an average of £1,260 towards the costs of raising their children in 2024/25.
The government has also committed to consulting in due course on administering the HICBC on a household basis by April 2026, in recognition of how charging on an individual basis can sometimes lead to unfair outcomes, in particular for single parents and single earner families.
These changes to support hard-working families follow a raft of measures that came into force on 1 April that could save households up to £3,850 a year on average to help those struggling with cost-of-living while igniting the economy.
This includes a record increase in the National Living Wage from £10.42 an hour to £11.44, and a 12.3% drop in energy bills from the previous quarter. In addition, households can benefit from a separate increase to the Local Housing Allowance that will mean some of the poorest families on either Universal Credit or Housing Benefit will gain £800 a year on average.
And on Monday 8 April, the government will stand by its commitment to maintain the Triple Lock by raising the full basic State Pension by 8.5% to almost £170 a week, after the largest ever cash increase last year.
Changes like the introduction of the Triple Lock and new State Pension have meant pensioners are on average £1,000 better off than in 2010, according to the Resolution Foundation.
Cash boost for households as ‘historic’ National Living Wage increase comes into effect
More money in people’s pockets as a result of economic measures coming into effect today
Raft of economic policies are set to boost UK households and reward work
Low pay eliminated with largest ever cash increase to National Living Wage
Thousands of households across the UK are set to be around £3,850 better off as a raft of economic policies come into force this week.
An increase in the National Living Wage and a drop in energy prices mean certain households will stand to get this extra cash in their pockets.
The National Living Wage has officially risen from £10.42 an hour to £11.44, meaning no full-time worker over 21 will earn less than two-thirds of the average hourly wage. This marks a £1,800 annual boost to their pay packet – delivering a manifesto commitment to eliminate low pay.
Households will also save around £250 a year on average thanks to a drop in energy bills introduced by Ofgem today. This marks a 12.3% fall from the previous quarter, which brings prices down to their lowest since Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine in February 2022.
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “These measures could save households around £3,850 year on average which – taken with the upcoming cuts to NICs – will put more money in their pockets to help ignite the economy.
“Although recent years have tested our resolve, we have not bowed. We have stuck to the plan, more than halved inflation, and set us on a path to growth.
“Because of this determination, we find ourselves in a new economic moment and – thanks to our bumper package of economic reforms coming into force today – 2024 is set to be the year Britain bounces back.”
An increase to the Local Housing Allowance, also introduced on Monday, means some of the poorest families on either Universal Credit or Housing Benefit will gain around £800 a year on average.
That runs alongside the roll out of 15 hours of free childcare, which will save working parents an average of £3,450 a year – the first stage in the £8 billion childcare package that was announced by the Chancellor last year.
Meanwhile, tax cuts to SMEs and the UK film industry will start benefitting firms up and down the UK to help drive growth in the economy.
This includes increasing the VAT threshold for small businesses, slashing business rates for high street businesses, funding apprenticeships, and igniting the British film industry with a 10 year tax relief.
This bumper package of measures are coming into force today will fire up businesses and push the UK further into this new economic moment which sees Britain bouncing back.
The last few years have not been easy for the UK economy – the legacy of Covid, and global instability have tested financial systems across the world.
Since the beginning of 2023, the Prime Minister has been working on five priorities – three of which were economic: to halve inflation, grow the economy and reduce debt. This has been achieved – and given us the headroom to deliver today’s package and slash the average workers taxes by £900 a year.
This puts the UK in a strong position to achieve the long-term ambition to abolish NICs entirely. This will put an end to the unfair system which means workers are taxed twice for the same work – NICs and Income Tax.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “Today we are addressing low hourly pay, with increases for people earning the National Living Wage worth £1,800 to a full time worker.
“It’s part of our plan to reward work which is why we’re also cutting National Insurance and delivering on our promise of more free childcare. All paid for by our progress in getting the economy back on track.
Baroness Philippa Stroud, Low Pay Commission Chair, said: “Today’s increases in the NMW and NLW mark a really significant milestone for the UK’s labour market. The Government set an ambitious, long-term target for the NLW which is being delivered. Today’s increases for young workers also reflect our ambition not to leave these groups behind.
“The target has boosted the incomes of low-paid workers in especially turbulent times and the evidence suggests the increases to date have been implemented steadily and carefully so as not to damage employment opportunities.
“Our work at the LPC to monitor the impacts of these increases is more important than ever. We invite contributions from workers, employers and other organisations to our imminent consultation.”
The measures coming into effect this week include:
National Living Wage increase
National Living Wage will increase from £10.42 an hour to £11.44 – representing a £1,800 boost to their yearly pay cheque.
This means nobody over 21 will earn less than two-thirds of the average hourly wage increase – putting more money in the pockets of around 3 million of UK’s lowest paid workers.
A full-time worker on the National Living Wage will see their gross annual earnings increase by over £8,600 since it was announced in 2015, and by over £10,000 since 2010.
Since its introduction, the National Living Wage has boosted the pay of millions of low-paid workers without any significant effects on employment.
SME VAT rate boost
The VAT threshold is being raised from £85,000 to £90,000. This means 28,000 fewer small businesses will be paying VAT at all from today.
The UK has a higher threshold than all EU countries, giving UK small businesses more cash to scale and grow their companies.
Apprenticeships fully funded by Government
The Government will fully fund apprenticeships for young people in small businesses from today by paying the full cost of training for anyone up to age 21.
This is backed by £60 million of funding and will support up to 20,000 new apprenticeships.
Business rate cuts for high street businesses
Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses will continue to benefit from 75% off their business rates relief for yet another year.
This protects 230,000 high street properties from rising costs and saves the average pub nearly £13,000 over the next tax year.
The small business multiplier for business rates will be frozen for a fourth consecutive year, protecting over one million ratepayers from a 6.6% increase in bills.
Tax relief for UK film industry (England)
Film studios across England will receive 40% business rates relief on gross business rates bills until 2034.
This £470 million tax cut will ensure the UK remains an attractive place for its £11.9 billion film and high-end TV sector.
This is alongside the transformational UK Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC), designed to boost the production of UK independent films and support UK talent in films.
Under the IFTC, eligible films will be able to claim an enhanced credit, at a rate of 53%, on their qualifying expenditure.
Local Housing Allowance boosted
Depending on the benefit you receive and your payment schedule, eligible claimants will start to see an increase in their Local Housing Allowance rates.
The boost will benefit some of the poorest families on either Universal Credit or Housing Benefit who will gain around £800 a year on average.
This puts more money in the pockets of the lowest earners – giving them more spending power to boost their local economy.
New Energy Price Cap begins
Energy bills will fall by around £238, saving millions of households around £20 a month.
Energy prices are now at their lowest level in two years/since Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, putting more money back into the pockets of hardworking families.
Households will now also benefit from £30 compensation if switching their supplier takes more than 5 working days, thanks to changes from Ofgem coming into force.
The move will give families reassurance that switching to cheaper deals can be quick and easy, as competition starts to return to the market.
Household Support Fund extended by six months(in England)
The six-month extension to the Household Support Fund starts today – backed by £500 million (£421 million to LAs in England and £79 million to DAs via Barnett.
This boost to the Household Support Fund will give vital, targeted support to millions of vulnerable households across England.
The fund has previously been used to help with water bills, provide health visits, disabled children services, free school meals and more.
Since launching in October 2021 over £2.5 billion has been invested into the Household Support Fund.
Since October 2022, CPI has already more than halved from 11.1% to 3.4%. This is stabilising the financial situation for many families, and the OBR expects that by Quarter 4 2024 (October-December) CPI will have fallen to 1.4%.
Childcare rolled out for working parents of 2 year olds (in England)
15 hours free childcare has been rolled out to parents of 2 year olds, which will save working parents an average of £3,450 a year.
This is the first stage in the £8 billion childcare package that was announced by the Chancellor last year – the biggest expansion of Government childcare provision in history.
Edinburgh Pentlands MSP Gordon Macdonald has said the new Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance will ensure that up to 3,155 people in Edinburgh will benefit from “an approach rooted in dignity, fairness and respect” with Social Security Scotland providing a total of 15 support payments.
Under the Scottish Government’s proposals, those in Scotland who currently receive the DWP’s Disability Living Allowance – around 66,000 adults – will, from next year, be automatically transferred to the new Scottish benefit. They will then be able to apply for Adult Disability Payment.
Commenting, the SNP MSP for Pentlands said: “Since its inception, Social Security Scotland has set out to support those who need it most, with an approach rooted in dignity, fairness and respect – and I am pleased that more people across Edinburgh will benefit from this progressive approach.
“For the 3,155 people who are currently reliant on the cruel and out-dated DWP, this new benefit will streamline the provision of support and enable them to apply for Social Security Scotland’s flagship Adult Disability Payment.
“This is just one of many examples of the progress that can be made when we have the power to make decisions in the best interests of Scots as we work to build a fairer, more prosperous country.”
Should Scotland have a Disability Commissioner? This is what a Holyrood Committee is asking and it now wants to hear from disabled people and those you care, support and live with.
The Disability Commissioner (Scotland) Bill has been introduced by Jeremy Balfour MSP. The Bill would establish a commissioner, who would be expected to promote and safeguard the rights of disabled people.
The Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee will be scrutinising the Bill and want to hear views on the proposals in the Bill before it takes public evidence.
In particular, the Committee wants people to share their views on the proposal to establish a commissioner, the powers that the Commissioner would have and the involvement that disabled people should have in the Commissioner’s work.
The consultation, which opened yesterday, will be open until Friday 17 May.
Karen Adam MSP, Convener of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, said: “With approximately one fifth of Scotland’s population defining themselves as disabled, our Committee welcomes any discussion on what can be done to ensure that their voices are heard and their rights are protected.
“Our newly opened consultation will help frame our scrutiny of the proposals in the Bill. What we hear from the public will define our evidence sessions and ultimately be reported back to the Parliament.
“We’re especially keen to hear what Scotland’s disabled community make of the proposals, which is why we are providing our consultation in a range of formats, including Easy Read and BSL.”
Devolved governments and businesses facing further uncertainty
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater has written to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to express her frustration at a further significant delay to the Deposit Return Scheme launch, despite repeated requests for DEFRA to set out its plans.
The full text of the Circular Economy Minister’s letter:
To: Stephen Barclay Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs From: Lorna Slater Circular Economy Minister
Dear Stephen
I am writing to you to express my deep concerns at your comments about the future of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on Tuesday 26 March.
Despite our continued requests for Defra to set out its plans for DRS, and my recent correspondence dated 8 March on such matters, it is extremely frustrating to hear about details of a further significant delay to the DRS launch from media reports.
Your Government committed to develop and consult on a DRS in England for metal, plastic and glass drinks containers in 2018, a commitment also set out in your 2019 manifesto. We are now five years on from that commitment, which has been significantly weakened following your Government’s decision to remove glass from the scheme in 2023. It is clear now that it will be further delayed.
As you know, Scotland would now have an operational DRS if the UK Government had not prevented it from moving forward as planned. This would have provided a launchpad for wider DRS across the UK meaning we would all be experiencing the environmental and economic benefits much sooner.
Instead, the UK Government’s refusal to provide that IMA exclusion created enormous uncertainty for businesses on what a scheme across the UK would look like and on how it would be delivered, and severely undermined confidence. Even though the main premise for undermining Scotland’s scheme was the need for a UK-wide approach, almost one year on, there is no further clarity on the details of your Regulations. We, the other devolved governments, and businesses now find ourselves facing even greater uncertainty as a result of these latest comments.
It is also now clear from your comments that the UK Government won’t hesitate to continue to use the IMA to undermine, override and re-write devolved legislation, disregarding four-nation agreements and good-faith engagement in Common Frameworks to so do.
Despite the continued shifting of goal posts and delays by the UK Government, which we have set out in an annex to this letter, officials across the four nations have been working closely since May last year to design and agree interoperable schemes.
Minister Moore’s letter to devolved Ministers on 1 March particularly emphasised the valuable input from Scottish officials, and that the preparations we had already put in place to deliver DRS in Scotland has helped inform the four nations approach, including the amendments to our regulations in May and September last year, based on significant feedback from business.
We have said from day one that we we’re committed to all schemes across the UK to work together. We designed our scheme in good faith so it would be interoperable with the proposals agreed and consulted upon by all UK nations. I would ask that you focus on working with all devolved nations to finalise an interoperable DRS, which still recognises the devolved nature of this policy, to provide businesses with the certainty they need to make the scheme a success. This includes setting out a realistic timescale for delivery which is agreed across the four nations, rather than creating speculation without consultation.
I am copying this letter to Robbie Moore MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Huw Irranca-Davies AS/MS Minister for Climate Change and Andrew Muir MLA, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. I have also copied to the Secretary of State for Scotland, Secretary of State for Wales, and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Permanent Secretary for Defra and the Defra Director for Resources & Waste for their information.
