Tag: Politics

COVID recovery: Easing on hold as Johnson presses pause button

Prime Minister: “We must learn to live with COVID”

  • Step 4 of England’s Roadmap paused for four weeks while vaccination programme is accelerated following significant rise in more transmissible variant
  • Second dose brought forward to 8 weeks for over 40s to provide strongest protection against Delta variant sooner
  • Restrictions to be lifted on weddings and wakes on 21 June

Step 4 will be delayed by up to four weeks in England and the vaccination programme accelerated to respond to the rapid spread of the Delta variant, the Prime Minister confirmed yesterday.

Scotland’s First Minister will give an update on Scotland’s plans later today. At present it’s planned that Scotland would move to Level 0 on 28 June, but concerns over rising numbers of the Delta variant make it likely that the date will be put back.

By 19 July, all adults in England will have been offered a first dose and around two thirds of all adults will have been offered two doses of the vaccine.

Data suggests that the Delta variant is between 40% and 80% more transmissible than the Alpha variant and is rapidly driving up case numbers.

There are currently around 8,000 cases a day, the highest since the end of February, and these are increasing by around 64% each week.

Hospitalisations are starting to rise, with the average number of people admitted to hospital increasing in England by 50% per week, and 61% per week in the North-West.

Our successful vaccination programme is weakening the link between cases and hospitalisations, but the latest evidence shows that two doses are needed to provide effective protection against the Delta variant.

The Roadmap has always been led by data and not dates, and the government’s four tests have not been met. In order to offer two vaccine doses to more people, prevent thousands of unnecessary deaths and protect the NHS, Step 4 will be delayed by up to four weeks to Monday 19 July. If the data rapidly improves this could be brought forward to 5 July.

The four tests are:

  • The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully
  • Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated
  • Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS
  • Our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new Variants of Concern

Two vaccine doses have now been shown to be highly effective in reducing hospitalisation from the Delta variant, with the latest PHE data suggesting this could be up to 96% for Pfizer-BioNTech and 92% for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

All adults aged 18 and over will now be offered a first dose by 19 July, 2 weeks earlier than planned. All adults aged 23 and 24 will be able to book their first dose from tomorrow (15 June).

By 19 July, all those aged over 50 and the clinically extremely vulnerable will have been offered their second dose, and those second doses will have taken effect.

Second doses for all over 40s will be accelerated by reducing the dosing interval from 12 weeks to 8 weeks. All over 40s who received a first dose by mid-May will be offered a second dose by 19 July.

The school holidays in England begin at the end of July, further reducing transmission among the younger age groups. Step 3 restrictions will continue in their current format with the following exceptions implemented from 21 June. No restrictions will be reimposed.

The 30-person limit will be lifted for weddings and wakes. There will be no set limit on the number of attendees, but venues must adhere to covid secure guidance, maintain social distancing and provide table service. All weddings in private settings, such as gardens, must have completed a covid risk assessment to ascertain how many guests they can host safely.

Event pilots will continue, including some Euro 2020 matches, Wimbledon, and some arts and music performances. Attendees will show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test.

Care home residents will no longer need to isolate if they leave their residence. Exceptions will include high risk visits including overnight stays in hospital.

Cases are expected to continue rising due to the transmissibility of the Delta variant, but with the acceleration of the vaccination programme hospitalisations are expected to stabilise.

Additional support is available for areas with high cases rates of the Delta variant, including surge testing, isolation support, and efforts to maximise vaccination uptake.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a statement at a press conference last night:

The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP

When we set out on our roadmap to freedom a few months ago, we were determined to make progress that was cautious but irreversible. And step by step – thanks to the enormous efforts of the British people and the spectacular vaccine roll-out we now have one of the most open economies and societies in this part of the world.

And as we have always known and as the February roadmap explicitly predicted – this opening up has inevitably been accompanied by more infection and more hospitalisation. Because we must be clear that we cannot simply eliminate Covid – we must learn to live with it. And with every day that goes by we are better protected by the vaccines and we are better able to live with the disease.

Vaccination greatly reduces transmission and two doses provide a very high degree of protection against serious illness and death. But there are still millions of younger adults who have not been vaccinated and sadly a proportion of the elderly and vulnerable may still succumb even if they have had two jabs.

And that is why we are so concerned by the Delta variant that is now spreading faster than the third wave predicted in the February roadmap. We’re seeing cases growing by about 64 per cent per week, and in the worst affected areas, it’s doubling every week.

And the average number of people being admitted to hospital in England has increased by 50 per cent week on week, and by 61 per cent in the North West, which may be the shape of things to come. Because we know the remorseless logic of exponential growth and even if the link between infection and hospitalisation has been weakened it has not been severed.

And even if the link between hospitalisation and death has also been weakened, I’m afraid numbers in intensive care, in ICU are also rising. And so we have faced a very difficult choice. We can simply keep going with all of step 4 on June 21st even though there is a real possibility that the virus will outrun the vaccines and that thousands more deaths would ensue that could otherwise have been avoided.

Or else we can give our NHS a few more crucial weeks to get those remaining jabs into the arms of those who need them. And since today I cannot say that we have met all four tests for proceeding with step four, I do think it is sensible to wait just a little longer.

By Monday 19th July we will aim to have double jabbed around two thirds of the adult population including everyone over 50, all the vulnerable, all the frontline health and care workers and everyone over 40 who received their first dose by mid-May. And to do this we will now accelerate the 2nd jabs for those over 40 – just as we did for the vulnerable groups – so they get maximum protection as fast as possible.

And we will bring forward our target to give every adult in this country a first dose by 19th July that is including young people over the age of 18 with 23 and 24 year olds invited to book jabs from tomorrow – so we reduce the risk of transmission among groups that mix the most.

And to give the NHS that extra time we will hold off step 4 openings until July 19th except for weddings that can still go ahead with more than 30 guests provided social distancing remains in place and the same will apply to wakes. And we will continue the pilot events – such as Euro2020 and some theatrical performances.

We will monitor the position every day and if after 2 weeks we have concluded that the risk has diminished then we reserve the possibility of proceeding to Step 4 and full opening sooner.

As things stand – and on the basis of the evidence I can see right now – I am confident we will not need any more than 4 weeks and we won’t need to go beyond July 19th. It is unmistakably clear the vaccines are working and the sheer scale of the vaccine roll-out has made our position incomparably better than in previous waves.

But now is the time to ease off the accelerator because by being cautious now we have the chance – in the next four weeks – to save many thousands of lives by vaccinating millions more people.

And once the adults of this country have been overwhelmingly vaccinated, which is what we can achieve in a short space of time, we will be in a far stronger position to keep hospitalisations down, to live with this disease, and to complete our cautious but irreversible roadmap to freedom.

Scotland’s First Minister will give an update on Scotland’s plans later today. At present it’s planned that Scotland would move to Level 0 on 28 June, but concerns over rising numbers of the Delta variant make it likely that the date will be put back.

G7 leaders agree Nature Compact

G7 leaders have agreed commitments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, and tackle deforestation, marine litter and illegal wildlife trade

G7 leaders have agreed commitments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, and tackle deforestation, marine litter and illegal wildlife trade.

At the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Cornwall yesterday, countries came together and agreed a shared G7 Nature Compact.

This is a key agreement which brings G7 countries together to address the most pressing international and interlinked challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change. Leaders have also agreed to review progress against the Nature Compact to ensure delivery of its 2030 vision.

This next milestone marks a crucial commitment to supporting global consensus and taking bold action for the delivery of ambitious outcomes for nature in 2021. Climate change is one key driver of biodiversity loss, and protecting, conserving and restoring biodiversity is crucial to addressing climate change.

The G7 Nature Compact commits world leaders to:

  • Shift incentives and use all appropriate levers to address unsustainable and illegal activities negatively impacting nature, such as through tackling deforestation by supporting sustainable supply chains, and stepping up efforts to tackle the illegal wildlife trade
  • Work to dramatically increase investment in nature from all sources, and to ensure nature is accounted for in economic and financial decision-making – for instance, through drawing on the Dasgupta Review for key actions
  • Support and drive the protection, conservation and restoration of ecosystems critical to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and tackle climate change, such as supporting the target to conserve or protect at least 30% of global land and at least 30% of the global ocean by the end of the decade
  • Hold themselves to account for taking domestic and global action for nature through driving strengthened accountability and implementation mechanisms of all Multilateral Environmental Agreements to which we are parties

Through this Compact, the UK Government is committing to supporting the global consensus and to taking bold action for delivery of ambitious outcomes for nature in 2021 at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP15 in Kunming and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP26 in Glasgow.

The Prime Minister has also launched the UK’s Blue Planet Fund. The £500 million fund will support countries to tackle unsustainable fishing, protect and restore coastal ecosystems like mangroves and coral reefs, and reduce marine pollution.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “For the first time, the G7 has committed to halting and reversing the loss of biodiversity in the next decade.

“This is a major step forward on the path to CBD COP15 and COP26 and is a sign of the dedication to accelerate action within the G7 – and beyond – to tackle the interdependent crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

“We have seen major progress this weekend and we welcome the collaboration between global leaders to raise our ambition and remain accountable in this critical decade.”

The Compact’s commitments will be embedded in national plans as appropriate, raising ambition wherever possible, and the G7 will hold themselves to account for delivering effective action integrated with that to support climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Through existing G7 mechanisms, including at the G7 Leaders’ Summit in five years, the G7 countries will review options to ratchet up action and ambition, as needed, to ensure delivery of the vision for 2030.

The full G7 Nature Compact can be read online here.

‘Fantastic’: Prime Minister’s statement at conclusion of Summit

This Summit was the first gathering of G7 leaders – in fact the first gathering of pretty much any leaders – in almost two years.

And I know the world was looking to us to reject some of the selfishness and nationalist approaches that have marred the initial global response to the pandemic, and to channel all our diplomatic, economic and scientific might into defeating covid for good.

And I do hope we have lived up to some of the most optimistic of hopes and predictions

I should say I am sorry to hear that, owing to their pre-existing commitments, the England football team are not able to watch this press conference live in the way I’m sure they’d like to.

But I hope that, following their resounding victory, they will be able to catch up on the triumphs of the G7 later on (!)

A week ago I asked my fellow leaders to help in preparing and providing the doses we need to help vaccinate the whole world by the end of 2022.

I’m very pleased to announce that this weekend leaders have pledged over 1 billion doses – either directly or through funding to COVAX – that includes 100 million from the UK, to the world’s poorest countries – which is another big step towards vaccinating the world.

And that’s in addition to everything scientists and governments and the pharmaceutical industry have done so far to roll out one of the largest vaccination programmes in history.

And here I want to mention, in particular, the role the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine – the world’s most popular vaccine, developed 250 miles from where I’m standing today- by scientists who have rightly been given honours by the Queen this weekend.

Today over half a billion people are safe because of the development and production of that vaccine, funded – I may add – by the UK Government. And that number is rising every day.

It is popular, of course, because it is being sold at cost to the world and it was designed for ease of use in mind.

And because of that act of generosity by AstraZeneca who, just to reiterate, are making zero profit on the production of that vaccine, millions more vaccines have been rolled out to the poorest countries in the world. In fact 96% of the vaccines delivered by the COVAX distribution scheme have been Oxford-AZ.

But this weekend our discussions went far beyond defeating the pandemic.

We looked towards the great global recovery our countries have committed to lead, and we were clear that we all need to build back better in a way that delivers for all our people and for the people of the world.

And that means preventing a pandemic like this from ever happening again, apart from anything else by establishing a global pandemic radar which will spot new diseases before they get the chance to spread.

It means ensuring that our future prosperity benefits all the citizens of our countries and indeed all the citizens of the world.

At the G7 Summit this weekend, my fellow leaders helped the Global Partnership for Education – an organisation working to make sure that every child in the world is given the chance of a proper education – reach half of its five-year fundraising goal, including a £430m donation from the UK.

It’s an international disgrace that some children in the world are denied the chance to learn and reach their full potential, and I’m very very pleased that the G7 came together to support that cause.

Because educating all children, particularly girls, is one of the easiest ways to lift countries out of poverty and help them rebound from the coronavirus crisis. With just one additional year of school a girl’s future earnings can increase by 20%.

I’m proud that G7 countries have agreed to get 40 million more girls into school and 20 million more reading by the end of primary school in the next five years, and the money we have raised this week is a fantastic start.

But of course the world cannot have a prosperous future if we don’t work together to tackle climate change.

Later this year the UK will host the COP26 Summit, which will galvanise global action on fighting climate change and create a healthy planet for our children and grandchildren.

G7 countries account for 20% of global carbon emissions, and we were clear this weekend that action has to start with us.

Carbis Bay is one of the most beautiful places in the world as you can see and it was a fitting setting for the first ever net zero G7 Summit.

And while it’s fantastic that every one of the G7 countries has pledged to wipe out our contributions to climate change, we need to make sure we’re achieving that as fast as we can and helping developing countries at the same time.

And what unites the countries gathered here this weekend – not just the G7 but Australia, India, South Africa and South Korea who have joined us (I should say in India’s case joined us virtually) not just our resolve to tackle climate change, but also our democratic values.

It’s not good enough for us to just rest on our laurels and talk about how important those values are. And this isn’t about imposing our values on the rest of the world. What we as the G7 need to do is demonstrate the benefits of democracy and freedom and human rights to rest of the world.

And we can partly achieve that by the greatest feat in medical history – vaccinating the world.

We can do that by working together to stop the devastation that coronavirus has produced from ever occurring again.

And we can do that by showing the value of giving every girl in the world access to 12 years of quality education.

And we can also do that by coming together as the G7 and helping the world’s poorest countries to develop themselves in a way that is clean and green and sustainable

I want to thank finally, the police, everyone who helped organised this summit and all the people not just of Carbis bay (who certainly helped us put the carbs into Carbis Bay), but all the wonderful people of Cornwall for their hospitality.

It’s been a fantastic summit and I know that all the other delegations would want to express their thanks as well.

G7 leaders set to agree landmark global health declaration

G7 leaders are expected to commit to using all their resources to prevent a global pandemic from ever happening again when they meet in Cornwall today.

  • Leaders will sign-up to Carbis Bay Declaration on health, vowing to take steps to ensure the global devastation caused by coronavirus is never repeated
  • UK will establish a new centre to develop vaccines to prevent zoonotic diseases spreading from animals to humans
  • G7 countries and guests will be joined by Sir Patrick Vallance and Melinda French Gates who will present their ‘100 day mission’ to speed up the time it takes to develop vaccines, treatments and diagnostics

G7 leaders will commit to using all their resources to prevent a global pandemic from ever happening again when they meet in Cornwall today (Saturday).

The world’s leading democracies are expected to agree the ‘Carbis Bay Declaration’, an historic statement setting out a series of concrete commitments to prevent any repeat of the human and economic devastation wreaked by coronavirus.

Leaders will be joined in their discussions on global health at the G7 Summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall today by their counterparts from South Korea, South Africa, Australia and India, and the Secretary General of the UN alongside other leaders of international organisations – recognising the need to tackle the roots of the coronavirus pandemic on a truly global level.

They will receive a presentation by Sir Patrick Vallance and Melinda French Gates on the work of the Pandemic Preparedness Partnership, a group of international experts drawn from across industry, government and scientific institutions established by the UK earlier this year to advise the G7 on how to prevent, detect and respond to future pandemics.

Today the Pandemic Preparedness Partnership will publish an independent report, the ‘100 Days Mission to Respond to Future Pandemic Threats’, which contains actionable recommendations on how governments and others can quickly respond to any future outbreaks. The first 100 days after the identification of an epidemic threat are crucial to changing its course and, ideally, preventing it from becoming a pandemic.

The Carbis Bay declaration will incorporate the recommendations of this report and set out the other steps G7 countries will take to prevent a future pandemic. These include slashing the time taken to develop and licence vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for any future disease to under 100 days, a commitment to reinforce global surveillance networks and genomic sequencing capacity and support for reforming and strengthening the World Health Organization.

75% of new human diseases originate in animals and these diseases are emerging at an increasing rate. Controlling zoonotic diseases is a key element of the PM’s 5 Point Plan for preventing future pandemics set out at the UN last year – the first plan articulated by a G7 leader on pandemic preparedness. To stop new animal-borne diseases before they put people at risk, the UK will establish a UK Animal Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre at The Pirbright Institute in Surrey.

The Centre will draw on Pirbright’s world leading expertise to accelerate the delivery of vaccines for livestock diseases. These diseases pose a risk to people if they mutate to become transmissible to humans and can devastate agriculture in the UK and internationally. The centre will rapidly assess promising new technologies in the field, and develop and test novel vaccines for emerging diseases.

The UK has led the fight against Covid-19 through our support for the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and has a long history of leadership in vaccine research. Smallpox and rinderpest – the first two diseases in history to be totally wiped out – were eradicated using vaccines developed by British scientists.

The UK has contributed £10 million of funding for centre, which will establish the UK as world leader in the rapidly growing field of novel livestock vaccine development capability. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will provide £14.5m to establish the centre, building on its current investments in vaccines for livestock and zoonotic diseases at The Pirbright Institute.

This follows the Prime Minister’s announcement last month that the UK had launched plans for a global ‘pandemic radar’ to identify emerging COVID-19 variants and track new diseases around the world. Today he will ask for G7 support for the Global Pandemic Radar, which will protect domestic vaccine programmes against new vaccine-resistant variants by identifying them early and before they are able to spread.

The G7 is uniquely well-placed to lead global efforts in pandemic prevention – the group is home to two-thirds of the world’s pharmaceutical market and the four coronavirus vaccines licenced for use in the UK were all developed in G7 nations (the UK, US and Germany).

The Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “In the last year the world has developed several effective coronavirus vaccines, licenced and manufactured them at pace and is now getting them into the arms of the people who need them.

“But to truly defeat coronavirus and recover we need to prevent a pandemic like this from ever happening again. That means learning lessons from the last 18 months and doing it differently next time around.

“I am proud that for the first time today the world’s leading democracies have come together to make sure that never again will we be caught unawares.”

The Carbis Bay declaration is expected to be agreed by leaders today and published tomorrow alongside the G7 Summit Communique.

It builds on the steps taken by others to strengthen pandemic preparedness this year, including the recent recommendations of the Independent Panel for Preparedness and Response.

The UK is also supporting work in the World Health Organization on a Pandemic Treaty to increase global efforts to prevent future pandemics.

Dr Tedros Adhanom, Director General of the World Health Organization said: “We welcome the Carbis Bay Health Declaration, particularly as the world begins to recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic. Together we need to build on the significant scientific and collaborative response to the COVID-19 pandemic and find common solutions to address many of the gaps identified.

“To this end WHO welcomes and will take forward the UK’s proposal for a Global Pandemic Radar. As we discussed, the world needs a stronger global surveillance system to detect new epidemic and pandemic risks.”

Professor Bryan Charleston, Director and CEO of Pirbright said: “There is a global unmet need to accelerate the development of vaccines from the laboratory to provide effective products for livestock keepers to control disease in their animals. Preventing disease by vaccination will help secure food supplies and so improve human health and welfare.

“The importance of this centre has been recognised by UKRI-Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation who have worked together to develop a plan to establish this new facility that will also play a key role in controlling zoonotic diseases.”

Professor Melanie Welham, Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, a co-funder of the UK Animal Vaccine and Innovation Centre project said: “In the last year, more than ever, we have recognised the global importance of vaccine research and how the UK plays a leading role.

“Now, we can take the opportunity of joining UK expertise with an international effort in the field of veterinary vaccines. The new facility – which BBSRC will co-fund – at the world-renowned Pirbright Institute, will be a shield and a sword against animal diseases that can devastate agriculture and infect human populations.”

Rodger Voorhies, President, Global Growth & Opportunity at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said: “We see this partnership as an exciting opportunity to build on British scientific excellence to safeguard the livelihoods of farmers in poor and marginalised communities around the globe, while protecting people everywhere from the increasing risk posed by zoonotic diseases.”

Briggs: Powderhall Green Corridor delay due to Spaces for People

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs is disappointed that the project to transform the Powderhall Railway path into a green corridor has been delayed due to the Spaces for People initiative.

In a letter to the MSP from Edinburgh Council, the Active Travel Department said that “Progress on this has been delayed by the need to re-allocate staff resources to develop and deliver temporary Spaces for People (SfP) schemes”.

The feasibility study into transitioning the disuses railway line into a green corridor is due later this summer, with Network Rail amendable to amendable to the “repurposing of the Powderhall spur line into high-quality urban green corridor for people to walk, cycle and wheel on”.

Network Rail have said the railway line is still classed as operational railway, because the track that leads there is still connected to the wider rail network.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “I am pleased that talks with Network Rail are going well and they are open to transforming the Powderhall spur line into a high quality green corridor.

“It is disappointing that the project team looking at the Green Corridor transformation has been delayed due to working on Spaces for People schemes.

“This is a great opportunity to create a safe green space to connect Powerhall to Meadowbank and beyond.

“The new Powderhall Green Corridor will be excellent for people to walk, cycle and wheel on, as well as fitting in with Edinburgh’s Active Travel strategy.”

Tacking Poverty and Building A Fairer Country

Speech by the Social Justice Secretary, Shona Robison, opening yesterday’s Tackling Poverty and Building A Fairer Country debate

Presiding Officer, I am pleased to open this debate on the urgent need for us to tackle poverty and build a fairer, more equal country.

We must seize the opportunity, build upon our strong efforts to date, and use every lever at our disposal to bring about the change needed to tackle this problem.

We already invest around £2 billion each year in support for people on low incomes, including over £672 million targeted at children. We have a strong focus on those at greatest disadvantage, including disabled people. And we are supporting innovative action with our £50 million Tackling Child Poverty Fund.

But we must do more. That is why we have committed a wide range of ambitious action to be delivered in the first 100 days of this Parliament – maintaining the tremendous pace taken of change throughout the COVID pandemic.

This is a priority across all Ministerial portfolios. No one action will bring about the change needed, it needs all parts of government and broader society to work together and to impact the drivers of poverty reduction – increasing household incomes from work, reducing costs on essentials and maximising incomes from social security.

The eradication of poverty and building a fairer more equal country must be a national mission for government, for our parliament and for our society. We must try, where possible, to unite on this issue and work together to create a fairer Scotland.

Backed by over £1 billion of additional funding, our response to the pandemic shows that we can make change happen at the pace and scale required to support people and improve their lives. And we wand to build on this can do approach.

We delivered free school meal support during all school holidays and periods of remote learning for children from low income families – helping to tackle food insecurity during the pandemic. We will continue this whilst expanding Free School Meal support to all primary pupils, which will start within the first 100 days of this Parliament.

Also, in our first 100 days we will complete the roll-out of 1,140 hours of funded Early Learning and Childcare and have set out the next stage of our ambition to expand childcare further and develop a wraparound childcare system, providing care before and after school, all year round. This will make an important contribution to children’s development and will unlock the potential of parents in the labour market.

We will also deliver our £20 million summer programme for pupils, helping children socialise, play and reconnect – an essential investment to support the wellbeing of all children and young people [backed by £7.5 million from our Tackling Child Poverty Fund].

Through two Pandemic Support Payments of £100 to low income families with children we put money directly into the pockets of those who needed it most.

Building upon this approach, we will effectively pay the Scottish Child Payment through introducing bridging payments of £520 for families not yet eligible for the Payment, with £100 to be paid to families this summer. We will also provide £130 to every household who received Council Tax Reduction in April, reaching around 500,000 households.

I am pleased I can also make two announcements.

First, building on the practical support we offered during the pandemic, we will be providing the British Red Cross with a further £250,000 to continue their cash-first crisis support to those most at risk of destitution. This includes help to those impacted by the UK Government’s hostile policies that exclude them from most mainstream supports including the Scottish Welfare Fund.

And secondly, in recognition of the importance of listening to families affected by poverty, we will trial Family Wellbeing Budgets to put families firmly in control of the support they need. This new support will be delivered in partnership with the Hunter Foundation and will help to improve people’s wellbeing and capabilities.

Presiding offer, where we have the powers we are making a difference to people’s lives.

Nowhere is this more evident than in our approach to housing. Scotland has led the way in the across the UK with almost 100,000 affordable homes delivered since 2007, over 68,000 of which were for social rent. This is making a significant difference to people right across the country, and particularly for families with children.

We want to deliver a further 100,000 affordable homes by 2032. It is our aim that at least 70% of those homes will be for social rent, helping to tackle child poverty and homelessness.

But to tackle poverty effectively we must deliver a fair work future for Scotland, and we are working hard to do just that just now – but we are constrained by the powers available to us.

We cannot accept a future where two thirds of children living in poverty come from working households and where people are forced to rely on benefits to top-up their earnings.

We have to transform workplaces to tackle poverty and long-standing labour market inequalities, such as the disability employment gap and the barriers to employment faced by people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

With full powers over employment we could, as a minimum, ensure that all employees in Scotland receive the Real Living Wage, ensuring that their wages represent the true cost of living.

We could outlaw unfair fire and hire tactics, prohibiting employers from dismissing employees and subsequently re-employing them on diminished terms and conditions, and we could ban inappropriate and exploitative use of zero hour contracts, giving people the certainty about their working hours – ensuring they can plan their lives and incomes.

That’s why I have asked all party leaders to support our request to the UK Government for the full devolution employment powers to this parliament. So we can tackle poverty with the powers we need to make the change.

Social security is also an important tool to tackle poverty, and again those powers don’t lie in our hands. 85% of spending remains at Westminster alongside income replacement benefits such as Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance.

If we didn’t already need it, the pandemic further evidenced that the UK welfare system is not fit for purpose and risks undermining hard won progress. This is the system people in Scotland have to rely on and we shouldn’t have to mitigate against polices we disagree with like the £80 million we spent last year on Discretionary Housing Payments to mitigate the bedroom tax in full and support people with housing – we could be investing in other anti-poverty measures. If we had the powers here we would be able to do that. 

The removal of the £20 uplift to Universal Credit is a callous act which will push 60,000 families across Scotland, including 20,000 children, into poverty and will result in families unable to work receiving, on average, £1,600 less per year than they would have done a decade ago – a decade ago – in 2011.

That’s a massive threat to the progress we could make here. We could be delivering the doubling of the Scottish child payment with one hand, only to see it removed by Westminster welfare policies  with the other. Surely there is no-one across this chamber that can think that isin any way a good idea or a fair system?

We need to make significant investment into the pockets of those who need it most need. The Scottish child payment does that. That’s why it’s so important.

We have urged the UK Government to make the changes needed and to deliver a social security system which is fit purpose – scrapping harmful policies such as the two child cap, the rape clause, the benefit cap and 5 week wait under Universal Credit. Unfortunately, our calls, alongside many charities, organisations, and even the UN Poverty Rapporteur have been ignored. It’s time for full powers to come here so we can make the difference.

We have already shown we can make a difference – a public service based on human rights with respect and dignity at its heart and viewed as an investment in the people of Scotland.  Principles we enshrined in law.

Through our powers, we are tackling child poverty head on, with the Scottish Child Payment, which currently pays £40 every four weeks for every eligible child under 6. We are committed to doubling this to £80, making even greater impact.

Alongside our Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods we are providing over £5,300 of direct financial support for families by the time their first child turns six and further for subsequent children as we don’t put a cap on children. These payments are making a real difference to low income families, helping them to access the essentials they need.

That support is unmatched anywhere else in the UK.

Presiding officer, our next steps will build on the strong foundation we have set, and will be taken forward at pace these changes. No one who sits in this parliament, whatever their political beliefs, can underestimate the scale of the challenge that we face.

I want to take that forward and I’m pleased to work with anyone across this chamber who wants to join me in doing that.

Coronavirus cases on the rise: ‘Edinburgh is the new Glasgow’

Alex Cole-Hamilton challenges First Minister over disparity in Covid response

Liberal Democrat Heath Spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton has challenged the First Minister as to why Edinburgh residents have not been offered the same access to surge testing that Glasgow residents were, despite the rise in cases.

Edinburgh now has more cases per 100,000 of the population than Glasgow and several schools within the city have reported outbreaks.

Despite confirming yesterday that walk-in clinics will be provided for over 40s who have yet to receive their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine or anyone of any age waiting more than 10 weeks for their second astrazeneca dose, door to door surge testing, which has been available in areas of Glasgow for weeks is still not available in Edinburgh.

The First Minister was clearly dissatisfied with Mr Cole-Hamilton’s question, failing to answer and accusing him of “trying to divide and set people against each other.”

Mr Cole Hamilton commented: “It is really disappointing to see the First Minister refuse to engage constructively on such a vital issue. The Health Secretary used the exact words ‘Edinburgh is the new Glasgow’ in a discussion I had with him last week. On that basis it is not unreasonable that I would seek the same level of action for my constituents as people in Glasgow saw.

“I have welcomed the announcement that walk-in vaccination centres will now be available to those over 40 but it is not enough. As well as surge testing, we need to provide walk in centres for those aged 18 and over who are yet to receive their first dose of this vaccine.

“My first responsibility is to my constituents, and I will never apologise for using my place in Parliament to fight for their best interests.”

Health Ministers plant memorial trees to remember lives lost around the world

  • Health ministers and local nurse plant trees following end to UK-hosted G7 talks
  • Lasting memorial in Oxford Botanic Garden for lives lost globally during the pandemic
  • This year marks the 400th anniversary of the garden’s foundation and its contribution to scientific discovery in Oxford

Health ministers from across the world have come together in a tree-planting ceremony to remember those who have tragically lost their lives to COVID-19, marking the conclusion of the G7 Health Ministers’ Meeting in Oxford yesterday (Friday 4 June).

The Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock, alongside other health leaders and a local chief nurse, planted 10 Japanese cherry (Sakura) blossom trees – one for each representative of the G7, as well as the World Health Organization and global healthcare staff – at the Oxford Botanic Garden yesterday, complementing the garden’s already extensive collection of plants.

In Japan, the trees themselves are said to act as a metaphor for the finite nature of life.

Following the crucial UK-hosted G7 Health Ministers’ Meeting this week – which brought together health leaders from the world’s major democracies to agree life-saving action in critical areas of global health, including preventing future pandemics – the memorial acts as a timely reminder for friends and family members of loved ones they have lost.

As one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world, the Oxford Botanic Garden began as a physic garden – where healing herbs and plants are grown – in which medical students from Oxford University were taught how to identify medicinal plants in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “As I work with my G7 colleagues to better prepare us all for future health threats, we must never forget the sorrow and heartbreak felt across the UK and around the world as a result of COVID-19.

“Oxford has played a central role in showing us the road out of the pandemic and their Botanic Garden now has a fitting tribute for people to be able to reflect and remember those that have been lost.”

This year, the Botanic Garden celebrates the 400th anniversary of its foundation and its contribution to scientific discovery in Oxford. The garden and its arboretum at Nuneham Courtenay have been an oasis for people to enjoy during what has been a challenging 18 months.

Sam Foster, Chief Nursing Officer at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, administered the first Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to a patient outside of clinical trials, on 4 January (above).

Yesterday she planted a memorial tree on behalf of health and care staff around the world.

Sam Foster, Chief Nursing Officer at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is a great honour to be asked to plant a tree to remember all the dedicated nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals who have cared for people with COVID-19 – including those who have lost their lives during the pandemic.

“We must never forget the contribution which every member of health and care staff has made during this time of unprecedented challenges for the NHS and globally.”

The 2021 G7 Health Ministers’ Meeting has been held in person at Oxford University – a global centre of clinical, scientific and academic excellence – which has been at the heart of the global fight against COVID-19, with world-leading clinical trials and its not-for-profit partnership with AstraZeneca on COVID-19 vaccines already saving thousands of lives across the globe.

The meeting took place over 2 days and provided a valuable opportunity to discuss global health security, antimicrobial resistance, clinical trials and digital health, as well as live issues. Engagement also took place virtually with the G7 Presidency’s guest countries: Republic of India, Republic of Korea, Australia and Republic of South Africa.

The Health Ministers’ Meeting precedes and informs health discussions at the Leaders’ Summit, hosted by the Prime Minister on 11 to 13 June.

Professor Louise Richardson, Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford, said: “Oxford University is honoured to have hosted the Health Ministers and is very grateful for this gesture of commemoration for those who have lost their lives.

“Planting beautiful trees in our ancient Botanic Garden is a powerful affirmation of the health-giving properties of nature itself and will be a source of reflection for generations to come.”

A partnership of equals?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has met with the First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland to discuss the United Kingdom’s Covid recovery.

They were joined at yesterday’s meeting by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (CDL). The Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland joined virtually, along with other ministers and officials from the devolved administrations.

Ministers agreed that the meeting provided an important opportunity for dialogue between the UK Government and devolved administrations.

The Prime Minister reflected that, while there are divergent views on the question of the United Kingdom’s constitutional future and the UK Government and devolved administrations will not always agree, these differences should not prevent us from working together to ensure a strong recovery for all parts of the country.

The Chancellor set out the direct UK-wide support provided by HM Treasury in response to COVID-19, which was worth around £352 billion across 2020-21 and 2021-22, and how the sacrifices of the British people coupled with our comprehensive support package and on-going vaccine rollout have laid the foundations for recovery.

Looking forward, he said as we gradually lift restrictions to ensure we maintain control of the virus, there are reasons for cautious optimism with data showing our Plan for Jobs is working.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said that collaboration between the UK Government and devolved administrations on Covid recovery would allow us to emerge from the pandemic stronger. Ministers acknowledged the benefits of mutual aid and burden sharing on healthcare and agreed that there was a clear value in sharing data and best practice.

Summing up, the PM emphasised the importance of establishing a structured and regular forum for ongoing engagement between the UK Government and the devolved administrations to deliver tangible outcomes in the interests of people throughout the UK and of completing the Intergovernmental Relations Review.

Following yesterday’s four-nations summit on Covid recovery First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the meeting must prove to have been more than just a talking shop.

The First Minister said: “We are of course willing to work together on recovery from the pandemic, but the UK Government needs to listen and act on key Scottish Government concerns.

“Because of the powers that rest in Westminster the decisions the UK Government takes have a major impact on the kind of fair recovery we are trying to build in Scotland.

“I sought assurances that there would be no return to the cruel and damaging austerity of the past and that furlough and the £20 uplift in Universal Credit will be extended. The proof of the worth of this meeting depends on whether the UK Government takes these issues seriously and responds accordingly.

“This meeting also took place at a time when the UK Government is undermining devolution through the Internal Market Act and diverting funding away from the Scottish Parliament. This has to stop and instead the UK Government needs to start treating the Scottish Government and other devolved governments as equal partners.” 

Attendees:

UK Government

  • Prime Minister (Chair) – Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP
  • Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – Rt Hon Michael Gove MP
  • Chancellor of the Exchequer – Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP
  • Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – Rt Hon Brandon Lewis CBE MP
  • Secretary of State for Scotland – Rt Hon Alister Jack MP
  • Secretary of State for Wales – Rt Hon Simon Hart MP

Scottish Government

  • First Minister of Scotland – Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP
  • Deputy First Minister – John Swinney MSP
  • Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy – Kate Forbes MSP

Welsh Government

  • First Minister of Wales – Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS
  • Minister for the Economy, Vaughan Gething MS

Northern Ireland Executive

  • First Minister of Northern Ireland – Rt Hon Arlene Foster MLA
  • Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland – Michelle O’Neill MLA
  • Junior Minister – Gordon Lyons MLA

Briggs calls for statement on homelessness strategy

Recently appointed Scottish Conservative Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Spokesperson, Miles Briggs, has today called for a statement in the Scottish Parliament on a post pandemic homelessness strategy, ahead of summer recess.

Today at Holyrood, Lothian MSP Miles Briggs brought to the attention of the First Minister concerns from constituents, that their emergency pandemic accommodation in guest houses and serviced apartments will be terminated as of this week.

Mr Briggs has called for an urgent statement to find out what contingency plans are in place for those who have no information on where they will go, with emergency accommodation being ended.

The First Minister agreed to look into the issue and where the Scottish Government could provide support.  

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “During the pandemic welcome steps were taken to provide accommodation for homeless individuals and families.

“We all need to work to make sure that we do not see a return to the homeless crisis and look to how we can work to end homelessness and rough sleeping.

“It is important that SNP Ministers have a plan for those who have been given accommodation throughout the pandemic, which will shortly no longer be available.”