Day: April 1, 2020

Margiotta moves into East Lothian

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has completed on the sale of Aberlady Village Store to Edinburgh-based small Italian retail chain, Margiotta Food & Wine. The Aberlady Village Store was previously owned by Mrs Iram Amjad-Hiroz.

Margiotta, the family-run business operating eight convenience stores in Edinburgh, has acquired the Aberlady Village Store, its first site in the popular coastal village of East Lothian, located 18 miles east of Edinburgh.

The store is centrally positioned along the main road running through the town. Margiotta offers a vast range of local and organic food, fresh baked goods, food-to-go, drinks, deli and an impressive wine selection.

The story of Margiotta Food & Wine started in 1957, when Pierino, Eleonora and their six children moved from a small village on the Apennine foothills in Lazio, Italy to a flat in Commercial Street in Leith, Edinburgh.

The family worked very hard to try and make a decent living and were able to rent their first shop in 1963.  This was a little sweet and ice cream store located at the top of St Mary’s Street, just off the Royal Mile.

From there, they opened another in the Canongate, and another on Brougham Street, Tollcross and subsequently bought their first shop on Marchmont Road.

It was from then that the family really started to grow and establish the Margiotta brand, enabling them to buy up the whole corner of Marchmont Road and Spottiswoode Road. One of the sons, Franco, set out on his own in 1989 with the purchase of Warrender Park Road, and the rest followed. Even though the business has grown substantially over the years, it has remained a family-run and very personal company.

New owner, Franco Margiotta, comments: “We, at Margiotta Food & Wine, are very excited to be opening in Aberlady. This will be our first venture out of Edinburgh, and I couldn’t be happier than to be heading for East Lothian.

“I have always loved this part of Scotland either playing golf on its many marvelous courses or following in the steps of John Muir. Our aim has always been to make shopping a pleasant experience for our customers and we hope that, despite the current crisis, the good people of Aberlady will be in for a treat.”

Daniel Arrandale, Director of Retail at Christie & Co, comments, “Aberlady was attractive to Franco for many reasons, one of which was the strong sense of local community. With a catchment population of around 1,500 and, as the only local convenience store, it offers a pivotal service to many.

“The opening of this store is particularly important at this moment in time. With Franco and his team able to increase capacity and range, this front-line service can continue to assist the village during these difficult times. It has been a tremendous effort from both sides and their solicitors to pull this deal together.”

Police appeal for info following Harthill Services fatality

Police Scotland is appealing for information following a fatal crash at Harthill Services on the M8.

The incident happened around 2.20am on Sunday (29 March) when a black Renault Laguna was involved in a collision with a stationary lorry in the HGV park at the service station in Shotts.

In particular officers are keen to speak to anyone who has dash-cam footage of the car as it travelled westbound towards Glasgow before taking the slip road to the westbound Harthill services.

Sadly a 36-year-old man died at the scene of the crash.

Sergeant John Tait, of the Road Policing Unit at Motherwell, said: “We are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen the car as it was travelling westbound towards Harthill services and who may also have dash-cam footage.

“The car entered the slip road, mounted a grass verge and crashed into the lorry which was stationary at the time, parked in the HGV lorry park. Enquires are continuing to establish the full circumstances of what happened.

“Anyone with information should call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 0218 of Sunday, 29 March.”

EDINBURGH’s FESTIVALS POSTPONED

For the first time in their seventy-year history, the five festivals that transform Edinburgh into the world’s leading cultural destination every August WILL NOT GO AHEAD this year due to concerns around the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Edinburgh Art Festival, The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh International Festival and The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo have been postponed.

Together, the five August festivals comprise over 5,000 events across Scotland’s capital each summer, welcoming audiences of 4.4 million and over 25,000 artists, writers and performers from 70 countries, making them the second biggest cultural event in the world after the Olympics.

The festivals’ history stretches back to 1947, where in the aftermath of the Second World War the Edinburgh International Festival was founded to reconcile and reunite people and nations through art, in an event that transcended political and cultural boundaries.

Many years later the International Festival continues to present the world’s leading theatre, dance and music artists in Edinburgh’s magnificent venues.

The Fringe story began when eight theatre groups turned up uninvited to perform on the fringes of the very first International Festival. Since the dawn of this spontaneous artistic movement, millions have flocked to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to produce, and to enjoy art of every genre.

Conceived in 1950 the iconic major event, now known as The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, brings together a huge cast of international military and folkloric performers to perform live to 220,000 visitors each August, with many millions seeing the show on BBC TV around the world.

The Edinburgh International Book Festival began in 1983 and has grown rapidly in scope and size, welcoming writers from all over the world to exchange ideas on some of the world’s most pressing issues. The youngest of the August festivals, Edinburgh Art Festival was founded in 2004 to provide a platform for the visual arts, each year bringing together the capital’s leading galleries, museums and artist-run spaces to present work by international and UK artists.

Since their visionary beginnings the August festivals have presented the very best established and emerging artists from all corners of the globe and across all aspects of the performing, literary and visual arts in what has become the most significant and important celebration of culture anywhere in the world.

Said Sorcha Carey, Director, Edinburgh Art Festival, said: “It is with deep sadness that today we announce the cancellation of Edinburgh Art Festival 2020.

“Our decision is taken in response to the ongoing risks posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the need to prioritise the safety of our audiences, artists, participants, staff and indeed all those working to combat coronavirus.

“While it has become impossible to deliver a festival this year, we remain fully committed to doing all we can to continue to support our visual arts community during what is going to be a hugely challenging time in the weeks and months to come.

“We hope that it will be possible for galleries, museums and production spaces across the city to reopen their doors in the coming months; and in the meantime, we will work creatively to find alternative ways to share the work of artists with audiences.

“We will be back next year – as always working closely with our partner galleries, and alongside our extended network of sister festivals, to celebrate the work of artists with audiences and communities across the city.”

Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “It’s heart-breaking that the Fringe and our sister August festivals will not take place as planned this summer. However, having taken advice and considered all the options, we collectively believe this is the only appropriate response.

“The safety of participants, audiences, local residents and indeed everyone connected to our festivals will always come first. Our thoughts today are with the doctors, nurses, health and social care professionals on the front line, as well as all those affected by this dreadful pandemic.

“Our sympathies too are with the thousands of artists and participants directly affected by today’s decision – we will do everything we can to support you over the coming months.

“Culture brings out the best in us. It gives the marginalised a voice, it shapes and reshapes how we think of ourselves and, crucially, it unites us. Since their inception in 1947 the Edinburgh festivals have existed to champion the flowering of the human spirit and, in the face of this truly unprecedented global emergency, we believe that this spirit is needed now more than ever.”

Nick Barley, Director, Edinburgh International Book Festival, added: “It is with great sadness that I can confirm that the Edinburgh International Book Festival will not take place as a physical entity in August of this year due to the risks surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is not a decision we have taken lightly, however the safety of not only our authors, our audiences, our staff and our suppliers, but also that of the people who live and work in our wonderful city, is of paramount importance and we believe that planning to bring large numbers of people from all over the world together in Edinburgh in August is not appropriate this year. We hope to be able to programme a series of online events to take place in the summer.

“We will be back! The Edinburgh International Book Festival is an integral part of the Scottish cultural offering, and we will return next year. We are already looking forward to authors and audiences coming together to celebrate the written word in 2021. In the meantime, please keep reading and please keep supporting your local independent bookshops, many of whom are offering a mail order or door drop delivery service.”

Fergus Linehan, Festival Director, Edinburgh International Festival, added: “We are hugely disappointed to announce this cancellation but given the current outlook we believe it is the correct decision.

“We recognise that Edinburgh’s festivals play a very important role in the cultural, social and economic lives of our city and country, and this decision has not been taken lightly. Our thoughts are with all the country’s key workers and we hope that we can celebrate your heroic efforts when this awful pandemic has passed.

“The Edinburgh International Festival was born out of adversity – an urgent need to reconnect and rebuild. The current crisis presents all at the Festival with a similar sense of urgency. Work begins straight away on a 2021 Festival season that will boost both our spirits and our economy.

“As we observe our essential social distancing we can, I hope, look forward to being back together soon: sharing brilliant music, theatre, dance, literature and art from the greatest creative minds of our time. Until then, thank you for all your good wishes and keep safe in the coming months.”

Edinburgh’s world famous Tattoo is another casualty. Brigadier David Allfrey MBE, Chief Executive, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “Like most people, businesses and institutions, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has been working hard to adapt to the unprecedented conditions occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“In the first instance, we have sought to comply carefully with Government advice and guidance in looking after our customers, staff, suppliers, stakeholders and all those who rely on our annual success and charity. In addition, we have been looking at how best to make a wider and constructive contribution to the national, regional, municipal and individual effort.

“The pandemic is impacting across the world, the Tattoo – along with other major events and festivals – will need to carefully understand and adapt to whatever is our new normal.

“We are keen to do this as a great many people have come to rely on our annual routines for their livelihood and their entertainment, with an associated benefit that stretches internationally and across Scottish and UK tourism. Now though, we judge it is impractical and undesirable to stage a Tattoo in anything like its normal form in August.

“Accordingly, we have decided – for the first time in our 70-year history – to cancel our 25 shows set previously for the period 7–29 August 2020.”

Edinburgh’s festivals bring millions of visitors to the city in summer, spending much-welcomed cash in the capital. Council Leader Adam McVey and Depute Cammy Day, said: “This was a profoundly difficult decision– leaving a massive gap in our Capital – but clearly it was the right one. Our thoughts are very much with all those fantastic artists, writers, performers and organisations who were working so hard to prepare for another busy festival season.

“The most important consideration is the health of our residents and the safety of everyone in the City. We’re all working closely together as a city and internationally with the common purpose of protecting each other, whilst taking up our shared responsibility for planning towards our recovery.

“With that in mind, we’re looking at every feasible option to help to sustain our key sectors, including the festivals, and have committed to honouring all grant payments due to our cultural partners for the current year, and to the repurposing of these, as required. We’ll do everything we can to assist our world-renowned cultural sector to remain at the centre of the city’s identity going forward.

“We’re incredibly proud to be known as the world’s Festival City and must never forget the positive contribution our festivals make to our lives, bringing art to Edinburgh in a way no other city enjoys.

“We’ll continue to work with all of our citizens, colleagues and stakeholders to do everything we can to make sure we come through 2020 and look forward to again bringing the world to Edinburgh and Edinburgh to the world for our summer festivals in 2021!”

Iain Munro, Chief Executive, Creative Scotland, said: “We understand and support the decision by Edinburgh’s Festivals to cancel this Summer’s activities at this extremely difficult time.

“Our hearts go out to all those involved with the Festivals who work tirelessly every year to deliver one of the highlights of the annual cultural calendar and to the many artists, performers and companies who will miss this year’s opportunity to be celebrated on a global stage.

“We look forward to their return when audiences can once more marvel at the extraordinary art and creativity that will be on offer.”

Adam French, Which? Consumer Rights Expert, said: “While understandable, the cancellation of the Edinburgh festivals will be disappointing news for the millions of people who flock to the Scottish capital to experience one of the world’s great cultural events.

“It’s good to see that some organisers have said they’ll be refunding registration fees, tickets and memberships, so those who planned to attend events may be able to get their money back.

“It could be trickier to get a refund for any related travel or accommodation. The good news is that National Rail has offered to refund tickets booked before 23rd March, but you will need to check the cancellation policies for any accommodation you have booked or any other mode of transport.”

 

What are the rules if you’re temporarily laid off?

If you’re one of the workers who’ve been asked to go on furlough, make sure you know your rights.

The coronavirus outbreak has put the UK economy under immense strain, with businesses across the country shutting down to prevent the spread.

After discussions with trade unions, the government is to plough billions of pounds into a furlough scheme that will see the taxpayer give businesses 80 per cent of the wages of those employees who are temporarily laid off.

This should stop those business suffering a drop-off from making workers permanently redundant. It will ensure that more workers have enough money to cover their bills and leave businesses well-placed to ramp up activity once demand picks up again.

But while measures to protect jobs are welcome, it’s important that employers follow the rules when sending staff on furlough.

And if you’re one of the workers who’ve been asked to go on furlough, make sure you know your rights.

Despite the government having recently published guidance on how the scheme will operate, there are still a number of unanswered questions about the scheme. But this is what we know right now:

Bosses must follow the rules

Bosses can’t just stick workers on furlough or shorter hours.

An employee is regarded to have been laid off during a particular week if the employer does not have sufficient work for the employee and the employee is not paid as a result. (s.147(1) of the Employment Rights Act 1996).

What does your contract say?

If your contract contains the right for the employer to impose a lay-off, they can simply do so.

But it needs to be for a reasonable period of time, not indefinite.

Collective agreements between employers and unions will normally include provision for minimum payments if employees are laid off for a period.

If it’s not in the contract, then the employer needs your written, informed consent. And they have to make it clear how long the lay-off will be.

The lay-off has to be kept under review and the employer must seek further consent if it lasts longer than expected.

What happens if this isn’t in your contract and you say “no”?

If an employee or their union objects to the lay-offs, the employer cannot simply impose it.

If workers say “no” and the employer attempts to press ahead, employees can resign and claim unfair constructive dismissal, and possibly also claim a statutory redundancy payment.

Or they can continue in employment but claim any shortfall in pay under the unauthorised deduction of wages laws.

This is especially helpful if you haven’t got the two years’ service needed to claim unfair constructive dismissal.

How much will I get paid?

The government will stump up 80 per cent of the wage costs of those laid off. It will also cover employer costs such as their National Insurance and pension payments at the minimum legal level.

It will only cover basic salary and not commission payments and is capped at £2.500 a month. This means that, as it stands, those who currently receive piece work “bonuses” would see their income fall substantially.

Employers can, and we believe should where they can afford it, top up wages to 100 per cent.

If your pay varies, your employer can claim for the higher of either the same month’s earnings from the previous year or average monthly earnings from the 2019-20 tax year.

Who does it cover?

Employees who are paid via Pay as You Earn payroll, which is likely to include a number of agency workers as well as those working via zero hours arrangements. They must have been on the organisation’s payroll as of 28 February 2020.

The scheme also covers employees who were made redundant since 28 February 2020, if they are rehired by their employer.

But, as it currently stands, those workers who have gone onto short-time working will not be covered by the scheme. Those workers will not have their wages topped up to normal levels.

What about the self-employed?

The self-employed (or at least most of them) are covered by a separate Self Employed Income Support Scheme.

Am I entitled to redundancy payments?

An employee who has agreed to furlough (or to short-time working) either for four consecutive weeks or for a total of six weeks (no more than three being consecutive) in any period of 13 weeks can resign and claim a redundancy payment.

How do employers decide who goes on furlough?

Employers must use a fair process for selecting employees for furlough and be very clear about why they are making certain decisions.

They must be careful not to discriminate against particular groups of workers who are protected by equality law, either directly or indirectly.

For example, they must not choose to furlough a worker because their race or because they are pregnant, to do so would be direct discrimination.

Similarly, they should not ask disabled workers to agree to a temporary lay-off to avoid putting in place reasonable adjustments that would allow them to continue working during the current outbreak.

Examples of indirect discrimination would be selecting workers for furlough because of their caring commitments, a group of workers in which women are overrepresented.

I have two jobs. If I am furloughed from one, what happens to the other?

Each furlough arrangement applies to a single job you do. So you can continue working in one job while furloughed from another. The pay cap applies to each employer individually.

Can my employer give me work to do during furlough?

No. A furloughed employee can take part in volunteer work or training, as long as it does not provide services to or generate revenue for their employer.

But if you are asked to do training you must be paid at least the minimum wage/National Living Wage, even if this is more than the 80 per cent of wage that will be subsidised by the government.

Tim Sharp, TUC

Concerns raised over escalating number of children needing additional support

  • Increase of over 97,000 in the number of pupils with ASN since 2012
  • Decline in number of specialist ASN teachers by 376 since 2012
  • Decline of almost £1000 spend per ASN pupil since 2012/13

An alliance of leading independent and third sector organisations, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), both during and after the Covid-19 crisis.

The call comes as new figures from the annual Scottish Government pupil census reveal that while the number of specialist teachers supporting those with ASN has dropped the number of those with ASN has escalated dramatically.

Between 2012 1 and 2019 2 the number of specialist teachers supporting those with ASN (publically funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has decreased from 3,840 to 3,464, a decline of 376. 

This fall is against the background of an overall increase by 82.9 per cent since 2012 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,034 3 to 215,897 in 2019 4,  representing just under a third of all pupils (30.9 per cent).

Recently revealed figures also indicate that average spend per pupil on additional support for learning by local authority (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £4,276 in 2012/13 5 to £3,286 in 2018/19. 

Against a background of a per pupil cut in spending and in specialist support, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and local authorities to ensure that those with ASN in Scotland’s schools, who disproportionately come from lower income families and areas of deprivation, are getting the care and support that they need.

It has also raised concerns about the effectiveness of a presumption of mainstreaming, meaning that all pupils are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply.

The fall in the number of specialist teachers is set against a background of dramatic increases in the reasons pupils being identified with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems, in Scotland’s schools.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: ““It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, especially during and as we come out of the current Covid-19 crisis.

“This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap as we know that those with ASN disproportionately come from lower income families and areas of deprivation. Such a situation is clearly challenging in an environment of austerity and evidence of cuts in spending per pupil with ASN and in the number of specialist teachers supporting this group.

“While we also support the presumption of mainstreaming, which means that all children and young people are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply, it is clearly difficult to see how this is functioning properly for all those with ASN given this fall in specialist support and increase in the number of those identified with conditions such as autism and mental health problems.

“The Scottish Government and local authorities need to work together to provide the necessary resourcing to address the needs of those children and young people with ASN, who represent some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society.”

Filmhouse revises pre-planning public consultation

Edinburgh’s Filmhouse is adapting its scheduled pre-planning public consultation in light of the social distancing and other advice issued by the UK and Scottish Governments in response to Coronavirus.

The ‘bold new vision’ to create an internationally significant, fully accessible and environmentally sustainable landmark home for film and screen culture in Edinburghhas already secured over 150 responses through the Filmhouse and EIFF websites and more through other avenues of feedback.

Although Filmhouse is currently closed and Edinburgh International Film Festival has been postponed, it is hoped that people may find time to engage with a more digital-based consultation process in the coming weeks.

Information on the proposed development including architect drawings and visualisations, the background to the development and FAQs are available on Filmhouse’s website. People can feedback through a simple online survey on Filmhouse and EIFF websites.

The project team is currently creating a series of further digital resources which can be shared through Filmhouse and Edinburgh International Film Festival websites, social media and email.

These resources will draw out different aspects of the building and its purpose, responding to some of the questions emerging from the consultation feedback so far. The presentation planned for the public and members’ events will also be recorded and shared through the same digital channels.

The public consultation events, which have been postponed, were due to take place at Filmhouse on Sunday 29 March, Wednesday 1 April and Tuesday 28 April. The two Filmhouse Members’ Events were scheduled for Sunday 29 March and Monday 6 April. These events will not happen.

Filmhouse will continue to look at options for how people can engage with the consultation process, working with the City of Edinburgh Council’s Planning Department, and any updates will be posted on the Filmhouse website at www.filmhousecinema.com/future.

The team is doing its best in this current context to reach out to as wide a range of audiences, customers, interest groups and stakeholders, for example sharing information specifically to its Young Programmers and Senior Selections volunteers, and will be inviting people from organisations or networks representing special interests to attend video meetings to have more focused discussions about the designs.

Information on the proposed building:

The planned new Filmhouse building has been designed by award-winning Edinburgh based Richard Murphy Architects and will significantly improve and increase the quality and quantity of spaces available to and needed by Filmhouse and EIFF for their audiences, customers, participants and industry partners.

It will create a hub for Edinburgh’s film and broader cultural community to base themselves in, and be a focal point for Edinburgh’s citizens to learn about film and filmmaking in all its diversity.

Filmhouse’s audiences have made it clear what they value and these have been built into the design: location, atmosphere, diversity of programme, education and learning activities, great locally sourced food and drink in the Café Bar, and a safe and comfortable space for people to gather. Most importantly, these will all be delivered to contemporary standards of access and comfort.

Filmhouse has been at the centre of Edinburgh’s cultural landscape for more than 40 years. As well as a year-round programme of inspiring films, creative learning, special events and partnership working, Filmhouse is home to the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), hosts more than 20 other film festivals, and plays a key role in promoting a vibrant and successful film and moving image industry and culture across Scotland.  The new building will secure Filmhouse’s future for generations to come.

The new Filmhouse will:

  • Provide six new cinema screens allowing Filmhouse and EIFF to programme even more great films, festivals and partnership events.
  • Improve the audience experience with a world-class venue that is fully accessible for all, with comfortable seating and state-of-the-art facilities.
  • Continue to screen film on all formats, including 4K digital, and 16mm, 35mm and 70mm film.
  • Ensure accessibility for all, with a commitment that all public and office spaces are fully accessible for audiences, staff and guests.
  • Increase Filmhouse’s education and outreach activity, with dedicated education spaces to host year-round activity for learners of all ages.
  • House Filmhouse’s award-winning Café Bar, which will be designed to retain the intimate and safe atmosphere of the existing space.
  • Create a brand-new Festival Centre to provide a venue to support EIFF and other festivals and special events year-round.
  • Introduce a new Cultural Industries hub, supporting the Scottish screen and broader cultural sector with much-needed flexible workspace in Edinburgh’s city centre.
  • Create a restaurant and rooftop event space.
  • Keep Filmhouse’s iconic character and atmosphere, in a new building that has been thoughtfully designed to represent its independent spirit and ethos.
  • Reduce impact on the environment by creating a building that will aim to produce net zero carbon emissions.
  • Increase financial sustainability, by creating greater capacity, diversifying sources of income generation, and becoming more self-sufficient over the longer term.

The oculus design reflects the eye on the world that Filmhouse, EIFF and the myriad of festivals, events and learning opportunities in the building will provide, whilst also providing a striking addition to Edinburgh’s architectural landscape.

Its location in Festival Square is designed to be the catalyst that brings to life a currently underused public space and as part of the development would place a responsibility on Filmhouse to manage the curation of activity within the surrounding square.

The architect drawings and visualisations for the new Filmhouse give people a good idea of the thinking on the position and shape of the building, and the spaces it would contain, however the design is still in development.

Filmhouse is looking to engage with customers, partners and stakeholders including programming partners, creative learning partners and the Scottish film sector, community councils and councillors, and residents of Edinburgh to gauge support for the plans and further develop the designs before submitting a formal Planning Application to the City of Edinburgh Council during the summer.

Full costing of the project will take place later in 2020 to coincide with the formal Planning Application, but the cost is currently estimated to be in the region of £50m.

An indicative timeline, contingent on the Planning Application decision and fundraising success, hopes to start work on the building in 2023 with it opening in 2025.

This project is led by CMI’s Board and Senior Management Team, with support from property consultancy Montagu Evans.

Edinburgh’s housing crisis drives up rental costs to record high

  • Edinburgh has jumped eight places in the accommodation cost global rankings, and has reached its highest position in Europe in four years (43rd)
  • Monthly rental cost for expats in the Scottish capital has shot up by £568 over the last five years
  • Aberdeen has dropped 23 places in the global ranking and is £528 per month less than it was at its peak in 2017
  • London retains the top spot for most expensive city in Europe for rental accommodation, costing on average £3,673 per month more than Edinburgh

Edinburgh has risen eight places in the global rankings for expatriate rental accommodation, as the average cost of a three-bedroom, mid-range home in the Scottish capital has increased by £106 per month, up to £1,635 (USD 2,144), the highest in over five years, according to the latest Accommodation Ranking report published by global mobility expert, ECA International (ECA).

“In addition to a growing population due to the high standard of liveability attracting expats, the prevalent Airbnb market has also impacted the cost of rental accommodation in Edinburgh as availability of longer-term rental accommodation fails to meet current demand,” said Alec Smith, Accommodation Services Manager at ECA International.

Globally, Edinburgh ranks 156th most expensive location for expat rental accommodation in the world and the 43rd in Europe, with Sweden’s Gothenburg (42) and Switzerland’s Bern (44) either side of the Scottish capital.

Meanwhile, the slowing oil and gas industry sees rental costs dip further in Aberdeen, resulting in the Scottish city’s lowest ranking since 2012. The average cost of the same type of property in Aberdeen now costs £1,160 (USD 1,521), £475 cheaper per month than in Edinburgh, and down from £1,235 in 2019. It is now £528 per month less than it was at its peak in 2017 (£1,688).

UK Accommodation Rankings 2020 (Europe ranking)

Top 10 most expensive cities to rent in Europe

London remains the most expensive rental city in Europe

UK Accommodation Rankings 2020 (Europe ranking)

Location

2020 EU Ranking

2020 Cost (GBP)

London

1

£5,308

Manchester

29

£1,874

Birmingham

32

£1,831

Edinburgh

43

£1,635

Belfast

57

£1,310

Cardiff

60

£1,245

Aberdeen

66

£1,160

Glasgow

68

£1,114

Top 10 most expensive cities to rent in Europe

Location

2020 Ranking

2019 Ranking

London

1

1

Zurich

2

3

Moscow

3

2

Geneva

4

4

Dublin

5

5

Paris

6

6

Kiev

7

11

Copenhagen

8

9

Luxembourg City

9

7

Amsterdam

10

8

 

 

 Top 10 most expensive cities to rent in the world

Location

2020 Ranking

2019 Ranking

Hong Kong

1

1

New York NY

2

2

Tokyo

3

3

London

4

4

San Francisco CA

5

6

Port Moresby

6

5

Shanghai

7

8

Miami FL

8

11

Buenos Aires

9

10

Yokohama

10

14

London continues to hold the top spot for the most expensive rental accommodation in Europe for expatriates, with an increase of £121 per month. The average cost of a three-bedroom, mid-range home for expatriates is now £5,308 per month (USD 6,959).

“London remains attractive to workers in the UK and from abroad, despite anticipated economic disruption from Brexit. In addition to this, the phasing out of tax relief on mortgage interest payments for buy to let landlords has acted as a brake on supply. Removing this tax relief has had the intended effect, a reduction in the number of new buy-to-let landlords, but a knock on effect has been a reduction in the availability of rented accommodation” said Smith.

Manchester and Birmingham have seen a small increment of £30 and £25 per month respectively, which will be welcome news for renters in Birmingham after a staggering £110 per month increase last year.

The average cost of a three-bedroom home in Manchester, which ranks 29th in Europe, is £1,874 (USD 2,457) and in Birmingham, ranked 32nd, is £1,831 (USD 2,401).

Rental highs across Europe

Dublin remains in the top five most expensive locations in Europe for rental accommodation, with the average rent now €3,613 per month (USD 4,086), making it costlier than other European capital cities such as Paris at €3,461 (USD 3,914), Berlin at €2,354 (USD 2,662) and Madrid at €2,393 (USD 2,706).

Meanwhile Cyprus saw the biggest rise in expatriate rental costs in Europe, with Limassol’s rent up USD 53 or €128 per month (USD 1,197 / €1,058) and Nicosia up USD 40 or €120 a month (USD 1,220 / €1,079).

Smith said “Growing interest in the schools sector is a big factor in the spike in Cypriot rental prices; the number of international students has almost tripled in the last five years and the number of higher education providers have more than doubled, this has led to an increase in demand and a housing shortage.”

“The Airbnb market also had an impact in reducing supply by converting long-term rentals into short-term, and the rejuvenation of the construction industry following the Cypriot financial crisis has also brought more expat workers to the area” added Smith.

Many German cities also saw big jumps in the average rent, with Munich, Berlin and Stuttgart all seeing increases of over 6% from last year.

“There has been a property boom for the last 10 years in Germany, as its high quality of life, policy benefits for expats, and sustained growth in employment rates and GDP makes it an attractive area to live and set up business.

“Home ownership is also very low, with the percentage of renters in Berlin being as high as 85%; construction capacity has been lagging behind this high demand and there is a critical housing shortage. The German government are putting in rent controls to try and limit landlords taking advantage of this situation, such as rent freezes and limits on rental increases after modernisation, but in general these have not yet come into effect,” said Smith.

Kiev saw big rises in rent and jumped 16 places back into the global top 50. “The rise of Kiev in the rankings is largely due to a return in confidence from many MNCs, with businesses and expats returning to the city after years of turmoil,” noted Smith.

Rent hike in the US

The US has become considerably more expensive for expats with nearly all US cities in the rankings having risen, some considerably. The US now has three cities in the global top ten, these being New York, San Francisco and Miami, as the strength of the US economy endures, with the dollar gaining against most major world currencies.

The average expatriate rental cost of a three-bedroom home in San Francisco is USD($) 6,590 per month, up by USD 218, while the same type of property in Miami now costs USD 5,254 per month, up by USD 136.

Smith said “Generally speaking, the US cities in our rankings have risen due to the strong performance of the dollar, but there are also local reasons for the rises to expatriate rental costs too.

“For example, in Boston, biotech and pharmaceutical industry sectors have drawn expatriates to the city in large numbers, bolstering demand for properties in prime neighbourhoods, whereas New York saw lower than expected rental increases after Amazon withdrew their plans to establish a second headquarters in Queens.”

Hong Kong remains the most expensive location in the world for expat rent

Hong Kong has been named the most expensive location in the world for expat accommodation, for the third year in a row, with the average monthly rent standing at a whopping USD 11,318, an increase of over 3%.

Smith said “Despite another increase in rental costs for expatriates living in Hong Kong, the rise was lower than the 4.9% rise seen the year before. Hong Kong has the most expensive rents due to a number of factors, such as the high population density of the territory and limited opportunities to build new homes, which combine to drive rental costs upwards.

“However, in light of the prolonged anti-government protests and coronavirus outbreak currently underway, we expect to see rents fall throughout 2020 as the number of overseas workers in Hong Kong drops significantly and the usually high demand for housing is tempered.”

Nearly 1700 offences in first year of Domestic Abuse Act

Nearly 1700 offences were recorded by Police Scotland in the first year of the new Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act.

As of 29 March 2020, 1673 domestic abuse offences had been recorded under the new law. Of those, 1569 offences were recorded where the victim was a woman. In 94 per cent of these cases the abuser was male. Of the remaining, 104 recorded crimes, the victim was a man.

ACC Duncan Sloan/DCS Sam McCluskey, lead for Major Crime and Public Protection/Head of Public Protection, Police Scotland, said: “Recognising, within law, the full range of behaviours used by abusers to control, coerce, and instil fear in their victims, has been the single most significant step in our efforts to tackle domestic abuse in Scotland.

“More than 14,000 of our officers and staff have now been trained to recognise that domestic abuse isn’t always violent or physical. It is often psychological: disempowering and isolating victims and removing them from the support of family and friends, which can have the most devastating impact.

“As an organisation we are developing a workplace culture where there is no tolerance for domestic abuse and which recognises that the responsibility for domestic abuse lies solely with the perpetrator.

“Abusers should understand, we will respond to all reports of domestic abuse. We will delve into their histories, we will speak to previous partners, and we will use all of the powers at our disposal to ensure they face the full consequences of their behaviour.

“During this time of uncertainty, as we manage the challenges and dynamic circumstances presented by COVID-19, our response to domestic abuse remains unchanged. Our officers will continue to work to prevent harm by identifying people who may be at risk of domestic abuse.”

Introduced on 1 April 2019, the Act brought in a new domestic abuse offence which recognised that abuse was often a course of conduct, and that abusive behaviours included violent, physical, sexual, psychological and financial abuse. The offence carries a maximum tariff of 14 years.

People are being asked to contact the police or partner agencies, if they, or anyone they know, is or may be at risk of domestic abuse. Please call 101, or 999 in an emergency. Or contact the domestic abuse and forced marriage helpline on 0800 027 1234, where support is available 24/7.

National Living Wage increases today

The National Living Wage (NLW) will increase today (Wednesday 1 April) to £8.72, giving a pay rise to thousands of workers at the frontline of the UK’s response to Covid-19.

This rise follows recommendations made to the Government by the Low Pay Commission (LPC) in the autumn. It means the rate reaches the target of 60 per cent of median earnings, originally set by the Government in 2015.

In the 11 March Budget, the Government confirmed its ambition for the NLW to continue increasing towards a new target of two-thirds of median earnings by 2024. It asked the LPC to advise on whether the economic evidence warranted these increases. The LPC will make its recommendations to Government on the 2021 National Minimum Wage rates in October.

Bryan Sanderson, Chair of the Low Pay Commission, said: “Many of the nation’s key workers – in, for example, the care sector, agriculture, transport and retail – are low-paid, are continuing to work in very difficult conditions and will benefit from today’s increase.

“At the same time, the Government has introduced a comprehensive package of support for employers to lessen the impacts of these extraordinary circumstances.

“Under our new remit, the Government asks us to monitor the labour market and the impacts of the National Living Wage closely, advise on any emerging risks and – if the economic evidence warrants it – recommend that the government reviews its target or timeframe.

“This is what the Government refers to as the ‘emergency brake’. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic clearly represents a very challenging set of circumstances for workers and employers alike, and will require us to review whether the emergency brake is required when we next provide our advice to the Government. This advice will be crucially dependent as always on the economic data we receive.”

The LPC has published a short report looking at the NLW’s path to the 60 per cent target and outlining how we will approach the new two-thirds target. This report does not set out a pathway to the new target, given the uncertainty over the current and future state of the labour market.

The other rates of the National Minimum Wage will also increase alongside the NLW:

Previous rate Current rate from 1 April 2020 Increase
National Living Wage £8.21 £8.72 6.2%
21-24 Year Old Rate £7.70 £8.20 6.5%
18-20 Year Old Rate £6.15 £6.45 4.9%
16-17 Year Old Rate £4.35 £4.55 4.6%
Apprentice Rate £3.90 £4.15 6.4%
Accommodation Offset £7.55 £8.20 6.4%

New research shows overwhelming support for further increases in order to tackle low pay.

The report, based on a large-scale representative survey of adults across the UK and focus groups with low paid workers, found that two in three adults (66%) thought that the wage floor was too low, and that it should be increased, with just one in fifty (2%) saying it was too high. Support for boosting the minimum wage was highest among young adults, low income households, and those in lower socio-economic groups.

The National Living Wage – the mandatory minimum wage for workers aged 25 and over – increases by 51p to £8.72.

The largest cash boost to the minimum wage since its introduction comes at a difficult time for the economy and household incomes, with many businesses and workers deeply affected by the coronavirus crisis.

The increase was announced in December, when employment stood at a record high, and when there was no indication of the scale of the damage coronavirus would cause.

Even before the current crisis, half (48%) of adults surveyed agreed that government should take a cautious approach to setting the wage floor to avoid an increase in unemployment; while one in three (37%) said government should take a more ambitious approach to increasing the minimum wage, even if it risked a small increase in unemployment.

There was however strong support for the government’s long-term plan to increase the National Living Wage to two thirds of median pay by 2024 – forecast to be £10.50 – and extend it to all workers aged 21 and over. Nearly seven in ten adults (66%) supported the proposal and fewer than one in ten (9%) opposed.

Despite the increase in the minimum wage in recent years, the number of adults in in-work poverty had grown, even before the coronavirus crisis. Low paid workers described the impact poverty has on their lives; from being unable to afford the basics and getting into debt, to having to work multiple jobs.

While low paid workers supported a higher minimum wage, many were sceptical about the extent to which it will benefit them. Low paid workers felt that increases in pay as a result of a higher minimum wage would be offset by lower Universal Credit income, leaving them little better off.

Low paid workers were also pessimistic about how businesses would respond to a higher wage floor, with many fearing their employer would cut back on other benefits, or reduce hours or staffing in response.

The report is the first in a programme led by Learning and Work Institute and Carnegie UK Trust, exploring the impact of a higher minimum wage on workers, employers and the economy. The programme will set out how a higher wage floor could be part of a broader strategy to tackle low pay and in work poverty and promote good work.

Joe Dromey, deputy director of research and development at Learning and Work Institute said; “The minimum wage has helped tackle extreme low pay without costing jobs. While this increase comes at a difficult time, it will mean a welcome pay rise for millions of workers.

“There is overwhelming support for future increases in the minimum wage – particularly among low paid workers. With the economy likely to take a big hit from coronavirus, the government will need to think carefully about how this can be delivered, but it should remain focused on both tackling low pay and in-work poverty.”

Douglas White, Head of Advocacy at the Carnegie UK Trust, said; “Decent pay is a critical aspect of good work, vital to help workers provide for themselves and their families, and clearly maintaining incomes is at the forefront of people’s minds at this time of crisis.

“National Minimum Wage policy is not the only route to supporting the living standards of workers – Government has also taken significant steps in recent weeks to maintain people’s incomes through the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme and the social security system.

“However, we welcome this week’s uprate in the Minimum Wage, and we encourage the UK Government to continue their commitment to an ambitious minimum wage policy. Our research demonstrates that even before this current crisis, far too many workers feel that wages do not cover the cost of living and that despite working hard they are being pushed in poverty.”

The-future-of-the-minimum-wage-The-worker-perspective-report

Coronavirus Update: Michael Gove

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove opened the daily coronavirus press conference yesterday:

Good afternoon and thank you for joining us for our daily briefing in the fight against COVID-19.

I am joined today by Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer, and Professor Stephen Powis, the Medical Director of NHS England.

I would like first to update you all on the facts about the spread of COVID-19 and the steps that we are then taking in the battle against this virus.

143,186 people have now been tested for the virus.

Of those, 25,150 have tested positive.

And sadly, yesterday we recorded the highest single increase in the number of deaths as a result of COVID-19.

381 people died, meaning that of those hospitalised in the UK, the number who have passed away now totals 1,789.

Every death is the loss of a loved one, and our thoughts and prayers are with those who are grieving.

Overall, 10,767 people in England have been admitted to hospital with COVID-19 symptoms.

The largest number of those is in London, with 3,915 people in hospital care.

While in the Midlands, the number of those hospitalised is now 1,918 and accelerating upwards.

These numbers reinforce the vital importance of following the Government’s social distancing guidelines.

The more we restrict contact, the more we slow the spread of the infection, the more that we can help the NHS build the capacity needed to care for those most in need.

And that capacity is increasing.

More NHS staff are returning to the frontline and more testing is taking place to help those self-isolating come back and to protect those working so hard in our hospitals and in social care.

But while the rate of testing is increasing we must go further, faster.

A critical constraint on the ability to rapidly increase testing capacity is the availability of the chemical reagents which are necessary in the testing.

The Prime Minister and the Health Secretary are working with companies worldwide to ensure that we get the material we need to increase tests of all kinds.

And as well as increasing the number of staff on the frontline, and the tests which protect them, we must also increase the capacity to provide oxygen to those worst affected by the disease.

We have just over 8,000 ventilators deployed in NHS hospitals now. This number has increased since the epidemic began, thanks to the hard work of NHS professionals.

But we need more.

That is why we are buying more ventilators from abroad – including from EU nations.

And it’s also why we are developing new sources of supply at home.

Before the epidemic struck we had very little domestic manufacture of ventilators.

But now, thanks to the dedication of existing medical supply companies and the ingenuity of our manufacturing base, we have existing models being produced in significantly greater numbers and new models coming on stream.

Orders have been placed with consortia led by Ford, Airbus, the Formula 1 Racing teams including Mclaren, GKN Aerospace and Rolls Royce and Dysons.

And I can announce that this weekend, the first of thousands of new ventilator devices will roll off the production line and be delivered to the NHS next week. From there they will be rapidly distributed to the front line.

And as well as increasing the capacity for ventilation – which helps support those patients worst affected – we are also increasing the capacity to provide oxygen to affected patients at an earlier stage in the process of the disease, helping to avert, we hope, the deterioration of their condition.

A team led by UCL, working with Mercedes Benz, will produce 10,000 new CPAP devices to support affected patients and a team from Oxford University are also developing related technology.

And in our determination to prevent as many patients as possible seeing their condition worsen we are conducting rapid clinical trials on those drugs, including anti-malarials, which may be able to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on those affected.

But even as we seek to explore every avenue to slow the spread of the disease, to reduce its impact and to save lives, I am conscious of the sacrifices that so many are making.

That is why the Chancellor’s economic package is in place – to support people through a difficult time.

It is also why we we are working so closely with our colleagues in the devolved administrations to coordinate our response across the United Kingdom and I am grateful to them

As I am to the thousands of dedicated public sector workers – cleaners and social workers, prison and police officers, those in the Royal Mail and in our schools – and I want to thank them and also the leaders of the trade unions who represent them.

In this united national effort we also are delivering food and prescription drugs to up to 1.5 million of the most vulnerable who are self-isolating for three months.

And we will do more to help, working with the three quarters of a million people who have volunteered to help at this time. Many are already heavily involved in local community support schemes.

And we want to work with them to ensure that we support not just the 1.5 million most vulnerable to the disease but all those who need our help through this crisis, those without social support, those in tough economic circumstances, those who need the visible hand of friendship at a challenging time.

That is why my cabinet colleague George Eustice and the Food and Farming Minister Victoria Prentis will be leading work, with food suppliers, retailers, local authorities and voluntary groups to support our neighbours in need.

I also want to thank the men and women of the military who have stepped up their work as part of the ongoing response to coronavirus.

Three RAF Puma helicopters are now stationed at Kinloss Barracks in Moray. These Pumasare working closely with a Chinook and a Wildcat helicopter based at RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire, to meet any requests for assistance from NHS boards and trusts across Scotland and Northern England.

A second helicopter facility covers the Midlands and Southern England working out of The Aviation Task Force Headquarters at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire. Chinook and Wildcat helicopters normally based at RAF Odiham and RNAS Yeovilton respectively support the Southern areas.

And these helicopter facilities have been set up to support medical transports across Scotland and the rest of the UK. The task force is also available for general support such as moving equipment and personnel to where they are needed across the UK.

The Kinloss-based support follows last weekend’s use of an RAF A400M transport aircraft, working with the Scottish Ambulance Service, to evacuate a critically ill patient from the Shetland Islands to Aberdeen to receive intensive care treatment.

I am deeply grateful for everyone in the our armed forces and in the public sector who are doing so much to help in the fight against coronavirus

And, of course, all of us can continue to play our part in supporting them and the health service by

STAYING AT HOME

SUPPORTING THE NHS

AND SAVING LIVES.

Now I want to ask Stephen to run through the latest data from our Cabinet Office Coronavirus fact-file.