Day: August 27, 2020

Local public health consultant develops technology to reduce risk of exposure to COVID-19 in economic spaces

Medical doctor, clinical epidemiologist and public health consultant, Dr Paul Nelson, has developed a pioneering technology that will significantly reduce the risk of exposure to Covid-19 in all ‘economic spaces’ – shops? – across the City of Edinburgh and beyond.

The groundbreaking innovation, supported by early adopters, Essential Edinburgh and a number of independent retailers, is set to roll out across the city next month, affording shop workers and patrons a safer working environment whilst inspiring confidence and supporting the recovery of economic activity. 

Dr Paul Nelson said: “We are creating a Movement which is enabling business owners and residents alike, to take back some control and mitigate the effects that the pandemic has had on their livelihoods.

“We’ve witnessed a significant amount of initial interest so far and are delighted to be working with Essential Edinburgh to roll this out across Edinburgh and beyond.

“As we all get on board and as the shopkeepers (and other business owners)  become gatekeepers, we all safeguard the economy by identifying symptomatic people. Businesses, harnessing the Dunkirk Spirit, will create a Cordon Sanitaire or Community Screening Programme that is currently lacking and not even possible to be provided in the usual way via public services.”

“Contact tracing is crucial to halt the spread of the virus and currently there is no way of picking up people who have symptoms if they don’t go to their doctor. According to the latest figures from ONS, 70% of cases are not currently referring themselves for testing.”

Roddy Smith, Chief Executive and Director of Essential Edinburgh commented: “Consumer confidence has understandably taken a big hit and businesses are also dealing with the huge impact of lockdown and will be for some time.

Empowering both businesses and consumers, FFZ has the potential to provide an additional level of confidence for both. We’re really looking forward to working with Paul and the team to further support our businesses and local community.”

Ian Murray MP, Labour Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South commented: “I am delighted that this idea, developed by a local resident Dr. Paul Nelson, is coming to fruition.

“I appreciate that many businesses will have suffered and most importantly will continue to suffer for the coming weeks or months as we recover from lockdown and this innovation provides a technological route to augment recovery for businesses across Edinburgh and beyond.”

The simple integrated symptom screening membership service designed to enable businesses and customers to reduce the risk of exposure to people with Covid-19 is completely non-invasive and simple to operate.

Shop owners will take the temperature of patrons on entry into their spaces using a clinically approved, contactless thermometer which will then communicate via Bluetooth to a free Fever Free app downloaded by each user.

The process uses a progressive web app, which means it doesn’t need to be downloaded from the App store and requires only bare minimum personal data.

Once cleared, the person is issued a six hours pass attesting they are fever-free. During this time, the pass ‘holder’ will experience a frictionless outing as they show it to other participating businesses in the area, all while preserving the privacy of all participants

If high temperature is detected, the shopkeeper will encourage the person to go home and the app will prompt them to pass on details to the contact tracing services (if they agree), who will get in touch with the person to be sent a test.

Argyle Place and Roseneath Street area, Edinburgh (EH9) businesses are driving the first Fever Free Zones as the team begin to roll out the technology.

An early adopter of FFZ, Karen Kirkness, owner of Meadowlark Yoga on Argyle Place, added: “We need to keep our spaces open if our economy is to survive, while maintaining the responsibility to do so as safely as possible.

“FFZ empowers us to identify symptoms that help our community to help itself in its efforts to stay healthy, engage with the economy, all while supporting the NHS’s efforts to track and trace.”

Dr Nelson concludes: “It is hoped that the frictionless access to fever-free high streets will inspire confidence and boost economic activity. If fevers are measured at the point-of-access, and if in turn this triggers a consent-initiated contact with NHS Test and Protect, then these measures could dramatically improve NHS Trace and Protect’s ability to eradicate COVID-19.”

UK government guidelines should be followed at all times, such as wearing a face covering and maintaining social distancing guidelines.

For more information visit: www.feverfree.zone

Ten Hill Place: just what the doctor ordered

A CITY hotel’s new health and safety measures have been given the seal of approval from top surgeon, Professor Mike Griffin, as Edinburgh’s tourism industry reboots.

Ten Hill Place Hotel used their experience providing free accommodation and meals to NHS workers during the height of the pandemic to perfect their health and safety practices for reopening last month.

The hotel has been praised for its efforts by Professor Mike Griffin, the President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd).

The new measures include the use of QR codes for collecting diners’ contact details, hand sanitiser stations around the hotel, and an innovative key card oven for hands-free cleaning. The sanitising oven uses ultraviolet technology to stop the risk of cross contamination from key cards being passed to different guests.

Behind the scenes, Ten Hill Place has undertaken risk assessments of all areas, and all staff have undergone rigorous training modules on health and safety.

Scott Mitchell, Managing Director at Surgeons Quarter, said: “We are all delighted to be open again and welcoming guests back to Ten Hill Place. We hope the extensive measures in place will ensure our guests are as relaxed as possible, and are still able to enjoy our warm Scottish hospitality.

“Hosting the NHS workers enabled us to assess all of our health and safety measures and put in place new protocols in light of COVID-19, while cooperating with our guests.

“We accommodated frontline guests in all extremities of the bedrooms within the hotel to ensure water systems were running smoothly and to prevent Legionella. We also had our lightning conductor tested to make sure everything we could possibly think of was covered!”

Professor Griffin paid a visit to Ten Hill Place and found the team had gone above and beyond in establishing protocols that facilitated safe service, while maintaining the crucial ability to make guests feel comfortable during a pandemic.

The Professor – who was awarded an OBE in 2013 off the back of his work overseeing huge improvements to cancer cure rates at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary – said: “I am absolutely delighted that Ten Hill Place is open again and ready to welcome back guests.

“I am truly astonished at the level of detail the team have put in to ensure all Scottish Government guidelines are adhered to whilst the Hotel still looks really welcoming and not clinical.”

Scott Mitchell added: “We are uniquely placed here at Surgeons Quarter that we have access to the experience of the membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. 

“We can draw on clinical and medical input to enhance everything that we are doing in these times. 

“Of course, we follow all Government advice and industry protocols but we further benefit from the experience of surgeons, clinicians and dentists. If they feel we are doing everything we can, I see this as a great endorsement for all guests to feel comfortable within Ten Hill Place”.

The hotel reopened on 15 July in accordance with Scottish Government guidance.

Ten Hill Place remained open from March to May in order to provide 2,137 free nights of accommodation and thousands of meals to frontline NHS workers during the Coronavirus pandemic – at a cost of more than £100,000 to the charitable organisation.

Ten Hill Place is run by Surgeons Quarter, the commercial arm of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RSCEd). Surgeons Quarter promotes, sells and manages all commercial activities held within the RCSEd campus.

All profits support the charitable aims of the College which are education, assessment and advancement in surgical standards worldwide.

Bookings for Ten Hill Place can be made at www.tenhillplace.com, by calling 0131 662 2080 or by emailing reservations@tenhillplace.com.

Scottish Hockey: Updated guidance

Updated guidance and indicative dates for return to competition

Scottish Hockey has released updated Phase 3 guidance and provisional dates outlining a staged return to competitive hockey.

It follows the Scottish Government announcement that from Monday 24 August full contact outdoor sports can take place for up to 30 people, following the guidance of sporting governing bodies.

With social distancing no longer required during on-pitch sessions, clubs can now focus on in-house games. Scottish Hockey’s Phase 3 Guidance outlines how this can be done safely and in line with Scottish Government guidelines.

From an indicative date of 5 September, local friendlies within your geographical district can be arranged where appropriate, when following guidelines, and is facility dependant.

This allows a build-up of activity from club to district to national level, focussing on a gradual build-up, local travel, while reducing the possibility of outbreaks in the return to competition.

Significantly, the provisional date for the return of Scottish Hockey competitions has been set for 3 October, subject to government guidelines and facilities.

Scottish Hockey CEO David Sweetman said, “I’m delighted we’re able to release this updated Phase 3 guidance and announce some provisional dates to work towards competitive match play.

“A phenomenal amount of work has got us to this stage, with clubs up and down the country doing incredible work to ensure their members return to the pitch safely, and Scottish Hockey staff working exceptionally hard to establish clear guidance and support clubs.

“We all still have to be cautious, take our time, and follow guidance to ensure Covid-19 is kept under control while we get back to enjoying the sport we love.”

Partnership aims to remove barriers to becoming a safer rider

The UK’s largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, has partnered with the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD), helping to remove potential barriers to becoming a safer rider.

IAM RoadSmart believes that adapting to different learning styles is key to making advanced driving and riding accessible to many, ultimately improving road safety on UK roads.

Commenting on the partnership, Dr Andy Arnott from the NABD, said: “Our aim is to ensure that people with disabilities can enjoy the freedom and independence of motorcycling. This partnership with IAM RoadSmart supports our aim.

“I have been a member and supporter of the NABD for the last decade and I was always conscious that many of the riders with disabilities I have worked with, have been keen to improve their skills but no one knew how to go about it.

“As an Advanced Rider as well, I spotted a natural opportunity for the two charities to collaborate, I look forward to helping to bring these two great organisations together.”

Richard Gladman, Head of Driving and Riding Standards at IAM RoadSmart, said: “It is important that road safety is all inclusive and that everyone has access to training to improve their skills on the road.

“I am extremely excited about this collaboration. The NABD is a great charity and we look forward to working with its members, giving them access to the support they would like and making even more people aware of what we offer to enhance rider skills and confidence.”

Earlier in the year, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve road safety for everyone, IAM RoadSmart also launched a guide to ensure all volunteer observers nationwide can adapt their driving and riding coaching to different neurodiversity needs and different learning styles, including: dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism and Asperger’s among others.

More information on the guide can be found here.

Study invites people to share their funeral experiences

The latest phase of a thought-provoking study into the role of the funeral in the grieving process is now underway and funeral directors, as well as anyone who has been involved in organising a funeral, can participate.

The study, known as ‘Funeral Experts by Experience’, is led by Dr Julie Rugg from the University of York and Dr Sarah Jones from Full Circle Funerals, an independent funeral director with four Yorkshire sites. The research is overseen by an expert panel including the National Society of Allied Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF), The Good Funeral Guide and the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM).

The research is open to people from all ethnic, cultural and religious or non-religious backgrounds who lost a loved one before the Covid-19 pandemic. This second phase of the study aims to reveal, analyse and process people’s ideas, concerns and expectations about how someone is physically cared for after they have died and the personal care given to the body.

Last year the organisations completed the first phase of the research which has since been presented at several funeral industry conferences and events. The study identified all the factors that bereaved people consistently said were important to them when arranging or attending a funeral.

Dr Julie Rugg said: “During our initial research, lots of the participants shared their opinions about how people are physically looked after once the funeral director has been called, as well as the level of contact with the body.

“This became a focal point and raised further important questions that we plan to explore further. We are now asking volunteers to share their experiences, views and possible recommendations about how funeral directors care for people who have died. In addition, we would like to invite funeral directors to contribute with their thoughts regarding care for people who have died, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Dr Sarah Jones added: “We have created an online questionnaire for funeral directors to complete and are asking anyone who has been involved in a funeral to share their experience and views with us, either during a short telephone interview or by videocall.

“We believe that understanding what bereaved people want, means the funeral industry as a whole can continue to improve the quality of funeral care services and this robust research and insight will help to set standards, training and future regulations.”

More information about the research, as well as the previous published report, is available at https://fullcirclefunerals.co.uk/learning-together/research/ and funeral directors wanting to participate will find the link to the survey there.

For further information visit www.fullcirclefunerals.co.uk

Green light for Gorgie Road development

A planning application by Edinburgh-based Kiltane Developments Ltd for a mixed-use development at Gorgie Road has been granted (subject to conditions) by City of Edinburgh Council Development Management Sub-Committee yesterday. 

Kiltane Developments is looking to build a development of 28 flats (eight of which will be affordable housing), 140 student flats and 77 student studios. Three commercial units are also proposed to be made available for retail, financial and professional services use.

There is a requirement in the area is for up to two-bed flats and 26 of the 28 units fall into this category.

The need for two-bedroom affordable accommodation in this area has been confirmed by the Council’s Housing Team. The residential mix includes 29 per cent affordable homes delivered on site and serving the social rented sector. This exceeds the policy requirement of 25 per cent.

The site is highly sustainable, within cycling distance of the city centre and is also on a number of major bus routes.

There will be 264 cycle parking spaces and car parking will be provided in the existing underground storage area. The proposed car parking represents just 30 per cent (33 parking spaces) of the maximum car parking allowed by parking standards (108 spaces).

The proposal seeks to extend the public amenity between the building edge and the Water of Leith Walkway to provide a shared space, adjacent to the proposed commercial unit serving local residents and users of the Water of Leith Walkway.

This will provide an attractive frontage on the Water of Leith and significantly enhance the public realm, including upgrades to the public footpath.

The site is in an accessible location and close to university facilities. Provision of purpose-built student accommodation will support the growth and development of the higher education sector in Edinburgh. In doing so it will increase the range and choice of accommodation offered to students.

The current ratio of approximately three students per one bed space in Edinburgh, demonstrates the demand for new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA).

A spokesperson for Kiltane Developments, said: “I’m delighted with the decision taken today by councillors. As an Edinburgh-based company, we are thrilled to see this exciting project given the green light and look forward to bringing this mixed-use site forward.

“The delivery of housing, including much-needed affordable housing, student accommodation and commercial units will assist in preserving the viability of the nearby local centre. We are also providing an attractive frontage on the Water of Leith and significantly enhancing the public realm, including upgrades to the public footpath.

“We look forward to getting these proposals underway and will continue to work with council officials and the local community to deliver them.”

Safety in Schools

Important information for Edinburgh’s parents,carers and pupils

The EIS has responded to the Deputy First Minister’s announcement that Secondary school pupils aged 12 and over will be required to wear face coverings in school communal areas from the 31st of August.

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The EIS welcomes this decision by the Scottish Government today, which reflects the updated advice from the World Health Organisation recommending face coverings for those aged 12 and over, where 1m distancing cannot be maintained. Schools are busy places with a large number of adults and young adults moving around.

“The use of face coverings in these circumstances is a sensible and appropriate step to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading through school communities.

Mr Flanagan added: “While we welcome the announcement, the EIS believes that effective physical distancing between pupils is the best means of reducing the risk of COVID-19 spread in schools.

“This is an area where the guidance from the Scottish Government currently lacks specificity; there needs to be a much sharper focus on ensuring social distancing in schools to protect pupils, staff and the wider community. Smaller class sizes to ensure appropriate physical distancing of pupils are essential.”

He concluded, “Across all sectors, smaller classes would be a huge boost, also, to the educational recovery of those pupils most disadvantaged by the impact of lockdown. The Scottish Government, indeed, all political parties within the Scottish Parliament, should prioritise the expenditure required for the extra teachers needed to help our pupils.”

Face covering u-turn shows Ministers must listen to workers

In England, the GMB union has welcomed Education Secretary Gavin Williamson’s U-turn on face coverings in schools.

GMB, the union for school staff, says the Government’s u-turn on face coverings shows Ministers must learn to listen to workers.

Karen Leonard, GMB National Officer, said: “GMB wrote to the Education Secretary back in mid-July challenging the Government’s position on face coverings in school during the pandemic.

“Schools know social distancing will be extremely difficult and large ‘bubbles’ present a covid-19 risk. All we wanted was for staff who felt the need to wear a mask not to be actively discouraged from doing so.

“The Government appears to be ignoring the science in order to avoid a political hit. Now they’ve performed yet another u-turn.

“It’s time Ministers learned to listen to the concerns of the school staff who will be instrumental in keeping our schools safe and, importantly, open.”

LeithLate: lighting up Leith’s History Mural

Come see the Leith History Mural in a whole new LIGHT!

Due to popular demand we are bringing back this FREE outdoor event – this time for a total of 10 NIGHTS!

Tim Chalk and Paul Grime’s mural installed in 1986 depicts Leith’s rich and varied social history. Double-Take Projections have artistically re-imagined the mural through light projections using the artists’ original artworks, adding beautiful animations and a bespoke soundscape.

But feasting your eyes is not the only feast of the evening …

LeithLate is also teaming up with the amazing organisation Empty Kitchens Full Hearts (EKFH), who provide meals on a daily basis to over 500 individuals facing food insecurity. Each night of this event, between 19:30 – 21:00, EKFH are opening up to the public and event attendees, serving their high-quality meals nextdoor in the outdoor collonade at Leith Theatre. You can purchase some delicious scran to help them raise funds and continue with their vital work in the community.

Attendance to the Light-Up Leith History Mural is free but ticketed. Time-slots throughout each evening are bookable in advance in order to ensure the amount of people viewing at any given time will be able to maintain a safe social distance.

Whilst attending the event, please be respectful of other people’s space and help us mitigate any Covid-19 risk by keeping a 2m distance from other attendees. We would also recommend audience members wear a face covering while attending the event.

The Leith History Mural is located on the corner of Ferry Road and North Junction Street, next to Leith Library and Leith Theatre. Projections will run throughout each evening on a loop.

This event is part of LeithLate’s Leith100 programme marking 100 years since the amalgamation of Leith with the City of Edinburgh. For more information about the programme visit www.leithlate.co.uk.

The event is made in collaboration with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Curating Conversations across the Arts research project, with funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

New payment for people self-isolating in highest-risk areas

People in England on low incomes who need to self-isolate and are unable to work from home in areas with high incidence of COVID-19 are to benefit from a new payment scheme.

  • Government to implement new payment for people on low incomes in areas with high rates of COVID-19, who need to self-isolate and can’t work from home
  • Payments of up to £182 to be made to people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and their contacts
  • Scheme to start first in Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle, and Oldham

People on low incomes who need to self-isolate and are unable to work from home in areas with high incidence of COVID-19 will benefit from a new payment scheme starting on Tuesday 1 September, the Health Secretary has announced today.

Starting with a trial in Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle and Oldham to ensure the process works, eligible individuals who test positive with the virus will receive £130 for their 10-day period of self-isolation. Other members of their household, who have to self-isolate for 14 days, will be entitled to a payment of £182.

Non-household contacts advised to self-isolate through NHS Test and Trace will also be entitled to a payment of up to £182, tailored to the individual length of their isolation period.

It is designed to support people who are unable to work from home while self-isolating, either after testing positive, or after being identified by NHS Test and Trace as living in the same household as – or coming into contact with – someone who has tested positive. It will be available to people currently receiving either Universal Credit or Working Tax Credit.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: The British public have already sacrificed a great deal to help slow the spread of the virus. Self-isolating if you have tested positive for COVID-19, or have come into contact with someone who has, remains vital to keeping on top of local outbreaks.

“This new payment scheme will help people on low incomes and who are unable to work from home to continue playing their part in the national fight against this virus.”

Payments will be provided within 48 hours of the eligible individual providing the necessary evidence. Individuals will be asked to provide a notification from NHS Test and Trace and a bank statement.

The local authority can also check the NHS Test and Trace system to confirm the individual has been asked to self-isolate, if the individual is unable to provide this information. The local authority will put in place checks to prevent fraud and ensure compliance through welfare check-ins, phone calls and employment checks.

There will be a rapid review of the scheme in Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle and Oldham to assess the performance consider how effectively vulnerable people have been reached, and consider how far it has helped reduce transmission of the virus in these areas. If the approach is successful, the scheme will be quickly applied in other areas of high COVID-19 incidence.

This will not reduce any other benefits they receive. This payment equates to:

  • £130 if an individual has tested positive for coronavirus and has to self-isolate for 10 days (from the point they first developed symptoms).
  • £182 if a member of an individual’s household has tested positive for coronavirus and they are asked to self-isolate for 14 days (from the point the member of their household first developed symptoms).
  • £13 per day (up to a maximum of £182) if an individual is identified as a non-household contact of another person who has tested positive for coronavirus and is asked to self-isolate up until 14 days after they were most recently in contact with the person who tested positive.

To be eligible for the funding, individuals must meet the following criteria:

  • Have tested positive for Covid-19 or received a notification from NHS Test and Trace asking them to self-isolate
  • Have agreed to comply with the notification from NHS Test and Trace and provided contact details to the local authority.
  • Be employed or self-employed. Employed people will be asked to show proof of employment. Self-employed will be required to show evidence of trading income and that their business delivers services which the local authority reasonably judges they are unable to carry out without social contact
  • Be unable to work from home (checks will be undertaken on all applicants) and will lose income a result
  • Be currently receiving Universal Credit or Working Tax Credit.

The TUC says the payment is nothing like enough, however,

Commenting on today’s (Thursday) announcement that the government is piloting payments of £13 a day to people on low incomes who need to self-isolate, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “These paltry payments will not make the difference needed.  

“Every worker should have the right to decent sick pay so they can help stop the spread of the virus. Ministers shouldn’t need a trial to know that’s the right thing to do. And sick pay must not become a post code lottery.  

“The sooner government gets on with delivering fair sick pay for everyone, the quicker we will beat this pandemic. 

“It should be at least as much as the real Living Wage – £320 a week – so everyone who needs to self-isolate can afford to.” 

Youth unemployment could reach over 100,000 in Scotland this year

  • Over one in three of Scotland’s young workforce could be unemployed later this year – the highest ever level since records began
  • Urgent action needed over the coming weeks and months to meet the ‘100,000 challenge’ to provide 100,000 new opportunities for young people through learning or working.

IPPR Scotland has published new research which shows the scale of the youth unemployment challenge Scotland could face later this year.

In the think tank’s ‘central scenario’, based on forecasts from the UK Office of Budget Responsibility, youth unemployment in Scotland could surge past 100,000 young people later this year as the furlough schemes end and the UK as a whole enters a jobs crisis. This would see over one in three of Scotland’s young workforce (16-24 year olds looking for work) facing youth unemployment – the highest level since records began.

The think tank warns that youth unemployment could be worse than this in a reasonable worst-case ‘downside’ scenario, with over 140,000 young people unemployed by the end of 2020. In the ‘upside’ scenario, youth unemployment increases hugely, but stays around 80,000 and beneath the level seen following the 2008/09 financial crash. 

The ‘scarring effects’ of unemployment early in someone’s career are well-documented, with people who experience youth unemployment for a significant time facing a pay gap that many never close throughout the rest of their working lives. This could have significant implications for health and wellbeing and cause significant long-term damage to Scotland’s economy.

To protect a generation of young people, IPPR Scotland is calling for urgent action over the coming weeks to meet what it’s calling the ‘100,000 challenge’ – providing 100,000 new opportunities in Scotland across education, skills and employment.

This will need urgent action from government, colleges and universities, and employers in Scotland. The think tank is also calling on the UK Government to maintain support for jobs across the economy by replacing the furlough scheme with a ‘short-time work scheme’, as seen in France and Germany, that would see employers able to offer subsidised part-time work rather than being forced into laying people off.

The UK Government has announced a Kickstarter Job Scheme that is due to begin in the autumn, however details so far are lacking. Further details on the Scottish Government’s own £60m Scottish Youth Guarantee are also awaited. The think tank fears neither scheme is likely to reach the scale required as things stand.

Russell Gunson, Director of IPPR Scotland, said: “If these projections turn out to be true we will see youth unemployment on a scale we’ve never seen before in Scotland later this year.

“Over 100,000 young people – or more than one in three of Scotland’s young workforce – could be unemployed by the end of the year. This is unprecedented, and will need unprecedented action over the coming weeks and months without delay.

“While both the UK and Scottish governments have announced action to try to stave off youth unemployment, we have not yet seen the scale of action meet the scale of the challenge.

“As the school year starts and as we approach the new academic year for college and universities, we need to act now to help those without a place in education or training and without a job. That will need action from across Scotland – including government but also from businesses, employers, colleges and universities.

“We are facing a ‘100,000 challenge’ in Scotland. The question we must ask and urgently answer is: how do we create 100,000 new opportunities for young people in Scotland over the rest of this year?

“Through further additional college and university places, through even greater investment in learning and training, and through action by employers to try to protect opportunities for young people it is more than possible. But we must now act at a pace and a scale not yet seen.”

The Scottish Government continues to press UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Risho Sunak to extend the furlough scheme, which is due to end in October. It’s feared that, unless the scheme is extended, tens of thousands more workers will be made redundant.