Month: August 2020

Red Cross celebrates 150th Birthday

Her Majesty The Queen, Patron, sends message of thanks to Red Cross volunteers and staff
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, President of the British Red Cross, introduces new online exhibition ‘150 voices’: www.redcross.org.uk/150voices.
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge pens letter to 150 nominated Red Cross staff and volunteers, paying tribute to her own family ties to the Red Cross
Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra, Vice-President, telephones one of the charity’s longest-serving volunteers

The British Red Cross is 150 years old today. To mark the anniversary, members of the Royal Family have come together to recognise the work of the volunteers, staff, supporters and partners of the charity who have made a difference to the lives of millions of people who have faced crisis, both in the UK and overseas.

Today the Red Cross is responding to one of the most challenging humanitarian emergencies in modern history, showing the power of kindness as it supports the most vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic.

Her Majesty the Queen, Patron of the Red Cross for 64 years, has sent a message to volunteers and staff to thank them for their dedicated work supporting some of the most vulnerable people here in the UK and overseas.

As the charity’s longest-serving Patron, The Queen has supported the British Red Cross across the decades; then Princess Elizabeth, one of her earliest visits was to a Red Cross hut caring for tuberculosis patients in 1951. On the 100th anniversary of the charity, Her Majesty hosted a Buckingham Palace Garden Party for Red Cross staff and volunteers.

As the charity’s President since 2003, The Prince of Wales has recorded an introduction to a new online exhibition, ‘150 voices’, as part of the anniversary.

The online exhibition showcases 150 objects from the British Red Cross museum and archives collection, which have been specially selected to highlight the role of the charity as it supported people during some of the darkest moments in the last century and a half.

Inspired by communities across the UK and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the exhibition includes objects such as a letter from Florence Nightingale, a WWI ambulance drivers’ cap and a food parcel distributed by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent during the Syria crisis.

In the online introduction, The Prince of Wales says: “I am proud to say that my family has played its own part in supporting the work of the British Red Cross throughout its history.

“As President, I have felt it to be of great importance to continue this close association and to help in whatever small way I can to support the extraordinary work of the Red Cross.

“The work of the Red Cross is as essential today as it has ever been, helping those in need both in the United Kingdom and around the world, strengthening our communities and supporting people to face the challenges of an ever-changing and unpredictable world.”

In 2018, His Royal Highness met Red Cross volunteers in the aftermath of the devastating Grenfell Tower fire. At the beginning of this year, The Prince also met with staff and volunteers while visiting the flood hit town of Pontypridd, South Wales following Storm Dennis.

Most recently, HRH thanked Red Cross staff and volunteers through a video message, for their continued work during coronavirus.

As part of the 150th anniversary celebrations, The Duchess of Cambridge has penned a letter to 150 nominated Red Cross staff and volunteers, which will be sent alongside a commemorative coin from the Royal Mint.

The Duchess has a special connection to the charity, with her own great-grandmother and grandmother having volunteered as Red Cross nurses.

As Vice-President of the British Red Cross, Princess Alexandra spoke to a recipient of The Duchess’s letter and one of the charity’s longest serving volunteers, Anne Taylor, 87.

Anne has been volunteering for 80 years, having joined the British Red Cross on the 1st January 1940, when she was just seven years old at the height of WWII. More recently, Anne has helped to run the Red Cross mobility aids service in Truro, Cornwall.

Anne said of her conversation with Princess Alexandra: “It was a real honour to have royalty talking to me on the phone and to be able to share a lovely conversation about some of the things I’ve done over the years with the British Red Cross.

“I couldn’t believe that she mentioned meeting me before. It was a very normal conversation, we spoke about my time as a volunteer and about normal things, such as family and everyday life. A real privilege.”

The Royal Family has a long history of supporting the work of the British Red Cross, dating back to 1870 when Queen Victoria became the first official Patron of the charity.

Mike Adamson, Chief Executive of the British Red Cross said: “We are very grateful to the Royal Family for their committed support to the British Red Cross throughout our long history and today as we mark our 150th anniversary.

“The British Red Cross has been helping people in crisis for 150 years; through two World Wars, working hand in hand with the NHS since its creation in 1948 and today in communities across the UK and overseas during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Throughout our history it is the kindness of our volunteers, as well as the generosity of our supporters that has meant we can be there for people when they need us most, wherever they are and whomever they may be.”

Visit the 150 Voices online exhibition: www.redcross.org.uk/150voices

Social security net is failing during the Covid-19 crisis

The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed our benefits system to be unfit for purpose. It now needs a radical transformation

The failings of the UK’s social security system have been exposed as workers whose income has been hit by the Covid-19 crisis have sought to rely on the safety net, and in many cases promptly fallen through its holes (writes TUC’s ANJUM KLAIR).

This is the result of years of deliberate attacks on the social security system, with around £34 billion of cuts made to social security since 2010.

Over a decade of austerity, including benefit caps and freezes, a punitive sanctions regime and the introduction of the five-week wait in universal credit, has pushed working families into debt and poverty.

What has the current crisis exposed?

Claimants seeking financial support since the start of the pandemic are now experiencing the inadequacy of benefit rates: if you become unemployed, the basic rate of universal credit is £94 a week. This is around a sixth of average weekly pay.  

The inability of the welfare system to cushion the financial fall for new claimants can be seen in the soaring demand on food banks during April: distribution of food parcels increased by 89 per cent compared to the same period in 2019 and for children there was a 107 per cent rise.

A survey on people’s experiences of the benefit system during the pandemic found 75 per cent of those claiming universal credit felt it would not stretch to cover their bills.

New universal credit claimants must wait five weeks for their first payment. Therefore, the system fails to support people when they are at their most vulnerable, and adds to the turbulence of their finances.

Advance loans are available, but these must be paid back out of future meagre benefit payments. People who have been reluctant to claim cite the fear of falling into debt.

Harsh and unfair rules

Callous rules have been introduced since 2010 to reduce eligibility and save money. 

The benefit cap limits the sums that can be received in social security payments, without reference to household need. Analysis by the Child Poverty Action group, predicts that up to 40,000 households are likely to be affected by the benefit cap as a result of the pandemic, the vast majority of whom will be families with children.

Introducing the two-child limit for social security also breaks the fundamental link between need and what a family receives. A quarter of a million households containing 911,000 children have been affected by the policy since its introduction. It is estimated that 60,000 families could be affected as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.

Harsh and unfair rules on conditionality and sanctions have been justified to motivate people to engage with job centre support and take active steps to move closer to work. However, the evidence of the effectiveness of this policy is limited.

The UK government has ended a three-month pause on the requirement for people receiving universal credit to prove that they are looking for work. However, the job market has shrunk dramatically, and as the job retention scheme winds up the challenges of finding work will be enormous.

The current crisis has highlighted the unfortunate situation of those living in the UK under the ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ policy (NRPF), introduced in 2012. It is not right that those with the legal right to live and work in the UK and pay taxes are not entitled to access the vast proportion of social security needed in times of crisis.   

NRPF restrictions have pushed working families into poverty, forcing them into unsustainable debt and into homelessness or unsafe, overcrowded, insecure housing. Since the Covid-19 outbreak, their situation has worsened considerably; they have had to choose between their own health, public health, and the financial wellbeing of their household.

We need to transform and revitalise our safety net.

Many people need to rely on the social security system at some point in their lives. Illness and unemployment can strike anyone at any time, as the pandemic has shown. And when this happens we should be able to turn to social security to help us.

We urgently need a political commitment to protect the vulnerable.

The cost of adequately funding the social security budget is small compared to the cost of not acting, which includes both the deep social costs of inequality, and the impact of millions of families with less spending power.

Making our social security system fit for purpose requires fundamental changes, including scrapping universal credit.

The immediate priority, however, is for the government to devise an urgent plan to provide financial support and security to those who need it most.

Immediate steps to fix our social safety net

Universal credit and other benefits must be substantially reformed, by:

  • Raising the basic level of universal credit and legacy benefits, including jobs seekers allowance and employment and support allowance, to at least 80 per cent of the national living wage (£260 per week).
  • Ending the five-week wait for first payment of universal credit by converting emergency payment loans to grants.
  • Removing the savings rules in universal credit, allowing more people to access it.
  • Significantly increasing benefit payments to children and removing the two-child limit within universal credit and working tax credit.
  • Ensuring no-one loses out on any increases in social security by removing the arbitrary benefit cap. In addition, no one on legacy benefits should lose the protection of the managed transition to universal credit as part of this change.
  • The suspension on conditionality requirements for universal credit needs to remain.  

Sick pay must cover the basic costs of living

  • Statutory sick pay must be sufficient to cover basic living costs. Weekly payments must rise from £95.85 to the equivalent of a week’s pay at the Real Living Wage – around £320 a week.
  • The lower earnings limit for qualification for sick pay must be removed to ensure everyone can access it, no matter how much they earn.

Wider package of financial support for households

  • The NPRF restrictions need to be removed permanently.  Everyone living in the UK must have access to public funds.
  • Introduce a wider package of support for households, by increasing the hardship fund delivered by local authorities. A hardship fund should not just be there for the current crisis; government should put in place a fund that provides a permanent source of grants to support those facing hardship. 

Assault in Garibaldi’s: New CCTV

Police renewing their appeal for information in respect of an assault which occurred on Saturday, 4 January, 2020 at around 2.25am inside Garibaldis nightclub in Hanover Street.

Police have released new images of a male they would like to speak to as they believe he may have information that will assist their ongoing investigation.

The male in the image is described as white, in his early twenties, around 5ft 10ins tall, with mousey brown hair that is longer on the top and shorter at the sides. He is seen in the image to be wearing a light grey or blue top and a black coat.

Those with information can contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 0424 of 4 January, 2020. Alternatively, information can be reported anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Previous appeal: http://ow.ly/1RGG50AOzzK

Baby loss charity launches ‘K for Kindness’ awareness campaign

Local charity, Held In Our Hearts has launched their latest awareness campaign focusing on acts of kindness for the month of August.

It is this attribute which the charity feels has helped them survive through the last 4 months – kindness to each other, kindness to the families they support, finding a way forward together. They are calling on the Edinburgh community to share their own kindness locally, encouraging people to join in by doing acts of kindness for a friend, family member, neighbour or colleague in August.

Since lockdown, pace of life has changed so much and has given people more time at home, with nothing but their thoughts and experiences to reflect on. The charity has been encouraged to see that more families have been coming forward for support (including those that are long ago bereaved) and are being more open to sharing about their loss and the trauma that they have experienced.

Through its specialist bereavement support, Held In Our Hearts know how essential it is to for families to be open and talk to one another and be met with kindness.  Now more than ever, the charity feels that it is so important for everyone to be mindful of their mental health and they hope that the “K for Kindness” campaign will help share a wave of positivity in the community and encourage more kindness and more openness with each other.

Nicola Welsh, Chief Executive Officer says: “We witness the power of kindness and compassion every day in our work. When a baby dies, it is the kindness and compassion from our bereaved staff that holds families and helps when they feel alone in their grief. 

“As we begin to step out of lockdown, we might feel a little fragile and vulnerable and although we cannot hug freely yet, we can give of ourselves and do acts of kindness to make others smile.  Giving to others is good for the soul and you just never know how much someone else might need that kindness that day, especially at the moment.

“We hope that “K for Kindness” will help us raise awareness of our work and spread some much needed positivity through the community.”

The charity has run a series of popular and fun virtual challenges through April, May, June and July, helping to keep their community connected and raise essential funds for their work.

In July, the #PassTheK challenge was set for their running and cycling community, which has supporters take up the baton and ‘PassTheK’ to reach our neighbours down under in Brisbane, Australia, 16,313km away. In total they managed just over 20,000k!

To take part, you simply need to do an Act of Kindness, share with a picture on social media and tag a friend to do the same with #KforKindness.

Council to commit £ millions to ‘Green Corridor’

A multi-million-pound scheme to ‘transform walking and cycling connections’ between Dalry and Fountainbridge will take a big step foward if plans are approved this week.

The city council’s Roseburn to Union Canal Active Travel Route and Greenspace Improvement project aims to fill a ‘missing link’ in the walking and cycling network by connecting Roseburn path to Fountainbridge via a new off-road cycleway and pedestrian paths.

The associated benefits of this, alongside substantial enhancements to surrounding woodland, to the environment and also by encouraging travel choices, is set to contribute to our carbon neutral goals. 

The council wants to create a ‘green corridor’ by planting nearly 5000 trees along the route, contributing to Edinburgh’s target of becoming a ‘Million Tree City’ by 2030.

As part of this they’ll be revamping open spaces along the route which are currently unusable or inaccessible for the use of the community and revitalising Dalry Community Park too. 

On Thursday (6 August) members of the Policy and Sustainability Committee will consider the latest designs, which have been refined in response to feedback received during consultation with local residents, and proposals to begin enabling works to progress the project. 

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: This is an extremely exciting project which will deliver real benefits to the local community, and anyone travelling by foot or bike in the area, by providing an essential link in our walking and cycling network. 

“Our plans to plant almost 5000 trees will have a significant impact, not only on the area’s amenity but by encouraging wildlife diversity, providing educational opportunities for local children and reducing the city’s carbon footprint as part of our wider tree-planting strategy.”

Transport and Environment Vice Convener Karen Doran said: “This project will breathe new life into these underused spots, which have the potential to become a haven for wildlife and a relaxing environment for residents and visitors.

“By both encouraging walking, cycling and wheeling and planting thousands of trees in the area, it’s helping drive us towards our carbon neutral goal.”

Proposals include:

Active travel route: Our proposed creation of a shared-use pedestrian and cycle path, including new bridge crossings over the Mid-Calder railway line and Dalry Road, would connect the North Edinburgh Path Network to Fountainbridge, where onwards travel to the Union Canal will be provided via a separate active travel project currently under development. 

Green corridor: We are planning to overhaul existing areas alongside the route, including spaces adjacent to Russell Road/Sauchiebank and West Approach Road/Duff Street Lane, which have fallen into disuse. Our enabling works will result in the loss of some trees, though almost 60% of these are of low or extremely poor quality, and we’ve developed a long-term strategy for creating and managing a healthy and diverse tree population.

As part of this, we are proposing the planting of 4,795 woodland and semi-mature trees across the site, with landscaping and ecological issues managed to ensure the project results in a higher quality, more varied and better maintained woodland. As well as encouraging wildlife, the improved woodland will provide better access for amenity and education, including its potential use by Dalry Primary School for ‘forest schools’. 

Dalry Community Park improvements: Redesigning the park to renew the existing playpark with equipment for all ages, resurfacing the sports pitch, installing lighting seating and wayfinding, improving landscaping and creating shared-use paths and better access points. 

The latest project designs build on our consultation with the local community in 2015/16, when 95% of respondents expressed their support for the measures, and subsequent engagement carried out in 2019.

Amongst the changes we’ve made to the initial proposals as a result of feedback are the development of a tree protection strategy, improved access points and the increase of path widths to 4m, providing additional space for both pedestrians and cyclists. 

If approved, enabling works are expected to start in September and will comprise of site clearance, ground investigation and excavations.

Alongside this a protected species/habitat survey will be carried out, and we will be working with contractors to explore ways of minimising the loss of trees as a result of the project. 

Read the full report, Roseburn to Union Canal Active Travel Route and Greenspace Improvement.

Union raises ‘significant concerns’ over re-opening of schools

The Executive Committee of the EIS has raised significant concerns over guidelines for the re-opening of Scotland’s schools.

With schools set to re-open next week, the EIS has written to Deputy First Minister John Swinney calling for a number of actions to be taken, as a matter of urgency, to protect pupils, staff and the wider community from the risk of COVID-19 infection.

In the letter, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan says, “I write to you in order to raise some significant concerns regarding the now published Guidelines for the reopening of schools.

“You will recall that I raised at the CERG (COVID Education Recovery Group) meeting of July 24th,  the EIS view that whilst the Guidelines represented the generality of  where agreement was possible, they nonetheless fell short from an EIS perspective in significant areas.”

The letter goes on to outline EIS concerns in a number of areas, including physical distancing and class sizes, procedures for testing for COVID in schools, contradictions between procedures for schools and other settings such as public transport and shops, and concerns over staff members who have been shielding.

On the issue of physical distancing, the letter highlights that the Scottish Government guidance includes an, “Exhortation to move to smaller classes to support physical distancing where possible, without specification as to how that was to be done. The inherent contradiction in urging such a significant mitigation but failing completely to instruct its implementation is a major concern.”

The letter also calls for: “The strongest mitigations possible in place and erring on the side of caution particularly where there is conflicting or emerging evidence in relation to the behaviour of the virus and its capacity for transmission among and by children and young people. These should include specific physical distancing guidelines for pupils.”

On testing, the EIS letter says,  “We would urge that further consideration be given to a more proactive approach to supporting teacher and staff confidence that they are working in Covid-secure schools, by providing asymptomatic access to regular testing.”

And, on the issue of staff who have been shielding, the letter says, “Teachers who have been shielding for the past three or four months  under Scottish  Government direction, are now concerned that next week they could be back in front of a full class of pupils. This seems to be an enormous leap and one which does not sit well with the First Minister’s warning to those who had been shielding until August 1st, about continuing to be especially cautious.”

Calling for further action to ensure safety, the letter goes on to state, “The EIS welcomes the fact that Scotland appears to have successfully suppressed the virus at this point in time; however, we would not wish to see the reopening of schools act as a catalyst to a resurgence. That means we must ensure that school buildings are COVID-secure environments.

“Across the globe we are witnessing how quickly things can deteriorate. Teachers, pupils, and parents have every reason to be anxious about schools reopening. Addressing the concerns raised in this letter would go some way to offering reassurance.”

The EIS will open a new survey of its members in schools across Scotland to seek their views on these issues and on the steps that should be taken to ensure that schools are safe. The survey will run this week, and the results will inform further discussions with the Scottish Government and local authorities ahead of next week’s planned re-opening of schools.

A copy of the EIS letter to Mr Swinney is available for information.

Edinburgh’s pupils will return to school next week.

First Minister plea on social distancing

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Monday 3 August):

Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us. I’ll start with the usual update on the Covid-19 statistics.

An additional 18 positive cases were confirmed yesterday. That represents 0.7% of the people who were newly tested yesterday, and it takes the total number of cases in Scotland to 18,694.

A health board breakdown will be available as usual later on but my provisional information is that 11 of the 18 new cases are in the Grampian Health Board area – though I cannot yet say if some or all are linked to the outbreak in Aberdeen. 6 are in Greater Glasgow & Clyde and 1 is in Lothian.

I can also report that a total of 265 patients are currently in hospital who have been confirmed as having the virus. That is the same as yesterday.

And a total of 3 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed Covid-19. That is also the same as yesterday.

Finally, I am very glad and relieved to say that yet again during the last 24 hours, no deaths were registered of a patient confirmed through a test in the previous 28 days as having Covid-19.  The total number of deaths, under this particular measure, therefore remains 2,491.

Although we are now reporting fewer deaths on a daily basis, that total reminds us of the impact this virus has had on families across the country. I want to again extend my condolences to everyone who has suffered loss.  

And as always, I want to thank our health and care workers for the extraordinary work that you continue to do.

There are three main points I want to cover today.

We have had – over the weekend as you may have seen in the media – a number of small outbreaks, of relatively low numbers across the country.  The most significant of these is the cluster that is currently being dealt with in Aberdeen.

I can confirm that, as of now, 13 positive cases have been identified as associated with this cluster – though that number may yet rise.

Each of the cases so far is linked to the Hawthorns Bar in Aberdeen.  And I want to thank that business for acting swiftly and for co-operating fully with the guidance and procedures to contain the cluster.

An incident management team – led by NHS Grampian – met over the weekend. It is working with the Scottish Government, Health Protection Scotland and local environmental health teams to trace contacts, inspect premises, and do everything possible to minimise onward transmission. I am very grateful for those efforts.  And we will, of course, provide more details as and when they become available.

We’ve seen a few of these clusters now – and unfortunately, it’s very likely that we’ll see more in the weeks ahead. 

This particular cluster in Aberdeen is, if I’m honest, exactly what I feared when we re-opened hospitality.  And it’s what I was talking about last week, when I urged people to think carefully about how often you need to go to a pub or a restaurant right now, and the care you take while there.

Of course, it is not just this incident in Aberdeen.   Across the country, and across social media, we’re seeing evidence of people – and it’s largely younger people – gathering together, with little or no physical distancing in place.

I’ve seen pictures on social media from this weekend that – not to put too fine a point on it – made me want to cry looking at them.

I know what a hard slog it is every single day right now to keep this virus under control.

That’s a hard slog by people here in the Scottish Government but even more so people working in test and protect and our local public health teams across the country. It is a hard slog by the many businesses doing the right things, and of course members of the public who continue to make very hard sacrifices right now.

But every time one person throws caution to the wind and flouts the rules, they put all of us at risk. And the reality is they put all of us at risk and they make the job of everybody working to try to control this virus that much harder.

So I know this year has been really difficult. The most difficult most of us can remember. I know people have missed socialising; and I know that as we exit lockdown – in a summer where we can’t really travel – things can get frustrating.

But I urge all of you to please follow the rules – not just for yourself, although it is for your health and wellbeing, but it’s also about your friends, members of your family and also about the good of the country and the economy overall. So we don’t have to put restrictions on hospitality back in place.

But be in no doubt, if we have to, we will – because we will have no choice.

The Test and Protect system is there to ensure that when these kinds of incidents do occur, they can be contained.  And all the evidence I have seen so far suggests that the system is working well.  But it is like fighting forest fires. It takes enormous efforts and enormous resource and it’s always a race against time.

So we all need to help. Test and Protect is at its most effective, when incidents like the one we are seeing in Aberdeen right now are kept to a minimum. And so all of us need to continue to reduce the risk of transmission – by denying the virus opportunities to spread.

So please I appeal to everybody be careful. Remember to physically distance, I know it’s really hard and I know it’s the easiest thing in the world to forget, but remember to keep that distance. Wash hands and surfaces, wear face coverings – and indeed, comply with all of the different elements of our FACTS campaign. 

Doing those things is how we will keep rates of the virus low.  And it’s also how we best support Test and Protect and local public health teams and give them the best chance of containing outbreaks – as and when they happen.

Of course, when we do have outbreaks of this kind, it’s also very important that we learn from them.  And that’s relevant to the second point I want to touch on.

The Scottish Government has today published new guidance for call and contact centres.  You’ll remember that – a couple of weeks ago – there was an outbreak linked to a call centre in Lanarkshire.

That centre was involved in essential activity. Throughout the pandemic, call and contact centres undertaking essential work, have been able to remain open. 

The staff at those centres have – among other things – enabled the work of our emergency services; they’ve helped to support businesses; they’ve kept the lights on and the internet working; and they’ve provided financial and emotional advice to those who need it most.   So I want to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in that incredibly important work.  

I also want to take the opportunity to thank all of those who are still waiting for their workplace to reopen.  Non-essential call and contact centre premises are due to remain closed until at least 14 September.  And we’re continuing to advise people to work from home, wherever possible.  I know that makes things really tough, and I really appreciate your patience – and the sacrifices you are making.

The guidance we’re publishing today will help to ensure that – now and in the future – contact and call centres can operate safely. It’s been produced in consultation with employers and trade unions.  And it takes account of the latest scientific evidence – as well as experiences, like the outbreak in Lanarkshire.

The guidance provides important advice on things like physical distancing, cleaning and hand hygiene.  And it should further reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, in the workplace.

The final issue I want to talk about today relates to the reopening of schools, next week.

We know that the move from nursery to primary school can be a big step for children.  For parents and carers it can also involve additional costs – for things like school uniforms, shoes, school bags, and books.

Last year, the Scottish Government established the School Age Payment, to help with those kinds of costs.  It’s part of the Best Start Grant.  And it provides eligible parents or carers with a one off payment of £250.

It’s aimed at people who currently receive certain benefits or tax credits.  And it will be available to parents or carers of a child born between 1 March 2015 and 29 February 2016.

It’s important to note that you do not need to take up a school place to get the money – those who are home schooling or have deferred their child’s start date can still apply.

So if you think you might be eligible, please go to mygov.scot/benefits, for more information.  Alternatively, you can call 0800 182 2222 and speak to an adviser. We will make sure those details are posted on the Scottish Government Twitter feed later today.

It’s also worth noting that if you’re eligible for the Best Start Grant, you might also be entitled to free school meals or a School Clothing Grant.  And you can apply for these, by contacting your local authority.

The basic point is that there is help there for you, if you need it.  And the School Age Payment is one example of that.

Last year, it benefitted more than 18,000 families.  And I hope that, this year – at a really tough time for many people – it provides even more households, with that little bit of extra support.

I will hand on to the Cabinet Secretary in a moment and then to the Chief Nursing Officer, but I want to end – as I usually do – by reminding you once again of Facts.

These are the five key things all of us must remember in everything we do:

  • Face coverings should be worn in enclosed spaces such as shops and public transport.
  • Avoid crowded places.
  • Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly.
  • Two metre distancing remains the rule, and
  • Self isolate, and book a test, if you have symptoms.

Following this advice is actually more important now than ever. Every step out of lockdown we take, the more opportunities there are for the virus to spread. So we have to be extra careful and extra vigilant.

Every day, we see the evidence of what can happen, if this virus gets out of control. 

Around the world, across Europe, and in parts of England, we’re seeing significant flare-ups.  And in many places, restrictions are having to re-imposed. 

None of us want to see that here in Scotland, I certainly don’t. Incidents like the one in Aberdeen remind us of how fragile things are right now and it underlines why all of us have to stick to these rules. And it underlines why all of us need to continue to stick by the rules.  

By doing that, we can all continue to play our part, in suppressing this virus.  And we can ensure that – rather than having to go into reverse – we can continue to move in the right direction, out of lockdown.  

So my thanks to everybody for their cooperation and compliance.

And please, as I said on Friday, just pause and think about how you are behaving in your own lives and if you have let those standards slip then please use this opportunity to tighten up because lives really do depend on it and we have all got a part to play.

Exam results today

The way it was before social distancing

School pupils across Scotland are receiving their results this morning. Around 138,000 students will find out their grades in Nationals, Highers and Advanced Higher courses.

This year’s results are based on estimates from their teachers after the Covid-19 pandemic forced exams to be cancelled for the first time in history.

Students who signed up for text or email alerts will receive their grades from 8am onwards, while certificates will arrive in the post over the course of today.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney has congratulated all learners who have today received their results.

With exams cancelled for the first time ever due to Coronavirus, young people are receiving qualifications based on a combination of teacher judgment and national moderation by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), which show that:

  • the National 5 pass rate was 81.1%
  • the Higher pass rate was 78.9%
  • the Advanced Higher pass rate was 84.9%

In 2019:

  • the National 5 pass rate was 78.2%
  • the Higher pass rate was 74.8%
  • the Advanced Higher pass rate was 79.4%

Deputy First Minister John Swinney met senior pupils at Stonelaw High School in South Lanarkshire to discuss their results and how they dealt with the challenge of learning during lockdown. He also took part in a video call on digital learning platform e-Sgoil with pupils from around Scotland to congratulate them on their results.

Mr Swinney said: “In the face of an incredibly tough few months for pupils and teachers, we can today celebrate the achievements of all learners. Young people have received awards that recognise their hard work and allow them to move onto the next stage in their lives.

“Scottish exams have never before been cancelled. I am immensely grateful to all teachers and lecturers who worked incredibly hard to assess achievement this year, and to the SQA for developing the certification model – without either, young people could not have received qualifications.

“There was a rise in pass rates at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher. While comparisons with previous years need to be considered carefully, given the disruption to learning this year this is a good set of results for our learners. I am pleased to see the number of skills based awards, that teach vital knowledge and experience valued by employers, rise by 18% to 64,221.

“This year’s results also show there has been a narrowing of the attainment gap at grades A-C between the most and least disadvantaged young people, which is now narrower this year for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher than last year, or indeed the average for the last four years.

“All exam systems rely on an essential process known as moderation to uphold standards. This ensures an A grade is the same in every part of the country, making the system fair for everyone, and across all years.  As the national exams body, only the SQA can maintain the consistency and the integrity of our qualifications. This year, by necessity, the moderation model is different and has been subject to additional scrutiny.

“Teachers and lecturers applied their judgements against national standards and today’s data shows that three out of every four grade estimates were not adjusted by the SQA.

“133,000 entries were adjusted from the initial estimate, around a quarter of all entries. 6.9% of those estimates were adjusted up and 93.1% were adjusted down, with 96% of all adjusted grades changed by one grade.

“Without moderation, pass rates at grades A-C compared to last year would have increased by 10.4 percentage points for National 5, by 14 percentage points for Higher and by 13.4 percentage points for Advanced Higher – annual change never been seen in Scottish exam results. I know teachers and lecturers will always want the best for their pupils but I believe that teachers have acted professionally.

“I know that learners who did not achieve what they were expecting will be disappointed, however the SQA will be operating a free appeals process this year. The appeals process is an integral part of awarding this year, and will play an important role in giving schools and colleges the opportunity to present evidence in support of teacher and lecturer estimates.

“The SQA has ensured that sufficient resources are in place to support this process and priority will be given to learners who need their grades to meet a conditional university or college offer.

“This year has been exceptionally challenging but these robust processes mean we have upheld standards so that all learners can hold their heads up and move onto the next phase in their life, whether that be further study, employment or training.“

Detailed information on attainment statistics, and the SQA’s full awarding methodology, Equality Impact Assessment and Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment, is available from the Scottish Qualifications Authority

Students and parents can get further information and support from the Skills Development Scotland helpline.

Over 8,000 pupils across Edinburgh received their results from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

This year there were no examinations due to the Covid-19 pandemic so schools were asked to submit estimated grades based on inferred attainment. The SQA then worked with the estimates and final grades were awarded.

Early indications are positive with pupils from City of Edinburgh Council schools once again making improvements in most areas compared to previous years.

A total of 41,553 resulted awards were certificated for 8,189 candidates (includes special schools, adults and mainstream secondary pupils) in over 88 subjects ranging from Accounting to Urdu.

Particular successes include passes (A-C grades) for National 5s of 79% (up 2 percentage points from last year) and Highers of 80% (up 4 percentage points from last year). For A-D grades, the success rate was 90% at National 5 and 93% for Higher – an increase of 2 and 3 percentage points respectively from last year.

The largest percentage increases were found at the following levels:

  • By the end of S4, 47% of the S4 roll achieved 3 or more passes at National 5 – a 4 percentage point improvement on last year and a 6 percentage point improvement from 2018.
  • By the end of S5, 61% of the S4 roll achieved 1 or more Higher awards (A-D) – a 2 percentage point improvement on last year. There was also a 2 percentage point increase for those achieving 3 or more Higher awards (A-D), from 38% to 40%.
  • By the end of S6, 67% of the S4 roll achieved 1 or more Higher passes (A-C) – a 1 percentage point improvement on last year and a 4 percentage point improvement since 2015. Similarly, 28% achieved 1 or more Advanced Higher passes (A-C) – a 1 percentage point improvement on last year and a 6 percentage point improvement from 2015.

Councillor Ian Perry, Education Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, welcomed today’s results: “This was without doubt an extremely difficult and uncertain time for our young people due to the pandemic and the effect it has had on their learning.

“So it’s really encouraging to see that overall there have been improvements in most areas compared to previous years especially with the increase in passes for National 5s and Highers.

“Thanks must go to our dedicated teachers and staff who worked extremely hard in pulling together all the estimated grades for the SQA. Our young people should be very proud of themselves in what has been an extremely challenging year.”

Councillor Alison Dickie, Education Vice Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “At the start of 2020 no one could have imagined how the world of learning and teaching would be so dramatically changed.  

“Our teaching staff are to be commended for their continuing commitment to delivering high quality learning experiences. Our young people are once again to be congratulated for all their hard work and successes over the past year, and their parents/carers for their support, under the most trying of circumstances.

“Let’s not forget there is no wrong pathway for our young people as everyone’s learner journey is different. School is about ensuring all our young people are able to fulfil their potential by attaining the highest level of achievements possible and by receiving the best possible experience.”

Additional information – analysis:

Results by end of S4

5 passes at National 5 or better – 47% (4 percentage points up on 2019, 8 percentage points up on 2015).

Results by end of S5*

1+ pass at Higher or better – 61% (2 percentage points up on 2019).

3+ passes Higher or better – 40% (2 percentage points up on 2019, 5 percentage points up on 2015)

5+ passes at Higher or better – 21% (1 percentage points up on 2019, 4 percentage points up on 2015)

*based on the percentage of S4 pupil roll.

Results by end of S6*

1+ pass at Higher or better – 67% (1 percentage point up on 2019, 4 percentage points up on 2015).

3+ passes Higher or better – 47% (2 percentage points down on 2019 – the first drop in six years)

5+ passes at Higher or better – 35% (1 percentage point down on 2019 – the first drop in six years)

1+ pass at Advanced Higher – 28% (1 percentage point up on 2019, 6 percentage points up on 2015).

It should be noted that the performance of this cohort locally and nationally showed a drop when in S4 (due to new examinations introduced for National 5), and in S5 (when new Higher examinations were introduced). It is therefore not unexpected to see a slight drop in two measures for the same cohort in S6.

*based on the percentage of S4 pupil roll.

Shaun Friel, head of Childline, said: “We know that for many young people, receiving exam results can be an extremely stressful experience with the pressure to get certain grades to secure college or university places.

“And, this year, some may be feeling the added strains of lockdown and the disappointment of not being able to do their best through sitting exams.

“So that young people do not feel overwhelmed as they receive their SQA results, it is so important they have someone there to listen to how they are feeling and to discuss their options, such as a friend, a parent, a teacher or even Childline.”

Children and young people can contact Childline about any worries by calling 0800 1111 or visiting the site. They can get advice from Childline about exam results here.

RAC Fuel Watch: petrol and diesel up 3p a litre in July

Second consecutive monthly fuel price rise means unleaded is now 7p a litre more expensive than it was at the end of May – diesel is 6p dearer

The average price of petrol and diesel rose for the second consecutive month, adding nearly £2 to a fill up, according to RAC Fuel Watch data for July.*

Unleaded rose 3.21p a litre from 111.06p to 114.27p, which sent the cost of a 55-litre tank to £62.85 – an increase of £1.77. Diesel went up by a similar amount – 2.95p a litre – from 115.09p to 118.04p, making a complete fill-up £1.62p more expensive at £64.92.

The price of oil was stable throughout July finishing at $42.95 a barrel very similar to the beginning of the month. The wholesale price of petrol fell 2p across the month to 84.66p a litre, signalling that retailers should be reducing their pump prices slightly in the next week or two. Diesel also came down but only very slightly (0.22p) to 87.39p.

At the big four supermarkets, the average price of a litre of petrol increased by nearly 3.5p (3.43p) to 109.14p and diesel by 3.33p to 113.52p – this means refuelling at supermarket is an average of 5p a litre cheaper for unleaded and 4.5p for diesel.

Asda offered the cheapest supermarket unleaded by the end of July at 108.63p (up 2p) with the others all averaging just over 109p a litre. It also had the lowest price diesel at 112.68p ahead of Sainsbury’s on 113.39p – Morrisons and Tesco were both at 114p.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “July was another bad month for drivers with a 3p a litre rise in the price of fuel. This means petrol’s 7p a litre more expensive than it was at the end of May (107p on 31 May) and diesel is 6p more (111.86p on 31 May), something drivers will no doubt have noticed as each complete fill-up is costing almost £2 more.

“The higher prices at the pump have been driven by the cost of oil increasing steadily to around $42 a barrel from a low of $13.21 in April. But drivers may well be given some respite as oil producers are planning on ramping up production despite the risk of renewed lockdowns around the world.

“This could easily lead to supply outstripping demand and therefore a reduction on the forecourts of the UK. As it there is some scope for retailers to already be reducing their prices. If they play fair with drivers we ought to see 2p a litre come off the price of unleaded and nearer 4p come off diesel.”

Regional fuel price variation

Regional average unleaded pump prices

Unleaded01/07/202030/07/2020Change
UK average111.06114.273.21
Wales109.74113.193.45
East111.17114.603.43
South West110.68114.103.42
Scotland110.84114.133.29
South East112.04115.253.21
London112.21115.383.17
North West110.69113.853.16
Yorkshire And The Humber110.62113.733.11
North East110.17113.253.08
West Midlands111.21114.273.06
East Midlands111.06114.113.05
Northern Ireland108.18111.203.02

Regional average diesel pump prices:

Diesel01/07/202030/07/2020Change
UK average115.09118.042.95
East115.65118.923.27
Scotland114.67117.813.14
South East116.21119.343.13
North West114.53117.553.02
Wales114.11117.052.94
West Midlands115.27118.152.88
London116.18119.032.85
South West115.13117.972.84
North East114.02116.852.83
East Midlands115.21117.982.77
Yorkshire And The Humber114.72117.322.60
Northern Ireland111.97114.462.49

Green – cheapest/least; red – most expensive/most

Motorists can keep abreast of the latest fuel prices by visiting the RAC Fuel Watch webpage.

Free entry to virtual Great North Run

  • Virtual version of Britain’s biggest running event
  • Runners will download an app for a unique audio running experience on their doorstep
  • FREE to enter and open to everyone
  • Entries open on Monday 3rd August at 10am

The Virtual Great North Run will see runners all over the world complete 13.1 miles on 13th September, the day the 40th staging of the iconic half marathon was scheduled to take place.

Working with app provider viRace, organisers have created a unique running experience that uses iconic sounds from the event to take the runner on a Great North Run journey on their doorstep.

The app will highlight popular course features, provide distance updates and play motivational messages through the runners’ headphones as they take on the challenge anywhere in the world.

The Virtual Great North Run is free to enter and open to everyone, regardless of whether they had a place in this year’s event, and participants are encouraged to raise money for charity.

Paul Foster, chief executive of The Great Run Company, said: “Over £25m is raised for good causes every year at the Great North Run and our charity village usually hosts 100 charities at the finish line in South Shields.

“Right now fundraising is more important than ever before. Many runners have seen their fundraising efforts halted in recent months, so we encourage them join the Virtual Great North Run in the hope that we can still raise a significant fundraising total for these worthy causes.”

Organisers expect thousands of people to complete the Virtual Great North Run across the UK and worldwide, but stress that participants must still follow government guidelines in regards to social distancing when they take on their challenge.

Paul Foster continued: “There will be no physical Great North Run in 2020, so we decided that since we can’t do it together, we will bring it to your doorstep instead!

“We really wanted to provide an experience as close as possible to the real thing. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to provide participants with a virtual audio and running experience featuring Great North Run sounds that runners and spectators know and love … and we’ve thrown in a few surprises too.”

A record 60,000 people were accepted into the Great North Run ballot this year, with many entrants signing up to be a part of the 40th celebrations. The event was subsequently cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and GNR Reimagined was born.

The campaign provides runners with two virtual running propositions; Great North Run Solo to take them through what would have been the traditional training period, and the Virtual Great North Run to give an on the day virtual race experience.

Launched on 28th June, the anniversary of the first ever Great North Run, Great North Run Solo challenges runners to complete 40 runs up until 13th September, the day the 40th event was scheduled to take place. Over 20,000 people signed up to the solo challenge with all profits donated to the NHS Charities Together Covid-19 Urgent Appeal, raising almost £250,000 for the charity.

Virtual Great North Run entries open this morning (Monday 3rd August) at 10am – enter at greatrun.org/north