Month: September 2020

100+ jobs at Amazon in Bathgate

Amazon to Create 10,000 New Permanent Jobs Across the UK in 2020

Amazon today announced that 10,000 new permanent roles are being created across the UK in 2020, taking the company’s total permanent UK workforce to more than 40,000. 

Amazon has already added 3,000 new permanent roles to its workforce across its UK network of fulfilment centres, sort centres and delivery stations – including at a new hi-tech fulfilment centre in the North East of England which opened in May.

The company will add a further 7,000 new permanent roles by the end of 2020 across more than 50 sites, including Corporate offices and two new fulfilment centres launching in the autumn in the North East and in the Midlands.

The new roles, including engineers, graduates, HR and IT professionals, health and safety and finance specialists, as well as the teams who will pick, pack and ship customer orders, will help Amazon meet growing customer demand and enable small and medium sized enterprises selling on Amazon to scale their businesses. 

Amazon has already offered temporary roles to thousands of people whose job was impacted at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of whom will now be able to transition into a permanent role with the potential for a career within Amazon.

In addition, Amazon is creating more than 20,000 seasonal positions across the UK ahead of the festive period at its sites across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and at three pop-up fulfilment centres.

At the centre of the job creation programme are three new, state-of-the-art fulfilment centres in Darlington, Durham and Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, each fitted out with advanced Amazon Robotics technology and each creating more than 1,000 new permanent roles. Construction of these new fulfilment centres began last year. Darlington started operations in May and the sites in Durham and Sutton-in-Ashfield will launch later this autumn.

In addition, Amazon has recruited more than 700 apprentices during 2020, helping young people begin their careers in fields ranging from automation engineering and IT to digital marketing and fashion buyers, with pay of up to £30,000 a year for degree-level apprenticeships.  A typical apprenticeship combines theoretical learning with hands-on training, enabling participants to obtain qualifications and degrees and earn money in the process.

Amazon provides some of the most advanced workplaces of their kind in the world, with industry-leading pay, processes and systems to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all employees.

Pay starts at a minimum of £10.50 p/h in the London area and £9.50 p/h in other parts of the UK for all full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal roles in Amazon’s fulfilment centres, sort centres and delivery stations.

Employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals and an employee discount – which combined are worth more than £700 annually – as well as a company pension plan. 

Amazon also offers employees an innovative programme called Career Choice that provides funding for skills development through nationally recognised courses of up to £8,000 over four years.

Business Secretary, Alok Sharma said: “While this has been a challenging time for many businesses, it is hugely encouraging to see Amazon creating 10,000 jobs in the UK this year.

“This is not only great news for those looking for a new job, but also a clear vote of confidence in the UK economy as we build back better from the pandemic. The government remains deeply committed to supporting retailers of all sizes and we continue to work closely with the industry as we embark on the road to economic recovery.” 

Stefano Perego, Amazon’s Vice President of European Customer Fulfilment, said: “We’re proud to be creating 10,000 new permanent roles across our UK network of fulfilment centres, sort centres and delivery stations offering competitive wages and comprehensive benefits starting on day one. 

“Our people have played a critical role in serving customers in these unprecedented times and the new roles will help us continue to meet customer demand and support small and medium sized businesses selling on Amazon.

“The new state-of-the-art robotics fulfilment centres in the North East and the Midlands, as well as the thousands of additional roles at sites across the country, underline our commitment to the people and communities in which we operate. We are employing thousands of talented individuals in a diverse range of good jobs from operations managers and tech professionals through to people to handle customer orders.”

He added: “We prepare year-round for the festive season and we’re also excited to have over 20,000 seasonal positions available this year to help delight our customers. We look forward to welcoming back seasonal workers who return year-after-year to work at Amazon and welcome new faces to the seasonal team.”

Amazon’s workforce will increase from more than 30,000 people in the UK at the beginning of the year to more than 40,000 people by the end of 2020. Amazon has invested over £18 billion in its UK operations since 2010 to provide convenience, selection and value to UK consumers, while helping to digitally empower more than 373,000 small businesses and content creators. 

People interested in applying for both permanent and seasonal roles at Amazon should visit www.amazonjobs.co.uk

Appeal following serious assault in Lothian Road

Detectives are appealing for information and witnesses following a serious assault which took place in Lothian Road onTuesday.

The incident happened outside the Salvation Army shop at around 7.55pm on Tuesday, 1 September.

The victim, a 52-year-old man, was attacked by another man who then ran south along Earl Grey Street in the company of a woman.

The victim was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment.

Detective Sergeant John Dunn, from Edinburgh CID, said: “We understand that there may have been several people nearby who witnessed the assault take place and are appealing for them to come forward.

“At least one of these people helped treat the victim prior to the ambulance’s arrival.

“Anyone with information should contact police on 101, quoting incident 3304 of 1 September. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, if you wish to remain anonymous.”

More support for tenants

New measures to help with housing costs during the pandemic

Emergency legislation extended to ensure no evictions until March 2021

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A new £10 million fund will be part of a package to support people struggling to pay their rent due to financial difficulty associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Tenant Hardship Loan Fund will open later in the Autumn and offer interest-free loans to those unable to access other forms of support for their housing costs.

The Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) fund which helps tenants in receipt of benefits will increase by £3 million, bringing the total to £19 million. This is in addition to the £60 million DHP budget already being used to fully mitigate the bedroom tax.

Emergency legislation put in place to protect private and social tenants from eviction during the coronavirus pandemic will be extended by six months, pending approval from the Scottish Parliament.

Ministers will also introduce new regulations to allow for the notice period for eviction for anti-social or criminal behaviour to return to one month to protect other neighbours.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Tackling inequality and supporting people is a central theme of this year’s Programme for Government and this package of support for tenants is part of that.

“We already know that the pandemic has hit the lowest earners hardest and the Scottish Government has already put in place a range of actions in place to support tenants.

“This new £10 million fund, along with a further increase in our Discretionary Housing Payment funds, will mean that no one should be left in a position where they cannot access support to pay their rent. The intention is that this fund will open in November for those unable to access other forms of support to help meet their housing costs.

“We have been clear that no landlord should evict a tenant because they have suffered financial hardship due to the pandemic.

I fully expect landlords to be flexible with anyone facing such challenges, signposting them to the sources of financial support available, and tenants in difficulty should engage with their landlord and seek advice on the options open to them.

“I can confirm today that emergency legislation will be extended to ensure no evictions can take place until March 2021. However, since the initial legislation was introduced we have listened carefully to tenants and housing authorities concerned that a three month notice period is too long where tenants have behaved in an anti-social or criminal way. We are therefore reverting back to a one month period for repossession for such cases to ensure we can protect other tenants, neighbours and landlords who should not have to tolerate such behaviour.”

The Coronavirus (Scotland) Act ensures evictions cannot take place before end of September and this will now be extended for a further six months to March 2021.

The Tenant Hardship Loan Fund will open later in the autumn and further details of how to apply will be announced in due course.

Scottish Teenage Book Prize shortlist announced

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing, has revealed today the shortlist for the 2021 Scottish Teenage Book Prize.

The three titles chosen by the panel are Evernight by Ross MacKenzie, The Gifted, The Talented and Me by William Sutcliffe and White Eagles by Elizabeth Wein.

Scottish Book Trust encourages teenagers of all ages to join the biggest book club in the country: by reading the three shortlisted books and voting as part of their class, book group or individually by Friday 5 March 2021. Those who participate in voting will also receive Young Scot points.

The Scottish Teenage Book Prize, now in its fifth year, was set up to celebrate the most popular teen books by authors in Scotland. It is run by Scottish Book Trust with support from Creative Scotland. Shortlisted authors receive £500 and the winner receives £3,000.

To find out more about the shortlisted titles, readers can use Bookzilla, a free app for early secondary school students in Scotland. Young people can receive tailored book recommendations, see what is popular among their classmates and challenge themselves to try something new with a reading dare. The app promotes different featured collections every month and is available to download on the app store or Google Play.

The panel for the Scottish Teenage Book Prize included Shelagh Toonen, librarian at Elgin Academy, Moray and Stephen Shiels, librarian at The Royal High School, Edinburgh, along with staff from Scottish Book Trust.

The winning title will be announced on Wednesday 31 March 2021, in an exclusive video available to classes who are registered to vote. Young people can register to vote online via Scottish Book Trust’s website: scottishbooktrust.com/stbp.

THE SCOTTISH TEENAGE BOOK PRIZE 2020 SHORTLIST IS:

  • Evernight by Ross MacKenzie (Andersen)
  • The Gifted, The Talented and Me by William Sutcliffe (Bloomsbury)
  • White Eagles by Elizabeth Wein (Barrington Stoke)

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “Many congratulations to all the authors on the Scottish Teenage Book Prize shortlist.

“We look forward to seeing teenagers and schools getting involved with the prize as they do every year. This is the first year young people can vote individually, so we hope many will take the opportunity to vote for their favourite shortlisted book.”

Alan Bett, Literature Officer at Creative Scotland, said: “Congratulations to the three authors shortlisted for the 2021 Scottish Teenage Book Prize.

“As well as recognising talented young writers and bringing their work to new readers, the spirit in which these awards are made through peer voting, is so important. We’re delighted to support an award that is a positive step for both authors and the reading public.”

Quotes and information on the shortlisted titles:

Ross MacKenzie lives in Renfrew, where he grew up. He is multi award-winning author of books for children, including The Nowhere Emporium, which won both the Blue Peter Book Award and Scottish Children’s Book Award.

Ross regularly visits primary schools, libraries and literary festivals where he discusses the power of stories and imagination, and holds Q&A sessions and writing workshops.

Ross said: “I’m equal parts surprised and thrilled that Evernight is on the shortlist for this year’s Scottish Teenage Book Prize!

“It’s wonderful to know that readers all over the country will soon be venturing into the dangerous dark places of the Silver Kingdom. I wish you all a good journey.”

William Sutcliffe is based in Edinburgh and has published 12 novels, including five for young adults.

Over the years he has done many events, including talks, readings and workshops for all ages. His novel The Wall was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal) and Concentr8 was shortlisted for the YA book prize.

William said: “I am thrilled to be on the shortlist for the Scottish Teenage Book Prize again.

“My visits to schools around Scotland are an endless source of inspiration for me as a writer. Meeting the teenage readers of this country and talking about politics and fiction is always fascinating, and I never fail to travel home with fresh ideas and renewed enthusiasm for my job.

“I’m delighted to be part of this prize, and am looking forward to meeting some of the new readers it will bring to my books.”

Elizabeth Wein was born in New York, and grew up in England, Jamaica and Pennsylvania. She now lives in Perth, Scotland.

Elizabeth is a member of the Ninety-Nines, the International Organization of Women Pilots. She was awarded the Scottish Aero Club’s Watson Cup for best student pilot in 2003 and it was her love of flying that partly inspired the idea for Code Name Verity.

Elizabeth said: “I’m grateful, honoured, and delighted to have White Eagles  represent Barrington Stoke on the Scottish Teenage Book Prize shortlist!

“In this time of uncertainty and isolation, it means the world to me to be able to share this story of solidarity and flight with young readers across Scotland.”

Delivering the Youth Guarantee

Giving every young person the chance to succeed

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop has set out more details of how Scotland’s Youth Guarantee will give young people the chance to succeed despite the economic impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The guarantee will ensure everyone aged between 16 and 24 has the opportunity of work, education or training. The Scottish Government is funding it with £60 million which will be broken down as follows:

  • £30 million through local authorities to help local partnerships to deliver employability support for young people
  • £10 million to create additional opportunities in colleges
  • £10 million additional funding for Developing the Young Workforce, the Scottish Government’s internationally recognised Youth Employment Strategy
  • £10 million to support pathways to apprenticeships

Sandy Begbie, who led the Developing the Young Workforce Group that played a pivotal role in the delivery of the Edinburgh Guarantee to young people, was asked to write an implementation plan which has been published yesterday.

The report’s recommendations include:

  • early work to identify youth employment opportunities with employers in some of the least-impacted sectors, including financial services, utilities and life sciences
  • working to introduce an incentive model where government pays 50% of wages for young people who need the most help
  • a call for the public sector to create more opportunities for young people
  • a call for businesses who would not normally have taken an apprentice full-time to consider sharing an apprentice with other employers
  • providing support to encourage SMEs to take on a young person if they are able to do so

Ms Hyslop said: “I would like to thank Sandy Begbie for the significant work he has put into developing this proposal in such a short period of time. He has engaged widely and set out ambitious recommendations for which I am grateful, and I look forward to working with him to implement them.

“The guarantee will be crucial to improving the opportunities of young people in light of the pandemic, and I was delighted to be able to speak to some of them earlier today about how the Edinburgh Guarantee has benefitted them.

“The scale of this task will be significant, and that is why we have set ourselves the challenge of this ambitious guarantee. I would urge all employers who are able, to work with us to create more opportunities that recognise the valuable contribution our young people have to make in growing our economy.

“Progress will only be possible through collaboration and a collective determination to succeed. I am pleased that the Scottish Government has become one of the early adopters of the Youth Guarantee.

“My message to Scotland’s young people is simple: we are right behind you, we want you to be successful and we will do everything we can to give you the opportunities you need.”

Mr Begbie said: “While very ambitious, in many ways this guarantee is quite simple. It is an unconditional commitment to all our 16-24 year olds, whose lives and prospects could be irreparably damaged by COVID-19.

“It is a guarantee of education, an apprenticeship, training, employment, volunteering or supported activity.  Keeping young people connected in a way they feel valued and productive is at the heart of this guarantee.

“To deliver this we need a call to action across the private, public, third and education sectors with everyone doing all they can to create opportunities for our young people.  

“The guarantee, if delivered effectively, will also go a long way to help address the inequalities we know exist, and every young person regardless of background will have the same opportunity.”

Young Person Guarantee. No-one left behind: initial report. 

Police appeal following serious assault on Leith Walk

Police are appealing for information after a 35-year-old man was seriously assaulted in the early hours of the morning on Thursday, 27 August, 2020.

The incident happened around 1am outside Spey Lounge on Leith Walk.

The victim was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment to a serious head injury.The suspect is believed to be male.

Detective Inspector Clark Martin, of Edinburgh CID, said: “I am appealing to anyone who was in the area around the time of the incident and witnessed the assault but has not yet spoken to police to come forward.

“I would also ask anyone who was driving in the area and has a dash-cam to check back and see if there is any footage that may be able to assist our investigation.”

Anyone with information can contact police on 101, quoting reference number 0307 of 27 August, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Scottish Government to embed UNCRC into Scots law

Scotland is set to become the first country in the UK to directly incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into domestic law.

The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill will make it unlawful for public authorities to act incompatibly with the incorporated UNCRC requirements, giving children, young people and their representatives the power to go to court to enforce their rights.

The UNCRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world and sets out the specific rights that all children have to help fulfil their potential, including rights relating to health and education, leisure and play, fair and equal treatment, protection from exploitation and the right to be heard.

The Bill:

  • directly incorporates the UNCRC as far as possible within the powers of the Scottish Parliament
  • makes it unlawful for public authorities to act incompatibly with the incorporated UNCRC requirements
  • gives power to the Children’s Commissioner to take legal action in relation to children’s rights
  • requires Ministers to produce a Children’s Rights Scheme setting out how they comply with children’s rights and to report annually
  • requires listed public authorities to report every three years on how they comply with children’s rights

The Bill also allows for incorporation of the articles of the UNCRC currently beyond the powers of the Scottish Parliament, should these powers change in the future.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “This Bill will revolutionise the way we listen to children and take their rights into account.

“By directly incorporating the UNCRC into Scots law, and to the maximum extent possible under the current powers of the Parliament, we will build children’s rights into the fabric of decision making in Scotland.

“It will mean children and young people are involved in the decisions that affect their lives and that children’s rights are always respected, protected and fulfilled by public authorities. Where necessary, children will be able to go to courts to enforce their rights.

“This Bill is a significant step towards a future based on tolerance, equality, shared values and respect for the worth and human dignity of all people.” 

Joanna Barrett, NSPCC Scotland policy and public affairs manager, said: “This is a monumental day for Scotland; incorporating the UNCRC into Scots law is a significant step to ensuring that all children, even babies, in the country have their rights recognised, respected and fulfilled.

“Among its provisions, the Convention sets out children’s right to be safe and their right to access support services to help them recover from abuse or neglect.

“Our research shows that the availability of therapeutic services for children who have suffered abuse is inconsistent across the country but this new Bill puts an obligation on the Scottish Government and others to ensure access to specialist and timely treatment for all children who have suffered from traumatic experiences.”

The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill

Quarantine measures introduced for travellers from Greece

Importation of new cases remains ‘significant’ public health risk

Travellers from Greece will be required to self-isolate at home, or another specified address, for 14 days on arrival in Scotland from 4am Thursday morning (3 September). This is due to a significant rise in cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) being imported into Scotland by people who have been in Greece.

Evidence of virus importation, especially from the Greek islands, has led to the country being removed from the exemption list on public health grounds. It is believed prevalence of COVID-19 in Greece currently remains lower than 20 per 100,000, however, a number of cases of the virus in Scotland can be traced back to travel to Greece.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are in the midst of a global pandemic and the situation in many countries can change suddenly. Therefore, people should think very hard before committing to non-essential travel abroad.

“With Scotland’s relatively low infection rate, importation of new cases from Greece is a significant risk to public health. I would also encourage people who have returned to Scotland from Greece in the last few days to be particularly careful in their social contacts and to ensure they stick to the FACTS.

“We continue to closely monitor the situation in all parts of the world and base the decisions we make on the scientific evidence available.

“Regular discussions continue with the other three governments in the UK.

“Requiring travellers arriving from a non-exempt country to quarantine for 14 days on arrival is vital to helping prevent transmission of the virus and to suppress it. More details about what this means can be found on the Scottish Government website.

“Wherever people have travelled from – an exempt country or not – it is a legal requirement to complete a Passenger Locator Form and provide it to Border Force officials. Failure to do so can also result in a fine since this, along with any failure to self-isolate where required, poses a significant risk to wider public health across Scotland.”

Chief Medical Officer Gregor Smith said: “There is a compelling public health risk around importation of the virus, especially given the number of imported cases linked to the Greek islands.

“The flow of travel between Scotland and Greece, and the behaviour we have seen from some of those travellers, means that on public health grounds there is a strong case – supported by public health directors – to remove Greece from the exemption list.”

Public health rules for international travel are an important part of Scotland’s wider response to the pandemic to limit the introduction of new chains of transmission. 

To allow the appropriate arrangements to be put in place, following the laying of the regulations, the change will come into force at 4am on Thursday 3 September.

All international travellers arriving into Scotland, apart from a very limited number of individual exemptions, must complete a passenger locator form and provide evidence that they have done so on arrival in the UK if requested to do so by a Border Force official. This includes people arriving from countries where quarantine is subsequently not required. Individuals who do not complete the form and present it when asked on arrival may be fined £60. The fine can be doubled for each subsequent offence up to a maximum of £480.

Failure to comply with the requirement to quarantine may result in a fine of £480.

Those travelling abroad should check in advance for any local requirements to quarantine on arrival at their destination. Further information about the foreign travel public health rules, including quarantine requirements can be read on the Scottish Government website.

This includes the existing list of overseas destinations where those arriving in Scotland are exempt from self-isolation.

Child mental health services: Coalition calls for national crusade

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading independent and third sector providers of children’s services, has warned of a mental health “perfect storm” for children and young people. It has also called for a “national crusade” to tackle this.

The warning comes on the back of figures from Public Health Scotland which indicate that the number of referrals to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) has dropped by a staggering 55.8 per cent between quarters January and March 2020 and April and June 2020 (from 9,017 to 3,985). 1

These range from a 66.7 per cent fall in referrals for NHS Dumfries and Galloway to 7.7 per cent in NHS Orkney (full table in Notes to Editors).

It also highlights that in June 2020, 1,136 children and young people had been waiting more than a year for treatment, up from 581 on the same point last year.2

The SCSC has warned that mental health services will face an overwhelming and unprecedented pressure due to pent-up demand created by the COVID-19 lockdown, coupled with a cut in youth support services. This could potentially lead to a “lost generation” of vulnerable children and young people who are missing out on the support they vitally need.

It has called for a “national crusade”, with the Scottish Government working closely with authorities, including the third and independent sectors, and investing significantly in mental health services. The coalition has also urged that greater awareness is made of the services on offer, especially those at a community level.

The SCSC has warned that self-isolation and social distancing have had an impact on young people struggling with issues such as anxiety and depression. It has noted that even the most resilient children are going to need additional support as they navigate this transition back into whatever is the new normal, and some will need a lot of extra support.

A  report commissioned by Young Scot, YouthLink Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament, called Lockdown Lowdown, found almost two-fifths of young people felt moderately or extremely concerned about their own mental wellbeing.3

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “These latest figures are deeply troubling and point to a ‘perfect storm’ for our young people, with increased demand coupled with cuts in services.

“While referrals have dropped during lockdown and children are not accessing support, we are storing up immense problems for the future as specialist mental health services face being overwhelmed due to greatly increased demand.

“We need a ‘national crusade’ to deliver the mental health provision our young people desperately need. The Government needs to work urgently with the relevant authorities to ensure that not only is there sufficient provision available at the local community level, but that this is clearly communicated and easily accessible for young people and their parents or carers.

“It is not just the NHS, but the third sector and other independent organisations play a key role in addressing mental health services and must receive the funding they vitally need or we face a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people.” 

Six out of ten young people waiting over 18 weeks to be seen in Lothian

The number of children and young adults waiting over 18 weeks to be seen by a mental health professional has increased to 147 out of 247 patients seen, 59.5%, In June 2020 the latest month of statistics available.

As of June 2020 there are 2,482 young people waiting to be seen in Edinburgh and the Lothians, with a record 472 waiting for over a year, 19% of total waits.

In April to June 2020 there were 825 CAMHS referrals, with 109 rejected, making a total of 706 new referrals. This is compared to 1,659 referrals in January to March 2020, with 382 referrals rejected, making a total of 1277 new referrals.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “These figures reinforce the mental health crisis for young people in NHS Lothian with exceptionally long waits to be seen by a mental health professional.

“Mental Health professionals in NHS Lothian work incredibly hard to support young people who are struggling with their mental health, but services are simply not being properly resourced to meet demand.

“Lockdown, Covid-19 restrictions and failures by SNP Ministers over SQA results will all have added to stresses for young people making mental health support even more important.
“SNP Ministers have presided over our health service for over 13 years and have failed to support a generation of young people.”

1 NHS Information Services Division, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Waiting Times in Scotland – Full report (PDF link), 1st September, Table 5, Available at: https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/conditions-and-diseases/mental-health/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-services-camhs-waiting-times/  (accessed 1st September 2020).

2 Ibid., waiting times table 1b

3  Young Scot, YouthLink Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament, Lockdown Lockdown – what young people in Scotland are thinking about COVID-19 (PDF), 23rd April 2020. Available at: https://www.youthlinkscotland.org/media/4486/lockdown-lowdown-final-report.pdf (accessed 11th August 2020).

How can social security aid our recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic?

A Scottish Parliament Committee has launched an inquiry to find out how social security can help aid the social and economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Holyrood’s Social Security Committee is keen to find out how the economic downturn will impact people across Scotland and how social security in Scotland should be utilised to support people through it.

The inquiry is particularly focused upon how best the Scottish social security system can support those both in or out of employment, and those seeking to find work in what is likely to be a challenging labour market.

The committee will also examine the constraints the Scottish social security system is under within the wider UK context.

The Committee is seeking workable solutions to help outline a Scottish social security system for 2021 and beyond which can respond to the immense challenges created by this pandemic.

Bob Doris MSP, Convener of the Social Security Committee said: “There is no doubt these are unprecedented times which are likely to create an unprecedented demand for social security support.

“There has been much discussion on the introduction of a universal basic income but our Committee is keen to look beyond this at the other options available.

“We want to know how people feel Social Security Scotland should respond to meet the expected increase in demand and what other forms of support should be made available.

“This inquiry is determined to find out what, within the social security and borrowing powers available to Scottish Ministers, could be achieved and delivered, and to understand the constraints and barriers which would limit the ability of Ministers in Scotland to make the changes required.

“We are seeking views from those right across society to help propose innovative and workable solutions for social security in Scotland which can best combat the devastating impact of this pandemic and aid our recovery.”

To give your views go to the Citizen Space web page:

https://yourviews.parliament.scot/ssc/role-of-social-security-in-covid19-recovery/