A UK package coach holiday operator is reporting signs of growing confidence from the ‘grey pound’ in their ability to start to travel again in 2021.
The package coach holiday division of National Express, which includes Lucketts Travel and Woods Tours, has seen a 185% increase in bookings for Spring and Summer 2021 compared to figures for 2020 (pre-Covid)*.
Jit Desai, head of holidays and travel at National Express explains: “98% of our customer base is over 65 and we’ve seen an increased appetite for travel in the last week or two with an uplift in enquiries and bookings every time there’s been an announcement about new vaccine approvals and the roll-out programme.
“Some of this is postponed travel carried over from last year. But there’s definitely a trend of customers being comfortable that they will have had their vaccination and be protected from Spring onwards, so can start to make travel plans. Some are telling us that they’ve already had their jab and can’t wait to go on holiday once guidance allows again. ”
Lucketts Travel and Woods Tours provide package coach holidays across the UK and Europe which include accommodation, meals, excursions and return coach travel. They are currently taking bookings for travel from May onwards.
The top 10 most popular UK destinations for 2021 bookings to date are:
The Cotswolds
Isle of Wight
York
The Lake District
North Wales
The Isle of Man
Northumbria
Isles of Scilly
Scotland
Cornwall
“Customers are telling us that they are choosing the UK because of the uncertainty around international travel and flights. They are worried about the possibility of cancellations and the potential that they may have to quarantine on return to the UK.”
National Express is offering the option of £1 deposits and a no-quibble 100% refund, or a free transfer to another departure date of the customers’ choice if their holiday is cancelled due to Covid-19.
“This flexibility has been an important part of our discussions when customers are making enquiries and bookings, along with the details of the covid-secure measures we have put in place.”
Enhanced cleaning regimes ensure vehicles are sanitised multiple times a day; including the disinfection of all high-contact areas with antiviral products and fogging systems. New air filtration systems have also been installed to regularly purify the air on board the vehicle throughout the coach journey.
All coaches have limited seating capacity with passengers required to only use designated seats to comply with social distancing rules.
Drivers are temperature checked prior to starting their shift and all passengers must be temperature checked before they can board the vehicle.
“We’ve worked hard to make sure we can offer the same great coach holidays with added reassurance in 2021 and look forward to being back on the road when the time is right.”
National Express temporarily suspended all coach services on Sunday 10 January.
Concerns over new variant of coronavirus in Brazil
Following identification of a new variant of coronavirus in Brazil, the Scottish Government has imposed additional restrictions on all arrivals from South America, as well as several countries with strong travel links to affected countries.
In addition to the South American nations of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela, this will also apply to Portugal, including Azores and Madeira, Panama and Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) and British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands.
These travel restrictions will replicate the measures that were put in place for Denmark and South Africa and came into force at 04:00am this morning (Friday 15 January).
Travellers who have been in any of these countries or territories in the 10 days prior to their arrival in Scotland must isolate, along with all members of their household. No exemptions from isolation will apply.
Qatar and the Caribbean islands of Aruba and Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba are also removed from the country exemption list at the same time.
The UK Government has confirmed that implementation of pre-departure testing for arrivals into England is delayed until Monday morning, to allow carriers and passengers additional time to prepare.
The Scottish Government intended to introduce this additional measure on Friday 15 January, but it is necessary to also delay implementation to allow for coordination between the UK Government’s regulations and the relevant Scottish regulations.
Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: “It is important that everyone follows the regulations that mean any travel must be for an essential purpose. Very few people should be travelling internationally, and then only for a genuinely essential reason.
“The emergence of concerning variants identified in Brazil, as well as South Africa and Denmark in recent months, means we must think carefully about restrictions on international travel.
“At this early stage of vaccine rollout, and with case rates at high levels across the UK, it is important we take the right steps to prevent importing new strains that can increase transmission or undermine the vaccine in Scotland.
“We are in close discussion with other administrations about additional measures we can put in place, including the timing of the introduction of pre-departure testing.”
The RNLI are warning those who live near to Cramond Island and planning a walk across this weekend to be aware of the high spring tides that may cut off your path on the tidal causeway.
Spring tides happen every lunar month throughout the year without regard to the season. During this time the earth, sun and moon are lined up in a row which results in a higher swell. This makes the high tides higher and the low tides lower than other days throughout the month.
The next high spring tides will start today (Friday 15 January) and continue throughout the weekend. This means the danger of being cut off by the fast-rising tide while walking to or from Cramond Island is higher than usual.
Current Scottish Government guidance allows for exercise that starts and finishes at the same place, providing you remain within your local authority area. This means that people living near to Cramond may decide to choose this option for essential exercise, but the RNLI are urging those people to consider the unusually large tides expected this weekend.
The island is popular with walkers who take the opportunity to venture across at low water. When the tide rises, under-prepared walkers can find themselves stranded. Over the last two months, the volunteer crew at Queensferry RNLI have been called to evacuate a total of nine people and two dogs who found themselves cut off by the tide.
To avoid this happening over the weekend, the lifesaving charity are asking walkers to check the tide times before crossing.
Michael Avril, RNLI Regional Water Safety Lead for Scotland said: ‘Our volunteers remain on call, ready to respond, but the need for our help can be avoided if walkers plan ahead by checking the tide times before setting off.
Spring tides will make the high tides higher and they will also come in quicker. The danger in this is that people can get cut off quicker without even realising until it’s too late.’
The coast is a dangerous and unpredictable place and Michael urges those who intend to walk this weekend to act before you go to get the necessary help to you if needed.
He said: ‘Accidents happen, and it is important that you are able to call for help if you need it. If you find yourself or spot others in trouble, call 999 and ask for the coastguard straight away. Stay calm and don’t try and wade through the water as this could be dangerous.’
For more information of how to stay safe at the coast, please visit the RNLI website: www.rnli.org.uk
Women’s March Global launches its fifth anniversary mobilisation event online, in place of in-person marches that have been postponed this year due to concerns around Covid-19.
The ‘Global Count’ will be one of largest global mapping surveys ever undertaken to establish the cultural, economic and social barriers to women’s progress, and is supported by a newly-assembled Global Steering Committee including Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc. (CARE), Young Feminist Fund (FRIDA), White Ribbon Alliance, CIVICUS, Girl Up, and Global Fund for Women.
The online poll has been peer-reviewed by Kimberlé Crenshaw, University of Maryland, Plan International, and Impact Mapper, and supported by women’s movements globally, such as InternationalPlanned Parenthood Federation, Arab Institute for Women, World Pulse, and MenEngage.
The Global Count will be distributed in every continent to ensure every person has the chance to be counted and have their voice heard in the post Covid-19 global reset.
Global technology firms, including Facebook and SurveyMonkey and bring their vast infrastructure, expertise and audience reach to the campaign.
Image courtesy of Women’s March Global
Women’s March Global today announced details of its fifth anniversary event as it takes it’s global mobilisation online due to continued concerns around the Covid-19 pandemic.
On 21 January, the day women globally would normally march, Women’s March Global will open the ‘Global Count’, one of the largest global mapping polls ever conducted to document the cultural, economic and social barriers to women’s progress.
The Global Count comes at a critical time as women around the world have expressed the urgent need for intersectional voices to be heard during Covid-19 and have a say in what is prioritised by governments in the global reset. As concerns grow about the alarming rise in gender-based violence, human rights authorities have declared that gender inequities are as bad as they were 25 years ago.
The ‘Global Count’ takes the form of a digital poll. It directly addresses data scarcity around women’s rights and the urgent need to better map the critical issues facing women across the globe.
It will be distributed by leading technology companies including Survey Monkey and Facebook, taking Women’s March Global’s mobilisation efforts into communities of women that are often hardest to reach.
It will actively engage all gender diverse, non-binary, trans women and people who idenfity as women, from every country, culture and racial background around the globe. The data collected will inform future efforts to progress gender equality, as the ‘Global Count’ redefines how global institutions work towards this common goal.
The ‘Global Count’ is a collaboration between Women’s March Global, as well as various ally movements, organisations, donors, and policy-makers. Behind the campaign is a newly-assembled Steering Committee comprising some of the world’s most respected women’s rights organisations: Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc. (CARE), Young Feminist Fund (FRIDA), White Ribbon Alliance, CIVICUS, Girl Up, and Global Fund for Women.
The poll has been peer-reviewed by Kimberlé Crenshaw of the African American Policy Forum, and experts from the University of Maryland, Plan International and Impact Mapper.
Kimberlé Crenshaw, American lawyer, civil rights advocate, and peer-reviewer of the ‘Global Count’, said: “Women’s March Global has taken strides to show that the people of the world are stronger when uniting in collective action.
“The 2021 Global Count gives people a say in the many issues they confront on a daily basis. And while we may not be able to march in person this year, we can still speak as part of a global movement. I urge all people, across all continents, to have their voices counted in this one-of-a-kind survey.”
The ‘Global Count’ will run from 21 Jan (the day women would normally march) – 8 March (International Women’s Day). As women complete the poll, they will be encouraged to share it with their network with the mobilising call to action: #WeCount.
Additional Strategic Partners include leading women’s movements on every continent: Akili Dada, Akina Mama wa Afrika, the Arab Institute For Women, Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW), The Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA), Every Woman Treaty, Health Education and Research Association (HERA), New Women Connectors, Stories to Action, The African Women’s Network for Community management of Forests (REFACOF), The Lotus Flower, Women Against Rape Inc., Women in Foreign Policy, Women’s Major Group, Women’s Platform for the Development of Serbia, and Women’s Rights Foundation.
The ‘Global Count’ is being distributed by SurveyMonkey as the globally-known technology company furthers its outreach and engagement efforts.
These partners are also bringing globally known spokespeople, celebrity ambassadors and influencers to boost the campaign. Further details will be announced in the coming days.
Uma Mishra-Newbery, Board Member, Women’s March Global, said: “As a global movement, Women’s March Global knows that our freedom and liberation is dependent upon each other.
“Every year since 2017 we have built our capacity to mobilise and assemble around critical issues. However, it’s time that we truly understand and collect data on what issues people face around the world. Data around these key issues on a global and local level is scarce. Yet, it is vitally needed, not only for movements, but local collectives, funding institutions and the nonprofit sector at large.
“The data collected from Global Count will be shared across these spaces and will put power directly in the hands of the people who take the survey. We know how powerful global mobilisation can be and so we are asking everyone in 2021 to join us online, from every continent to ensure all voices are counted.”
Women’s March Global is one of the leading organisations for women’s human rights with over 2,300 members and 125 chapters on every continent worldwide and was formed from the thousands of women’s marches that took place on the back of Donald Trump’s inauguration globally four years ago.
Since then, the organisation has mobilised women to march every year, and all year round, on every continent, for women’s human rights and it’s Unity Principles.
Hamilton & Inches has launched a search for bespoke items created by its talented craftspeople over its 155 year history, to create an extensive Celebrating Our Craft exhibition featuring some of its greatest designs.
Home to an expert team of silversmiths and jewellers, Hamilton & Inches has created special pieces for a wide array of clients including the Scottish Rugby Union and Glenrothes distillery which have been designed and handcrafted in the workshops situated above the showroom on George Street.
This exhibition will not only celebrate old artefacts and past projects but the talent of the team who have helped to mark many a memorable moment.
The Edinburgh-based jewellers – which has held a Royal Warrant for over 120 years – is currently working to carefully renovate the 19th century building, transforming its showroom, workshops and service department to create an even more memorable experience for Hamilton & Inches customers.
Adding to this in-store experience will be the Celebrating Our Craft exhibition, set to be on display from March 2021, showcasing the pieces against the beautifully reimagined showroom.
Bespoke commissions continue to be created in the workshops to this day, using ancient skills and crafts still in operation, all essential to creating beautiful, iconic items that will be remembered and celebrated forever.
Hamilton & Inches is committed to ensuring craftmanship is relevant to contemporary life, especially at a time when fast fashion is a huge part of our culture. This exhibition will shine a light on the impact and reach of Hamilton & Inches and how important it is for the craft to continue throughout Scotland.
Victoria Houghton, Hamilton & Inches CEO, said: “Now that we’re in our 155th year, it’s the perfect time to celebrate our past creations and look to the future.
“The Celebrating Our Craft exhibition will not only allow us to showcase a collection of exquisite items – but will act as an opportunity to share the incredible stories behind them with existing and new audiences.”
To help curate the Celebrating Our Craft exhibition, Hamilton & Inches are asking for anyone who has commissioned a bespoke item which could feature in the showcase to get in touch. Please email hello@hamiltonandinches.com with details and images of the piece.
As the country remains in lockdown with millions of parents, carers and students facing weeks of remote learning, Amazon is offering free and inspirational learning essentials to help while schools are closed.
Below we have listed a range of educational resources freely available from today across Science, Mathematics, English and Physical Education.
· Amazon Maths4All now offers hundreds of free maths games, apps and challenges on Alexa, worksheets for Kindle and Fire Tablets, and caters for a range of ages across primary and secondary school, learning styles and abilities.
· Students can tune into a maths lesson from Rachel Riley, Countdown presenter and the nation’s favourite mathematician, who joined our Very Important Breakfast Clubs to play the numbers game and show that maths is ‘easy as Pi’.
· You can even involve Alexa in learning from home. Get started by saying, “Alexa, ask the Maths Coach to start a test”, or “Alexa, ask the Maths Coach for a hard addition test”.
The Hour of Code Dance Party is the perfect feel-good Friday finish after a long week of remote learning. This interactive dance-themed online coding tutorial gives students the opportunity to build their computer science skills while have some fun coding characters to dance to songs from leading artists.
Dr Ranj Singh, the NHS doctor and BAFTA award-winning TV presenter, is providing a short brain-busting lesson in biology. Children in years 1 -7 can learn about the growing brain and how to keep your brain healthy.
Amazon Future Engineer is our comprehensive childhood-to-career programme designed to inspire, educate and enable children and young adults from lower-income backgrounds to try computer science. Earlier this year, Amazon Future Engineer launched free virtual coding programmes to help young people build computer science skills while learning at home.
Those aged 11-16 can enter the Amazon Longitude Explorer Prize, which challenges students to develop technological innovations to help solve some of the world’s biggest issues (entries close 12th February 2021)
English
· Young people and parents can listen to stories at Stories.Audible.com, with specially curated categories such as ‘Littlest Listeners’ and ‘Elementary’ offering free audio books. Get whisked away to Alice In Wonderland (read by Scarlett Johansson), Jane Eyre (read by Thandie Newton), Anne of Green Gables (Read by Rachel McAdams) and Frankenstein (read by Dan Stevens).
Physical Education
· As breaktime moves from the playground to indoors, students can practise their football freestyle flair with Lia Lewis, British freestyle footballer and TikTok superstar, who will teach neck stalls, knee blocks and how to do a cross catch in her lesson.
City Council Committee Conveners and Vice Conveners have set out their key priorities for 2021:
Council Leader Adam McVey and Depute Leader Cammy Day:
Our first and most pressing task in 2021 is to continue to steer Edinburgh through and – hopefully sooner rather than later – out of the global Covid19 pandemic. There’s no doubt these past nine months have been unbelievably challenging for all of us, and especially so for anyone who’s sadly lost a loved one during the crisis.
As we work with organisations and communities right across the city to help Edinburgh navigate whatever comes next, we’re clear that ‘back to normal’ won’t be good enough – we need to build back better, following the key principles of the Edinburgh 2050 City Vision to achieve a thriving, welcoming, pioneering and fair Capital for now and for future generations.
Our work will be guided and shaped by our core priorities of tackling poverty and inequality, boosting sustainability and promoting wellbeing. We’ll push on with implementing our 10-year End Poverty in Edinburgh plan as well as our Net Zero 2030 ambitions. 2021 is going to be a major and defining year for this incredible city and we’re determined to do Edinburgh proud.
Cllr Rob Munn and Cllr Joan Griffiths, Finance and Resources Convener and Vice Convener:
Our main focus for 2021 is to take the carefully considered decisions about where to prioritise spending for the Council over the next three years and setting a balanced budget that protects our most vulnerable citizens and helps our communities to recover from the pandemic. At the same time, we want to continue to deliver high quality services for Edinburgh.
Our budget process is, as ever, informed by direct feedback from the people of Edinburgh on which services they want to see prioritised and we’re very grateful to the 2000+ people who responded to our budget engagement survey before Christmas. This feedback is invaluable, especially given the exceptionally challenging year 2020 was and the impact that Covid19 has had and will continue to have for us all. It’s crucial we understand how people’s lives have been affected by the impact of the pandemic on our services as we work to steer the Capital towards a sustainable recovery.
Finally, the Council’s core priorities of addressing poverty and inequality, improving sustainability and tackling climate change as well as enhancing wellbeing, based on what people told us was most important to them, will remain at the heart of our budget setting for 2021 and beyond.
Education, Children & Families Convener Cllr Ian Perry and Vice Convener Cllr Alison Dickie:
The ongoing pandemic is having a devastating impact on us all and 2021 will still provide challenges for our education system and young people but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
I have to pay tribute to all our dedicated teaching staff and young people who are showing amazing resilience in these challenging times. Even though there will be no exams this year our school staff will ensure pupils get the best teaching possible for their assessments. Our Edinburgh Learns plan will position education as the lever for a fairer, healthier and greener future. The support for our vulnerable young people, especially our Looked After Children, will continue to be a priority.
Our plans to create the very best learning environment for young people will continue with our £500m planned investment over the next 10 years for an ambitious new school building programme with Frogston Primary, Victoria Primary, St Crispin’s opening this year and the new Castlebrae Community Campus in early 2022.
The investment also includes new nurseries with more Forest Kindergartens opening up this month and we’ll be meeting the Scottish Government’s target of 1140 funded early learning and childcare by August this year.
Transport and Environment Vice Convener Cllr Karen Doran:
The events of 2020 have had an unparalleled impact on so many aspects of our lives. How we move around our city has of course been greatly affected.
During lockdown, roads emptied and travel by bike, foot and wheels surged. Our Spaces for People measures saw people take up cycling or walking where they might previously have driven, and we want to keep this momentum up.
In 2021, development of major plans, including the draft City Mobility Plan and Edinburgh City Centre Transformation, will revolutionise the way we interact with the city. Construction will begin on schemes like City Centre West to East Link and design will continue on several exciting projects to improve cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.
We’ll move closer to introducing a Low Emissions Zone and Electric Vehicle charging network while Trams to Newhaven will begin to take shape, alongside our excellent existing bus and tram services.
I know we’re on the right track for a sustainable, inclusive, carbon-neutral future for Edinburgh, and 2021 will help get us there.
Councillors Kate Campbell and Mandy Watt, Convener and Vice Convener for Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work:
In 2021, we will build more good quality, energy efficient, affordable homes. They’ll be good places to live, within strong communities. Our new and existing tenants will get the best service possible from us as their landlord; and we’ll make sure our tenants, especially those who may be struggling with the impacts of Covid-19, get the support they need.
We’ll continue work to improve temporary accommodation, reach out to our most vulnerable citizens, prevent homelessness whenever possible and make sure people are able to access the right support when and where they need it.
We want to help our economy to build back better and stronger, putting fair work and sustainability at the heart of our strategy to rebuild. We’ll do that by supporting businesses and, with a view to the long term, we’ll work towards building a wellbeing economy based on good jobs, job security and career progression.
We’ll begin by expanding our existing employability services so that people facing barriers to employment are supported to find work, learn new skills and gain confidence.
Culture and Communities Convener Donald Wilson:
I think it would be an understatement to say 2020 was extremely tough for the culture sector. As we look ahead to 2021 we will be doing all we can not just to survive, but to come back better than ever.
Our vibrant cultural heritage and festivals offering is at the heart of what makes Edinburgh unique and we are committed to supporting the sector’s return and future. The return of live audiences next year will be crucial to this recovery. The cultural sector makes a huge contribution to our economy and the quality of life of our communities.
We have made a start though with the City Art Centre reopening in September and we very much look forward to the reopening our other Museums and Galleries as well as opening our doors for performances at the Usher Hall.
So, in 2021, I’ll continue to fight for what I believe in: that it is the city’s duty to continue to nurture Edinburgh’s creative heart. Not just for the huge contributions to our economy but also to the lives of our citizens.
We may find those priorities changing come May, of course. Local government elections are still scheduled to take place on , when we may well see new political alliances and a new administration with new priorities for the capital. – Ed.
Lidl has narrowly beaten Aldi to be named the cheapest supermarket of 2020, according to Which? analysis.
The consumer champion tracked the price of 45 popular branded and own-label products such as Hovis bread, Knorr stock cubes and free-range eggs in eight major supermarkets for at least 100 days between January and December 2020.
In a year when saving money became more important than ever for many households, Which? calculated the average price of each item over the year and the total average cost of all 45 items in the trolley. Lidl was the cheapest, with the basket costing £42.67 on average.
Aldi, where the same basket of items cost £43.01 on average, was the second cheapest – with just 34p separating the German rivals
In recent years, Aldi and Lidl have significantly grown their market share in the UK, but this is the first time they have been included in Which?’s annual study, which now includes own-label items as well as branded ones.
Asda was the third-cheapest supermarket with the same basket of items costing £48.71 on average, however this is still over £5 more than Aldi and Lidl.
Waitrose was the most expensive supermarket in 2020. The average cost of the 45 items on Which?’s shopping list was £68.69, around 60 per cent (£26.02) more than a similar shop at Lidl.
Which? found there were stark price differences between popular own-label products at Waitrose and Lidl. For example, Waitrose’s own-label cooked and peeled cold water prawns would set customers back £4.60 on average, however the equivalent at Lidl only cost £1.99.
Waitrose’s own-label six pack of very large free-range eggs would cost customers £2.47 on average, whereas a similar product is almost half the price – £1.27 – at Lidl.
Ocado was the second most expensive supermarket of 2020 (£66.83), while Sainsbury’s was the third-priciest retailer (£56.38). Asda (£48.71), Morrisons (£53.61) and Tesco (£53.30), as well as the discounters, all came in cheaper.
The pandemic caused a huge upheaval for supermarkets in 2020, as they had to adapt quickly to supply issues caused by panic buying, staff absences in stores and further up the supply chain, and expanding online delivery services.
Neither Aldi nor Lidl offer a full delivery service and would have struggled to compete with supermarkets who ramped up their delivery service at the start of the pandemic, however Aldi offered food parcels for home delivery to help vulnerable people get essential goods.
Natalie Hitchins, Head of Home Products and Services at Which?, said: ““Many households have been under financial pressure due to the pandemic, so getting value for money on their weekly shop has become more important than ever.
“Our analysis shows that customers do not have pay over the odds for their groceries.
“Customers looking to save money this new year and cut down on the cost of their weekly shop should consider shopping around for the best prices.”
Supermarket
Average cost of trolley (45 items)
Lidl
£42.67
Aldi
£43.01
Asda
£48.71
Tesco
£53.30
Morrisons
£53.61
Sainsbury’s
£56.38
Ocado
£66.83
Waitrose
£68.69
Which? also conducts a monthly price analysis for all the major supermarkets. In 2020 Aldi was the cheapest supermarket for six out of the eight months it was included in the price analysis, whereas Lidl was the cheapest supermarket twice.
However, Lidl narrowly beat Aldi to be crowned cheapest supermarket of the year as the methodologies differed. For the monthly price analysis, Which? tracks the price of a range of products, which vary each month, and uses an average to find the cheapest supermarket for the month.
To determine the cheapest supermarket of the year, Which? tracked a selection of 45 items available for at least 100 days in 2020 and added the individual averages.
SEPA confirms ongoing ransomware attack likely to be by international serious and organised cyber-crime groups intent on disrupting public services and extorting public funds.
Cyber security specialists have identified the theft of circa 1.2 GB of data (equivalent to a small fraction of the contents of an average laptop hard drive).
Dedicated data loss support website, enquiry form and support line available for regulated business and supply chain partners.
SEPA working with Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre to respond to what is complex and sophisticated criminality. Subject of a live criminal investigation.
What is now clear is that with infected systems isolated, recovery may take a significant period.
A number of SEPA systems (including email) will remain badly affected for some time, with new systems required.
Priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services are adapting and continuing to operate.
The latest information on the cyber-attack, limited data loss and how to contact the agency is available at sepa.org.uk/cyberattack
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has confirmed it is continuing to respond to an ongoing ransomware attack likely to be by international serious and organised cyber-crime groups.
The agency also confirmed the theft of 1.2 GB of data and the support available to staff and affected partners, whilst reassuring the public that priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services are adapting and continuing to operate.
The matter is subject to a live criminal investigation and the duty of confidence is embedded in law. The agency confirmed last week that following the attack at 00:01 Hrs on Christmas Eve, business continuity arrangements were immediately enacted and the agency’s Emergency Management Team was working with Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre to respond to what is complex and sophisticated criminality.
SEPA’s approach continues to be to take the best professional advice from the multi-agency partners, including Police Scotland and cyber security experts, to support its response.
The agency advised that, for the time being, it needed to protect the criminal investigation and its systems . Consequently some internal systems and external data products will remain offline in the short term.
Priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services are adapting and continuing to operate.
Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said: “Whilst having moved quickly to isolate our systems, cyber security specialists, working with SEPA, Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre have now confirmed the significance of the ongoing incident.
“Partners have confirmed that SEPA remains subject to an ongoing ransomware attack likely to be by international serious and organised cyber-crime groups intent on disrupting public services and extorting public funds.”
What is now clear is that with infected systems isolated, recovery may take a significant period. A number of SEPA systems will remain badly affected for some time, with new systems required.
Email systems remain impacted and offline.
Information submitted to SEPA by email since Christmas Eve is not currently accessible and whilst online pollution and enquiry reporting has now been restored, information submitted in the early stages of the attack is currently not accessible.
Limited data loss
Despite systems being certified to UK Government security standards, cyber security specialists have also identified the loss of circa 1.2 GB of data.
Whilst, by comparison, this is the equivalent to a small fraction of the contents of an average laptop hard drive, indications suggest that at least four thousand files may have been accessed and stolen by criminals.
“We have prioritised our legal obligations and duty of care on the sensitive handling of data very seriously” said Chief Executive, Terry A’Hearn “which is why we have worked closely with Police Scotland, Scottish Government, the National Cyber Security Centre and specialist cyber security professionals day and night since Christmas Eve.”
“Work continues by cyber security specialists to seek to identify what the stolen data was. Whilst we don’t know and may never know the full detail of the 1.2 GB of information stolen, what we know is that early indications suggest that the theft of information related to a number of business areas. Some of the information stolen will have been publicly available, whilst some will not have been” said Mr. A’Hearn.
Information included:
Business information: Information such as, but perhaps not restricted to, publicly available regulated site permits, authorisations and enforcement notices. Some information related to SEPA corporate plans, priorities and change programmes.
Procurement information: Information such as, but perhaps not restricted to, publicly available procurement awards.
Project information: Information related to our commercial work with international partners.
Staff information: Personal information relating to SEPA staff.
“Staff members affected to date have been notified, are being supported and are being given access to specialist advice and services. Support, including specialist advice from Police Scotland and mitigation services, is also being offered to staff across the organisation.”
Working with cyber security experts, a dedicated team has been established to identify the detail of business or partner information loss and, where identified, direct contact will be made as quickly as possible with affected organisations.
This will happen across the coming days and weeks as and when more direct evidence of data loss specific to individual businesses and partners becomes apparent. Cyber security advice and guidance for businesses is available from the National Cyber Security Centre.
Links to this advice, along with the latest information on the cyber attack and limited data loss is available at sepa.org.uk/cyberattack
The site contains information on the scope of data thought to have been accessed, guidance from Police Scotland, a contact form and details of a dedicated data loss support line now available for regulated business and supply chain partners. The support line will not have additional information on affected organisations at this time.
Ongoing response
In addition to working to identify as much of the detail as possible in relation to the 1.2 GB of stolen data, the multi-agency response is focused on eradication, remediation and recovery.
Priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services are adapting and continuing to operate.
Delivery of nationally important flood forecasting and warning products has continued, with flood alerts and warnings being issued with 24 hours of the attack on 24 December.
Contact centre and web self-help services are being slowly restored, including SEPA’s Floodline, 24 Hour Pollution Hotline and environmental event online reporting.
Regulatory teams continue to prioritise the most significant environmental events, high hazard sites and sites of community concern.
Teams are quickly working on interim ways to authorise regulated site activity, prioritising nationally important sectors such as food and drink, energy and waste.
That said, the agency confirmed that email, staff schedules, a number of specialist reporting tools, systems and databases remain unavailable with the potential for access to a series of systems and tools to be unavailable for a protracted period. The multi-agency response is working to five clear priorities:
Incident response;
Supporting staff;
Protecting priority services;
Protecting Scotland’s environment;
Protecting communities.
Regulatory Approach
In addition to ensuring the continued delivery of priority flood forecasting and warning services, SEPA’s regulatory approach will continue to prioritise supporting Scottish businesses, Scotland’s recovery, environmental events, high hazard sites and sites of community concern.
The agency will help businesses meet their environmental obligations and prioritise authorising economic activity and will continue its risk based approach to regulation, focusing the most effort on sites or sectors which require oversight or where there is a risk of criminality or organisations seeking to take advantage of the ongoing cyber-attack.
Mr. A’Hearn said: “Whilst the actions of serious and organised criminals means that for the moment we’ve lost access to our systems and had information stolen, what we’ve not lost is the expertise of over 1,200 staff who day in, day out work tirelessly to protect Scotland’s environment.
“Sadly we’re not the first and won’t be the last national organisation targeted by likely international criminals. Cyber-crime is a growing trend. Our focus is on supporting our people, our partners, protecting Scotland’s environment and, in time, following a review, sharing any learnings with wider public, private and voluntary sector partners.”
Further information
SEPA will provide further updates as quickly as possible at www.sepa.org.uk/cyberattack as more information becomes available.
Whilst the agency continues to work hard to understand and resolve the issues member of the public, regulated businesses and suppliers can find additional information and contact options via:
Detective Inspector Michael McCullagh of Police Scotland’s Cybercrime Investigations Unit said: “This remains an ongoing investigation. Police Scotland are working closely with SEPA and our partners at Scottish Government and the wider UK law enforcement community to investigate and provide support in response to this incident.
“Enquiries remain at an early stage and continue to progress including deployment of specialist cybercrime resources to support this response.
“It would be inappropriate to provide more specific detail of investigations at this time.”
Last weekend saw an increase in people gathering at parks and open spaces in the city, particularly at Portobello Beach and the Meadows.
We fully recognise the impact the restrictions are having on people’s lives, but it is clear that significant sacrifices are vital to help suppress the spread of coronavirus.
The Chief Constable has made it clear that our approach throughout the pandemic has not changed and officers will continue to support people to follow the regulations and encourage them to take personal responsibility.
We will have increased patrols in our communities to explain the regulations and to encourage people to do the right thing.
Where officers encounter wilful breaches they will act decisively to enforce the law.
For the latest guidelines from the Scottish Government, visit its website here: http://ow.ly/VCDa50D8jZb
