Police are appealing for witnesses following a two-vehicle crash which happened on Forrest Road last night (Wednesday, 18 August, 2021).
At around 6.50pm, a black Vauxhall Corsa collided with a gold coloured Peugeot 308 which was parked. The driver of the Peugeot, a 26-year-old woman, was exiting the vehicle when it was hit and was taken to hospital for treatment.
The driver of the Corsa, a 23-year-old man, was also taken to hospital for treatment before being charged in connection with the crash.
Officers are eager to speak to anyone who witnessed the collision and has not yet spoken to police. In particular a female doctor, possibly a GP, assisted at the scene prior to police arrival and officers are eager to speak with her as a witness.
Those who saw what happened, or can help with enquiries, should contact Police Scotland via 101 and quote incident number 3098 of 18 August.
It is with great sadness that we announce today that Edinburgh Cycle Hire will close on 17 September 2021. We know how disappointing this announcement is for our many regular users.
Unfortunately, the contract to provide a cycle hire service to the City has come to an end, so we are unable to continue. The scheme will continue to operate until midnight on 17 September 2021, at which point the service will stop.
All annual and extended period passes which have been purchased and have a remainder of time left on them will be refunded automatically with any balance after 17 September 2021.
Over the coming days we will share more information about the closure, including when certain stations will close.
The scheme has run under a three-year agreement between Serco and Transport for Edinburgh, and in that time has made a great impact on Edinburgh’s sustainable transport network, with hundreds of thousands of trips made on our bikes since 2018.
Since then 70,000 unique users have cycled over 450,000 trips, replacing millions of miles of combustion engine transport with a green travel alternative.
Council Leaders have expressed disappointment at the end of the contract between Transport for Edinburgh and Serco to run the city’s cycle hire scheme.
The Council is investigating alternative options to replace the popular scheme.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We are very disappointed that Serco have opted to walk away from the popular shared bike hire scheme in Edinburgh. When the bike hire scheme was first introduced the commitment was to operate it with no public funding and it is highly regrettable that Serco will not continue the scheme on that basis.
“We recognise that the bike hire scheme has helped more people get access to bikes, enjoying the benefits of fast, reliable, healthier journeys around town. The withdrawal of Serco will come as a frustrating shock to many regular users of the bike hire scheme.
“It sends absolutely the wrong message at a time when so many of us are deeply concerned about the climate emergency and what we can each do to combat the effects of human activity. Choosing to travel by bike is one of the easiest changes many of us can make.
“We’re now working on a replacement bike hire scheme for the Capital. We are actively pursuing options to ensure that a replacement scheme is in place as quickly as possible.”
Depute Council Leader Cammy Day said: “Over the past few years it’s been a welcome sight to see residents, students and visitors making journeys from A to B across Edinburgh by hire bike and they’ve become a key part of our sustainable transport infrastructure in the city. It’s a huge disappointment the scheme’s coming to an end.
“The city will share our huge disappointment that the scheme is coming to an end and that Serco have walked away form a key part of the city’s active travel plans. We will now engage with the cycling community to look at alternative innovative scheme to get people back on the bikes.”
‘Walked away’? Not at all, say Serco. The Serco absolutely refute the council leaders’ claims, and maintain it is the COUNCIL ITSELF that is to blame for the ditching of the scheme.
Serco’s micromobility director Sam Jones, said: “We’re disappointed that we have been unable to find a way to continue the Edinburgh bike scheme.
“We have explored every route possible to find extension options beyond our original three-year contract which expires on 17 September 2021. Those efforts continued through to last week when the council advised us that they were not able to extend the current contract.
“Serco has been running the scheme since September 2018 under a three-year concession. Despite the scheme making a loss over that time we have not walked away and we have stood by our commitments and continued to make a success of the scheme for the city’s people and visitors.
“As was reported in May 2021, funding options were being explored which would have enabled the scheme to carry on – however we were informed two weeks ago that City of Edinburgh Council has been unable to confirm those plans.”
More than half a million journeys were made by over 70,000 users during the life of the bike hire project. During 2020, when the Edinburgh Cycle Hire Scheme was the fastest growing scheme in Britain, there were with 234,500 trips made.
In 2020 the scheme also won the award for Cycling, Walking and Public Realm at the Scottish Transport Awards.
Campaign urges homeowners to install interlinked alarms to protect lives
Homeowners are being urged to install interlinked heat and smoke alarms in a nationwide media campaign launched before new fire safety laws come into effect next year.
From February all homeowners will be required to have interlinked alarms under legislation brought forward after the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017. These alarms significantly reduce casualties by alerting everybody in a property to a fire. Most homes will also require a carbon monoxide alarm.
Private rented and new-build homes must already meet these standards, but from February they will apply to every home in Scotland, regardless of age or tenure.
The cost for an average three bedroom house which requires three smoke alarms, one heat alarm and one carbon monoxide detector is estimated to be about £220. This is based on using the type of alarms that can be installed by the homeowner, without the need for an electrician. The Scottish Government is providing £500,000 to help eligible older and disabled homeowners with installation, in partnership with Care and Repair Scotland.
Housing Secretary Shona Robison said: “One death from a house fire is one too many, and improving fire safety remains our utmost priority.
“In February Scotland will become the first UK nation to require every home to have interlinked fire alarms, which significantly reduce the risk of injury or death. If there is a fire in one room it will set off alarms throughout the property, giving residents more time to escape.
“Homeowners are generally responsible for paying for works to protect their property, but we know some may not be able to meet the cost of fitting these alarms. That is why we are providing £500,000 to help disabled and older people, on top of the £1 million we have already provided to the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service to install alarms in owner-occupied homes identified as being at highest risk.”
Alasdair Perry, Head of Prevention and Protection at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Having the earliest possible warning of a fire in the home can and has saved lives and property. Having interlinked alarms installed will allow everyone, anywhere in the house to take action as quickly as possible.
“The Scottish Government has provided financial support to our Home Fire Safety Visit programme, which will allow us to fit to the new standard in the homes of those identified through our robust criteria as being at higher risk. However, if we go to any property that has no detection, we will still provide a battery-operated stand-alone smoke detector and advise the occupant about the new standard for the fire and smoke alarms required by the legislation in all Scottish homes.”
Robert Thomson, National Director of Care and Repair Scotland, said: “Care and Repair Scotland has assisted older and disabled homeowners in repairing and adapting their homes since 1988.
“Therefore, we are pleased to be administering the fire alarms assistance package for lower-income older and disabled homeowners. This funding will support our overall aim to help homeowners live independently and safely at home for as long as possible.”
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding parents and carers they have until 31 August 2021 to confirm whether their teenagers are staying in full-time education or training beyond 16.
Last week, teenagers across the UK received their GSCE or Scottish National Certificate results and many are now considering their future. If they decide to continue their full-time education or training, parents or carers will be eligible to continue receiving Child Benefit payments for their child.
HMRC has sent reminder letters to families receiving Child Benefit for their child in the last year of school or home education. If their child is staying in education beyond age 16, parents or carers must notify HMRC by the end of August, or their Child Benefit will be stopped.
It is quick and easy to update Child Benefit records via GOV.UK. Alternatively, parents or carers can return the 297b form sent to them by HMRC.
Child Benefit is paid to eligible parents or carers who are responsible for a child under 16, or under 20 if they are in full-time non-advanced education or approved training.
Parents or carers receiving Child Benefit and who also have an income over £50,000 (or their partner does), may have to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge via an annual Self Assessment tax return.
Post Office card accounts are closing. From 30 November 2021, HMRC will stop making payments of Child Benefit, Guardians Allowance and tax credits, into Post Office card accounts. HMRC is reminding any Child Benefit and tax credits customers who use this account to receive their payments, that they will need to notify HMRC of their new bank, building society or credit union account details.
HMRC is encouraging customers to act now so they do not miss any payments once their Post Office account closes. They can contact HMRC’s helpline (0345 300 3900) or use their Personal Tax Account.
To find out how to open a bank account, visit Citizens Advice.
National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams will be held in spring 2022 if public health advice allows, the Scottish Government has announced.
The decision has been informed by public health advice and by the views of partners, including those on the National Qualifications Group, which includes representatives of young people, parents, teachers and other education professionals.
Course content has been reduced compared to a normal year to take account of the disruption to learning that young people have experienced. These modifications have already been confirmed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).
Due to uncertainty over the pandemic, two contingency plans will be in place.
If there is further significant disruption to learning as a result of COVID-19, but it is still safe for exams to go ahead, there will be further modifications to courses and assessment.
If public health conditions do not allow for an exam diet to take place, awards will be made on teachers’ judgements based on normal in–year assessment.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Exams will take place next year if safe to do so.
“Fairness for learners sitting exams in 2022 is at the heart of our plans. Assessment modifications across national courses for the next academic session have already been confirmed by the SQA in recognition of the disruption to learning that young people have experienced. We will set out details on further support available for learners in September.
“Careful contingency planning has taken place in case there is further significant disruption to learning or if public health conditions do not allow for the holding of an examination diet.
“These contingencies offer stability for teachers and learners in the coming academic session and will allow their focus to be on normal practices in teaching, learning and assessment. More detailed guidance will be issued by the SQA at the earliest opportunity.”
Commenting on the announcement, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “It is no surprise that the Scottish Government has stated its intention to reinstate an exam diet in 2022, should public health advice allow.
“The EIS would have preferred to see exams by-passed for S4 students in the interests of supporting education recovery and wellbeing among this cohort. It remains to be seen whether the reductions in course content for this year as recognition that young people have been adversely affected by the pandemic through no fault of their own, will suffice.
“It is essential that appropriate and robust contingencies are in place should it be necessary to cancel the exam diet on public health grounds. We saw earlier this year the damage caused by decisions being made too late without adequate contingences in place and the huge workload and stress that was placed on students and staff as a result.
“In the longer term, the process of reviewing the qualifications system and replacing the SQA must learn lessons from recent experience. The EIS has long been concerned regarding the lack of accountability of the Scottish Qualifications Authority to the teaching profession and the over-emphasis placed on annual high-stakes exams at the expense of continuous assessment.
“The EIS believes that now is an appropriate time to consider the future shape of learning and assessment in the senior phase, alternative models of timetabling and the timing of qualifications to better serve the needs of Scotland’s learners, as part of the process around replacing the SQA.”
Royal Victoria Hospital and Fettes Police HQ sites under active consideration
The City of Edinburgh Council is re-evaluating the feasibility of two sites in central Edinburgh for a Gaelic high school following internal discussions.
Council officers will work with partners to reassess the potential of the current Police Scotland headquarters at Fettes and the site of the former Royal Victoria Hospital in Comely Bank as additional options for the home of a new Gaelic Medium Education (GME) secondary school.
The move comes after a meeting between the Cabinet Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP and Education Convener Councillor Ian Perry and Vice Convener Alison Dickie in July to discuss the Council’s proposals for a dedicated GME high school on the Liberton site, which the Cabinet Secretary again welcomed as an excellent option.
The Councillors wrote last week to the Cabinet Secretary following their meeting last month to confirm that the two central sites will be re-assessed given concerns about ‘centrality’ raised by some parents during the development of plans for the Liberton site.
The letter makes clear that significant Scottish Government financial assistance, in the region of at least £48m for the build cost alone, as well as support to secure either site to make a more central option viable.
A report outlining these latest developments, and the letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary, will be presented to the Education, Children and Families Committee next Tuesday (24 August).
The report says that the proposal for a statutory consultation should be temporarily halted pending a response from the Scottish Government regarding the two central sites.
Cllr Perry said: “We had a very constructive and helpful meeting with the Cabinet Secretary last month and set out again our proposals to further the growth of GME in the Capital.
“Given the concerns some Gaelic parents raised over ‘centrality’, we are reassessing the feasibility of two possible sites – at Fettes and at Comely Bank. It must be stressed, however, that significant Government support would be required to make these viable options.
“Our number one priority remains identifying the best and most workable solution for a fully immersive GME high school for the city. In the meantime we are proposing temporarily halting the plans for a statutory consultation until we receive a response from the Scottish Government.”
Cllr Dickie said: “We’re fully committed to ensuring GME can grow and thrive in Scotland’s Capital and we have welcomed the Scottish Government’s continued encouragement about our plans for a new and dedicated school at Liberton.
“It is vital though that we get this absolutely right for children and their families, and for the growth of Gaelic Medium Education in the city. Given then, the growing appetite for a more central location, we have made a decision to pause to re-evaluate previously visited options and their related barriers.
“As well as the substantial financial hurdle involved, we’d need certainty that the land would be available to meet the timescales involved. Most of all though, we need options that deliver the best educational outcomes for our children and young people.”
Poet and essayist Kathleen Jamie has been appointed as Scotland’s next Makar.First Minister Nicola Sturgeon formally welcomed her to the role at the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh yesterday.
The role of Makar involves taking a leadership role in promoting poetry nationally, as well as producing work relating to significant national events.
Ms Jamie was appointed by the First Minister for a three-year term on the recommendation of an expert panel representing Scotland’s literary sector.
She is the fourth person to hold the role since it was established by the Scottish Parliament in 2004, following in the footsteps of Jackie Kay, Liz Lochhead, and Edwin Morgan.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am delighted to confirm Kathleen Jamie as our national poet.
“Poetry is integral to Scotland’s culture and history. The Makar has a central role in celebrating that legacy, and preserving its future by encouraging the next generation of young writers to leave their mark.
“Kathleen is a highly accomplished poet who is known for her works in English and Scots, and the meaningful connections her writing draws between our lives and the landscape around us. I have no doubt she will continue to build on the exceptional work of her predecessors to promote Scottish poetry both here and abroad.”
Kathleen Jamie said: “I am honoured and delighted to be appointed as Scotland’s new Makar. The post confirms a weel-kent truth: that poetry abides at the heart of Scottish culture, in all our languages, old and new. It’s mysterious, undefinable and bold. It runs deep and sparkles at once.
“Liz Lochhead, Jackie Kay and the late Edwin Morgan have held this post before me, a trio of major poets. If I can achieve half of their outreach, humour and wisdom, not to mention their wonderful verse, I’ll be doing well. I am grateful to the selection panel for such a vote of confidence in my work, and to the First Minister for her endorsement and support.
“My task as I see it is to meet folk, to support and encourage poetry, to laugh and lament and witness, and occasionally speak to our national life. I’m excited to begin.”
Asif Khan, Director at Scottish Poetry Library said: “Kathleen Jamie is a generational talent – an exceptional Scottish writer of any era. Jamie’s poetry and prose sits with the best writing in English anywhere in the world.
“The poetry library looks forward to supporting the new Makar’s programme of engagement at a time when poetry is treasured as an art form that can heal and unite communities, as well as inspire our young people, including New Scots, to see the world differently and reflect on their role in it.”
Alan Bett, Head of Literature & Publishing at Creative Scotland said: “Kathleen Jamie is an excellent choice for The Makar, Scotland’s national poet. The quality of her work speaks for itself, and that work can and will speak to so many people across Scotland and beyond.
“The work can also speak to and challenge the current environmental context, with a strong focus on place and nature. I would like to offer my warm congratulations to Kathleen on this announcement and look forward to the creative projects that will connect her poetry with the nation.”
I was delighted to be part of Edinburgh International Book Festival’s ‘Stories and Scran’ event on Tuesday evening.
The event was a celebration of the book festival’s Citizen programme.
Over the last 12 months, Citizen Writer in Residence Eleanor Thom and poet Leyla Josephine have been working with local groups to discuss and respond creatively to themes such as home, identity and belonging.
The evening – a lively mix of live readings, stories and short films – showcased impressive work by participants from Spartans Alternative School, the Citizen Collective (some brilliant young writers aged 16-18) (above), the Citizen adult writing group, the Saheliya Champions and more. And all in front of a live audience, too!
The event was preceded by a delicious community meal prepared and served up by by a team from North Edinburgh’s very own Scran Academy.
Congratulations to the organisers – coronavirus restrictions must have made this a very difficult event to plan and stage, but it really couldn’t have gone better.
Stories and Scran was live streamed and you can view it here:
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is coming under increasing pressure over the UK Government’s response to the crisis unfolding in Afghanistan.
Mr Raab was on holiday in Crete as the crisis was developing. Even politicians are allowed to take holidays, of course, but the Foreign Secretary has been accused of dereliction of duty following revelations by the Daily Mail and the BBC that Mr Raab failed to return a call from his Afghani counterpart as Taliban militants advanced on the capital Kabul.
It was claimed that a junior minister was delegated to make the call, but it was revealed on Friday that this was nonsense: THE CALL WAS NEVER MADE.
The UK Parliament was recalled yesterday to discuss the Afghanistan crisis. This is Mr Raab’s statement to the House:
Mr Speaker, in any crisis it is how you respond that is critical, and the government has two overriding priorities.
First, we must evacuate our own people, the British nationals, the dual nationals in Afghanistan who now want to leave, those who served our country so loyally.
And allied to this, we must live up to the best traditions of this country in playing our part in offering safe haven to those Afghans who are now fleeing persecution from the Taliban as refugees.
I want to pay tribute to those leading this work. I have already mentioned Sir Laurie Bristow, our Ambassador. There is a phenomenal cross-Whitehall team of military personnel – I pay tribute to the Defence Secretary – Home Office officials – I pay tribute to the Home Secretary – and they are working hand-in-glove, with gunfire overhead, to save others before they get out themselves.
And I want to pay tribute also to the Rapid Deployment Team that flew into Kabul last night to support that effort, and to the troops that went in to protect them and secure the airport so that we could prosecute this evacuation effort.
Mr Speaker, we are straining every sinew on that evacuation effort and it is supported by the crisis team in King Charles Street, with Home Office experts, military planners, and they are working around the clock. I pay tribute to them, having visited them yesterday.
The evacuation effort has three strands. And by the way, it’s been, Mr Speaker, in place for four months.
First, it is worth recalling that we advised all UK nationals to leave Afghanistan back in April and many hundreds did so on commercial flights, with the benefit of consular support and advice from our team.
Since the security situation deteriorated last weekend, we switched to chartered flights to get nationals out, as well as those under the ARAP scheme.
The first flight left Kabul on Sunday with around 150 UK nationals and their dependents on board. They have arrived back in this country safe and sound.
In the last 24 hours, 646 people have been evacuated, a combination of nationals, Afghans who worked for us and UK allies, and there will be eight flights following today.
The crucial point was that in order to secure the airport, we had to inject 600 British forces, we had thousands come in from the Americans. Without that we wouldn’t be able to get any of those to the airport, indeed out of them, or process them in the way we need to.
The second strand of the evacuation, beyond British nationals, is the ARAP programme, also set up by the Defence Secretary back in April, to help those who worked for us, and who now face the risk of retribution precisely because of the loyalty that they showed to our country.
And to date, Mr Speaker, we have settled over 3,300 Afghan staff and their families. That includes 2,000 since April, the most generous scheme of its kind offered anywhere in the world, and rightly so.
The third strand of the evacuation scheme is, as my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary announced today, our plan to provide a bespoke asylum offer to settle 20,000 Afghan refugees over five years.
And like the Home Secretary herself, let me just say as the son of a refugee I am deeply proud that this government is continuing the big-hearted tradition of the British people in offering safe haven to those fleeing persecution.
So we are getting our nationals out, those that work for us out, and we are providing a lifeline to the most vulnerable.
I can also tell the House today that we have contacted all of the Chevening Scholars in Afghanistan, not just to tell them that they can come, but to actively make arrangements for the upcoming flights to the UK.
Mr Speaker, at a time of crisis we also need to look to the longer term, and there are four areas that need particular focus.
Counter terrorism: we must never again allow Afghanistan to be a haven for terrorists, we will work very closely with all of our partners within the parameters that the current situation allows.
Secondly, the international community must be prepared to respond to the humanitarian plight caused by the Taliban’s campaign.
The UK is already using our convening power, our aid budget to galvanise the global response.
Thirdly, we must work to safeguard regional stability, and that will require us to work with different partners and it will require engagement with key regional players, including India, China, Russia, Pakistan, the Central Asian states, however difficult or complex that may prove and outside of our comfort zone.
And we will be fully supporting the efforts of the Secretary General of the UN’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Jean Arnault.
The fourth area is human rights and accountability. We will hold both through our domestic sanctions regime, but also working with the Indians who chair the UN sanctions regime for Afghanistan, to make sure we can exercise a moderating influence on the Taliban regime.
We will pursue each of these areas with vigour. As the Prime Minister has already made clear, we will be convening a special meeting of G7 leaders to consider a concerted and co-ordinated response.
We will be looking at the question of a contact group of international partners on Afghanistan and we plan an event at the UN General Assembly next month to focus minds and raise funds for the humanitarian response.
We are raising our aid budget in response to the crisis, channelling it via third parties on the ground.
And we will no longer provide funding to Afghan security institutions, redirecting this to humanitarian efforts which benefit the Afghan people.
Mr Speaker, we will get our people out of Afghanistan, we will provide a lifeline for the most vulnerable, and, with our partners, we will forge a new international strategy for Afghanistan.
We will not allow the hard-won gains of the last 20 years to be lost.
And we will continue to stand with the Afghan people, and support their aspiration for a better life.
NOTE – The last four paragraphs of the speech are as drafted, but were not delivered in the House due to time constraints.
STAND WITH THE AFGHAN PEOPLE? When it was clearly too much to ask to return a desperate phone call? What’s Afghani for ‘Aye, right’?
