Raising funds for national charity partner, Teenage Cancer Trust
Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is inviting shoppers across Edinburgh to join them for extended shopping hours to raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust.
Taking place from 5pm to 9pm on Thursday 25 November in Dobbies’ Edinburgh and Livingston stores, in addition to little dobbies Stockbridge, the Christmas Shopping Night will showcase the Christmas ranges, and feature competitions, discount vouchers, demos and sampling.
Customers across Edinburgh will have the opportunity to make donations to Dobbies’ national charity partner, Teenage Cancer Trust, write festive messages on Christmas baubles for the Wish Tree, and win prizes in a fantastic festive raffle.
The Christmas Your Way raffle will offer customers the chance to win all the items featured on specially created Christmas trees. There’s a tree for chocolate fans in partnership with Lindt, one for kids with Living Nature, one for those who love their pets with Chuckit, gardening gurus with Burgon and Ball, and fashionistas with Powder. The raffle will open on the night and close on 17December.
*Dobbies’ stores will offer an exclusive preview of their Christmas Grotto and customers will be able to enjoy a two-course festive meal at Dobbies’restaurants for £12.95, choosing from vegan and vegetarian options as well as traditional turkey with all the trimmings. This is bookable in advance.
Sarah Murray, Partnership and Events Manager said: “Christmas is a time of year we all look forward to at Dobbies stores across Edinburgh, and we can’t wait to welcome people for a full festive experience with our late opening evening. There will be a free welcome drink and a range of Christmas gifts, decorations and products to choose from.
“Most importantly, we are raising funds for our national charity partner, Teenage Cancer Trust, who do incredible work with young people across the country. It’s going to be the perfect way to get the festive season started.”
Donna Bednarek, Senior Relationship Manager for Teenage Cancer Trust said: “We are absolutely delighted to collaborating with Dobbies as they stay open late on 25 November.
“The donations from Dobbies’ customers will enable us to give the gift of care from our nurses, or the gift of community on one of our specialist units, to young cancer patients across the UK.”
For more details on Dobbies’ Christmas Shopping Night, visit:
There is a £1 donation to attend, with all monies raised going to Teenage Cancer Trust – this is available in-store in advance or on the night.
Dobbies is also going to be sharing some festive joy in the run up to Christmas, celebrating community groups, charities, clubs and neighbourhoods who make a difference to their local areas.
Not Your Average Community will see three local groups from across the UK win £1,000 to spend on decorations to brighten up their local area for Christmas.
Sisters Sophie and Emma Thompson are backing a new campaign, Double The Love, which will help Mary’s Meals to feed even more hungry children living in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Donations made to the charity this winter will be doubled by a group of generous supporters – with up to £1.6 million available to provide nutritious meals at school, attracting children into the classroom and giving them the energy to learn.
Long-time Mary’s Meals supporter, actor Sophie Thompson, celebrated the launch of the campaign with her sister and fellow actor, Emma Thompson.
Sophie says: “Emma and I were marvelling about how Mary’s Meals provides food at school for children living in the most desperate circumstances, encouraging them to gain an education that will, in the future, help them out of poverty.
“We are delighted to announce that donations made to this awesome charity this winter will be doubled – meaning even more little ones will receive a daily serving of Mary’s Meals.”
Mary’s Meals was founded in a shed in Argyll in 2002 and has grown from feeding 200 children in Malawi to more than two million children every school day in 19 countries around the world.
Emma adds: “Our mother is Scottish, and Argyll is a very special place for our family. I am overjoyed that a charity founded there is changing the lives of children in some of the world’s poorest countries. It truly is an incredible achievement.
“Double The Love presents a wonderful opportunity for us all to get behind Mary’s Meals and show children living in the world’s poorest countries that we care.”
Daniel Adams, executive director of Mary’s Meals, says: “I am so grateful to Sophie and Emma for backing our Double The Love campaign. What a brilliant sister act they are!
“I hope people will donate to Mary’s Meals this winter so that we can access all of the £1.6 million of match funding that is available to us. These funds really will change the lives of children facing the most difficult circumstances, including natural disasters, conflict, and the ongoing Covid pandemic.”
The Double The Love campaign runs until 31 January 2022.
Sibongile, 13, and Sarah,10, live in a farming village in Zambia, almost 8,000 miles away from Sophie and Emma’s homes in London.
These sisters look very alike – but Sibongile is outgoing and laughs a lot, and her younger sister is very quietly spoken.
They face many struggles, such as a two-hour walk to school. Sibongile only has black pumps that are too big for her and Sarah wears rubber sandals. In November the area usually floods, making the journey even more difficult.
But both walk to school knowing that they can soon fill their stomachs with a nutritious serving of Mary’s Meals, which will help them to concentrate on their lessons.
Sibongile says: “I eat my porridge at 11am. If there’s no leftover food from the night before that will be the first time I eat.”
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on the 16th November in the Scottish Parliament:
Presiding Officer,
On Saturday, COP26 concluded with 197 countries adopting the Glasgow Climate Pact.
Today, I will report briefly on the Scottish Government’s activities during COP and offer our preliminary view on the agreement.
Firstly though, I want to record my gratitude to all those who helped ensure that the hosting of the summit was a success.
COP26 was one of the most important events ever held in Scotland – and also one of the largest.
More than 40,000 people registered to attend – a higher number than for any of the previous 25 COPs.
In addition, tens of thousands of activists visited the city.
Some inconvenience was inevitable from an event of that scale and I know the city did experience disruption.
But the warmth and the enthusiasm of Glasgow’s welcome was praised by every international visitor I met.
So my first and very heartfelt thank you today is to the people of Glasgow.
I also want to thank the Scottish Events Campus, Glasgow City Council, all volunteers, and partners across the public and private sectors whose hard work made the event possible.
My thanks go also to the United Nations and in particular to the Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, Patricia Espinosa.
The UK COP president, Alok Sharma, also deserves huge credit. He and his team worked tirelessly to secure the best possible outcome. I am also grateful to them for keeping me well briefed throughout the negotiations.
Finally, peaceful protest is vital at any COP.
It keeps pressure on negotiators and reminds those inside the blue zone of the vital job they are there to do.
Over the course of the two week event, more than 400 protests were staged across Glasgow.
That there were fewer than 100 arrests in total is a real credit to protestors, but also to Police Scotland.
COP 26 has been the biggest policing operation ever undertaken in the UK and I want to pay tribute to the Chief Constable and to all officers, from forces across the UK, who worked under his command, for the highly professional manner in which that operation was conducted.
Over these past two weeks, the eyes of the world have been firmly on Scotland and we have shown the best of our country to the world.
Amongst the almost 500 meetings, events and other engagements undertaken by Ministers – including almost 100 that I undertook personally – many were with businesses and potential investors in green innovation.
We also took the opportunity to strengthen our bilateral relationships with a number of countries and regions across the world.
As well as showcasing the country, of course the Scottish Government also set clear objectives for our participation in COP itself.
Firstly, we aimed to amplify voices that are too rarely heard in discussions of these type – for example, of young people, women and those from the global south – and we sought to be a bridge between these groups and the decision makers around the negotiating table.
To that end, we funded the Conference of Youth when the UK government opted not to.
We supported the Glasgow Climate Dialogues to give a platform to voices from developing and vulnerable countries.
And, in partnership with UN Women, we launched the Glasgow Women’s Leadership Statement on gender equality and climate change.
I was joined for the launch of that statement by the leaders of Bangladesh, Tanzania and Estonia, and the statement has now already been signed by more than 20 countries.
We also endorsed the UNICEF declaration on children, youth and climate action.
Second, we worked hard to ensure that cities, states, regions and devolved governments played our full part in securing progress.
Scotland is currently the European co-chair of the Under2 Coalition, which held its General Assembly during COP.
More than 200 state, regional and devolved governments are now members of the Under 2 Coalition.
Collectively, and very significantly we represent almost 2 billion people and account for half of global GDP.
In the run up to COP, the Coalition sought to maximize that influence by launching a new memorandum of understanding, committing members to reach net zero by 2050 at the latest and for individual members to reach it earlier if possible. 28 governments have already signed up and we are actively encouraging others to do so.
Finally, more than 200 cities and states have now signed up to the Edinburgh declaration on biodiversity. That represents really welcome progress as we look ahead to the biodiversity COP next year.
Our third objective was to use COP to challenge ourselves to go further and faster in our own journey to net zero.
That is why I chose – as my first engagement at COP – to meet with climate activists Vanessa Nakate and Greta Thunberg.
It is also why we have moved away from our previous commitment to maximum economic recovery of oil and gas and have embarked on discussions with the new Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance.
We also published additional detail on our policy ambitions for onshore and offshore wind, and launched a new Hydrogen strategy, and a £55 million Nature Restoration Fund.
We published a new planning framework with climate action at its heart.
And we promoted our Green Investment portfolio to a range of businesses and investors.
We also launched the Blue Carbon International Policy Challenge; supported international agreements on low carbon transportation and reducing agricultural emissions; and signed new Memorandums of Understanding on heat with Denmark, and on peatlands with Chile. A full list of these initiatives and of the ten international agreements we signed will be placed in SPICE later this week.
Of course, our most important objective was to use our engagement, influence and interaction to push for an international agreement that would live up to the urgency of the climate emergency.
We wanted to see action to limit global warning to 1.5°C – and, as a minimum, a tangible mechanism to keep 1.5 alive.
We wanted the $100 billion of finance, promised by the global north to developing nations 12 years ago, to be delivered.
And we wanted to see the developed world recognise its obligation to help developing countries pay for loss and damage they are already suffering as a result of the climate change they have done so little to cause.
The Glasgow Climate Pact does represent progress on many of these issues – but it must now be built on and built on quickly if climate catastrophe is to be avoided.
It is important that the necessity of capping temperature increases at 1.5 degrees is no longer questioned.
However, the world is still on a path to temperature increases of well over 2 degrees – a death sentence for many parts of the world. To keep 1.5 degrees in reach, global emissions must be almost halved by the end of this decade.
So the requirement for countries to come back next year with substantially increased nationally determined contributions is vital.
Finance is crucial to faster progress.
I welcome the aim of doubling finance for adaptation by 2025, and the commitment to a longer term finance goal. But it is utterly shameful that the developed world could not deliver the $100bn of funding promised in 2009, by the 2020 deadline – or even by 2021.
This COP also delivered significant commitments on methane and deforestation. And for the first time – albeit in language watered down in the final moments – a COP cover text has agreed the need to move away from fossil fuels.
In the run up to COP – and as a result of what we heard during the Glasgow Climate Dialogues – the Scottish Government decided to champion the issue of loss and damage.
Two weeks ago we became the first developed country in the world to make a commitment to support countries experiencing loss and damage. I’m delighted that our commitment has since been supplemented by Wallonia, and by a contribution from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation.
The final position agreed at Glasgow represents progress in recognizing the loss and damage that the climate crisis created by developed nations, is already causing in developing nations – but it does not go nearly far enough.
I particularly regret the decision by some developed nations to block the establishment of a Glasgow Financial Facility on Loss and Damage.
Over the weekend I met with Dr Saleemul Huq, one of the leading campaigners on this issue and pledged that the Scottish Government will continue to work with him and others to build the case on loss and damage ahead of COP27 in Egypt.
Loss and damage was an example of Scotland’s leadership during this COP.
But ultimately Scotland can only lead and speak with credibility, if we deliver our own net zero targets.
As I reflect on the past two weeks, I feel pride in the leadership that Scotland has shown and been recognised for widely.
However, I also feel a renewed sense of responsibility to go further and faster, to face up to tough challenges as well as the relatively easy options, and to help raise the bar of world leadership more generally.
And so our focus in the months and years ahead will be firmly on delivery.
Presiding Officer,
This decade will be the most important in human history.
The actions we take between now and 2030 that will determine whether or not we bequeath a sustainable and habitable planet to those who come after us.
The stakes could not be higher – and so I absolutely understand why many are angry and frustrated that more progress was not made in Glasgow.
However the Glasgow Climate Pact does provide a basis for further action. The key test will be whether it is implemented fully and with the required urgency.
That is what all of us must focus our efforts on between now and COP27 and then beyond.
Scotland will continue, I’m sure, to play our full part.
While we can be proud of the part we played at COP26, our responsibility now is to ensure that future generations will look back and be proud of the actions we take in the months and years ahead.
To highlight the annual Respect for Shopworkers week, taking place from 15 – 21 November, retail trade union Usdaw has launched shocking statistics from their annual UK-wide survey.
Interim results from nearly 3,500 retail staff show that in the last twelve months:
89% have experienced verbal abuse,
64% were threatened by a customer,
11% were assaulted.
46% said they were not confident that reporting abuse, threats and violence will make a difference.
7% of those who had been assaulted did not report the incident.
Scottish voices from the frontline:These are some of the comments Scottish shopworkers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:
Central Scotland: “Abusive because they are having to wait in a queue or at self-scan to get alcohol or security tags taken off.”- “Have been threatened by violence once I finish work, will wait on me outside and kick my head in.”
Glasgow: “Had a bottle held over my head for my till. Been called a rat and been warned to watch myself walking home at night.” – “Customer tried to punch me, had threats of physical violence and called several demeaning names by customers.”
Highlands and Islands: “Social distancing and mask wearing have resulted in confrontations that have got particularly aggressive.”- “I have had someone throw their shopping at me when I have asked to stay 2m away.”
Lothian: “Lack of respect for requesting social distancing.” – “Multiple times I’ve had stuff thrown at me and once was kicked into a machine.” – “People insulting me or raising their voices when asked to follow basic covid regulations.”
Mid-Scotland and Fife: “We have been verbally abused regarding the safe system in place with regards to reopening our cafe.” – “Mainly shoplifters, threatening behaviour and verbal abuse.”
North East Scotland: “Mainly verbal aggressive abuse from customers. Rudeness, insults and shouting.” – “Customers argue when you explain the licensing regulations.”
South Scotland: “Sworn at, spat at, kicked at, punched at, eggs thrown at me.”- “Customer would not social distance, I got an absolute mouthful, said he knew better as he was a doctor.”
West Scotland: “Staff being grabbed by customers, threatened with knives, racially abused and received degrading comments calling us stupid little girls, worthless, and idiots.” – “Customers really think they can say whatever they want to us.”
Usdaw General Secretary Paddy Lillis says:“It is heart-breaking to hear these testimonies from Scottish shopworkers who deserve far more respect than they receive. Our latest survey results clearly show the scale of the appalling violence, threats and abuse faced by shopworkers.
“It is shocking that 9 in 10 of our members working in retail are suffering abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence. So it is extremely worrying that over half are not confident that reporting these issues will make any difference and 7% of those assaulted did not report the incident.
“The new protection of workers law in Scotland is welcome and we continue to campaign for the UK Government to follow MSPs’ lead by extending similar protections to retail staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Retail staff across the UK have a crucial role in our communities and that role must be valued and respected, they deserve the protection of the law.
“It is also clear that the new law needs to be enforced right across Scotland with the police and judiciary prioritising retail crime. Usdaw is urging retail workers across Scotland and employers to help make that happen by recording incidents and reporting them to the police. Our message is ‘report it to sort it’.”
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 16 November 2021:
Presiding Officer,
I will give an update today on the latest Covid situation and also provide an assessment of the current course of the pandemic.
First, though, today’s statistics. 2,771 positive cases were reported yesterday – 12.8% of all the tests that were carried out. 779 people are currently in hospital with Covid – which is 8 more than yesterday.
And 57 people are receiving intensive care, which is the same number as yesterday. Sadly, a further 17 deaths have been reported over the past 24 hours and that takes the total number of deaths registered under this daily definition, to 9,406. And again, I want to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.
More positively, the vaccination programme continues to make very good progress.
I can confirm that 4,331,574 people have received a first dose and 3,930,317 have now had both doses.
In total, 88% of all those over 18 are now fully vaccinated with two doses.
In addition, 76% of 16 & 17 year olds, and 56% of 12 to 15 year olds, have had a first dose. Until now, of course only a single dose has been recommended for these age groups.
But, following yesterday’s updated advice from the JCVI, we are now preparing to offer second doses to 16 & 17 year olds.
I will say a bit more about the progress of the booster programme later.
However, it is worth pointing out that on first, second and booster and third doses, Scotland is currently the most vaccinated part of the UK.
That is down of course to the incredible hard work of everyone involved in organising and delivering the programme and I want to record my thanks to each and every one of them.
Today’s weekly update of course coincides with the latest three-week review point for the remaining Covid regulations.
And so I can confirm that at our meeting earlier today the Cabinet agreed to keep the current regulations in place, with no immediate changes.
However, we also considered – though we have not yet reached final decisions on – the possibility of future changes to the Covid certification scheme and I will say more about that shortly as well.
The numbers reported in recent days here in Scotland – which I’ll come on to talk about in more detail – illustrate the need for continued precautions.
So too does the challenging situation being experienced again across Europe.
Several European countries are currently dealing with a sharp increase in cases.
Infection rates in Germany have reached their highest level since the pandemic started. The Netherlands reintroduced some Covid measures last week. Ireland has done so today. And Austria has just introduced extremely tough restrictions on people who are not fully vaccinated.
All of this is a reminder that governments everywhere are grappling with the same issues and dilemmas that we are.
The threats posed by Covid are very much still with us – even though they have been mitigated by vaccination – and the race between the virus and the vaccines has not yet been won. The situation here in Scotland also bears that out.
However, before I give an update on the overall trends in Scotland, I want to say a few words about the impact of recent events in Glasgow.
I will reflect more generally on COP26 in a further statement to parliament later this afternoon..
However, while we can’t yet draw final conclusions, I can confirm now that there is no sign so far of any significant spike in cases associated with COP26.
Rigorous measures were put in place to minimise the risks of transmission.
For example anyone entering the main summit site – the Blue Zone – had to provide evidence of a negative lateral flow test result.
Information published earlier today by Public Health Scotland suggests that of the people officially affiliated with COP26, approximately 4 in every 1,000 tested positive for Covid through routine lateral flow testing.
This contrasts with survey data for the Scottish population as a whole which suggests that last week 12 people in every 1,000 had Covid.
And in total, since 15 October, 291 people with Covid across Scotland reported attending a COP-related event – that includes satellite meetings and demonstrations, as well as the main summit itself. That represents less than half of one per cent of all those who tested positive for Covid over the past month and reported through Test and Protect.
All of this at this stage, Presiding Officer, suggests that the mitigations that were put in place for COP were effective.
And I want to put on record my thanks to delegates for their compliance and indeed to everyone who worked so hard in the run up to and during COP 26 to secure the safest possible environment.
More generally across Scotland, we have seen a gradual increase in cases over the past two weeks – from just over 2,500 new cases a day, to approximately 3,000 cases a day as this stage.
It is important to note though that this headline figure masks some distinct variations between different age groups.
For example, cases amongst under 60s increased by 14% during the past week.
And much of this increase was in people under the age of 20.
By contrast, cases in the over 60 age group fell over the past week – by 11%.
Now this is likely to be due, at least in part, to the success of the booster programme, which of course is prioritised amongst the older population and I’ll say more about that shortly.
The decline in cases amongst older people may also explain why – despite the overall increase in cases – the numbers in hospital with Covid have reduced slightly in recent weeks.
Three weeks ago, 917 patients were in hospital with Covid. Today, there are 779. And the number of people in intensive care has fallen although very slightly during that time – from 59 to 57.
However all of that said the number of patients in hospital with Covid is still extremely high. If cases continue to increase then, notwithstanding the age profile, we are likely to see hospital admissions and occupancy start to rise again.
In addition, the NHS is currently treating people who are in hospital for care which had to be delayed by earlier Covid countermeasures.
And of course as we go further into winter, we can expect other seasonal pressures – for example, flu – to increase.
All of this means that the NHS is under extreme pressure. And we continue to work closely with health boards to address and mitigate these pressures as far as we can.
The vaccination programme, of course, continues to be critical in reducing the direct health harm caused by the virus.
I mentioned a moment ago that the decline in Covid rates in older age groups – and the fall in hospital admissions – may well reflect the impact of the vaccine booster campaign.
I can confirm that more than one million booster jags have now been administered.
And over 70% of the over 70s have now had a booster.
We know that a booster jag significantly increases the effectiveness of the vaccine – so this high level of uptake is extremely important, and we will continue to push it up as far as possible.
The programme took a further step forward yesterday with the launch of the online booking portal.
Everyone aged 50 to 59 – together with unpaid carers and household contacts of the immunosuppressed and anyone eligible for a vaccine who has not yet had an appointment – can now book online at NHS Inform.
Since yesterday morning, more than 54,000 people have made online bookings.
And more than 8,000 people have made bookings through the national helpline, which can be called on 0800 030 8013. That’s 0800 030 8013.
It is of course important to remember that boosters can only be given 24 weeks after someone’s 2nd jab.
Therefore, for many in the 50 to 59 age group, appointments will only be possible from December onwards.
It is also worth pointing out that people living in Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and the NHS Highland health board areas will not use the online booking system, but instead receive information direct from their health board about local appointment arrangements.
As I mentioned earlier, the JCVI updated its advice yesterday.
In addition to recommending second doses for 16 & 17 year olds, it also recommended booster jags for people in their 40s.
I very much welcome this and the Scottish Government will now move to implement this new advice as quickly as we can. And we continue to work with health boards to ensure that the overall programme is delivered as rapidly as possible.
However it is worth taking stock of the situation as of now.
This winter vaccination programme is the largest and the most complex ever undertaken in Scotland.
However, since the first week in September more than 3 million flu and booster jags have been administered.
Take up rates have been encouraging. And this is providing vital protection as we head into winter. So, once again, I am hugely grateful to everyone helping get jags into people’s arms as quickly as possible.
And I also want to take this opportunity again to urge every single person who is eligible for vaccination – whether for a first or second jag, or a booster or 3rd jag – to take up the offer without delay. And get the flu jag too if you are eligible.
Getting vaccinated remains the single most important thing any of us can do to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities.
It is impossible to overstate how important it is to get vaccinated – so if you haven’t already, please do so now.
You could be saving your own life or the lives of your loved ones.
You will be reassuring others, including those most at risk – some of whom have clinical conditions that mean that they cannot get vaccinated themselves.
You will be helping those working in the NHS.
And you will be maximising our collective chances of getting through this winter without the need to re-introduce any restrictions.
Presiding Officer, in my view, choosing, without good reason, not to be vaccinated is deeply irresponsible. Getting vaccinated, on the other hand, is a civic duty and it is the most precious gift we can give to others at this time.
The vaccine programme is and will continue to be the bedrock of our efforts to control Covid.
However, other baseline mitigations remain in place and they are also important.
Lateral flow testing, as I mentioned earlier, appears to have been effective in limiting transmission during COP.
That should remind all of us that these tests are a really important way of detecting infection particularly in those without symptoms and therefore preventing onward spread.
So I would again encourage everyone to do a lateral flow test at least twice a week – and especially if you are attending events or mixing with people in other households.
The tests can be ordered free through NHS Inform, or collected from test sites and local pharmacies.
Face coverings also continue to be a simple and important mitigation – and remain a legal requirement on public transport, in shops and when moving around in hospitality settings.
Please also continue to work from home when that is practical.
I am today asking all employers to look again at whether more workers could be supported to do more work from home over the winter period.
Lastly, good ventilation is vital.
If any of us are having people visit our homes, we should open a window, even slightly, to let some air flow through the room.
Within the public sector we have taken significant steps to improve ventilation – for example funding for carbon dioxide monitors in schools.
And in September we announced the establishment of a £25million fund to help businesses improve ventilation.
This fund opens for applications next week. Businesses such as restaurants, bars and gyms will be able to claim back costs of up to £2,500 for measures like the installation of carbon dioxide monitors or improvements to windows and vents.
More information on eligibility has been published today on the Find Business Support website.
All of these basic mitigation measures are really important at this stage.
But of course, some of them are also valuable long-term investments.
For example, better ventilation won’t just reduce the spread of Covid – it will also help reduce the spread of other airborne viruses, now and in the future.
And there’s an important point here which is worth stressing.
When we talk – as many do these days – about ‘living with COVID’, it is important that we don’t think of this as simply giving in to the virus.
Instead, it is about making sensible changes that allow us to return both to greater normality and to better health.
Presiding Officer,
The final mitigation measure I want to talk about today is the Covid certification scheme.
It is the strong view of the Scottish Government that this – together with the other measures still in place – makes an important and proportionate contribution to stemming Covid transmission.
The value of certification is also recognised in other countries, many of which require certification for access to a much wider range of services than is currently the case in Scotland.
Wales, for example, expanded the scope of its own scheme yesterday. It now applies to theatres, cinemas and concert halls, in addition to the same range of venues as in Scotland.
The Cabinet discussed possible changes to the current certification scheme at our meeting this morning. We intend to take a final decision next Tuesday in light of the most up to date data.
In the meantime, later this week, we will publish an evidence paper and consult businesses on the practicalities of implementation should changes be made.
However, while final decisions have not yet been reached, I want to provide an update on the issues under consideration.
I should also say that we would provisionally intend for any changes we do decide to make to the scheme to take effect from December 6.
When the scheme launched on 1 October, we judged that it was not appropriate at that time – given the imperative to drive up vaccination rates – to include testing as an alternative to proof of vaccination. But we indicated that this would be kept under review.
So we will be assessing in the coming days whether, on the basis of current and projected vaccination uptake rates, we are now in a position to amend the scheme so that in addition to showing evidence of vaccination to access a venue, there will also be the option of providing evidence of a recent negative test result.
That is already a feature of many other countries’ certification schemes.
We are also considering whether an expansion of the scheme to cover more settings would be justified and prudent given the current state of the pandemic. Again let me stress that we have not at this stage taken a decision to extend the reach of the scheme.
However, to allow us to engage openly with businesses in the coming days about the pros, cons and practicalities, I can confirm that the kinds of settings that might be in scope would be indoor cinemas, theatres, and some other licensed and hospitality premises.
We would, of course, retain exemptions for those under 18; for those who cannot be vaccinated or tested for medical reasons; for people on clinical trials; and for those who work at events or in venues subject to the scheme. Exceptions would also be retained for worship, weddings, funerals and related gatherings.
I will give a further update on this in next week’s statement. And if we decide to propose any amendments to the regulations on certification, Parliament will have the opportunity to discuss and debate these amendments.
Presiding Officer,
I am acutely aware that many businesses want us to remove mitigations – including certification – not extend or tighten them.
I understand that. But all of our decisions are and must be motivated by a desire to keep people safe but also to get through what will be a challenging winter without having to re-introduce any restrictions on trade. We want if possible businesses to stay fully open over Christmas and through the winter, while also keeping Covid under control.
If an expansion of Covid certification can help us do that, it would be irresponsible not to consider it.
Presiding Officer
As the detail of this statement makes clear – and as the situation across Europe also shows – the need to carefully manage this pandemic still deprives us of any easy options.
While we hope very much to get through winter without re-introducing any further restrictions, as some other countries are now starting to do, we do have a duty to keep proportionate options under review and we will do so.
To assist with and give an insight into the factors guiding our considerations, we are also publishing an updated strategic framework today.
This covers in more detail many of the issues I have already summarized.
One of the points it reiterates is that all of us across society – individuals, businesses and other organisations – must continue to play our part in helping curb the spread of the virus.
For that reason, Cabinet Secretaries are continuing to work with COSLA, individual local authorities and businesses on the actions we need to take to reduce transmission – preferably without additional restrictions.
And I will close again by reiterating what we can all do to protect ourselves and each other.
So firstly, please do get vaccinated if you are eligible and haven’t yet done so. As I mentioned earlier, that includes going for a booster jag when you are invited.
It is never too late to get vaccinated. And it remains the single most important thing any of us can do right now.
Second, please test regularly with lateral flow devices. These, of course, can be ordered through the NHS Inform website, or collected from a local test site or pharmacies.
If you test positive, or are identified as a close contact, or have symptoms of the virus, please self-isolate and book a PCR test.
And third, please comply with the mitigations still in place.
Work from home when that is possible, wear face coverings in indoor public places – shops and public transport and when moving about in hospitality.
Wash hands and surfaces thoroughly.
And meet outdoors if that is possible. That obviously gets harder through the winter – but it is the case that outdoor environments are safer than indoors.
And when you are meeting indoors, try to open windows – anything to improve ventilation will help.
All of these precautions do still make a difference. They will protect us and those around us, and they will help to ease the burden on our NHS.
So I ask everyone to continue to stick with them and thank everyone for doing so.
Edinburgh Writers featured in Scottish Book Trust’s free Celebration book
A collection of true stories written by people from all over Scotland
Scottish Book Trust has released a free new publication entitled Celebration, in honour of the tenth annual Book Week Scotland. A writer and two writing groups from Edinburgh will have their stories and poems featured in the book.
Book Week Scotland is the country’s biggest celebration of reading and writing and it returns for its tenth year on Monday 15 November to Sunday 21 November.
During Book Week, people of all ages and walks of life come together to share the joy of reading. They are joined in this celebration by Scotland’s authors, poets, playwrights, storytellers and illustrators to bring a packed programme of events and projects to life.
Due to the programme’s special anniversary, this year’s free publication takes on the subject of celebration. 50,000 free copies of the Celebration book, which includes real life stories from people around the country, will be available from libraries, schools and other community venues.
Hundreds of stories from across the country were collected, but only 22 were selected by a panel for inclusion in the Celebration book.
Edinburgh will be represented in the book, with two group poems and a story written by Edinburgh-based writers: How I Celebrate by the Edinburgh Syrian Women’s Group, Revelry by the Open Book Creative Writing Group and A Life Well Lived by Julie Drybrough.
Published authors such as Courtney Stoddart and A Kind of Spark’s Elle McNicoll were also commissioned to write stories about what celebration means to them.
All stories can be read on Scottish Book Trust’s website:
A downloadable version of the book will also be available during Book Week Scotland.
Working in partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People, writers included in the book also had the opportunity to record their story for an audiobook version.
Julie Drybrough, author of A Life Well Lived, from Edinburgh said: “It’s meant such a lot to be involved in the Celebration project and be supported by Scottish Book Trust.
“First, to have the piece published on the website felt like recognition and encouragement, but then to be selected for being published in the anthology was an incredible boost for my confidence as a writer. I’m so proud to be involved in this project and very grateful to Scottish Book Trust for the opportunities they create. What a joy.”
The Celebration book includes a selection of stories about what celebration means to the writers included, with the book featuring stories from many different backgrounds and cultures.
The stories included are:
· Celebration: A Definition by Abiy Orr, from Strichen · Mon the Rovers by Alan Gillespie, from Glasgow · Bloom by Ali MacDougall, from East Linton · Celebrating is as easy as ABC by Alison Coyle, from Clarkston · Mum’s Shoes by Britta Benson, from Cumbernauld · How I Celebrate, Group Poem by Edinburgh Syrian Women’s Group · Gordon’s Waddin by Harry, from Newton Mearns · Stories and Self by Jacqueline Boland, from Dundee · Blowing Kisses by Jan McKay, from Newcraighall · A Celebration of Life by Jane Swanson, from Peterculter · An Ordinary Day by Marriane Berghuis, from Cupar · A Life Well Lived by Julie Drybrough, from Edinburgh · 4 Cubed by Kathryn Byre, from St. Andrews · Another Step Along the Road by Kirsty Hammond, from Darvel · Painted Nails by Lisa C, from Glasgow · Running For It by Louise Baillie, from Stewarton · Fifty by Lynn Blair, from Kilmarnock · Hello, Hello, Hello! What do we have here, Sir? by Mary Topp, from Connel · Celebration in Recovery by Matthew Gallacher, from Glasgow · Revelry, Group Poem by Open Book Creative Writing Group, from Edinburgh · A Sealabration by Rachael Crofts, from Musselburgh · Friday Night Treat by Simon Lamb, from Prestwick.
The commissioned stories included are:
Celebrate by Courtney Stoddart
Celebrate by Elle McNicoll
Aisig dhomh gàirdeachas do shlàinte by Eoghan Stewart
Armàda by Morag Law
Wales by Ross Sayers
Initiated by the Scottish Government and supported by National Lottery funds through Creative Scotland Targeted Funding, Book Week Scotland is delivered by Scottish Book Trust and its partners fromMonday 15 November to Sunday 21 November.
There are free events taking place across many different local authorities and online, funded by Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC).
For more information about Book Week Scotland 2021 and how you can get involved, visit http://www.bookweekscotland.com where you can find information about all the events taking place in your local area.
Innovative projects to reopen some of the libraries that closed during the pandemic, set up wellbeing cafes or provide home library services have received more than £1 million in funding.
The Scottish Government’s £1.25 million Public Library COVID Relief Fund will support 23 projects around the country to re-connect communities with their libraries.
Applications were made through the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) and allocations will also support reading and STEM education programmes.
While priority was given to applications which support deprived areas and communities, all library services across Scotland were invited to apply for the fund.
Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “These funding allocations will support public libraries across Scotland. Libraries that closed because of the pandemic will re-open and others will be able to widen the services that they offer their local communities.
“Libraries are so much more than a place to borrow books. This fund will see the provision of community-centred projects aimed at, among other things, reducing social isolation, promoting mental wellbeing and reducing the poverty-related attainment gap.
“This funding is part of the Government’s wider aspiration to drive a cultural recovery for our communities. I look forward to seeing how libraries use this support to benefit their local area and to working with the library sector on our future recovery plans”.
Scottish Library and Information Council Chair Ian Ruthven said: “Public libraries are an essential part of Scotland’s social fabric, supporting and inspiring people to fulfil their potential for over 150 years.
“Improving mental wellbeing, tackling social isolation and closing the digital divide are some of the key aims of public libraries. The Public Library COVID Relief Fund will allow local public libraries to reconnect with their communities and offer these much-valued services.”
The Public Library COVID Relief Fund was announced as part of the Programme for Government and all local authority library services were able to apply for funding.
Edinburgh receives £33,100 for a co-creation project with young adults in collaboration with a number of key stakeholders. Activities will focus on STEM and digital projects but will be driven by the young people themselves within the 20% most deprived Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) areas.
Edinburgh Letting Agency Clan Gordon receives nationwide recognition at 2021 allAgents Awards
At the 12 November allAgents Awards black tie event at the Queen’s Hotel in Leeds, Edinburgh letting agency Clan Gordon was named as ‘Best Lettings Agent in Edinburgh’, ‘Best Lettings Agent in Scotland’ and ‘Best Overall Agent in Edinburgh and Scotland’.
The allAgents Awards are the UK’s Top Customer Property Review Awards and each winner is chosen through customer votes.
Amanda Lamb, property expert and allAgents Awards host said: “Coming from an estate agency background I know and appreciate just how important customer reviews are in this competitive industry and what receiving recognition from the industry’s very own ‘Tripadvisor’ will mean to the winning agencies.”
Clan Gordon’s Managing Director Jonathan Gordon said: “All awards are important but ones that are voted for by customers are the most valuable because they are a firm assurance that we’re getting things right.
“To beat all other estate and letting agents in the Edinburgh and Scotland categories to the overall title is an amazing achievement and the Clan Gordon team should be proud of the contribution they have made at an extremely difficult time.
“The pandemic posed huge problems for the property sector, but we met them head-on, quickly adapting to home working for our employees and installing a high-tech new telephone system to ensure customers were not adversely impacted.
“We also switched to virtual viewings and made sure our services continued safely within the guidelines issued by the government. This investment has been recognised with these awards and we are extremely proud of the achievement.”
To find out more about Clan Gordon or to schedule a call visit:
– New products include a Pig in Duvet Croissant, a Festive Turkey Slice and a Christmas Dinner Pasty with a whole pig in blanket hidden in the middle –
– Prices start from just £1.25 –
– Available in store now on Morrisons Market Street –
Morrisons has revealed our much-anticipated festive menu at our Market Street Pie Counter.
Available now, new additions on offer this year are a Pig in Duvet Croissant, a Christmas Dinner Pasty and a Festive Turkey Slice. We’re also bringing back our customer favourites: Pork and Bramley Apple Sausage Rolls, Pork and Black Pudding Rolls and Brie and Cranberry Rolls.
Prices for our festive Market Street Pie Shop menu start at just £1.25 – cheaper than other similar options available in high-street bakery chains.
Our foodmakers have been busy ensuring that there are no soggy bottoms, getting the perfect ratio of sauce to filling to pastry and hand-crimping each product.
Highlight products include:
MorrisonsMarket Street Christmas Dinner Pasty (£2): British turkey breast, Cornish potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cranberries, sage and onion stuffing, a whole hidden pig in blanket and rich turkey gravy are all packed into flaky pastry – making it the ultimate Christmas dinner on the go.
Morrisons Market Street Pig in Duvet Croissant (£1.50): British pork sausage, wrapped in bacon, topped with cranberry sauce and nestled in a delicious pastry duvet. This twist on a Christmas classic is the perfect breakfast pick-me-up.
Morrisons Market Street Festive Christmas Slice (£1.25 each or two for £2): British turkey, sage and onion stuffing, cranberry sauce, and potato and encased in a golden pastry.
Mark Pearson, Buying Manager at Morrisons, said: “We believe it’s never too early to get into the festive spirit. We’ve listened to customer feedback on the products we offered last year and have spent the last 12 months developing these exciting additions to our pie shop menu which we hope our customers will love.
“The range is great for purchasing on the go, or as a treat to share with friends and family to spread some Christmas cheer.”
Our Pie Shop Festive Christmas range is available nationwide in all Morrisons stores with a Market Street.
Morrisons Market Street is what helps make us unique. On Market Street, customers can find products freshly prepared in store, butchers who will cut their meat just how they like it, fish fresh from the boat and bread baked from scratch.
From bakers, to butchers, to fishmongers and florists, we consider our foodmakers and shopkeepers to be the best in the business and they are happy to offer customers lots of tips and advice on how to prepare and cook the ingredients they’re buying.
✓ 30 of the 32 local authority areas continue to see prices rise over the year
✓ Monthly growth rates are softening
✓ Top 5 local authority areas by value all set new record average price levels
Produced by Acadata on behalf of
Alan Penman, Business Development Manager at Walker Fraser Steele, comments: “At the end of August we reported that the average Scottish house price stood at £211,029 – at that point a new record high.
“This September we have seen the upward momentum continue. Scotland’s average house price at the end of September stands at £212,832, which sets yet another record, having risen by some £2,200 – or 1.0% – in the month.
“Five local authority areas in September were responsible for 58% of the positive movement in Scotland’s average house price. The five areas concerned, in order of influence, were South Lanarkshire, the City of Edinburgh, Glasgow City, East Dunbartonshire and Highland.
“More generally prices rose in 19 of the 32 Local Authority areas in Scotland. The largest increase in average prices, of 6.3%, was in Inverclyde. In second place on the mainland was East Dunbartonshire, with an increase in prices of 5.2%.
“There were plenty of high-value sales in East Dunbartonshire, with a number of detached sales taking place in Bearsden – located approximately six miles to the North West of Glasgow – the most expensive being on the Roman Road, priced at £1.3 million.
“This underlines how property at the top-end continues to underpin this growth as people opt for more space and continue to embrace working from home. September often provides momentum to the market too as it is not untypical for families to reassess their needs as the new school year gets underway.”
Commentary: John Tindale, Acadata Senior Housing Analyst
The September housing market
Scotland’s average house price at the end of September stood at £212,832, which sets yet another record, having risen by some £2,200 – or 1.0% – in the month. The 1.0% growth rate represents a slight softening from the 1.7% seen in August.
On an annual basis, average house prices have increased by close to £25,000 – or 13.2% – over the last twelve months. This is the highest rate of all four nations, and nine regions in the United Kingdom.
It doesn’t come as too much of a surprise to learn that house prices rose in September. Looking at the last seventeen years, house prices in Scotland have increased on thirteen occasions in September. Estate Agents frequently mention that housing activity picks up towards the end of the school holidays, as families potentially reassess their housing needs at the start of the new school year.
In addition, this year we also have the added impetus of the lifestyle changes associated with the pandemic and “working from home”, which has brought about a shift in housing preferences for larger properties, with space for home-working becoming a prime requirement.
The demand for larger premises has continued throughout September, and for some includes moving to Scotland from London, or from other major cities in the UK and beyond. However, the supply of larger homes coming to the market currently remains relatively low, which results in strong competition for those properties that do become available, hence keeping prices high.
We can see that prices reached a mini-peak in March 2021, immediately prior to the ending of the LBTT tax holiday on 1 April 2021. Average prices then started to fall, as buyers of high-value properties reduced in number (see Table 2). However, the reduction in high-value sales only continued through April and May, with June, July and August seeing a return of the higher-value transactions.
In July, August and September 2021, we can see that prices once again regained their earlier momentum seen during the second half of 2020, despite the savings arising from the LBTT tax holiday no longer being available.
Figure 1. The average house price in Scotland, for the period September 2019 to September 2021
Transactions analysis
Monthly transaction counts
The fall in the number of transactions for the period March 2020 to August 2020 is clearly visible. However, what is also clearly demonstrated is that the number of sales for each month from September 2020 to March 2021 has surpassed that of the same month in the previous six years.
In addition, the spike in sales that took place in March 2021 – as the tax holiday expiry date approached – is plain, although this total was exceeded by the volume of sales in October and November 2020, when monthly sales during the pandemic reached their peak.
Also clear is the fall in sales in April 2021, to levels below those in all previous years except for 2016 and 2020, indicating the extent to which buyers had managed to bring forward their purchases into March 2021 to take advantage of the tax holiday.
For the record, the peak in sales in March 2016 was also tax-related, and came one month ahead of the introduction of the then 3% LBTT surcharge (now 4%) on second homes and buy-to-let properties, which tax was pre-announced to commence from April 2016.
Sales volumes in April and May 2021 remained lower than the equivalent months in 2017 and 2019, and appear to have been roughly on a par with the levels seen in 2018. However, in July 2021 the number of properties sold once again appears to have been higher than the same months in the previous six years, although sales in August 2021 returned to 2017 levels.
Comparing total sales in 2020 with those of 2019, there was a 14% fall in the overall size of the market. However, looking at the number of transactions for the first eight months of 2021, and comparing with the same period in 2019 (2020 figures are distorted by the lockdown in the early stages of the pandemic), sales are up by 11%, although this does include the spike in March 2021, which will have enhanced the 2021 figures.
