Month: February 2022

Levelling Up: More than a slogan?

Government finally unveils ten year plan that ‘will transform UK’

  • Twelve bold national levelling up missions, given status in law, will shift government focus and resources to Britain’s forgotten communities throughout 2020s
  • Biggest shift of power from Whitehall to local leaders in modern times announced – every part of England to get ‘London style’ powers and mayor if they wish to
  • Starting gun fired on decade-long project to level up Britain, with radical new policies announced across the board
  • Domestic public investment in Research & Development to increase by at least 40% across the North, Midlands, South West, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

Today (2 February 2022) the Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove will unveil the government’s flagship Levelling Up White Paper. This document will set out a plan to transform the UK by spreading opportunity and prosperity to all parts of it.

The White Paper will set out a complete ‘system change’ of how government works that will be implemented to level up the UK.

At the heart of this new way of making and implementing policy will be 12 ‘bold, national missions’ – all quantifiable and to be achieved by 2030.

These missions (in full below) are the policy objectives for levelling up, and thus form the heart of the government’s agenda for the 2020s. They will be given status in law in a flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

These missions will be cross-government, cross-society efforts. The first mission, for instance, will see pay, employment, and productivity grow everywhere, and the disparities between the top and worst performing areas narrow. This is the first time a government has placed narrowing spatial economic disparities at the heart of its agenda before.

The Research & Development (R&D) mission will see domestic public R&D investment outside the Greater South East increase by at least 40% by 2030, with these funds leveraging a huge increase in private investment in these areas too.

By 2030, other missions will see:

  • the rest of the country’s local public transport systems becoming much closer to London standards
  • the large majority of the country gain access to 5G broadband
  • illiteracy and innumeracy in primary school leavers effectively eliminated – focussing the government’s education efforts on the most disadvantaged parts of the country

Other missions will see: hundreds of thousands more people completing high quality skills training every year, gross disparities in healthy life expectancy narrowed, the number of poor quality rented homes halved, the most run down town centres and communities across the country rejuvenated, a significant decrease in serious crime in the most blighted areas, and every part of England getting a ‘London-style’ devolution deal if they wish to.

The UK government will do whatever it can to achieve these missions. Government’s resources, energy, and focus throughout the 2020s will be re-oriented around achieving them – and thus squarely focussed on helping the people and parts of the country most struggling. Whilst the missions are UK-wide ambitions, in the many instances where they are driven by devolved policy levers, the UK government wishes to work hand in hand with the devolved governments to achieve them.

The missions will be underpinned by a suite of public metrics to track progress and monitor the evolution of spatial disparities. The UK government will legislate such that it has a statutory duty to publish an annual report updating the public on the progress of these missions, with a new Levelling Up Advisory Council including members such as Sir Paul Collier, renowned economist at Oxford’s Blavatnik’s School of Government, providing further support and constructive analysis.

Other parts of the ‘system change’ include: all policy across Whitehall being aligned with the levelling up agenda and therefore subject to spatial analysis, and a transformation of the government’s approach to data and evaluation – with a new independent body created to improve transparency of local government performance.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: “The United Kingdom is an unparalleled success story. We have one of the world’s biggest and most dynamic economies. Ours is the world’s most spoken language. We have produced more Nobel Prize winners than any country other than America.

“But not everyone shares equally in the UK’s success. For decades, too many communities have been overlooked and undervalued. As some areas have flourished, others have been left in a cycle of decline. The UK has been like a jet firing on only one engine.

“Levelling Up and this White Paper is about ending this historic injustice and calling time on the postcode lottery.

“This will not be an easy task, and it won’t happen overnight, but our 12 new national levelling up missions will drive real change in towns and cities across the UK, so that where you live will no longer determine how far you can go.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “From day one, the defining mission of this government has been to level up this country, to break the link between geography and destiny so that no matter where you live you have access to the same opportunities.

“The challenges we face have been embedded over generations and cannot be dug out overnight, but this White Paper is the next crucial step.

“It is a vision for the future that will see public spending on R&D increased in every part of the country; transport connectivity improving; faster broadband in every community; life expectancies rising; violent crime falling; schools improving; and private sector investment being unleashed.

“It is the most comprehensive, ambitious plan of its kind that this country has ever seen and it will ensure that the government continues to rise to the challenge and deliver for the people of the UK.”

‘Huge shift of power’ from Whitehall to local leaders

The UK government recognises that if it tries to level up the UK alone, it will fail. That is why the White Paper will detail the largest devolution of power from Whitehall to local leaders across England in modern times.

The government recognises the strong local leadership mayors like Andy Street, Ben Houchen and Andy Burnham have shown, and wishes to replicate this success across England.

Fundamental to this ‘devolution revolution’ will be a new model for England with more mayors for those areas that want one.

The UK Government will invite the first 9 areas to agree new county deals and seek to agree further MCA deals, extending devolution across England. The first 9 areas invited to begin negotiations will be Cornwall, Derbyshire & Derby, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, Durham, Hull & East Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Norfolk, Nottinghamshire & Nottingham, and Suffolk.

The White Paper announces negotiations for a new Mayoral Combined Authority deal for York and North Yorkshire and expanded Mayoral Combined Authority deal for the North East, as well as negotiations for ‘trailblazer’ devolution deals with the West Midlands and Greater Manchester to extend their powers – with these deals acting as blueprints for other Mayoral Combined Authorities to follow.

By 2030, every part of England that wishes to have a ‘London-style’ devolution deal will have one.

The local devolution mission is relevant in England only, but the wider policy programme will see decentralisation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to local areas in Scotland and Wales.

‘Radical new policy’ to level up announced

The White Paper represents a long term plan to transform the UK, but it also sets out the first steps the government is taking to achieve this:

Boosting pay and productivity, especially in places where they are lagging

  • To contribute towards domestic public investment in R&D outside the Greater South East increasing by at least 40% by 2030, the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have committed to invest at least 55% of their domestic R&D funding outside the Greater South East by 2024/5. Commitments to increase public investment have been made by DHSC, MOD, DfT and Defra. For instance, the Department for Health and Social Care will be increasing their medical research investment outside London, Oxford and Cambridge.
  • The White Paper also announces 3 new Innovation Accelerators, major place-based centres of innovation, centred on Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, and Glasgow-City Region. These clusters of innovation will see local businesses and researchers in these areas backed by £100 million of new government funding to turbo-charge local growth, learning from the MIT-Greater Boston and Stanford-Silicon Valley models.
  • The document further sets out the government’s intention to mobilise £16 billion of the Local Government Pension Scheme for investments in local projects – recognising that too much at present is invested outside the UK.
  • The government will fund ambitious plans for bus improvements in areas where this can make the most impact, including the mayoral city-regions, Stoke-on-Trent, Derbyshire and Warrington.

Spreading opportunities and improving public services, especially where they are weakest

  • 55 Education Investment Areas (EIAs) will be designated in local authorities in England where school outcomes are currently weakest. These areas, 95% of which are outside London and the South East, will benefit from intensive investment and support. This will ensure the worst off schools of the North, Midlands, South West and East of England receive the most support over this decade. They will be supported by the Department for Education (DfE) offering retention payments to schools in these areas ensuring they can retain the best teachers. And will be prioritised for new specialist sixth form free schools that will ensure talented children from disadvantaged backgrounds have access to the highest standard of education this country offers.
  • Local Skills Improvement Plans will be rolled out with funding across England, giving local employer bodies and stakeholders a statutory role in planning skills training in their area, to better meet local labour market needs.
  • The government will set out its strategy to tackle the core drivers of health inequalities through a new White Paper on Health Disparities published this year.
  • Recommendations will be taken forward from Henry Dimbleby’s review towards a National Food Strategy. DfE will work with the Food Standards Agency to pilot measures to ensure greater compliance with the school food standards. The government will pilot the Community Eat Well programme, enabling GPs to prescribe exercise and healthy food.

Restoring local pride

  • The government will support 20 of our towns and city centres, starting off with Wolverhampton and Sheffield, undertaking ambitious, King’s Cross-style regeneration projects, transforming derelict urban sites into beautiful communities. This work will be spearheaded by Homes England, which will be repurposed to, in addition to its existing functions, regenerate towns and cities.
  • The ‘80/20 rule’ which leads to 80% of government funding for housing supply being directed at ‘maximum affordability areas’ – in practice, London and the South East – will be scrapped, with much of the £1.8 billion brownfield funding instead being diverted to transforming brownfield sites in the North and Midlands. The Metro Mayors will be allocated £120 million of this funding.
  • The government will announce a plan that for the first time ever, all homes in the Private Rented Sector will have to meet a minimum standard – the Decent Homes Standard. Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will further be abolished, ending the unfair situation where renters can be kicked out of their homes for no reason. We will consult on introducing a landlords register, and will set out plans for a crackdown on rogue landlords – making sure fines and bans stop repeat offenders leaving renters in terrible conditions.
  • Home ownership will be boosted due to a new £1.5 billion Levelling Up Home Building Fund being launched, which will provide loans to SMEs and support the UK government’s wider regeneration agenda in areas that are a priority for levelling up.
  • The government will further commit to building more genuinely affordable social housing. A new Social Housing Regulation Bill will deliver upon the commitments the government made following the Grenfell tragedy in 2017.
  • The White Paper will commit the government to significantly increasing cultural spending outside the capital, and commit that 100% of the Arts Council England funding uplift agreed at the latest Spending Review will be spent outside London.
  • A new National Youth Guarantee will be launched so that by 2025 every young person in England will have access to regular out of school activities, adventures away from home, and opportunities to volunteer.
  • A review of the Community Ownership Fund will occur so that more fans can take control of their vital local assets such as football club grounds. A £230 million investment in grassroots football will be delivered, with funding this year to deliver 850 pitches in England alone with further funding to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
  • £44 million will be unlocked from the Dormant Assets Scheme to support charities, social enterprises, and vulnerable individuals. With a consultation on the best causes for a further £880 million later this year, which will include a community wealth fund, youth and social investment.
  • The White Paper will announce 68 more local authorities to be supported by the High Streets Task Force to transform their town centres.
  • The government will give local authorities the power to require landlords of empty shops to fill them if they have been left vacant for too long.
  • £50 million from the Safer Streets Fund will be invested every year to give Police and Crime Commissioners, local authorities, and also certain civil society organisations in England and Wales the resources they need to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
  • To ensure those who transgress repair the damage they cause, £93 million will be invested in scaling up the amount of unpaid work that offenders to around 8 million hours per year – 1.75 million hours higher than any time since records began in 2015. Police officers will also gain the power to deal with noise nuisance.
  • Building on investment from the 10-year Drugs Strategy, the government will work intensively with the local authorities of 10-20 areas most affected by prolific neighbourhood crime.

Empowering local leaders

In addition to the policies announced above, such as offering a ‘London-style’ devolution settlement to every part of England:

  • Announcing for the first time a new devolution framework which sets out a clear menu of options for places in England that wish to unlock the benefits of devolution, whether that is moving towards a London-style transport system to connect people to opportunity, improving local skills provision, or being able to act more flexibly and innovatively to respond to local need.
  • The £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be decentralised to local leaders as far as possible, with investments set to regenerate communities, boost people’s skills, and support local businesses.
  • A commitment to vastly simplify the local growth funding landscape to allow local leaders to drive tangible, visible change in their communities.

Stephen Phipson, Chief Executive of Make UK, said: “Manufacturers will enthusiastically embrace this strategy which is a vital building block in spreading growth to all parts of the UK.

“The sector has a significant presence in exactly the areas which need levelling up and is playing a vital role in delivering high value skills. While there is substantially more to be done, this focus on skills and innovation, together with an emphasis on infrastructure and place, is the right starting point and one that industry will back.”

The 12 Missions to Level Up the UK

1. By 2030, pay, employment and productivity will have risen in every area of the UK, with each containing a globally competitive city, with the gap between the top performing and other areas closing.

2. By 2030, domestic public investment in Research & Development outside the Greater South East will increase by at least 40% and at least one third over the Spending Review period, with that additional government funding seeking to leverage at least twice as much private sector investment over the long term to stimulate innovation and productivity growth.

3. By 2030, local public transport connectivity across the country will be significantly closer to the standards of London, with improved services, simpler fares and integrated ticketing.

4. By 2030, the UK will have nationwide gigabit-capable broadband and 4G coverage, with 5G coverage for the majority of the population.

5. By 2030, the number of primary school children achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths will have significantly increased. In England, this will mean 90% of children will achieve the expected standard, and the percentage of children meeting the expected standard in the worst performing areas will have increased by over a third.

6. By 2030, the number of people successfully completing high-quality skills training will have significantly increased in every area of the UK. In England, this will lead to 200,000 more people successfully completing high-quality skills training annually, driven by 80,000 more people completing courses in the lowest skilled areas.

7. By 2030, the gap in Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) between local areas where it is highest and lowest will have narrowed, and by 2035 HLE will rise by 5 years.

8. By 2030, well-being will have improved in every area of the UK, with the gap between top performing and other areas closing.

9. By 2030, pride in place, such as people’s satisfaction with their town centre and engagement in local culture and community, will have risen in every area of the UK, with the gap between the top performing and other areas closing.

10. By 2030, renters will have a secure path to ownership with the number of first-time buyers increasing in all areas; and the government’s ambition is for the number of non-decent rented homes to have fallen by 50%, with the biggest improvements in the lowest performing areas.

11. By 2030, homicide, serious violence, and neighbourhood crime will have fallen, focused on the worst-affected areas.

12. By 2030, every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal with powers at or approaching the highest level of devolution and a simplified, long-term funding settlement.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR SCOTLAND?

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove, will write to the leaders of the devolved administrations to invite them to work together to deliver for people across the UK.

Proposals will include using the new structures created in the landmark Intergovernmental Relations Review to drive collaboration to overcome geographical disparities and the creation of a new body to share evidence and analyse success in devolved policy areas across the UK.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “I welcome the publication of the Levelling Up White Paper and urge the Scottish Government and local partners to work closely with us improving lives across Scotland.

“Initiatives such as the Glasgow City-Region becoming an Innovation Accelerator, unlocking access to a share of £100 million of new funding, will help Scotland continue its vital role in keeping the UK at the forefront of global science and research.

“Thanks to locally led partnerships working closely with the UK Government, the region will become a major innovation cluster delivering high end jobs. This, along with the UK Government’s commitment to invest £20 billion research and development budget outside the Greater South East of England, is great news for Scotland and the wider UK as we deliver on our levelling up commitments.”

Amongst the UK-wide policies the UK Government will drive are:

  • A 40% increase in domestic public investment in R&D outside the Greater South East of England by 2030. The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have committed to invest at least 55% of their domestic R&D funding outside the Greater South East by 2024/5.
  • Decentralisation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to local areas in Scotland and Wales.
  • Nationwide gigabit-capable broadband and 4G coverage across the UK and 5G coverage for most of the population.

Fort Community Centre set to host Leith Library services

The city council is looking at how they can offer alternative locations for library services on a temporary basis for the communities where buildings are currently being used as COVID Testing Centres – principally Leith, Oxgangs and Newington Libraries.

Work to take forward plans to prepare and adapt the space available in Fort Community Centre has already started, which will allow some library services to restart alongside the Early Years Centre in North Fort Street.   

The community centre is just a six minute walk from Leith Library and, once ready, will aim to provide the following services:

  • customers borrowing, returning and reserving library stock
  • bus pass applications
  • Hey Girls sanitary provision
  • hearing Aid batteries
  • food recycling bags
  • Bookbug under 5s rhyme times for children and their parents/ carers

CEC is also looking at ways to provide adult group activities in the building subject to Covid guidance. The intention is for the services to be running from Monday to Saturday and to build up the opening hours to closely match existing Leith Library ones.  

More information will be provided soon, as the plans are developed further. Work is also underway to identify suitable alternative properties in the Oxgangs and Newington areas for their library services.

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “I’m really pleased we’ll be able to relocate these essential services to the Fort Community Centre, which is only a few minutes walk from the existing Leith Library building, on a temporary basis until we get Leith Library back fully functioning.  

“There is so much more to libraries in addition to borrowing books – they are trusted and much-loved hubs and bring local communities together. Although our online provision during the pandemic has been incredibly successful there’s no substitute for physical access.”

Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener, said: “I’m sure the local community will be delighted to hear that the services provided by Leith Library will soon be available from the nearby Fort Community Centre. All our libraries are centres of learning and information and are also essential for the wellbeing of our citizens.

“We’re actively looking at how we can provide more services for our other communities where libraries are being used as test centres and we’ll do everything we can to get these up and running as well. I want to thank all the hard work and efforts from the various Council teams who worked so hard to achieve this.”

Survey reveals Scots top tips for tackling the winter blues

With the winter months proving a depressing time for many, a new survey conducted by vape brand, blu, has revealed Scots’ favourite ways to boost their mood.

While the New Year may offer a ray of light for some in these dark times, the research shows that almost half of Scots (42%) feel their lowest in January and February.

Somewhat unsurprisingly for Scotland, the main reason for feeling low at this time of year is the dismal weather, with almost two thirds (61%) saying poor weather gets them down.

With a flurry of bad news around COVID-19 and the rising cost of living bombarding Scots 24/7, the news came a close second with half of respondents (51%) saying it has a negative effect on their mood, closely followed by money woes at 44%.

In a bid to combat all these negative vibes, the survey highlights the top ways the Scottish lift their mood and tackle the winter blues. Topping the list at half (50%) of respondents is listening to music, as they look for a way to escape from the doom and gloom experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With food and drink recognised by over half (58%) as having a positive impact on their mood, 42% of respondents say they’ll be eating tasty treats – it seems that healthy eating resolutions may have been put aside in a bid to feel better!

Socialising was seen by almost half (48%) as another great mood boosting tactic, with 42% looking to spend more time with friends and family.

Almost two fifths (36%) of Scots exercise in order to boost their mood, while over a quarter (28%) have an alcoholic drink to cope with the gloom, shedding any dry January resolutions. Indulging in a bit retail therapy was the choice of 19% of respondents.

Making a getaway from the workplace is another big focus with nearly a fifth of respondents (18%) booking time off work.

Colette Flowerdew-Kincaid, Digital Content Manager at blu says: “It’s great to see the resilient and positive approach people take in boosting their mood to battle winter blues.

“Listening to music topped the list. Seeing friends and family is another popular way to banish the blues, with many looking to make up for lost time due to COVID-19. The important thing is to recognise that we might be low in winter and to be kind to ourselves, as well as others.”

Research Summary

Top things that have a positive impact on mood:

·       Good weather – 73% Scotland / 76% UK

·       Food & Drink – 58% Scotland / 60% UK

·       Social life – 48% Scotland / 49% UK

Top things that have a negative impact on mood:

·       Bad weather – 61% Scotland / 60% UK

·       The news – 51% Scotland / 50% UK

·       Money situation – 44% Scotland / 44% UK

Top ways to lift your mood:

·       Listening to music – 50% Scotland / 49% UK

·       Spending time with friends and family – 42% Scotland / 40% UK

·       Eating something tasty – 42% Scotland / 38% UK

·       Do some exercise – 36% Scotland / 28% UK

·       Have an alcoholic drink – 28% Scotland / 23% UK

·       Retail therapy – 20% Scotland / 21% UK

·       Take time off work – 18% Scotland / 14% UK

For more top tips on how to beat the winter blues, check out the latest blog at blu.com.

Westminster Parliament’s underground secrets to be examined

Small businesses appointed to next stage of restoration work

  • Experts will dig boreholes to carry out underground investigations and carry out archaeological digs, look at how best to repair crumbling historic stonework, and inspect asbestos in more detail.
  • Suppliers from across the country will carry out in-depth survey work, with two thirds classed as small and medium sized businesses.
  • Palace of Westminster investigations are vital to continue developing most detailed record of Parliament ever created ahead of essential restoration programme.

Engineers and construction experts planning the essential work to save the failing Palace of Westminster will soon be unearthing the 150-year-old building’s secrets as part of the next stage of detailed and in-depth investigations.

Investigators will carry out dozens of detailed building surveys, looking at historic stonework, digging boreholes to carry out underground examinations, carrying out archaeological digs, and mapping out asbestos in more detail.

Tens of thousands of hours of building surveys have already been carried out as the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Programme, set up in law to save and restore the building, develops a detailed plan that will for the first time set out costs and timescales for the essential work. Parliament will be invited to approve this detailed plan next year.

In recent months, surveyors have been looking at a range of issues, including crumbling stonework and cracking ceilings. Over the Christmas recess, dozens of experts surveyed hundreds of areas for potential asbestos. Next month, teams will carry out a further 19 studies over Parliament’s February recess period.

The next phase will see engineers and surveyors undertaking larger and more in-depth surveys to understand the condition of Parliament in far greater detail than ever before. This work is essential as the restoration programme develops the detailed and costed restoration plan which Parliament will be invited to approve next year.

Experts will dig around 20 boreholes to develop an understanding of the ground conditions at the Palace of Westminster to assist in ongoing design work.

Elsewhere, building measuring devices will be installed across Parliament to monitor any structural movement. Specialist teams will continue to inspect the hundreds of miles of power cables, gas, water and heating pipes and sewerage, and further in-depth asbestos surveys will be carried out to build on existing records.

Specialist heritage teams are also getting on with the enormous task of recording and tagging every one of the 13,000 heritage items including furniture, artwork and statues, all of which will need removing and storing in controlled conditions during the programme of work to restore the Palace of Westminster.

David Goldstone, CEO of the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority, said: “Small businesses are at the heart of local economies, bringing growth, and innovation, so I’m delighted to be working with so many from right across the country as we carry out dozens more intensive surveys of the Palace of Westminster.

“The hard work of these specialists will be invaluable in developing the detailed plan for Parliament’s restoration and renewal that will for the first time set out the true costs of the work needed to save the building.”

Sarah Johnson, CEO of the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body said: “Our thorough and careful work to map out all the issues that need fixing within the Palace of Westminster is a vital part of the essential restoration of the iconic 150-year-old building.”

Following a thorough procurement process, 18 businesses have been appointed to a commercial framework agreement, with around £10m of contracts expected this year to investigate the Palace as the detailed restoration plan continues to be developed.

Of the 18 businesses appointed, over two thirds (67%) are small to medium sized, showing the opportunity for firms of all sizes and from across the nation to be involved in the restoration of the Palace of Westminster.  

In total, there are eight categories where suppliers have been appointed.

The categories are:

  • Civil Engineering / Structural
  • Ground Investigations & Geotechnical
  • Instrumentation & Monitoring
  • Environmental
  • Mechanical, Electrical & Public Health
  • Archaeology
  • Asbestos Removal
  • Conservation Contractor

The new framework agreement sets up the next tranche of more detailed and intrusive surveys which are an essential step in the development of a detailed and costed restoration and renewal plan for Palace of Westminster which Parliament will be invited to approve next year.

Despite the dedicated work of Parliament’s in-house teams, the building itself is falling apart faster than it can be fixed and needs a programme of essential restoration.

The annual cost of maintenance and ongoing projects to keep the building operating continues to increase. Costs have doubled in just three years, to £127m a year – more than £2.5m a week. The National Audit Office recently stated that House authorities expect to spend another £308m on repairs and maintenance by 2025.

Over the summer and autumn of 2021, 50 highly skilled engineers, architectural surveyors, acoustics, lighting specialists and ecologists, spent a combined 4,700 hours visually inspecting the building.

In total, 2,343 rooms and spaces were examined, with experts recording thousands of issues including cracks in stonework, widespread water damage, and analysing the complex network of outdated electrical and mechanical systems.

Further surveying conducted throughout winter examined lighting levels, building risers and the presence of asbestos.

Throughout 2022 and 2023 hundreds of further in-depth surveys will be carried out, building on tens of thousands of hours of investigations already completed.

Individual survey contracts within the new framework are expected to be announced from March onwards, with building investigators on-site soon after.  Every supplier will go through the same rigorous security checks as existing Parliamentary contractors and suppliers.

The 18 successful suppliers scored highly (75%) on a new Government procurement measure aimed at levelling up, that considers the number of local jobs or apprenticeships a contractor will provide, the care they show the environment in their business practices, how they drive equal opportunity and the number of SMEs involved in their wider supply chain.

The measure came into effect in January 2021 to promote new jobs and skills, encourage economic growth and prosperity, tackle climate change and level up the UK.

There will be many more opportunities for SMEs to get involved in the Restoration and Renewal programme, which is meeting business groups across the UK as it develops a commercial, procurement and skills development approach.

Restoring the building will create thousands of jobs across the UK, including through an industry-leading apprentice loan scheme that will see around 160 apprentices, including engineers, designers, stonemasons, and carpenters, employed by the organisations overseeing and delivering the restoration of the Palace of Westminster and loaned to UK businesses working on the restoration. 

Expert tips on taking back control of your finances this year

Paul Wilson, Personal Finance Expert for Little-Loans.com, shares five ways you can take back control of your finances this year

Even if you haven’t made any resolutions, the new year is still a good time to take a look at areas of your life you might want to improve upon.

Your finances can be a great place to start, because freeing up some money could give you the opportunity to do other things, like building up a savings pot or emergency fund, making home improvements or booking a holiday.

Here are five tips to tidy up your finances in 2022:

Budgeting

If you want to get a grip on your spending, the best place to start is with a budget. This could be a simple spreadsheet with your incomings and outgoings, or you could use a budgeting app to help. Apps like Snoop, Money Dashboard, Emma and Monzo can help you keep track of what you spend and show you where you may be wasting money. Most of them let you link all of your accounts and will categorise your spending so you can see where you could make cutbacks. There’s plenty of apps to choose from so research the market and find the best one for your circumstances.

Subscriptions & memberships

Perhaps one of the biggest money wasters is unused subscriptions or memberships. Write a complete list of every subscription you have and how much it costs. Then decide if it’s worth keeping. If you’re paying for a Netflix plan that lets you watch on four devices but you only ever use the TV in the lounge, then downgrade.

Similarly, if you’re signed up to several streaming sites, ditch at least one. With music streaming, check if you could save by having a family plan rather than individual accounts. Do you really need Amazon prime, or could you wait a couple of extra days to get free standard delivery anyway? Be thorough and honest. If you’ve only been to the gym a handful of times in three months then is it worth paying for?

Direct debits & bills

Do a complete audit of all your direct debits and standing orders. Are you getting the best deals or could you be paying less? Set reminders for when all of your utilities or insurance products are due for renewal and make sure you shop around as soon as the time comes.

Your TV package could be reduced if you decide to cancel some of the channels you barely watch, and some mobile phone providers will reduce bills when your contract reaches a certain length of time. Use an evening to analyse all of your direct debits, set renewal reminders and call any companies to ask if they can help you reduce your bills.  

Consider consolidating

If you have several credit cards, loans or car finance deals, you might be able to consolidate them into one easier payment. Work out what you owe and see if it would be cheaper to get one loan to cover it all. When paying off credit cards make sure you are still taking advantage of any introductory offers. If you are paying interest then look to see if you can switch to a card with a 0% balance transfer rate. There is no one size fits all when it comes to paying off debt, but check what you owe and whether there is a way to reduce it right away.

Start saving 

Saving doesn’t have to be complicated. Open a straightforward savings account and start putting a small amount of money away every month. Do it as soon as you get paid so it’s less noticeable.

It could be the cost of a takeaway each month, so if you save £30, by the end of the year you’ll have £360 to put towards Christmas or to carry over and keep adding to.

Start with an amount that you won’t miss to ease you into it. Even £10 could help you get into the habit and give you something to work towards.

Cash Out

Having actual money in your hand can make you more mindful of what you spend. Many people adopt an envelope or jar method, where they attribute money each month to things like ‘food’, ‘eating out’ etc.

Seeing the cash you have left can be an incentive to stay on budget. Being mindful of your money is one of the first steps to seizing control of it and getting on top of your spending in 2022.

Five Scottish Ambulance Service staff receive awards for acts of bravery

Five Scottish Ambulance Service staff members have been awarded for acts of bravery.

The Brave@Heart Awards celebrate acts of bravery in exceptional circumstances by blue-light services, voluntary rescue organisations and members of the public.

Last year’s winners for the Service were Scott Diamond, Willie Anderson, Caron Robertson, Amanda McClorey, and Neil Spiers. The staff were nominated by their colleagues and demonstrated bravery during their shift or outside their work hours.

Caron (top), originally from Prestwick, and Amanda (above), both of Stranraer Station, were rewarded for helping a patient who injured herself after falling on a rock at a beach. With no mobile signal, the patient’s son went to a nearby farmhouse to call for an ambulance. Caron, Technician, and Amanda, Paramedic, arrived on the scene.

Their award submission said: “They took control of the situation calmly with retrieval of the patient required over a steep cliff face. Both clambered down the cliff and helped get the patient up. The patient was transported by the RNLI to Port Patrick and then by Caron and Amanda to hospital.”

Willie (above), Technician, and Scott, Clinical Training Officer, were rewarded after they attended an explosion after initially getting called out to another incident while working at Glasgow West Station station.

Whilst on scene at the first incident, they were approached by a member of the public stating there had been an explosion in a nearby takeaway shop. They ran in and got the staff out of the takeaway shop, then there was a secondary explosion that started a fire. The pair then forced their way in and got more than 20 people out as the building started to fill with smoke.

The crew contacted ACC and requested the attendance of Police and Fire Service. Their award submission said: “It is clear that Scott and William acted above and beyond the normal call of duty, acted selflessly, to reduce the risks to the public and residents within the building.”

Neil, of Pencaitland, East Lothian, an MPDS Auditor, arrived early ahead of his shift to take some photographs of yachts and soon became aware of a woman shouting for help. She had fallen in to the freezing water and managed to crawl ashore.

Neil, who was a call handler at the time, acted quickly, calling for assistance and gave her his jacket to keep her warm until help arrived.

His award submission said: “Once the ambulance crew arrived, he returned to his shift for the day. During his shift, he received a call from a member of public who had found a male in the water. Neil gave clear CPR instructions to the bystanders until the ambulance crew arrived on this site as well. The patient was transported to hospital.”

Scottish Ambulance Service Chief Executive Pauline Howie said: “The actions of these staff are truly commendable and they each showed extraordinary bravery. All our staff do amazing, life-saving work each day and this is a small sample.

“The staff are all wonderful ambassadors for the Scottish Ambulance Service and fully deserving of their awards.”

Edinburgh STEM graduates wanted for fifty fully-paid work placements made available across Scotland

The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) has established fifty fully-paid work placements within manufacturing and technology businesses across the country with the launch of the second round of its Manufacturing Skills Academy’s graduate training programme.

The placements are set to provide graduates with the opportunity to build in-demand skills and experience in the worlds of digital and advanced manufacturing, with positions now available across the Edinburgh region.

Each up to six months in duration, the placements are aimed at recent university and college graduates of a STEM related subject who are unemployed or struggling to find meaningful work due to the impact of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based within new and emerging markets such as green energy, space and renewables, placements are being offered within innovative companies across Scotland.

For example, successful applicants could find themselves working for Edinburgh based Shapespace Ltd, specialising in engineering and manufacturing analytics software, or Mask Logic, using additive manufacturing within product design.

Graduates could also look further afield to the likes of Scotmas Group, specialising in design, development and manufacture of environmentally sustainable disinfection equipment for water treatment, healthcare and food industry, with positions available in a number of companies across Scotland.

This new round of graduate training follows on from the success of the pilot programme launched early last year.

The programme saw thirty graduates recruited and placed with companies across Scotland and the NMIS Group giving valuable on-the-job work experience. A number of graduates have now gone on to secure extended contracts, or full-time employment.

Funded by the Scottish Government’s £20 million National Transition Training Fund (NTTF), the programme has been developed by the NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy and is one of a number of initiatives designed to support Scotland’s economic recovery, and the transition to net-zero.

Minister for Youth Employment and Training Jamie Hepburn said: “The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland’s Manufacturing Skills Academy is delivering excellent work-based training to help graduates move permanently into high quality jobs in manufacturing.

“Building on the success of last year’s National Transition Training Fund pilot, this is an important opportunity for STEM graduates to access high quality training opportunities right across Scotland.”

Stewart McKinlay, Skills Director at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland’s Manufacturing Skills Academy said: “We’re delighted we’ve received further support to provide an opportunity to fifty more graduates, now including those from colleges as well as Universities.

“The support from the Scottish Funding Council for the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland’s pilot graduate training programme last year allowed us to place 30 graduates within thriving businesses across the country and the specialist technology centres at NMIS. 

“It was a real success, with a significant number of the employers making permanent job offers to the graduates and other graduates going on to receive multiple offers from other companies based on the strength of their work experience. The aim is to replicate, and improve on this further, in 2022.”

The graduate training programme is now open for applications. Candidates are asked to submit an application form and short video before being matched to potential opportunities with an industry partner.

Speaking about his experience from the 2021 graduate training programme, Mina Hanna, who has now secured a further contract with Opportunity Cromarty Firth and the University of the Highlands and Islands said: “The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland’s graduate training scheme was truly a life changing experience, and I would encourage all manufacturing and engineering graduates to apply. 

“The time that was given to me by so many experienced professionals was an incredible opportunity and I am so grateful to NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy for allowing me to embark upon a career that I am passionate about.”

NMIS, which is operated by the University of Strathclyde, is also encouraging expressions of interest from companies across Scotland that are interested in being part of the programme and placing a recent graduate.

Renewable Parts placed three graduates within its company last year. Michael Forbes, General Manager of Refurbishment Engineering at Renewable Parts, said: “We were delighted to work with the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland on the graduate training scheme, and with the high standard of applications.

“The business is growing, and the scheme allowed us to recruit for positions where otherwise we may have held off until a little later.

“The placement was almost like a 6-month interview, allowing us to see how the graduates integrated with the existing workforce.”

The applications process for the NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy graduate training programme closes in early February.

An NMIS Insights online event is also taking place in the coming weeks offering an opportunity to find out more about the programme and hear from previous graduates and companies as they share their experiences.

Details will shortly be available on the event section of the NMIS website.

Families urged to apply for Best Start Grant payments

SOCIAL Security Scotland is urging families to apply for Best Start Grant School Age Payment before the deadline and to apply for help with early learning costs.

Eligible families with children born between 1 March 2016 – 28 February 2017, are being encouraged to apply for the School Age Payment before applications close on 28 February 2022.

Parents or carers enrolling children in nursery this year have also been urged to check whether they are eligible for a one-off payment to help with early learning costs.

For Early Years Payment, eligible families who are in receipt of certain benefits or tax credits with a child who is aged between 2-3 and a half years old. Parents or carers who are eligible for the Early Learning Payment receive a one-off grant of £252.50

The money can be used to help pay for clothes, equipment, bags, books or anything else which is helpful for people caring for children in that age range. 


Eligible families for School Age Payment may be parents or carers who are in receipt of certain benefits or tax credits with a child who is old enough to start school.

School Age Payment is a payment of £252.50 per child and is designed to support children at a key stage in their life.

It is not directly linked to taking up a school place. As such, even if the child’s school start has been deferred until next year, or if the child is not going to start school at all, parents or carers should still apply for the payment by 28 February 2022. If they do not apply by this time, they will not be able to receive the payment.


Social Security Scotland wants to ensure that everyone who is entitled to money for Early Learning or School Age Payment receive it and we would welcome support from our stakeholders  to make sure people don’t miss out on these payments.

Please encourage any clients in your networks to apply for School Age Payment before the 28 February deadline and for Early Years Payment when enrolling their child into nursery.

HMRC: More than 10.2 million filed their Self Assessment by 31 January

More than 10.2 million customers filed their 2020 to 2021 tax returns by the 31 January 2022 deadline, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed.

More than 630,000 customers filed on deadline day and the peak hour for filing was 16:00 to 16:59 when 52,475 completed their Self Assessment. There were 20,947 customers who completed their tax return between 23:00 and 23:59.

More than 12.2 million customers were expected to file a Self Assessment tax return this year. The remaining 2.3 million customers expected to file by 31 January now have until 28 February 2022 to submit their late 2020 to 2021 tax return and avoid a late filing penalty.

For any Self Assessment customer who is yet to pay their tax bill or set up a payment plan, interest will be applied to outstanding balances from 1 February. Customers have until 1 April to pay their tax in full, or set up a time to pay arrangement, to avoid a late payment penalty.

Those who are not yet able to file their tax return should pay an estimated amount as soon as possible, which will minimise any interest. Self-employed people can use the calculator on GOV.UK to help estimate their tax bill.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “I’d like to thank the millions of customers and agents who sent us their tax return and paid in time for this week’s deadline.

“We’re waiving penalties this year, to give those who missed the deadline an extra month. And customers can set up a monthly payment plan online if they’re worried about paying their tax bill. Search ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK to find out more.”

The existing Time to Pay service allows customers, who are unable to pay their bill in full, to spread their tax payments into manageable monthly instalments. Self Assessment customers with up to £30,000 of tax debt can do this online once they have filed their return.    

If customers owe more than £30,000, or need longer to pay, they should call the Self Assessment Payment Helpline on 0300 200 3822.

A full list of the payment methods customers can use to pay their Self Assessment tax bill is available on GOV.UK.

The 2020 to 2021 tax return covers earnings and payments during the pandemic. Taxpayers will need to declare if they received any grants or payments from the COVID-19 support schemes up to 5 April 2021 on their Self Assessment, as these are taxable, including:

  • Self-Employment Income Support Scheme
  • Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
  • other COVID-19 grants and support payments such as self-isolation payments, local authority grants and those for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme

The £500 one-off payment for working households receiving tax credits should not be reported in Self Assessment.

It is important that customers check and make any changes to their tax return to make sure any SEISS or other COVID-19 support payments have been reported correctly in their Self Assessment.

HMRC urges everyone to be alert if they are contacted out of the blue by someone asking for money or personal information. Taxpayers should always type in the full online address www.gov.uk/hmrc to get the correct link for filing their Self Assessment return online securely and free of charge. 

HMRC sees high numbers of fraudsters emailing, calling or texting people claiming to be from the department.

If in doubt, HMRC advises not to reply directly to anything suspicious, but to contact them straight away and to search GOV.UK for ‘HMRC scams’.

Edinburgh business become Scotland’s first employee-owned childcare firm

OWNERSHIP of an Edinburgh childcare company has been handed over to its 150 dedicated staff in what is believed to be a sector first in Scotland.

Kidzcare has announced its transition to employee ownership with 100% of the company shares now placed into an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) by owner Anne-Marie Dunn who co-founded the successful business in 2001.

The childcare specialists operate four nurseries, four breakfast clubs and six after-school clubs for children, offering options across Edinburgh, from Portobello to Bruntsfield and Fox Covert.

Ownership Associates, a specialist adviser to businesses considering establishing an EOT, provided support to the Kidzcare owner and employees throughout the process in what is believed to be the first business in the Scottish childcare sector to transition to employee ownership.

Anne-Marie Dunn said: “I’m delighted to be able to reward these dedicated and loyal employees by gifting them a share of this brilliant business. The staff at Kidzcare have supported me throughout this journey and I couldn’t reconcile myself to the idea of passing it on to anyone else.

“As I looked to withdraw from the business, I wanted to find an option that rewarded and empowered the staff into the future. As soon as I heard about employee ownership, I was instantly convinced that this was the vehicle to make it happen.

“By becoming employee owned, I am confident that Kidzcare’s values of safety, child development, fairness and kindness will continue, greatly benefiting the children we look after and the people who look after them.”

The business turns over £3 million a year and provides high quality childcare for more than 500 children a day around the city.

Anne-Marie added: “Our current HR Manager, Julie MacKenzie, who has been with us for more than eight years will take more of a managing director role as I gradually step back in the next few months.

“We have planned for a seamless transition so the business can smoothly enter its next chapter, and crucially, we are in control of how that happens best for all stakeholders.

“The transition into employee ownership has been very easy.  Business transactions like this can be daunting and complicated but I have been so lucky to have a team of experienced advisors in Lindsays and Ownership Associates. They have guided me every step of the way.  Nothing was a problem for them.”

Carole Leslie of Ownership Associates, who has worked on the transition of more than 80 businesses to the succession model, said: “It has been a great experience assisting Kidzcare to make the move to employee ownership. It was clear that this was the obvious option for the company and I’m certain the firm will fast see the benefits of this model of ownership.

“It has provided an exit plan for Anne-Marie, potentially life changing differences to her staff, and most importantly ensured that the quality of care for children remained at the heart of the business.

“This is a shining example of the business model benefiting everyone involved in the company. It also highlights the strong positives it can have on an industry like childcare.”

Douglas Roberts of Lindsays added: “Kidzcare has a brilliant reputation in Edinburgh and it was an honour to help the company with the legal aspects of its move to employee ownership.

“Parents trust the staff at Kidzcare to look after their children and Anne-Marie trusts her loyal employees to keep the values and high standards of Kidzcare. It was clear that employee ownership was ideal for Anne-Marie’s succession plans and I’m sure Kidzcare will hugely benefit from being employee owned.”

Ownership Associates works exclusively within the employee-owned sector, supporting companies on their move to employee ownership and working with established employee-owned businesses enabling them to maximise the ownership advantage.

For more information on Kidzcare, please visit: https://www.kidzcare.org/