Now that the weather is improving Police are expecting more people to be out and about on their motorbikes. Here are some tips on how to secure your motorbike:
– Ensure your bike is fitted with a combined alarm and immobiliser which will deter thieves when the alarm sounds.
– Attach both a disc lock and U-lock. Do not rely on one device, The more security placed on your bike, the less attractive it is to a thief.
– Try to park under street lights.
– When applying your locks, ensure they are secured to a solid anchor point or a permanent piece of street furniture. Keep the lock off the ground where possible as this makes it difficult for the thief to remove.
– Cover your motorcycle and ensure the cover is attached to the security device.
– Where possible use ‘Thatcham’ or ‘Secure by Design’ approved devices www.securedbydesign.com. These have been tested by the industry and are generally agreed to be some of the most robust security devices available.
– Ensure you always activate the steering lock.
– Avoid leaving your helmet or other possessions on the motorcycle, in luggage space or panniers.
– Be vigilant, ensure that you are not being followed home and check for suspicious items attached to your motorcycle.
Social Media
Think about what you share on any app and regularly review your security settings
– Make sure your posts do not identify your home and make it a target.
Tracking Devices
Tracking devices are an effective covert security measure. Although they may not prevent your motorcycle from being stolen, it will assist police in tracing and recovering the vehicle quickly.
Marking and Identification Systems
Datatag ID – Datatag is a piece of technology which can be attached to various parts of your motorcycle. It comes in different forms, dependent on what is most appropriate and is unique to each individual. For more information on this product, please visit www.datatag.co.uk.
Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, marked the end of Scottish Apprenticeship Week by meeting apprentices at the Student Loans Company (SLC) in the city centre.
Based on Bothwell Street, SLC has a growing Emerging Talent Programme with over 100 colleagues currently on its apprenticeship, graduate and internship programmes.
Kaukab Stewart said: “I welcome the innovative work of the SLC Emerging Talent Programme, supporting young and older people to train and developing skills for the wider digital economy.
“I’m particularly pleased to learn about the Career Ready Mentoring Programme and the recognition that people with particular barriers in the labour market are being supported the most in building more equal and diverse opportunities.”
During the visit, Kaukab was also given a tour of SLC’s new collaboration spaces and Stephen Campbell, SLC’s Chief Information Officer, talked about the importance of developing the skills of the workforce and investing in their futures.
He said: “Our apprentices play such an important role in our business. We offer young people the chance to unlock their potential and gain a recognised qualification, as well as valuable experience in the work environment.
“But we also believe it’s vital to develop the skills of our workforce, encouraging their career growth by providing them with the opportunity to upskill. It was fantastic to welcome Kaukab Stewart into our office today during such an important week for apprenticeships in Scotland.”
The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the number of apprenticeships in Scotland and Scottish Apprenticeship Week, co-ordinated by Skills Develop Scotland, highlights how apprenticeships are providing the skills employers need now and for the future.
New equipment is helping NHS Lothian to provide “first class treatment” to cervical cancer patients in the South East of Scotland.
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under 35 and around eight women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each day in the UK.
The new brachytherapy kit, from Elekta, allows the delivery of a high dose of radiation directly into the tumour and minimises damage to the surrounding healthy tissue.
Brachytherapy is a form of internal radiation therapy which targets the cancer directly.
Dr Mark Zahra, Consultant Clinical Oncologist & Clinical Lead for Radiotherapy at Edinburgh’s Cancer Centre, said: “This kit will help us to continue to provide first class treatment to patients with cervical cancer.
“It gives us more options than our previous brachytherapy equipment as it can treat larger tumours and expand the dose of radiation to the tumour, whilst protecting the normal organs.
“The Elekta kit is used alongside image-guided technology to really tailor treatment to the patient’s anatomy and needs and minimise the long-term health effects of radiotherapy.
“Together we expect these technologies to have a real impact on patients’ cure rates and comfort.”
Edinburgh Cancer Centre has used image-guided brachytherapy for gynaecological cancers for over 10 years and is the first in Scotland to use Elekta technology. The technology will now be routinely used for all eligible patients in the South East of Scotland with gynaecological cancers.
Dr Zahra continued: “Edinburgh Cancer Centre is a leader in innovative treatments and progress such as this could not have been possible without a huge team effort.
“We strive to provide the best possible care we can and share our research and learning to help improve outcomes for patients everywhere.”
Over 99% of cervical cancers are caused by HPV. HPV is very common and four out of five people in Scotland will have it at some point in their lives.
HPV vaccines are offered to all S1 pupils and can prevent around 75% of cervical cancer cases. Alongside the vaccine, it’s vital to attend cervical screenings (smear tests) when invited.
Gordon MacdonaldMSP has backed national No Smoking Day by urging Edinburgh residents to consider giving up smoking to improve both mental and physical health.
The MSP is supporting a campaign led by health charity, ASH Scotland, which is encouraging people to ‘Quit Your Way’ in ways which work best for individual circumstances by seeking advice and support from stop smoking services, community pharmacies or the national Quit Your Way Scotland service run by NHS 24.
Although smoking rates in NHS Lothian health board area dropped to 18 per cent in 2018, more progress is required if the Scottish Government’s ambitious target of reducing the rate to five per cent or less by 2034 is to be met.
Gordon MacdonaldMSP said: “I am pleased to be supporting ASH Scotland’s No Smoking Day campaign and urge my constituents in Edinburgh Pentlands who smoke to reach out to stop smoking services and community pharmacies who provide free support and can help develop a personalised quit plan.
“I encourage people to try quitting again, if a previous attempt did not work. ASH Scotland advises me that some people find giving up cigarettes or tobacco easier than they had thought but, for others, it can take a number of attempts. It is worth giving quitting smoking another go for the benefits to both mental and physical health.”
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “We are delighted to have Gordon Macdonald MSP’s support for our No Smoking Day campaign encouraging herconstituents in Edinburgh Pentlands.
“Nicotine is highly addictive but, with the right support to meet individual needs, quitting smoking your way can quickly improve mental health and, within a year of stopping, the risk of coronary heart disease reduces by half compared to someone who smokes.”
Anyone in Lothian who has the goal of giving up smoking can get in touch with Lothian’s Quit Your Way team on Facebook or phone the Quit Your Way Scotland’s national helpline on 0800 848484. More information is also available at www.quityourway.scot.
It was always on the cards that if restrictions were to be introduced on short-term letting in Scotland, Edinburgh would be first out of the blocks. And, sure enough, the council last month introduced a city-wide “control zone”.
The capital, which for obvious reasons is the country’s tourist Mecca, has become a magnet for Airbnb-style short-term lets over the last decade, leading to concerns about housing shortages and perceptions about anti-social behaviour.
Under draft proposals which will now go to Scottish Government Ministers for final approval, property owners will soon need planning permission to be able to operate short-term lettings and will have to apply for a change of use certificate from the planning department.
What is less well known is that the council has always had the power to require planning permission in the event of a material change in environment, such as short-term rentals. The difference is that, from now on, this will be mandatory.
It should be noted that the proposals only apply to secondary lettings, i.e., properties which are not an owner’s primary residence. People will still be able to let out their homes while on holiday, or rooms in their home while they remain in residence.
However, while the new restrictions appear to be forging ahead, it still remains unclear what policies the local authority will eventually apply. The current Development Plan – the overarching guide to future council thinking – makes no mention whatsoever of short-term lets.
Nor, surprisingly, does the document designed to replace it, the City Plan 2030, which again does not concern itself with the issue – making it increasingly difficult for property owners to plan ahead.
One can only speculate at the moment about whether permissions will be granted for continued short-term use, and on what grounds. Nor is there any clarity about whether numerical limits will be imposed.
Were there to be limits, it would be reasonable to assume that applications would be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so landlords hoping to remain in the market might be advised to act sooner, rather than later.
There is, of course, an existing provision in law whereby if a short-term let has been operating for more than 10 years, with no action against it by the council and no action to conceal its operation, then it is entitled to a Certificate of Lawfulness to continue operation, though necessary evidence will be required.
As of the start of this month, there have been nine applications so far this year for planning permissions for short-term lets, only two of which have been granted – and they both involved Certificates of Lawfulness.
What to do if applications fail is clearly now a matter of immediate concern for property owners and DM Hall’s specialist rural arm Baird Lumsden is currently embarked on an information campaign around the sales, letting and management options which remain open.
It has gone into the issue in depth, in anticipation that Highland Council will be the next authority to impose short-term let restrictions around the Badenoch and Strathspey area, and is reaching out to concerned parties.
Informed and impartial advice of this nature is something of a port in a storm for property owners who are caught between a rock and a hard place as the restriction net tightens.
There has been anecdotal evidence of landlords exiting the short-term market and moving to longer lets in the private rental sector. But regulation in this sphere of activity is getting stricter all the time, and the imminent New Deal for Tenants will do nothing to ease landlord pain.
On a superficial level, it is easy to understand the council’s hope that properties taken out of short-term lets will find their way back into the housing stock, thus easing ongoing shortages.
But a counter-argument, articulated by bodies such as the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, is that lack of house-building is as much of a contributory factor to shortages, and that short-term lets bring in huge volumes of valuable tourism revenue to the city.
As things are, some smaller operators may indeed be forced to sell up and quit the market, although larger letting concerns will almost certainly continue to jump through the necessary hoops.
In this volatile environment, expert professional advice is the only real safeguard, and prudent property owners and landlords will seek it out as timeously as possible.
Calum Allmond is Head of Architectural Services at DM Hall Chartered Surveyors.
For further information, contact DM Hall Chartered Surveyors, 27 Canmore Street, Dunfermline KY12 7NU. T: 01383 621262. E: dunfermline@dmhall.co.uk.
Joint statement by the leaders of the G7: 11 March 2022
We the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) remain resolved to stand with the Ukrainian people and government who heroically resist Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military aggression and war of choice against their sovereign nation.This unprovoked and unjustified attack is causing enormous suffering and a tragic loss of life, including through the increasingly indiscriminate bombing and shelling of civilians in schools, homes, and hospitals.
We are united in our determination to hold President Putin and his regime accountable for this unjustified and unprovoked war that has already isolated Russia in the world. The world should join together in calling on President Putin and his regime to immediately stop its ongoing assault against Ukraine and withdraw its military forces. We stand in solidarity with those who are bravely opposing the invasion of Ukraine.
We urge Russia to ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access to victims of its assault in Ukraine, and to allow safe passage for civilians wishing to leave. We call for, and commit to provide, humanitarian, medical and financial support to refugees from Ukraine.
Since President Putin launched the Russian Federation’s invasion on February 24, our countries have imposed expansive restrictive measures that have severely compromised Russia’s economy and financial system, as evidenced by the massive market reactions. We have collectively isolated key Russian banks from the global financial system; blunted the Central Bank of Russia´s ability to utilise its foreign reserves; imposed sweeping export bans and controls that cut Russia off from our advanced technologies; and targeted the architects of this war, that is Russian President Vladimir Putin and his accomplices, as well as the Lukashenko regime in Belarus.
In addition to announced plans, we will make further efforts to reduce our reliance on Russian energy, while ensuring that we do so in an orderly fashion and in ways that provide time for the world to secure alternative and sustainable supplies. In addition, private sector companies are leaving Russia with unprecedented speed and solidarity. We stand with our companies that are seeking an orderly withdrawal from the Russian market.
We remain resolved to isolate Russia further from our economies and the international financial system. Consequently, we commit to taking further measures as soon as possible in the context of our ongoing response and consistent with our respective legal authorities and processes:
First, we will endeavor, consistent with our national processes, to take action that will deny Russia Most-Favoured-Nation status relating to key products. This will revoke important benefits of Russia’s membership of the World Trade Organization and ensure that the products of Russian companies no longer receive Most-Favoured-Nation treatment in our economies. We welcome the ongoing preparation of a statement by a broad coalition of WTO members, including the G7, announcing their revocation of Russia’s Most-Favoured-Nation status.
Second, we are working collectively to prevent Russia from obtaining financing from the leading multilateral financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Russia cannot grossly violate international law and expect to benefit from being part of the international economic order. We welcome the IMF and World Bank Group’s rapid and ongoing efforts to get financial assistance to Ukraine. We also welcome the steps the OECD has taken to restrict Russia’s participation in relevant bodies.
Third, we commit to continuing our campaign of pressure against Russian elites, proxies and oligarchs close to President Putin and other architects of the war as well as their families and their enablers. We commend the work done by many of our governments to identify and freeze mobile and immobile assets belonging to sanctioned individuals and entities, and resolve to continue this campaign of pressure as a matter of priority. To that end, we have operationalised the task force announced on February 26, which will target the assets of Russian elites close to President Putin and the architects of his war. Our sanctions packages are carefully targeted so as not to impede the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Fourth, we commit to maintaining the effectiveness of our restrictive measures, to cracking down on evasion and to closing loop-holes. Specifically, in addition to other measures planned to prevent evasion, we will ensure that the Russian state and elites, proxies and oligarchs cannot leverage digital assets as a means of evading or offsetting the impact of international sanctions, which will further limit their access to the global financial system. It is commonly understood that our current sanctions already cover crypto-assets. We commit to taking measures to better detect and interdict any illicit activity, and we will impose costs on illicit Russian actors using digital assets to enhance and transfer their wealth, consistent with our national processes.
Fifth, we are resolved to fighting off the Russian regime’s attempts to spread disinformation. We affirm and support the right of the Russian people to free and unbiased information.
Sixth, we stand ready to impose further restrictions on exports and imports of key goods and technologies on the Russian Federation, which aim at denying Russia revenues and at ensuring that our citizens are not underwriting President Putin’s war, consistent with national processes. We note that international companies are already withdrawing from the Russian market. We will make sure that the elites, proxies and oligarchs that support President Putin’s war are deprived of their access to luxury goods and assets. The elites who sustain Putin’s war machine should no longer be able to reap the gains of this system, squandering the resources of the Russian people.
Seventh, Russian entities directly or indirectly supporting the war should not have access to new debt and equity investments and other forms of international capital. Our citizens are united in the view that their savings and investments should not fund the companies that underpin Russia’s economy and war machine. We will continue working together to develop and implement measures that will further limit Russia’s ability to raise money internationally.
We stand united and in solidarity with our partners, including developing and emerging economies, which unjustly bear the cost and impact of this war, for which we hold President Putin, his regime and supporters, and the Lukashenko regime, fully responsible. Together, we will work to preserve stability of energy markets as well as food security globally as Russia’s invasion threatens Ukraine’s capacity to grow crops this year.
We continue to stand with the Ukrainian people and the Government of Ukraine. We will continue to evaluate the impacts of our measures, including on third countries, and are prepared to take further measures to hold President Putin and his regime accountable for his attack on Ukraine.
A new framework to shape Scotland’s health and social care workforce over the next decade places training, wellbeing, job satisfaction and the principles of Fair Work at its heart.
The National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care in Scotland, co-produced with COSLA, identifies the five key areas which will support the creation of a sustainable, skilled workforce as the sector rebuilds from the pandemic.
The publication, the first of its kind, stresses the need to plan, attract, train, employ and nurture staff.
Over the next five years, the Strategy commits to increasing the NHS workforce by 1,800 full time posts – these posts are in addition to projected required workforce growth. Later this year the Scottish Government will publish, for the first time, projections of required workforce growth across health and social care, which will be reviewed annually.
Other key actions include:
Investing £11 million over this parliament to establish the Centre for Workforce Supply and fund recruitment campaigns to grow the health and social care workforce
Increasing the number of undergraduate medical school places over the course of this parliament by 500
Supporting up to 1,800 training places through the National Transition Training Fund for those interested in roles in adult social care
Recruiting 800 additional GPs by 2028
Further improving staff wellbeing measures, which have already been supported by record financial investment this year
Increasing frontline health spending by at least 20% over this parliament and increasing adult social care investment by at least by 25%
Health boards, local authorities and health and social care partnerships will play a central role in delivering the Strategy through their three year workforce plans, the first of which will be developed this year.
Health and Social Care Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Our hardworking and compassionate health and social care staff have been on the frontline of patient care through the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, and I am incredibly grateful to them all.
“While we have seen continued growth in our NHS and social care workforce over the past decade, we need more than sheer numbers alone as we continue to care for patients and plan for the future.
“This strategy is designed to embed a new long term approach. It commits to understanding the change in demand for services as we recover, rebuild and transform our health service, and how we can achieve a more sustainable, skilled workforce which makes careers in health and social care – at all levels – more attractive.
“The health and social care system continues to undergo rapid change, with exciting opportunities created by new technology, data and analytical services. Working with key partners, this strategy will help ensure that services are delivered by a sustainable, well trained and supported workforce.”
Councillor Stuart Currie, COSLA’s Health and Social Care spokesperson, said: “Scotland’s health and social care workforce has been at the forefront of the pandemic response. Working in extremely challenging environments, they have faced unprecedented pressures and made many individual sacrifices.
“Partners working across health and social care must now adopt a strategic approach to the recovery, growth and transformation of the workforce that supports the wellbeing of workers, a continued shift to prevention and the provision of high quality support and care for citizens.
“The values, outcomes and actions outlined in this Strategy provide a foundation for excellence in planning, attracting, developing and nurturing the Health and Social Care workforce, at national and local levels.”
Campaigners call for targets on consumption as the Scottish Government announces it will launch a consultation into a new Circular Economy Bill in May.
The Scottish Government has said that one of the measures included in the Circular Economy Bill is a ban on the destruction of unsold goods.
Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland said “The Circular Economy Bill is Scotland’s chance to reduce the over-consumption of materials which is killing our planet.
“The Scottish Government can send a clear signal to all sectors in Scotland, and across the world, that we are serious about the system-level change required to create a circular economy. To do this, we need strong targets which measure, for the first time, the global impact of Scotland’s material consumption.
“We consumed 18 tonnes of materials per person per year in Scotland in 2017. Creating a circular economy, with sustainable levels of material use and which also meets high quality living standards for everyone could reduce this to eight tonnes.
“The Circular Economy Bill should include targets to reduce consumption and the means to create an independent advisory body, similar to the Climate Change Committee, to advise the Scottish Government on progress.
“The recent ban on single use plastic items should be extended to cover all single use items. A Circular Economy Business Standard should be introduced and the public sector should be required to use this new standard in all its procurement, encouraging new sustainable business models to flourish.
“Government should estimate the critical material use of policies, in addition to current requirements to measure carbon impact.”
82% of Scotland’s carbon footprint relates to material consumption. From buildings and transport to food and clothing, we use materials in a linear way: extracting raw materials, making them into products, using them (sometimes only once) and throwing them away to be burnt or buried.
Cutting our material consumption to sustainable levels will support Scotland to reach its climate goals.
The Netherlands has set a target to move to a full circular economy by 2050, with an interim objective of a 50% reduction in the primary raw materials (minerals, fossil fuels and metals) by 2030. In 2021, the European Parliament voted to create binding, science based targets for material use and consumption footprint.
Professor Jacqueline Taylor has been appointed as the chair of a National Audiology Review Group.
The former NHS Clinical Director and Associate Medical Director will oversee the review of hearing services provided to both children and adults in Health Boards across Scotland.
It comes after a report published in December 2021 outlined a series of errors in the treatment provided to children by Paediatric Audiology in NHS Lothian. The group will provide recommendations for a national plan for the service.
Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf said: “I would like to thank Professor Taylor for agreeing to take on this important role which will help shape the future of audiology services in Scotland moving forward.
“Professor Taylor is one of the most respected medical figures in Scotland and I know that she will provide the necessary leadership and oversight for this vital work.
“I am determined that our hearing services are fit for purpose in Scotland following the unacceptable failures in NHS Lothian which came to light last year and this group will help identify any wider issues and areas for improvement.”
Professor Taylor said: “I look forward to working with this group over the coming months. “We expect to engage with the widest range of professionals and stakeholders in this area, identifying any gaps in provision but also learning from good practice.
“NHS Scotland provides some of the best healthcare treatment in the world, but where issues emerge it is important to understand what went wrong and how this can be rectified.”
The remit of the review, its full membership and timetable for reporting is now being finalised with the Chair.
The National Deaf Children’s Society has responded to the Scottish Government’s announcement that Professor Jacqueline Taylor has been appointed as the chair of a National Audiology Review Group.
Mark Ballard, Head of Policy for Scotland at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said:“We welcome the appointment of Professor Taylor and it’s a clear signal that the Scottish Government is treating this issue with the gravity it requires.
“The total number of families affected by NHS Lothian’s failures is still unknown. Among those that were, there are deaf children who have been left dealing with life-changing consequences.
“We need this review to not only right a serious injustice, but also to make sure that this isn’t happening in other areas across Scotland.
“It is a crucial step towards making sure that no family ever has to go through this again.”
First Minister urges Prime Minister to act with humanity and compassion
A lack of clarity from the UK Government around settlement programmes and complex visa processes is delaying Scotland from welcoming refugees from Ukraine, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
In a letter to the Prime Minister co-signed by the leaders of Scottish Labour, the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Greens, the First Minister urged the UK Government to waive visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals seeking refuge in the UK, and for a comprehensive and funded settlement programme and package of support to be established.
The Scottish Government is working with local authorities and the Scottish Refugee Council to ensure Scotland can welcome Ukrainian refugees with the support they need as soon as they are able to come here.
The First Minister said: “As we witness the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II, and with more than two million Ukrainians now having fled since the Russian invasion began, the UK must take action and respond fully, with humanity and compassion.
“It is neither reasonable nor morally acceptable to expect people fleeing war to go through complex bureaucratic processes in order to reach safety within the UK. We must provide sanctuary first and treat people with respect and humanity.
“Scotland stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and deeply wishes to provide them with practical support, aid and refuge. We are ready to provide that to people in need right now.
“More than a week after it was announced on 1 March, we urge you to set out the details of the humanitarian sponsorship pathway, including when it will open and confirmation that the UK Government will provide the flexibility and the financial support needed to allow us in Scotland and communities across the UK to contribute.”
As we witness the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II, and with more than two million Ukrainians now having fled since the Russian invasion began, the UK must take action and respond fully, with humanity and compassion. The desperation of those fleeing and displaced by the war in Ukraine are clearly distressing and heart-rending. We cannot and must not turn our back on the people of Ukraine.
The Home Secretary’s announcement today, detailing the introduction of an entirely online application processes for Ukrainian family members seeking to come to the UK without the requirement to attend a Visa Application Centre, is a welcome step in the right direction. As is the decision to further extend the Ukrainian Family Visa Scheme. It is clear though that it is not enough.
It is neither reasonable nor morally acceptable to expect people fleeing war to go through complex bureaucratic processes in order to reach safety within the UK. Therefore we urge you to follow the example of European countries including the Republic of Ireland by waiving all visa requirements for any Ukrainian nationals seeking refuge in the UK, as well as implementing the temporary protection regulations. We must provide sanctuary first and treat people with respect and humanity.
Scotland stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and deeply wishes to provide them with practical support, aid and refuge. We are ready to provide that to people in need right now.
The Scottish Government is already working with local authorities and the Scottish Refugee Council to make sure that our communities are ready to welcome Ukrainian refugees as soon as they are able to come here, and ensure that they have the support that they need. More than a week after it was announced on 1 March, we urge you to set out the details of the humanitarian sponsorship pathway, including when it will open and confirmation that the UK Government will provide the flexibility and the financial support needed to allow us in Scotland and communities across the UK to contribute.
As a further demonstration of this solidarity, the following leaders of Scotland’s political parties have co-signed this letter. I hope you will agree with our collective call for urgent action to be taken by the UK Government in dealing with this crisis; to allow people to enter the UK and provide a comprehensive and funded settlement programme and package of support for those seeking refugee here.
I am copying this letter to Liz Truss, Michael Gove, Priti Patel, Alister Jack and Angus Robertson.
