Day: May 23, 2022

Perfect Platinum Party Platters: Platinum Pesto Chicken!

Platinum Jubilee Pesto Coronation Chicken

The original recipe was created by renowned florist Constance Spry and Cordon Bleu chef Rosemary Hume for a royal banquet to celebrate the coronation of Elizabeth II.

It’s believed Coronation Chicken may actually have been inspired by Jubilee Chicken, the dish prepared for the Silver Jubilee of George V in 1935! Chicken with mayonnaise and curry has been a firm favourite ever since. 

So, we’ve adapted the original recipe to create the ultimate street party celebration dish – Platinum Pesto Chicken!

Sensationally, it’s a simple dish from the Italian Pesto Pioneers Sacla’ – visit their website www.sacla.co.uk to find more party platter inspiration and a range of delicious authentic cakes and treats; perfect for this unique and special weekend.

Platinum Jubilee Pesto Coronation Chicken

Serves 4-6

Cooking Time: 20 minutes + 20 minutes cooling

3 chicken breasts

6 slices Parma ham

Olive oil

250g cherry tomatoes

120g cucumber, sliced

400g cooked Risotto rice, cooled

120g celery, sliced

Small bunch of chives, chopped

50g mange tout

15g toasted pine nuts

Parmesan shavings

Balsamic glaze

Basil to garnish

Dressing:

130g Sacla’ Classic Basil Pesto

130g mayonnaise

130g crème fraiche

Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.

Wrap each chicken breast with 2 slices of Parma ham then place on a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and roast in the oven for 20 minutes until the ham is crispy and the chicken is cooked through. Take the chicken out of the oven and leave to cool before slicing.

While the chicken is cooling prepare the cherry tomatoes by slicing around the middles in a zig-zag pattern to make little flower shapes then use a flower shaped cutter to make cucumber flower slices.

Make the dressing in a large bowl by mixing the Pesto, mayonnaise and crème fraiche together with some freshly ground black pepper. Stir the rice through the dressing along with the celery, chives and cooled chicken. Then gently mix through the tomato and cucumber flowers and spoon onto a serving platter.

Use a smaller flower cutter to cut out little mange tout flowers and sprinkle these over the platter along with the pine nuts and parmesan shavings. Drizzle over some balsamic glaze and a few basil leaves and enjoy!

Sacla’ Classic Basil Pesto is available in retailers nationwide and  www.sacla.co.uk with an RRP of £2.80.

Still smiling: Legal & General pays a record £797m in UK claims

Legal & General paid out a record 46 personal protection claims every day in the UK during 2021, totalling £797.9 million – an increase of £33.9 million from 2020 – and benefitting 16,890 customers and their families.

As the UK’s number one individual Life Insurance provider Legal & General has paid out more than £3.5 billion in claims over the past five years across its Life, Critical Illness Cover (CIC), Terminal Illness Cover (TIC) and Income Protection (IP).

Overall, the provider paid 97% of individual protection claims with an average pay out of £47,243.

Of the small percentage not paid, almost nine in 10 were because of ‘deliberate or reckless misrepresentation’. Over 30% of misrepresentations were due to lifestyle factors that should clearly have been in the customers knowledge, with the majority of these being linked to alcohol. 

Legal & General continues to work closely with its partners and distributors to help minimise misrepresentation and do more to explain how insurance claims work so it can support even more customers in 2022.

The wider impact of Covid-19

As in 2020, the pandemic impacted the 2021 claims data; with almost one in seven life claims Covid-19 related. Legal & General paid out 1,579 Covid-19 life claims at an average of £46,769 per claim, making up a combined total of almost £74 million – over £34.6 million more than last year.

The difference in claims for men versus women when it came to Covid-19 related deaths is stark. Only 35% of Life Insurance claims came from women, compared with 65% from men. Legal & General’s figures continue to reflect those from the Office for National Statistics that show men are more likely to pass away from Covid-19 than women2. In contrast, 60% of Legal & General’s overall Life Insurance claims are for men, again indicating an increase when looking at Covid-19 claims specifically.

Income protection continues to play an important role

Legal & General paid 417 IP claims in 2021, at a monthly average of £1,067 per claim, totalling over £3 million. The main cause of IP claims was musculoskeletal disorders (37%), followed by cancer (12.5%) and coronavirus (9.8%).

All IP products include Legal & General’s Rehabilitation Support Service. It gives customers access to an in-house team of healthcare professionals who offer wide-ranging physical and mental health support at no extra cost.

Project Smile

This year saw the launch of Project Smile, an initiative to support children going through a difficult diagnosis.

For every claim relating to a child’s illness paid, the provider sends a gift to the child to help bring a smile to their face. Gifts are chosen according to the preferences of the child and can include anything from a voucher to a Peppa Pig toy.

David Banks, Director of Claims and Underwriting said: “Paying claims is core to what we do. As we continue to come back from Covid-19, we remain focused on giving our customers and their loved ones financial support when they need it most. But more has to be done to tackle misrepresentation.

“At Legal & General we’re working closely with partners and distributors to help make the underwriting process as transparent and streamlined as possible. We hope that increasing knowledge around the lifestyle and general health information required will minimise misrepresentation and help us support even more customers in their moment of need.

“We’re proud to have paid out more than £797million in claims last year, but it’s the personal impact behind the figures that’s most important. We know an injury or illness affects the whole family, none more so than when it happens to a child. That’s why we have launched Project Smile.

“Our assessors get to know the families throughout the course of a claim – we wanted to go beyond just dealing with the paperwork and show that we are thinking of them through what is likely to be the most challenging time of their lives.”

British Sandwich Week (22-26 May):

Turn up the heat with this no-knead focaccia sandwich with Rowse Chilli Fusion honey

Instagram baker and Rowse Honey Squeeze Collective member Michael Pozerskis (@doeshebakedough) has shared his original recipe for a no-knead focaccia sandwich with burrata, mortadella and Rowse Chilli Fusion.

To help people make their sandwiches even more epic, he’s also pulled together his top tips for making the ultimate sandwich at home.

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What’s the secret to creating the perfect sandwich?

Texture, texture, and texture! Adding crunch to a basic sandwich is the way forward! Think crispy onions (or the classic crisp sandwich). 

What makes focaccia so special as a sandwich bread?

Focaccia is light, airy and robust, which means it can handle whatever wet or dry fillings you decide to put in it. People don’t necessarily think of focaccia as a sandwich bread but it’s perfect for it. No more sitting in the shadows – let the carb jump out!

Store-bought or home-baked?

By baking your own bread, you know exactly what goes into it. From a health perspective, I encourage you to go read the ingredients in most shop-bought loafs… that’s the kind of stuff I don’t want to be putting in my body! It’s all chemically enhanced – not for you, but for the company to speed up processes to make more money. Plus, baking your own bread is a great skill to have! Back to basics kind of stuff!

Any top tips for adding instant flavour to a sandwich?

Use honey! The sweetness from just a small squeeze can help balance and enhance the flavours. Or use a chilli infused one like Rowse’s Chilli Fusion for an instant kick! 

What are the benefits of using honey in your baking?

Rowse honey adds a natural sweetness to the end result. This can help to bring the dough and all the flavours to life, and balance out the salt. Another trick is to use a squeeze of honey to activate your yeast; a small amount gives the yeast all the food it needs to spike it into action quickly, giving you consistently good results.

What’s the best way to stave off the sogginess?

Careful layering… ie don’t put tomatoes on the bottom. Or you can go one step further and lightly toast the insides (classic burger bun technique) but think about your toppings – you don’t want to go wet on wet on wet as it will be like eating a slug.

Crusts on or off?

There are no crusts on a focaccia so there’s no chance of leaving anything on the plate – but if we’re talking a straight-up sandwich… crusts on, always on. (But weirdly I would probably eat them first…).

Recipe: No-Knead Focaccia Sandwich

Preparation time: 4-5 hours

Cooking time:  20-30 minutes

Servings: 2

Inspired by Southern Italy where focaccia forms the basis of all great lunches.
This easy-to-make focaccia offers an incredibly soft, airy bread, with a great amount of strength, which makes it perfect for sandwiches!

By Michael Pozerskis (@doeshebakedough), Rowse Honey Squeeze Collective member

Ingredients

For the No-Knead Focaccia:

  • 550g strong bread flour
  • 410ml water
  • 10g Rowse Fusion Chilli Honey
  • 20ml olive oil
  • 11g fine sea salt
  • 7g dried yeast

For the Sandwich Filling:

  • 6 large slices of mortadella with pistachios (or any quality ham you can get your hands on)
  • 1 ball of Burrata (or fresh mozzarella if you can’t find any)
  • 1 tsp Rowse Chilli Fusion honey
  • 2 good-quality tomatoes
  • Handful of fresh rocket
  • Couple of leaves of basil
  • Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
  • Olive oil to drizzle

Method

Step 1: The dough…

  • Add 7g yeast, 410ml water and 10g Rowse Chilli Fusion honey into a large bowl and mix until fully incorporated.  Add the flour to the wet mix and stir with a spatula until it starts to form a smooth dough. Pour in the olive oil and combine until thoroughly incorporated into the dough. Cover and leave for 15-20 minutes.
  • Add the salt and vigorously mix into your dough using your spatula (alternatively, get your hands stuck in and squeeze the dough repeatedly). Keep going until the salt is incorporated and the dough is smooth (about 3 or 4 minutes).
  • Cover the dough and place in a switched-off oven. Place a pan of freshly boiled water in and close it (this creates a super warm and humid environment). Leave for 1-2 hours until the focaccia dough has doubled in size.
  • Line a baking tray, take your dough out and place into the tray. Cover with olive oil and lightly press the dough out towards the edges, making sure you don’t press too hard. You’ll dimple the dough later so don’t worry about this now.
  • Cover and place back in the switched-off oven. Take the dough out 1-1.5 hours later and turn up your oven to 230 degrees Celsius.
  • Coat your hands in olive and press the dough creating dimples, pushing the air gently out of the dough. This will create bubbles in the surface – a classic feature of any focaccia! Sprinkle some flaked sea salt over the top.
  • Get the dough into the oven and turn it down to 200 degrees Celsius and bake for 15 minutes. Continue to bake until golden brown.

Step 2: Building the sandwich…

  • Slice the focaccia into the number of sandwiches you’ll be making.
  • Slice in half, open up, and drizzle with olive oil. Layer your slices of mortadella (or ham), the tomato, rocket, basil and the burrata.
  • Finally, squeeze a generous amount of Rowse Fusion Chilli honey over the top (as much heat as you can handle!), Place the two halves together and get ready for the ultimate focaccia sandwich!

New research explores antimicrobial resistance in Scotland’s waters

Research by James Hutton Institute and Heriot-Watt University scientists has carried out the first review of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Scotland’s waters.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, are a major source of concern for public health. According to the World Health Organisation, new resistance mechanisms continue to emerge and spread globally, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases and endangering the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.

Work by Hutton and Heriot-Watt researchers, funded by Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters, considered the available information on antimicrobial resistance in Scotland’s waters and identified emerging monitoring approaches and potential technological solutions for detecting and tackling antimicrobial resistance.

Findings will help policymakers develop solutions for detecting, monitoring and reducing antimicrobial resistance in Scottish waters.

Dr Lisa Avery, a senior environmental microbiologist at the James Hutton Institute’s Environmental and Biochemical Sciences department and co-author of the study, said: “So far, there has not been enough monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in Scotland’s waters to know how widespread or how concentrated the levels of resistant microbes, genes and resistance-driving chemicals are.

“Globally, lots of different methods are used for detecting resistance. The most common ones are to detect antibiotic resistant bacteria by culturing (growing) them and using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) – based methods to detect specific resistance genes. Our study found no consensus on the best detection method.”

Dr Helen Bridle, Associate Professor at the Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering of Heriot-Watt University added: “A diversity of approaches is needed for research purposes.

“However, if we can develop some guidelines so that those researching or monitoring resistance in waters are encouraged to use at least one or two of the same approaches across all of the different studies, this would help in understanding antimicrobial resistance and how it is linked across humans, animals and the environment.”

At a recent meeting of the Scottish Parliament, Maree Todd MSP, Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport, said: “We need to recognise that antimicrobial resistance does not affect only humans.

“Bacteria with the potential to become resistant to antibiotics exist in animals and in the environment. For that reason, we require a one health approach to the threat that recognises that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment.”

The researchers conclude that agreement across methodological approaches and guidance would support technology developers to develop and validate new approaches for detecting antimicrobial resistance, as most current methods are developed for the clinical, rather than environmental field.

It’s hoped that treatment technologies can remove antimicrobial resistance, but cost-benefit analyses are needed to compare different treatment and mitigation strategies.

A spokesperson from SEPA commented: “SEPA welcomes the publication of the Centre of Expertise for Waters’ (CREW) policy briefing, which provides valuable insights to better understanding the risks of AMR in Scotland’s water environment.

“There are many sectors and activities we regulate that have the potential to exacerbate the spread of AMR through the environment, and we are committed to playing our role in understanding and helping to address the issue.

“Through research and multi-agency collaboration we are working to ensure that interventions are developed and implemented in a way that recognises how the health of people is closely and inextricably linked to the health of animals and our shared environment. This includes our involvement in key groups such as the One Heath Breakthrough Partnership and the Scottish One Health National AMR Action Plan Group.”

The policy outputs, including a policy note (Antimicrobial resistance in Scotland’s waters) and policy brief (Technologies for monitoring and treatment of antimicrobial resistance in water), are both available from the CREW website [https://www.crew.ac.uk/publications]. 

Policy_Brief_FINALDownload

Best Start, Bright Future: Poverty Alliance webinar on the Scottish Child Poverty Delivery Plan

Best Start, Bright Future – a Poverty Alliance Webinar

Monday 6 June 2022: 10am – 1pm 

Scotland is a country where compassion is strong, but where child poverty is an ongoing injustice that we have to end together.

Best Start, Bright Future, the Scottish Government’s Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, was published at the end of March. It’s designed to help create the change we need to drive down child poverty and reach Scotland’s interim child poverty targets in 2024. 

There are a lot of commitments in the plan, and we are hosting a special morning webinar to explore how we can make sure they are implemented, and how they can best deliver practical change in our communities. 

The plan includes pledges to: increase the level of the Scottish Child Payment; create a new employability offer to help parents get into work, and; mitigation of the benefit cap. 

There is lot more besides, and Best Start, Bright Futures will touch on all areas of anti-poverty activity in Scotland. It is crucial for groups and organisations across the country to understand what it all means for their work.

Please join us for a morning of discussion on how we can all work together to ensure that the ambition contained in the plan is delivered.   

Click here to register!

Agenda 

10:00 Welcome  Peter Kelly, Director, the Poverty Alliance 

10:05 Best Start, Bright Futures: What you need to know! 

Julie Humphreys, Deputy Director, Tackling Child Poverty & Financial Wellbeing, Scottish Government  

10:20 From Plan to Practice: Perspectives on Best Start, Bright Futures 

Professor Morag Treanor, Deputy Chair, Poverty and Inequality Commission 

John Dickie, Director, Child Poverty Action Group Scotland 

Bruce Adamson, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland 

10:50 Panel Discussion 

11:15 Comfort Break 

11.30 Workshops 

1. Making Employability Work for Priority Group Families 

  • Jack Evans, Policy Manager, Joseph Rowntree Foundation 
  • Laura Millar, Strategic Manager, Fife Gingerbread 

2. Social security: Priorities for tackling poverty  

  • Tressa Burke, CEO, Glasgow Disability Alliance (tbc) 
  • Polly Jones, Head of Scotland, Trussell Trust (tbc) 

3. Childcare and Child Poverty – Meeting the Challenges 

  • Anna Ritchie Allan, Executive Director, Close the Gap (tbc) 
  • Satwat Rehman, Chief Executive, One Parent Families Scotland (tbc)  

12.30: Feedback from groups and concluding remarks 

13:00 Close 

StagEHd: Edinburgh’s Theatre Festival

Saturday 28th & Sunday 29 May
Ross Bandstand, Princes Street Gardens

StagEHd is a two day festival of theatre, celebrating the performing arts in Edinburgh.

Born out of a conversation about the commercialisation of Edinburgh’s public spaces, StagEHd is an open access, free-to-attend festival of theatre, featuring the best of Edinburgh’s independent, grassroots and community theatre companies.

The festival began partly as a response to the closure of the city’s arts spaces during the 2020 pandemic, by EGTG (Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group) in collaboration with other community theatre companies in the city, as an opportunity to showcase homegrown talent to a local audience.

Breathtaking film with a powerful message for Scottish bikers: ‘Take your time to take it all in’

Bikers from Evolution Women’s Motorcycle Club rolled out the red carpet and declared ‘Action!’ on the latest film from motorcycle safety campaign Live Fast Die Old, by The Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland.

Part of the campaign’s Breathtaking Roads series, the stunning new film highlights the thrill of riding while also reminding motorcyclists to enjoy Scotland’s roads safely.

Shot on the scenic Isle of Skye, the short film uses striking slo-mo footage to highlight the importance of considering the entire picture and every potential hazard before making the decision to overtake. It urges motorcyclists exploring Scotland’s roads to ‘take your time to take it all in’.

Despite accounting for less than 1% of all road traffic in Scotland motorcyclists are over represented in reported casualties. In 2020, there were 418 reported motorcyclist casualties on Scotland’s roads. Of these, 16 were fatalities (17% of all road deaths) and 242 resulted in serious injury.1

Loss of control is the most commonly reported contributory factor for motorcyclists, involved in 19% of all accidents. Bends and overtaking continue to be among the riskiest manoeuvres, with bends being a factor in 22% of all reported injury accidents, and overtaking in 10%.

Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth, said: “We’re seeing lots of bikers on the roads with many taking advantage of the longer days and enjoying the incredible scenery Scotland has to offer.

“The Live Fast Die Old campaign celebrates biking, but we know motorcyclists face significant risks on our roads and we want to ensure they practise safe riding habits – especially when overtaking and going round bends which can be particularly risky manoeuvres.

“I’d urge any motorcyclists exploring Scotland’s breathtaking roads this season to take their time, adjust their speed and consider their surroundings before overtaking. Enjoy the ride – but get home in one piece.”

The new film coincides with Police Scotland’s motorcycle safety campaign.

Fellow biker and deputy head of road policing, Superintendent Stewart Mackie, said: “We speak to bikers and other road users all year round but as the better weather arrives, there is a real focus on motorbike safety and educating all drivers.

“Motorcyclists are more vulnerable than other road users. My plea to other riders is a straightforward one – get home safe.

“I have bitter experience of attending fatal collisions over the years and we must all be cautious on bends, especially left hand bends and think twice before every single overtake.

“I understand the pleasure of being on a bike and exploring Scotland but there’s nothing more important than returning home to your loved ones safe and well.”

Previous films in the Breathtaking Roads series were popular with Scotland’s biking community and showcased stunning routes in coastal, forest and mountain regions of Scotland, while focusing on key manoeuvres such as overtaking, cornering and riding as a group.

Scottish biker Jayne Tollan, Chairwoman of Evolution Women’s Motorcycle Club, said: “We’re really excited to support the launch of the new Live Fast Die Old film and get behind its main message.

“As bikers we can be vulnerable on the road, especially when we’re overtaking, so it’s important we remember to take our time and take in everything that’s happening around us before making the move.

“We all love riding in Scotland – so let’s do it safely.”

The campaign will run across social media and digital channels, with posters displayed at key locations targeting motorcyclists across Scotland, including dealers, petrol stations, garages and cafes along Scotland’s most popular biker routes.

The dedicated Live Fast Die Old website and Facebook page offer rich and engaging content for motorcyclists, with films and blogs from Scottish bikers sharing their first-hand experience and tips with peers, as well as route inspiration and best practice advice.

The Live Fast Die Old campaign is looking for bikers across Scotland to get involved by sharing their experience, advice, top routes and ride-out tips with other bikers. If you’d like to be part of the campaign, follow Live Fast Die Old on Facebook or get in touch at roadsafety@smarts.agency.

To watch the latest Breathtaking Roads film and join the conversation, visit the Live Fast Die Old website (livefastdieold.scot) / or Facebook page facebook.com/livefastdieoldscotland.

Pensions: people on lower incomes can be confused and disadvantaged by defined contribution pensions

New research released finds defined contribution (DC) pension schemes, which do not automatically offer a secure, guaranteed income for life, can lead to poor outcomes for those on lower incomes.

Since the introduction of ‘pension freedoms’ in 2015, the vast majority of consumers are opting against a guaranteed income, resulting in them facing significant threats to their retirement security.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham, supported by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, conducted in-depth interviews with DC pension consumers and gained insights from industry stakeholders to shed light on the experiences, risks and challenges of pension decision-making in the new retirement landscape.  

They concluded that the existing system disadvantages people who are already vulnerable to poor pension outcomes.

Those from more disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to have access to networks of friends and family who can help them with their decision-making. In addition, the support available for those without access to regulated financial advice (typically those with smaller pension pots and/or low-to-middle incomes) remains largely limited to written information and checklist-based guidance.

This means many people do not have access to the kind of support they need – i.e. a personal recommendation on the best course of action.

Researchers found:

1. Consumers feel confused and overwhelmed by the DC withdrawal decision. Many people feel ill-prepared for making the ‘right’ decision about accessing their DC pension savings. They are often overwhelmed by its complexity and feel they need more help in the form of personalised advice, however, the cost of this advice is unaffordable for those on lower incomes.

2. Consumers (particularly non-advised consumers) do not know who to trust when they need support with their decision. This leads to poorer outcomes for those from less affluent backgrounds, who do not have social networks of people who can recommend trustworthy advisers.

3. Consumers have to manage high levels of confusion and uncertainty about the future when making a decumulation decision. Consumers are aware they have to manage multiple risks when deciding what to do with their DC pension pot. This includes several highly unpredictable aspects of the future, such as their health and longevity, the need for care, and stock market performance. This ‘individualisation’ of risk creates a sense of insecurity and adds to the discomfort and difficulty of the decision-making process.

Researchers have called for government, regulators and employers to do more to protect low-income DC scheme holders.

They make the following recommendations:

  • Better value products – Government and regulators must ensure industry works harder to meet the needs of people on low-to-middle incomes by creating more flexible, better value products. For example, by introducing a charge cap for DC investment pathways and drawdown arrangements to prevent consumers paying unnecessarily high charges, and help rebalance some of the responsibility for achieving good consumer outcomes
  • Price-capping – There should be Government-funded, price-capped, financial advice services so that lower income people can access regulated financial advice to support their pension decisions.  
  • Reducing risk – Access to affordable, trustworthy regulated financial advice should be expanded as an option for all DC pension consumers. Through the introduction of pension freedoms, Government has created a situation where individuals are taking on too much responsibility and risk for securing an adequate retirement income. Government therefore needs to redress this balance by taking responsibility for providing appropriate protection and support. More regulation is needed of DC pensions to ensure value for customers.

Dr Louise Overton, Assistant Professor in Social Policy and Director of CHASM from the University of Birmingham, said: “Seven years on from the introduction of pension freedoms, too many people are facing poor retirement outcomes because industry and government aren’t doing enough to protect them.

“Our research shows that Pension Wise (set up as ‘a first port of call for DC consumers, offering free and impartial information and guidance) does not offer adequate support, and those without access to good quality regulated financial advice (those with smaller pension pots and lower incomes) are particularly at risk of adverse outcomes.

“We call on government, industry and the regulator to expand the scope of money guidance, widen access to regulated advice, and prioritise product innovation.”

Karen Barker, Head of Policy at abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, said: ““The current ‘one size fits all’ system is not suitable for those on lower incomes. Whilst the new pension freedoms introduced by the government have benefitted many, this research shows they cause a great deal of confusion.

“It’s not practical to expect those with smaller pension pots to pay a lot of money for advice on how to manage those pots.

“However, it’s vital that those on low-to-middle incomes are properly advised if we are to avoid a return to high levels of pensioner poverty.”

SHE Scotland to hold Funders & Partners event

We are looking for like minded business, community groups, school leaders and charity owners to join us for our funders and partners night so we can work together to provide more opportunities for girls and young women.

This evening is a great opportunity for networking and explore potential synergies with other local groups.

The evening will be held on Thursday 26th May from 6-8pm in our space at 525 Ferry Road, EH5 2FF and will include talks from our members at SHE Scotland so you can find out more about what we do and how you can help us provide more opportunities for girls and young women.

This is a great opportunity for networking and we would love to see like minded business, community groups, school leaders and charity owners attend so please do spread this invite far and wide!

If you would like to come along, please do RSVP via the link below! We hope to see you there!

shescotland@outlook.com

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Evading scrutiny?

Government blocks evidence session with Cabinet Secretary

The Government have blocked the Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, and Government ethics chief, Darren Tierney, from appearing before the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on Tuesday 24 May.

The session was confirmed several weeks ago as part of the Committee’s inquiry into the propriety of governance in light of Greensill. It was due to discuss the management of conflicts of interest and unregulated appointments in the Civil Service, the Downing Street parties and the recent announcement on the Government’s intention to reduce the size of the Civil Service by almost 100,000 jobs.

The Committee has been told by officials that ministerial approval for the Cabinet Secretary to give evidence on Tuesday has been pulled. The session will not take place on 24 May and has been rescheduled for the 28 June.

Chair of PACAC William Wragg MP said: “The session with the Cabinet Secretary was an important one considering the number of propriety and ethics issues on the agenda. We had also hoped to get clarity on the Government’s plans for civil service reform, public scrutiny of which was much needed after they were briefed to the press last weekend.

“The intervention to pull the session at such short notice evades timely parliamentary scrutiny of these plans and puts government transparency in a poor light.”