Residents at Barchester Healthcare’s Strachan House care home in Blackhall celebrated Mother’s Day with visits and video calls from family members near and far. The home was beautifully decorated with fresh flowers and bunting for the occasion.
Staff at Strachan House arranged a wonderful afternoon tea for all their all their resident mums. Head chef, Paul Dow freshly prepared sandwiches and his signature much loved scones with Cornish clotted cream to mark the day.
Muriel Sinclair (102) celebrates Mother’s Day
General Manager, Gordon Philp said: “We’ve all had a really lovely day. It has been so good to see family members who were able to visit in person and to have video calls with those who are further away.
“Our residents enjoyed a fantastic afternoon tea prepared by our brilliant chefs. Days like these are so special.”
Escape Hunt Edinburgh is giving players the opportunity to step into Alice’s shoes in it’s brand-new City Hunt adventure, Return to Wonderland – launching at Escape Hunt Edinburgh, located in the Omni Centre on 23rd March.
This epic city hunt transforms the streets of Edinburgh into a Wonderland-themed outdoor experience. Imagine an escape room with no doors, a treasure hunt with more challenges, and a city like you’ve never seen it before.
Players must take to the streets of Edinburgh, to find the virtual lost characters of Wonderland scattered across the city. Explore with a digital map to crack clues, complete puzzles and solve challenges along the way. With just 90 minutes – players must work together to find the characters, return them to wonderland and save the Mad Hatter from the Queen of Hearts. Chop Chop.
Launching in time for the Easter Holidays, the experience is open to teams of between two and six players, perfect for friends and family members who want to try their hand at the puzzles of Wonderland. And what’s more, kids under 8 go free.
For tickets, or for more information on how to book, go to:
The UK Government has extended the voluntary National Insurance deadline to 31 July 2023 to give taxpayers more time to fill gaps in their National Insurance record and help increase the amount they receive in State Pension.
This comes after members of the public voiced concern over the previous deadline of 5 April 2023.
The deadline extension was announced in a Written Ministerial Statement last week (7th March) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging taxpayers to ensure they don’t miss out.
Anyone with gaps in their National Insurance record from April 2006 onwards now has more time to decide whether to fill the gaps to boost their new State Pension. Any payments made will be at the lower 2022 to 2023 tax year rates.
As part of transitional arrangements to the new State Pension, taxpayers have been able to make voluntary contributions to any incomplete years in their National Insurance record between April 2006 and April 2016, to help increase the amount they receive when they retire. And after an increase in customer contact, the UK Government has extended the deadline l.to ensure people have time to make their contributions.
Victoria Atkins, The Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said: “We’ve listened to concerned members of the public and have acted.
“We recognise how important State Pensions are for retired individuals, which is why we are giving people more time to fill any gaps in their National Insurance record to help bolster their entitlement.”
Thousands of taxpayers with incomplete years in their National Insurance record could be financially better off in their retirement if they make voluntary payments to top up any incomplete or missing years.
Charities in The Lothians have a chance to win a share of a £25,000 prize pot offered by expert charity insurer Ansvar as part of its Community Campaign.
Many good causes in the region have been struggling to raise funds during the current cost of living crisis and Ansvar, which has insured charities, churches and voluntary groups for more than 60 years, is offering help.
The money will be split three ways: £15,000 for the overall winner with £5,000 each going to two additional charities.
Applications for funding can be submitted between Monday 6th March and Monday 17th April, with winners announced by Wednesday 31st May.
Charities simply need to complete a short online form and explain in 500 words or less why their project deserves the prize.
Judges will be looking for projects that are about to start, or already running, which positively impact the local community.
Sarah Cox, Managing Director at Ansvar, said: “These are tough times for many charities, so we’re delighted to announce our search for three registered charities to benefit from a £25,000 prize pot.
“We know how much that money will mean to projects being run across the country and the judges are particularly keen to receive entries that provide a detailed outline of how the money would be spent.”
A judging panel will meet to decide the winner – and entries need to be made online via the Ansvar website. Entrants must be a registered charity and their charity number will be needed to apply.
Sarah Cox added: “We’ve been insuring charitable organisations at the heart of the community for a long time and giving back to the community is an important part of what we do.
“So, we’re really looking forward to hearing from a wide breadth of charities and learning how they could benefit from this funding boost. We strongly urge any eligible charities in need of funding to submit an application.”
Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch and Ukrainian First Minister sign UK-Ukraine Digital Trade Agreement to provide vital support for Ukrainian economy
Department for Business and Trade mobilises UK businesses to engage in future reconstruction projects in Ukraine with major conference
UK pledges to extend the removal of tariffs on all Ukrainian products until March 2024
The UK today [Monday 20 March] signed a pivotal digital trade deal with Ukraine that will support the country’s economy and greatly enhance the UK-Ukraine trade and investment relationship.
The Department for Business and Trade today hosted a number of Ukrainian ministers, as well as 200 UK and international businesses and officials, at Mansion House to lay the foundation for closer future co-operation.
The Road to Ukraine Recovery Conference, geared towards supporting Ukraine’s National Recovery Plan and mobilising UK businesses to engage in future Ukraine reconstruction projects, opened with a welcome from the Business and Trade Secretary. This event, and our mobilisation of UK industry, is a key stepping stone on our route to the Ukraine Recovery Conference that will be hosted in London in June.
Ms Badenoch, alongside Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Yulia Svyrydenko, virtually signed a ground-breaking new Digital Trade Agreement (DTA) that will help Ukraine support its economy through the current crisis and lay foundations for its recovery and revival.
Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch MP said: “The historic digital trade deal signed today paves the way for a new era of modern trade between our two countries.
“We are also extending tariff free trade on imports from Ukraine to early 2024, providing much needed support to Ukrainian businesses. These initiatives will help protect jobs, livelihoods and families now and in Ukraine’s post-war future.”
Since June 2022, UK negotiators worked at record pace with their Ukrainian counterparts to deliver a deal after President Zelenskyy highlighted the important role Ukraine’s first ever digitally focused trade agreement could play in bolstering his country’s economy.
Ukraine will have guaranteed access to the financial services crucial for reconstruction efforts through the deal’s facilitation of cross-border data flows. Ukrainian businesses will also be able to trade more efficiently and cheaply with the UK through electronic transactions, e-signatures, and e-contracts.
First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy for Ukraine, Yuliia Svyrydenko said: “This digital trade agreement illustrates that Ukrainian IT companies operating in Ukraine are in demand around the world despite all the challenges of war.
“The UA-UK Digital Trade Agreement has enshrined core freedoms for trade in digital goods and services. Ukraine believes that an open and free framework for the digital economy is the best investment in future oriented development.”
The UK’s total military, humanitarian and economic support pledged since 24 February 2022 now amounts to over £4 billion. The UK is a key partner for Ukraine in its reconstruction efforts.
We hosted the UK-Ukraine Infrastructure Summit in June 2022, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreeing to play a leading role in the reconstruction of Kyiv Oblast and set up the Infrastructure Taskforce to implement this agreement.
Stuart Senior, Member of the Supervisory Board, Gleeds said: “As international construction consultants, Gleeds has had a presence in Ukraine for many years. We welcome this new agreement which strengthens UK-Ukraine relationships and helps Ukraine’s increasing development as a modern, open economy.
“The DTA will remove barriers to digital trade and enable partnership initiatives and collaborative working to be delivered more effectively. It will also further enhance the acceleration of economic recovery through the faster delivery of critical infrastructure reconstruction projects by implementing better processes and standards.”
In the margins of the Road to URC event, the UK confirmed its intention to extend the removal of tariffs on Ukrainian products until March 2024. This follows the UK’s world-leading decision in May 2022 to cut tariffs on all goods from Ukraine to zero and will provide much needed support to Ukrainian businesses given the impact of the war on Ukraine’s ability to export goods.
The UK also continues to support Ukraine through decisive sanctions against Russia. The UK and its allies have introduced the most severe economic sanctions ever imposed on a major economy, including on £20 billion (96%) of UK-Russia goods trade from 2021.
Sanctions are having deep and damaging consequences for Putin’s ability to wage war. Since the start of the invasion, UK goods imports from Russia have fallen by 99% and goods exports to Russia have fallen by 80%.
Eight-metre installation with vital message to launch this Saturday
LOCALS are encouraged to attend North Berwick Harbour for the official launch of a highly anticipated mural which is made up of 13,000 pieces of plastic collected from East Lothian beaches.
The event will be taking place on Saturday 25 March between 1pm and 4pm and will involve educational workshops from the Scottish Coastal Clean Up.
Attendees will also be able to speak to the artist behind the mural – award-winning local artist, Julie Barnes – who created the installation to illustrate the concerning levels of marine waste along Scotland’s coastline.
Julie, said: “As a local artist who loves living in East Lothian, I care passionately about our beautiful environment. Each piece of plastic tells the story of today’s culture and its obsession with convenience, despite the shocking consequences.
“It feels amazing to have been chosen to create this educational artwork and I hope, like all my work, it will inspire viewers to stop, think and make a conscious effort to help preserve our planet.”
The mural has been made from approximately 13,000 bits of a 27,000-piece plastic collection that was gathered by East Lothian local, Elizabeth Vischer, from a 200m stretch of Longniddry Bents.
Over lockdown, Elizabeth set herself the task of completing 100 beach cleans and decided to document the process along the way – the images she took will be on display in the nearby Seabird Centre for a 3-month period.
Simon Poole, co-founder of Jerba Campervans said: “It’s fantastic to see the local community supporting this inspirational initiative.
“Not only does it send out a vital message about plastic waste in our seas but also brings a new and vibrant piece of wonderful art to North Berwick Harbour.
“To see the project grow from an initial idea into a large-scale physical depiction of such an important issue in today’s society has just been incredible.”
The intricate artwork – which will illustrate a beach scene and image of Bass Rock – will span North Berwick’s harbour wall and will be accompanied by an interpretation board explaining the meaning behind the mural, urging people to act now.
Kate Miller, Head of Communications and Environmental Projects at Caledonian Horticulture said: “When Simon from Jerba got in touch after being inspired by another educational marine plastic mural and reading about our beach cleans, it was suggested we create something similar in East Lothian – it was an opportunity we couldn’t turn down!
“Caledonian Horticulture started The Scottish Coastal Clean Up initiative in 2021 and through our beach cleaning work, we became aware of Elizabeth and the monumental task she had taken on.
“The mural seemed like the ideal use of the astonishing 27,000 pieces of plastic gathered off the East Lothian coast line and really drives home the issue of marine plastic.
“From a distance, the mural appears to depict a colourful beach scene, but as you get closer and the details become clearer, you can make out the sheer scale of everyday items that have sadly ended up in our seas.
“We want the illustration to make people question how these items ended up in our seas and on our beaches and think about what they can do to help stop that happening.”
The artwork will last for many years in the sea spray environment and its impact is hoped to be maximised as tourists flock to the hotspot.
The North Berwick Harbour Trust, a small local charity that aims to maintain, conserve and improve North Berwick Harbour commissioned the co-operative project across the supporting companies, Jerba Campervans and Caledonia Horticulture and the artist, Julie Barnes.
The charity believes that all participants in the project are enhancing the Harbour and enlightening the massive numbers of visitors and locals at the community asset.
The eight panels making up the mural have each been sponsored by a local business; Steampunk, Turnbulls Home Hardware, The Lobster Shack & Rocketeer, Meg Maitland, Peppermint Beach, Fidra Charity and North Berwick Trust.
A talented autistic musician has reached the final of a Channel 4 talent show to find the UK’s best pianists.Sean Logan, from Edinburgh, previously appeared in a BAFTA-winning short film, Harmonic Spectrum.
The Piano is a TV talent competition to find four of the UK’s top amateur pianists, hosted by Claudia Winkleman and judged by global popstar Mika and world-renowned pianist Lang Lang.
In the show, amateur piano players share their experiences and perform on public pianos in train stations the UK, while their playing is judged in secret by Mica and Lang Lang.
The chosen finalists get the opportunity to perform in a grand concert finale at the Royal Festival Hall in London, which will be aired on Channel 4 at 9pm on Wednesday.
Sean also performed his own Edinburgh Fringe show last year focused on his experiences as an autistic musician and will be appearing at the festival again this year.
Sean Logan, The Piano finalist, said:“It’s been a fantastic experience being on the show, I’ve really enjoyed it and it was great to get to perform as a finalist alongside such talented musicians at the Royal Festival Hall.
“Music brings people together in a positive way and, for me, as an autistic person, it is a great way to connect with others. I think it’s really important that autistic people are seen on TV and portrayed in an honest way, as it inspires other autistic people to be themselves and to not hide away or think that they aren’t valued. This show, like Harmonic Spectrum, does just that.
“In my experience, the help is out there if you’re autistic and you need it, but it can often be difficult to find. I think that getting that help and support is vital, because when autistic people are supported and encouraged, they can achieve great things.”
Rob Holland, Director of the National Autistic Society Scotland, said:“We’re delighted to see Sean reach the final of The Piano, and that he has the platform to showcase his exceptional talent.
“It’s also a step forward for positive autistic representation on TV, as it challenges the stereotypical view as to what autistic people can achieve. It also draws attention to the benefits of creative musical interaction, which we know helps many autistic people to enhance their confidence and self-expression.
“We hope that this achievement will inspire more autistic people like Sean to express themselves creatively and have the opportunity to showcase their skills and abilities.”
Residents and staff at Strachan House in Edinburgh celebrated all things Irish for St Patrick’s Day last week.
The home was decorated with colourful green white and orange designs and Irish music rang out from all the corridors.
Mandy, Head of Activities, said: “We love a party at Strachan House and St Patricks Day is always a popular celebration to open our doors and welcome everyone in from the community to join in with our residents and staff”.
Held on March 17th, Saint Patrick’s Day actually observes the death of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, but the day has come to be a huge celebration of Irish heritage and culture.
Staff and residents at the home marked the day by learning about the history as well as many green themed antics. From making shamrock decorations, learning some Irish words and phrases, themed menu and landing a good old knees up party.
Mr and Mrs Barrie who reside at Strachan House, have been together for 70 years and demonstrated you’re never too old to have a good time. Mrs Barrie said “it was lovely to spend an evening with my husband, although I think he preferred the Guinness he was holding in his hand rather than me in the other”
General Manager, Gordon Philp said: “Our residents have all had a brilliant day today, everyone has enjoyed the festivities – I think we all agree St Patrick’s Day is the best of all the saints’ days! We had a fantastic time at our Irish party and sampling a few Guinnesses!”
Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active, and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.
Strachan House is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering high-quality care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides nursing care, residential care, respite care.
Top 11 authorities by value all see price reduction
Fife sees largest fall in prices on a weight-adjusted basis
Average Scottish house price now £222,668
Monthly change down 0.9%, annually 4.6% up
Table 1. Average House Prices in Scotland for the period January 2022 – January 2023
Scott Jack, Regional Development Director at Walker Fraser Steele, comments:“The headline figures this month mark the first real change in direction for house price growth in Scotland since 2012.
“We are likely seeing a conflation of factors that have resulted in this fall. On a purely seasonal note, January and February are traditionally slower months for housing transactions in Scotland – partly as a result of estate agency Christmas closures and reduced daylight hours for viewings.
“However, a fall in the average house price was perhaps inevitable given the sudden rise in the cost of mortgage finance and the economic turmoil brought about by the Truss-Kwarteng mini-budget.
“But a fall in the average has not meant a fall across all property types. If we look beyond the headline average house price fall of 0.9%, we can see how the varied types of property stock fared differently over the month. During January it was the price of flats that fell the most, by -2.0%, followed by terraces, down by -1.6%, and semi-detached properties down by -0.6%.
Meanwhile, the average price of detached homes remained steady during the month, with 0.0% price change. This is less surprising in so far as the more expensive detached properties tend to attract wealthier and more resilient buyers who are less impacted by the rising cost of mortgage finance.
“So, the average house price fall requires some perspective. We need to remember that in spite of the fall, the current average house price still remains some £9,700, or 4.6%, above the average price of twelve months earlier.”
Commentary: John Tindale, Acadata Senior Housing Analyst
The January housing market
In January 2023, average house prices in Scotland fell by -£1,921, or -0.9%. Ignoring the price movements associated with the introduction of the LBTT tax in April 2015 and the termination of the LBTT tax holiday in April 2021, this is the largest fall in a single month since December 2012. During January it was the price of flats that fell the most, by -2.0%, followed by terraces, down by -1.6%, and semi-detached properties down by -0.6%. Meanwhile, the average price of detached homes remained steady during the month, with 0.0% price change.
So why the price fall? January and February are typically the weakest months of the year in Scotland’s housing market. Transaction levels are at their lowest in these two months, which is in part to do with Christmas, when many estate agents remain closed over the holiday period, and in part due to the lack of daylight hours and inclement weather associated with these two winter months. When sales levels are low, minor trends – which might otherwise have been obscured by the larger number of sales in the other months of the year – can stand out. For example, estate agents have been reporting that the number of sales of properties which have previously been in the rental market is becoming more noticeable, with the government rent cap and future regulation changes deterring investors in this sector.
Even a small exodus of private investors in buy-to-let properties will have an impact on prices in the winter months. In Edinburgh, for example, the price of an average flat fell from £286k in December 2022 to £274k in January 2023, while in Glasgow average flat prices fell from £180k to £175k over the same period – with these two cities accounting for 42% of Scotland’s flat sales in January.
Despite reporting the largest monthly fall in prices of the last ten years, the current average house price still remains some £9,700, or 4.6%, above the average price of twelve months earlier. Indeed, as can be seen from Figure 1 below, taking a view of price movements in Scotland over the last five years, the dip in prices in January 2023 is barely perceptible. The average house price in January 2018 was £174,637 compared to £222,668 in January 2023 – a £48,000, or 27.5% rise over the period. This increase in price equates to a compound interest rate of 5.0% over the five years – which is a reasonable rate of return, given that the official bank rate over this period was mostly lower than 0.75%.
Figure 1. The average house price in Scotland over the five-year period January 2018 to January 2023
Local Authority Analysis
Table 2. Average House Prices in Scotland, by local authority area, comparing January 2022, December 2022 and January 2023
Table 2 above shows the average house price and percentage change (over the last month and year) by Local Authority Area for January 2022, as well as for December 2022 and January 2023, calculated on a seasonal- and mix-adjusted basis. The ranking in Table 2 is based on the local authority area’s average house price for January 2023. Local Authority areas shaded in blue experienced record average house prices in January 2023.
Annual change
The average house price in Scotland in January 2023 has increased by some £9,700 – or 4.6% – over the last twelve months. This annual rate of growth has decreased by -2.0% from December’s revised 6.6%, which is the largest reduction in the annual growth rate of the last fourteen months.
However, in January 2023, 26 of the 32 local authority areas in Scotland were still seeing their average prices rise above the levels of twelve months earlier, only three fewer than in December. The six areas where values fell over the year were, in descending order, Na h-Eileanan Siar (-5.8%), Aberdeen City (-4.5%), Stirling (-3.8%), Scottish Borders (-2.8%); Dundee City (-0.8%) and Fife (-0.5%).
The area with the highest annual increase in average house prices in January 2023 was Clackmannanshire, up by 25.0%. However, there were only 33 transactions in Clackmannanshire in January 2023, which falls below the desired sample size to obtain a reasonably accurate average price. Consequently, we suggest that the result for Clackmannanshire is treated with a degree of caution this month. The same ruling also applies to the three Island groups of Na h-Eileanan Siar, the Shetland Islands and the Orkney Islands, where there were only 6, 14 and 16 sales in the month respectively.
On a weight-adjusted basis – which incorporates both the change in prices and the number of transactions involved – there were six local authority areas in January which accounted for 51% of the £9,700 increase in Scotland’s average house price over the year. The six areas in descending order of influence are: – Edinburgh (23%); North Lanarkshire (7%); Glasgow (6%); Aberdeenshire (5%); East Renfrewshire (5%); and South Lanarkshire (5%).
Monthly change
In January 2023, Scotland’s average house price fell in the month by some -£1,900, or -0.9%. This is the largest fall in a single month since December 2012, some ten years ago, ignoring the rather artificial falls around the months relating to the introduction of the LBTT in April 2015, as well as the ending of the LBTT tax-holidays in April 2021.
In January 2023, 23 of the 32 Local Authority areas in Scotland experienced falling prices in the month, which is eight more than in December2022. Of the 23 local authorities with price falls, 11 out of the top 11 areas when ranked by price all had price falls. Overall, it was the price of flats that saw the largest falls in the month, down by -2.0%, followed by terraces, down by -1.6%, with semi-detached properties down by -0.6%, while the average price of detached properties remained constant, with 0.0% change.
On a weight-adjusted basis, there were four local authority areas in January which accounted for 53% of the -£1,900 decrease in Scotland’s average house price in the month. The four areas in descending order of influence are: – Fife (-16%); Glasgow (-15%); Edinburgh (-15%) and Falkirk (-7%). It is not surprising to find Glasgow and Edinburgh in this listing, given the fall in flat prices, as they are the two authorities with the highest percentage of flats being sold each month, at 67% and 63% of their respective transaction totals. On a similar theme, Fife has the highest proportion of terraced sales of all the 32 local authorities in Scotland at 27% – terraced properties also being popular among buy-to-let investors, who may have decided it is time to sell.
Peak Prices
Each month, in Table 2 above, the local authority areas which have reached a new record in their average house prices are highlighted in light blue. In January, there are 4 such authorities, down from 6 in December.
Scotland transactions of £750k or higher
Table 3. The number of transactions by month in Scotland greater than or equal to £750k, January 2015 – January 2023
Table 3 shows the number of transactions per month in Scotland which are equal to or greater than £750k. The threshold of £750k has been selected as it is the breakpoint at which the highest rate of LBTT becomes payable.
There were 52 such transactions recorded by RoS relating to January 2023. Currently, this is the third-highest January total recorded to date, but there is likely to be an increase to this figure next month, as RoS process additional sales – we will have to wait and see whether the increase is sufficient to make the total the second highest of the last nine years. There does however appear to be a slight decrease from the number of high-value sales occurring in 2022 – but it is too early to be confident that the total of such sales will be higher or lower in 2023 than in the previous year.
There were three properties sold in Scotland in January having a value of £3 million or higher: an architect-designed 4 bedroom 2012 property in Maidens, Ayrshire, with views over the Firth of Clyde, which sold for £3.1 million; a “Baronial Style” 6 bedroom detached home in Colinton, Edinburgh, 3½ miles south-west of the city centre, which sold for £3.075 million; and a detached home, about a mile from the Muirfield golf course in Gullane, North Berwick, which sold for £3.0 million. It is good to know that, alongside the potential gloom in January’s housing market, high-value homes in splendid locations are continuing to attract willing buyers.
Transactions analysis
Figure 2 below shows the monthly transaction count for purchases during the period from January 2007 to January 2023, based on RoS (Registers of Scotland) figures for the Date of Entry (January 2023 totals are based on RoS Application dates).
The graph starts in 2007, which was something of an exception, with close to 150,000 domestic property sales in the calendar year. The 2007 sales total is the largest of the last 18 years, although the period from 2004 to 2006 came close, with an average 139,000 sales on an annual basis.
However, during 2008 the banking industry began to suffer its credit crisis, with home loans becoming difficult to obtain, especially for first time buyers. Accordingly, the number of housing transactions fell to approximately 70,000 per year over the period from 2009 to 2012.
Normality was slowly restored from 2013, with sales rising to a yearly average of 87,500 over the period from 2013 to 2015, rising to an average 102,000 sales per annum from 2016 to 2019.
The effect of the Covid pandemic – which started in March 2020 – can be clearly seen on the graph. Housing transactions in April 2020 plummeted with the arrival of the pandemic, to be followed by a slow rise in sales as confidence began to return. Then followed a period when sales exceeded previous levels, from September 2020, as lifestyle changes and the LBTT tax-holiday pushed up demand – especially for properties with space to allow for working from home.
Figure 2. The number of sales per month recorded by RoS based on entry date from 2007 – 2023
In Figure 2, three peaks can be seen after March 2020: in October 2020 (pent-up demand from the low transaction levels earlier in 2020) and March and June 2021 (LBTT and SDLT tax-holidays encouraging sales in both Scotland and England). The dip in housing activity in January and February of each year is also clearly visible. For the record, the average number of transactions in January and February over the ten-year period from 2013 to 2022 was 6,476 and 5,717 respectively, compared to an average 8,633 sales for the remaining ten months.
In 2022, transaction levels have averaged 8,358 sales per month, which is down 2.4% on the 8,561 average sales that took place in 2019 – the last full year prior to Covid.
Heat Map
The heat map below shows the rate of house price growth for the 12 months ending January 2023. As reported above, 26 of the 32 local authority areas in Scotland have seen a rise in their average property values over the last year, the six exceptions being Na h-Eileanan Siar, Aberdeen City, Stirling, the Scottish Borders, Dundee City and Fife. The highest increase on the mainland over the twelve months to January 2023 was in Clackmannanshire at 25.0%, although this was based on a relatively small number of sales. In second place on the mainland was Moray at 11.4%. 5 of the 32 local authority areas had price growth of 10.0% or higher – one fewer than in December 2022.
Comparisons with Scotland
Figure 3. Scotland house prices, compared with England and Wales, North East and North West for the period January 2005-January 2023
Figure 4. A comparison of the annual change in house prices in Scotland, England and Wales, North East and North West for the period January 2020–January 2023
Scotland’s Eight Cities
Figure 5. Average house prices for Scotland’s eight cities from November 2021–January 2023
Figure 6. Average house prices for Scotland’s eight cities January 2023
The Home Secretary has hailed the strengthening of the partnership with Rwanda as both countries vow to step up efforts in dealing with global migration challenges.
Under the innovative Migration and Economic Development Partnership, people who make dangerous, unnecessary and illegal journeys to the UK, such as by small boat, will be relocated to Rwanda, where they will be supported to rebuild their lives.
Suella Braverman travelled to Kigali yesterday for official engagements with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Rwandan Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Dr Vincent Biruta, this weekend (March 18 and 19).
The Home Secretary and Dr Biruta reiterated their desire to deliver the partnership, amid a global migration crisis that has seen 100 million people displaced and people smugglers cashing in on human misery.
They outlined the global leaders’ commitment to working on bold and innovative migration policies to redress the balance between legal and uncontrolled migration. The government of Rwanda reiterated the country’s readiness to receive thousands of individuals, process their claims and house them before they are moved to longer-term accommodation, with necessary support services including health and education provisions.
The Home Secretary and Dr Biruta also signed an update to the memorandum of understanding, expanding the partnership further to all categories of people who pass through safe countries and make illegal and dangerous journeys to the UK.
This will have the added benefit of preparing the UK to deliver on the measures proposed in the Illegal Migration Bill, as it will mean that anyone who comes to the UK illegally – who cannot be returned to their home country – will be in scope to be relocated to Rwanda.
The new bill, which was introduced to Parliament last week, will see people who come to the UK illegally face detention and be returned to their home country, or a safe third country such as Rwanda.
The scheme is uncapped and the government of Rwanda have confirmed they are able to take thousands of people eligible for relocation.
In December, the UK government secured an important victory in the High Court on the legality of the partnership and will continue to defend the policy against ongoing legal challenge, while working with Rwanda to ensure flights can operate as soon as there are no legal barriers.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “We cannot continue to see people risking their lives crossing the Channel, which is why I am pleased to strengthen our agreement even further with the government of Rwanda so we can address the global migration crisis head on.
“The Migration and Economic Development Partnership is key to breaking the business model of people smugglers while ensuring those who genuinely need protection can be helped to rebuild their lives.
“Rwanda is a progressive, rapidly growing economy at the forefront of innovation – I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing first-hand the rich opportunities this country can provide to relocated people through our partnership.”
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vincent Biruta said: “If we are to successfully tackle the global migration crisis, we need innovative, urgent action.
“This Partnership addresses the opportunity gap at the heart of the migration crisis, by investing in Rwanda’s capability to continue offering migrants the opportunity to build new lives in a safe, secure place, through accommodation, education, and vocational training.
“For these reasons, we are pleased to once again renew our commitment to our ground-breaking Partnership with the UK, which shares our determination to solve this crisis.”
On the visit, the Home Secretary will spend time meeting refugees, who have been supported by the government of Rwanda to rebuild their lives. She will also see new housing developments, which will be used to relocate people.
She also visited new modern, long-term accommodation that will support those who are relocated to settle in Rwanda.
The Home Secretary also met with investment start-ups and entrepreneurs to discuss the range of business and employment opportunities available to people in Rwanda.
The partnership with Rwanda is just one strand of the work the government is doing to tackle illegal migration. Last week the Prime Minister agreed a package with France which will see a new detention centre established in France as well as the deployment of more French personnel and enhanced technology to patrol beaches.
