Martyn Day MP, a member of the Petitions Committee, has been asked by the Committee to open the debate. MPs from all parties can take part, and the Government will send a minister to respond.
We call upon the Government to hold a Public Inquiry into the impact of Brexit
The petition, which has more than 137,000 signatures, states: “The benefits that were promised if the UK exited the European Union have not been delivered, so we call upon the Government to hold a Public Inquiry to assess the impact that Brexit has had on this country and its citizens.”
In its response to the petition, provided on 5 December 2022, the Government said: “The UK’s departure from the EU was a democratic choice and the UK-EU institutions are functioning as intended. The Government does not believe this to be an appropriate subject for a public inquiry.”
What are petitions debates?
Petitions debates are ‘general’ debates which allow MPs from all parties to discuss the important issues raised by one or more petitions, and put their concerns to Government Ministers.
Petition debates don’t end with a vote to implement the request of a petition. This means MPs will not vote on whether to hold a public inquiry into the impact of the UK’s exit from the European Union.
Petition debates are scheduled by the Petitions Committee. Only e-petitions started on the parliament petitions site are considered by the Petitions Committee.
Strachan House care home in Blackall celebrated in style, by brewing up a wonderful afternoon for National Tea Day yesterday with a Community Tea Dance afternoon.
Supplied with a tasty selection of biscuits, sandwiches, cakes, and of course, teas for the event, residents and their families of Strachan House had an amazing afternoon together.
Gordon Philp, General Manager at Strachan House said: “In these unprecedented times with the cost of living, providing a range of community events for our local community and their families is more important than ever.
“Our residents really enjoyed the choice of teas, cakes and events for National Tea Day, and as a nation who truly loves their tea, it was great excuse for an afternoon brew and a natter”.
May Lesueur, a wife of a resident at Strachan House said: “It was a lovely afternoon, and I love a cup of tea so it was a wonderful combination to end the week on.
“And it was lovely for the families and staff join in too. They always take such good care of us.”
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 83 beds for nursing care, residential care, and respite care.
Community support for third year of fund to help more projects
Projects to support mental health and address social isolation and loneliness in adults will share a further £15 million this year.
The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults, launched in 2021, has now provided around 3,300 grants to community organisations delivering mental health and wellbeing support, bringing total investment to £51 million.
Activities will target older people, areas of economic deprivation, people with long term health conditions or disability and LGBTI communities. The Fund has also had a particular focus on responding to the cost of living crisis, which remains a priority this year.
Improved mental health and wellbeing support is one of the commitments in the Scottish Government’s Policy Prospectus, which outlines firm actions to be achieved by 2026.
Health Secretary Michael Matheson visited Pause and Breathe, a social enterprise, in High Bonnybridge yesterday (Friday 21 April) where he announced the additional funding.
He said: “This investment reflects the importance we place on promoting good mental health and early intervention for those facing mental health challenges – ensuring that people can access a range of different types of help to match their needs.
“The Fund will continue to support a range of valuable community mental health and wellbeing projects, reflecting one of the priorities set out by the First Minister earlier this week.”
Pause and Breathe was awarded £10,000 from last year’s fund to offer a variety of wellbeing sessions and activities. Work is underway to change a building that has lain unused in High Bonnybridge for 20 years.
Managing Director Susie Hooper said: “This funding will enable us to hold free weekly wellbeing sessions throughout the whole year and means we can support people who wouldn’t otherwise attend due to financial constraints.”
THIS MORNING (Saturday),Abortion Rights Scotland is celebrating the fifty-fifth anniversary of the date the 1967 Abortion Act became law in England, Scotland, and Wales, from eleven am to 1pm on Lothian Road Edinburgh – Usher Hall side – because on the other side of the road, SPUC (the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child) are holding their protest against access safe, legal, local abortion, provided and delivered by the NHS.
The SPUC protest against safe legal abortion and the feminist celebration of the Abortion Act, are both now in their tenth year – two years missed because of lockdown.
Audrey Brown, retired NHS abortion care consultant, says: “NHS Scotland has long supported women to make their own choices about pregnancy.
“Abortion care is extremely safe, and in fact is safer than continuing a pregnancy. NHS doctors, nurses and midwives working in abortion care are trained to provide a safe and supportive service.
“The majority of women now choose early medical abortion in the privacy of their own home. Restricting access to abortion won’t stop abortion, it will push it underground and make it less safe. We must continue to support free, safe and legal NHS abortion care.”
The counter-vigil against the anti-abortion protest, is both in support of the continuing right to safe, legal, local abortion in Scotland, provided and delivered by the NHS, but also standing with people in countries like Poland and the United States, where the anti-abortion movement has achieved its goal of denying free access to safe legal abortion.
SPUC’s frequent assertion is that they want to make this essential reproductive healthcare “unthinkable” – and most people in Scotland oppose that goal.
SPUC has organised a ‘Pro Life Chain’ event from 11am – 1pm
Organisers say: ‘Remember the lives hurt and lost through abortion by attending SPUC’s 2023 Pro-Life Chain. This peaceful act of witness spreads the message that abortion kills unborn children and hurts women and families.’
Lifelong hater of creepy-crawlies overcomes fear at an unusual tasting event in Edinburgh which saw whiskies paired with crickets, mealworms, locusts and a surprise scorpion!
A lifelong arachnophobe with a fear of creepy-crawlies discovered a taste for edible insects at an unusual whisky tasting in Edinburgh which saw the flavours of crickets, mealworms, locusts and scorpions matched with different types of Scotch.
Scott Begbie from Aberdeen was one of three adventurous whisky fans taking part in a special event called ‘A Pairing With Legs’, which was hosted at The Vaults in Leith, the home of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, a global whisky club with an unconventional approach to whisky tastings.
The unusual flavour pairing event took place as part of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s 40th anniversary year celebrations. Previously, the Society has paired whiskies with unusual items such as ice cream and also staged a tasting on top of a Munro.
After the event, Begbie, who was given the tasting experience as a present for his 60th birthday, said: “I’ve always had a phobia of spiders and creepy crawlies generally, so I was initially pretty nervous. Seeing the insects and picking them up was quite tricky at first, but I ended up enjoying it.
“My favourite flavour pairing was the smoked crickets with a blended malt featuring smoky whiskies from Islay and Orkney. That pairing of smoky, salty flavours worked really well.
“The mealworms were crunchy and tasted like Bombay Mix with less spices. The locusts were challenging but they reminded me of Twiglets. The scorpion surprised me – it was really good, a bit like a salty Pretzel.”
The flavour pairings
At the event, the first flavour pairing saw mealworms matched with Disco Diva, a 12-year-old whisky from Speyside described as tasting like “an all-singing-and-dancing karaoke of icing sugar-coated biscuits, dried coconut and hot cross buns”.
The second pairing featured locusts paired with Raspberry Fields Forever, a whisky described as having a palate of “creamy custard with juicy raspberry sorbet on apple crumble”.
Finally the smoked crickets were paired with Smokus Fruticosus, a sweet, rich & intensely smoky blended malt featuring whiskies from the islands of Islay & Orkney.
The scorpion was a surprise bonus with the participants trying it at the end of the tasting with a whisky of their choice.
A second ‘A Pairing With Legs’ event is taking place in May with the Society working with Dr Vladimir Blagoderov, the principal curator of invertebrates at the National Museum of Scotland, to explore different types of edible insects.
40th anniversary adventures
This year, the Society is celebrating its 40th-anniversary and is approaching 40,000 members around the world. To mark this milestone in its journey, a series of special releases, events, collaborations and happenings, all inspired by founder Pip Hills’ unorthodox outlook, will continue throughout the year.
Helen Stewart, Head of Brand Marketing & Membership, said: “Whisky and insects? Precisely. This type of tasting personifies what the Society is all about. Our 40th anniversary year is going to be our most adventurous yet.
“‘A Pairing With Legs’ is just one of many unconventional tastings taking place this year as we continue bringing adventurous whisky fans together to explore the flavours of whisky and enjoy interesting sensory experiences.”
Over half of us move away from Traditional English Breakfast Tea as our preferred blend new research finds ahead of National Tea Day
With more than a quarter drinking around a cup or more an hour during an average working day
55% of Brits say they prefer a herbal or other leaf based tea blends over traditional English Breakfast tea
Over a quarter (27%) drink tea purely for wellness. 87% drink tea as a source of comfort or to relax
60% start drinking tea from primary school age with 16% five years or younger
Over 90% of Brits best like to pair their tea with a biscuit, cake or sandwich
Despite the Nation’s long-standing love of English Breakfast tea, new research reveals ahead of National Tea Day on April 21st, that we are moving away from tradition with over half (55%) opting for a herbal like green tea or Rooibos, or other leaf-based teas like Earl Grey, as their preferred choice of blend.
The findings, based on 2086 consumers, come just three weeks before the King’s Coronation and marks a shift away from the Traditional English Breakfast tea which has always been widely regarded as the UK’s hot favourite, accounting for 85% of sales in 2019 according to a Unilever report.
This year’s research into Brits’ tea drinking habits by global tea specialists, The Tea Group, found that 55% of the nation now prefers a herbal brew with 22% choosing a green tea such as Matcha, and 11% picking a rooibos, ginger, peppermint, chamomile or fruit tea as their blend of choice. The remaining 22% chose Earl Grey or picked ‘other’ for their tea, other than Traditional English Breakfast.
More than half (54%) like to take their tea in the morning with milk. A quarter like it rich and malty, and 15% prefer aromatic and herbaceous, all made directly in a mug for most people (68%) as we opt for convenience over complexity. However, one in five agreed that the traditional way to serve tea – using loose leaves, served in a china cup and poured from a teapot – still makes the perfect brew.
Drinking a cup an hour
And it’s not just a cuppa a day. The Tea Group found that Brits are now drinking a sizable amount with 47% of the population consuming up to five cups a day, while over a quarter (27%) drink between six to 10 cups of tea a day which is around one brew an hour during the average working day.
Nearly half (46%) of consumers use teatime as a chance to socialise with others, 37% see it as an opportunity for some ‘me time,’ while the majority (87%) say that tea makes them feel ‘calm and relaxed’ or ‘comforted.’ In fact, over a quarter (27%) of people drink tea purely for their wellbeing with 38% drinking tea for both wellness and taste.
And there are some traditions that we are sticking to, with biscuit, cake or sandwich the nation’s top three favourite foods to accompany their tea.
Commenting on the research, Díaz Ayub, Managing Director at The Tea Group, said: “It is wonderful to see how people in the UK are embracing the range of artisan tea, cold brews and herbal varieties available today.
“The Traditional English Breakfast Tea has been a staple part of UK culture for centuries, and remains so for 45% of the tea lovers we surveyed. However, our findings reveal that the future of tea is much more diverse with a new generation of tea drinkers who are moving beyond the traditional brew to embrace a mixology of teas that inspire health and happiness.”
60% of us drink tea from primary school age
The findings from The Tea Group also found that nearly two thirds (60%) start drinking tea from a primary school age. A third had their first cuppa before the age of seven, and 16% were five or below.
Diaz continued: “As our research shows, teatime is either ‘me time’ or an experience which brings people together to create memorable moments. It’s something to celebrate as a nation which is why we founded National Tea Day. T
“ea plays a role in so many cultures and can be enjoyed in so many ways, and we’re seeing this in the UK with more tea-lovers pairing various teas with different types of food. Try succulent scallops with Japanese Gyokuro tea served in a wine glass, or pistachio macaron with milky Oolong tea, or the traditional shepherd’s pie is great with an English Breakfast tea.
“It’s a drink that offers a world of opportunity for trying fresh delights and our study shows that Britain’s taste for tea is stronger than ever.”
‘Self-Tea’ charity appeal
As part of National Tea Day, The Tea Group, has also launched its ‘Self-Tea’ charity appeal in partnership with award winning British artist, David Arnott. The Tea Group is asking for members of the public to send in ‘selfies’ raising a cup of their favourite tea as a toast to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The selfies will be collated in a mosaic piece, capturing iconic moments from her reign and British history. Once completed, the artwork will be auctioned, with all proceeds going to its charity partner, Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Tea and Food Pairing Tips from Díaz Ayub, Managing Director at The Tea Group:
A rich savoury Shepherd’s pie can be perfectly paired with an English Breakfast tea. Definitely without milk, but with a hint of honey and served in a wine glass.
A humble peppermint tea with a buttery shortbread biscuit for a “melt in your mouth” murray -mint like pairing.
Risotto alla Milanese has a creamy texture which can be harmoniously uplifted by pairing with a complex and aromatic, malty Masala chai.
Stilton cheese paired with Chinese Da Hong Pao tea.
Elevate the classic cream cheese and cucumber sandwich by pairing with a humble green tea.
POLICE are appealing for information following the attempted murder of a man in Davidson Mains. the incident happened on Main Street around 12.05am early this morning (Friday, 21 April, 2023).
The victim, a 20-year-old man, had been n a pub on Main Street and left the premises at around midnight. Soon after exiting the building, three men, dressed in dark coloured clothing and balaclavas, attacked the man with a weapon.
The victim was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh by ambulance with serious injuries.
The suspects are believed to have left the area in a red saloon-type vehicle.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait said: “We are appealing for anyone who witnessed or has information on the incident to get in touch.
“I’d particularly ask anyone who was within the pub on Main Street yesterday evening (Thursday 20 April) to come forward to help our enquiries.
“Equally anyone who may have seen a red saloon car in the Davidson Mains, or surrounding areas, or has information on this vehicle and its occupants, should contact officers as soon as possible.
“We are assessing available CCTV footage and anyone who may have dashcam of the incident, or vehicle, should provide this at your earliest opportunity.”
Anyone with information or dashcam footage is asked to contact officers on 101 quoting incident 0010 of 21, April, 2023.
Alternatively, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.
Leading affordable housing specialists Cullross Ltd has submitted detailed planning for its Newcraighall East development. The site is located east of Glennie Road, Newcraighall.
The site forms part of the local development plan and has an existing planning approval in principle.
Proposals form part of a £60m investment by Cullross. Plans consist of 236 properties, with a mix of 1-, 2-, and 3-bed flats, garden flats, duplex flats, and townhouses. 75% of the fully tenure blind development will be affordable properties, which will be managed by Hillcrest.
The detailed planning application has been submitted to Edinburgh City Council following the completion of the pre-application notice consultation period, which commenced in December 2022.
Following feedback from the community, a new site access has been proposed off Newcraighall Road to link in with the signalised junction being formed for the adjacent New Brunstane development.
As part of the development, a new linear park will be formed. This will provide extensive amenity for both the existing and new residents, along with any visitors to the area. There will also be a new active travel route formed to Musselburgh Train Station creating excellent links and access to the city centre. This will allow access to the city centre in circa. 15 minutes.
Allotments are included to the north of the linear park along with a small retail development, which has been included within the proposals to meet the local needs, and as part of the 20-minute neighbourhood offer.
Enhanced biodiversity has been carefully considered and is included throughout the site.
Other important aspects of the development include the SUDs strategy addressing the existing flooding on site. This has been carefully coordinated with the adjacent EIH development to allow future integration of their development.
Cullross Ltd has nearly 60 years of combined experience designing, developing, and building new homes and specialising in affordable housing projects.
Mark Beaton, Director of Cullross Ltd., said: “We are thrilled to submit our detailed planning application for this much-anticipated development in Newcraighall.
“There has been significant community interest in the proposals at our community events and having reviewed all the feedback that was received we have incorporated suggestions and ideas where possible.
“We are excited to be able to provide 75% of the new homes as affordable, with the remaining properties being private. We believe both this mix of tenure and property types will provide a great enhancement to the existing Newcraighall community and provide an opportunity for many looking to move into the area or into larger or smaller properties.
“As a company, we place a premium on a strong relationship and collaboration with the community, and we hope that having listened to the feedback received at the two community events, the finalised proposals for the development will be well received.
“The entire project team has worked seamlessly to develop these exciting proposals and we look forward to engaging with CEC through the planning determination period to hopefully achieve a successful outcome.”
Rod Duncan, Director of jmarchitects, said:“Working closely with Cullross on this project, jmarchitects have designed a masterplan that addresses several key design drivers.
“This is achieved through a placemaking framework where every space has a clear purpose and defined sense of ownership, creating a new neighbourhood woven into the local heritage and physical aspects of this site.
“Clear frontages create a secure and welcoming environment and the creation of a new linear Park enhances biodiversity and creates fantastic amenity for the new and existing residents.”
Fiona Morrison, Hillcrest’s deputy chief executive said:“Hillcrest is dedicated to delivering good quality affordable homes and we are delighted to be developing 177 new homes with Cullross in such a fantastic location.
“Delivered with funding support from Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council, these mixed tenure, energy efficient homes will provide a great boost to Edinburgh’s affordable housing provision while giving tenants a home they can really be proud of.”
Self-Harm Network Scotland (SHNS) has launched a new online self-harm support service for people aged 12+ across Scotland.
The new online service is in addition to its three existing locality-based services which recently opened up across Dundee, Glasgow and the Highlands and Islands. People can visit the online service here: selfharmnetworkscotland.org.uk
The SHNS service is operated by Penumbra Mental Health, a pioneering charity providing dedicated services for people with mild to serious enduring mental ill health. SHNS is funded by the Scottish government.
People who experience self-harm will be able to access support via the portal and receive a response within 24 hours of the team receiving their details. From there, the team will provide and/or connect people to the most suitable ongoing support.
Furthermore, the portal was created to provide recovery-focussed support, tools and information that anyone can access to enable people to support themselves and others. This includes sections for those who self-harm, people supporting someone who self-harms, and professionals working with someone who self-harms.
The power of lived and living experience has helped to shape the portal from the beginning. An internal reference group was set up which consisted of people with lived experience, and practitioners and managers of self-harm services across Penumbra.
Supported people were either present on these calls or gave feedback through their practitioners throughout the process of creating the portal.
Penumbra Mental Health is the largest employer of mental health peer workers in Scotland with 29% of its teams in peer support roles.
At SHNS, all of our peer practitioners have lived experience of self-harm. They bring an understanding of what people who live with self-harm might be experiencing, and will work with each person to find out what matters in their life and offer support to find healthier coping strategies.
Shona McBain, Senior Practitioner for the new self-harm portal service, tells us a bit about her background and what working for this new service means to her: “I first found out about Penumbra Mental Health when I was 16 years old and received support from their Aberdeen self-harm support service.
“They helped me to understand where my self-harm was coming from, and that it was just my way of coping with other difficulties in my life. They gave me the space to work through what was going on in my life and I began to process a lot of what I hadn’t previously.
“I knew I wanted to help people in a similar way, and after going to college to study social sciences, I eventually ended up working for Penumbra at the same Aberdeen service I reached out to when I was just 16. Later on, I was invited to take part in the SHNS internal reference group for the portal and eventually landed the role as senior practitioner.
“I think one thing that has struck me throughout this process is just how much the portal has been designed for the people using it, from the look and feel to the content itself. People with lived experience, like myself, have been involved from the beginning to ensure that the portal is as accessible and functional for as many people as possible.
“There are local self-harm support services dotted throughout Scotland, but the portal itself has been designed to fill the gap around self-harm support. Whatever area of Scotland you are based in, you can access support via the portal. Whether that be 1:1 support, or you’re just looking for some information and resources that you can undertake in your own time.
“We want to break the stigma around self-harm. By offering this online resource to both family/friends and professional’s working with someone who self-harms, we hope to give people the confidence to start talking about it. Self-harm isn’t something we should fear, but something we can better understand in order to support ourselves, loved ones and co workers.”
I am writing to encourage your readers to consider a moggy when thinking about giving a cat a new home.
Our latest survey revealed 38% of cats acquired in 2022 (or 600,000 cats) were pedigrees, such as Ragdolls or Scottish Folds, while 47% (or 750,000 cats) were moggies (cats produced through non-selective breeding such as a domestic short or longhair). This is the narrowest gap that we have seen between pedigrees and moggies in memory.
As a result, Cats Protection is celebrating moggies this spring and encouraging would-be owners to look past a breed or current social media led trends. Moggies have just as much personality and affection to share as pedigrees, they also tend to be less expensive both at the outset and over the course of their lifetime.
There are thousands of moggies needing new homes across Cats Protection’s network of branches and centres who are all vet-checked, microchipped, neutered if old enough, and arrive in their new homes with four weeks’ free insurance.
Further details of the benefits of welcoming a moggy into your life can be found at www.cats.org.uk/morethanjustamoggy; we also have lots of good advice about acquiring a pedigree cat including some potential pitfalls at www.cats.org.uk/pedigrees.
