April 2023 – Page 18 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Virtual reality helping victims to understand courtroom process

Victims and witnesses are set to use virtual reality headsets to familiarise themselves with giving evidence in court as part of a pioneering Scottish Government initiative to allay fears or discomfort around the process.

Ahead of giving evidence in court, the world-leading £500,000 virtual court project will allow victims to ‘walk through’ a 3-dimensional world, comprising actual videos of the court building where their case will be held. The system uses cutting-edge software to allow victims and witnesses to interact in a virtual environment that includes depictions of the people and objects they can expect to encounter when they go to court.

The project will enable victims and witnesses to be supported at all times by Victim Support Scotland (VSS) volunteers as they experience the virtual court environment. This will remove the need to travel to court prior to their hearing date, while allowing people to familiarise themselves with what can be an unfamiliar, daunting and often retraumatising environment.

The project – a partnership between VSS, tech provider Immersonal and CivTech, the world’s first successful public-sector-focused innovation accelerator – has delivered a working prototype for Glasgow Sheriff Court and the High Court in Glasgow with wider development and roll out over the next year.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Angela Constance said: “We continue to put victims at the heart of the criminal justice system, their needs are an absolute priority.

“However victims and witnesses can naturally find giving evidence a daunting prospect. This unique project, using innovative technology to support and prepare victims for attending court, could prove transformative.

“It has the potential to reduce anxiety and additional trauma, and also reduces the need to travel often long distances for victims to familiarise themselves with a new environment before experiencing it ‘in real life’.

“We hope that this will reduce retraumatisation and anxiety, supporting victims to give the highest quality evidence.

“This project is part of the Scottish Government‘s wider work that has seen more than £93 million invested through the justice budget over the past five years to prioritise victims’ rights and needs. Our Victim Centred Approach Fund continues this important commitment, making £48 million available to victims’ organisations.”

Chief Executive of Victim Support Scotland Kate Wallace said: “Victims and witnesses often tell us of the retraumatising effects caused by giving evidence in court and that it can cause as much anxiety as the crime itself.

“Victim Support Scotland strongly advocates for victims being able to give evidence remotely and in trauma-informed environments.

“This virtual reality experience will provide just that and can be accessed through a headset available with the help of volunteers from Victim Support Scotland, as well as through laptops, smart phones and tablets thereby offering more choice and access about how to prepare for court at a time and place that suits the victim.”

Cat narrowly avoids losing leg after mysterious accident

A young two-year-old Domestic Short Hair cat narrowly avoided losing her leg, thanks to PDSA, after an accident left her badly injured and unable to walk.

Nathalie Kassoul, from East Ham, arrived home one evening to find her beloved cat, Carrot Cake, injured and unable to walk on her back leg. She took Carrot Cake to her local vet, who examined her and found that she had serious injuries to her back leg, likely caused by a car accident or a fall. Carrot Cake was stabilised and given pain relief, but x-rays showed that she would need surgery in order to save her leg.

Devastatingly, the ongoing cost of living crisis meant the family would have struggled to afford the surgery required, which could have reached thousands of pounds. Nathalie and her daughter sought help from PDSA, the vet charity for pets in need, who confirmed that they were eligible for support.

Carrot Cake was transferred for treatment at PDSA Bow Pet Hospital on Barker’s Butts Lane, where further x-rays luckily confirmed there was no other damage. A few days later, once she was stable, she was taken to surgery where the team worked tirelessly to repair Carrot Cake’s leg.

Thanks to the dedication of the Bow vet team, the operation was a success and Carrot Cake was subsequently allowed to go home with strict instructions to rest. Carrot Cake is now happily on the road to recovery – and her family is completely overjoyed.

Nathalie said: “I have absolutely no idea what happened to Carrot Cake, and finding her like that was so horrible. When we got to the private veterinary practice, they explained that her leg was broken and it could cost as much as £5,000 to treat.

“I’d put my pet’s health before anything else, but we just couldn’t afford this. Due to the sheer impact the cost of living has had, we’re already trying to make cutbacks – we try not to use the heating, and we’ve even bought a microwave as it’s cheaper to run than using the gas oven to cook our meals.

“We faced a heart-breaking decision, as it we couldn’t afford the full cost of repair at the private practice. We’re so grateful PDSA were there in our hour of need to step in and treat Carrot Cake’s leg.”

PDSA Vet Claire Wood said: “When Carrot Cake arrived at the hospital, she had wounds and bruising around her pelvis and back legs. We took further x-rays to check there were no other injuries before she had surgery, and thankfully, these showed there was no more damage so we were able to operate using a pin and plate with screws to hold the bone together while it heals.

“The surgery went well and Carrot Cake was able to go home later that day with pain relief and antibiotics to prevent any infection developing from her wounds.

“To make sure Carrot Cake had the best chance of healing and fully recovering, she needed strict rest – luckily after six weeks the fracture had healed, and we were able to remove the pin.”

Nathalie added: “Carrot Cake has recovered really well and is back to her loving and energetic self – up and about, jumping, and running to her hearts content.

“She’s such an active cat who loves exploring outside so we couldn’t be more grateful to PDSA for treating her and helping to avoid amputation. Whilst my daughter and I both work, I don’t know how we would have afforded to pay the cost of the veterinary care needed to treat her leg.

In our time of need, PDSA were able to save our beloved family pet, the work they do really does change lives.”

PDSA relies on donations to deliver life-saving treatment to hundreds of thousands of pets across its 48 Pet Hospitals in the UK. To keep families together, the charity is urgently calling on the public’s support more than ever to prevent vulnerable people having to make a truly heartbreaking decision.

To find out more about PDSA’s vital work during the cost-of-living crisis, or to donate, visit www.pdsa.org.uk/costoflovingcrisis.

This weekend: Last chance to see Glacial Narratives – Cracks in the Ice

Glacial Narratives: Cracks in the Ice is on until Sunday (16 April) at Custom House in Leith (entry on the wharf side) from 11am until 6pm, as part of the Edinburgh Science Festival.

Glacial Narratives: Cracks in the Ice is an innovative and experimental multi-artform exhibition about ice from four artists who have spent considerable time in Arctic environments, and have developed a complementary series of artworks inspired by their experiences. These works will not only raise awareness of the wonder of ice as a material, but will also ask questions about its disappearance. The artists are:

Adam Sebire (https://www.adamsebire.info) – film-maker and video artist

Elizabeth Bourne (https://www.philotera.com/about/) – painter and photographer

Martin Disley (https://martindisley.co.uk) – sound artist, researcher and developer

Mary Walters (https://www.mary-walters.com) – print-maker, multimedia artist and producer of the exhibition

It has been funded by Creative Scotland’s Open Fund, and supported by Tinderbox Collective, University of Edinburgh Department of Geosciences, Scottish Historic Buildings Trust and the University of Svalbard in Norway.

Bill’s Patch: Care home resident gets his own piece of happiness

Strachan House Care Home resident, Bill Lathe had dreamed of being able to garden again so staffed teamed up with a local boy Struan Dow who helped Bill out with his wish to make it come true.

Bill has lived at Strachan House for several years and is oved by staff and residents alike. Staff and Struan were delighted to be a part of making his dream come true, as they knew how much it meant to him and they all wanted to be there to see the smile on Bills face.

Staff first found out about Bills wish through their active activities program. Mandy, Head of Activities, said “Bill has always had a love of gardening and when we were a contacted about a local boy Struan needing to complete his JASS project it made sense to pair the two up by surprising Bill.”

JASS is the junior programme for the Duke of Edinburgh awards and Struan needed to undertake his silver award. This meant he was tasked with having to complete a 12 hour project. A student in class 6HD at Erskine Stewart Melville School, meant that Struan gave up his Easter break to work on the project.

He said: “When I heard of Bill’s wish I knew I could combine my project with his wish, so I decided to spring into action and build Bill an accessible herb garden box and present it to him within the gardens at Strachan House.

“I was so happy to see Bill’s face and was so happy to be part of something special for him. To know that my herb box will be appreciated and go to good use is awesome!”

Mandy Head of Activities added “What and amazing young lad Struan is and he should be proud of his hard work. Bill is over the moon!”

In response to this wonderful surprise, Bill said: “I was overwhelmed. It is such an amazing feeling to know that the youngsters still look out for us and care so much.

“I’m really grateful to Struan and the team for making my wish come true. I can’t wait to get planting my herbs for the use in the kitchen”

Gordon Philp, General Manager at the home, said: “We want everyone we care for to know how important they are to us here at Strachan House. It was so nice to see how happy Bill was and the staff loved being a part of this as well.”

Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals.

Strachan House provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care for 83 residents from respite care to long term stays.

Quick lifesaving skills save the life of an Edinburgh athlete at Meadowbank

A local man is thanking his lucky stars and staff at a popular city sports venue for saving his life, when he collapsed on the running track following a training session early in March.

Keith Ridley, 69, from Willowbrae, and a coach with Edinburgh Athletic Club had just finished his own training session on the outdoor running track at Meadowbank Sports Centre, before he was due to start training younger members of the club, when he collapsed.

Thanks to the quick action of some medical students, who were training on the track, and Martin Bews, Operations Supervisor at Meadowbank Sports Centre, who administered CPR until the ambulance arrived to take over, Mr Ridley has lived to tell the tale. Greg Cobb, a Welcome Host at Meadowbank, who had trained as a cardiac nurse in a previous life, also gave invaluable support to Martin at the time.

Keith was taken to the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, where he had two stents installed in blocked arteries and an ICD (implantable defibrillator) in his chest.

Keith Ridley said: “I count myself incredibly fortunate with the circumstances in which my heart attack happened and will be forever grateful for the quick actions of the medical students and the staff at Edinburgh Leisure’s Meadowbank Sports Centre, especially Martin and Greg, who most definitely saved my life.

“Medical friends of mine have told me just how critical those first few minutes are in terms of the right care administered that can make the difference in saving a life.”

Claire Rusack, Operations Director at Edinburgh Leisure said: “We are so glad that Keith is doing well and on the road to recovery. We are so proud of all the team and for the great outcome.

“Edinburgh Leisure places a huge importance on equipping our staff with the necessary skills to cope with lots of different situations. In this instance, their first aid training and accident and emergency procedures ensured an incident well managed. You hope you’ll never have to use your first aid skills, but it just highlights how critical these skills can be in saving someone’s life.”

Keith spent a week in hospital but recovered well and has now returned home. On the advice of his cardiology nurse, he is undertaking light exercise including walking and hopes to return to a structured exercise programme in the near future. He is hoping that he might be eligible to be referred to Edinburgh Leisure’s Fit For Health programme to help with his rehabilitation.

Fit For Health is a 16-week physical activity referral programmed delivered by Edinburgh Leisure in partnership with the Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership. Sessions are delivered across various Edinburgh Leisure venues.

Edinburgh Leisure offers First Aid courses, which are accredited by Ofqual and presented in association with the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK). These include First Aid at Work (Full 3 days); First Aid at Work (2 days refresher), Emergency First Aid at Work (1 day), Paediatric First Aid (2 days),

Emergency Paediatric First Aid (1 day).

Edinburgh Leisure also run first aid courses for clubs and colleges. These are in addition to their RLSS programme, and they welcome any requests.

For more information, visit: https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/swim-education#firstaid or email ata@edinburghleisure.co.uk

For more information: www.edinburghleisure.co.uk

Cybersecurity experts: Six common signs you have a computer virus

In 2022, there were over 1.3 billion malware programmes in existence and 10% of these were computer viruses, according to research from the AV-Test Institute.

A computer virus may spread from one device to another, take over your software and steal information that can be held at ransom.

Spam emails, instant messaging, file-sharing devices, fake antivirus downloads, unpatched software and infected hardware are the ways in which viruses can infect your computer.

Cybersecurity experts VPN Overview reveal six common symptoms of having a computer virus and how to remove it:

Six signs of a computer virus

1. Slow performance

If you’re questioning whether your computer has a virus, observing its performance is one of the first tell-tale signs. As long as you’re regularly updating and taking care of it, your device should work soundly. Malicious code, however, typically hijacks computing power and may lead to unbearably slow performance.

2. Freeze-ups and crashing

There are multiple reasons why your laptop might be crashing. It may be time to restart it, close down one of the many windows you have open or buy a new one – but it could also be a sign your computer has a virus.

3. Missing files

Malware has been known to delete important data. Once it has infiltrated your device, you may receive multiple pop-ups and notice your files are missing. Don’t ignore this – it’s a tell-tale sign of a virus that should be taken seriously.

4. New files appear

In addition to missing files, you may also notice new files mysteriously appearing. Viruses can replace your files with encrypted ones, although these are likely malicious and will only further harm your device if you click on them.

5. Problems with hardware

Viruses have been known to cause system changes that affect external hardware and accessories. If you can’t get that USB drive and wireless mouse to connect properly or work as it should, for example, it could be a sign of a virus.

6. Computer operating by itself

Computers are complex machines, but they shouldn’t be executing demands without your authorisation. If you’re noticing that your device is acting unusually – maybe files are opening by themselves or it feels like another person is controlling your computer – you may have a virus.

How to remove a virus from your computer

1. Download an antivirus programme

To remove a virus from your computer, start by downloading an antivirus programme. These will offer you effective real-time protection against malware. There are countless options to choose from, such as Bitdefender for Windows and Avast Security for Mac.

2. Disconnect from the internet

Malware often spread viruses through the internet, which can lead to multiple devices becoming infected. To stop this from happening, disconnect from the Wi-Fi network.

3. Run a virus scan

Run a virus scan using your chosen antivirus programme. This will likely detect the virus infecting your computer and remove it. If the scan fails, you may wish to remove it manually by using the Windows Registry or launching your activity monitor on a Mac.

4. Check for updates

Next, check for any recent updates on your computer. Windows and Mac regularly release these to keep your device as secure as possible from cyberattacks.

5. Enable your firewall

Firewalls help protect your device from any unauthorised access. These are usually included in your antivirus software, so remember to enable it by going into System Preferences or the Windows Start menu.

A spokesperson at VPN Overview commented: “The digital landscape is constantly evolving. In turn, cybercriminals are developing more ways to steal data, money and cryptocurrency. By understanding the tell-tale signs of a virus, consumers and companies can protect themselves from the dangers of malware both at home and in the workplace.

“Downloading a reliable antivirus software, updating your computer, adjusting your privacy setting and installing a firewall and anti-malware apps are all ways you can defend yourself from malware. You should also avoid opening suspicious email attachments.

“If any of the above symptoms persists, it’s good practice to address the problem as soon as possible and take your device to a professional. We’re eager to see if cybersecurity statistics will decrease this year in light of this information.”

VPNOverview.com are a dedicated team of cybersecurity and privacy professionals offering guidance on these topics in the most accessible way possible.

Majority of women concerned their standard of living will fall over 2023 and beyond, new research shows

Women more concerned than men with macroeconomic impacting their finances
Men more concerned with personal life factors like divorce impacting their finances
Men spend nearly two hours longer reviewing their finances each month
Nearly two thirds of people expect to spend more time managing their finances in 2023

A majority (57%) of UK women are worried that their standard of living will fall over the next 12 months, reveals independent research conducted on behalf of Handelsbanken Wealth & Asset Management. Men are slightly less concerned, with just over half (51%) worried their standard of living will decrease.

The research revealed that energy prices top the general population’s concerns in terms of the impact on their personal finances and their standard of living. Women are generally more concerned with the impact of macroeconomic factors such as inflation, while men are more worried about issues such as stock market volatility and Capital Gains Tax.

Proportion of women/men concerned about macroeconomic/political factors impacting their personal finances

Factor	Women	Men
Energy prices	85%	76%
Cost-of-living crisis/recession	83%	75%
Rising inflation	83%	75%
Global economic downturn	66%	62%
Rising interest rates	61%	54%
Geopolitical instability	52%	54%
Income tax increase	55%	54%
Stock market volatility	40%	45%
Property market decline	39%	36%
Capital gains tax increase	31%	33%

However, men are overall more concerned than women when it comes to personal life factors, such as family disputes and illnesses impacting their finances. Nearly a quarter of men (23%) are worried about the financial impact of divorce, vs 14% of women, for instance.

Proportion of women/men concerned about personal life factors impacting their personal finances

Factor	Women	Men
Scams and fraud	52%	45%
Death of your partner/spouse	45%	40%
Retaining family wealth in the event of divorce	39%	36%
Illness or injury presenting me from work	35%	36%
Losing my job	29%	31%
Losing control of family wealth	25%	30%
Family disputes	23%	26%
Divorce	14%	23%

The study also found that the average person in the UK spends nearly seven hours a month reviewing their financial commitments, with general household costs and bank accounts taking up the most time – 56 minutes and 50 minutes respectively. Unsurprisingly, nearly two thirds of people (61%) see this time increasing over 2023.

Men are revealed to typically spend 1 hour 47 minutes longer than women reviewing their financial commitments every month. When it comes to pensions and investments, women spend 45% less time reviewing them.

“With so many potential worries on the table and only so much time in the day, it can be hard to know where to focus efforts when it comes to financial plans”, said Lydia King, Head of Wealth Planning at Handelsbanken Wealth & Asset Management.

“It’s important to plan for a range of scenarios, without allowing short-term influences – such as high inflation – to become an obstacle to building robust, long-term financial plans. Getting the right advice from a wealth planner can allow you to home in on the issues that matter, whilst efficiently taking economic growth projections to expected personal spending habits into account.

“We encourage women in particular to seek advice and become more involved in their finances, especially given their high levels of concern. Dishearteningly, our study found lower levels of financial literacy and confidence among women when it comes to financial planning, meaning they often stay away from key financial planning discussions.”

Connecting Scotland’s worldwide diaspora

New Framework to enhance engagement

A new framework to strengthen Scotland’s engagement with global connections has been published.

The Scottish Connections Framework seeks to expand links and networks with:

Scottish people living elsewhere in the world
those with Scottish heritage
people who have previously lived in Scotland, including alumni
those with a professional, business, cultural or other links to Scotland

The Framework outlines commitments to Scotland’s global communities, recognising the benefits of international collaboration for both Scotland and the diaspora across the world.

As part of the Framework, a number of projects will be expanded or launched including a Scottish Connections Challenge Fund to support initiatives that promote Scotland’s reputation and interests.

During the lifetime of this Parliament, a recognition award to highlight the achievements of Scottish diaspora internationally will also be launched and an external advisory group will be established to shape proposed and future work with the diaspora.

External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Scotland is an open, connected and outward-looking country with a long and proud history of intellectual, cultural and economic exchange.

“Recent research suggested that upwards of 40 million people across the world consider themselves to have Scottish heritage but the approach set out in Scottish Connections goes far beyond bloodlines. Recognising and engaging our diaspora is an objective in itself – not a means to an end. Scotland’s diaspora and our Scottish Connections are an extension of Scotland – our living bridge with people, organisations and communities around the world.

“Publishing this Framework will unlock many opportunities for Scots and those connected to Scotland across the world. Connecting with our international diaspora will enable us to learn from their skills, experiences and achievements.

“I look forward to discussing the Framework in detail with our friends and partners in New York City as part of the 25^th anniversary of Tartan Week – itself a leading global event to celebrate Scotland’s contributions to the world.”

Read the Scottish Connections Framework

scottish-connections-framework Download

Filling the GAP: Opportunity for visual artist at granton:hub

Granton:hub would like to commission a visual artist as part of the recently launched ‘Filling the GAP: Granton Archive Project’ which commenced early 2023 and is based at granton:hub, Edinburgh.

The artist will work with Julie Gibb, Development Worker, and history hub volunteers to initially discuss and identify topics for exhibitions, based on the materials in the archive. These preliminary preparations will then result in the artist planning and delivering two activities inspired by Granton’s heritage.

It is anticipated there will be 2 workshops, one aimed at children and one aimed at adults, followed by an art exhibition to be scheduled in 2023. The artworks from these activities will be photographed and will contribute to the archive.

The artist fee involved is £800 for 2 separate workshop activities, including preparation time, in addition to a separate budget of £220 for materials.

Workshops should be delivered in June or July. Visit our website https://grantonhub.org/art-filling-the-gap/to learn more about this opportunity, filling the GAP project.

UK bolsters support for Ukraine and low-income countries

Chancellor confirms UK stands ready to provide additional $500 million in UK guaranteed loans for Ukraine, plus $670m in new loan funding for developing nations
New money brings total UK funding for IMF’s trusts to $5.3billion to help reduce poverty and boost energy security, plus $1bn for Ukraine this year
Funding confirmed as Chancellor reaffirms his plan to get the U.K. economy growing to global finance ministers meeting in Washington D.C. this week

Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, has confirmed the UK stands ready to provide an additional $500m in UK guaranteed loans for Ukraine, taking this year’s total to $1bn and the total amount pledged by the UK in support of Ukraine to £6.5bn.

This comes as he attends the International Monetary Fund’s Spring Meetings in Washington D.C., alongside fellow supporters of Ukraine, and today took part in a roundtable on support for the country.

This new money will help to meet Ukraine’s economic needs including covering the costs of vital government services, such as running hospitals and schools as well as supporting the most vulnerable Ukrainians.

The Chancellor has also committed a further $670m to reduce poverty and drive growth, going above and beyond previous commitments to boost financial support for developing nations through the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust. With this pledge the UK has fulfilled the commitment made during its G7 Presidency to deliver multi-billion-dollar funding to fight poverty and boost growth.

This funding brings the total given by the UK to the Trust to $2 billion and comes alongside the UK’s delivery of a $3.3 billion pledge to the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust, which provides affordable long-term financing to low-income countries and vulnerable middle-income countries to address challenges such as climate change, energy security and pandemic preparedness.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “The $1bn of budget support we have committed to Ukraine this year will ensure that the country has the financing to keep the lights on, hospitals running and schools open. This, alongside UK military support, will help defeat Putin.

“But our efforts for a fairer world don’t end there. We are also making good on our G7 Presidency commitments and delivering a multi-billion-pound package of support to reduce poverty and bolster energy security across developing countries.”

The UK’s financial commitment to Ukraine has helped unlock the IMF’s provision of a $15.6bn 4-year programme for the country.

In total, the UK has pledged £6.5bn in support of Ukraine, including $1bn in loans guaranteed by the UK to support Ukraine’s economy in 2023 – meaning that it can continue to pay pensions and public sector pay – and £2.3bn in military support for 2023. This June the UK will also host the Ukraine Recovery Conference, focussing on mobilising further private sector investment.

At the IMF Spring Meetings, the Chancellor will also highlight the impact of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine on the global economy and push for action in addressing developing country needs on debt. The economic impacts from Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine are being felt across the globe, with developing nations particularly affected by increases in food prices. The latest $670m commitment to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust adds to the UK’s previous agreement to the fund of $1.3bn, with the total now standing at $2bn.

The Chancellor signed this commitment on Wednesday alongside IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. In this meeting, he also finalised a $3.3bn pledge on behalf of the UK to the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust. Funding for this Trust will play a vital role in providing financing to bolster energy and combat climate change, including for Ukraine and other countries worst affected by the war.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “Russia continues to bombard Ukraine’s people and destroy Ukrainian infrastructure. The UK is resolute in its commitment to support Ukraine until peace is agreed on Ukrainian terms.

“This funding will boost Ukraine’s economic resilience and bolster its resistance against Russia. Working with the IMF and international partners, I am proud of the UK’s contribution to unlocking vital finance for Ukraine.

“Ensuring Ukraine’s fiscal, humanitarian and recovery needs is a core part of our long-term commitment to Ukraine. That’s why the UK is proud to be co-hosting – jointly with Ukraine – the Ukraine Recovery Conference.”

A challenging World Economic Outlook published by the IMF earlier this week predicted a ‘rocky road’ for global economies, including the U.K., however Britain is still forecast to see faster growth than Germany, France and Italy in each of years from 2025 to 2028. The UK avoided recession in 2022 and is now expected to avoid recession this year. According to the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, the UK is on track to more than halve inflation this year and reduce debt by the end of the forecast period.

The Chancellor is currently attending his first IMF meeting in Washington D.C., discussing how his Autumn Statement and Spring Budget have set the UK on a stable path to growth. He will attend IMF Committee meetings, G7 and G20 finance minister meetings and a series of bilateral engagements.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “Our support for other countries comes at a time when I am deeply focussed on getting the UK’s economy growing, and our plan for that is working as we’re on track to halve inflation this year.

“A strong UK economy, creating jobs and raising living standards for all will benefit citizens at home as well as having knock on positive impact around the world.”