Motor-racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart attended The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on Friday night to take on the prestigious role of Salute Taker for the Show at Edinburgh Castle’s Esplanade.
The Tattoo will be making a financial contribution to Race Against Dementia, a charity established by the three-time Formula 1 World Champion, to identify, fund, and guide pioneering scientists from across the world to find a cure for dementia, a disease which will affect one in three people in the United Kingdom.
Sir Jackie was met by Buster Howes, Chief Executive of the Tattoo, before taking his seat in the Royal Gallery to enjoy this year’s Show Stories, which is a celebration of sagas, myths and legends and transports the audience on a journey of ideas, from campfire stories through to the world stage.
To donate to Race Against Dementia, visit raceagainstdementia.com. Stories will run until Saturday 26 August 2023, with tickets still available from edintattoo.co.uk or by calling +44 (0)131 225 1188.
UK Government confirms measures to reverse the rise of gender-neutral toilets as part of wider efforts to protect single sex spaces in England
Government accelerates plans for separate male and female toilets in new non-domestic private and public buildings;
Builds upon action to protect and enhance single sex spaces;
Changes will also encourage the provision of self-contained, private toilets to ensure there are appropriate facilities for all.
The UK Government has announced today it is acting to bring forward changes to regulations that will mean all new non-domestic public and private buildings will be required to provide separate single-sex toilets for women and men and/or a self-contained, private toilet as a minimum.
The change comes amid dignity and privacy concerns from women and elderly people who feel they are being unfairly disadvantaged as publicly accessible toilets are increasingly being converted into gender neutral facilities.
Concerns over the rise of neutral gender facilities has meant that public have been forced to share cubicle and hand-washing facilities, leading to increasing waiting in shared queues, decreased choice and a limitation on privacy and dignity for all.
New regulations and guidance will mean women, who may need to use facilities more often because of pregnancy or sanitary needs, will now be guaranteed appropriate facilities either through a separate single-sex space or through a self-contained, private toilet.
The action taken today builds upon the Government’s commitment and wider approach to the protection of single sex spaces.
In addition to single sex toilets becoming the default and minimum for new non-residential buildings and places undertaking major refurbishment, the guidelines will encourage the consideration of self-contained toilets, which are a fully enclosed toilet room with a wash hand basin for individual use.
This new approach will help to maximise privacy and dignity for of all, which will be explicit in the guidance.
A new short technical consultation to shape the changes will open tomorrow.
Kemi Badenoch, Minister for Women and Equalities, said:“It is important that everybody has privacy and dignity when using public facilities. Yet the move towards ‘gender neutral’ toilets has removed this fundamental right for women and girls.
“These proposals will ensure every new building in England is required to provide separate male and female or unisex facilities, and publish guidance to explain the difference, protecting the dignity, privacy and safety of all.”
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Faith & Communities, Baroness Scott, said:“It is extremely important women can feel comfortable when using public facilities, so we are taking action to restore dignity and privacy at the centre of all future provision.
“These proposals will mean separate toilets for men and women, as well as self-contained toilets for those that need them, become a requirement for every new building across England.”
A previous call for evidence on increasing the accessibility of toilets for men and women gathered over 17,000 responses and represented a full range of views – generally calling for greater consideration in the range of toilets to preserve dignity, access, equality, and privacy for all.
The changes will be made through building regulations and guidance. The aim of the new requirements will ensure that:
Separate single-sex toilets facilities are provided for men and women; and/or
Self-contained, private toilets are provided where space allows to ensure privacy and safety;
Mixed sex shared facilities are not an option, except when lack of space allows only a single toilet
Changing the rules for single sex and/or universal toilets to be required would have positive equality outcomes for those who may not currently feel safe while using toilet facilities.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak declares “now is the time to start a national conversation about taxing wealth”
The TUC has called for a national conversation on taxing wealth, as it publishes new analysis which shows a modest wealth tax on the richest 140,000 individuals – which is around 0.3% of the UK population – could deliver a £10.4 bn boost for the public purse.
The analysis sets out options for taxing the small number of individuals with wealth over £3 million, £5 million and £10 million, excluding pensions.
The TUC says these options are illustrative examples of what a wealth tax could look like, using Spain’s existing policy as a potential model.
“It’s time for a national conversation”
The TUC says it is publishing the analysis to “kickstart a conversation” about tax – with the TUC general secretary Paul Nowak declaring “now is the time to start a national conversation about taxing wealth”.
According to analysis commissioned by the TUC, conducted by Landman Economics, a cumulative one-off wealth tax (excluding pensions wealth) on:
A wealth threshold of £3 million with a marginal tax rate of 1.7% would yield £2.7 billion (with the tax payable on wealth above £3 million by 142,000 individuals or 0.27% of adults in the UK)
A further wealth threshold of £5 million with a marginal tax rate of 2.1% would yield an additional £3.2 billion (with the tax payable on wealth above £5 million by 48,000 individuals or 0.09% of adults in the UK)
A further wealth threshold of £10 million with a marginal tax rate of 3.5 % would yield an additional £4.6 billion (with the tax payable on wealth above £10 million by 17,000 individuals or 0.02% of adults in the UK).
Together this could raise more than £10 billion for the exchequer.
The tax would apply as a marginal rate on wealth and assets above each threshold – in the same way income tax works. For example:
Someone with £3 million wealth would pay nothing.
Someone with £4m wealth would pay tax on £1m of their wealth – paying £17,000.
Someone with £9m would pay tax on £6m of their wealth – paying £118,000
Analysis reveals that of those with wealth over £3 million (excluding pensions), three quarters derives from wealth other than their primary residence, and over half comes from financial wealth:
Net financial (non-pension) wealth: 53.3%
Primary residence: 23.6%
Other residences: 18.7%
Physical wealth: 4.4%
The TUC says further debate is needed on what type of wealth is included in this kind of tax.
The union body has already called on the government to equalise capital gains tax with income tax which could raise around £14 billion.
The union body says it is inherently “unfair and unjust” that people who get income from assets or property get off more lightly than someone who relies on work.
Tale of two Britains
The TUC says increasing wealth inequality is resulting in a “tale of two Britains”.
While working people have been “hit by a pay loss of historic proportions” after the longest wage squeeze in modern history, the wealth of multimillionaires and billionaires has boomed.
Financial wealth over the decade from 2008-10 to 2018-20 increased by around £0.9tn (80 per cent) from £1.1tn to £1.9tn.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “It’s time to start a national conversation about how we tax wealth in this country.
“It is absurd that a nurse pays a bigger share of their income in tax than a city trader does on profits from their investment portfolio.
“That’s not only fundamentally unfair and unjust – it’s bad for our economy too.
“Our broken tax system means those at the top are hoarding wealth and getting richer and richer, while working people struggle to get by.
“That is starving our economy of spending – as it’s working people who spend their money on our high streets – and it’s starving our public services of much-needed funds.
“This research sets out potential options for getting those with the broadest shoulders to pay a fairer share.
“This is a debate we should not be afraid of having. The Chancellor should use his autumn statement to make sure the wealthiest pay their fair share of tax.”
Commenting on widening inequality over the past decade, Paul added: “Widening wealth inequality means we are seeing a tale of two Britains.
“While working people are suffering the longest pay squeeze in modern history, the super-rich are coining it in.
“Porsche sales are at record highs, bankers’ bonuses are at eyewatering levels, and CEO pay is surging.
“Enough is enough. We need an economy that rewards work – not just wealth.
“Fair tax must play a central role in rewiring our economy to work for working people.”
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland is set to become the one of the most watched cycling events ever, with broadcast figures from the first four days of action showing record numbers of viewers are tuning in at home and abroad.
In the first four days, more than two million viewers in the UK alone watched the action unfold live on the BBC with more than one million watching Austrian Valentina Höll and Great Britain’s Charlie Hatton become the Women’s and Men’s Elite Mountain Bike Downhill UCI World Champions in the stunning surroundings of Fort William.
A further peak of 800,000 viewers tuned into the dramatic men’s road race on Sunday 6 August, as Mathieu Van der Poel clinched the rainbow jersey, in front of a further 300,000 people who lined the route between Edinburgh and Glasgow and during the 10 laps of Glasgow’s tough city circuit.
With an average of 600,000 viewers, it was the highest UK television audience for a UCI World Championship Men Elite road race in recent years: an average of 350,000 viewers in 2020 (in Imola, Italy), 220,000 viewers in 2021 (in Flanders, Belgium) and 188,000 last year (in Wollongong, Australia).
The Track and Para-cycling Track competitions, held jointly for the first time, had an average of 500,000 viewers tuning in to watch the competition at the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome.
The total number of spectators to watch the cycling in person now exceeds more than 500,000, whether it’s witnessing the action on Scottish roads, at the BMX Freestyle Park at Glasgow Green, the Mountain Bike Downhill in Fort William, the Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon in Glentress or Track and Para-cycling Track at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, while millions more have tuned into the action from overseas.
The statistics on 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships official social media reflect the interest worldwide, with a reach of 4.6 million and more than 193,000 engagements with people liking, sharing and commenting on posts in the first four days of the event across the first four days. The 2023 UCI Cycling World Champs website has also had 400,000 unique users since the start of the event, with the schedule page being the most popular.
The numbers will no doubt be boosted by what is set to become a record-breaking women’s road race on Sunday, with thousands of fans expected to create a wall of noise around Glasgow once again, as the world’s leading female cyclists have the honour of closing the biggest event in the history of the sport.
Paul Bush OBE, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships Chair, said: “After the many months and years of planning, it really has been special to see the number of fans making their way to the roadside, or into venues to watch the world’s best cyclists compete across all disciplines.
“The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships has provided a wonderful opportunity to showcase to a global audience the stunning landscape and iconic locations Scotland has on offer across the length and breadth of the country.
“I want to say thank you to all our host regions for their contribution to shaping the goodwill and positive atmosphere across all our venues, but I also want to pay tribute to the incredible number of local fans who are showing the world why Scotland is the perfect stage for major events.
“I hope the crowds keep coming along in person and tuning into the excellent coverage being provided by the BBC, especially as we head into a huge occasion on Sunday as the women road racers compete to give these UCI Cycling World Championships the finale they deserve.”
UCI President David Lappartientsaid: “I have been visiting different competition venues since the beginning of the UCI Cycling World Championships so have experienced first-hand the fervor of on-site spectators.
“The television viewing figures from the first four days of competition demonstrate that the same passion and excitement are shared by cycling fans who cannot be present but are able to witness the action thanks to the event’s record television coverage. It is far from over, and I am convinced that the remaining competitions will be every bit as popular.”
The UK Health and Social Care Secretary has invited the devolved administration for talks to discuss lessons learnt and tackle waiting lists across the UK
The UK Government Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay has written to the devolved administrations inviting them for talks about how all parts of the UK can work together to tackle long-term waiting lists in all parts of the UK.
NHS services across the UK are a devolved matter, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cutting waiting lists a priority across the UK. Although approaches taken across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland share many common features, significant variations in outcomes exist.
In Wales, more than 73,000 people are waiting over 77 weeks for treatment, and at least 21,600 people are waiting over 78 weeks for an outpatient, day case or inpatient appointment in Scotland. In England, waiting times for patients over 78 weeks have been virtually eliminated.
The Secretary of State is inviting health ministers from the devolved administrations to discuss what lessons can be learnt from the different approaches taken.
In England for example, NHS patients are offered a choice of provider at GP referral – NHS or independent sector – provided that it meets NHS costs and standards. And from October we will proactively notify patients waiting over 40 weeks for treatment of their right to choose to be treated elsewhere.
In his letter, the Secretary of State writes that he would be open to requests from the devolved administrations to allow patients in Wales and Scotland who are waiting for lengthy periods to choose to be treated at providers in England, NHS or independent sector – building on the current arrangements for cross-border healthcare.
The Secretary of State has also asked UK health ministers to discuss how health data can be made more comparable across the UK. Northern Ireland official counterparts have also been invited to the ministerial meeting.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “I hugely value being able to share knowledge and experiences on the joint challenges facing our healthcare systems. I want to support collaboration between our nations to share best practices, improve transparency and provide better accountability for patients.
“This will help to ensure we are joined up when it comes to cutting waiting lists – one of the government’s top five priorities – and will allow us to better work together to improve performance and get patients seen more quickly.”
The letter reads:
Dear Michael and Eluned,
Thank you for a constructive meeting last month.
As you know, the NHS is at the forefront of people’s minds, and the Prime Minister has made cutting waiting lists a priority to ensure people across the UK get the care they need more quickly. We must continue to take steps to support the NHS and reduce waiting times to ensure no part of the UK is left behind. I am therefore concerned by the variation in performance across NHS services.
As we look to address this issue, it is important that the UK Government and Devolved Administrations work together to ensure that no matter where you are in the country, citizens can access vital services quickly.
In England, we are delivering on the actions set out in the NHS’s Elective Recovery Implementation Plan published last February. Our target to virtually eliminate waits of longer than two years by July 2022 was achieved on time and waits for treatment of more than 78 weeks have been virtually eliminated. Although data is not collected on the same basis across the UK, recent figures show more than 73,000 people are waiting over 77 weeks for treatment in Wales, and at least 21,600 people are waiting over 78 weeks for an outpatient, daycase or inpatient appointment in Scotland.
Whilst there are common features across the approaches of England, Wales and Scotland, one area of difference relates to patient choice. In England, patients have the legal right to choose the provider for their first outpatient appointment (at the point of GP referral) for many healthcare services. Patients may choose to be treated free of charge at any provider – NHS or independent sector – provided they meet NHS standards and costs and hold a contract for the provision of services to the NHS. A Patients Association study has found that this can reduce a patient’s waiting time by up to 3 months.
From October, we will proactively notify patients in England who have been waiting over 40 weeks of their right to request to be treated at a different provider if clinically appropriate, again in the NHS or in the independent sector, provided they meet NHS standards and costs, and they hold a contract for the provision of services to the NHS.
The Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales share my desire to see patients across the UK have the same rights when it comes to accessing treatment. I would therefore be happy to facilitate a Ministerial working group session (with NI official counterparts) to share how we are implementing this choice approach in England, and to share lessons on work across the UK to tackle the elective waiting list. I would also be open to considering any request from you for patients waiting for lengthy periods for treatment in Scotland and Wales to be able to choose from alternate providers in England – NHS or independent sector – in line with the approach we are taking here, and building on the existing arrangements for cross-border healthcare.
I also believe we need to work together to ensure that health data is more comparable across the UK. It is important that all our citizens can understand the performance of the health services they are receiving and that we can learn from what has been tried and tested in one part of the UK to improve services across the country. I welcome the work our respective teams have been doing to improve data comparability, for example through the Office for National Statistics’ work to improve key UK-wide health performance metrics.
I am very keen to see this work progress and ask for your continued support in prioritising this moving forward.
In the absence of Ministers in Northern Ireland, I am copying this letter to the Department of Health in Northern Ireland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
People struggling to manage their household finances can now benefit from increased support in a range of community settings thanks to a new accessible advice fund.
Almost £1 million has been distributed to partnerships between advice agencies and other local services such as schools, charities, hospitals and mental health services.
The fund will build on the success of the Welfare Advice and Health Partnerships initiative that put dedicated advisers into 180 GP practices in some of Scotland’s most deprived and rural areas – helping to reach those most in need.
Granton Information Centre launched the very first pilot in Scotland when they partnered with Muirhouse Medical Centre. Since that first successful partnership the outreach service has been expanded and GIC now delivers advice at GP practices across the city in Crewe Medical Centre, Ladywell, Barclays Medical Practice at East Craigs and Restalrig Park.
The new funding will enable Granton Information Centre to deliver new services in partnership with Pilton Community Health Project, The Ripple Project and Saheliya.
Two other Edinburgh projects have also received accessible advice funding. CHAI Edinburgh will partner with Rock Trust, and Harbour Homes (formerly Port of Leith Housing Association) with YMCA Edinburgh.
There will be a particular emphasis on providing advice to those who are traditionally hardest to help or who have not sought advice before.
Housing Minister Paul McLennan said: “The cost of living crisis is putting many households across Scotland under huge strain. Advice services play an increasingly critical role across Scotland’s communities by helping people to access support and benefits they may be entitled to, as well as helping them to understand their rights.
“This funding is part of more than £12.3 million that the Scottish Government is providing this year to support income maximisation, welfare and debt advice services. It will ensure we provide people with advice in places where they are more likely to already be, and we will focus particularly on reaching families.
“We know that early access to advice can make a dramatic difference to people’s financial situation and prevent issues – including debt – escalating.”
Grants are being distributed on behalf of the Scottish Government by Advice UK, the largest support network for independent advice organisations in the UK.
Projects with a focus on families, including disabled or single parents, those caring for a disabled person and parents from minority ethnic communities are among those which have been successful in securing funding.
The scheme is funded in part through the Scottish allocation from the Debt Advice Levy, which is raised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority by applying a levy to UK Clearing banks and consumer credit businesses.
Evidence from the Glasgow Centre for Population Health has highlighted the success of embedding welfare advice in GP surgeries. Initial findings from an interim report, conducted by the Improvement Service and covering the period between January 2022 and March 2023, showed that 89% of the almost 10,000 Welfare Advice and Health Partnership service users were ‘new’ users of advice – highlighting that the provision of welfare advice in accessible and trusted settings is allowing wider populations to engage with vital services.
The Scottish Government estimates that more than 60,000 people were supported by Scottish Government-funded debt advice services in 2022-23.
