Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee will examine the future of the Grangemouth oil refinery as part of its inquiry into GB Energy and the net zero transition on Wednesday 2nd April.
The imminent closure of Scotland’s only oil refinery at the Grangemouth industrial complex, one of Scotland’s major manufacturing facilities, threatens the jobs of around 400 workers.
This evidence session follows the publication of Project Willow, a feasibility study co-funded by the UK and Scottish governments to examine the viability of new sustainable opportunities at the Grangemouth refinery site. Carried out by consultancy EY, the study identified nine projects that could be developed with private sector investment.
The cross-party committee of MPs will question the refinery operator Petroineos, shareholder INEOS, and one of Project Willow’s authors, on the study’s findings.
Witnesses at 9.30am:
Anu Bhambi, Head of Energy Transition Strategy, EY Parthenon
Iain Hardie, Head of Legal and External Affairs, Petroineos
Colin Pritchard, Sustainability and External Relations Director, INEOS Grangemouth
Bookings go live today for a Danceathon as Edinburgh Leisure get set to transform Meadowbank Sports Centre into a vibrant dance destination on Saturday, 19th April, inviting everyone to experience the joy of dance.
Event Highlights
Date: Saturday, 19th April
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Meadowbank Sports Centre, London Road, EH7 6AE
Pricing:
Free for Edinburgh Leisure members
£12.50 per class for non-members
The Danceathon builds on the momentum of the national “Let’s Dance” initiative, championed by Angela Rippon CBE, which launched last month, aiming to inspire more people to discover the incredible physical and social benefits of dancing.
“Dancing is more than just exercise – it’s a celebration of movement, music, and community,” says Alex Smith, Fitness Manager at Edinburgh Leisure.
“Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or a complete beginner, we have a class that will get you moving and smiling.”
Dance Styles for Every Taste
Participants can explore a diverse range of dance classes, including:
The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK) is urging parents to always supervise children in and around water and always keep young children within arm’s reach, ahead of Coronation Street’s latest storyline.
The advice comes as tonight’s episode of the ITV soap features six-year-old Bertie Osbourne involved in a shocking hot tub incident.
The storyline reflects the dangers that children face at home, in and around water, as the charity has previously highlighted that on average, one child a month drowns at home.
In the upcoming episode of the award-winning show, Jenny, who is babysitting Bertie, gets distracted by a phone call from her bank and loses sight of the young child.
After noticing his football floating in the uncovered hot tub, Bertie reaches towards it and falls in unexpectedly, leaving him at risk of drowning. Fortunately, Steve and Cassie find Bertie quickly, pull him out of the water and he is rushed to hospital.
A survey conducted by water safety charity, RLSS UK, found that 1 in 5 parents have a hot tub at home, yet over half of them (59%) do not always replace the cover immediately after use* allowing children open access, often without parents’ knowledge.
RLSS UK’s Child Drowning Update highlights evidence from the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) that the number of child drowning deaths in England has doubled over the last four years**.
RLSS UK’s Interim Charity Director, Matt Croxall said: “Whilst lots of fun can be had with water in the home and garden/outdoor space, easy access to water in familiar spaces can sometimes make it easy to forget the risks water can bring. Hot tubs are a great place for grown-ups to unwind and socialise, but they can be especially hazardous for children.
“Our recent Child Drowning Update highlighted the risks that hot tubs can pose – three children accidentally drowned in the 12 months to March 2023 in hot tubs after they were left uncovered.
“It is great that such a high-profile programme as Coronation Street is featuring such an important issue and highlighting how quickly such incidents can happen.”
The charity is reminding parents that drowning happens quickly and often silently in as little as 2” (5cm) of water. RLSS UK is urging parents to always supervise children in and around water and always keep young children within arm’s reach. Evidence shows that 86% of child drownings happened when the child was unsupervised**.
To help raise awareness of the risks water can pose around every home, RLSS UK launched a new campaign called Splash Safety at my Pad.
The campaign, which returns in May, seeks to provide young families with advice, hints and tips about how to enjoy water safely at home.
RLSS UK’s Top Tips for Staying Safe around Hot Tubs
Cover it Up
Ensure hot tubs are covered with a solid, lockable cover immediately after use to prevent curious children from climbing or falling in.
If your hot tub doesn’t have a cover or it is broken, replace this vital piece of safety equipment as soon as possible. Don’t fill or use your hot tub until you’ve replaced the cover.
Stay Together
Ensure children are always supervised by an adult when they are spending time in and around a hot tub – even when the cover is on. Accidents can happen quickly, and children are naturally drawn to water.
Top Tip: If you’re with a group of adults, take it in turns to oversee supervising children near water. Always ensure that everyone in the group knows who’s responsible for watching the children at all times.
3. Not for Little Ones!
Children under five should not use a hot tub in any circumstances.
4. Talk about the Risks
Talk to older children about how to stay safe around hot tubs. Be clear children should stay away from hot tubs when not in use. Ensure that they never open the cover without an adult present.
Sources:
* Royal Life Saving Society UK Consumer Survey, geographically represented sample of n=1,003 parents of children aged five years and under, (September 2024).
A treasured receptionist at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) will retire this week – at the remarkable age of 90!
Cathie Lackie will move on to her next chapter after nearly six decades of dedicated service to NHS Lothian.
She began working at the old Sick Kids hospital in 1966, where one of her duties was operating the switchboard, manually connecting calls by plugging cords into the right socket for the caller to be put through to the correct department.
Cathie initially retired 30 years ago when mandatory retirement rules were in place. However, her expertise and dedication were so valued that she was quickly asked to return – and she’s been a fixture at the hospital ever since for the last 58 years.
Cathie said: “When I first started and was on the switchboard, it was very different to how it is here now. I’m definitely going to miss the company and all the chats.
“I used to get to know the doctors quite well – that’s been one of the best things about working here, to see them progress from junior doctors all the way to consultants – then they retire, and I see their children become doctors.”
Allister Short, Service Director of Women’s and Children’s Services, NHS Lothian, said Cathie’s warmth and professionalism made her a familiar and comforting presence for staff, patients, and families alike throughout her service.
“Cathie is an institution for us here at the RHCYP. When you walked through the front door, especially at the old site, Cathie was always there with a warm smile.
“For children who were regular visitors, seeing her familiar face made a huge difference. Hospitals can be intimidating places, but Cathie’s welcome brought comfort to so many families.
“When you have that many years of experience you almost become part of the furniture. Even though we’ve moved buildings, Cathie became the reception at the RHCYP. We’re all going to miss that and there will always be a special space for Cathie in our hearts.”
Staff who have been touched by her kindness over the years came together recently for a farewell event to celebrate Cathie’s incredible achievements at the RHCYP.
They shared memories and wished Cathie well in her new adventures.
Cathie intends to swap her reception desk and phone for her garden and spending time with her family, including daughter Susan Burns.
Susan said: “Working at the Children’s Hospital has been such a huge part of Mum’s life.
“When we were younger, Mum and Dad shared childcare—when Mum was working, Dad would watch us, and vice versa. Later, when we had our own families, Mum would care for the grandchildren during the day, then head off to work in the evening.
“Her work family was so important to her. Even when she was meant to retire at 60 and reduce her hours, we quickly realised she was going in seven days a week!”
A Scottish Government agreement with GPs to improve general practice has failed to deliver on several of its commitments, says spending watchdog Audit Scotland.
The 2018 General Medical Service (GMS) contract aimed to address the financial pressures and growing workloads facing GPs, and to improve patients’ access to care.
However, seven years on:
the estimated number of whole-time equivalent GPs has fallen
pressure on general practice has increased
proposals to support GP teams with more nurses, physiotherapists and other specialists have moved more slowly than planned
and people report finding it more difficult to access care.
The Scottish Government has not set out how it intends to invest in general practice over the medium-term. And it is unlikely to hit its target of 800 more GPs by 2027. Spending on general practice as a proportion of overall NHS spending has fallen slightly in recent years. And between 2021/22 and 2023/24 spending decreased by 6 per cent in real terms, putting more pressure on GP practices.
National data for primary care remains inadequate. There is a lack of robust information about general practice demand, workload, workforce, and quality of care. This limits the Scottish Government’s ability to say whether the GMS contract changes represent value for money or have improved patient care.
Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “The pandemic pushed back plans for general practice. But the new delivery deadlines that were put in place were missed, and there’s not been enough transparency about progress since then.
“The Scottish Government needs to clarify its plan for general practice and set out the actions, timescales and costs to deliver it.”
Lothian MSP Sarah Boyack has secured confirmation over the timetable for the new eye pavilion.
Deputy Chief Exec of NHS Lothian, Jim Crosbie revealed that the new eye pavilion would be delivered in 6 years during a roundtable hosted by Ms Boyack.
Ms Boyack secured the meeting following her open letter to Scottish Health Secretary, Neil Gray on the lack of clarity over the new hospital’s progress.
The roundtable was attended by MSPs from across Edinburgh and the Lothians as well as stakeholders from sight loss organisations and patient groups.
NHS Lothian promised to continue to keep MSPs and stakeholders updated about progress and the health board also committed to proper consultation with the sight loss community.
The current Eye Pavilion has been shut since last year since asbestos was discovered in the building. This has caused major disruption for those in the sight loss community who rely on the hospital.
An organisation of patients supporting a new hospital, KEEP, were present at the roundtable and highlighted some of the difficulties for patients trying to access basic facilities since the closure of the current pavilion.
Speaking after the meeting, Ms Boyack said: “I am glad to finally have some clarity of when Edinburgh will finally see a new eye hospital.
“However, I can’t shake the feeling that this facility is way overdue.
“The current facility has not been fit for purpose since 2014, on the current timetable patients will be waiting another 6 before getting the standard of services they deserve.
“I will continue to hold the Scottish Government’s feet to the fire over this until the Eye Pavilion has been delivered.”
School pupils at Ferryhill Primary School in Drylaw can now stand out from the crowd thanks to an eye-catching set of high-visibility vests provided by Artisan Real Estate and their development and construction partners.
Regeneration specialist Artisan, together with fund manager partner REInvest Asset Management S.A and contractor Metropolitan Demolition, are currently transforming the former Deutsche Bank House at 525 Ferry Road, Edinburgh into a spectacular homes-led development.
Now that demolition is currently underway, the developers are keen to work closely with the local community in advance of the home sales launch later this year. This includes helping out the local Ferryhill Primary school with the gift of ‘high-viz’ vests to enable the pupils to travel safely in and out of school.
“The schoolchildren are all delighted with their spanking new bright orange high visibility vests,” explains Eilidh Mitchell, Depute at Ferryhill Primary School.
“It means we can now safely plan for more trips away from the school, knowing that every pupil will be safe and be seen, whatever the weather conditions. It’s great to work in partnership with the developers who will be building just around the corner from us. And we look forward to continuing our relationship as the exciting new development comes to fruition.”
David Westwater, Artisan’s Regional Director for Scotland, David Westwater, says: “We had a great time giving the vests to the very well-behaved schoolchildren at Ferryhill Primary School, and we are pleased that our contribution will make life a little more interesting for everyone.
“As with any major development, it’s important to establish positive and close relations with our neighbours – and we look forward to many more opportunities to engage with more individuals, groups and organisations that work hard to make their local community so vibrant and so special.”
Michael Hirst, Director at Metropolitan Demolition, adds: “We are delighted to help out at Ferryhill Primary School. The demolition is progressing well at the Ferry Road site, and we subscribe to the highest levels of neighbour consultation and engagement throughout the process.
“Developing good relations with our neighbours is an important part of this.”
The demolition of Deutsche Bank House – near the Crewe Toll roundabout – is due to complete in the summer, with construction of a low-carbon residential community starting later this year.
Known as ‘525 Park View’, the new neighbourhood will provide 256 sustainable homes, 25% of which will be for affordable housing. Flexible commercial space facing on to Ferry Road will provide potential for cafes, shops and shared workspaces.
For more information, and to register interest in 525 Park View, visit:
POLICE are continuing to appeal for information to help trace Coen Bust, two weeks on since he was reported missing.
Mr Bust, 47, travelled to the Dunkeld area by train from Edinburgh on Thursday, 13 March. There have been no confirmed sightings since he arrived at Dunkeld train station at 10.18am.
Police officers were at Edinburgh Waverley and Dunkeld train stations yesterday to speak to commuters and try to get more information about Mr Bust’s whereabouts. Anyone who has any information is urged to get in touch.
Mr Bust is described as white, of heavy build, with a long, grey beard. He is thought to be wearing a mustard-yellow jacket and carrying a rucksack and a red/orange metal water bottle.
Inspector James Longden, Blairgowrie Police Office, said: “Since Mr Bust was reported missing, we have carried out extensive and specialist searches and enquiries across the area, but unfortunately, we have not yet been able to trace him.
“Two weeks on these searches continue in the Dunkeld and Birnam areas and we are continuing to ask for any information that could help us locate him.
“Anyone with any information of where Mr Bust is or could be should call Police Scotland on 101 and quote reference 2616 of Thursday, 13 March.”
