Diageo, maker of Guinness, Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff, has partnered with THINK!, the Government’s official road safety campaign, and Greene King on a new initiative encouraging people to drink responsibly over the festive period.
The partnership will allow designated drivers to claim a free pint of Guinness 0.0 at participating Greene King pubs across the UK throughout December.
The latest data shows that 79% of drink-drive collisions involve male drivers or riders over the legal alcohol limit1, and younger male drivers are historically over-represented in drink drive related road casualties2. Therefore, the campaign aims to remind people looking to celebrate during the next month to not drink and drive.The initiative also marks the third consecutive year Diageo is partnering with THINK! this Christmas.
From 1st December 2023 – 1st January 2024, designated drivers wishing to take part will need to visit the Guinness website and use the pub finder search tool to locate one of the 472 Greene King pubs participating in the offer.
They will then be able to download a voucher code and present this, along with their car keys, at the bar to prove their designated driver status and claim their free Guinness 0.0.
Nuno Teles, Managing Director at Diageo GB said:“Drink driving is never acceptable. Which is why we’re building on our previous campaigns with THINK! to help encourage responsible drinking this Christmas.
“By giving designated drivers a free pint of alcohol-free Guinness 0.0, our partnership with THINK! and Greene King will allow designated drivers across the UK to still be part of the festive fun and drive everyone home safely.”
Guy Opperman, Roads Minister at Department for Transport said: “Our highly regarded THINK! campaign will be aiming to save more lives again this Christmas season and will help continue to raise awareness of the dangers of drink-driving.
“This is a great initiative which encourages people to act responsibly while still enjoying the festive season.”
Diageo has a long-standing commitment to promoting positive drinking through moderation and tackling the harmful use of alcohol.
This initiative is part of Diageo’s latest pledge to change the attitudes towards drink driving of five million drivers by 2030 as part of its ten-year sustainability action plan Society 2030: Spirit of Progress.
The partnership also builds on Diageo’s other existing initiatives such as its ‘Wrong Side of the Road’ virtual learning experience, a hard-hitting programme which allows individuals to have a conversation with a real drink driver to help understand the consequences of drink driving.
Victoria Atkins aims to make health and social care system faster, simpler and fairer for patients
Health and Social Care Secretary sets out intention to make the system faster, simpler and fairer for patients
Victoria Atkins thanks staff for a week of delivery, in which two manifesto commitments were met
Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins has thanked health, social care and research staff for delivering on patients’ priorities, as she set out her commitment to make the health and social care system faster, simpler and fairer for patients.
Her words came days after pharmacies across the country began offering new contraceptive services and additional blood pressure checks, and after a breakthrough in talks to end consultant strikes, which saw the British Medical Association Consultants committee agree to put an offer on contract reform to its members.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins, said: “Since joining the department, I have been bowled over by the way health and social care staff just keep on delivering for patients. The important milestones we’ve reached this week – reaching 50,000 additional nurses and 50 million more GP appointments – demonstrate real progress.
“I have spent the past few weeks meeting doctors, nurses, GPs, pharmacists and other health workers and heard wonderful stories about how they have gone above and beyond to deliver outstanding care for patients and cut waiting lists.
“But I have also heard about their frustrations and where they feel they are not able to deliver the best possible care or where prevention or early intervention could have made a real difference. That is why I am committed to making health and social care services faster, simpler and fairer.
“We face a difficult winter ahead. And though our early winter planning is seeing some results we know there is much more to do. But having seen what our excellent staff can do I am confident that with the government’s support we can continue to deliver for patients over the coming months.”
The Health and Social Care Secretary has committed to making health and social care services:
Faster for patients, by making it easier to get treatment locally, improving A&E performance and cutting waiting lists
Simpler for patients, with joined up, integrated care, and simpler for staff, by reducing bureaucracy and giving them the latest technology to free up their time to care for patients
Fairer, ensuring children are protected from health harms, that health outcomes are not determined by where you live, that government supports older people to maintain their independence for longer, and that government delivers a more productive NHS that is fairer for taxpayers.
She added that she would continue to work with the NHS to manage the ongoing winter pressures. The government prepared for winter earlier than ever before and data released by the NHS on Thursday shows the government is making good progress.
Compared to the same time last year, ambulance handover delays have fallen by 28%, thousands more 111 calls are being answered within 60 seconds, and there were nearly 1,500 more hospital beds available.
The Secretary of State said: “We face a difficult winter ahead. And though our early winter planning is seeing some results we know there is much more to do.
“But having seen what our excellent staff can do I am confident that with the government’s support we can continue to deliver for patients over the coming months.”
The Health and Social Care Secretary was appointed on 13 November. She has now set out her priorities in a week in which the government and NHS hit a number of major delivery milestones:
NHS England data published on Thursday showed there were 51,245 additional nurses in September 2023 compared to 2019 – hitting the government’s manifesto commitment to recruit an additional 50,000 nurses six months early.
NHS England data also showed that for the year to October 2023, there were 51 million additional general practice appointments delivered when compared to October 2019, meeting another manifesto commitment.
On Monday the government announced that it had put forward an offer that will modernise the consultant contract and reform consultants’ pay structure, paving the way to end consultant strikes. The British Medical Association and Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association will put the deal to their memberships in the coming weeks.
On Wednesday the Secretary of State announced funding for a research project to evaluate the rollout of the hugely successful HIV opt-out testing programme to 46 new sites across England.
On Friday 1 December pharmacies across England began offering the new contraceptive services announced recently as part of Pharmacy First. This is part of the NHS and government’s Primary Care Recovery Plan, announced by the head of the NHS and the Prime Minister in May, which committed to making it quicker and easier for millions of people to access healthcare on their high street.
The mother of a baby, born with a hole in his heart, has shared her experiences as part of an initiative to raise standards of care for congenital heart disease across Scotland.
Helen Zollinger has welcomed the country’s first ever standards for congenital heart disease (CHD), produced by Healthcare Improvement Scotland. The standards aim to ensure that consistently high levels of care and services are offered to all patients diagnosed with CHD and their carers.
Helen’s son Woody was diagnosed with a hole in his heart at her 20 week scan while she was pregnant.
Helen said: “It was a complete and utter shock. All of a sudden my husband Stewart and I had to come to terms with the fact that when our baby was born he was going to need major heart surgery.
“As parents, finding out your child has a heart problem is traumatic enough without then feeling you have nowhere to go to for support. I just found that baffling.”
Helen and Stewart, who live in Musselburgh, East Lothian, have spent a lot of time at the cardiac ward of the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, the specialist unit for the type of heart defect Woody suffers from, since he was born five years ago.
It was during that period she felt there was a difference in the availability of services and support in Glasgow and other parts of the country.
She said: “I had a meeting with some key members of the cardiac team in Glasgow and they explained that the structure for cardiology care was different across the country.
“I found this really problematic as I felt the support we were able to access in Glasgow fell away when we were discharged and returned home and this seemed wrong to me.”
At that point Helen was invited on to a group set up by Healthcare Improvement Scotland to develop national standards for adult and paediatric CHD care in Scotland.
Helen has been able to share her experiences along with other patients, carers and healthcare professionals which have been used as the basis of what the standard for services should be in future.
She has also highlighted more accessible mental health support throughout the country as being a need, following her own experiences after the birth of Woody.
Among the recommendations in the standards, are also to improve detection rates of CHD in unborn babies.
CHD is the most common congenital abnormality, affecting approximately 1% of babies. A quarter of babies with congenital heart disease require medical intervention in the first year of life. Around 20,000 people with CHD currently live in Scotland.
Helen, who has since given birth to a daughter Bobbie (3), said: “The standards have shone a light on how beneficial it will be to have consistent levels of care across the country and the same level of support available to all patients and families.
“There’s a huge community of parents of children with CHDs in Scotland and I was able to connect a lot of them to Healthcare Improvement Scotland during the consultation period to add their own thoughts and experiences.
“I’m proud to have been able to add the voices of people from outside of the healthcare system and I’m hopeful that the new standards will make a big difference in helping families access a consistent level of care and support across the country.”
Fiona Wardell, Head of Standards at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: “I’m delighted to see the publication of the CHD standards – they set out clearly what people can expect to experience.
“Crucially, you can hear the voices of people and their families throughout the standards. They reflect what matters to patients and carers and their passion, commitment and enthusiasm in the development group has been a key part of this process.”
The standards have also been welcomed by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
David McColgan, Head of BHF Scotland, said: “The parents and families of babies born with congenital heart disease are already facing terrific stress, so it is wrong that levels of care and support differ across Scotland.
“Everyone who has a congenital heart condition deserves the best start in life, irrespective of their postcode.
“We are delighted that Healthcare Improvement Scotland has shone a light on the inequalities and developed national standards to reinforce best practice across our health services.”
This announcement provides further information about a future Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) case study
Phase 9 of SCAI’s investigations concerns the provision of residential care in establishments for children and young people with long term healthcare needs, additional support needs and disabilities.
It is expected that public hearings will commence in spring 2025. This is an area of residential care that requires investigation as part of SCAI’s wide ranging terms of reference.
Investigation of this category of establishments has been ongoing throughout the life of the Inquiry and many relevant statements have already been provided by applicants.
The provision of residential care by the following institutions are being considered as part of the case study:
School
Provider
Location
Children’s Home, Humbie
Algrade Trust
Humbie
Donaldson’s School for Deaf Children
The Donaldson Trust
Edinburgh
Harmeny School
Harmeny Trust
Balerno
Ladyfield West Children’s Hospital
NHS Dumfries & Galloway
Dumfries
Lendrick Muir School
Seamab
Rumbling Bridge
Lennox Castle Hospital
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, and East Dunbartonshire Council
Lennoxtown, Glasgow
Linwood Hall Children’s Home
Fife Council
Leven
Melville House
Fife Council
Cupar
Monken Hadley / Corsbie Hall / Woodlands School
Independent
Newton Stewart
Ovenstone Residential School
Fife Council
Pittenweem
Royal Blind School
Royal Blind
Edinburgh
Royal Scottish National Hospital
NHS Forth Valley
Larbert
Starley Hall School
Independent
Burntisland
St Joseph’s Hospital
Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul
Rosewell
St Mary’s Balnakeil
Congregation of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God
Galashiels
St Vincent’s School for the Deaf and Blind
Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul
Tollcross, Glasgow
Woodfield Ladymary School
Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd
Colinton, Edinburgh
Lady Smith, Chair of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry said:“The Inquiry’s wide-ranging Terms of Reference include requiring us to investigate the provision of residential care for children in healthcare establishments providing long term care and also similar establishments.
“Phase 9 will, accordingly, examine the provision of residential care for children and young people who had long term healthcare needs, additional support needs, disabilities or a combination of those needs.
“We plan to hold public hearings and expect that they will be able to commence in spring 2025.
“A range of organisations were involved in the provision of such residential accommodation including the National Health Service, local authorities, voluntary and private providers.
“Our investigations have been ongoing throughout the life of the Inquiry.
“A number of people have already come forward, but we would encourage anyone with relevant information to get in touch with the Inquiry’s witness support team as soon as possible.”
Individuals can also write to the Inquiry by post at SCAI, PO Box 24202, Edinburgh EH3 1JN.
SCAI launched a new website earlier this year and includes a range of features to improve accessibility such as “Recite me” and a series of short British Sign Language videos.
£100 million of UK funding will help climate-vulnerable populations adapt to climate change.
At COP28 Summit today, the UK will call for bolder action to fight the impact climate change is having on health.
Package that contributes towards the £1.6 billion of climate aid announced by the Prime Minister on Friday.
The UK Government will make commitments to help vulnerable countries strengthen their resilience to the increasingly frequent and severe effects of climate change at the COP28 Summit today (Sunday 3 December).
International Development and Africa Minister Andrew Mitchell will announce £100 million to support some of the most climate-vulnerable countries to tackle climate change. This will support an initiative to strengthen early warning systems in countries on the front line of climate change, giving people advanced warning of cyclones, flooding and other extreme weather so they can move away from danger, saving lives and protecting vulnerable communities.
The funding will also help make health care in these areas more resilient and able to withstand disasters, like floods, and ready to deal with spikes in infectious diseases, like cholera and malaria, due to floods caused by climate change.
Recognising the urgency of the situation, which forces 26 million into poverty every year, the Government will also join calls for bolder collective action to protect the lives, health and livelihoods of those most impacted by climate change.
This supports the Prime Minister announcing major funding for climate projects and stressing the need for ambitious, innovative and pragmatic action.
International Development and Africa Minister Andrew Mitchell, said: “The devastating effects of climate change hit the most vulnerable the hardest.
“These funding commitments will help countries and people be better prepared and protected against extreme weather events and natural disasters. They will help roll out measures such as early warning systems, and open up access to climate finance to build resilient health services.
“The UK will continue to press for a bold and ambitious approach to support those on the frontline of our changing climate, and to create a safer planet for us all.”
On behalf of the UK, Minister Mitchell will endorse the ‘Getting Ahead of Disasters’ Charter, the ‘COP28 Declaration on Relief, Recovery and Peace’, and the ‘COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health’.
Speaking at COP28, he will outline details of the funding package, which include:
Nearly £20 million for a package of disaster risk financing and early warning systems. This will help the one-third of the world’s population who are not covered by early warning systems to prepare for climate shocks and extreme weather, reducing disaster-related mortality and damage. It will also provide affordable insurance against climate disasters, such as droughts.
Funding of £36 million for climate action in the Middle East and North Africa to support long-term climate stability. This will mobilise $500 million for clean energy and green growth projects, support 450,000 people to adapt to climate change, and support 200,000 women in better protecting their families from climate shocks. This delivers on the UK’s commitment to scale up pre-arranged finance for crisis recovery.
Over £4.4 million to improve access to climate finance for Small Island Developing States and enable them to adapt to the impacts of climate change, with support from the Global Environment Facility’s Special Climate Change Fund and the Alliance of Small Island States.
Another £3 million for a new research hub in partnership with Canada, to help local communities address climate shocks and adapt to the long-term impacts of a changing climate. This will be delivered through the Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) programme, launched by the UK at COP26.
Up to £18 million for an innovative new programme to adapt and strengthen health systems. This will help partner countries manage the growing health impacts of climate change, from infectious diseases and food shortages, to water insecurity and other health-related emergencies. It will be the first climate and health programme to be announced by a G7 country.
A further £20 million for a new research programme to guide the UK’s future work on climate-resilient health systems, recognising the fast-evolving agenda and the need for a stronger evidence base of what works to address the growing threats from climate change to health.
Finally, £3 million for a new partnership with the International Rescue Committee to reduce the impact of climate-related crises on schools, students and communities. The Climate Resilient Education Systems Trial will build an evidence base of effective approaches to combatting climate change in and through education.
At the COP28 Summit on Sunday (3 December), the UK will convene experts and thought leaders for a panel discussion on climate security.
It will be the first time that the UK has hosted such an event, with the US, the EU, Iraq, Kenya, Mali, NATO, and United Nations Development Programme expected to attend.
It aims to improve collective understanding of the security implications of climate change, including global instability and conflict, while exploring best practice to respond to these risks through data-informed policy making, stress testing, analytical foresight capability, and international cooperation.
AND SCOTLAND CHIPS IN TOO
£2 million for loss and damage in marginalised communities
First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced that C40 Cities will receive £1 million from Scotland’s Climate Justice Fund to focus efforts on tackling loss and damage in marginalised communities.
The Scottish Government, in partnership with direct-funding charity GiveDirectly, will also provide a further £1 million from the fund to support communities in Malawi to deal with the impacts of climate-induced loss and damage.
The First Minister was speaking at a COP28 panel discussion with delegates from Bangladesh, Sierra Leone and France, and a youth representative from Argentina, on Scotland’s contribution to addressing loss and damage.
C40 Cities is a global network of nearly 100 mayors committed to halving their fair share of emissions by 2030. The Scottish Government will work with C40 Cities through their Inclusive Climate Action programme to address urban loss and damage, support sub-Saharan Africa’s first local Just Transition process and address losses and damages faced by climate migrant communities.
The latest funding allocations fulfil the commitment to treble the Climate Justice Fund to £36 million over the course of this Parliament.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “Our world-first Climate Justice Fund will continue to focus on communities most affected by climate change, and in order to deliver for those who need it most we must ensure the views and needs of those typically marginalised in such communities – particularly urban voices from the Global South and youth perspectives – are heard.
“This funding for the Inclusive Climate Action programme will support cities in the Global South to deliver local inclusive climate action, build resilience for residents, pilot city-led approaches to loss and damage and build cities’ influence in global policy debates.
“While of immense importance, we cannot just provide funding to deal with the effects of climate-induced loss and damage alone.
“Devolved governments have a crucial and essential role to play in addressing loss and damage and the global journey to net zero – responsibility for over half of the emissions cuts needed at a global level lie with devolved state and regional governments.
“The C40 Cities programme aligns with our Climate Justice principles, and will provide cities with support that builds resilience and can be scaled up to meet community need.”
Mayor of Freetown and C40 Co-Chair Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr said: “The climate crisis is a global issue which causes local pain and consequences across generations. Loss and damage is fundamentally an issue of climate justice, as those who have contributed the least to climate breakdown are the ones who most bear the brunt of its chaos.
“This is true between countries and regions, but also between generations and gender, as well as within our cities, where the most vulnerable are the most severely affected.
“I thank the Scottish Government for its leadership in climate justice and support to C40. This funding will support cities in the Global South to deliver for their residents through local inclusive climate action, building resilience and piloting innovative city-led approaches to loss and damage.”
Ten employees from Amazon in Dunfermline played a key role in the launch of a new Amazon retail shop for Barnardo’s this week, when they packed and shipped more than 3,500 product donations for the Second Chance Store in central London.
The product selection – consisting of returned and refurbished Amazon items put back on sale at a reduced cost – features in-demand Christmas gifts with up to 50% savings on recommended retail prices.
While thousands of items including nearly-new gaming consoles, personal tech, toys and games have been donated to the high street store located at London’s Brunswick Centre, the range reflects the millions of returned, refurbished and open-box items available to buy at a discount all year-round from amazon.co.uk/amazonsecondchance.
The website also provides customers with information about product repair, recycling in their local community and trade-in for electronics.
“Working on the launch of the Second Chance Store for Barnardo’s has been a great opportunity for us to come together as a team, have some fun and support a charity that does great work in our community in Dunfermline, and across the UK,” said Ben Robertson from Amazon’s Dunfermline fulfilment centre.
“It’s also a great way to help customers see the range and quality of returned and refurbished items that are available to buy from Amazon online every day of the year.”
“Amazon is committed to giving more products a second chance – both through helping customers shop pre-loved, and through programmes to recycle, trade-in and repair products, contributing to a more circular economy,” addedJohn Boumphrey, UK Country Manager, Amazon.
“Our Second Chance Store, with all proceeds going to Barnardo’s, is all about offering customers a great way to shop second-hand this festive season, while supporting a brilliant charity we have been working with for many years.”
Across the UK and Europe, customer demand has driven second-hand shopping on Amazon into a billion-pound business.
In the UK alone, Amazon gave a second chance to more than four million products last year, helping British customers save more than £100 million by buying used or refurbished products at a discount.
In the first nine months of 2023, Amazon’s sales of second-hand goods in the UK increased by more than 15% compared to the same period last year.
So far this year, Amazon has facilitated the donation of more than 13 million products to more than 2,000 charities across the UK through its Retail and Fresh operations, and its Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) Donations, a programme which helps independent sellers using the Fulfilment by Amazon service donate their overstock or returned items automatically.
Charities including Barnardo’s, the British Heart Foundation, In Kind Direct, Scope and The Multibank initiative are amongst the donation recipients.
Product donations form one part of Amazon’s circular economy programme. In 2022, Amazon expanded its partnership with WRAP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to support a global circular economy for products.
The company is also supporting the development of a sorting technology to improve plastic packaging recycling through involvement in the Digital Watermarks Initiative HolyGrail 2.0, driven by AIM, European Brands Association and powered by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.
The Amazon Second Chance Store is an expansion of Amazon’s existing relationship with Barnardo’s, with millions of products donated to the charity since 2019.
Amazon and Barnardo’s also launched a ground-breaking programme called the JOBS Project (Journey of Becoming Successful) which has supported 65 young people since 2021, with an ambition to help 500 people in the next five years, many of whom are care experienced, develop the skills needed to secure work and develop their careers.
As a signatory of the Care Leavers Covenant, Amazon is one of leading employers of care leavers in the UK.
Police Scotland is urging anyone targeted by sextortion to report it – so they can get the support they deserve.
Sextortion is sexual extortion and involves the threat of having sexual information, photos or videos shared with others. It is carried out to extort money or force a victim to do something against their will, control behaviour or obtain further images.
Figures published today, Friday, 1 December 2023, in Police Scotland’s 2023-24 Quarter 2 Performance Report, show an increase in reported crimes of threats and extortion compared to last year and since changes in crime recording introduced in April 2020.
Between April and September 2023 there were 1,430 crimes of threats and extortion compared to 819 in the same period last year (74%) and the five year mean of 443 or 223%. Analysis shows much of this relates to sextortion style crimes.
Assistant Chief Constable David Duncan said: “Sextortion is blackmail and those targeted should not pay, nor should they be embarrassed or scared to report it to police.
“We are experiencing an increase in the number of sextortion incidents being reported and although we are encouraged that victims appear more confident in coming forward, we know from our partners that it is still likely to be an under-reported offence.
“Criminals use the internet, social media, dating apps, web cams or pornography sites and fake identities to befriend people online and then threaten to send images to their family and friends.
“People shouldn’t panic, there is support available from policing and from third party organisations. We want people to know they will be treated with respect and dignity and the circumstances investigated professionally.
“There is information available on the Police Scotland website on ways you can stay safe online – such as not sharing intimate images.”
Sextortion can be committed by individuals however, organised crime gangs based overseas are also believed to be responsible.
The inclusion of threats and extortion, such as online sextortion, contributed to a rise in overall violent crime reported between April and September 2023.
Homicides, attempted murders and serious assaults remain at similar levels compared to last year and lower than the five year average, while our world leading detection rate for homicides continues.
The report provides insight into the depth and breadth of police work undertaken by committed and professional officers and staff and how the outcome of that work relates to our strategic outcomes.
Research shows 50% spike in Scottish farmland market price
A REVEALING new report on land trends has brought fresh insights into the dynamics of rural land transactions in Scotland.
There is a notable upswing in the demand for farmland, with Eastern Scotland seeing £205,513,531 sold from 2020 to 2022.
Over the period spanning 2020 to 2022, the value of farmland witnessed a substantial uptick, surging by 58% in the North East and 42% in the South West of Scotland, indicative of a significant surge in market interest.
Published by the Scottish Land Commission (SLC), the Rural Land Market Report underscores a widespread appreciation in land values throughout Scotland, crediting this growth to sustained demand, even as the overall volume of land entering the market remained relatively stable.
The report also identifies that most sales were of moderately sized farms or forests, with over 93% of transactions taking place in Scotland for areas of land less than 500 hectares.
Hamish Trench, Chief Executive of the Scottish Land Commission, said: “This report provides a vital window into the nature and scale of transactions occurring within Scotland’s rural land market over the past three years.
“The findings reinforce the conclusions of our earlier research, highlighting the range of influences affecting Scotland’s rural land market, and the significant regional and sectoral variations which clearly show increasing activity across the south of Scotland.
“While the volume of land coming to market has been relatively consistent over the past three years, the vast majority of sales are moderate-sized farms and forests, with very large land acquisitions much being rarer.”
The findings draw on data from the Registers of Scotland and the wider industry to evaluate the land market and property values across the country, focusing on farms, forests, and estates.
A total of 740 rural land sales took place over the three-year study period, of which 24 were for land over 1,000ha in size, and a further 27 for areas of between 500-1,000ha.
Farmland made up nearly 60% of total land sales. Eastern Scotland saw the highest concentration of deals, accounting for almost a third of national transactions while also having the top average prices per hectare at £17,535.
However, forestry land had a more mixed ride with prices peaking in 2021 before falling back again in 2022 – a move attributed to inflation and grant incentives no longer covering rising land costs.
The report highlights challenges around what is considered an “Estate” within the data, as a wide variety of transactions could fall into the category.
As a result, the report also notes a wide range in the sale prices of these “estates”, starting from as low as £60,000 and going up to £17.6 million over the three-year period.
Hamish added: “Through these reports, our commitment is to paint a clearer and more transparent picture of the rural land market, providing valuable insights to guide decisions on legal, policy, and practical changes.
“While we’ve successfully compiled a robust dataset, the report also underscores the necessity for ongoing reforms in how we collect and share data about land in Scotland.
“Transitioning towards a cadastral map system that consolidates information on land value, ownership, and use – a widely embraced approach in Europe – holds significant advantages. In the meantime, we will continue to work on how to make more of the existing data available.”
The report accompanies the Rural Land Market Insights Report published in May which identified the drivers and motivations influencing land sales and Acquisitions.
That report identified some key implications for public policy including a risk of increasing concentration in ownership, barriers to communities and individuals participating in the market and the risks where land is acquired primarily as a financial asset.
To read the Rural Land Market Report please visit:
NEW report finds most employees aged 16-24 miss out on key employment rights – and young people are also much more likely to be employed on zero-hours contracts
TUC says Labour’s New Deal for Working People would be “life changing” for young people by giving all workers day one rights in a job, banning zero-hours contracts and removing age bands from the minimum wage
A new TUC report has revealed that nearly three-quarters (72%) of young employees aged 16 to 24 miss out on key employment rights at work.
While some workplace rights for employees begin from day one of employment, others only kick in after two years of continuous service – including protection from unfair dismissal and the right to statutory redundancy pay.
The new report – published at the end of TUC’s Young Workers’ Month – shows that employees aged 16 to 24 are far less likely to have built up two years of continuous service in the same job, so are much more likely to miss out on key protections.
That means nearly three in four young employees (72%) don’t qualify for vital employment rights, compared to around one in four (27%) of working people aged 25 and over.
Zero-hours contracts
Young people are also much more likely to be on zero-hours contracts – which means they are ‘workers’ (without employee status) who miss out on essential rights – like the right to request flexible working or the right to return to the same job after maternity, adoption, paternity or shared parental leave.
Zero-hours contracts are characterised by low pay and variable hours. As a result, many zero-hours contract workers also miss out on key social security rights such as full maternity pay and paternity pay.
One in seven (13%) 16 to 24-year-olds in employment are employed on a zero-hours contract – meaning they are around 5.5 times more likely to be on these contracts than workers aged 25 and over (2.4%).
Women are hit harder – one in six (16%) young women in the jobs market are employed on a zero-hours contract.
And young Black, minority and ethnic workers (BME) are 12 times more likely to be on a zero-hours contract than white workers aged 35 to 49 (15.9% compared to 1.4%).
The report highlights that just under half a million young workers (474,000) are employed on a zero-hours contract.
This means that despite only being around one in nine (11%) of the total workforce, 16 to 24-year-olds make up two in five (40%) of the 1.18 million workers employed on zero-hours contracts.
Unemployment
Workers aged 16 to 24 also face a higher unemployment rate than older workers. This is because people aged 16-24 are twice as likely to have been unemployed for six months to a year (22%) compared to those over 25 (11%).
Overall, the unemployment rate for under 25s (12.3%) is nearly three times as high as that for all workers (4.2%). One in eight young people (12.3%) are without a job despite actively seeking work and being available to start work.
Low pay
And young workers are also paid less. Median hourly pay for 16 to 17-year-olds is £8 per hour and £10.90 for 18 to 21-year-olds, compared to £15.83 for all employees.
This is partly because the National Living Wage (currently £10.42 per hour) does not kick in until an employee is 23.
The government has accepted the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations to increase the National Living Wage to £11.44 from April 2024, expand it to 21 and 22-year-olds, lift the rate to £8.60 for 18 to 20-year-olds, and to £6.40 for 16 to 17-year-olds and apprentices.
These changes follow pressure from unions and low-pay campaigners. The TUC says that this is a positive step – but that the top rate must be made available to all working people, regardless of age.
Even with these current announcements a 20-year-old doing the same minimum wage job as a 23-year-old will still be earning £2.93 per hour (28%) less.
Labour’s New Deal for Working People
Labour has pledged to deliver new rights for working people in an employment bill in its first 100 days.
The TUC says that Labour’s New Deal would be “life changing” for young people. It would:
Ban zero-hours contracts to help end the scourge of insecure work.
Give all workers day one rights on the job. Labour will scrap qualifying time for basic rights, such as unfair dismissal, sick pay, and parental leave for all workers.
Remove the discriminatory age bands from the minimum wage to ensure every adult worker benefits from fair pay.
Ensure all workers get reasonable notice of any change in shifts or working time, with compensation that is proportionate to the notice given for any shifts cancelled or curtailed.
Strengthen flexible working rights by introducing a day one right to work flexibly. Strengthen collective bargaining by introducing fair pay agreements to boost pay and conditions – starting in social care.
Beef up enforcement by making sure the labour market enforcement bodies have the powers they need to undertake targeted and proactive enforcement work.
Introduce disability and ethnicity pay gap reporting.
Ban unpaid internships.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Every worker should be protected from being sacked for no reason – but three in four young workers can be fired at will by bad bosses. Just imagine working hard in a job for nearly two years – only to be let go with no recourse.
“Too many young workers are trapped in insecure work, on lower pay and without the workplace rights most of us take for granted.
“That’s not right.
“Labour’s New Deal for working people would be life changing for younger workers.
“It would give them a secure contract – so they knew how many hours they’d work each week. It would stop fire at will – making sure every worker is protected from unfair sacking from day one in the job. It would make sure they were entitled to maternity and paternity pay when they have kids.
“And it would give them a chance to work for a decent future.”
The voice of business is being heard at the heart of government, Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray has told industry leaders.
Addressing the Scottish Chambers of Commerce annual dinner in Glasgow, Mr Gray said he was committed to strengthening the partnership with business and consulting on policy.
He also acknowledged the need to tackle labour and skills shortages and confirmed the Scottish Government would update shortly on plans for the reform of lifelong education and skills training.
Mr Gray said: “Growth is fundamental to a vision for a wellbeing economy and business plays a crucial role in achieving that.
“The New Deal for Business Group aims to ensure businesses can navigate the policy development process. This will mean they can contribute more effectively, ensuring that informed choices are made by government around the timing, content and practical consequences of new policies.
“The voice of business is not just being listened to, it is being put at the heart of government. We have published an implementation plan on recommendations deriving from the New Deal Group and I am very conscious that, to keep earning your trust, I must deliver on it.
“This will not provide a solution to all policy issues or stop differences of opinion, but I hope it will ensure that operate on the basis of no surprises. Our policy should be informed by your expertise and your business planning should be informed by clear, early signals of policy.
“We continue to work with industry to develop our Talent Attraction and Migration Service and create the conditions to help business flourish and, in turn, drive economic growth that benefits all of society.”
