First plan in the UK to improve the lives of non-binary people
New actions to improve the lives of non-binary people in Scotland and tackle inequality will be taken forward.
The five year plan includes actions to support specific research on the experiences of non-binary people in Scotland, fund training for fertility preservation providers on trans and non-binary healthcare needs and meaningfully include non-binary people in decision-making by making processes accessible.
The plan is in response to the recommendations of the Scottish Government’s Working Group on Non-Binary Equality, whose members included non-binary people, charity representatives and academics.
Equalities Minister Emma Roddick said: “Our vision is for Scotland to be a place where everyone’s identity is recognised, respected and celebrated.
“This action plan aims to improve equality and wellbeing for non-binary people and is the first of its kind in the UK.
“Some actions are straightforward and immediate whilst others are long-term and systemic. However, they will all contribute to improving the experiences of non-binary people and begin to tackle some of the challenges that they currently face in their everyday lives.”
Vic Valentine, Manager of Scottish Trans said: “It is really positive to see this Action Plan published, and to see that the Scottish Government has made public, concrete and measurable commitments to changes that will make non-binary people’s lives better.
“I particularly welcome the commitments that will have a positive impact not only on non-binary people but on marginalised people more widely: such as those that seek to make it easier and fairer for people on benefits to participate in policy making processes and be paid for their time, and to look at how the design of public buildings does, or doesn’t, work for everyone in Scotland.
“As with any plan, the most important thing will be delivering. We look forward to working with non-binary people across Scotland to challenge the Government to turn these commitments in to real change.”
The Centre, Livingston Book Club is set to welcome the multi award-winning author and illustrator Catherine Rayner, who has just launched her 21st book, ‘Molly, Olive and Dexter – The Guessing Game’ at this month’s storytelling event on Saturday, 18th November.
The free monthly Book Club was officially launched in October by authors, Linda Erskine and Justin Davies, to encourage a love for reading, the joy of discovering new books and the chance to meet various authors.
Catherine, whose extensive list of books include ‘Victor – The wolf with worries’ and ‘Arlo – The lion who couldn’t sleep’ has also illustrated books for many well-known authors, like Julia Donaldson and Michael Morpurgo.
Her awards include ‘The Kate Greenaway Medal’ and ‘Booktrust Early Years Award’.
On Saturday, 18th November at 12noon and 2pm, she will be running fun and interactive storytelling sessions for children aged two to seven at The Centre, Livingston, across from Waterstones and next to River Island.
There will also be a live ‘draw along’ which is a step-by-step guide to drawing the characters in her books, including ‘Augustus the tiger’. Activity sheets and stickers will be available for kids to take home.
Catherine said: “I’m really excited about taking part in this event. It’s always great fun to meet little readers and I hope they will enjoy the storytelling and drawing activities I have in store!
Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “We are delighted to welcome the fantastic children’s author Catherine Rayner into The Centre, Livingston for our next storytelling session.
“Our launch last month was very popular with our shoppers and we’re expecting our interactive session this month to be another big hit.”
The Centre, Livingston Book Club follows on from the recent installation of the shopping centre’s free book recycling vending machine to enable people to swap their favourite novels.
Details on the Book Club can be found on The Centre, Livingston website, www.thecentrelivingston.com and @shopthecentre on Facebook and Instagram.
Former residents of the Mary King’s Close visited the hospital to teach the children about the lire in Edinburgh’s Old Town during the 17th century
Team from the top Edinburgh tourist attraction, The Real Mary King’s Close, visited the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People to participate in Historical Engagement Week, organised by The Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), the only charity in the world solely dedicated to supporting NHS Lothian’s children’s services.
As part of an itinerary of interactive, history themed activities, Craig Waters, Daisy Wade and Robyn Reill, three tour guides from The Real Mary King’s Close, ran a workshop for the children about life in Edinburgh’s Old Town during the 17th century.
The guides presented the workshop as costumed characters of former residents of Mary King’s Close, including the local tanner, Patrick Byrne; the last homeowner on the street, Janet Chesney; and Mary King herself.
The day started with a collaborative performance in the hospital’s social space, followed by one-to-one interactions with the children in the medical wards who were unable to attend.
Ensuring the experience was just as memorable for them, the team at The Close created the world of Old Town Edinburgh by their bedside, using props, improvisation and storytelling centred on the history of Mary King’s Close and true stories about its intriguing past.
Paul Nixon, General Manager at The Real Mary King’s Close, said:“The amazing work undertaken by The Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity is so important to ensuring the children at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People have the opportunity to enjoy interactive learning and experience fun activities.
“At The Close, we are passionate about storytelling our social history and creating unforgettable experiences, so we were delighted to be given the opportunity to visit the hospital and give the children a chance to learn about Edinburgh’s rich history.”
The Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity runs a six-day-per-week programme of arts and activities for the young people at The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People. By transforming the hospital wards into disco rooms, art galleries, fairylands, and past eras, they ensure that every child has the freedom to explore, have fun and find inspiration through creative play and learning.
For more information about The Real Mary King’s Close, visit:
Fort Kinnaird has announced that the Lush Snow Fairy Tour will be visiting the centre this weekend.
The 2023 Lush festive collection is designed around ‘Out of this world Gifting’. Shoppers at Fort Kinnaird will be able to visit the themed pop-up to browse products from both the Lush Snow Fairy and Intergalactic ranges, including body sprays, bath bombs, and the biggest ever Snow Fairy gift set. The space will also have a photo opportunity and ‘kindness wall’.
Lush sells one Snow Fairy product every 5 seconds on average during the festive period (October – December), so visitors need to be quick to get their hands on this year’s must-have festive gifts.
16NOV23 Lush Snow Fairy Tour at Fort Kinnaird.
The pop-up will be located next to the play park and near Caffè Nero and a full breakdown of its opening times can be found below.
Additional Scottish Government funding to aid recovery efforts
Hundreds of households and businesses affected by the impact of Storm Babet will benefit from additional funding from the Scottish Government to help with recovery.
Impacted local authorities will be allocated additional funding to enable them to provide flat rate grants of:
£1,500 to people whose properties were most affected by flooding related to Storm Babet
£3,000 grants to businesses where there is evidence that ability to trade was severely impacted by flooding related to Storm Babet
This exceptional additional funding was discussed and agreed during the first formal meeting of the Storm Babet Ministerial Taskforce held today. Grants will be administered by local authorities; further information on when and how to access will be made available in due course.
Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero Màiri McAllan said: “Storm Babet was a highly unusual weather event with severe impacts, and communities continue to suffer. Our thoughts are with all those dealing with the aftermath. We have been clear that Scotland’s response to and recovery from Storm Babet would be collaborative endeavour.
“That’s why we have been working with local authorities and those directly affected by the severe impact of Storm Babet to determine where the Scottish Government can provide additional support to local partners.
“Given the unprecedented scale of damage and impact caused by Storm Babet we have concluded that additional funding is required to support households and businesses.
“This is in addition to our long-standing annual funding of £42 million and the additional £150 million for flood risk management and £12 million for coastal change adaptation over the course of this parliament, and sits alongside the Bellwin Scheme, Scottish Welfare Fund, and additional funds to farming businesses and organisations. Our Taskforce will continue to oversee these matters and support local partners.
Leader of Angus Council, Cllr Beth Whiteside said: “We welcome these discussions with Ministers and have the reassurance that they are fully aware of the scale of impact across Angus.
“Recovery will be a lengthy process as we support people and communities to rebuild their lives and businesses from the unprecedented flooding and we will need ongoing support for years to come to rebuild our infrastructure and take action to protect Angus from such devastating flooding in the future.”
Work to assess and identify the damage caused by the exceptional level of rain caused by Storm Babet has been ongoing in partnership between local and national government.
Existing support which can be accessed as a result of adverse weather events includes:
Council Tax relief for up to 12 months for homes which are uninhabitable and discretionary Hardship Relief for non-domestic rates for businesses where the applicant would sustain financial difficulty without it
the Scottish Welfare Fund which exists to help people in Scotland on low incomes through crisis grants and community care grants, with £41 million invested into the scheme for 2023/24 and an average award of £715 for community care grants and £113 for crisis grants
The Bellwin Scheme has been activated; however, given the scale of damage endured Scottish Ministers have today agreed an extension period of eligible costs from two months from the date of the incident, to four months from the date of the incident, to further support local authorities with the cost of recovery.
The Scottish Government has already pledged support for the repair of damaged flood banks, in addition to providing an additional £50,000 to the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI) to help bolster the charity’s Flooding Crisis Fund supporting those affected by recent adverse weather in the agricultural sector.
The creation of a £1.3bn well-connected, sustainable new coastal town at Granton Waterfront in Edinburgh has reached yet another major milestone.
A contract for pre-development work to refine and finalise the design of a sewer source low carbon heat network solution to serve thousands of homes, local facilities and the many other commercial and social enterprise businesses planned for Granton Waterfront is set to be awarded by the City of Edinburgh Council in the coming weeks.
Following a competitive procurement process Vattenfall Heat UK Ltd is being proposed as the preferred bidder and the Finance and Resources Committee will consider a report on the award of this contract at its meeting on Tuesday next week. It is anticipated the contract will be signed by both parties in the coming weeks.
The energy company, known for its work supporting many areas throughout the UK find net zero solutions, will work with the Council to finalise the plans for this heat network.
The aim, subject to future further approval from the Finance and Resources Committee, is for an agreement for the company to build, operate, finance, manage and maintain the network over the following 40 years.
This is a significant milestone for the Council and the Granton Waterfront area to help Edinburgh reach net zero by 2030.
As well as supporting the Council’s commitment to build new affordable homes over the next 10 years, the Granton Waterfront £1.3bn regeneration project has exemplar urban design which will also champion low carbon transport and active travel.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “It is fantastic to see work continuing at pace at Granton Waterfront, the largest sustainable regeneration project of its kind in Scotland.
“As well as helping the Capital reach net zero by 2030, awarding this contract is the next step towards finalising the right heat network solution for our tenants and others moving into the area to provide them with a cost competitive low carbon heating source.
“The homes being delivered in the area are being designed to be well insulated and energy efficient which will also be a huge benefit to everyone living there, particularly those facing fuel poverty.
“Work is also continuing to transform the iconic gasholder in the area into a place for the wider community and visitors to play and relax. Arts and social enterprise charity WASPS has moved into the eye catching former Granton Station building now refurbished and taking pride of place at the heart of the community, with a spacious attractive public square. And we’re currently building hundreds of energy efficient affordable homes which will be ready for tenants to move into next year.”
Eoghan Maguire, Director of Heat Networks – Scotland at Vattenfall Heat UK said: “Granton Waterfront is an ambitious long-term project that will act as a blueprint in urban development and regeneration in Scotland. District heating will enable the Granton Waterfront development to deliver on its pioneering and climate conscious ambitions for its residents.
“Vattenfall has responded to the low carbon district heating proposals for Granton Waterfront and is proud that these have been recommended for approval by the City of Edinburgh Council. We are excited to work with the City of Edinburgh and its partners to help deliver on the city’s net zero by 2030 targets.
“The Granton Waterfront heat network aims to capture heat that would otherwise be wasted from the sewer system and could serve the community of 3,000 new homes, as well as existing buildings. The network will adopt a future proofed design, meaning expansion to the northwest of Edinburgh would be possible.”
Officers investigating shots being fired in Edinburgh have revisited the scene two weeks on.
Around 10.15am on Thursday, 2 November, 2023, Police were called to a report of shots being fired at a block of flats on Greendykes Road in the city.
Officers carried out enquiries at the time and identified shots were also fired towards the same building, about 4.30am the same morning.
There were no injuries during either incident, however windows were damaged.
This continues to be treated as a targeted attack.
Yesterday morning, officers from Gayfield CID returned to the area as part of their enquiries.
Detectives spoke to a number of motorists and pedestrians in an attempt to jog their memories and gain additional information that could help trace two people on bicycles in the area around the time of both incidents.
Detective Sergeant Gavin Howat said: “The response from the public has been encouraging and information gained yesterday, and over the last two weeks, will no doubt assist in our enquiry to identify the suspects.
“I am again appealing to anyone who has any information which may assist us and who hasn’t already spoken to police to get in touch.
“Any piece of information, no matter how small, could be relevant.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 0961 of 2 November, 2023. Alternatively, information can be passed to Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.
New staff will be in post by the end of the year to help customers this winter
Scottish Gas has a £100 million support package available – the largest of any UK supplier – and staff will be given additional training on helping customers who are struggling with energy costs.
Scottish Gas has announced it is growing its team of call centre operators in Edinburgh as it continues to provide even more help for customers this winter.
The energy provider is recruiting 350 new roles at its Edinburgh energy contact centre which will see total staff numbers rise to more than 480. Additional training on assisting customers in the UK with financial difficulty will also be rolled out across the team as the winter heating season begins.
The move is part of nationwide commitment to increase its existing customer service teams and hire more than 700 new call centre staff. These roles will all be in post by the end of the year with continued hiring taking place in January as part of the company’s aim to move all its call centre resource to the UK.
Last winter, Scottish Gas experienced an increase in call volume due to the energy crisis and invested £25 million in its customer services operations to meet this demand. Whilst energy prices have come down, the company still expects customers to need support so is continuing to boost its UK teams. The increased staff numbers will also mean longer opening times for Scottish Gas customers of 8am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 2pm on Saturday.
Scottish Gas has a £100 million support package in place to help customers who are struggling with energy costs – the largest voluntary support package offered by a UK supplier. Its customer services teams will receive additional training in how to help customers in financial difficultly including directing them to available support.
Chris O’Shea, CEO of Centrica, parent company of Scottish Gas, said:“Although energy prices have come down slightly, many of our customers are still struggling overall with the cost of living and need to speak to us for longer about their energy bills.
“Strengthening our call centre operations in Edinburgh will allow us to help more households across Scotland and the rest of the UK with expert advice and support during this time.
“I’m extremely proud of how our expert teams support our customers every day – in the past year they’ve helped over 1 million customers who’ve been struggling to afford their bills with additional support such as grants, debt relief and payment plans.”
Redirected HS2 funding to resurface more than 5,000 miles of road across England
driving to become smoother, safer and easier with £8.3 billion of redirected HS2 funding, enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of road
long-term plan to mend roads across the country, saving motorists up to £440 on vehicle repairs
biggest-ever uplift in funding for local road improvements thanks to funding from government’s £36 billion Network North transport plan
Millions of people will enjoy smoother, safer and faster road journeys thanks to the biggest-ever road resurfacing programme to improve local roads.
Today (17 November 2023), Transport Secretary Mark Harper has set out the allocations of an £8.3 billion long-term plan, enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of road across the country over the next 11 years. It’s one of the key cornerstones of Network North to improve journeys for all.
Across England, local highway authorities will receive £150 million this financial year, followed by a further £150 million for 2024/2025, with the rest of the funding allocated through to 2034.
Each local authority can use its share of the £8.3 billion to identify what local roads are in most need of repair and deliver immediate improvements for communities and residents. This is divided as:
£3.3 billion for local authorities in the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber
£2.2 billion for local authorities in the West Midlands and East Midlands
£2.8 billion for local authorities in the East of England, South East, South West and, for the first time in 8 years, London
The UK Government has already confirmed £5.5 billion up until 2024/25, for England outside London, which includes the £200 million announced by the Chancellor at the Budget in March. Today’s £8.3 billion nationwide boost comes on top of that and extends until 2034, providing long-term certainty to local authorities and helping to prevent potholes from coming back in the future.
The funding also comes on top of the local transport, road and rail budgets allocated at the last Spending Review and in addition to what local authorities were already expecting for the next decade.
Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “For too long politicians have shied away from taking the right long-term decisions to make life easier for hardworking families – tackling the scourge of potholes being a prime example.
“Well-maintained road surfaces could save drivers up to £440 each in expensive vehicle repairs, helping motorists keep more of the cash in their pocket.
“This unprecedented £8.3 billion investment will pave the road for better and safer journeys for millions of people across the country and put an end to the blight of nuisance potholes.”
Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said: “Most people travel by road and potholes can cause misery for motorists, from expensive vehicle repairs to bumpy, slow and dangerous journeys. Our £8.3 billion boost to repair roads across the country shows that we’re on the side of drivers.
“Today’s biggest-ever funding uplift for local road improvements is a victory for all road users, who will enjoy smoother, faster and safer trips – as we use redirected HS2 funding to make the right long-term decisions for a brighter future.”
According to the RAC, smoother, well-maintained road surfaces could save drivers up to £440 each in expensive vehicle repairs from pothole damage, helping motorists keep more of the cash in their pocket.
This £8.3 billion boost is particularly important when considering that, according to a survey from the AA, fixing potholes and investing in roads maintenance is a priority for 96% of drivers. These funds can also help boost road safety and encourage active travel, as smoother road surfaces will make it safer and easier for cyclists to use roads with greater confidence.
RAC head of policy, Simon Williams, said: “Drivers’ biggest bugbear of all is the poor condition of local roads, so the fact the government has found a significant additional pot of revenue should give councils the certainty of funding they need to plan proper long-term road maintenance, something we have been calling for many years.
“We hope local authorities will use the money in the most effective way possible by resurfacing the very worst roads, keeping those in reasonable condition in better states for longer through surface dressing and filling potholes as permanently as possible wherever necessary.
“This should in time go a considerable way to bringing our roads back to a fit-for-purpose state and saving drivers hundreds of pounds in the process from not having to fork out for frustrating repairs to their vehicles.”
To increase transparency and ensure the £8.3 billion leads to an increase in the number of roads being resurfaced, local authorities will be required to publish information on their websites on a regular basis explaining how they are spending the funding in their area.
The measure is a key part of the UK Government’s Network North plan, with money redirected from HS2 instead going to improve the daily transport connections that matter most to people.
It builds on tough regulations announced in April this year to crack down on utility companies causing pothole pain with botched streetworks, through stricter inspections and costs for the worst offenders – backed by further measures in our Plan for drivers announced just last month.
These include £70 million to keep traffic flowing, updating 20mph zone guidance for England to help prevent inappropriate blanket use and measures to speed up the rollout of electric vehicle charging.
Edmund King OBE, AA president, said: “Perilous roads blighted by potholes are the number one concern for drivers and a major issue for bikers, cyclists and pedestrians.
“So far this year, the AA has attended more than 450,000 pothole-related breakdowns. The damage caused can be a huge financial burden for drivers but is also a major safety risk for those on 2 wheels.
“The £8.3 billion plan can make a considerable difference in bringing our roads back to the standards, which road users expect, especially if councils use the cash efficiently to resurface our streets. As well as safer roads, eliminating potholes gives confidence to people wanting to cycle and instils pride of place within local communities.”
Network North will see £36 billion invested in hundreds of transport projects and initiatives across the country, and includes the extension of the £2 bus fare cap in England to the end of December 2024, as well as over £1 billion to improve bus journeys in the North and the Midlands.
Rick Green, Chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance, said: “This additional funding is good news for local authorities in England and is much needed to help them tackle the backlog of repairs.
“We have long been calling for surety of funding over the long-term and the fact that the DfT has committed to this money being available over the next 11 years should allow highways teams to implement more efficient works to improve local road conditions and enhance the resilience of the network once they have details of their allocation.
“This long-term investment will also help give the asphalt supply chain confidence to further invest in plant upgrades, materials innovation and technical advancements to support the development and delivery of lower carbon roads in line with the government’s net zero ambitions.”
Motor expert, Louise Thomas at Confused.com car insurance comments: “With temperatures dropping and rainfall at extreme highs at the moment, it’s likely that we’ll see more potholes appearing on UK roads. Potholes can be dangerous for road users, and can also cause unwanted damage to cars, leading to repair costs.
“While the prime ministers announcement could benefit millions of drivers, these changes won’t happen overnight. Our research reveals that for those who have had to pay for car repairs due to potholes, the average cost of repair was £174. And with the cost of living continuing to remain high this winter, added costs like this can be a continuous challenge and annoyance for many.
“Drivers can make a claim to help reduce how much they have to pay out for their repairs. And there are some easy steps to make a claim. They include:
1. Check for damage and gather evidence with clear photos or videos
2. Report the pothole to the local council
3. Ask a mechanic to confirm the damage and get a quote for the repair
4. Submit the claim to your insurer
“The new funding should mean less drivers will be affected by pothole damage over time. But if a claim does need to be made, our tips on how to make a pothole claim can help drivers through this process. That’s the case even if the claim is rejected.”
