A cat from Nottingham, who transformed his owner’s life after she was diagnosed with cancer, has been saved by vet charity PDSA who removed a 10cm blade of grass from his nose.
Ginge, (6), was taken to Nottingham PDSA Pet Hospital after his owner Laura Mellors, (52), said he was struggling to breathe and sneezing blood.
“It was very scary,” she explained. “Ginge was having sneezing fits and coughing, and then all of a sudden he started bringing up blood. I didn’t know what to do.”
Laura, who was eligible for the charity’s services after having to give up work when she was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, took him to her local PDSA Pet Hospital straightaway.
“PDSA were amazing,” she added. “The team sedated Ginge and pulled out a huge 10cm blade of grass, I couldn’t believe it.
“You couldn’t see anything stuck in his nose or in his mouth so it must have been pretty far back. After the vets got it out Ginge was back to his normal self almost instantly. I can’t thank them enough!”
Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer at the start of the pandemic and had to give up her job in Tesco.
Because of her Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), it meant she was eligible for the charity’s veterinary services.
“From my diagnosis, to the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis, it’s been a hard few years and I’m so thankful to PDSA for being there for Ginge and for me,” she shared.
Laura lives in Bestwood with her partner Sam, (62). She said Ginge is a big part of the family after ‘choosing her’ when he appeared in her garden as a stray cat.
“Ginge came into our lives around the same time I was diagnosed with cancer,” she explained.
“I feel like he chose us to be honest. He was a stray cat who used to come and sit in our garden. One day he came in through the back door, and then he never left. We tried to see if he was owned by anyone – we asked our neighbours, and took him to be scanned for a microchip but nothing came of it.
“We wouldn’t be without him for the world though – he’s an amazing cat! He’s slow and chilled out, he plods around the garden and sits in the sun.
“He’s always eating bits of grass and even though I tell him to stop, I didn’t think it would cause much harm. But I’ll definitely be a lot more mindful of this from now on.”
PDSA Vet Catherine Burke explained that this is common amongst cats and can be tricky to diagnose and treat. “When a cat gets a blade of grass lodged in the back of their nose or throat, it can be very uncomfortable and irritating for them, and could cause an infection,
“It can cause severe bouts of sneezing or coughing, and in some cases such as Ginge’s, the cat can start sneezing or coughing up blood which can be very distressing for both cat and owner.
“It can be really difficult to prevent this from happening, as cats will often wander where we can’t keep an eye on them. If your cat eats grass in your own garden, keep it cut short to reduce the risk of the longer grass blades getting stuck.
“Sneezing from time to time is nothing to worry about, but you should contact your vet if your cat can’t stop sneezing, sneezes blood or seems to be in pain.”
In times of hardship, pets like Ginge will still fall ill or become injured and need emergency care. PDSA is appealing for donations so that the charity can continue to support owners who have nowhere else to turn by providing life-saving care to vulnerable pets.
A new study by Cala Homes looked at the median weekly salary in over 130 UK towns and cities and worked out how long it would take a single person to save for a 10% deposit for the median house price in the same area. The data was based on a person saving just 10% of their salary, to account for bills, rising costs and other outgoings.
The research revealed that the residents in Scotland are in a far better position than the rest of the UK when it comes to achieving the first step to getting on the property ladder. Overall, saving for a house deposit in the UK takes 13 years, while the average saving time in Scotland was found to be just 4 years and 245 days.
The study found that out of the Scottish locations analysed, Aberdeen offered the shortest time, 2 years and 182 days, to save for a 10% deposit of the median detached house price of £79,720.
The next one on the list is the wider county of Aberdeenshire, where a single resident saving 10% of the median weekly salary of £640 for the area, would need 3 years and 36 days to save up for a 10% deposit of the median detached property price of £102,060. This would mean just over 1 and a half years for a couple saving.
And in third, East Renfrewshire, with a very respectable weekly median salary of £800, it would take someone just under 4 years to save 10% of their salary to get the deposit needed for the £166,020 median house price in this area.
Deposit saving times in each Scottish location
Rank
Local authority name
Median detached house price (Sep 2022)
Median Weekly Pay
Year to save for 10% deposit
1
Aberdeen
£79,720
£621.30
2.47
2
Aberdeenshire
£102,060
£639.90
3.07
3
East Renfrewshire
£166,020
£799.70
3.99
4
East Dunbartonshire
£157,290
£739.90
4.09
5
Angus
£130,140
£603.80
4.14
6
South Ayrshire
£140,330
£641.10
4.21
7
North Ayrshire
£140,620
£618.50
4.37
8
Highland
£143,450
£630.20
4.38
9
Inverclyde
£141,380
£621.10
4.38
10
South Lanarkshire
£148,060
£635.20
4.48
11
Perth and Kinross
£151,880
£648.60
4.50
12
Scottish Borders
£141,180
£587.60
4.62
13
Renfrewshire
£156,860
£631.20
4.78
14
Dundee
£141,260
£566.00
4.80
15
Clackmannanshire
£161,230
£644.10
4.81
16
Edinburgh
£163,920
£646.50
4.88
17
North Lanarkshire
£160,550
£630.80
4.89
18
Fife
£153,480
£594.40
4.97
19
Stirling
£161,650
£618.10
5.03
20
West Dunbartonshire
£154,990
£592.60
5.03
21
East Ayrshire
£159,270
£607.70
5.04
22
East Lothian
£167,410
£632.10
5.09
23
Moray
£143,890
£541.60
5.11
24
Falkirk
£162,340
£605.60
5.16
25
West Lothian
£167,180
£616.80
5.21
26
Midlothian
£168,220
£615.60
5.26
27
Dumfries and Galloway
£150,990
£538.90
5.39
28
Argyll and Bute
£157,110
£546.30
5.53
29
Glasgow
£183,270
£616.80
5.71
Scotland’s highest median detached house price is in its biggest city – Glasgow, at £183,270. But, even there, where it would take 5 years and 259 days for a single person to save for a 10% deposit, it has nothing on locations in England such as London, where on average it would take a single person 37 years and 182 days to save 10% of the median detached house prices.
The figures from the study only represent how long it would take a single person to save for the full 10% deposit, based on saving 10% of the median salary, so those that are buying with someone else could cut this figure in half and there are schemes available that can also help reduce this time.
.Glenn Copper, Sales & Marketing Director for Cala Homes (North Home Counties) said:“Against the backdrop of a housing and cost of living crisis, some schemes such as Deposit Unlock could offer more people an opportunity to own a new home by giving them access to low-deposit mortgages.
“It could also help buyers to significantly reduce the time it takes to save for a new home, and it isn’t just for first-time buyers, the scheme is open to home movers and those looking to return to the market following separation or divorce.
“If you are currently paying money towards your rent and you would prefer to pay this towards buying a new home, then it could be worth exploring what Deposit Unlock could do to make buying a new home more affordable for you.”
Over 300k spectators lined the demanding 271km route, cheering on the best riders in the world as they took on hills, scenic vistas and changeable weather in a dramatic fight for the rainbow jersey.
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships wishes to thank the hundreds of thousands of fans who lined the streets to create a rousing atmosphere for riders and an unforgettable spectacle during the men’s road race from Edinburgh to Glasgow.
The organisers have estimated the number of fans across the entire route was in excess of 300,000, with 190,000 of those turning out around the Glasgow circuit specifically.
Avid cycling fans and curious locals of all ages showed their support for one of the showpiece races of the 11-day mega event – which encompasses 13 UCI World Championships – taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland.
The route from the capital to Glasgow, taking in Fife, Falkirk, Stirling, Clackmannanshire and East Dunbartonshire, was lined with spectators, culminating in a spectacular finish around a challenging 10 lap, 14.3km city centre circuit. Crowds cheered the epic finale in the heart of George Square, as Mathieu Van der Poel became the first men’s Dutch UCI World Champion in the road race for nearly forty years.
Paul Bush OBE, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, Chair, said: : “Firstly, I would like to pay tribute to the fans who came out in such huge numbers, in towns and cities across the Edinburgh to Glasgow route, to inspire the riders and create such a memorable men’s road race experience for everyone.
“The excitement and atmosphere generated reinforces Scotland’s status as a world-class major event destination and it was particularly heartening to see so many young people savouring the experience.
“The race was temporarily interrupted in the Carron Valley and was successfully re-started. It was clear from the enthusiasm of the crowds lining the streets that it did not detract from a memorable race against a backdrop of Scotland’s most stunning and iconic landmarks.”
Trudy Lindblade, Chief Executive Officer, said: “Today was a pivotal moment in this history making Championships, with a magnificent spectacle on the road in front of thousands of fans and millions more watching on TV across the world.
“We now look forward to another week of world-class cycling across the country, culminating in next week’s showpiece event when the women’s road race brings the curtain down on this first-of-its-kind championships.”
The first four days have been hugely successfully, we now look forward to another seven days of world class cycling across Scotland, including BMX Racing at Knightswood, Road para-cycling in Dumfries and Galloway and the Individual Time Trial races in Stirling.
Are you constantly struggling to keep houseplants alive? Perhaps you’re new to owning houseplants and looking for something simple to start off with.
If any of these sound like you, we’ve got everything you need to know right here.
Houseplant and gardening expert Fiona Jenkins at MyJobQuote.co.uk has compiled this list of the easiest houseplants for beginners.
In this list, you’ll find a range of houseplants in all different shapes and sizes – perfect for bringing a bit of variety to any space. Take a look at Fiona’s list below and bring some nature and greenery into your home today!
Snake Plant
Snake plants are very easy to care for and the perfect option for people who are new to caring for houseplants. Snake plants can survive in most light conditions – just don’t keep them in complete darkness or extreme direct sunlight.
Watering a snake plant is very easy. Allow the soil to dry out completely before watering. If you’re someone who often forgets to water plants, don’t worry. Snake plants are quite forgiving and won’t suffer too much from a lack of water. Just make sure to check the soil whenever you remember and top it up with water if the soil is dry.
You can keep a snake plant looking beautifully fresh easily by simply wiping any dust off the leaves. You only need to do this every now and again when you notice a dust build-up.
Devil’s Envy
Devil’s Envy is often sometimes known as Golden Pothos, Hunter’s Robe, or Ceylon Creeper. This is one of the most popular houseplants among people wanting to bring a bit of greenery into their homes.
This plant can quite happily live in darkness and shaded areas, so it’s perfect for an indoor plant. It makes a great climbing or hanging plant.
This plant is quick to grow and tolerant of all lighting conditions. However, it will thrive in bright, indirect sunlight. You can easily tell when this plant needs a drink as the leaves will begin to curl.
Silver Vine
The silver vine is growing in popularity as a houseplant. Again, this is a brilliant climbing or hanging plant for beginners.
Although it is mostly accustomed to warmer climates, this plant can also cope well in cooler homes. The speckled leaves on this plant are unique and bring a lot of beauty.
Similar to the Devil’s Envy plant, Silver Vines will also tell you when they are thirsty as the leaves will begin to curl. This makes it an easy choice for people who may not remember when to water their plants.
Corn Plant
Corn plants, also known as Dracaena Fragrans, can grow very tall in the wild. However, you won’t need to worry too much about it growing out of control when it’s in a pot in your home.
This plant is very easy to grow and is also considered to be a symbol of reason and good fortune.
Similar to a Snake plant, simply allow the soil to dry out before watering this plant. If anything is wrong with the plant, it will let you know in plenty of time. However, these plants are pretty hardy, and it’s rare for any issues to occur. To keep the plant looking beautiful and fresh, give the leaves a wipe every now and again.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera plants and other succulents are perfect for people who are new to caring for houseplants. These plants are fine if you forget to water them and can usually withstand neglect.
The Aloe Vera plant is also very useful. The gel that oozes from the leaves is great for soothing and healing minor burns and cuts.
Aloe Vera plants are quite hardy but are best placed in an area of indirect sunlight to prevent them from becoming scorched.
MyJobQuote is one of the UK’s top trades matching sites that helps individuals find a reputable tradesperson in their local area.
MyJobQuote also has a wide range of experts with extensive knowledge in interior design, cleaning, gardening, property, construction and more. MyJobQuote’s experts have been featured in over 700 publications, including Woman and Home, The Times, House Beautiful, BBC News and more.
The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into the Have A Heart Foundation
The regulator of charities has launched an inquiry into the Have A Heart Foundation over serious concerns about its financial management.
The charity was set up in 2013 to raise awareness of and support patients with heart disease. It is based in Cheshire.
Despite engagement and guidance from the Commission, the trustees have failed to file any of the charity’s accounts since 2019.
The Commission is also concerned about the trustees’ financial record-keeping more widely, and the level of charitable expenditure.
It therefore escalated its engagement with the charity to an inquiry on 17 April 2023.
The inquiry will examine:
the trustees’ failure to comply with their statutory reporting duties including the timely submission of the charity’s accounts and annual returns to the Commission
the extent to which the trustees are complying with their legal duties in respect of their administration, governance and management of the charity, including compliance with the charity’s governing document and whether the charity is operating in line with its objects
whether potential conflicts of interest and connected party transactions have been properly managed
whether there has been any unauthorised trustee benefit
The Commission may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional regulatory issues emerge.
It is the Commission’s normal policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing the issues examined, any action taken, and the inquiry’s outcomes.
Business confidence in Scotland fell 18 points during July to 32%
Scottish businesses identified their top target areas for growth in the next six months as evolving their offer (44%), investing in their team (38%) and entering new markets (33%).
Overall, UK business confidence dipped six points to 31%, with nine out of 11 regions and nations reporting a lower confidence level month-on-month
Business confidence in Scotland fell 18 points during July to 32%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
Companies in Scotland reported lower confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, down 11 points at 41%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, down 27 points to 21%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 32%.
Scottish businesses identified their top target areas for growth in the next six months as evolving their offer (44%), investing in their team (38%) and entering new markets (33%).
The Business Barometer, which surveys 1,200 businesses monthly, provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide.
A net balance of 29% of businesses in the region expect to increase staff levels over the next year, down 20 points on last month.
National picture
Overall, UK business confidence dipped by six points to 31% in July, with nine out of 11 regions and nations reporting a lower confidence reading month-on-month.
Optimism in the economy has also fallen, dropping 11 points to 21%, the lowest levels since February this year.
However, firms remained resilient in their own trading prospects, with 43% of companies expecting business activity to increase over the next 12 months, up one point on last month and reaching a 14-month high.
Despite the fall in overall confidence, levels remain higher than the survey’s long-term average reading of 28% and every UK region and nation reported a positive confidence reading in July.
The North East reported the highest levels of business confidence at 43% (down four points on last month), followed by Yorkshire (down seven points month-on-month) and the West Midlands (up two points month-on-month) both at 38%.
Retail was the only broad sector registering higher confidence (up six points to 35%), mostly reflecting stronger transport services.
The fall in overall business confidence this month was led by the service sector sentiment falling by seven points to 30%. While the fall in confidence was seen broadly across this sector, hospitality firms appeared to be more resilient.
Confidence also was lower in manufacturing (down 16 points to 34%) and construction (down eight points to 31%).
Chris Lawrie, area director for Scotland at Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking, said:“While business confidence may be down this month, it’s brilliant to see that it’s still in positive territory, proof of the resilience of Scottish businesses who are managing headwinds including persistent high inflation.
“Despite the ongoing challenges, those in the country’s hospitality and leisure industry will be reaping the rewards from the uplift in tourism this summer, and those around Edinburgh will be preparing for the Fringe Festival in the hope of a welcome boost in trade.
“With another bank holiday on the horizon, firms will need to manage their working capital closely to ensure they are ready for peaks in demand, and ready to take advantage of any opportunities that arise.”
Paul Gordon, managing director for SME and Mid Corporates at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “It’s not surprising that the challenging economic environment is continuing to weigh heavily on businesses and reduce their overall confidence. However, the resilience in their trading prospects, pricing and wage expectations is more encouraging.
“Increased spending in the retail sector is clearly having a positive impact and as we look ahead into the second half of the year, I am sure that businesses will be starting to gear up for the months ahead and ultimately to the busy Christmas season.
“Managing costs, staffing and inventory during this time is crucial to savvy financial planning, and business should not hesitate to reach out for business support should they require it.”
Hann-Ju Ho, Senior Economist Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said:“The Barometer presents a complex picture for firms this month, with the data showing that trading prospects remain strong with businesses feeling under less pressure by inflation to raise prices.
“However, there is clearly uncertainty about the wider economy and rising interest rates. This may be causing net hiring intentions to moderate slightly. Nevertheless, wages and jobs growth continue to support staff with the current cost of living.
“However, the sectoral analysis this month shows some positive signs for the retail sector, while there are indications that pent-up demand may be boosting confidence in tourism and travel. As businesses continue to adapt to the economic environment, we expect to see ongoing resilience broadly across all sectors.”
MEETING DATES: TWO drop-in consultation sessions on Monday 7 August and Tuesday 15 August and the Teams meeting set for Thursday 17 August.**
Community Councillors are invited to ‘make initial contributions and suggestions regarding the existing Community Council scheme and boundaries and to ‘provide feedback and recommendations for any proposed changes that you believe would be beneficial’.
This invitation was discussed at the Members’ Board last Thursday. Here are some issues we think are worth your attention:
A] Community Council Boundaries
1. New community council wards:
How many and where?
On the basis of what growth projections for city expansion?
What data sources are to be used?
2. Size of community council wards:
On what basis will the size of community council areas be reviewed and targeted?
What data sources are to be used?
What intentions are there to reduce a wide dispersion (imbalance) in community council area ‘size’ (number of residents) across the city?
What could be done to ‘rebalance’?
3. Boundaries:
Boundary changes should be fully explained and justified to residents.
What will be done to reshape boundaries, in order to reduce the incidence of community council ‘crossover’ into two (or even three) City Councillor electoral wards, so that the ‘mapping’ of a community council to one and only one (four-strong) group of City Councillors is tightened up? (A community council area perimeter should be bounded within a single electoral ward.)
What measures will then be introduced to improve liaison and coordination across electoral wards and in turn across Localities?
B] Scheme for Community Councils
1. Minimum number of ‘elected community council members’ (2019 Scheme, Para 6.24):
There is evident current strain on a number of community councils, stemming from a fall-away in the participation of active elected members towards or below the critical level of ‘half of the maximum permitted elected membership’.
In light of that, what new flexible support measures can CEC Governance introduce to the Scheme rules in order to avoid (in such circumstances) the undue lapse of community councils into an ‘inactive state’ (whereby residents are then ‘disenfranchised’)?
2. Resourcing of a community council (2019 Scheme, Paras 11.9 and 11.11):
Contemporary ‘support needs’ for a well-functioning community council nowadays centre on IT, on website maintenance and repair, on technical assistance with AV equipment for hybrid meetings, all alongside the minuting and reporting of community council proceedings.
The absence of such support blunts a community council’s effectiveness in its core role and its ambition, especially when ‘something goes wrong’.
The need for CEC operational support now goes well beyond ‘additional support services/resourcing, such as photocopying and distribution of community council minutes and agendas and (also) free lets of halls for community council meetings’, as offered in the 2019 Scheme Review.
There is a case for a (much) stronger CEC commitment to dependable, core operational back-up of community councils’ governance and administration work.
What new avenues of operational (and financial) assistance can CEC look to introduce in this current Scheme Review?
**Here are the dates, and the opportunity to put some meaningful questions to CEC.
Monday 7 August 2023 17.00-19.30 Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, EH8 8BG, Ground Floor, Room 15
Tuesday 15 August 2023 13.00-16.00 Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, EH8 8BG, Ground Floor, Room 15
Thursday 17 August 2023 17.00-19.30 Virtual meeting held via Microsoft Teams – if you would like to attend please make contact with CEC (by email to community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk) no later than 14.00 on 17 August 2023 to confirm your attendance and request the link to join the session.
Partnership with social media companies to clamp down on people smugglers’ operations online
Illegal crossings remain down on last year and returns are at their highest level since 2019
Extra funding and resources for law enforcement to tackle harmful content
A voluntary partnership between social media companies and government will accelerate action to tackle people smuggling content online, such as criminals sharing information about illegal Channel crossings, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced today [Sunday 6th August].
It comes as new figures show the government continues to make progress on the Prime Minister’s plan to stop the boats: crossings remain down on last year, the legacy asylum backlog has been reduced by a third since December 2022, and enforced returns of people with no right to be in the UK are at their highest level since 2019.
While figures from the NCA show that over 90% of online content linked to people smuggling is taken down when social media companies are notified, the partnership between tech firms and government will drive forward efforts to clamp down on the tactics being used by criminal gangs who use the internet to lure people into paying for crossings.
This content can include discount offers for groups of people, free spaces for children, offers of false documents and false claims of safe passage – targeting vulnerable people for profit and putting people’s lives at risk through dangerous and illegal journeys.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “To stop the boats, we have to tackle the business model of vile people smugglers at source.
“That means clamping down on their attempts to lure people into making these illegal crossings and profit from putting lives at risk.
“This new commitment from tech firms will see us redouble our efforts to fight back against these criminals, working together to shut down their vile trade.”
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “Heartless people smugglers are using social media to promote their despicable services and charge people thousands of pounds to make the illegal journey into the UK in unsafe boats.
“They must not succeed.
“This strengthened collaboration between the National Crime Agency, government and social media companies will ensure content promoting dangerous and illegal Channel crossings doesn’t see the light of day.”
The partnership will build on the close working already in place between government and social media companies, and includes a range of commitments to explore increased collaboration.
Under this initiative, social media companies will look to increase cooperation with the National Crime Agency to find and remove criminal content and step up the sharing of best practice both across the industry and with law enforcement.
The voluntary partnership also includes a commitment to explore ways to step up efforts to redirect people away from this content when they come across it online. This approach is already widely being used successfully by platforms, for example around harmful content promoting extremism or eating disorders, where people are presented with alternative messages to displace, rebut or undermine the damaging content they searched for – diverting them away from harmful messaging and misinformation.
Alongside the partnership, the government will also set up a new centre led by the National Crime Agency and Home Office to increase the capacity and capability of law enforcement to identify this content on social media platforms.
Known as the ‘Online Capability Centre’, backed by £11m funding, its work will focus on undermining and disrupting the business model of organised crime groups responsible for illegal crossings and using the internet to facilitate these journeys by intensifying efforts to combat their online activity.
The centre will be staffed by highly trained technical specialists alongside law enforcement officers and will work by building a clearer picture of the scale of illegal immigration material online.
They will work with internet companies to identify more of this material, notifying platforms so they can take the appropriate action. The centre will also focus on developing and building a bank of intelligence around the criminal networks who are promoting people smuggling services online, which will help improve law enforcement’s ability to identify content and in turn help drive investigations.
To harness the potential of new technology such as AI to clamp down on criminals’ content, government will also hold a ‘hackathon’ event with industry experts in order to develop innovative new tools which will better detect people smugglers’ publicly available content online, to help social media companies take it down more quickly.
Government will also intensify the existing work taking place with social media companies ahead of the Online Safety Bill coming into effect.
Once in force, under the Bill social media companies will be required to make sure their systems and processes are designed to prevent people coming into contact with illegal content created by people smugglers, minimise how long this content is available online and remove it as soon as possible once they become aware of it.
Alongside this, the Bill also requires major platforms to publish annual transparency reports setting out what they’re doing to tackle online harms. This could include information around how content around illegal migration is spread across platforms, how frequently it is uploaded, and what systems and processes companies have in place to deal with this kind of content.
The partnership confirmed today also builds on the work of the “Social Media Action Plan”, a voluntary agreement between the Home Office, National Crime Agency and five major social media platforms in 2021 to increase understanding of how organised criminals used their platforms to promote illegal services.
To date, this cooperation has seen more than 4,700 posts, pages or accounts have been removed or suspended as a result, increasing disruption of organised crime groups’ activity, and today’s partnership will drive further progress.
Stopping the boats is one of the Prime Minister’s top five priorities and the government is fully focused on delivering his whole system plan to tackling illegal migration. This includes:
stepping up law enforcement activity, with 50% more illegal working visits carried out in the first half of this year compared to the first half of last year
tackling the legacy asylum backlog, which has reduced by nearly a third since the end of December
passing the Illegal Migration Act which will ensure that people who come to the UK illegally will be detained and swiftly removed.
Working with international partners to tackle this global challenge is another key strand of efforts to stop the boats, and since taking office the PM has secured new agreements with allies, including strengthened partnerships with France and Albania which will see 40% more patrols on French beaches, and have resulted in a 90% drop in Albanian small boat arrivals in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year.
The Charity Commission has published a report of its long-running inquiry into Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain.
The inquiry opened in May 2014 to investigate the charity’s handling and oversight of safeguarding matters, including child protection advice provided to individual Jehovah’s Witness (JW) congregations.
This followed significant interaction between the Commission and the charity since October 2007, concerning the way in which safeguarding incidents or failures were handled within JW organisations and, specifically, the adequacy of the guidance that the charity provided to various JW congregations.
JW organisations reported to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (‘IICSA’) that a total of 67 allegations of child abuse were made between 2009 and 2019 against 67 individuals involved in JW congregations, whether as Elders, ministerial servants or otherwise.
During the course of the Commission’s interaction with the charity from 2007 onwards, including during the period of the inquiry, JW congregations have revised and updated their safeguarding policies on several occasions, and the Commission remains engaged with JW congregations on safeguarding matters through its ongoing interaction with the Kingdom Hall Trust (see below).
One key issue which emerged during the inquiry was the extent to which the charity itself remained responsible for ensuring children and vulnerable people are safe from harm within JW congregations.
Notwithstanding the charity having had an historic role in interacting with the Commission over JW safeguarding, the Commission’s report concludes that Watch Tower is no longer the body responsible for safeguarding within JW congregations, and therefore the inquiry can be closed.
It is the Commission’s view that following the merger of Kingdom Hall congregation charities with the Kingdom Hall Trust in March 2022 (‘KHT’) that KHT is now the body responsible for safeguarding congregation members. The Commission has opened a compliance case to work with KHT’s trustees to ensure that the safeguarding policies, guidance, and procedures of KHT provide a safe environment for beneficiaries within all JW congregations.
The Commission’s report is critical of the charity’s trustees’ conduct during the inquiry, expressing the view that on occasions the trustees were “not as straightforward or transparent as they should have been” in relation to JW child safeguarding responsibilities, and that during certain phases of the investigation, “the trustees’ communications were protracted, with the charity’s responses often failing to provide the information requested or sufficient clarity to satisfy the inquiry, giving rise to further questions.”
The inquiry noted that there was insufficient evidence to conclude that these behaviours were deliberate attempts to obstruct the inquiry.
The report also details that legal challenges brought by the charity, which sought to challenge some of the regulator’s decisions and orders, which partly explain the significant delays to the inquiry.
Helen Stephenson, chief executive of the Charity Commission said: We are clear that a charity must be a safe, trusted environment and that protecting people and safeguarding should be a governance priority for all charities, regardless of size, type or income.
“I am pleased that this long-running inquiry, which demonstrates the Commission’s resolve and determination to ensure that safeguarding policy issues are addressed comprehensively by charities, has now concluded.
“Our continuing regulatory compliance case involving the Kingdom Hall Trust aims to ensure that the KHT’s safeguarding policies and procedures protect congregation members and those that come into contact with KHT.”
Timeline of significant developments prior to, and during inquiry
2007
Commission opens statutory inquiry into the London Mill Hill Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses after an Elder was convicted for historic sexual offences. The Commission’s inquiry into the London Mill Hill Congregation finds that it did not have a child protection policy.
One of the outcomes from the Commission’s inquiry into the London Mill Hill Congregation is that the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain agrees to develop a child protection policy which would be disseminated to all JW congregations.
2010
In May 2010, the Commission seeks advice on the draft policy from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (‘NSPCC’).
A summary of the NSPCC’s findings is supplied to the charity. The charity also seeks its own advice from a safeguarding consultancy.
In finalising the policy, the charity chooses not to adopt all of the NSPCC’s recommendations.
2011
Watch Tower distributes child protection policy which all Elders of JW congregations are expected to adhere to.
2013
Following the conviction of a former ministerial servant of a JW congregation charity, Charity Commission writes to Watch Tower to raise concerns about the policy and its implementation.
Commission seeks advice from NSPCC, which finds the policy to be at odds with UK legislation and guidance.
The charity updates and recirculates the policy.
2014
March: Commission meets with the charity, to raise its concerns about the revised policy, which does not address concerns raised by NSPCC. The trustees do not clearly set out that Watch Tower is no longer responsible for drafting and disseminating the policy, nor do they state which organisation is now responsible for this.
May: Charity Commission opens statutory inquiry.
August: Watch Tower challenges decision to open inquiry and legal orders requiring the charity to submit information to the Commission, beginning a period of several years during which the work of the inquiry is constrained.
2016
December: Supreme Court refuses the Watch Tower permission to appeal a decision of the Court of Appeal dismissing the appeal against the Commission’s investigation.
2019
September: Charity Commission informs Watch Tower that it had commissioned the Ineqe Safeguarding Group to undertake independent review of JW’s child safeguarding policies and procedures.
December: Ineqe’s report is provided to Watch Tower, ahead of planned meeting to discuss the findings. The charity cancels the meeting asking to provide a formal response to the independent report.
2020
January: Charity provides inquiry with written opinion from its safeguarding expert, which states that the Ineqe report was out of date. Watch Tower demands the inquiry is terminated, claiming the grounds for the inquiry no longer exist.
June: After careful consideration, the Commission refuses the request to close the inquiry.
July: Charity instigates Judicial Review procedures against the Commission’s refusal to conclude the inquiry and in respect of disclosure.
2021
Trustees’ cooperation with inquiry improves following permission from the High Court for Watch Tower to bring Judicial Review procedures against the Commission.
2023
Commission concludes that Watch Tower is not the organisation that is currently directly responsible for the safety of JW beneficiaries.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for Lothian Miles Briggsis calling for a defibrillator to be installed at every train station in Lothian.
Mr. Briggs’ call comes following a response received by Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Greene from former SNP transport minister Kevin Stewart.
The Transport Minister’s response highlighted the 56 Scottish train stations that are currently equipped with a defibrillator, including some of the country’s busiest such as Central and Queen Street in Glasgow and Edinburgh Waverley.
Kevin Stewart also confirmed to Jamie Greene that plans to install further defibrillator devices across the ScotRail network are being developed.
However, with Scotland having 359 railway stations in total, Miles Briggs says it is crucial that more passengers and staff are able to access defibrillators as soon as possible.
He says having quick and easy access to the device on site at busy stations such as Livingston North could help to save lives in an emergency.
At present, the train stations in Lothian without access to a defibrillator are: Drem, Dunbar, Haddington, Longniddry, Musselburgh, North Berwiick, Prestonpans, Wallyford, Eskbank, Gorebridge, Shawfair, Wallyford, Addiewell, Armadale, Blackridge, Breich, Fauldhouse, Kirknewton, Livingston North, Uphall and West Calder.
Mr. Briggs added that he hopes that people across Scotland will get behind the campaign and ensure that stations across the country are fitted with defibrillators.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Miles Briggs said: “Having easy access to a defibrillator device can often be the difference between life and death.
“While it is welcome that over 50 stations in Scotland now have them on site, this is only the beginning. It is imperative that we do what we can to ensure that stations across the country have access to a defibrillator.
“You never know when a defibrillator might be required, and the eventual goal should be to ensure that every station in Scotland can get one.
“An emergency situation might arise at any moment, so having a defibrillator on hand to use before emergency services arrive, would be of great help.
“In my region of Lothian, we have busy stations such as Livingston North and North Berwick that are without defibrillators. I believe it is common sense for devices to be installed in these areas.
“As it stands, it is not good enough that only 6 railways stations across Lothian have access to a defibrillator.
“I will continue to encourage SNP ministers to guarantee ScotRail will have the resources they need to rollout further defibrillator devices, including hopefully at each Lothian station in the near future.”
