The public is to be given the opportunity to view proposals by Crosslane Residential Developments (Crosslane) for an exciting new residential serviced living development at Ocean Point 2, next to Leith’s Ocean Terminal.
Residential serviced living is a new type of fully furnished accommodation, with shared social spaces focused on creating a vibrant sense of community and all-inclusive rents, covering utilities and other living costs.
The scheme will comprise 293 units providing a mix of studio, 1, 2 and 3-bed apartments, with 74 of these offered at affordable intermediate rent levels.
The proposed high-quality, new development will be entirely different to other residential accommodation. The entire building is designed to be a living environment. The principle is that residents sleep in their room but ‘live’ in the building by taking advantage of the wide range of shared communal space and facilities available, generating a real sense of community within the development.
A development such as this responds to market demand for quality rental homes. This is fuelled by a lack of new housing supply coming to the market, an increasing proportion of young professionals looking for more flexibility in how they live and work, and challenges in affordability with many young people being priced out of an expensive and highly competitive apartment-based rental marketplace.
Research from letting portal Citylets reveals the average monthly rent in Edinburgh’s private rental sector rose by 9.8% to £1,191 in the last three months of 2021. This is rent cost alone and does not include utilities and other normal living costs.
93% of one and two-bedroom properties in the Capital found new tenants within one month, with average rents reaching £813 (up 4.9%) for a one-bed apartment, while two-bed apartments achieved average rentals of £1,111, up 9.8%.
The proposal from Crosslane will provide a new residential serviced living development that is affordable and hassle-free, in a convenient, accessible location, inclusive of utilities and bills. Target customers include local residents, young professionals, key workers and nomadic professionals drawn to Edinburgh by project led employment.
A Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) has been submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council, and two consultation events will be held.
Due to the ongoing pandemic and issues surrounding the COVID-19 virus, the Scottish Government has issued guidance encouraging developers to use online or digital engagement methods whilst public gatherings are prohibited.
On Thursday, 10 February 2022, between 3 pm and 7 pm, the development team will be available at www.oceanpoint2.com to answer your questions through a dedicated chat system as part of the digital consultation.
This will enable visitors to communicate directly with the design and advisory team and for them to answer any questions.
Details of the proposals will go live on the website from 9am. A second event is planned for March.
Visitors who do not have online access to exhibition materials can request hard copies from hello@oceanpoint2.com or contact Orbit Communications on 0131 202 3259 orat 4 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JE.
Mark Hughes, Managing Director at Crosslane Residential Developments, said:“Crosslane and its advisory team are looking forward to be giving the local public the chance to view and comment on exciting proposals for our Ocean Point 2 development in Leith.
“This is an incredibly appealing prospect for both Leith and Edinburgh as a whole. Residential serviced living represents an innovative affordable housing solution at a time when rental accommodation prices in the capital are soaring, and there are serious demands on housing supply.
“Our proposals will significantly assist in the regeneration and expansion of this part of the city. We are consulting extensively to ensure that people from across the local area have an opportunity to input their views and shape our ambitious proposals.
“We encourage all interested parties to speak to the team on 10 February and to put any questions you have to them.”
Every primary and secondary school across Scotland will receive support to refresh computing science for pupils.
Backed by up to £1.3 million from the Scottish Government, secondary schools can bid for grants of up to £3,000 to purchase additional computing science equipment, devices, software or teaching resources.
Every school will also receive two class sets pocket-sized computers that introduce pupils to how software and hardware work together.
In August 2020, Mark Logan’s independent Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review recommended increased investment to improve computing science provision in schools.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “It is essential that we have as many talented young people leaving schools with the skills Scotland’s technology sector and wider economy fundamentally depends upon.
“This investment aims to refresh computing science lessons for learners – equipping them with the skills they need for careers in tech.”
Toni Scullion and Brendan McCart part of the Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS), an organisation based at the University of Glasgow to spread best practice in computing science in schools, which has received a Scottish Government grant of £67,500 to set up and run the STACS programme, said: “We are delighted to be appointed as co-leads of STACS.
“This is an incredible opportunity for Computing Science and we are looking forward to working with the dedicated teachers across Scotland who are delivering Computing Science in schools.
“This initiative recognises the importance of Computing Science as a subject in schools and the integral part it plays in Scotland’s ambition for a Digital Nation. Computing Science in education has a key role in helping to engage, nurture and inspire the next generation of talent and that journey starts in the classroom.”
The Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review of the Scottish tech ecosystem by Mark Logan, commissioned by the Scottish Government, with recommendations on how to develop a world-class tech sector.
Mark Logan, chair of the Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review, said: “It’s vital to the future supply of talent into Scotland’s tech sector that Computing Science at school level is elevated to the same level of importance as other STEM subjects.
“The additional funding for Computing Science announced by the Scottish Government and the formation of STACS, which makes teachers major participants in advancing the subject in Scotland, are key building blocks on the way to that goal.”
Future Asset shortlists Scottish candidates for next generation of winning female investors
Schoolgirls from Edinburgh’s Craigmount High School and North Berwick High School in East Lothian have made it to the last stage in the 16-18 year and 13-16 year age group of a contest to crown the country’s most promising new business brains in their respective categories.
The finals of the Growing Future Assets Investment Competition, which nurtures the next generation of female investment experts, will be held in March, when a total of eight teams from across Scotland compete for the top spots in junior and senior contests.
And this year the competition is tougher than ever with entries up by a record-breaking 300%.
Financial educators Future Asset believe that being female should never be a barrier to progressing in a chosen career and the contest introduces senior schoolgirls to potential careers in investment management, demonstrating how working in the sector provides engaging opportunities and can change the world for the better.
During the competition youngsters must prove their ability to spot the next big investment opportunity by researching, analysing and pitching a company they think will be a great long-term prospect
And teenagers have reacted enthusiastically to the opportunity, despite the challenges of the pandemic, with 62 groups, comprising 240 girls, from all over Scotland taking part.
They have been mentored by investment management professionals offering advice, inspiration and career insights, and supported by teachers who have gone above and beyond in providing extra-curricular activities.
Business Education Teacher Hannah Fox, North Berwick High School (East Lothian) says:“The Growing Assets Investment Competition connects classroom learning to the Investment Industry as the students are able to make use of their learning from Business Management and Economics related subjects.
“The task set makes it abundantly clear what a role in the industry might look like, breaking away from the stereotypical portrayal of the industry in movies. It pushes students out of their comfort zone in areas such as interacting with professionals to ask advice and run ideas past and allows them to experience managing a varied workload as well as the value of team work.
“The enthusiasm from the Future Asset Team and their guest speakers is second to none, as is the support the students receive throughout the competition. The students are very fortunate to be given access to such talented individuals and high-quality resources.”
This year more than 80 investment mentors from 28 firms, including Baillie Gifford, Stewart Investors, Walter Scott and Partners and Rathbone Investment Management, volunteered to counsel the youngsters.
Mentor and investment expert Naeema Yaqoob Sajid, from Rathbones Investment Management says: “I was delighted to be invited by Future Asset to act as a mentor for their “Growing Future Assets Investment Competition.
“Initiatives such as this are fundamental if we wish to support and grow our female talent in otherwise male dominated industries. The work Future Asset is doing in this space is both innovative and inspiring.
“If anything, we need more initiatives such as this to ensure our young Scottish talent is natured and equipped with skill for a bright and successful future.
“The young girls from Craigmount High School, with whom I collaborated, showcased their talent with such enthusiasm and interest. Their research and presentation skills left me with no doubt that we were on to a winner!”
Experts from journalism and business have also advised the teenagers with Executive and Voice Coach Susan Room boosting their skills and confidence with online masterclasses in Mindset, Body Language, Speech and Voice, and author, broadcaster and financial journalist Iona Bain explaining how they can invest their way to a better future.
Now in its second year, the teams have already presented their case in a research report and three-minute elevator pitch. The eight finalists will deliver an extended pitch to judges at the beginning of March with the winners announced on March 2.
The champions will receive: £1000 for the winning senior team and £200-worth of vouchers of the students’ choice for each team member; £800 for the best junior team and £150-worth of vouchers each. Senior and junior runners-up receive £500 and £100 of vouchers and £400 and £75 of vouchers, respectively.
Helen Bradley, Future Asset programme manager, says: “The response to this year’s competition from the youngsters has just been astounding – matched by a fantastic level of commitment from teachers and mentors.
“And the calibre of entries has been so impressive. The judges are going to have a challenging job on their hands determining which teams are the true future stars of the investment industry.”
An implementation plan to take forward changes to whistleblowing and wider organisational culture at the City of Edinburgh Council will be discussed by councillors this week (Thursday 10 February).
The detailed plan responds to the findings of an Independent Review led by Susanne Tanner QC, which was published in December last year. This followed on from her earlier Independent Inquiry into the conduct of the late Sean Bell, published in October 2021.
Susan Tanner QC said on publishing her report: “The purpose of the recommendations we are making is to inform cultural change in the way that complaints of wrongdoing are dealt with by CEC, to ensure that CEC is as transparent and accountable as it can be in its actions, and that it engenders a feeling of safety in those who wish to raise concerns, by removing any actual or perceived barriers to disclosures.
“We hope that in doing so, the culture will be better for its workforce, its elected members, and ultimately those whom they all serve, the residents of the city of Edinburgh.”
Ms Tanner added: “My overall conclusion is that despite considerable steps taken to improve organisational culture since 2014, there is not a universally positive, open, safe and supportive whistleblowing and organisational culture for the raising of and responding to concerns of wrongdoing. There is a need to demonstrate transformational changes”.
Council failures to address staff concerns over many years were highlighted in a scathing report that described a poisonous culture that allowed members of an “old boys’ network” to protect former senior social worker Sean Bell from multiple allegations of sexual abuse involving a number of victims for more than thirty years.
Sean Bell joined the local authority in 1988 and remained with the city council until his death by suicide in 2020.
Fifty-five people gave evidence to the Inquiry Team, cataloguing a series of serious sexual assaults including rape. Despite concerns over Bell’s conduct being raised on a number of occasions no action was taken – and the inquiry team found Bell’s HR record completly clear.
One whistleblower claimed council bosses were “hell-bent” on protecting Bell.
Ms Tanner’s Review acknowledged that the Council had made ‘considerable strides’ to improve its whistleblowing and organisational culture since 2014, but recognises that significant work remains to be done to make and sustain further improvements and positive change.
Ms Tanner made 50 recommendations, which were agreed in full by councillors at their last meeting on 16 December.
Key to the findings of both processes were testimonies from Council staff, both past and present, who spoke about their experiences and the survivors who suffered abuse at the hands of the late Sean Bell. It is thanks to their honesty and bravery that the Council is now in a position to take forward these transformational changes.
Areas for improvement have been grouped under five themes: Policy Development and Review, Our Approach to Investigations, Training and Development, Systems and Processes and a Redress Scheme designed to compensate those who suffered as a consequence of the actions of Bell.
Actions included in the plan will see the development of a revised domestic abuse policy and associated training, strengthening of the Council’s disciplinary code and whistleblowing policy, reviewing of various policies including violence at work, increasing whistleblowing training, avoidance of bullying and harassment training, and improving reporting and investigatory processes for issues of concern.
Councillors will be asked to consider the significant financial and resource implications for the implementation plan, should the actions be taken forward as recommended.
Successive council administrations, including the current SNP – Labour ‘Capital Coalition’ leadership, have been criticised for failing to address the issue head-on and there is some concern that the council still doesn’t take the safety of it’s staff seriously – flippant comments made by the Deputy Leader during a debate on the Tanner report was a factor in the resignation of senior SNP councillor Alison Dickie.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “I want to thank everyone who came forward to speak to the Inquiry and Review teams, including colleagues past and present. I know this has been a really difficult process for those affected but it is thanks to their testimonies that we are now in a position to implement these changes and deliver positive change.
“The culture of the Council has to be as positive, open, safe and supportive as it can be so that colleagues can feel confident in raising issues and that they will be properly investigated and responded to. Although there has been positive progress and improvements to the Council’s whistleblowing and organisational culture in recent years, Ms Tanner has outlined more work to do.
“This implementation plan outlines the next steps we need to take to make sure the Council is in the very best position it can be to support our colleagues and continue to deliver the best services for the people of Edinburgh.”
Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “Having gone through what has been an exceptionally difficult process, particularly for those who came forward so bravely, we now have a clear idea of the steps we need to take to drive forward meaningful change to the Council’s whistleblowing and organisational culture.
“We must ensure that people can raise issues of concern, be confident they will be listened to and appropriate action is taken.
“This implementation plan outlines the challenges that lie ahead, both in terms of the financial commitment and level of resources required, but it’s vital that we grasp this opportunity and continue working together to make further positive changes to our organisation.”
Edinburgh goes to the polls to elect a new city council in May.
New figures show Scotland’s communities and businesses increasingly supported by Post Offices amid bank branch closures
Use of Post Offices to deposit and withdraw cash has soared in Scotland over the past two years, up 11% year on year
The Post Office believes demand has been driven by bank branch closures and rising awareness of Post Offices’ availability to bank customers, opening hours and other benefits
Cash plays a vital role in local economies and communities, and especially for small businesses and vulnerable members of society, meaning Post Offices play a ‘lifeline’ role
The Post Office today publishes figures for Scotland showing the organisation’s fast-growing and vital role supporting local communities and economies with cash handling services – amid sharp falls in the number of bank branches.
Post Offices can be used by personal and business customers of 30 banks, building societies and credit unions to deposit and withdraw cash, deposit cheques and check balances.
In 2021, total cash deposits and withdrawals by business and personal customers at Scotland’s 1300 Post Office branches rose to a total of £2.41bn, up 11% per cent compared with £2.18bn in 2020. A fuller breakdown is included in the table below.
2020
2021
% Change
Personal withdrawals
£545,846,828
£593,082,999
8.65%
Personal deposits
£779,185,023
£965,059,248
23.86%
Business withdrawals
£17,077,346
£17,202,460
0.73%
Business deposits
£835,949,801
£837,624,426
0.20%
Total
£2,178,058,998
£2,412,969,133
10.79%
In addition, the total number of transactions (deposits and withdrawals) hit 11 million in 2021, compared with 10.7 million in 2020.
The Post Office believes the sharp increase reflects closures of bank branches across Scotland. Which?, the consumer advocacy group, earlier this month told the Scottish Affairs Committee in Westminster that the number of bank branches in Scotland had fallen by 53% over the past seven years – with 1,040 branches having been closed.
There is also growing awareness of the other benefits of using Post Offices to do everyday banking. Because many are located in convenience stores, they often have longer opening hours than traditional bank branches and customers can pick up groceries and pay bills at the same time.
In addition, communities appreciate the crucial role that Post Offices play in local economies, where cash transactions can be critical for small businesses, and where many individuals, and especially more vulnerable members of society, rely on cash. Postmasters frequently handle deposits and withdrawals to the penny, reflecting customers’ careful budgeting.
In Scotland, the data also shows that average personal deposit in 2021 was £324.83, and the average withdrawal was £85.34. For business customers, the average deposit was £1063.02, and the average withdrawal was £226.05.
Last week the Post Office announced it had secured a new agreement to continue to handle cash deposits and withdrawals across the UK on behalf of the banks, building societies and credit unions for a further three years – ensuring a continued ‘lifeline’ for the millions of people and small businesses nationwide that rely on cash. The new agreement, Banking Framework 3, will run from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2025.
Martin Kearsley, the Post Office’s Banking Director, said:“Post Offices increasingly provide a lifeline for individuals and small businesses across Scotland, especially amid ongoing bank branch closures. Although many people use cash less, it remains crucial for large numbers of people and local economies.
“When we see customers making withdrawals, we are often seeing people whose budgeting is so tight they need to withdraw cash to the nearest penny. You also have to consider businesses that rely on cash, and just what the impact would be if they had to turn such custom away – they need a convenient and secure place to pay that cash in speedily without having to close to visit a distant bank branch. It can make a critical difference to a local economy.
“The good news is that Post Offices continue to provide cash services across Scotland. What’s more, they very often have longer opening hours as most are located in convenience stores. This also means you can pick up groceries or pay bills at the same time.”
Post Office is also trialling new Banking Hubs whereby five major banks (RBS, Santander, Virgin Money, Bank of Scotland, TSB) take it in turns to provide services on weekdays as part of a landmark industry commitment to protect cash and banking services across the UK.
One of the two established hubs is located in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, providing access to face-to-face banking services for its community of 25,000. As a result of the overwhelmingly positive response, it was announced both pilots would continue to run until spring 2023, at least.
In addition, a Bank Hub will be opened this year in Carnoustie (Angus).
Fall under the spell of the Scots botanists’ alluring spirits imbued with the romance of the wilds
Resistance is futile when it comes to the romance of the wilds and foragers but Buck & Birch have it bottled.
For lovers looking for a potion to impress an amour this Valentine’s Day, the way to their heart could be any one of the award-winning liqueurs and spirits from the alchemists who put flavour first and season with spirit and turn the glorious fruits of our land and hedgerows into nectar.
Buck & Birch distil the very nature of the wild to produce a range of seductive tipples to drink neat, long or mixed – Aelder Elixir anyone? A gently warming wild elderberry liqueur best experienced reclining by a roaring fire.
Kick off the evening with a refreshing signature aperitif- The Wild Rose Spritz. Just pour 50ml Amarosa over ice and top with pink champagne or fizz for the most sparkling start to any date night.
Or a ready-mixed Thornstar Martini cocktail combining Amarosa rosehip rum liqueur, woodruff vodka, hawthorn syrup and sea buckthorn.
Then finish off the perfect romantic dinner with Ana, a birch syrup caramel liqueur for lovers of all things sweet.
If you just want to cut to the chase, combining food and drink in the perfect pairing, look no further than Rum & Cake, a wild spiced sipping rum infused with hogseed parkin and laced with molasses and Scottish spice, guaranteed to warm the cockles of any heart on a cold February night.
If dinner and drinks feel too predictable, give them a date to remember with a Distillery Tasting Session, meet the makers of Buck and Birch’s enticing range of spirits and liqueurs, sample the range with delicious wild snacks and learn all about the company, methods and ingredients because smart is sexy, right?
Distance makes the heart grow fonder, so they say – if meeting up in person is a challenge this year share the love with a gift and embrace your wild side with an Adventurer Cocktail Pack, a Wild Liqueur Taster Pack or a Wild Distillery Tasting Session voucher.
Buck & Birch Creative Director and co-founder, Tom Chisholm says: “There’s no better time to enjoy a taste of the romance of the Scottish countryside than Valentine’s Day.
“These are some of the most intriguing flavours, distilled with real passion. What better way to celebrate this feast day than with a message of love in a bottle?”
To view a full selection of drinks and gifts available or to book a distillery tour in The Tasting Room, visit www.buckandbirch.com
St James Quarter is giving all glam squads the weekend off as it gears up to host its first ever Love Beauty event from 10th to 13th February.
A one-off event you don’t want to miss, beauty Kings and Queens are invited down to St James Quarter to explore a range of inspiring makeup, skincare and fragrance workshops and consultations. Attendees will also have the opportunity to make the most of some exclusive Love Beauty discounts running across the whole weekend.
And it doesn’t stop there, Jamie Genevieve, expert makeup artist and founder of VIEVE, will be making an appearance as she hosts a one-off event on Saturday 12th February in partnership with HBeauty.
Jamie will reveal some of her most sacred top tips and showcase her makeup brand in an exclusive interview before answering any burning beauty questions the audience might have.
A number of St James Quarter’s top brands will be involved in the beauty inspired events over the course of the weekend including VIEVE at H beauty, Dior at John Lewis & Partners and MAC Cosmetics at Boots, as well as many more.
Kicking off from 9am each day, attendees can brush up on their skills with beauty demonstrations at & Other Stories, fill their bags with free samples from Clinique and Bobbi Brown counters in John Lewis & Partners and be the first to enjoy a brand new No7 product launch at Boots.
L’Occitane will also be debuting its very first ‘L’Occi Truck’. Showcasing beauty on the go, the four wheeled drive will be parked up in the main Galleria, near Register Square, and will be filled with everyone’s favourite beauty and skincare products.
Visitors can also take part in a variety of activities at St James Quarter’s SOOK space – an area designated to allow brands to create engaging and exciting offerings and connect with their customers on a more intimate level. From HydraFacial within Cavendish Clinic at John Lewis, hair demos with GHD to makeup tips from MAC Cosmetics at Boots, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Gill Moore, Retail Director at St James Quarter, said: “What an event we have lined up. Love Beauty is a chance for everyone to come together and enjoy all our skincare, make-up and fragrance specialists we have within The Quarter.
“There will be a number of brands hosting exclusive events over the weekend including VIEVE in partnership with H beauty, Dior in John Lewis & Partners and MAC Cosmetics in Boots.
“Attendees can take this opportunity to really flaunt their own style, learn some new beauty tips and take advantage of all the fabulous deals and giveaways available over the weekend.
“We’re also extremely excited to be welcoming make-up icon, Jamie Genivieve, next Saturday to learn more about how she founded her successful makeup line, VIEVE.”
Activities will be taking place throughout The Quarter across the whole weekend. Keep up to date with the latest info via our Instagram page by following @StJamesQuarter
Nightmares involving murder, apocalypse, drowning and your teeth falling out are some of the most common subjects – however, they shouldn’t necessarily give reason to be worried or scared.
Leading dream expert and bestselling author, Theresa Cheung, has worked with bed retailer, Happy Beds, to reveal four of the most common nightmares and the reasons we have them.
“Every single dream is unique and unusual. There is no such thing as a ‘usual’ nightmare, even ones with commonly reported nightmare themes,” she says.
“These dreams mean that there are feelings or situations in your current waking life which you are having difficulty fully processing. You should not fear nightmares. Think of nightmares as a form of tough love.”
When it comes to the meaning of these dreams, it’s a lot less dramatic than you may think.
“Your dreaming mind is using shocking images because it knows you are more likely to recall them and ponder their meaning than everyday dreams.”
Theresa explained what four of the most common nightmares can mean:
Murder
A dream that involves a murder of some description can mean an unexpected change is being forced onto you.
Apocalypse
If you have a dream that involves the apocalypse it can be a sign that your subconscious feels that everything is shifting in your life and it’s time for a fresh start.
Teeth falling out
There could be more than one reason that you’re having nightmares about your teeth falling out. It could mean that you’re concerned about ageing or your appearance, or even that you have unexpressed anger inside.
Drowning
Dreams about drowning are very common and can be disturbing, however, they’re usually a sign that you’re feeling emotionally overwhelmed.
Whilst they may not be a cause for immediate concern, there are things you can do to help you avoid them.
Katherine Hall, a psychologist in sleep from Somnus Therapy, offered five useful tips to help avoid nightmares:
Consistency is key – You should keep your bedtime and wake time as consistent as possible. Consistency is likely to result in more restful and stable sleep, preventing the likelihood of a nightmare-inducing REM rebound from sleep deprivation.
Daily relaxation practice – Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) can be incredibly useful in helping you to get to sleep and reducing the stress around not being able to sleep. PMR is a form of mindfulness that guides you through tensing each muscle group then relaxing them, to promote a sense of complete body and mind relaxation.
Expressive writing – Expressive writing has been shown to enable the writer to better regulate their emotions, as well as helping the writer break free from the endless mental cycling of brooding or rumination. Acknowledging your emotions and writing them down reduces the need for your mind to constantly fight and be in battle with any negative and stressful thoughts.
Avoid alcohol – Alcohol is a REM sleep blocker and causes an overall reduction in REM sleep – also known as dream sleep. When the alcohol starts to wear off it’s not uncommon to experience really vivid dreams or nightmares.
Seek treatment – When nightmares become a frequent occurrence and recurring, speaking with a professional may be the best option to help discover and treat the underlying issue.
To find out more about the most common dream meanings, click here.
Bill strengthened with new list of criminal content for tech firms to remove as a priority
List includes online drug and weapons dealing, people smuggling, revenge porn, fraud, promoting suicide and inciting or controlling prostitution for gain
New criminal offences will be added to the bill to tackle domestic violence and threats to rape and kill
Flagship UK laws to protect people online are being toughened up with new criminal offences and extra measures to force social media companies to stamp out the most harmful illegal content and criminal activity on their sites quicker.
Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries has announced extra priority illegal offences to be written on the face of the bill include revenge porn, hate crime, fraud, the sale of illegal drugs or weapons, the promotion or facilitation of suicide, people smuggling and sexual exploitation. Terrorism and child sexual abuse are already included.
Previously the firms would have been forced to take such content down after it had been reported to them by users but now they must be proactive and prevent people being exposed in the first place.
It will clamp down on pimps and human traffickers, extremist groups encouraging violence and racial hate against minorities, suicide chatrooms and the spread of private sexual images of women without their consent.
Naming these offences on the face of the bill removes the need for them to be set out in secondary legislation later and Ofcom can take faster enforcement action against tech firms which fail to remove the named illegal content.
Ofcom will be able to issue fines of up to 10 per cent of annual worldwide turnover to non-compliant sites or block them from being accessible in the UK.
Three new criminal offences, recommended by the Law Commission, will also be added to the Bill to make sure criminal law is fit for the internet age.
Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “This government said it would legislate to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online while enshrining free speech, and that’s exactly what we are going to do.
“Our world leading bill will protect children from online abuse and harms, protecting the most vulnerable from accessing harmful content, and ensuring there is no safe space for terrorists to hide online.
“We are listening to MPs, charities and campaigners who have wanted us to strengthen the legislation, and today’s changes mean we will be able to bring the full weight of the law against those who use the internet as a weapon to ruin people’s lives and do so quicker and more effectively.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “The internet cannot be a safe haven for despicable criminals to exploit and abuse people online.
Companies must continue to take responsibility for stopping harmful material on their platforms. These new measures will make it easier and quicker to crack down on offenders and hold social media companies to account.”
The new communications offences will strengthen protections from harmful online behaviours such as coercive and controlling behaviour by domestic abusers; threats to rape, kill and inflict physical violence; and deliberately sharing dangerous disinformation about hoax Covid-19 treatments.
The UK Government is also considering the Law Commission’s recommendations for specific offences to be created relating to cyberflashing, encouraging self-harm and epilepsy trolling.
To proactively tackle the priority offences, firms will need to make sure the features, functionalities and algorithms of their services are designed to prevent their users encountering them and minimise the length of time this content is available. This could be achieved by automated or human content moderation, banning illegal search terms, spotting suspicious users and having effective systems in place to prevent banned users opening new accounts.
New harmful online communications offences:
Ministers asked the Law Commission to review the criminal law relating to abusive and offensive online communications in the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and the Communications Act 2003.
The Commission found these laws have not kept pace with the rise of smartphones and social media. It concluded they were ill-suited to address online harm because they overlap and are often unclear for internet users, tech companies and law enforcement agencies.
It found the current law over-criminalises and captures ‘indecent’ images shared between two consenting adults – known as sexting – where no harm is caused. It also under-criminalises – resulting in harmful communications without appropriate criminal sanction.
In particular, abusive communications posted in a public forum, such as posts on a publicly accessible social media page, may slip through the net because they have no intended recipient. It also found the current offences are sufficiently broad in scope that they could constitute a disproportionate interference in the right to freedom of expression.
In July the Law Commission recommended more coherent offences. The Digital Secretary today confirms new offences will be created and legislated for in the Online Safety Bill.
The new offences will capture a wider range of harms in different types of private and public online communication methods. These include harmful and abusive emails, social media posts and WhatsApp messages, as well as ‘pile-on’ harassment where many people target abuse at an individual such as in website comment sections. None of the offences will apply to regulated media such as print and online journalism, TV, radio and film.
The offences are:
A ‘genuinely threatening’ communications offence, where communications are sent or posted to convey a threat of serious harm.
This offence is designed to better capture online threats to rape, kill and inflict physical violence or cause people serious financial harm. It addresses limitations with the existing laws which capture ‘menacing’ aspects of the threatening communication but not genuine and serious threatening behaviour.
It will offer better protection for public figures such as MPs, celebrities or footballers who receive extremely harmful messages threatening their safety. It will address coercive and controlling online behaviour and stalking, including, in the context of domestic abuse, threats related to a partner’s finances or threats concerning physical harm.
A harm-based communications offence to capture communications sent to cause harm without a reasonable excuse.
This offence will make it easier to prosecute online abusers by abandoning the requirement under the old offences for content to fit within proscribed yet ambiguous categories such as “grossly offensive,” “obscene” or “indecent”.
Instead it is based on the intended psychological harm, amounting to at least serious distress, to the person who receives the communication, rather than requiring proof that harm was caused. The new offences will address the technical limitations of the old offences and ensure that harmful communications posted to a likely audience are captured.
The new offence will consider the context in which the communication was sent. This will better address forms of violence against women and girls, such as communications which may not seem obviously harmful but when looked at in light of a pattern of abuse could cause serious distress. For example, in the instance where a survivor of domestic abuse has fled to a secret location and the abuser sends the individual a picture of their front door or street sign.
It will better protect people’s right to free expression online. Communications that are offensive but not harmful and communications sent with no intention to cause harm, such as consensual communication between adults, will not be captured. It will have to be proven in court that a defendant sent a communication without any reasonable excuse and did so intending to cause serious distress or worse, with exemptions for communication which contributes to a matter of public interest.
An offence for when a person sends a communication they know to be false with the intention to cause non-trivial emotional, psychological or physical harm.
Although there is an existing offence in the Communications Act that captures knowingly false communications, this new offence raises the current threshold of criminality. It covers false communications deliberately sent to inflict harm, such as hoax bomb threats, as opposed to misinformation where people are unaware what they are sending is false or genuinely believe it to be true.
For example, if an individual posted on social media encouraging people to inject antiseptic to cure themselves of coronavirus, a court would have to prove that the individual knew this was not true before posting it.
The maximum sentences for each offence will differ. If someone is found guilty of a harm based offence they could go to prison for up to two years, up to 51 weeks for the false communication offence and up to five years for the threatening communications offence.
The maximum sentence was six months under the Communications Act and two years under the Malicious Communications Act.
Professor Penney Lewis, Commissioner for Criminal Law, said: “The criminal law should target those who specifically intend to cause harm, while allowing people to share contested and controversial ideas in good faith.
“Our recommendations create a more nuanced set of criminal offences, which better protect victims of genuinely harmful communications as well as better protecting freedom of expression.
“I am delighted that the Government has accepted these recommended offences.”
VOLUNTEER Edinburghare delighted to announce that we have opened the nominations for this years Inspiring Volunteer Awards 2022.
As always, every volunteer who is nominated will receive a certificate, and we will welcome a number of specially selected volunteers to an event hosted by Edinburgh’s Rt Hon Lord Provost at the City Chambers.
This event is being held during Volunteers’ Week (1 to 7 June), and this year the date for the ceremony will be on Wednesday 1 June.
Thanks again for your support in recognising the fantastic achievements of all our amazing volunteers in Edinburgh. These last two years we have seen and have a better understanding of the power of the volunteer.
Is there an individual or a group within your organisation that deserves an Inspiring Volunteer Award? Why not consider nominating them. We want to recognise and celebrate as many volunteers as possible!
Closing date for nominations is 1st April 2022 so don’t delay and nominate today!
For more information please follow the link below to Volunteer Edinburgh website where you can find nomination guidelines and additional info for each type of award.
Please help us to promote the awards nominations using the short url:
