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The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is today in Bengaluru, India to attend the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in his first visit overseas since taking office.
The meeting comes one year after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine – where the Chancellor will reaffirm the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine and discuss with other G20 members ways to address issues such as elevated global inflationary pressures and the instability in energy and food prices that are being exacerbated by the war.
It follows the latest move on behalf of the G7, the European Union and Australia, who via a Price Cap Coalition, set caps on the price of seaborne Russian oil products effective from 5 February 2023. High-value Russian exports such as diesel and gasoline are capped at $100 while lower-value products such as fuel oil are capped at $45. The UK phased out the import of Russian oil and oil products last year.
The Chancellor is attending the G20 alongside the Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey. Both are focused on tackling inflationary pressures in the UK. Inflation is the first of 5 Prime Minister priorities, with the Prime Minister looking to see inflation halve this year on its way back to the target.
The Chancellor and Bank of England Governor will also join a meeting of G7 Finance Ministers on Thursday.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “The UK continues to stand firm in our support for Ukraine with significant military and humanitarian assistance. The sooner there is sustainable peace in Ukraine and an end to this horrific war, the sooner we can address the global economic fallout – diminishing Putin’s leverage over the UK and our friends.”
The trip also aims to strengthen the already productive UK/India economic relationship and deepen ties to increase new investment and bringing new jobs to the UK. With its rich reputation for a cutting-edge tech industry, the Chancellor will be meeting Indian tech CEOs and founders in Bengaluru to explore investment opportunities and how links with India can help the UK become the world’s next Silicon Valley, building on our existing $1 trillion (£827 billion) tech industry.
The Chancellor added: “I want the UK to be the world’s next Silicon Valley – this is an ambition within reach thanks to our status as a global financial powerhouse and home to world class universities and research institutions.
“We already have a $1 trillion tech industry, but we want to go further to create jobs and wealth across the UK. To help us get there, we need to deepen investment connections with like-minded countries around the world – starting with our Indian friends who are fast becoming an economic superpower in their own right.”
India is projected to be the world’s third largest economy by 2050, with a tech industry that generated US$227 billion (£188 billion) in revenue in FY2022. It is already a significant economic partner for the UK, and the Chancellor is seeking to promote greater collaboration between the two countries.
The Chancellor’s work at the G20 will also contribute to the government’s priorities to halve inflation this year to ease the cost of living and give people financial security; grow the economy, create better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country; and make sure our national debt is falling so that we can secure the future our of public services.
The Scottish Government needs to be clearer about how long it will take the NHS to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and to reform services, says public spending watchdog Audit Scotland.
The government’s NHS recovery plan aims to reduce the healthcare backlog and change how services are delivered. But the plan does not contain the detailed actions that would allow progress to be accurately measured. It also lacks robust modelling to understand demand and capacity. The backlog has continued to increase in the 18 months since the plan was published as the NHS deals with a range of pressures.
Workforce capacity remains the biggest risk to the recovery of NHS services. Health boards are continuing to find it hard to recruit the doctors, nurses and other health professionals needed to make sure NHS services are sustainable in the long-term. Key recruitment targets, such as recruiting 800 GPs by 2027, are unlikely to be met. The NHS workforce remains under severe pressure and there are concerns over staffing levels, wellbeing, and retention.
The Scottish Government is moving ahead with the innovation and reform essential to NHS sustainability. But it is too early to gauge the impact of this work. In the meantime, every NHS board is facing significant financial challenges which could limit how much they can invest in recovery. And the Scottish Government also needs to make information on how long people will have to wait for treatment clear and meaningful.
Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “NHS staff remain under severe pressure and the Scottish Government is facing tough choices.
“Money is tight but investment is needed in recovery. That means ministers have to prioritise which NHS aims can realistically be delivered. And they need to be more transparent about the progress they’re making.
“The Scottish Government has set out the big challenges facing the NHS. But it also needs to clearly explain to the public what those challenges mean for the level of service they can expect, including waiting times.”
Help with heating costs is on its way to around 400,000 people on low incomes through a new Scottish Government benefit, with the first payments processed this week.
More than £20m will be paid out over the course of February and March in Winter Heating Payments.
Winter Heating Payment replaces the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Cold Weather Payment. Unlike the DWP benefit it replaces, Winter Heating Payment is not paid only to people when there is a sustained period of cold weather in a specific location, but is a reliable annual £50 payment.
Those eligible for Winter Heating Payment will receive it automatically, with no need to apply. It is paid through Social Security Scotland and people will get a letter to let them know they are eligible.
Minister for Social Security Scotland Ben Macpherson said: “Our new Winter Heating Payment is the thirteenth Scottish Government benefit. This year it will provide 400,000 people most in need with a reliable, automatic £50 payment to help towards their heating costs.
“The Payment will reach significantly more people than the benefit it has replaced. On average only 185,000 people received the equivalent Cold Weather Payments from the UK Government over the last seven years – whereas we will pay everyone eligible every year.
“The Scottish Government is investing around £20 million per year compared with an average of £8.3 million annually paid out through Cold Weather Payment. We will also uprate the next Winter Heating Payment by 10.1%, to £55.05.”
A company which charged taxpayers significant sums to make claims for tax refunds has been stopped from operating.
Tax Credits Ltd (TCL) can no longer trade as a repayment agent after HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) found they had committed serious anti-money laundering breaches.
As a result of breaching the regulations, which are predominately designed to prevent businesses being exploited by criminals to launder money, it is now a criminal offence for TCL to trade as a tax repayment agent.
The move comes weeks after HMRC outlined greater protections for customers using repayment agents.
Taxpayers can use repayment agents to make claims for repayment of tax, and while many customers are happy with the service they receive, a large number of taxpayers have complained about the lack of transparency in agents’ processes for signing up clients and high charges for using their services.
Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary, said: “TCL have ignored their responsibilities under the anti-money laundering measures designed to protect us all from financial crime.
“We will not allow a small number of bad actors to tarnish the reputation of the whole tax agent sector.
“It is crucial taxpayers understand the entitlements they can claim directly from HMRC and are properly protected from the misleading tactics used by some repayment agents. The greater protections we’re bringing in will help to stop people unwittingly losing their hard-earned money to misleading agents.”
Around 11,000 TCL clients, whose claims had been paused during investigations into TCL, will now receive their tax refund directly from HMRC.
HMRC will contact all affected clients by the end of March to explain their refund. The refunds will be made automatically – customers do not need to contact HMRC to receive their payment.
In response to public concern, HMRC recently consulted on how to protect taxpayers using repayment agents and unveiled a package of measures last month, which included stopping the use of legally-binding ‘assignments’ as part of claiming an Income Tax repayment, improving agent standards and a requirement for repayment agents to register with HMRC.
HMRC urges anyone thinking of using a tax repayment agent to carefully consider their options when appointing a tax adviser to act on their behalf. Taxpayers are urged to do their research before committing to anything, and are reminded that they, not the tax agent, are ultimately responsible for their own tax affairs.
Taxpayers are advised to be particularly careful when clicking on online ads as some unscrupulous repayment agents have made their customer sign-up pages appear to be mere requests for more information.
Anyone who thinks they are owed a tax rebate can make claims direct with HMRC via GOV.UK; they can do this for free and will receive 100% of any refund.
If a taxpayer can show a tax repayment agent has made an invalid claim with HMRC on their behalf, they can contact HMRC.
Responding after the International Mother Language Day 2023 event hosted by the Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC), Foysol Choudhury MSP said:
“It was my great honour to speak at the City Chambers in Edinburgh today in celebration of International Mother Language Day 2023 and to promote linguistic and cultural diversity.
“It is a true honour for me to observe International Mother Language Day in my role as Shadow Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development and also as the first Bangladeshi Member of the Scottish Parliament.
“International Mother Language Day was first proposed by Bangladesh in 1999, being approved by UNESCO that same year.
“As a national day in Bangladesh, the Head of State and Head of Government lay a floral wreath at the Language Martyrs Monument, as I did today at the Quadrangle with the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, the Rt. Honourable Councillor Robert Aldridge.
“This event gives us a vital reminder about the importance of preserving more than 6000 languages – 23% of which are endangered- and promoting tolerance and understanding.
“This year’s theme is “Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education”. As 40% of the global population cannot access education in a language they speak or understand, it is not hard to understand why this has been chosen.
“Much of the internet is only available in 12 languages. As we use the internet for education more and more, it is important that multilingualism online is promoted so that all can access and learn from online content.
“Otherwise, those who use minority languages may unfortunately face a threat to their education and access to information.
“The internet can be a force for education and strengthening disappearing minority languages, both through preservation and revitalisation. Apps and resources can be shared to help educate learners, both young and old, to enrich their understanding of their mother tongue.
“By normalising multilingualism in education, we can also improve access to it and promote language learning.
“Multilingual education can teach us understanding and tolerance from youth, allowing for better social cohesion throughout life.
“Our mother tongue, whether it is English, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Bengali, Urdu, French, Brazilian-Portuguese, Ukrainian, Chichewa, Polish or Mandarin, is the linguistic device that shapes our personal, social and cultural identities.
“It is the vital tool that helps us transmit, preserve and maintain our different traditions, the sayings, jokes, songs, poems that make all our lives much more vibrant and interesting.
“A speech by a Ukrainian woman at the event today resonated strongly with me, when she spoke about the importance of the Ukrainian language to her, her devastation at its censorship and why it’s preservation is so important during the conflict in Ukraine.
“Language is the cultural tool that allows us to share different knowledge to better understand one another, where we come from and what makes us all unique, and to foster tolerance among different groups of people.
“It is vitally important that languages are preserved and multilingualism is promoted, for the reasons shared by distinguished speakers at today’s event.
“Thank you to ELREC for organising the event at the City Chambers today and for all the distinguished guests, speakers and performers for helping us to celebrate this important topic.
“I have lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament supporting the achievements of International Mother Language Day and I hope we can remember this day as a day to celebrate our differences, whether it is our languages, cultures, or identities that make us who we are.
“I encourage everybody today to approach our peers and share information about our different languages and cultures, so that we can be enriched by each others’ differences.”
More than 3,100 child abuse image offences were recorded by Police in just five years, the NSPCC reveals as it calls for a more robust Online Safety Bill.
Last year, 662 crimes including the sharing and possession of indecent images of children were recorded by Police Scotland.1
The NSPCC warns that unregulated social media is fuelling online child sexual abuse and behind every offence could be multiple child victims who are continually revictimized as images are shared.
They said the issue of young people being groomed into sharing images of their own abuse is pervasive and tech bosses are failing to stop their sites being used by offenders to organise, commit and share child sexual abuse.
The charity is calling on the UK Government to give children, including victims of sexual abuse, a powerful voice and expert representation in future regulation by creating a statutory child safety advocate through the Online Safety Bill.
This would ensure that children’s experiences are front and centre of decision making, building safeguarding experience into regulation to prioritise child protection.
NSPCC analysis of data obtained by FOI from England and Wales police forces shows Snapchat is the social media site offenders most used to share child abuse images where platform data was provided. The app, popular with teens, was used in 43% of instances. Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, which are all owned by Meta, were used in a third (33%) of instances where a site was flagged.
And for the first-time virtual reality environments and Oculus headsets, used to explore the Metaverse, were found to be involved in recorded child sexual abuse image crimes.
The NSPCC said committing to a statutory child safety advocate is crucial to act as an early warning system to identify emerging child abuse risks and ensure they are on the radar of companies and the regulator Ofcom.
The advocate would reflect the experiences of young people and be a statutory counterbalance the power of the big tech lobby to help drive a corporate culture that focusses on preventing abuse.
Holly* called Childline in despair when she was 14. She said: “I am feeling sick with fear. I was talking with this guy online and trusted him. I sent him quite a lot of nude pictures of myself and now he is threatening to send them to my friends and family unless I send him more nudes or pay him.
“I reported it to Instagram, but they still haven’t got back. I don’t want to tell the police because my parents would then know what I did and would be so disappointed.”
Sir Peter Wanless, Chief Executive of the NSPCC, said: “These figures are alarming but reflect just the tip of the iceberg of what children are experiencing online.
“We hear from young people who feel powerless and let down as online sexual abuse risks becoming normalised for a generation of children.
“By creating a child safety advocate that stands up for children and families the UK Government can ensure the Online Safety Bill systemically prevents abuse.
“It would be inexcusable if in five years’ time we are still playing catch-up to pervasive abuse that has been allowed to proliferate on social media.”
Online Safety Bill amendments
The NSPCC is seeking amendments to the Online Safety Bill as it passes through the House of Lords to improve its response to child sexual abuse.
They are asking Lords to back the creation of a child safety advocate which would mirror statutory user advocacy arrangements that are effective across other regulated sectors.
The amendment would give Ofcom access to children’s voices and experiences in real time via an expert child safety advocate akin to Citizen’s Advice acting for energy and postal consumers.
And after the UK Government committed to holding senior managers liable if their products contribute to serious harm to children the charity says this must also include where sites put children at risk of sexual abuse.
The move would mean bosses responsible for child safety would be held criminally liable if their sites continue to expose children to preventable abuse – which is backed by an overwhelming majority of the public.
Meta Encryption
In response to the latest data, the NSPCC also renewed calls on Meta to pause plans to roll out default end-to-end encryption of Facebook and Instagram messenger services in order to comply with future requirements of the Online Safety Bill.
They said Meta will turn a blind eye to child abuse by making it impossible to identify grooming and the sharing of images making the importance of external bodies such as a child safety advocate even more paramount.
However, the charity said the Online Safety Bill should be seen as an opportunity to incentivise companies to invest in technological solutions to end-to-end encryption that protect adult privacy, the privacy of sexual abuse victims and keep children safe.
An additional £223 million will be provided to local authorities to support pay awards to staff as part of the 2023-24 Scottish Budget.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said an improving financial position enabled him to address some pressing asks. The extra money for local authorities comprises a new £100 million for non-teaching staff and the £123 million announced last week for 2023-24 to support a new pay offer for teachers which would see salaries rise by 11.5% from April.
It comes on top of the additional £570 million already included in the local government settlement and takes the total settlement to nearly £13.5 billion.
Opening the Budget Bill Stage 3 debate in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Swinney also announced a £6.6 million increase to Creative Scotland’s budget and promised to fund the revenue cost increases incurred by local authorities managing the inter-islands ferry network.
He said additional funding confirmed by the UK Government in Supplementary Estimate figures this morning had enabled him to go further in 2023-24 – but stressed that the financial position remained exceptionally challenging and would require continued prioritisation throughout the coming year.
Mr Swinney said: “I am very aware of the challenges faced as we manage our way through this cost crisis and this Budget is designed to do as much as we possibly can to assist at this most difficult moment.
“None of this is easy – this is by far the hardest Scottish Budget process that I have led – with the effects of raging inflation being felt against the impact of more than a decade of austerity and Barnett funding down 5% in real terms since 2021-22.
“I hope this additional funding will enable a swift agreement in the Scottish Joint Council pay negotiations so that relevant staff receive a pay increase as early as possible in 2023-24.
“The Budget strengthens our social contract with every citizen of Scotland who will continue to enjoy many benefits not available throughout the UK. Delivering support for people most in need, in these difficult times, is the foundation of this Budget.
“The Budget that has been set out to Parliament enables us to invest in our public services, to ensure a strong boost to local authority funding and to ensure that we help those who need it the most.”
The Deputy First Minister’s statement to Parliament.
SARAH BOYACK ON SCOTTISH GOVT’S DECISION TO REVERSE CULTURE CUTS
The Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, announced an uplift of £6.6 million for Creative Scotland in his Scottish Budget statement on Tuesday.
John Swinney acknowledged “the calls form Claire Adamson MSP, Convener of the Parliament’s Culture and Constitution Committee to continue to sustain our investment in culture and the arts.”
In his statement, Scotland’s Deputy First Minister said: “We had asked Creative Scotland to sustain investment next year by utilising £6.6 million from their accumulative Lottery reserves in place of a further year of additional grant funding to compensate for generally lower National Lottery income.
“I am now in a position now to require that and I will provide an uplift of £6.6 million for Creative Scotland for 2023-24 to ensure their reserve funding can supplement rather than replace grant funding.”
The decision comes following calls from trade unions, artists, cultural organisations and campaigners to reverse the cuts.
Last week, the Scottish Trades Union Congress wrote to John Swinney and Culture Secretary Angus Robertson on behalf of the Musicians’ Union, the Scottish Artists Union, BECTU, Equity, the Writers’ Guild, Scottish Society of Playwrights and the Society of Authors, warning that cutting arts funding is “the wrong choice at the wrong time.”
Commenting, Scottish Labour’s Culture spokesperson, Sarah Boyack MSP said: “I welcome Scottish Government’s U-turn and the decision to reverse the culture cuts.
“The proposals to cut Creative Scotland’s funding should have never been put forward – they simply didn’t make sense and if implemented, would have added to the huge pressure the culture sector is facing because of the cost of living crisis and rising costs.
“Culture workers have been living with uncertainty, precarious and under-paid work for years – the current crisis has only made things worse for them.
“There is so much more that the Scottish Government should be doing now to support the sector. In my own city for example the King’s Theatre needs support now. ”
David Watt, Chief Executive, Arts & Business Scotland, said: “We warmly welcome yesterday’s announcement by the Scottish Government to reverse the proposed £6.6m reduction in Creative Scotland’s funding for 2023/24.
“Arts & Business Scotland serves as the bridge between Scotland’s cultural and business sectors, fostering innovation and cross-sector collaboration and delivering major cultural, social and economic benefits both here and internationally. The success of our nation’s cultural profile relies on this and the creative and cultural sector has an essential role to play in facilitating a thriving and innovative economy.
“Scotland’s creative and cultural sector continues to reel from the aftermath of the pandemic, from rising energy costs and from increasing inflation; so opportunities to maintain ongoing financial support are very much a step in the right direction for both the sector and for the many businesses across Scotland that collaborate with them.
“Indeed we believe the coming together of the arts, culture and business communities can bring innovation and fresh thinking to the economy. Whilst we welcome this renewed confidence in the sector, we now need to look towards a sustainable, longer term future that embrace Scotland’s creative and cultural landscape as a catalyst for social and economic, as well as cultural, change.”
The EIS has commenced targeted strike action within the constituencies of key politicians with the ability to resolve the ongoing pay dispute.
Teachers in Glasgow Southside (Nicola Sturgeon), Perthshire North (John Swinney), Dunfermline (Shirley-Anne Somerville), and the East Dunbartonshire part of Clydebank & Milngavie (Ross Greer) have started 3-days of consecutive strike action, as the dispute over teacher pay intensifies.
Commenting, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “Today’s intensification of strike action is a direct result of the failure of the Scottish Government and COSLA to deliver an acceptable pay offer to Scotland’s teachers.
“As a result, this intensified strike action is targeted directly at the politicians with the ability to deliver a better pay offer that can end this pay dispute – just as is happening in Health. Teachers do not want to be on strike, but the fact that they are is an indictment on politicians within the Scottish Government and COSLA who have the authority to deliver a better pay deal, but have failed to do so.
“Parents and students have every right to be angry at the fact that local and national politicians continue to collude in withholding a fair settlement from Scotland’s teachers. This is another part of the chronic underfunding of Education both by national and local government in spite of the claims that Education is a number one priority in this country.”
Ms Bradley added, “In response to requests from our members, I have now also now written to members in the Secondary sector with guidance in relation to entering into voluntary arrangements for the marking of SQA exam papers.
“While the marking of SQA exams papers is a voluntary activity and is therefore not part of our dispute with employers, many members have expressed an unwillingness to sign up as SQA markers while this pay dispute is ongoing.
“Having taken legal advice on this matter, the EIS can confirm that our members are absolutely within their rights to decline or delay signing up as SQA markers while the pay dispute remains unresolved. It is entirely a matter for each member to decide if they wish, or do not wish, to enter into a voluntary agreement with the SQA to mark exam scripts.”
Ms Bradley concluded, “The EIS remains, as ever, available for discussions with the Scottish Government and COSLA for further talks towards a negotiated settlement on teachers’ pay.
“Our members want to be in the classroom, and strike action can be halted immediately by the delivery of a suitably improved offer that could credibly be recommended to our members.”
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Shirley-Anne Somerville outlines support for pupils during industrial action, particularly for those preparing for exams:
Dear Learner,
I would like to reassure you that I am doing everything I can to resolve the pay dispute with the teaching unions and bring an end to industrial action. I know the disruption caused by strikes will be a particular worry for those of you who are preparing for exams.
I have written to councils asking them to consider how secondary schools can remain open on strike days for learners preparing for exams. This is decided by councils on a school by school basis and you and your family will hear directly if your school can be open for you on future strike days.
As was the case during the pandemic, a wide range of study support is available through the National e-Learning offer (NeLO) which you can access when schools are closed. This includes thousands of live, recorded and other online resources that support learning and revision. I have set out below the wider support package that is in place to help you prepare for your exams.
We are also continuing to work with partners, including the SQA and councils, on contingencies for the exams themselves, should industrial action continue.
We very much hope, however, that the pay dispute will be resolved soon and that these contingencies will not be required.
The Scottish Government, our agencies and your council will continue to do everything we can to support you in the run up to and during the exam diet.
The NeLO site offers a searchable database of nearly 25,000 senior phase resources for learners across hundreds of courses. This includes over 3,000 recorded lessons, created by Scottish teachers. Learners in all 32 local authorities access NeLO regularly.
In addition, there are a wide range of offers from local authorities and the Regional Improvement Collaboratives, often with partners. For example:
As was the case last year – as part of NeLO – live, interactive Easter Study Support webinars for Senior Phase pupils will run from 3 to 14 April. Webinars will be available to support learners with 80 different qualifications across 30 subjects. The offer includes courses at SCQF levels 4-7 (National 4, National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher). Letters were sent to Directors of Education informing them of the offer on 21 February and registration will be launched for learners on 1 March.
Modifications to the 2022 National Qualifications are being continued in the 2023 academic session. SQA have issued the ‘Your National Qualifications‘ booklet, and will include study and exams tips in the ‘Your Exams’ booklet in mid-March. Recognising the continued impact of COVID the SQA, has confirmed a sensitive, evidence-based approach to grading this year which will benefit learners.
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
Shirley-Anne Somerville
Further information on the targeted strike action, and the schools impacted by the action, can be found here: https://www.eis.org.uk/campaigns/payattention
Road policing officers in Edinburgh are appealing for information following a crash on the A90 at Cramond Bridge.
Around 2.55pm on Monday, 20 February, 2023 police were called to the collision involving a red Ford Focus and a blue Fiat Panda.
The 78-year-old male driver and 71-year-old female passenger of the Fiat were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh by ambulance. The 55-year-old male driver of the Ford was not injured.
The road was closed while crash investigations were carried out and fully reopened around 7pm.
Offers are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time and saw what happened to get in touch. Anyone with relevant dash cam footage is also asked to contact us.
If you have any information call 101 quoting reference 2037 of 20 February, 2023.
