OVER 50’s DRAMA
Tuesdays 10am – 12pm at The Prentice Centre
Drama at The Prentice Centre!
Category: North Edinburgh News
Council budget to ‘boost frontline services and community improvements’
‘For two years now, we have demonstrated incredible resilience as a Council’ – Finance Convener Cllr Rob Munn
A budget ‘designed to support residents through the cost-of-living crisis and invest in local communities’ has been set by the City of Edinburgh Council.
Agreed by elected members on Thursday (24 February), millions of pounds from the Council’s annual budget for 2022/23 will be spent towards shaping a more sustainable, fair and thriving future for Edinburgh post-pandemic.
A fair city?
Councillors have agreed to direct an extra £1.1m towards easing the cost of living crisis for the city’s most vulnerable and £150 for 33,000 low-income households across the city at a total cost of £4.95m. This is on top of national cash grants announced by the Scottish Government.
Alongside this, an extra £100 will be provided for every child within a low-income home (identified via free school meals qualifications) and an additional £450k will be made available by the Council in crisis grant funding.
Frontline services will continue to be protected and the Council’s rent freeze for tenants will remain in place for another year.
Together with the Council’s ongoing £2bn programme to build 5,500 sustainable, quality Council homes and invest £1.3bn over the next 15 years in a new, green, well-connected neighbourhood at Granton Waterfront, around half a million pounds will be spent to provide social care adaptations to people’s houses to allow them to live more independently in their own homes.
£112k has been earmarked to make sure every school in the city is equipped with a life-saving defibrillator, and the Council will continue to invest £454m in capital investment for new school facilities across the city over the next ten years, together with an annual £48m to help families access 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare.
The roll out of 40,000 digital devices to school pupils across the city to close the digital divide will also continue, thanks to investment of nearly £18m. In recognition of pressures faced during Covid, £1m of additional funding will be provided for Children’s Services, while a further £2m will be invested adopting the recommendations of the Tanner review.
A welcoming city?
A one-off £1.1m ‘deep clean’ will remove graffiti and address street cleansing in the city centre and local wards, while quarter of a million pounds will see a new, Neighbourhood Action Team created to tackle hot spot areas of unkept land and deal with issues like overgrowth and fly tipping.
An extra £1m will be set aside for road and pavement maintenance to improve movement around the city and £450k will help to improve park facilities, creating even better green spaces in every ward and improved lighting. Meanwhile an extra £325k will be invested in playparks and £130k in expanding provisions for food growing across the city.
There will be £200k invested towards temporary toilets in select parks – repeating successful arrangements from summer 2021 – and £60k will be set aside to provide seasonal improvements and rangers to Pentland parks. An additional £60k will be contributed towards works to complete the restoration of the Portobello Kilns.
This is alongside £150k to be spent regulating and monitoring short-term lets in Edinburgh and related issues of anti-social behaviour.
A thriving and sustainable city?
An additional half a million pounds will support Edinburgh’s Net Zero ambitions, accelerating the city’s One Million Tree City programme, and £200k will be invested in Energy for Edinburgh, the Council’s publicly owned ESCO, to allow a zero-carbon energy project to move forward.
Up to £100k will be spent through Participatory Budgeting, supporting local communities to be involved in the running of the city, and £200k will be used to support local community festivals, including Edinburgh’s Diwali and the Leith Festival.
A commitment of £60k will support the re-opening of the city’s libraries after use as Covid testing facilities and the new Meadowbank Sports Centre will open later this year.
Spend of £160k will be directed towards taxi regulation and enforcement; £180k of funding will be set aside to cover potential costs relating to the temporary Hostile Vehicle Mitigation arrangements protecting the city centre; and £50k will be used to upgrade the ForeverEdinburgh website to further drive footfall to local businesses as Edinburgh recovers from the pandemic.
Finance and Resources Convener SNP Councillor Rob Munn said: “This Budget signals a more sustainable, fair and thriving future for Edinburgh post-pandemic.
“For two years now, we have demonstrated incredible resilience as a Council and as a City, banding together to support those who have needed extra help. We have been at the forefront throughout and as life finally – and thankfully – starts to return to normal, we will continue to safeguard our services and focus on getting things back up and running.
“Our city centre and local high streets have suffered through lockdown restrictions and due to the cost of living, families on low incomes are struggling to make ends meet. The decisions we’ve made today aim to challenge these disadvantages and help our City and communities thrive in the year ahead.
“We’ll direct £1.1m each towards a ‘deep clean’ of the city centre and local areas and improving roads, helping to make Edinburgh a more welcoming place to be, and a further £1.1m will address poverty and inequality to create a fairer future.
“These are just a few of the very welcome spending decisions we’ve been able to make and I’m grateful to members in all parties for shaping these plans, but we do need to remain prudent. Times are hard and we know that the impact of Covid on our budget will continue into future financial years and significant savings will have to be made.”
Vice Finance and Resources Convener Labour Councillor Joan Griffiths said: “This Budget is about giving Edinburgh the chance to recover and grow as we safeguard our frontline services.
“The impact the pandemic continues to have on residents, on businesses and in our communities is clear. We’re now facing a cost of living crisis and it’s vital that we prioritise support for those who need it most.
“As we recover from everything the last two years have brought, investment enabled by a modest increase in Council Tax rates will help people in every single one of our communities, with the extra money raised used to maintain critical frontline services.
“We’re determined to use this budget to help us close the poverty gap, and we’ve also committed to keeping rents frozen this year for Council tenants. We’re putting more money into crisis grants, into new schools and new homes – while spending millions on community improvements.
“All of this will go towards making Edinburgh the most welcoming, thriving, and sustainable place it can be.”
This will be the SNP-Labour ‘Capital Coalition’s’ last budget before May’s council elections.
New Council Tax rates will be brought into effect on 1 April 2022 as follows:
Council Tax Bands 2022/23
A: £919.17
B: £1,072.36
C: £1,225.56
D: £1,378.75
E: £1,811.52
F: £2,240.47
G: £2,700.05
H: £3,377.94
Further details can be found at edinburgh.gov.uk/budget-finance.
The Search Is Over: Winners of Gaelic Film Competition FilmG revealed
The winners of this year’s prestigious Gaelic short film competition FilmG 2022 were announced last night (Friday, February 25) in a special awards ceremony on BBC ALBA.
Many of the winners across the 17 prize categories were brought into the FilmG studio by video link to accept their award and chat with programme hosts and competition stalwarts Fiona MacKenzie and Niall Iain MacDonald.
The specially created awards programme was shown on BBC ALBA last night and is available to watch on the BBC iPlayer for 30 days afterwards.
Films followed this year’s competition theme Lorg, which means search, find or trace, and with over 90 filmmakers attempting to find the winning formula, the judges had a tough job whittling down the entries over multiple days.
Parker Dawes (14), a pupil at Ardnamurchan High School in Strontian, West Lochaber, scooped three awards – Best Young Filmmaker, Best Film Fluent Speakers and Best Production, for his slapstick spy thriller Spies-R-Us.
Parker said: “We chose the spy topic because it was opposite to the film we made last year which didn’t win any prizes.
“We were interested to see if an action film could get different results – and it worked! I created a storyboard and we had crash mats so everything was well planned.
“I’ve always loved filmmaking and I’ve always looked up to FilmG. I’m really happy to get these awards because my friends and I were so sad when we didn’t win last year. It was great to be on that podium as a winner.”
An animation by Alina Brust from Edinburgh won ‘Best Film’ in the Open Category, the first time an animation has won this prize in FilmG.
‘An Taigh Solais’ follows a shepherd who is trying to find a lost sheep and has to shelter with her flock in an abandoned lighthouse to escape a storm. Due to the pandemic Alina had no access to university facilities so she made the entire film in her bedroom.
Alina (23) said: “I’m inspired by the Scottish landscape and coastline, especially the lighthouse and the cliffs around St. Abbs, one of my favourite places. And a lighthouse is a perfect setting for a weird and spooky story.
“Making this film was a great opportunity to combine my two passions of art and languages.
“I’m so grateful that all my hard work has paid off – as a Gaelic learner it feels like such a special achievement for me.”
Scooping the prize for Best Production (Under 12), Coignear air Chall (5 Lost Souls) by Sandbank Primary School in Dunoon follows five school friends as they take a spooky journey to one of the town’s historic landmarks.
A film about hillwalking and scrambling as a way to get a new perspective on the world from beyond the cold, dark glens and high above the clouds, ‘Thar Nan Sgòth – Beinn Eighe’ (Above the Clouds – Beinn Eighe) by Anndra Cuimeanach from Gairloch secured the prize for Best Documentary (12-17).
In the Open category a short documentary called ‘A’ Mhuir’ (The Sea) about wild swimming by the students at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in the Isle of Skye who take part in the sport, has picked up two separate awards, Film Duthchais and Best Director (Anna Garvin).
Emily Murray (21), from Lewis, accepted the FilmG award on behalf of the class. She said: “Taking part in FilmG was a good opportunity to practice the skills we had learned in class, such as camera, sound and editing.”
Anna Garvin (23) from Oban, who is studying Gaelic in Media at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye, said: “I feel very honoured to have won this. It was my first time directing and I learnt so much about the skills needed to direct from working on this film.
“Entering FilmG was a great opportunity to use all the technical and production skills we had learnt so far to create a film that would be shown to a public audience.“
‘Am Buaile Dubh’ which takes a look around Am Buaile Dubh on the outskirts of Inverness, has secured the Best Performance award for the film’s producer and narrator, Eòghan Stiùbhart.
Eòghan (40), from Inverness, is a Gaelic teacher with over 5k followers on Instagram for his Scottish Gaelic learning videos. He’s also an advocate for men’s mental health.
He said: “I went to Am Buaile Dubh a lot through lockdown, it’s a great place to be outdoors and get exercise. It allows me to be in a little world of my own and helps my mental health.
“For this film I wrote a monologue about what the place means to me and paired this with my own and old images and maps to illuminate the place.
“Winning this award was a surprise and honour, it was really cool to win the big metal G.”
And ‘Eilean Lois’ (Lois’s Island) by Somhairle MacIain (Sorley Johnston) from Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, which follows him and his girlfriend, Lois, as they cycled the Hebridean Way in the summer and he teaches her to speak Gaelic on the trip won them the award for Best Student Film.
Former Bishopbriggs Academy pupil, Sorley (19), who is studying Gaelic Media at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Skye, said: “I entered FilmG because I wanted to showcase a film that I had made myself while I was still on my course and had access to all the editing equipment and software.
“I’m planning on putting the prize money towards equipment of my own so I can continue to make films after my course finishes.”
Debbie Mackay, Project Manager at CGS who deliver the project said: “It was another great year for entries, and we were especially impressed by the high level of storytelling and filmmaking skills amongst our youth categories.
“As the competition continues to grow, we see filmmakers push themselves to a higher standard year after year. It’s a privilege to be a part of the project.”
Iseabail Mactaggart, Director of Multi-platform Content at MG ALBA said: “FilmG has always been so important to Gaelic media as a whole and also to the individual filmmakers and groups who take part year after year.
“Seeing the talent coming through the ranks and refining their craft in order to pick up one of the coveted prizes is gratifying for all involved in Gaelic media, and testament to our ambition to continue to nurture an unrivalled Gaelic-speaking talent base both in front of, and behind the camera for years to come.”
All films from this year’s competition are available to watch on the FilmG website: www.filmg.co.uk
Further updates can be found on FilmG’s Social Media Channels:
www.facebook.com/filmgalba/
www.instagram.com/filmg_alba/
twitter.com/FilmGAlba
Additional £6 million funding for community mental health
An additional £6m has been provided to the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund to meet the demand for local mental health and wellbeing projects.
The fund was launched in October last year with £15 million to support grass roots community groups and organisations to deliver activities and programmes for adults which tackle the social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic.
The funding provides an opportunity to re-connect and revitalise communities building on examples of good practice which emerged throughout the pandemic. Projects supporting sport, outdoor and nature initiatives as well as arts and crafts were successful in the initial funding.
Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “This additional £6 million is being provided in light of the positive demand for the original £15 million announced in October last year. We have seen lots of high quality bids for projects that will undoubtedly make a real difference to local communities and we want to support as much of this as possible.
“The importance of community interventions in supporting people’s mental wellbeing cannot be underestimated and prevention and early intervention is a priority for the Scottish Government.”
The Good Morning Service in Glasgow is one organisation which has received funding. Around 400 older people have benefitted from the service which builds meaningful relationships through regular telephone befriending sessions.
The service directly monitors mental and physical well-being, reducing social isolation, and flags potential health problems whenever a Good Morning Call remains unanswered.
Good Night Calls are also provided from November to February alleviating the heightened sense of loneliness that the dark winter nights can bring.
Nicky Thomson, Chief Executive Officer of the Good Morning Service, said; “Simply put, without the support from the Scottish Government we wouldn’t be able to run our 365 day life-enhancing and life-saving service providing practical and emotional support.
“The Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund has enabled us to reach more people in need. Notably, it is the light-touch, non-intrusive nature of our support which is very attractive to older people. We don’t diminish their sense of ability to live independently, we enhance it.
“Operationally, on Good Morning Calls we take whatever time is needed to help people to implement their coping strategies and build resilience. Resilient people build resilient communities, which is what we need at this challenging time.”
Drylaw’s Joy is Probationary Constable of the Year
The Chief Constable’s Bravery and Excellence Awards 2021 took place yesterday (25 February 2022) and local police officer Constable Joy Millican has been awarded Probationary Constable of the Year.
Joy has been a member of Team 3 Drylaw Response since August 2020 after excelling during her probationer training at the Scottish Police College, which led to her receiving awards for her academic achievements and officer safety skills.
Her pride in her performance is exhibited in her daily approach and enthusiasm for her role. Her professionalism impresses not only her colleagues and supervisors but also the public and professional partners. She has received feedback acknowledging her sensitivity and compassion when dealing with incidents of a delicate nature.
Joy volunteered to attend an “Anatomy of Giving Evidence” course to enhance her skills in this area and produced guidance documents for her peers to help them gain knowledge and confidence in relation to court proceedings.
Chief Inspector Sarah Taylor, Local Area Commander for the North West of Edinburgh, said: “I’m absolutely delighted for Joy and this award is well deserved.
“Joy is a credit to Police Scotland and I’d like to congratulate her on being awarded Probationary Constable of the Year. She is performing at a standard far beyond what is expected of her at this level of her service and she is a valued member of the team who offers guidance and support to colleagues of all experience and service.”
UK Government sanctions Vladimir Putin and Sergey Lavrov
President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be hit with an assets freeze as part of the UK’s punitive sanctions regime to degrade Russia’s economy and military infrastructure.
- President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov assets frozen in latest wave of UK’s punishing sanctions regime
- Both blocked from any future business in UK
- Truss: “These new sanctions send a clear message that nothing and no one is off the table.”
- Hitting top of Russia’s government part of co-ordinated campaign by allies to degrade Russian economy following invasion of Ukraine
President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be hit with an assets freeze as part of the UK’s punitive sanctions regime to degrade Russia’s economy and military infrastructure.
In a third wave of punishing sanctions in just four days, the UK’s sanctions have been strategically coordinated with international allies to impose a severe cost on Putin and his regime.
The new sanctions, which are targeted personally at Putin and Lavrov, will see any UK-based assets frozen immediately and UK companies will be barred from providing goods, services or assets to them in future.
The Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “These new sanctions send a clear message that nothing and no one is off the table.
“These measures reflect the horror and gravity of what Putin and his regime has done, violating the territorial integrity of a sovereign nation with an illegal and unjustified invasion.”
Today’s announcement follows a sweeping package of financial sanctions targeting Russian banks, oligarchs and key strategic businesses, as well as territorial sanctions and restrictions on sovereign debt announced on Tuesday.
Previous sanctions announced as part of the UK package include:
- Assets of all Russian banks frozen including, a full asset freeze on VTB. Co-ordinated with the US, this is the single biggest financial sanction in history. Individuals and companies whose assets are frozen will be unable to undertake any business in the UK or with UK nationals.
- Russian companies will be prevented from borrowing on the UK markets, effectively ending the ability of those companies closest to Putin to raise finance in the UK. This is in addition to banning the Russian state itself from raising funds in the UK, as previously announced.
- Designated banks will be prevented from accessing Sterling and clearing payments through the UK. Banks subject to this measure will be unable to process any payments through the UK or have access to UK financial markets. A full list of previous sanctions here.
- A ban on the export of a range of high-end and critical technical equipment and components in sectors including electronics, telecommunications, and aerospace.
Ukraine Crisis: A message from the Refugee Council
This week, the pictures of traffic queues and desperate people trying to flee Ukraine reminded us all that, when you are fleeing for safety, you have no time to apply for a visa.
We know that, as someone who supports refugees and people seeking asylum, you will be concerned for the citizens of Ukraine. And for the millions of families who may be forced to make the heart-breaking decision to leave their homes in search of safety.
The Prime Minister has promised to welcome Ukrainian’s fleeing war and persecution. But we are deeply concerned that the Nationality and Borders Bill currently going through Parliament is in stark contrast to this promise.
We are calling on the UK Government to respond by strengthening safe and legal routes including a well-resourced resettlement program, expanding family reunion routes and creating humanitarian visas.
The Bill will undermine our obligation to give all who seek asylum a fair hearing on our soil by and uphold discriminating against refugees depending on how they reach our shores.
We are increasing our calls to the Government to rethink this harmful Bill and uphold our proud record of helping those fleeing war and oppression.
As a country with a proud heritage of supporting people seeking protection, this is an opportunity for the United Kingdom to play a leading role in the international efforts to help those desperately in need.
Together we will continue to fight for the UK to become a more welcoming place for refugees and people seeking safety.
Thank you for standing with us,
Enver Solomon
Chief Executive – Refugee Council
Letters: Ovarian cancer crisis
Dear Editor,
Women are being failed as the awareness crisis in ovarian cancer deepens. Symptoms of ovarian cancer are being ignored – both by those experiencing them and their GPs.
This March, for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Target Ovarian Cancer is urging the public to sign open letters to governments across the UK and tell them what is needed to combat the crisis. We desperately need to make progress in people’s knowledge of the symptoms.
In 2010 my mother, the actress Marjie Lawrence, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer just three weeks before she died. Had we and her doctors been aware of the symptoms, Marjie might be alive today. If diagnosed at the earliest stage, 9 in 10 women will survive. But two thirds of women are diagnosed late, when the cancer is harder to treat.
I’m writing to ask your readers to take just two minutes of their time to learn the symptoms and spread the word to their families and friends. The main symptoms of ovarian cancer are: persistent bloating, feeling full or having difficulty eating, tummy pain, and needing to wee more often or more urgently.
If you believe in a future where every woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer has the best chance of survival, please show your support and add your name to the open letter: campaign.targetovariancancer.org.uk/openletter
With best wishes,
SARAH GREENE,
Target Ovarian Cancer Patron
30 Angel Gate, City Road, London EC1V 2PT
Target Ovarian Cancer is the UK’s leading ovarian cancer charity. We work to improve early diagnosis, fund life-saving research and provide much-needed support to women with ovarian cancer
Scotland’s Climate Festival funds positive action in Edinburgh
Seed funding for Edinburgh communities to combat climate change
Since Scotland’s Climate Festival launched during COP26, just over 100 days ago, environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful has funded four projects in Edinburgh to support ambitions to host a climate festival event.
Across Scotland 30 projects from 13 local authority areas – from the Highlands to the Borders – have received funding of up to £500, to help them inspire their communities to take action on climate change – and there is still time to apply before the deadline of 1 March.
The first project to receive funding was Falkirk Delivers to support a two-day event, Shop26, in Falkirk town centre. Since then, the seed funding has supported festivals themed around food, waste, growing, energy, travel, culture, conversations and policy.
The funding supported four projects in Edinburgh including:
- Granton Goes Greener and Granton Parish Church – £450. An eco-fayre with art and craft upcycling workshops, a sustainable fashion show encouraging second-hand clothes, a creative writing session and surplus food on offer.
- The Salisbury Centre – £500. A day for the community to discover how to use the new seed library and learn about seed saving and food growing, using interactive workshops, demonstrations, storytelling and creative play.
- Greenbank Pre-School – £100. A Big Dig Day inviting all families to visit the nursery garden to upcycle, refresh the space and plant seeds and seedlings.
- Milan Senior Welfare Organisation – £500. A three-day community event for elderly South Asian communities and unpaid carers, with information and practical activities to raise awareness of climate change and climate action.
To support local event organisers, online Festival Forum events have also taken place, bringing together projects all working to a common goal to share their experiences and learnings.
Paul Wallace, Campaigns and Social Innovation Manager, said, “Now, more than 100 days since world leaders met to discuss climate change in Glasgow at COP26, there is even more urgency for us to support climate action so that everyone, from all areas of life, can play their part combatting the climate emergency.
“We’re delighted to have been able to fund 30 projects so far, including the four in Edinburgh, and strongly encourage others to find out more about the funding available and make their applications before the upcoming deadline at the start of next month.”
Alongside the wide range of local climate festival events, the charity’s Climate Festival team has held a national event series which is free and open to all.
These events have created space for conversations around climate change and positive actions we can take to tackle it. The inaugural event was in December and kicked off discussions with a crucial conversation on the outcomes and opportunities following COP26 and what is next for Scotland.
Since then, further events have included a panel of experts talking about women’s roles in sustainable food systems, an online film screening and discussion session with the makers of the documentary ‘Scotland: Our Climate Journey’ and a panel discussion on the Wellbeing Economy with Minister and MSP Lorna Slater.
The recordings of Scotland’s Climate Festival national events can be found on YouTube and people can sign up to attend future online and in person events in March, including ‘Storytelling for Change’ on March 8 and a film screening of ‘The Ants and the Grasshopper’ at Glasgow Science Centre on March 14, via Eventbrite.
Scotland’s Climate Festival is supported by the Scottish Government.
Further information can be found at:
LevellingUp: Gove tours Edinburgh’s National Robotarium
Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove yesterday toured a state-of-the-art research facility for robotics and artificial intelligence in Edinburgh, which is backed by £21 million in UK government funding.
https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/research/the-national-robotarium.htm#?jwsource=cl
Mr Gove saw some of the innovative research projects being developed at the National Robotarium including a demonstration from the facility’s resident robot dogs. These four-legged robots will be used to support people working in hazardous environments like energy inspection and disaster recovery as well as making the construction process safer, more efficient, and sustainable.
The funding, which is provided through the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal with an additional £1.4 million from the Scottish Government, is supporting the National Robotarium to create cutting-edge solutions to many of the challenges we face in everyday life.
Examples of projects include the development of a train cleaning robot that can complement existing staff while reducing health risks, a robotic coach to aid the process of long-term rehabilitation after stroke, and underwater robots to support safer inspection and repair of offshore wind turbines. Mr Gove also heard more about the facility’s growing partnerships with industry, healthcare organisations and its support for entrepreneurship.
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove MP said: “Levelling up is a shared endeavour across the United Kingdom. To succeed, we have to work together. We can see here in Edinburgh what we can achieve when governments, local authorities, partners from academia and private sector come together to deliver real results.
“The National Robotarium is the perfect example of what is possible when we work together, and it has been fantastic to see some of the innovative projects being developed here that genuinely have the potential to change people’s lives for the better.”
Based at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus, the new facility is due to be completed this year, bringing with it jobs and prosperity to the region.
The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal draws on a combined total of £600 million in funding from both Scottish and UK governments to invest in projects over a 15 year period focussing on research, employability and skills, transport, culture and housing.
Heriot-Watt University Vice Principal, Professor Mark Biggs said: “Backed by the combined experience of Heriot-Watt and the University of Edinburgh, we’re demonstrating how Scotland and the UK can lead global developments in robotics and AI, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and addressing some of industry and societies biggest challenges.
“We look forward to working closely with governments to ensure the National Robotarium makes a positive impact by accelerating growth, attracting investment and acting as a catalyst for entrepreneurship and job creation.”
This comes less than a month after the UK government set out an ambitious plan to level up the whole of the United Kingdom. In addition to existing City Region and City and Growth Deals, the Levelling Up White Paper set up further plans to harness innovation, including £100 million in funding to set up three innovation accelerators across the UK, including one in Glasgow. These will create “Silicon Valley” set ups which will harness research and development in the area.
We have already seen investment as part of the UK government suite of levelling up funds. £1.7 billion was invested throughout the UK in round one of the Levelling Up Fund including £172 million on 8 projects in Scotland.
While in Edinburgh, Mr Gove, who is also the UK government Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, also visited the flagship UK Government Hub in Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth House, and spoke at the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and Improvement Service Annual Conference 2022.
He also appeared before the Finance and Public Administration Committee of the Scottish Parliament.