As a record-breaking heatwave hits parts of the UK this week, the Chair of Westminster’s Environmental Audit Committee has pushed the government on what it is doing to tackle the “silent killer” of extreme heat.
In a letter published today, the Chair asks the government how it plans to tackle overheating in hospitals, care homes, schools and prisons, as well as its views on measures such as establishing maximum workplace temperatures, prescribing active cooling such as air conditioning, and changing school timetables.
The Chair also asks the government about standards to ensure new housing is resilient to future heat, and the work taking place on the imminent Fourth National Adaptation Programme (NAP4). The Climate Change Committee has been highly critical of the Plan’s predecessor (NAP3), saying it falls “far short of what is needed”.
During a recent evidence session, witnesses told the Committee that current rates of global warming are unprecedented and that heat extremes are often outpacing scientific predictions, leaving the UK likely to face longer and more intense heatwaves.
One witness told MPs that the UK was “built for a climate that no longer exists”.
Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, Toby Perkins MP, said: “This week parts of the UK are facing temperatures approaching 40 degrees, a level of extreme heat that was once unthinkable yet now is becoming increasingly likely.
“The effects of such extreme heat can be disruptive and devastating. Without action, we will see economic productivity take a hit; more people needing attention in hospital and suffering with poor mental health; more hospitals, care homes and schools overheating and more of our critical transport, water, food and IT systems failing.
qEconomic productivity will be hit, but more importantly we will likely see a significant number of deaths as a direct result of the current heatwave.
“The evidence could not be clearer that extreme heat is an urgent threat to the UK. Yet the government is currently falling “far short of what is needed”, according to its independent climate advisors.
“Taking action carries a significant cost. But the cost of doing nothing is far, far greater.
“I want to know what action the government is taking to tackle extreme overheating, a problem that will only grow worse without intervention, as well as its views on important measures to adapt to what seems to be our new normal.”
Up to 40,000 disabled people and people with health conditions will benefit from expanded access to personalised support, as the government rolls out Support Conversations across a further 27 Jobcentres taking the total number of sites to 33
Support Conversations expanding to a further 27 Jobcentres across Great Britain, bringing the total to 33 sites.
Disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits are being offered a one-to-one, voluntary, hour-long conversation to discuss their support needs and identify extra help. This support is personalised and could link people to help with their health, debt, skills, employment and housing.
Part of the government’s wider £3.5 billion investment to help disabled people and those with health conditions into work over the Parliament.
Support Conversations are voluntary, hour-long sessions designed to help people identify and overcome the barriers stopping them from moving into work or into meaningful activity (such as volunteering) and is part of the commitment the Government made in last year’s Pathways to Work Green Paper
Unlike standard Jobcentre appointments, Support Conversations take a holistic approach, covering not just employment, but housing, debt, skills, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation services. Support Conversations are delivered by Healthcare Professionals, Pathways to Work Advisers, and Disability Employment Advisers, and are available face to face, by video, or by telephone.
They are open to those who are awaiting a Work Capability Assessment and people furthest away from the labour market – assessed as having Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA).
These are people who for too long were written off and denied support. But the government’s expansion of Support Conversations is giving people they help they need and builds on the landmark deployment of 1,000 Pathways to Work Advisers, who have already helped more than 65,000 sick and disabled people get one step closer to work.
Minister for Employment Dame Diana Johnson said: “Too many disabled people and people with health conditions face barriers that stop them from accessing the support and opportunities they deserve.
“That is why we are expanding the number of sites delivering Support Conversations from 6 to 33 Jobcentres across Great Britain, giving up to 40,000 people personalised help tailored to their circumstances.
“Getting more people into good work is central to our Plan for Change and Support Conversations will help us do exactly this.”
This expansion builds on testing already live in six sites where support conversations are being delivered by healthcare professionals and disability employment advisers. Early testing indicates customers feeling “listened to” and “supported.”
Neil, a Disability Employment Adviser in Bournemouth said: “Support Conversations are a great opportunity to spend an hour focused on the claimant and their needs.
“We all know that many people face a whole range of challenges which need to be overcome as part of their individual journey back to work and talking through those challenges with a DEA is an important first step.
“Support Conversations confirm that the most valuable resource we have is the time that we spend with our claimants.”
Saimha, a Healthcare Professional in Preston said: “Support Conversation is about providing compassionate, informed, holistic, person-centred support to disabled people and those with health conditions. Every interaction is an opportunity to make someone feel heard, safe, and supported.
“Every person’s health journey is unique and support conversation is an opportunity to identify the range of barriers people are facing in their day to day life and signposting them to the relevant services that can help, encouraging people to take positive steps towards improving their lives.”
This expansion forms part of the UK government’s Pathways to Work offer and its broader £3.5 billion employment support package, which includes:
Connect to Work, which delivers tailored, personalised, local support that will help 300,000 people into work by the end of this parliament.
The national expansion of WorkWell, backed by £259mn, helping up to 250,000 people with health conditions to stay in or return to work.
Allowing sick or disabled people to try work without the immediate fear of reassessment through the Right to Try.
The deployment of 1,000 Pathways to Work advisers who’ve already helped tens of thousands of people the previous Government wrote off.
The government will continue to test the success of Support Conversations through healthcare professionals and disability employment advisors as part of this expansion, with Pathways to Work Advisers also carrying out these Support Conversations for the first time. 27 sites have been confirmed so far, with a further six sites to be confirmed shortly.
The expansion directly supports the government’s Plan for Change and its mission to raise living standards across the UK by helping more people into work and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Additional Information:
Support Conversations are currently offered to people awaiting a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) who have registered a health condition or disability that impacts their ability to work and those assessed as having Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA).
The conversations are entirely voluntary.
List of confirmed sites (note 6 further sites to be confirmed shortly):
We are excited to share a delicious community meal with you tomorrow. We do our best to have a variety of options, including vegetarian and a delicious pudding.
What’s on the menu today:
Broccoli soup
Mexican beef stew with rice
Veggie haggis curry with rice
Please check the board or ask our volunteers about allergens.
And just a heads-up, our food is served until it runs out!
Granton Primary School children using the 30th anniversary of the Old and News Towns World Heritage Site in Edinburgh as inspiration to create an exhibition to help mark this important milestone.
The children’s artwork will be displayed in a special exhibition for residents and visitors to view in the Museum of Edinburgh later this year to celebrate three decades since the Site was inscribed by UNESCO in 1995.
The class of primary four pupils are working with local artist Stephanie Walker on their ‘Imagine if…’ project to help the children put together artwork using the Old Town to help spark excitement and curiosity for the world around us. The aim of the project is to create a connection and a sense of wonder for the valuable heritage Edinburgh is so famous for.
Local artist Stepanie Walker said:“The project has been designed to guide the children through a series of art sessions to help them imagine and create their final piece to display on canvas.
“Before our visit to the World Heritage Site we explored what we know about Edinburgh. The children brainstormed and shared ideas about famous buildings and drew them to create a class exhibition.
“We visited the Museum of Edinburgh on the Royal Mile and learnt about why the city has a World Heritage Site, explored artefacts in the museum and shared what we had discovered.
“We visited the Site twice walking around the cobbled streets and narrow closes in and around the Royal Mile. The children looked carefully at the old buildings, monuments and skylines as well as all the nature we found in the historic area. We visited the Canongate Kirk, and I encouraged the children to imagine what the people who lived there long ago were like.
“The pupils then made sketches and used water colours to create paintings of their favourite scenes, buildings and objects to use as reference material for the final piece they will put together back in the classroom.”
Cllr Joan Griffiths Planning Convener said: “This project is both creative and educational as it allows pupils from a different area of the city to use art to help bring to life different aspects of the World Heritage Site such as the buildings and skylines that they find inspirational.
“It’s wonderful to see the work they have produced and I’m very much looking forward to the final exhibition in the Museum of Edinburgh later this year. It’s important that we teach children the value of preserving our World Heritage Site for future generations to come.
“I’m hoping this class of primary four pupils will remember the project in years to come holding onto what they’ve learned about what’s special about the history of their city and will pass this on.”
Entries will be grouped into twelve categories, each celebrating a particular value of Scotland’s capital city. The winning photograph in each category will become part of a year-long calendar, which will be sold on Historic Scotland sites and at Edinburgh World Heritage events to raise money for the Trust.
The over-all winner will take pride of place on the front cover of the calendar and will receive a one-year membership for Historic Scotland, who run top-rated visitor attractions all over the country.
The latest Public Health Scotland figures on waiting times for musculoskeletal (MSK) services should be a cause for concern.
Between August 2025 and March 2026, only 52.4 per cent of patients were seen within the Scottish Government’s four-week waiting time target. Meanwhile, the number of people waiting for care increased to 75,128 by the end of March 2026.
Behind these figures are people living with arthritis and other MSK conditions who are experiencing pain, reduced mobility and uncertainty while waiting for support. MSK conditions affect around 1.7 million people in Scotland and are the leading cause of pain and disability. Timely access to services such as physiotherapy is often critical to helping people manage their condition and maintain their quality of life.
Arthritis UK is calling for a national MSK Action Plan to improve access to diagnosis, treatment and support. We are also urging the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Care and Sport Committee to undertake a dedicated inquiry into musculoskeletal health, an area that has never been the subject of a parliamentary inquiry despite its significant impact on individuals and the health service.
These latest figures highlight the need for urgent action to improve outcomes for people living with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions across Scotland. People living with this cannot afford to wait any longer.
Alan McGinley
Policy and Engagement Manager (Scotland) Arthritis UK
POLICE are appealing for information following the robbery and assault of a man in Craigmillar.
The incident happened around 8.30pm on Monday, 22 June, 2026, on Niddrie Mains Road near Jack Kane Park.
The man’s phone was taken. He was taken to hospital for treatment.
One suspect is described as male, white, around 5ft 10in tall, around 30-year-old, of medium build, with dark hair. He was wearing grey tracksuit bottoms and a hoodie.
The other suspect is described as female, white, around 5ft 8in tall, around 30-years-old, of slim build, with dark hair. She was wearing a light-coloured top, leggings, and white trainers.
Constable Daniel Mackintosh said: “This was a busy area and we are appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident to contact us.
“We’d also ask anyone with private CCTV or dash-cam footage which could assist our enquiries to come forward.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident 3465 of Monday, 22 June, 2026. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
New analysis of Scottish Charity Regulator data by Ansvar Insurance has highlighted the important contribution made by Edinburgh’s micro-charities, with 1,317 grassroots organisations supporting a wide range of causes across the region.
The figures show that 45 new micro-charities – organisations with an annual income of less than £25,000 – were registered during 2025, adding to an established network of local organisations delivering support to communities.
Adam Tier, Head of Underwriting at Ansvar, a specialist insurer for the charity and not‑for‑profit sector, commented: “The latest figures show that community spirit remains strong across Edinburgh, with more people taking action to support causes that matter to them and their local area.
“Micro-charities may be small in terms of income, but their contribution to society is often far greater than their size suggests. Across the area, these organisations support a wide range of causes and play an important role in local communities.”
Despite limited income, micro-charities often face many of the same challenges as larger organisations. These responsibilities often fall to a small team, who must balance day-to-day service delivery with the regulatory demands of running a charity.
Building awareness of these challenges can ensure micro-charities are better placed to continue delivering vital services.
According to Ansvar, three key areas are:
Governance and trustee responsibilities – ensuring trustees understand their legal duties and that appropriate policies and procedures are in place.
Cyber security and data protection – protecting the personal information of donors, volunteers and beneficiaries from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
Operational resilience – preparing for unexpected events that could affect the charity’s ability to deliver services, and ensuring appropriate insurance and contingency plans are in place to minimise disruption.
Adam Tier added: “Many of these organisations are run by dedicated volunteers who are passionate about making a difference.
“By building strong foundations early on, micro-charities can put themselves in the best position to continue supporting their communities for years to come.”
Ansvar conducted the analysis to highlight the important contribution made by grassroots charities and to recognise the people who dedicate their time and resources to supporting local causes.
We’ve got a professional barber popping into North Edinburgh Arts on Wednesday 1 July, 1-3pm, offering free short hair cuts for local residents living in North Edinburgh.
Spaces are limited, so booking is a must. Give the Link Up team a ring on 07493 876 130 to book your spot before the chairs fill up.
