An amendment will be brought forward during Stage 2 of the Budget Bill to allocate an additional £120 million to local authorities. The funding represents the equivalent of a 4% Council Tax rise.
Finance Secretary Kate Forbes said whilst councils have full flexibility in setting local council tax rates, there is no requirement for any inflation-busting increases in 2022-23.
The money is being made available after the UK Government advised that the Scottish Government should anticipate further funding for 2021-22, funding which will be confirmed at the Spring Supplementary Estimates next month.
Speaking during the Stage One Budget Bill debate, Ms Forbes said: “I am in no doubt about the important role local authorities play in our communities and in helping manage our ongoing response to the pandemic. I also understand the financial challenges they face.
“The 2022-23 Scottish Budget remains fully allocated and for weeks the UK Government has been telling us not to expect further funding. That has now suddenly changed and the UK Government has advised that we should anticipate further funding for 2021-22 which will be confirmed at the Spring Supplementary Estimates next month.
“Consequently I now have some new flexibility and am pleased to confirm my intention to utilise the Scotland Reserve to carry forward sufficient funding to allow me to allocate a further £120 million of resource to local government. Councils will have complete flexibility to allocate this additional funding as they wish in 2022-23.
“Councils asked for an additional £100 million to deal with particular pressures. We have heard them and listened and we are going to go further. This will allow them to deal with the most pressing issues they face.
“At a time when people are understandably worried about the cost of living, I would point out this increase in funding would be equivalent to a 4% increase in Council Tax next year, so whilst councils have full flexibility in setting local council tax rates, I do not believe that there is a requirement for any inflation-busting increases next year.”
With just a few days left of Veganuary, thinking of ways to keep dishes new and exciting can be a challenge.
For those looking for inspiration, or a treat that doesn’t break your resolution, here’s five vegan-friendly options at Fort Kinnaird that will keep tastebuds satisfied:
Enjoy some ‘vegatsu’ at wagamama
With wagamama committing to making half of its menu meat-free by 2022, there is a growing number of vegan options available at the restaurant in Fort Kinnaird – which is open until 9.00pm every day.
With dishes including silky, rich kareborosuramen, vegan ribs and vegatsu on the menu, those in search of a vegan meal will be spoilt for choice. Check out the menu here.
Try the vegan experience at Frankie & Benny’s
Frankie & Benny’s has long been a family favourite and the chain now has a host of vegan options on their menu for those looking to try more plant-based options.
The Tower Beet Burger, loaded with vegan mozzarella, sliced aubergine, napolitana sauce and torn basil is a mouthwatering option, while the vegan peperoni pizza along with plantballs Italiano and vegan ice cream mean there is something for everyone at Frankie & Benny’s.
The restaurant at Fort Kinnaird is open until 9.00pm from Monday to Thursday and until 10.00pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, making it an ideal way to complete your day out.
Experience the ‘Angry Vegan’ at Bread Meats Bread
Bread Meats Bread has been a hit at Fort Kinnaird ever since it opened its doors, and the restaurant has a number of incredible vegan options.
Using Moving Mountains Plant Based Burgers, the team at Bread Meats Bread have developed a range of delicious burgers, including the ‘Cheesy M&M’ and the ‘Angry Vegan’, for those looking for a fantastic burger, without the meat.
Find out more about Bread Meats Bread’s largest restaurant in Scotland here.
Get the best of the Plant Kitchen range at M&S
This bestselling range at M&S is a staple for those looking to create plant-based meals at home.
Spice up your night with tacos made with Plant Kitchen fishless goujons or pack a punch with crispy BBQ wings inspired by the flavours of Korea.
After a sweet treat? Plant Kitchen now offers salted caramel cookie dough – perfect for layering with fruit and dairy-free ice cream.
Luxury British chocolatier and cacao grower Hotel Chocolat is well known for its incredible chocolate selection, but did you know the retailer also stocks a host of vegan options?
With the ‘vegan sleekster’ selection box and the ‘all dark vegan chocolate hamper’ available, pop in store to see the incredible range of vegan sweet treats.
Luminate, Scotland’s creative ageing organisation, are looking for anyone who undertakes creative activities with and for older people to respond to their newsurvey.
Their work is about ensuring all older people in Scotland can enjoy high quality arts and creative activities, whatever their background and circumstances, and wherever they live. They want to hear about people’s experiences to help them plan their work for the rest of this year and beyond.
Anyone taking part can win a £50 shopping voucher, and the survey itself should take only about 10 minutes to complete. All replies will be kept confidential and contact details are only needed for the prize draw, and will not be shared.
The survey will be open until close of play Wednesday 9 February.
Responding to Public Health Scotland’s latest stroke statistics, John Watson, Associate Director Scotland of the Stroke Association, said: “The latest stroke figures reinforce what the Stroke Association has repeatedly said – that stroke has a huge impact on the health and social care landscape in Scotland, and those who live in the poorest parts of our country are the most adveresly affected.
“The health and social burden of stroke falls most heavily on certain groups. The death rate for cerebrovascular disease in the most deprived areas in 2020 was 43% higher than in our least deprived areas.
“Stroke remains Scotland’s fourth biggest killer. More than 128 000 Scots are living with the effects of their stroke. The need for improvements in stroke prevention, treatment and care is urgent and recognised by the Scottish Government.
“We await the imminent publication of the Scottish Government’s vision report outlining a new progressive stroke service for Scotland.
“We then expect a Stroke Action Plan to follow that quickly – outlining how the vision is to be delivered in Health Boards and communities across Scotland.”
Newly-published paper details the creation of NapierOne
Cyber security experts at Edinburgh Napier have created a new data set which will support cutting-edge research into ransomware detection.
Ransomware – malware that encrypts files, giving the attacker scope to demand a ransom to restore access – has become a popular and potentially lucrative method of attack for cyber criminals.
However, newly-created NapierOne (www.napierone.com) is now available to help test and evaluate new detection methods, amid concerns that previous data sets used in digital forensics research have become outdated.
The new openly accessible ready-to-use data set will improve consistency by using standard formats allowing earlier studies to be replicated. As such it will improve the pace and direction of research into ransomware, and could help find robust solutions to the threats it poses.
NapierOne’s creators also believe it is generic enough to support many other fields of research that require a varied mix of common files.
Govdocs1
The most well-known publicly available data set used in malware analysis to date has been Govdocs1, now more than a decade old.
It was designed to help reproduce forensic research, but doubts have emerged about how well it reflects current usage, with some increasingly popular file types not being well represented.
And where there have been a lack of useful data sets available to researchers, they have often developed their own and have not distributed them when their work is complete.
Their research identified popular file formats for inclusion as they set about creating a data set containing more than 500,000 unique files distributed between 100 separate data sets and subsets.
The paper describes how specific file types were selected, how examples were sourced and how researchers are able to gain free, unlimited access to the data.
The authors see NapierOne as a starting point for an ongoing project which will grow and develop as other researchers provide additional data sets that can be incorporated into it.
Simon Davies said: “It is hoped that the adoption of the NapierOne data set into the implementation, development and testing lifecycles of new ransomware detection techniques will streamline and accelerate the development of more robust and effective detection techniques, allowing independent researchers to reproduce and validate proposed detection methods quickly.”
Portrait of Rich MacFarlane
Associate Professor Rich Macfarlane said: “Ransomware has been around for many years – encrypting and deleting users’ files and demanding a ransom from the victim. It has become increasingly common and its sophistication has increased significantly, leading to it currently being the biggest cyber security problem globally.
“This work aims to provide a research data set allowing scientific rigour in research towards fighting the ransomware problem. The data set has been created and successfully used in our ransomware detection research.
“Containing over half a million unique files representing real world file types, it is broad and diverse enough to be used in a range of cyber security and forensic research areas.
“We hope the data set will have the same global research impact as the Govdocs1 work.”
Professor Bill Buchanan said: “There are few areas of cyber security that need more of a scientific base than in digital investigations, and thus there exists a need to make sure investigators have appropriate tools that have been verified and properly evaluated. This data set provides a foundation for researchers to prove their new methods, and thus further support innovation in the area.
“The UK is becoming an international leader in the field of safe technology – which involves the development of tools to support digital investigations and threat detection – and this research showcases the development of a strong scientific base.”
Streaming has changed the way we listen to music. In the UK, more than 80% of recorded music is now listened to via a streaming service rather than using traditional physical media like CDs and vinyl.
Linking the creators making the music and the fans listening to it through a streaming service is a complex network of companies that help make, promote and distribute recorded music.
The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) study will examine the music streaming market, from creator to consumer, paying particular attention to the roles played by record labels and music streaming services.
As part of its assessment of how well the market is working for audiences, the CMA will consider whether innovation is being stifled and if any firms hold excessive power. The CMA’s study will help build a deeper understanding of how firms in the market influence listeners’ choices and experiences.
While focussing on potential harm to consumers, the CMA will also assess whether any lack of competition between music companies could affect the musicians, singers and songwriters whose interests are intertwined with those of music lovers.
If the CMA finds problems, it will consider what action may be necessary.
Andrea Coscelli, Chief Executive of the CMA, said: “Whether you’re into Bowie, Beethoven or Beyoncé, most of us now choose to stream our favourite music.
“A vibrant and competitive music streaming market not only serves the interests of fans and creators but helps support a diverse and dynamic sector, which is of significant cultural and economic value to the UK.
“As we examine this complex market, our thinking and conclusions will be guided by the evidence we receive.”
The CMA has also begun a market study of mobile ecosystems as well as launching the Digital Markets Unit in April 2021 – which is operating in shadow form pending legislation that will provide it with its full powers.
An independent CMA Inquiry Group is also separately investigating Sony’s completed acquisition of ‘artist and label’ services provider AWAL.
The market study takes place in parallel to a wide range of work being done by the UK government in these markets. While the CMA’s work will focus on competition issues, it will maintain a coherent approach with other related work including initiatives being undertaken by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, the Intellectual Property Office and the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation.
Police Scotland is urging the public to remain vigilant for an ongoing fraudulent banking scam involving people impersonating police officers.
Between October 2021 and January 2022, over 30 reports have been received from members of the public, who have either been visited or contacted by individuals claiming to be Police Scotland officers.
On each occasion, the victim was contacted by telephone from someone claiming to be from a bank fraud department and advised that their bank account had been compromised. They were then requested to either transfer money remotely to another account online or attend at a bank and remove cash, which would later be collected by a police officer.
While not every attempt to extort money was successful, those responsible defrauded a number of victims across Forth Valley, Fife, Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Tayside, Ayrshire and the Scottish Borders.
More than £300,000 has been defrauded from victims and inquiries to identify those responsible are ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to come forward.
In the meantime, police are offering advice to stop people falling victim to this scam and will be leafleting across Scotland to help educate communities on how police will engage with the public in person, over the phone and online.
Superintendent Hilary Sloan from Partnerships, Prevention and Community Wellbeing Division said: “While there are a number of ways police officers may look to contact you, please be mindful of this scam and always be suspicious of any unexpected contact.
“If you receive such a call, or visit, ask for the officer’s details and which department they work for. If the contact is by telephone, hang up and if possible use a different phone to contact the police service via 101, where you will speak to genuine members of Police Scotland and can request police officer verification.
“We began a national roll-out of new identification cards, which feature an up-to-date picture of the officer, along with other key information and various security enhancements that make them extremely difficult to replicate. This roll-out was started in October 2021 and all police officers should be able to provide this identification when carrying out legitimate police business.
“If you receive an email claiming to be from Police Scotland with a link to an external site to make a payment, this may also be fraudulent. Be aware of phishing scams and verify that any link provided is genuine. If you receive something claiming to be from us requesting any form of payment, contact us via 101 to investigate this matter before parting with your money.
“We are treating this ongoing scam with the utmost seriousness and have officers around the country pursuing various lines of inquiry.”
Those with information can contact Police Scotland via 101. Alternatively, an anonymous report can be made to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, Cllr Kate Campbell wrote in yesterday’s Evening News about how the council’s housing budget is managed:
The council’s housing budget is entirely ringfenced from the rest of council spending. Tenant’s rent is only spent on housing: services for council tenants, repairs, large scale upgrades to existing homes – things like new roofs or lifts or windows – and building new council homes.
Every year we set a one year budget, which includes setting rent levels for the coming year; a ten year strategy which sets investment plans for new and existing homes; and a 30 year strategy which makes sure that the HRA remains healthy and that we can afford all of the investment we want to make.
And there is a lot of investment we want to make. We’ve proposed £2.9bn of investment in council housing over the next ten years. Much of this is about building desperately needed new council homes to replace the stock we lost through the Right to Buy policy, which has sadly seen many former council homes turn into unaffordable private lets.
We’ll also invest £850m in existing homes. Energy efficiency measures are a big part, improving the quality of life for council tenants and resulting in warmer homes that are cheaper to heat.
We’ll continue with improvements inside tenant’s homes but also spend money on communal areas and the wider estates. Tenants have said they want better bin stores, playparks, community growing spaces, benches, landscaping and planting. This will make outdoor space useable, safe and bring a wealth of wellbeing benefits.
We can’t compromise our ability to make these investments. They’re crucial to the quality of life for tenants. Which is why proposing a rent freeze this year was a hard decision to make.
Due to Covid, there have been delays to construction. At points sites were completely closed, but there have also been social distancing and health and safety requirements that have slowed work down over the last two years.
So there has been an underspend. This means that although over the ten-year plan we need the additional funding we would have got from a 1.8% rent increase, we don’t need it now. We can freeze rents and not affect investment as long as it is made up from slightly higher increases in later years.
And right now we have a cost of living crisis which is hitting people on the lowest incomes the hardest.
We’ve already seen the cut of £20 a week to universal credit – a loss of over £1000 a year to many families in Edinburgh. Energy prices have rocketed, with predictions that they’ll continue to rise.
Too many people face the stark choice between feeding their families and heating their homes. And from April 2022 there will be an increase in National Insurance contributions.
And the ONS announced last week that inflation is the highest it’s been for nearly 30 years. But while overall it’s 5.4%, essentials go up by much, much more. Again, hitting people already struggling far harder.
So a rent freeze in this exceptional year feels like a difficult choice, but the right one.
It surely goes without saying that the rent freeze has nothing at all to do with the Council elections coming up in May, of course! – Ed
Experts to assess needs of women in the justice system
Gender inequality and improving women’s experiences within the justice system will be addressed by a new Scottish Government panel.
Members will examine the experiences of women as both victims and offenders in a range of settings including policing, community justice, criminal and civil courts, tribunals and prisons.
The Women’s Justice Leadership Panel, which met for the first time yesterday, will be chaired by Community Safety Minister Ash Regan.
Membership includes Solicitor General Ruth Charteris QC, academics and representatives from the Scottish Prison Service, Police Scotland, Community Justice Scotland, the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre and the Centre for Women’s Justice.
Key issues for the panel include:
how women experience the Scottish justice system differently from men, in what ways their needs are not being met and how it impacts on them
international and UK examples where women’s needs are more appropriately met
how to address under-representation of women in senior leadership roles and how this impacts on the culture in justice organisations
Ms Regan said: “The Scottish justice system needs to evolve to ensure it serves the needs of women. For example, issues like the impact of caring responsibilities on women or the blurred line between victimisation and offender status are issues which could be understood better.
“Some significant improvements have been made, but often changes are piecemeal and do not provide the fundamental reform needed to embed women’s rights.
“We need to develop a better picture of the evidence to demonstrate how the experience of the justice system differs depending on gender and promote a consistent understanding of the impact of this on women. This will help us deliver better outcomes for women and reflect expectations of what a modern justice system should look like.”
The membership of the panel comprises:
Ash Regan – Minister for Community Safety (Chair)
Ruth Charteris QC – Solicitor General
Jacqueline Clinton – Scottish Prisons Service
Ch Supt Linda Jones – Police Scotland
Rose McConnachie – Head of learning, development and innovation at Community Justice Scotland
Jen Ang – Director of Development and Policy Scottish Women’s Right Centre/Just Right
Harriet Wistrich – Director, Centre for Women’s Justice
Professor Vanessa Munro – University of Warwick, School of Law
Mariam Ahmed – Co-Chief Executive Officer for Amina Muslim Women’s Resource Centre
The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, founded by rugby legend Doddie Weir, has donated £50,000 to charity MND Scotland and £100,000 to the MND Association, to support people living with motor neurone disease (MND).
Doddie, who first shared his MND diagnosis in June 2017, has pledged to help others with the rapidly progressing terminal illness, as well as funding for research into finding a cure.
Since 2018, the Foundation has committed annual funding to MND Scotland and the MND Association, to help the charities provide vital support to people who are currently affected by MND.
This new cash boost takes the Foundation’s total donations to MND Scotland and the MND Association to £430,000 and £770,000, respectively. The funds will be used by both organisations to help ease some the financial burden that comes with a diagnosis of MND, through their grant programmes.
These programmes aim to help reduce some of the extra costs that come with living with MND. The grants can be used in various ways, for instance; to help with costs towards home adaptations, such as ramps and stairlifts, for specialist equipment to live life more independently, and for respite activities for carers and families.
Jill Douglas, CEO of the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, said: “We recognise the challenges faced by people who are given this terrible diagnosis and the impact it has on them and their families.
“We speak to people every day who need support and we are committed to doing all we can to help. We are delighted to work with the two MND charities, MND Association and MND Scotland who have the experience and expertise to make sure our grants reach the people who need them most.”
Rachel Maitland, MND Scotland’s Chief Executive, said:“A diagnosis of MND can put an enormous financial strain on people living with the disease, and our grants programme can be life-changing for those affected in Scotland.
“We thank the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation for this very generous donation and for the Foundation’s continued support over the years.
“These funds help MND Scotland provide essential financial support when people need it the most, and by continuing to work together we can make life a little easier for people living with MND right now.”
Sally Light, Chief Executive of the MND Association for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said:“MND will only be defeated through collaboration and partnership, and so we are delighted our care grants partnership with the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation will be entering its fifth year.
“While we are working hard to find a cure for this devastating disease, it is vital we can provide tangible support right now to those living with and affected by MND.
“Our comprehensive grant programme is there to help people living with MND and their families in a number of ways, which can make a real difference when they are desperately in need of support.
“We are incredibly grateful to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and know that this generous donation will help so many people in the MND community.”
