Limit on indoor gatherings extended

More restrictions in West of Scotland

Restrictions on meetings in indoor household settings have been extended to people living in Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire.

The current limits on indoor gatherings for people living in Glasgow, East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire will also continue for at least a further seven days.

The restrictions follow a recent increase in the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases with 78 new cases reported yesterday in the Greater Glasgow & Clyde area and 92 new cases on Sunday.

From midnight last night, the revised restrictions are:

  • people in the Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire local authority areas should not meet with people from other households in indoor household settings.
  • People from these areas should also not meet people in indoor household settings in other local authority areas. Members of different households can continue to meet outdoors, including in gardens, and in hospitality settings, provided all existing guidance is followed.
  • indoor visits to hospitals and care homes will be limited to essential visits only to protect the most vulnerable. Outdoor visits to care homes are permitted by three people from a maximum of two households, in line with current guidance.
  • if anyone living in these areas is identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, they and all those in their household group should self-isolate for 14 days.

The Scottish Government and local authorities will monitor hospitality over the coming days to see whether restrictions should be extended.

Those households who have formed an extended household and people providing care and support – for example caring for an elderly family member or delivering shopping – can continue to meet indoors with enhanced hygiene measures in place.

People living in all affected local authority areas who were previously shielding are asked to be particularly vigilant.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Over recent weeks, we have seen a continued increase in new COVID-19 cases in the Greater Glasgow & Clyde health board area.

“Having looked at where cases are being identified, the advice from the public health experts managing this outbreak is that restrictions on indoor gatherings should be extended to Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire and continue for at least a further seven days in Glasgow, East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire.

“I understand this will not be welcome news for people living in these areas but it is necessary to help us limit the spread of COVID-19. Acting now gives us the time and the space to protect people and get more control over the virus.

“I would ask everyone to be extra vigilant, to follow all guidance and to isolate and book a test if they have any symptoms. Above all, I want to emphasise that getting a test – and even getting a negative result – is not a substitute for self-isolating. If you have symptoms, or if you are contacted by our Test and Protect team and told to do so, you will need to self-isolate.”

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Director of Public Health, Dr Linda de Caestecker, said:  “We know it’s not much fun right now not being able to socialise as we would like to and Covid has gone on much longer than any of us would want. 

“However the only way we are going to beat this is by working together and sticking by the rules. Please limit your contacts and by doing this you’re not only protecting yourself but also your friends and family.”

The current restrictions will be reviewed every seven days in discussion with local partners.

The Scottish Government has not ruled out extending restrictions if necessary to protect public health.

Remember FACTS for a safer Scotland:

F – Face coverings. These should be used in shops and on public transport (buses, trains and taxis)

A – Avoid crowded places

C – Clean your hands frequently, using water & soap whenever possible

T – Two metres – observe physical distancing

S – Self-isolate and book a test if you are suffering from COVID-19 symptoms

Further guidance will be published on the Scottish Government website.

Senior public health officials have expressed concerns over the sharp rise in COVID cases across the UK over recent days.

 2,948 UK cases were recorded on Monday, according to UK government data. This follows 2,988 new cases announced on Sunday – the highest figure since 22 May.

Caerphilly becomes the first county in Wales to face lockdown from 6pm tonight and other areas across the UK have shown upward trends. Scientists are concerned that too many members of the public are not listening to public health advice and an increasing number have become complacent.

England’s deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van Tamm said: “If we don’t take this incredibly seriously from this point in we are going to have a bumpy ride over the next few months.”

Council ‘working to deliver a safer, healthier environment for East Craigs’

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes wrote in yesterday’s Evening News on council plans for a Low Traffic Neighbourhood in East Craigs – plans which have come in for scathing criticism from members of the local community:

I take every opportunity to listen to the views of residents on transport policy and projects, big and small, and last Friday I got the chance to hear from people in East Craigs about our plans for a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN).

Local concern around the implementation of this scheme is no secret, but context is key, and I wanted to understand exactly what the issues are, and how we can address these.

The strength of feeling around these measures is clear, and I want to reassure all those local people who came along to Gyle Park that their comments and questions did not fall on deaf ears. Our team have collated the themes discussed and are looking closely at how we can respond to them as we move forward with the scheme.
 
These measures are not being introduced lightly, and build on a great deal of traffic modelling, research and consultation carried out as part of the West Edinburgh Link project.  While there are many who are against our plans, there are also those in the area who are in favour of these measures and their voices deserve to be heard too. 

There are many factors that have led us to the introduction of a temporary LTN. Craigs Road, where we want to bring in a bus gate, is used for ‘rat running’ (additional through traffic caused by drivers avoiding busier routes) on a regular basis.  

Over the last two years we have had consistent feedback from the local community that more provision for walking, wheeling and cycling is both needed and welcomed. And we want to bring the benefits of quieter, safer streets to children and communities in the whole area.

Ultimately, the proposals discussed on Friday and over recent weeks are temporary, as part of our Spaces for People programme to create socially distanced streets, paths and pavements for residents in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This crisis is not over, as evidenced by the overnight news about Glasgow, for example, and we simply must create adequate space for people to walk, cycle or wheel safely. The beauty of this scheme’s temporary nature is that we’re able to monitor and tweak it where necessary – and also to build on it as part of long-term plans. If the East Craigs LTN does become a permanent part of West Edinburgh Link, it will be a key part of our active travel plan for the wider West Edinburgh area. 

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods are not a new idea– they’re already successfully used across the UK as a way of modernising older housing areas and making them safer by removing through traffic from an entire residential area. Not only has it been proven to significantly reduce the volume of traffic in both residential streets and the wider residential area, it can also invoke ‘traffic evaporation’, where residents no longer use cars for short trips and instead switch to other modes of transport. 

However, we know that every area is unique. What has worked in other areas may not suit East Craigs and we are not in the business of making life harder for local people.  That is why these measures are only being implemented on a temporary basis at this time and will be altered to include answers to key concerns being raised.
  
I believe East Craigs can be a successful LTN delivering a safer and healthier local community for everyone. However, I want residents to know I am listening and that I want to work together to create a positive vision for the East Craigs area. 

City projects share £635,000 Lottery cash

30 groups in Edinburgh are today sharing in £635,368 of National Lottery funding. Stepping Stones North Edinburgh is among those celebrating this morning – the project based on Pilton Drive North has received over £163,000.

Stepping Stones North Edinburgh will use their lottery grant to provide support to families experiencing challenging circumstances. It’s expected that up to 230 local people will benefit over the three years of funding and the funding will also provide volunteering opportunities.

TNLCF September Awards

Upward Mobility today receives £37,767 of funding, raised by National Lottery players, to provide a range of support and learning opportunities to adults with learning disabilities and autism.

Welcoming the funding, Andrew Thomson, Chief Executive, Upward Mobility Ltd, said: “The team at Upward Mobility are very grateful to have been awarded National Lottery Community Funding to enable us to support our students within their homes during this period of lock down and restrictions on group activities.

“Being able to take support services to our students enables us to maintain contact and help to reduce the feeling of isolation and anxiety experienced during these challenging times. We would wish to thank the National Lottery players for their donations enabling us to carry on this vital work.”

Street Fit Scotland receives £9,584  to provide a range of support for homeless and vulnerably housed people across the city.

Michelle Reilly, Founder/Chief Executive, Street Fit Scotland, said: “We are very grateful to receive this National Lottery funding which has enabled us to support the homeless community in Edinburgh to start to recover from lockdown. 

“We are now actively providing a variety of outdoor socially distanced fitness sessions again at the meadows. It’s great to see the community connecting again whilst getting fitter and having fun together after experiencing such a tough time.”

And Sikh Sanjog receives £8,400  to conduct research through to December 2020 which will investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the Sikh communities across Scotland.

Trishna Singh OBE, Director, Sikh Sanjog, said: “Sikh Sanjog is the only Family Sikh Support charity in Scotland.  

“Although being the gateway to the Sikh community in Scotland, resources have meant that research on the Sikh community has often had to take a step back to ensure focus on front line services. However, the funding awarded from the National Lottery will allow us to create a vital research project which will  provide a starting point to assess the impact that COVID-19 has had on Sikhs living in Scotland during the time of the pandemic.  

“The funding will enable us to extend the research project to cover not only the early effects the pandemic has had on the Sikh community, but also the current and future impact as we learn to adapt to this new normal.” 

Edinburgh based youth mental health charity, U-Evolve, have received a National Lottery award from The National Lottery Community Fund to ensure that young people, parents and front line professionals can access the resources they need to build good mental health, through their new online service – TALK hub.

U-Evolve, which was established in 2015, works with young people age 11-18 years old, providing 1:1 therapeutic coaching, youth mental health awareness workshops and training for frontline professionals, such as teachers and youth workers. This person centred, holistic support ensures that young people have the resources and environments they need to thrive. 

The TALK hub will be a virtual one stop shop for trusted resources and tools to support good mental health and wellbeing. These resources for young people, their parents and teachers will include a series of videos and podcasts responding to the questions and concerns U-Evolve hear most.

John*, one of the young people U-Evolve support said: “I am much more positive and happier with myself and how I look at the lockdown. I’m now back at work and felt rejuvenated coming back into work.

“My family and friends all noted drastic changes in my mood. To quote one of them, “You looked different than usual.”, when I question what was different, they said “You’re just radiating positivity.”

“This was when I realised that the help from U-evolve had affected more than just my thoughts and feelings towards being isolated, but that I felt more confident as myself and that I was able to get through a difficult time (albeit with some help) and that I could feel proud of myself for persevering and reflecting on myself as a whole.”

Becky Duff, U-Evolve’s CEO said: “We are delighted to receive this award from the National Lottery Community Fund. This support means that we can create our TALK hub and reach more young people and families than ever before.

“We’re seeing first- hand the impact the Covid-19 pandemic continues to have on young people and their families, and it’s more important than ever that these people can access the support they need, when they need it.”

*name changed for anonymity

Other Edinburgh and Leith projects to receive good news this morning include the Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden, Pilmeny Youth Centre, The Junction and the Men of Leith & District Men’s Shed group.

Announcing today’s funding of £5.5m to 257 projects across Scotland, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “In these uncertain times our priority is to ensure that National Lottery money continues to flow to charities, voluntary sector organisations and grassroots groups.

“I would like to congratulate Upward Mobility, Street Fit Scotland and Sikh Sanjog on their awards.  Each are important projects which will support people now and in the future when they can physically come back together to make great things happen in their community.”

“National Lottery players can be proud to know that money they raise by buying tickets is continuing to make such a difference.” 

National Lottery players raise £30 million every week for good causes in the UK.

The National Lottery Community Fund in Scotland is currently focusing its funding on those projects that supporting organisations and communities to respond to the challenge of COVID-19.  

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk       

Schools video helps parents decide when it’s time to test

NHSGGC’s Director of Public Health has produced a helpful video for parents worried about when to get their children tested for Covid.

Dr Linda de Caestecker worked with Glasgow City Council on the video, after a dramatic rise in requests for tests for children after the schools returned in mid August.

Dr de Caestecker said: “The idea of the video is to explain in some detail the work that goes on in Public Health when a positive case is confirmed in a particular school.

“In each case a Public Health doctor will work with teachers, the headteacher of the school and the Education Department to carefully calculate who are close contacts of a case.

“There is also lots of information in the video about the symptoms to look out for and who does and does not need to be tested.

“I really do understand the anxiety that some parents may have but it’s vital we make sure the system is not overloaded. This means it’s really important to keep those testing slots for the people who really need them.

“I hope parents find the video reassuring in what are fairly uncertain times. The NHS inform website is another great source of information – www.nhsinform.scot.”

The video can be found at: www.nhsggc.org.uk/covid/schoolsvideo

Celebrate Harvest with a One Planet Picnic

Scotland offers some fantastic local and sustainable food choices and this harvest season, Keep Scotland Beautiful is urging you to celebrate it by hosting a One Planet Picnic.

Open to everyone, from schools, businesses, communities and families the initiative, which is in its 8th year, aims to support people from all over Scotland to discover the great tastes of our seasonal food and local harvests.

This year, as we have faced unprecedented circumstances, many of us have discovered amazing local food on our doorsteps, from small egg producers, to local online food markets and milk delivery firms.  Many of us have relied on local food systems and rediscovered our love of baking bread and taking time to plan our meals and cook from scratch again.

Whether you prefer sweet seasonal fruit or locally sourced fish, hosting a One Planet Picnic allows you to celebrate the local food and recipes you love with others – online or in person in small groups.  

One Planet Picnic helps to raise awareness of the sustainable, local and seasonal food choices that everyone can make, as well as reducing food waste, food miles and food packaging.  A One Planet Picnic is good for you, and good for the planet.

Eve Keepax, Education and Learning Officer, at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said, “Last year more than 17,000 people were registered to take part in a One Planet Picnic and as we emerge from lockdown restrictions we would love to invite people to get involved this year. 

“Why not organise a picnic with a small group of friends and make the most of our stunning scenery or a local park, or host an online picnic with work colleagues or family.   A picnic is a great way to come together, it’s environmentally friendly and there is even a prize draw to enter just by registering your picnic with us.”

Register your own One Planet

Picnic at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/oneplanetpicnic  and access a range of resources including recipes, invitations and posters. 

You will also be entered into a prize draw to win a baking starter pack and baking book donated by the Association of Glasgow Bakers

Heart Research UK Healthy tip – Reducing your sugar intake

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Reducing your sugar intake

Around 63% of adults in the UK are either overweight or obese. Excess weight gain occurs when you consume more calories (energy) than you need. Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk of heart disease. Sugar provides energy and consuming too much can lead to weight gain.

In this Healthy Tip, we provide some tips for lowering your intake of sugary foods and drinks to help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Check food labels

When checking food labels be aware that added sugar can be listed in a variety of ways, such as sucrose, glucose, maltose, fructose, dextrose, honey, syrup, molasses, treacle or fruit juice concentrates. The food label may also provide information on
how much sugar is contained.

High in sugar – Foods that are high in sugar contain 22.5g or more of total sugars per 100g

Low in sugar – Foods that are low in sugar contain 5g or less of total sugars per 100g

Save sugary foods and drinks for an occasional sweet treat

We all like to have a treat from time to time, but if we consume sugary foods and drinks too often, it can be a risk to our health. Sugar is added to many commonly consumed food and drink products, such as cakes, biscuits, puddings, sweets, chocolate, soft drinks and sweetened yoghurts. Try to limit the amount of these foods and drinks in your diet by eating them less often and in smaller portions.

Reduce sugar in your drinks

If you usually add sugar to hot drinks, why not cut back gradually on the amount of sugar you add, until you can cut it out altogether. Alternatively, you could opt for an artificial sweetener, however this will not help you to adjust your taste preference for less sugary drinks. Try swapping sugary soft drinks for water, sugar-free or reduced-sugar drinks. Unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies also contain sugar so try to limit your intake to no more than 150ml a day.

Reduce your sugar intake at breakfast time

Frosted, chocolate or honey-covered breakfast cereals tend to be high in sugar. Try replacing these with unsweetened wholegrain breakfast cereals. For added sweetness, you could top your breakfast cereal with fruit, such as sliced bananas or berries and this will also contribute to your 5 a day.

Switch to low-sugar desserts

For a low-sugar dessert try adding fruit to a low-fat and low-sugar yoghurt. If using tinned fruit, choose tins in juice rather than
syrup. If you cannot resist a sugary pudding, eating a smaller portion is a better option as it will contain less sugar than a regular-sized portion.

What about the sugars contained in fruit?

Fruit contains naturally occurring sugars as well as fibre, vitamins, minerals and water. In this combination fruit is generally regarded as being good for our health. Eating at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day is recommended as part of a healthy balanced diet.

Are honey and brown sugar healthy options?

Although they are often marketed as healthier options, brown sugar and honey are not better for you than white sugar. These products are simply different forms of sugar and they are all high in calories. Brown sugar is the same as white sugar, with a small amount of molasses added in to give it a brown colour and a different flavour. Although honey is a natural product, it has a low nutritional value and it is also high in calories. Therefore, you should try to reduce your intake of honey and brown sugar as well as other types of sugar and syrups.

Further information

If you would like further information on weight management, you can get advice and support from the NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/start-the-nhs-weight-loss-plan/

You can find more healthy tips, recipes and advice at heartresearch.org.uk.

Emergency funding for culture

Small movie theater

Creative Scotland has published details of the Independent Cinema Recovery and Resilience Fund, the first of five emergency funds to be delivered over the coming weeks. 

The Independent Cinema Recovery and Resilience Fund is a £3.5million fund from the Scottish Government. The aim of the Fund is to help secure the survival of Scotland’s independent cinemas, enabling them to re-establish and adjust their business models in response to Covid-19.

The fund addresses the critical financial need faced by Scotland’s independent cinemas to enable them to return to full-time operation, significantly reducing the risk of wide-spread redundancies and closure of vital community assets.  

Guidelines for applying to the Fund have now been published ahead opening for applications on Monday 14 September.  

Sambrooke Scott, Head of Audience Development at Screen Scotland said: “We very much welcome the First Minister’s recent announcement of £31.5m in emergency funding for culture in Scotland and are pleased, as part of that, to be able to quickly offer £3.5m of that funding to support Scotland’s independent cinemas.  

“These cinemas not only present a broad range of high-quality creative programming to a varied audience, but they also serve as community hubs in geographically diverse parts of Scotland, including some of our more remote places.  

“This fund will offer a vital lifeline to those independent cinemas which have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, helping them to return to full-time operation and protect jobs.” 

The Independent Cinema Recovery and Resilience Fund is the first of five new emergency funds to be delivered by Creative Scotland over the coming weeks as follows: 

  • The £15m Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund will support organisations that provide opportunities for cultural engagement and who have been unable to trade due to the impact of Covid-19. It includes both organisations who provide opportunities for audience engagement (such as galleries, performing arts spaces, commercial theatres, comedy clubs and nightclubs) as well as those that enable and deliver cultural activity (such as production facilities, music and dance companies). Eligibility criteria and guidelines for applying are currently in development and will be published on Thursday 10 September. The fund will open for applications on Thursday 17 September and awards will be made by the first week in November.  
  • The £5m Creative Freelancer Hardship Fund will address the current financial hardship being felt by creative freelancers who normally work in the culture sector, but whose work has been impacted by Covid-19. We are currently working to appoint partners to ensure a wide spread of coverage of this fund and we anticipate opening for applications from early October. 
  • The £5m Sustaining Creative Practice Fund will support artists to continue developing new creative work that will make a significant contribution to Scotland’s recovery from COVID-19. This includes £1.5 million for the Culture Collective programme, mentioned in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government, supporting organisations employing freelance artists to work in and with communities across Scotland. The remaining £3.5m will be added to Creative Scotland’s existing open fund which is open for applications from individuals now.  
  • The £3m Youth Arts Fund will ensure creative opportunities for children and young people continue to exist across Scotland despite the Covid-19 pandemic. The fund will include targeted and open funding to youth music and wider youth arts organisations, a scheme to devolve grants locally to artists who work with young people and small grants delivered directly to young people to support them fulfil their creative ambitions. 

Details of all funds will be published on the Creative Scotland website and publicised through media and social media communications. 

Congested city bypass must be priority, says Briggs

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has said that the development of Edinburgh City Bypass must be a priority in the Scottish Government new national infrastructure investment plan, due to be published this month.

This week at the Scottish Parliament the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that the Scottish Government would “set out the framework for £32 billion of infrastructure investment over the next five years.”

In May 2018, Miles Briggs MSP held a Members debate in the Scottish Parliament where the then Transport secretary Humza Yousaf that the Edinburgh City Bypass was a priority for the Scottish Government (link).

In June 2018 the now Transport Secretary Michael Matheson declined to give a timetable for when Edinburgh City Bypass would be developed to address overcapacity issues.

Two years since the promise of a review into the strategic importance of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass and there has still been no progress made.

Edinburgh City’s bypass over congestion is an issue that Miles has campaigned on since his election in 2016.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “Lothian residents and businesses are increasingly concerned that SNP Ministers are not demonstrating the urgency required to avoid the bypass becoming gridlocked in future as usage will continue to grow and grow.

“Overcapacity issues on the bypass must be a national transport priority for this government and they must bring forward detailed new plans to improve this key trunk road.

“SNP Ministers have been delaying the development of this much needed infrastructure for residents and commuters in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

“The development of Edinburgh City Bypass must be part of the new national infrastructure investment plan.”

Community optometrists to support eye care services

Help for those with sight-threatening conditions.

Patients with chronic eye conditions will be now be able to be assessed by community optometrists as part of a new plan supported by £3 million in funding.

Due to changes in hospital services because of COVID-19 – including health, safety and physical distancing measures – there has been limited capacity to see all patients with chronic and sight-threatening conditions.

Under the new plan, the skills of community optometrists will be utilised to support hospital eye services, ensuring more patients can be seen for their appointments. 

Community optometrists are qualified to undertake this care – and the new initiative will help patients as well as supporting the existing optometry workforce. 

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to accelerate the reform of NHS eye care services.

This includes funding to support an additional 50 optometrists to train as independent prescribing optometrists, who can safely treat more patients within the community.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “As we steadily re-mobilise, we are implementing new ways of working to enable our highly skilled workforce across the whole NHS to deliver care in a safe and timely manner.

“I’m pleased that as we continue to see positive results in dealing with the virus, hospital patients with eye conditions will now be able to be reviewed by community optometrists.

“Community optometrists have worked very hard during the pandemic to embrace new ways of working, and these clinicians will now also play a key role in this initiative.

“This plan utilises the capacity within community optometry – their expertise, staffing and readily equipped practices can support the NHS both during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery, and beyond.”

Director of Royal National Institute of Blind Scotland James Adams said: “We welcome any move that ensures people receive timely eye-care examinations and treatment.  It remains as crucial as ever that eye problems are diagnosed as quickly as possible so that people don’t lose sight unnecessarily.

“As with all our health sector staff, optometrists have worked incredibly hard to maintain their vital service in very challenging conditions. RNIB Scotland has worked closely with them to assure the public that it is safe, and important, to attend appointments.”

More detail on Health Board mobilisation plans can be read online.

MacDonald welcomes youth guarantee

SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald has welcomed a new £60million Youth Guarantee announced in the Programme for Government, which guarantees everyone in Edinburgh aged 16-24, a job, a place in education or a place in training.

The new partnership between the Scottish Government and Scotland’s employers is backed by £60 million of government investment, which will be broken down as follows:

  • £30 million through local authorities to help local partnerships to deliver employability support for young people
  • £10 million to create additional opportunities in colleges
  • £10 million additional funding for Developing the Young Workforce, the Scottish Government’s internationally recognised Youth Employment Strategy
  • £10 million to support pathways to apprenticeships

This autumn, the Scottish Government will also launch the National Transition Training Fund, which is backed by initial funding of £25 million and will help up to 10,000 people of all ages retrain for jobs in growth sectors.

SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald,said: “Governments have rightly taken unprecedented steps to protect workers and businesses through this pandemic, but it’s vital that young people are not left behind. 

“This SNP government is absolutely determined that youth unemployment will not become the legacy of the Coronavirus pandemic.

“The new £60 million Youth Guarantee, announced in the First Minister’s Programme for Government, will guarantee every young person in Edinburgh aged 16-24 a job, a place in training, or a place in education.

“This is backed by additional funding for employers to recruit and retain apprentices, and the new Job Start Payment to help with the costs associated with starting a new job.

“I urge all employers who are able, to work with the Scottish Government to create more opportunities that recognise the valuable contribution our young people have to make in growing our economy.

“These steps to support for those most adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic are most welcome, and the SNP will continue to work to ensure every young person in our capital is given the opportunity to succeed”