Vulnerability partners reflect on winter challenges as part of SGN collaboration event

Around 150 vulnerability specialists from 130 organisations have joined energy network business SGN, who has an office in Edinburgh, at a conference to explore how to make homes across the UK warmer, safer and healthier.

Our Winter’s End Safe and Warm Partnership Conference 2025 in London brought together experts from organisations such as Age Scotland, Citizens Advice, Energy Systems Catapult, Fuel Bank Foundation, National Energy Action and Scope, who are all part of our Safe & Warm partnership network supporting vulnerable people in the communities we serve.

Experts from the energy, advice, government and charity sectors took part in panel sessions and open discussions to share the real world impact of financial cuts on the communities they’re helping and the daily challenges faced by individuals to keep their homes safe and warm, particularly during the colder months.

It was a crucial opportunity for delegates to reflect on the challenges experienced during the winter and share their insight, as well as collaborate on ways to work together in future to support vulnerable communities across SGN’s network areas in southern England and Scotland.

Together, we have so far supported 693,956 households and we expect this number to rise significantly over the coming months.

Held as a hybrid event, the conference had live interviews from key specialists streamed to the online audience, providing an opportunity for all partners to meet and discuss opportunities to collaborate with one another. We’ll be using discussions from the event to inform how we can evolve our partnership network and find new opportunities to plug gaps in support.

A key theme which emerged from the conference was the impact that cuts to benefits are having on the vulnerable people who our attendees are helping every day. Also, the value which our partner organisations create in supporting people who need extra help.

The conference opened with a keynote speech from National Energy Action Chief Executive Adam Scorer, who spoke about the need for local energy plans to be aligned with health plans in communities. He highlighted the long-term commitment of partners to our Safe & Warm network that enables organisations to provide enduring support.

Some of the key highlights from attendees included:

  • Molly Shevlin from Citizens Advice Scotland said they’re seeing people with issues that are complex and multilayered, requiring dedicated support from multiple organisations.
  • Rachel Boland from Age UK Oxfordshire highlighted a new challenge they’ve seen this winter of pensioners experiencing longer wait times for an outcome on pension credit applications.
  • Lee Healey from IncomeMax said that although digital exclusion can be a barrier to some vulnerable people obtaining the support and benefits they’re entitled to, many people are keen to use digital solutions to boost their income.
  • Helen Stockton from National Energy Action highlighted how net zero solutions need to be designed with vulnerable people in mind, with Bridget Newbery from Centre for Sustainable Energy adding that conversations around net zero need to be with people and not to people, and need to be meaningful to people’s everyday lives in order to engage them. She also discussed the need to check people who receive new technologies know how to use them.
  • Stella Osan from Mencap Croydon spoke out about the rising issue of damp in vulnerable homes, with stories she’s heard of landlords painting over dangerous black mould instead of working with tenants to tackle the problem. Richard DeNiese of Mencap Worthing added that it can often lead to people with autism struggling to make the right short-term decisions of keeping windows open to help remove the mould or to keep them closed in order to keep in the heat.

Maureen McIntosh, Director of Customer Service at SGN, explained how hosting the conference is part of SGN’s work to bring partners together to support vulnerable customers to use energy safely, efficiently and affordably.

She said: “We really appreciate how many people took the time to attend and take part in our Winter’s End partners conference. It highlights the importance of working together as we face the challenges that winter brings to communities across the UK. 

“We’re truly humbled by the passion our collaborative partners have in ensuring we give everyone the ability to stay safe and warm all year round. Our ambition is always that we never have to walk away from a customer in need.

“We want to create a legacy of people staying informed and supported and together with our partners, we can break down the stigma of accessing benefits and support.”

For more information on how SGN partners with other organisations to support vulnerable households, visit https://www.sgn.co.uk/about-us/supporting-vulnerable-households

Work coach shortage leads DWP to reduce support for Universal Credit claimants

  • Number of Universal Credit (UC) claimants in categories where the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) could require them to receive support from a work coach increased from 2.6 million in October 2023 to 3 million in October 2024.
  • 2,100 fewer work coaches employed on average by DWP than it estimated it needed in the first six months of 2024-25.
  • 57% of jobcentres reduced their support for claimants between September 2023 and November 2024 when work coach caseloads were too high.
  • Proportion of UC claimants in lowest earning category who move into work each month has declined in the past two years to below pre-pandemic levels.

The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) has reduced the level of support it offers to Universal Credit (UC) claimants due to a shortage of available work coaches at jobcentres, amid government plans to get more people into work and progressing in their careers, according to a new National Audit Office (NAO) report.

DWP relies on its network of 646 jobcentres across Great Britain to help people move
into work and to support those already in work to progress. In November 2024, the
government set out its plans for reforming employment support, including the role of jobcentres.

DWP tailors jobcentre support for UC claimants based on their earnings and personal circumstances. The number of claimants in categories where DWP could require them to receive support from a work coach – which includes the ‘Intensive Work Search’ category for those with the lowest earnings – grew from 2.6 million in October 2023 to 3 million in October 2024.

DWP has increased the number of Intensive Work Search claimants by raising the earnings threshold.

Work coaches play a critical role working directly with claimants to identify their needs and provide support. But partly due to funding constraints, DWP has not had enough work coaches to meet the expected demand for jobcentre support, with shortfalls in five of its seven regions in 2023-24.

DWP has also faced challenges in recruiting and retaining work coaches.

To help manage the shortfall, DWP has prioritised supporting claimants in the
Intensive Work Search category and postponed plans to require ‘Light Touch’
claimants to meet regularly with a work coach.

This resulted in DWP needing an estimated 900 fewer work coaches in 2024-25 than it otherwise would have done.

DWP has also set out measures that jobcentres can implement if work coaches’
caseloads are too high.

From September 2023 to November 2024, 57% of jobcentres used these flexibilities to reduce the support they provide for claimants.

The proportion of Intensive Work Search claimants who move into work each month
has declined in the past two years to below pre-pandemic levels.

There is also substantial variation in performance across DWP’s seven jobcentre
regions and 37 districts. At district level, from December 2023 to November 2024,
Birmingham and Solihull had the lowest average monthly into-work rate (5.5%) and
Northern Scotland had the highest (10.8%).

In November 2024, the government published a white paper that set out its plans for
reforming employment support. The plans include creating a jobs and careers service, bringing together jobcentres with the National Careers Service in England.

The NAO recommends that DWP assesses the impact of the shortfall in work coaches
on jobcentres’ ability to provide people with the intended level of support, and uses the findings to inform the design of its future operating model for employment support.

DWP should also set out the information it will use to monitor jobcentres’ performance so that it can identify and share good practice from those that are doing well, as well as improve how it measures and reports outcomes, with metrics covering factors such as the sustainability and quality of employment.

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “Helping people move into and progress in work is crucial to boosting productivity and reducing economic inactivity.

“As it takes forward the government’s plans for reforming employment support, DWP should pay close attention to how it can make best use of its work coaches and ensure that people get the support they need.

“Given the key role jobcentres will play in supporting the government’s ambition to
increase the employment rate, DWP should also be transparent about how effective
they are and evaluate the impact of its changes on the system of employment support.”

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts, said: “Jobcentres play an important role in supporting people to access and progress in work. However, a shortage of work coaches is limiting the support available to the growing number of Universal Credit claimants, with over half of jobcentres having to scale back their services.

“Future reforms to employment support will be frustrated without clear evidence on what works in supporting benefit claimants into employment. DWP must strengthen its monitoring of the performance of jobcentres, ensuring every pound spent delivers positive outcomes for individuals and the wider economy.”

Make It Happen – first image revealed

The first image has been revealed for new drama, Make It Happen, about the rise and fall of the Royal Bank of Scotland, featuring Brian Cox who will be playing the role of Adam Smith and Sandy Grierson who will be playing Fred Goodwin.

Make it Happen is the first major artwork to tell the story of Royal Bank of Scotland’s role in the 2008 financial crash and is written by James Graham and directed by Andrew Panton.

It marks the return of Brian Cox to Scottish stages for the first time in a decade.  The world premiere of Make It Happen opens the Edinburgh International Festival’s 2025 following preview performances at Dundee Rep Theatre.

Tickets to the Edinburgh International Festival opened for sale to the public on Thursday 27 March.

Cancer increasingly diagnosed in younger people to be tackled by £5.5m Scottish-led project

SCOTLAND TO LEAD NEW INTERNATIONAL CANCER “SUPERGROUP”

Cancer Research UK and partners today committed £5.5m to form a world-leading research team tasked with making personalised medicine a reality for people with bowel cancer. 

Led by Scottish scientists, the CRC-STARS initiative (Colorectal Cancer — Stratification of Therapies through Adaptive Responses), will bring together more than 40 bowel cancer experts to find new and kinder ways to tackle a cancer increasingly being diagnosed in younger people. 

Bowel cancer kills 16,800 people in the UK (1,700 in Scotland) every year and is increasingly being diagnosed in younger people.*A recent study by the American Cancer Society published in The Lancet Oncology  showed early-onset bowel cancer rates in adults aged 25-49 are rising in 27 of 50 countries studied and are rising faster in young women in Scotland and England than in young men.** 

Harnessing the expertise of researchers at universities and institutes across the UK, Spain, Italy and Belgium, the five-year project will aim to better understand how different bowel cancers respond to current treatments, why certain bowel cancers spread, and whether scientists can predict which treatments will work for individual patients.   

Led by Professor Owen Sansom of the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute in Glasgow and University of Glasgow, along with co-leads Professor Jenny Seligmann of the University of Leeds and Professor Simon Leedham of the University of Oxford, this personalised medicine approach will see detailed information about an individual’s cancer – not just the area of the body where the cancer started – used to help inform decisions on diagnosis and treatment.

Personalised medicine is a growing area of cancer care and research. 

Director of the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute and CRC-STARS co-lead, Professor Owen Sansom, said: “With more and more younger people being diagnosed with bowel cancer, it’s vital we remain vigilant and keep trying to understand new causes and new reasons for cancer. 

“Step by step, day by day, we’re discovering new ways to prevent, detect and treat bowel cancer and save lives, but there’s more to discover, and this new support from our funders will allow us to take bold steps towards better understanding bowel cancer and how to beat it.”   

Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the UK.*** Despite this, treatment options remain limited, particularly for patients who are diagnosed at later stages of the disease. Scotland is disproportionately affected by the disease with around 4,000 people being diagnosed each year.

First Minister John Swinney, who visited the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute today (Monday 31 March), said: “I very much welcome this multi-national research project and hope it will lead to more personalised care for people with bowel cancer. The fact it is being co-led by scientists in Glasgow is recognition of the expertise we have here in Scotland.

“With studies suggesting bowel cancer diagnoses rates are increasing for younger adults, it is vitally important to support research that will improve our understanding of how the disease progresses and develop new approaches to its treatment.”

Rectal cancer survivor Tracy Farrell, 53, from Glasgow welcomed the new investment into colorectal cancer. The fire service cook from Balornock was diagnosed aged 50  after seeing blood in her poo after going to the toilet.

She said: “It was the first time I’d had blood, I had no symptoms, no pain and my GP said because I was so young and had no family history of bowel cancer then she hoped it wouldn’t be that.

“There were no red flags for me so I was considered low priority but they were able to get me a colonoscopy within just three weeks due to a cancellation.

“They told me that day I had a tumour. I went from one day having nothing to the next day having cancer. I couldn’t even bring myself to say I had cancer. It was such a shock.

“At the time I was looking after my 14-year-old nephew Reece because his mother, my sister, had died from an aneurysm and I just thought he can’t lose me as well. He was like the baby I never had.”

Tracy was given chemotherapy and radiotherapy to shrink the tumour and the treatment worked so well she didn’t need surgery and now has been cancer free for three years.

She said: “I was lucky the cancer hadn’t spread and that it was caught early.”

With the support of her mum Kathleen, great friends and firefighter colleagues, Tracy is now doing well and nephew Reece is 18 and at college.

She took part in a research project by offering samples for scientists to study.

She said: “I found it a great help. It allowed me to have extra scans so we could see the treatment was working.

“But taking part in the study was amazing – to know you are helping them find out more about this disease so they can find new ways to tackle it feels very rewarding.”

The team will work on combining experimental, pre-clinical and clinical data to predict cancer progression and tailor new therapeutic approaches specific to each patient’s characteristics. It is hoped this work will the development of drug resistance and improve the response to treatments, such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, hopefully improving outcomes for patients. 

Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, Michelle Mitchell, said:  “For more than 100 years, Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have been working to beat bowel cancer, and this project is one of the most comprehensive for bowel cancer that we have ever supported.  

“Together with our funding partners – the Bowelbabe Fund, Bjorn and Inger Saven and the FCAECC – we can empower the CRC-STARS team to speed up the development of personalised treatment for people living with bowel cancer, bringing us closer to a world where people live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.”  

The team will also build on the tools, resources and discoveries developed by existing bowel cancer research collaborations (e.g. ACRCelerate) and Cancer Research UK’s National Biomarker Centre and  analyse data from Cancer Research UK-supported colorectal cancer studies such as the FOxTROT, TREC and PRIME-RT clinical trials.***   

Scientific Director at the FCAECC, Dr Marta Puyol, said:  “This project will not only help us to better understand the landscape of bowel cancer in a collaborative and multidisciplinary manner but will also allow us to place a strong emphasis on patient needs, accelerating the translation of results into clinical practice.”  

Care Homes invite community to April Open Day

SATURDAY 12th APRIL from 10am – 4pm

Strachan House and Queens Manor in Edinburgh will be opening their doors to the local community for an day of coffee and cakes on Saturday 12th April.

Taking place between 10.00 am – 4.00 pm guests will be able to enjoy home-made cakes prepared by the home’s Head Chef, and will have the chance to meet the team and take a tour of the home.  

Frances Fisher, General Manager at Strachan House, says: “I’m excited about welcoming new visitors and existing friends of the home to our open day.

“Looking for care can be a little bit daunting, but our team here at Strachan House will do all we can to provide all of our guests with the guidance and support they may need, and answer all of their questions, big or small.

“Our open day is a great chance to enjoy some delightful entertainment in a homely and friendly setting- hope to see you all there!”

Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active, and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.

Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides nursing care and dementia care from respite care to long term stays.

TODAY: Heating Meeting

ONLINE: – 2 to 3.30pm

Calling all community activists in Newhaven / Trinity / Granton / West Pilton – can you share your ideas about how decisions should be made on heating system changes coming within 5-15 years?

– How to tackle fuel poverty? Stop energy leaking out of homes!

– After gas … what? Heat pumps or heat networks?

These are big technical options being discussed right now by the Scottish Government and the City Council.

– Do you want a say in the new arrangements the infrastructure needed?

– Share your views on what will happen when gas no longer heats homes / workplaces.

– Could a Local Place Plan / a Local Energy Plan help?

This online workshop is for community organisers and residents interested in the issues. It will inform future funding applications and support for community organisations looking to take control of their journey to a low carbon future.

Book your place: https://tinyurl.com/2vfp5kv8

#community

#newhaven

#trinity

#granton

#westpilton

#heating

#localenergyplan

UK hosts first major international summit to tackle illegal migration

The UK has ‘mobilised’ over 40 countries and organisations to launch an unprecedented global fight against ruthless people smuggling gangs

The UK is spearheading the toughest ever international crackdown on organised immigration crime as the Prime Minister and Home Secretary host a landmark summit today (31 March). 

The Organised Immigration Crime (OIC) Summit brings together over 40 countries, including the United States, Vietnam, Iraq, and France, to unite behind a new approach to dismantle people smuggling gangs and deliver on working people’s priorities for secure borders.

This is the first time the full range of factors driving illegal migration, from the supply chain in small boats to anti-trafficking measures, illicit finance and social media advertising, have been explored at a global summit of this scale.

The summit will also see representatives from Meta, X and TikTok discuss how to jointly tackle the online promotion of irregular migration. 

Through the summit, the government will use all available levers at its disposal to push forward progress in bringing gangs to justice, tackle the global threat of organised immigration crime and protect vulnerable people from exploitation.

To back this drive, the Home Secretary has today announced £30 million of funding going directly to high impact operations from the Border Security Command to tackle supply chains, illicit finances and trafficking routes across Europe, the Western Balkans, Asia, and Africa. 

An additional £3 million will enable the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to increase its capacity to prosecute organised international smugglers and expand its international footprint to support the Border Security Command to pursue, disrupt and arrest those responsible for dangerous people smuggling operations. 

This reflects the Prime Minister’s long-held view, informed by his work as Chief Prosecutor, that cross border cooperation is the foundation of tackling international gangs and securing Britain’s borders.

In remarks delivered later today, the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, is expected to say: “This vile trade exploits the cracks between our institutions, pits nations against one another and profits from our inability at the political level to come together. 

“When I was the Director of Public Prosecutions, we worked across borders throughout Europe and beyond to foil numerous plots, saving thousands of lives in the process. We prevented planes from being blown up over the Atlantic and brought the perpetrators to justice. 

“I believe we should treat organised immigration crime in the same way. 

“I simply do not believe organised immigration crime cannot be tackled. We’ve got to combine our resources, share intelligence and tactics, and tackle the problem upstream at every step of the people smuggling routes.”

The summit will deliver concrete outcomes across Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, and North America by strengthening international partnerships, enhancing intelligence sharing, and implementing targeted disruptions to Organised Immigration Crime networks.

As a direct result, we will be able to strengthen UK borders and security and create a more efficient and manageable asylum system, taking the burden away from housing, the NHS and schools, and giving hotels back to the local economy.  

Speaking ahead of the summit, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Smuggler and trafficking gangs make their money crossing borders so law enforcement needs to work together across borders to bring them down. Only a coordinated international response, across the whole irregular migration route, can effectively dismantle these networks. 

“The Organised Immigration Crime Summit is the first of its kind and will reinforce the UK’s position as a leader by securing international commitments to disrupt Organised Immigration Crime at every stage of the business model.   

“The summit demonstrates mine and the Prime Minister’s absolute dedication to disrupting the callous Organised Criminal Gangs, strengthening our borders and ultimately save countless lives.”

The UK’s global leadership on this is issue is already delivering results. France has agreed to launch a unit of specialist officers who are mobile, highly trained and equipped to respond dynamically to prevent small boat launches. 

Germany has committed to strengthen their laws against those who facilitate smuggling to the UK and a new UK-Italy taskforce is hitting people smugglers’ financial flows. After boosting the resources for the National Crime Agency to work with international law enforcement partners, they have seized 600 boats and engines since July. 

Along with this, work continues at home through giving law enforcement tougher powers than ever to smash the smuggling gangs, ‘ramping up’ removals to record levels and surging illegal working raids to end the false promise of jobs used by gangs to sell spaces on boats. 

This comprehensive approach is a vital aspect of the government’s Plan for Change, with the threat from organised immigration crime increasing in scale and complexity.  

Organised immigration crime spans multiple countries, nationalities, and criminal methodologies, with recent estimate of the total global income from migrant smuggling reaching $10 billion last year.

Criminal gangs headed by hundreds of kingpins are using sophisticated online tactics, the abuse of legitimate goods and services, and illicit financial networks to facilitate dangerous and illegal journeys which undermine border security and put thousands of lives at risk each year.  

The summit will also examine the work of the government’s Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) in supporting the US, by providing innovative space-based maritime surveillance capability to monitor and dismantle any vessels along Haiti’s north coast suspected to be involved in illegal immigration, illegal fishing activities and drug smuggling.

The JMSC is harnessing cutting edge technology and capabilities to provide 24 hour monitoring of UK waters and ensure our borders are secure, by using satellite to provide a better overall understanding of incoming threats to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The UK government is working with our partners in Turks and Caicos to support and protect the Island from irregular migration. 

This collaboration demonstrates the UK government’s commitment to deploying advanced capabilities against illegal migration while protecting overseas territories. 

There has also been a series of major arrests of smuggling kingpins, including: 

  • arrests linked to a major Syrian organised crime group responsible for smuggling at least 750 migrants into the UK and Europe
  • the arrest of a Turkish national suspected of being a huge supplier of small boats
  • the conviction of 2 men in Wales who ran a smuggling ring moving thousands of migrants across Europe
  • the arrests in February of 6 men wanted in Belgium over their suspected involvement in a major people smuggling ring

These arrests come alongside the NCA working with the authorities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq for the first time, to facilitate the arrests of 3 men linked to a Kurdish people smuggling organised crime group, as well as an increase in the takedown of social media accounts linked to people smugglers.

A new code for Scotland’s pubs

Levelling the playing field for tied pub tenants

New measures have come into force to give Scotland’s tied pub tenants more rights and greater protection.

From today (Monday 31 March), the Scottish Pubs Code will enable tied pub tenants to stock a wider range of beers beyond those supplied through the pub-owning business, providing more choice for customers and supporting local breweries.

Pub-owning businesses will also have to provide prospective tenants with more information on things like business costs, helping them make more informed choices.

Further elements of the Code will be introduced in June. These will include allowing tenants to request different leases that will give them greater responsibility and flexibility in the way that they run their business.

An independent Scottish Pubs Code Adjudicator – Sarah Havlin – has started work overseeing the application of the Code and ruling on any disputes.

The Code has undergone extensive consultation and is intended to create a fairer operating environment between tenants and landlords, reduce costly disputes and help safeguard the future of Scotland’s tied tenanted pubs and bars.

Employment Minister Tom Arthur said: “This is a good deal for Scotland’s hospitality sector. We are rebalancing the relationship between pub tenants and pub-owning businesses, making it easier to do business and creating opportunities for entrepreneurs in the tied pub sector.

“And it is a boost for customers who could now find a much fuller array of local draught beers in their favourite pubs.

“I will continue to engage with the sector to ensure that the Code places the interests of both tenants and landlords at its heart.”

Commenting on the introduction of the new statutory Scottish Pubs Code today, Director of CAMRA Scotland Stuart McMahon said: “Pubgoers are welcoming the news that the Scottish Pubs Code is finally coming into force today, after long delays and tedious failed legal challenges by pub companies and global brewers.

“Under the Code, tied pub tenants will be able to sell guest beer free-of-tie, increasing choice at the bar for customers of tasty and distinctive products from small, local and independent breweries across the country – particularly for cask beer.

“The protections offered by the new Pubs Code for tied tenants running pubs make sure big pub companies treat them fairly and that they can earn a decent living. It should also help to make their businesses more sustainable, as well as supporting more pubs to thrive at the heart of their communities.

“We would like to thank Neil Bibby MSP who introduced the legislation to create a Scottish Pubs Code, and to the Scottish Government for giving the idea their backing.”

Mental Health Foundation: What is bipolar disorder?

TODAY IS WORLD BIPOLAR DAY

How much do you know about bipolar disorder? Today, on World Bipolar Day we’re raising awareness for this sometimes-misunderstood mental health condition.

Bipolar disorder involves extreme changes in mood. These symptoms can be challenging to manage.

Because the symptoms of bipolar disorder vary for everyone, it can take a long time to get a diagnosis. If you have extreme changes in your mood that last a long time, and are having an effect on your life, relationships, or work then consider seeing your GP. Remember, help is available to manage bipolar disorder:

👉Bipolar UK has a mood scale and diary and more information that may be helpful.

👉Mind has more information on the different types of bipolar, and how to manage them.

#WorldBipolarDay

MSP pushes for more sustainable practices amidst Scottish Government Fair-Trade debate

Foysol Choudhury, MSP for the Lothian Region, spoke in yesterday’s Scottish Government Debate on Scotland—A Fair Trade Nation, raising urgent concerns over sustainability and ethical supply chains.

Foysol Choudhury, MSP, spoke to Scotland’s continued recognition as a Fair Trade Nation, highlighting its commitment to fairness, trade justice, and global cooperation.

His speech recognised local businesses and organisations, including One World Shop, Hadeel, and the University of Edinburgh, who are embracing fair-trade principles, pointing to Scotland’s role in supporting marginalised communities worldwide while fostering sustainable and ethical practices locally.

However, Foysol Choudhury MSP emphasised the importance of popular retailers, like Primark, in moving to adopt fair-trade practices to ensure fair wages are met and to ensure ethical practices in merchandise production.

By encouraging businesses to adopt fair-trade practices, Scotland can set a powerful example of how ethical commerce can combat exploitation in merchandise production, both at home and abroad.

Through initiatives like Edinburgh’s Fair Trade City status and support for international producers, Scotland demonstrates the impact of prioritising sustainable supply chains and fair wages on a global scale.

Following the debate, Choudhury emphasised that while parts of the world may be casting their gaze inward when it comes to trade, Scotland can continue looking outward, ensuring sustainability and ethical practices remain at the forefront of Scottish development in the global realm.

Speaking in the chamber, Foysol Choudhury MSP stated: “Producers in the Global South can be considered to have done the least to cause the climate crisis but face the greatest losses as climates change.

“For a multinational corporation, a changing climate may mean a loss on the balance sheet, but for a small-scale farmer, it means losing their livelihood. With Fair Trade, producers are better able to adapt and protect their livelihoods and communities.”

“We must keep working to maximise the benefits of being a Fair-Trade nation.”

“We should also be looking to further encourage businesses across all sectors to adopt fair trade practices and supporting them in building sustainable, ethical supply chains.”