Police Scotland has provided an update on urgent action to maintain effective policing within the funding available to the organisation.
Hard choices are being taken to deliver effective policing within the funding available and action is being taken to achieve savings, with areas which encounter the greatest demand, and which carry the greatest risk in keeping people safe, being prioritised for resources.
Deputy Chief Constable Designate Fiona Taylor QPM provided an overview of work to prioritise resources, to keep people safe and protect the vulnerable during a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority Board in Glasgow yesterday (Thursday, 28 September).
DCC Taylor said: “As we have consistently highlighted over a period of months, hard choices are being taken to deliver effective policing within the funding available and action is being taken to achieve savings, co-ordinated through the Policing Our Communities programme.
“As I outlined during last month’s Board meeting, we have paused all police support staff recruitment, except for some business-critical areas such as our contact centres and custody suites. We are also reviewing our senior officer command structures and support services.
“The police estate is also an area where efficiencies and improvements to buildings in the wrong place or in poor condition can deliver savings and further, necessary cost reduction is planned in relation to police buildings.
“We shared our outline proposals to accelerate disposal of a further 30 police buildings with the Scottish Police Resources Committee last week and we are now developing detailed plans for that work.
“We understand and we are sensitive to community concerns around closing police buildings, but it is important to underline that, as we consolidate our estate, we now have over 60 co-locations with partners, providing more sustainable, more modern, and safer workspaces for our people.
DCC Taylor added: “Of necessity, as part of our commitment to delivering a balanced budget we are closely assessing the officer recruitment profile for the remainder of 2023-24.”
DCC Taylor underlined that Police Scotland would continue to communicate the decisions being taken to maintain effective policing within the funding available.
Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority, provided a joint submission to the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee as part of the pre-budget scrutiny process. This submission contains some estimates of police officer and staff numbers should future budgets be flat cash.
Police Scotland returns more than £200m to the public purse every year compared to legacy arrangements.
The Scottish Government’s budget for 2023-24 confirmed an £80m core funding uplift for policing, with £37m required to fund the ongoing cost of the 2022-23 pay award, leaving £43m to fund unavoidable pay and other inflationary costs for the current financial year.
Watch and listen to DCC Taylor’s update here from 31 mins and 20 seconds.
The Lammermuir Festival 2023 came to a close this week while urgently working to secure its future.
Nicola Benedetti and Sir James MacMillan add their support for Lammermuir Festival.
Open Letter to Creative Scotland signed by 362 musicians, composers, educationalists, politicians, participants, supporters, audience members and local businesses.
The Lammermuir Festival closed its 14th festival earlier this week, one of its most successful yet. The programme was met with great acclaim cited by some music critics as the best programme presented.
Audiences flocked with over 80% of tickets sold, over 30% of which were to new customers. Initial analysis indicates that a little over half of those audiences were local with the remaining travelling to East Lothian to enjoy one of the UK’s best loved classical music events.
This successful edition was set against the backdrop of the festival finding out just days before it opened that Creative Scotland was not supporting its 14th festival, having invested in the event for thirteen years.
Losing the cultural funder’s support this year leaves the festival in an urgent financial position, working hard to find a secure future.
Many of Scotland’s leading musicians have lent their support to the festival’s campaign, most recently Nicola Benedetti and Sir James MacMillan.
Nicola Benedetti said: “Being able to share the best, world-class music making with audiences not residing in our cities but in rural areas is a really important part of our nation’s cultural fabric.
“An aspect we must support and nurture. The Lammermuir Festival has done this brilliantly over the last 14 festivals creating acclaimed events that also enable young artists to develop in the industry, and engage young people in the region to give them deep and extraordinary experiences.
“It would be tragic for Scotland’s music scene if this festival wasn’t supported to continue this work which benefits so many.”
An Open Letter to Creative Scotland has been signed by 362 musicians, composers, education workers, participants, supporters, audience members and local businesses including Steven Obsorne, Andrea Baker, Sean Shibe, Stuart MacRae, Dinis Sousa, Ryan Corbett, Sue Baxendale, Craig Hoy MSP, Douglas Alexander, Martin Brabbins, Sian Edwards, Ruth Ellis, Monica Wilkinson and Alfonso Leal del Ojo.
James Waters, Chief Executive and Joint Artistic Director of the Lammermuir Festival said: “The support and affection for Lammermuir Festival that we have seen pouring in from musicians, education providers, local businesses, supporters and audiences across Scotland and beyond has been incredible.
“We have never been more proud of the festival and what it brings to so many and we will continue to do everything we can to secure its future.”
Letter from supporters of Lammermuir Festival
To Iain Munro, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland and its Chair, Robert Wilson,
We the undersigned appeal to you to save what one audience member has described as a ‘precious jewel of originality and joy’.
According to the panels judging Open Fund applications at Creative Scotland, Lammermuir Festival does not sufficiently align to your priorities.
This is despite having the full support of the Music Officers at Creative Scotland who approved its application and strongly recommended funding without conditions.
This is one of the most acclaimed classical music festivals in the UK, recipient of an RPS award, the highest accolade in its field, and giving work to 350 musicians a year, many of them Scottish. It has a proven record of achievement, appeals to ever-growing audiences and supports performers at all stages in their careers.
It is also a festival which returns £750,000 in economic benefits for East Lothian, on top of its social and cultural benefits, bringing visitors to a region which is underserved for arts, offering audiences international quality music performances and participation opportunities.
If the festival were to not exist, neither would its work with McOpera which engaged 1,700 children, young people and adults as participants and audience through their outreach strand over the last two years. This proved a formative part of so many young musicians’ lives in East Lothian.
This strand of the festival’s work reached out to multiple and diverse local community groups, nurturing children and young people from across 31 different schools, supporting the growth of an Instrumental Music Service and creative organisations (such as Dunbar Voices), bringing to the region international conductors and Scottish creatives, composers, singers and instrumentalists.
It has also regularly provided career placements to students from Edinburgh College, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier Universities, National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
This decision by Creative Scotland flies in the face of the expressions of support for culture in Scotland, and in particular for festivals, that the First Minister Humza Yousaf, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Neil Gray, and Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson have made in recent days.
The Open Fund process appears to have no strategic overview of provision, and no clear artistic, quality or geographic priorities.
Your process places huge pressure on organisations. Lammermuir Festival was invited to make multiple applications for the same activity with funding decisions taking their nerves to the wire – in this case Creative Scotland passed their verdict on a third application just 16 days before the festival started.
The system needs to change. As it stands it places Scotland’s cultural ecology on a downward trajectory.
Without Creative Scotland’s support the Lammermuir Festival’s future is under threat. Your decision not to fund the 2023 festival, destabilises the organisation and undermines the festival’s ability to plan for or run a festival in 2024 and beyond. In order to secure the future of this festival beyond 2023, urgent support is needed.
As musicians, educators, audience members, supporters, participants, businesses in East Lothian, and community leaders we are utterly appalled at your decision and urgently appeal to Creative Scotland to reverse it in order to save this cultural gem.
This festival cannot be allowed to disappear.
362 signatures which can be viewed on the Lammermuir Festival website:
With Falls Awareness Week taking place from 18-22 September 2023, Steady Steps, a community-based falls prevention programme which supports local people in Edinburgh to improve their strength and balance and maintain their independence through physical activity, is celebrating its 5,000th referral.
Delivered by the Active Communities team at Edinburgh Leisure and supported by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB), Steady Steps is a 16-week physical activity referral programme which has been going since 2014 and supports participants to reduce their risk of falling. It has recently received additional funding from the EIJB.
Physical activity can contribute to a reduction in the number of falls, fractures, hospital admissions and bed days because of a fall. This reduces the cost to NHS Lothian, and offers vulnerable, older adults an opportunity to engage in physical and social activities, sustaining and improving confidence and ability to live independently.
Edinburgh Leisure delivers 32 Steady Steps classes each week in Edinburgh Leisure and community venues across the city. Participants attend weekly physical activity sessions, which last 1.5 hours each week and are followed by a coffee and chat.
Participants are also encouraged to complete home based exercises twice a week for the duration of the 16-week programme. As a result of participating in these balance exercise sessions, participants have said that they are more able to complete tasks in and out of the house more easily (e.g., housework and doing the shopping), that they felt more confident, and they had an improved social life.
Amy Fastier, Health Development Officer (Falls Prevention) said: “Continued funding from the EIJB will mean that we can continue delivering this important service creating a positive impact on the health, and crucially the confidence, of our participants. Research shows falls are preventable and do not have to be an inevitable part of aging.
However, once a fall does happen, the chances of another fall are dramatically increased. Sadly, this can really knock the confidence out of some adults, deterring them from going out and socialising. The methods used by Steady Steps are known to reduce falls by up to 35%, as well as having a hugely positive effect on the overall physical, mental, and social wellbeing of participants.”
Retired primary school depute headteacher, Katherine Bates, has experienced the project as both a participant and a volunteer, training as a volunteer after completing the 16-week programme in 2017.
Initially referred by her physiotherapist because of several falls, as well as having osteoporosis and other musculoskeletal issues, she found the programme helped to improve her strength and balance and particularly liked that the exercises in class were designed to be incorporated into daily life.
On completion of the course, and with the encouragement of her instructor, Michael, she completed the volunteer training and now volunteers at a Steady Steps class at Gracemount Leisure Centre.
Katherine’s role involves setting up the room, welcoming people into the class, and carrying out assessments so that Michael can focus on delivering the class without distractions. As Katherine explains: “Some people need a bit of extra support, and I can help them without disrupting the class or drawing attention to them.
“Volunteering has been such a positive experience for me and it’s helped that I have experienced Steady Steps as a participant as well. It’s helped me to understand the challenges participants face and what it’s like to go through the programme.
“Some participants live very rich lives, others have lost their confidence and have become socially isolated because of their falling. It’s wonderful to see them out, enjoying themselves, and making social connections as well as improving their balance and mobility.”
For more information about Steady Steps please contact Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities team – active@edinburghleisure.co.uk or 0131 458 2260.
Steady Steps Case Study
Katherine Bates – Volunteer and former participant
Edinburgh Leisure’s Steady Steps project is a falls prevention programme for older adults in Edinburgh. Retired Primary School Depute Headteacher Katherine Bates, 63, has experienced the project as both a participant and a volunteer, having decided to train as a volunteer after completing the 16-week programme in 2017.
Katherine was initially referred to the Steady Steps class at the Royal Commonwealth Pool by her physiotherapist. While she was young compared to most Steady Steps participants and still active, walking 7 miles a day, she has osteoporosis and other musculoskeletal issues and has had several falls. She found the programme helped her improve her strength and balance and particularly liked that the exercises in class were designed to be incorporated into daily life.
As she came to the end of her 16-week programme, she expressed an interest in continuing as a volunteer. With the encouragement of her Instructor, Michael, she undertook volunteer training and now volunteers at the Friday lunch time class at Gracemount Leisure Centre.
Katherine’s role involves setting up the room, welcoming people into the class and carrying out their assessments so that Michael can focus on delivering the class without distractions. Some people need a bit of extra support and she can help them without disrupting the class or drawing attention to them.
She says that while some participants lead very rich lives, others have lost their confidence and have become socially isolated as a result of their fear of falling. It’s wonderful to see them out, enjoying themselves and making social connections as well as improving their balance and mobility.
She says that being a Steady Steps volunteer has been a very positive experience and that she is always made to feel welcome and appreciated by Michael and the staff at Gracemount Leisure Centre. She enjoyed attending Edinburgh Leisure’s volunteer celebration event at the Botanic Gardens last year and is looking forward to attending a similar event again this year!
Katherine admits that she found PE challenging at school and had never even considered attending any fitness classes. Participating in Steady Steps gave her the confidence to join a couple of weekly fitness classes. As one of these takes place at Gracemount Leisure Centre immediately before the Steady Steps session she helps with, it makes it easier for her to keep up the habit of attending it.
Katherine has found it interesting experiencing Steady Steps from both sides. She feels that her understanding of the challenges participants face and her first-hand experience of what it’s like to go through the programme make it easier for her and the people she helps to relate to one another.
Police Scotland has outlined urgent action to maintain effective policing within the funding available to the organisation.
Policing’s funding allocation for 2023-24 represents a real terms reduction, meaning more than £50m of savings are required to ensure a balanced budget.
Police Scotland has been clear hard choices are necessary and we have been required to reduce our budgeted officer establishment from 17,234 to 16,600.
Deputy Chief Constable Designate Fiona Taylor QPM provided an overview of work to prioritise resources to keep people safe and protect the vulnerable and was clear our service to the public will be impacted.
DCCD Taylor said: “Our financial planning in March made it clear that our funding allocation for 2023-24 represents a real terms reduction, meaning we have been required to reduce the number of police officers we have from 17,234 to around 16,600.
“Of necessity, we will reduce police staff costs in proportion to the reduction in officer numbers and reduce overtime spending.
“Hard choices are being taken now to maintain effective policing within the funding available to us. Action is being taken to achieve savings and deliver a balanced budget for 2023-24. Areas which encounter the greatest demand and which carry the greatest risk are being prioritised to ensure we continue to effectively reduce harm and protect the vulnerable.
“As part of this urgent action we have paused police staff recruitment other than for reform or externally funded posts; for roles based in our Contact, Command and Control (C3) Division or Resource Deployment Unit; for Police Custody and Security Officers; and for Public Enquiry and Support Assistants.
“Recruitment of Probationary Constables will continue and our commitment to no compulsory redundancies for police staff remains.”
DCCD Taylor also said funding challenges underlined the need to accelerate changes which made savings or supported operational policing, including the successful transformation of the police estate.
DCC Taylor said: “This work will shape our Service and define core policing. It seeks to reduce demand and increase capacity, and accelerate those changes which save money and provide benefits to operational policing. This includes the ongoing transformation of our estate. We will also review support services and our command structures.
“Consequently, some of the things that we do may need to be done differently or take us longer. The level of service we provide in some areas will reduce.”
Police Scotland returns more than £200m to the public purse every year compared to legacy arrangements.
The Scottish Government’s budget for 2023/24 confirmed an £80m core funding uplift for policing, with £37m required to fund the ongoing cost of the 2022-23 pay award, leaving £43m to fund unavoidable pay and other inflationary costs for the current financial year.
Funding announced ahead of Independence Day of Ukraine
Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council (EVOC), Volunteer Edinburgh, The Welcoming Project, Feniks and the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain’s (AUGB) Edinburgh branch are sharing in more than £200,000 from the Scottish Government’s Ukraine Programme funding pot.
Migration Minister Emma Roddick said: “People all over Scotland, and particularly in Edinburgh, have welcomed those fleeing the war in Ukraine into their communities, their schools and workplaces and their homes.
“Third sector organisations have been at the heart of this warm welcome, supporting Ukrainians every step of the way. They have hosted English lessons, created social hubs and helped people to access local services.
“They have also showcased what can be achieved when national and local government, and the third sector work together, and this funding will help make sure this important partnership working continues.
“As we look ahead to the Independence Day of Ukraine, our message to Ukrainians remains clear: we stand with you, and we want Scotland to be your home for as long as you need it.”
The City of Edinburgh Council Leader Cammy Day said: “Third sector organisations here in Edinburgh have been a cornerstone of the partnership effort to support displaced Ukrainians over the last 18 months.
“I’m sure I speak on behalf of all colleagues when I say that they have made a real and tangible difference to the lives of the people who have fled their country following Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.
“It is right and proper that these organisations are set to benefit from the Scottish Government’s Ukraine Programme funding.
“I have seen firsthand the difference that these organisations make in our communities across a wealth of different areas. From language classes to support with health and wellbeing to helping people into work and education and so much more their impact cannot be understated.
“I look forward to working closely with our third sector partners as we move forward in supporting our Ukrainian friends in the capital.”
Details of organisations outside Edinburgh receiving funding will be confirmed in due course.
Projects across Scotland have been awarded funding as part of the Scottish Government’s Digital Inclusion Programme aimed at helping people to access online support services, initially in mental health and housing services.
The thirteen projects, which bid to be one of the ‘Digital Pioneers’, will develop, test and implement programmes to help people access the services they need online to support their health and wellbeing.
The £600,000 first phase of the programme is being delivered in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. It will benefit more than 1,500 people by building skills and confidence, as well as devices to support access to digital services in mental health and housing.
It is expected that following the programme, which will run for two years, a shared understanding and learning of how best to support digital inclusion in mental health and housing will be created.
Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, Michael Matheson said: “Supporting people to feel more digitally confident so they can access the services they need online is absolutely vital and it is one of our long-standing commitments.
“This programme will see models tested that will help so many people gain the skills they need to improve their own health and know how to access the support that is available to them.”
The Digital Inclusion Programme launched in March 2023, is led by the Digital Health and Care directorate and delivered in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and Connecting Scotland.
The programme, backed by £2 million of funding, focuses on two areas: digital inclusion in Mental Health (supporting people with a mental health condition (s)) and digital inclusion in Housing (supporting customers or tenants in social housing, the private rented sector or owner-occupied housing who are most at risk of digital exclusion).
List of organisations awarded funding with overview of their project:
Organisation
Amount
Project Overview
Anticipated number of direct beneficiaries
Aberdeen Foyer
£54,867
Aberdeen Foyers Housing Digital Support project will work with young people in Aberdeenshire at risk of experiencing homelessness. Funding will allow them to expand their current services to provide devices, connectivity and digital inclusion support to improve access to supports and services and to reduce isolation. The project will support 22 staff and volunteers and 75 young people.
75
Blackwood Homes and Care
£55,000
Blackwoods Digital Buddies project will work with older people in supported living accomodation, in rural areas in Scotland. Funding will allow them to expand their current digital inclusion model across newly acquired supported living accomodation. The project will provide digital training to upskill 76 staff and volunteers and provide connectivity, devices and digital skills support to 130 older residents.
130
Simon Community Scotland
£54,982
Simon Community Scotland’s Get Connected Housing project will work with people experiencing homelessness. Funding will allow them to embed their existing digital inclusion approach within their Housing First & Housing Support Services within Edinburgh. The project will provide devices, connectivity and one to one digital support to work with people transitioning from homelessness and temporary accommodation to sustained tenancies. The project will work with 65 staff and 130 participants to build digital skills and confidence and improve access to services.
130
Prospect Community Housing Limited
£31,310
Prospect Community Housing’s Link Up project works with people with a disability or long term health condition in Wester Hailes. Funding will allow them to continue to work in partnership with WHALE arts to deliver digital drop-ins and one to one support to improve digital skills and confidence. The project will support 5 staff and volunteers and 70 participants.
70
Shettleston Housing Association Limited
£54,980
Shettleston Housing Association’s Shettleston Does Digital project works with older adults who are not in work or are retired. Funding will allow them to expand their existing digital inclusion work in partnership with Fuse Youth Cafe to deliver digital drop-ins and digital skills training to improve digital confidence and increase access to services and support. The project will work with 10 staff and volunteers and 160 participants
160
Link living
£50,268
Link Living’s Digital support service supports young people and people with moderate to severe mental health conditions across Edinburgh to improve digital skills. Funding will allow them to continue delivery of their Digital Support Service providing connectivity, devices and one to one support to improve digital skills and confidence. The project will support 1 staff member and 130 participants
130
Queens Cross Housing Association Limited
£42,753
Queens Cross Housing Association’s Digital Spaces in Community Places works with mutiple digitally excluded groups across communities in Glasgow. Funding will allow them to continue delivering digital sessions inlcuding coding for young people, digital cafes for older people and structured course content across 4 community facilities in Glasgow.The project will work with 50 staff and volunteers and 190 participants to build digital skills, confidence and increase access to support services.
190
Carr Gomm
£54,677
Carr Gomm’s Connected Lives project builds on the learning from their previous Digital Inclusion Research Project (DIRP). Funding will allow them to expand their digital inclusion support across Glasgow’s Integrated Services and enhance support through establishing a safe, online peer network to facilitate improved wellbeing through meaningful community connections. The project will support 40 staff and 60 service users to build their digital skills and confidence.
60
Saheliya
£54,773
Saheliya Digital Pioneers project works with marginalised New Scots women in Edinburgh and Glasgow to increase their digital skills and confidence. Funding will allow them to continue to deliver digital inclusion and language sessions to improve skills and confidence to access further supports and services to improve mental health and wellbeing. The project will support will support 10 staff and 72 New Scots women.
72
Moray Wellbeing Hub
£54,982
Moray Wellbeing Hub’s Digital Mental Health Capacity Building project aims to establish a digital mental health hub in to improve digital skills and access to services in Moray. Funding will allow them to build on current work with Health and Social Care Partnership Moray to offer online and in person digital support to improve digital skills and confidence and social connections. The project will work with 30 staff and 300 participants to reduce digital exclusion.
300
Scottish Association for Mental Health
£51,270
The Scottish Association for Mental Health’s Enduring Digital Accessibility project works with people in supported living settings to enhance their digital skills and confidence. Funding will allow them to expand and formalise their existing digital inclusion activities in Edinburgh, Perth and Glasgow and increase access to online supports and services. The project will also enhance staff and participants access with their care management system to improve peoples engagement within their individual care plans. The project will support 25 staff and 100 people in supported living settings.
100
Cyrenians
£36,244
Cyrenians Digital Inclusion project works with people facing long term unemployment, transitioning from hospital care and living in residential care. Funding will allow them to expand their current digital inclusion activities and provide a digital hub at their Farm, one to one support and indepth digital skills support in Edinburgh and West Lothian. The project will support 37 people.
37
Just Bee Productions
£54,229
Just Bee’s Just Breath project works with people to reduce mental health inequalities, assessments and waiting times to access services. Funding will allow them to deliver a variety of digital inclusion activities with people in crisis to improve their digital skills and confidence to access services and supports to support their mental Health. The project will support 4 staff and 80 participants experiencing moderate to severe mental health conditions.
The very best of cultural talent from Scotland will be under the spotlight this month as Edinburgh welcomes visitors from home and abroad to its world-class summer arts festivals.
Six of the festivals have received support from the Scottish Government’s Expo Fund to commission new work, some of which will tour internationally following festival performances. Under the Made in Scotland banner there are 18 funded shows this year featuring an exciting mix of theatre, music and dance commissions and performances.
In addition, the Platforms for Creative Excellence (PLACE) programme – jointly funded by the Scottish Government and the City of Edinburgh Council – focuses on programme innovation, creative development, and community.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Scotland has a wealth of phenomenally talented artists and the Edinburgh festivals provide a fantastic platform for them to reach a much wider audience.
“Expo and PLACE funding have not only helped to raise the profile of Scottish artists but contributed to a more vibrant and diverse arts scene both at home and internationally.
“There is something for everyone across the summer festivals and I hope people from home and abroad, whether they’re taking part in events or watching performances will enjoy this fantastic celebration of culture.”
Festivals Edinburgh chair Dr Simon Gage said: “We warmly welcome this sustained support from the Scottish Government for our festivals and the people who make them happen.
“This is crucial in allowing us to deliver unparalleled cultural, social and economic benefits that enhance lives at home and Scotland’s profile around the world.”
Since it was set up in 2008, the Expo cohort has received £32 million. Within the first ten years, the fund had supported the commissioning of more than 550 new works of art, music and theatre.
Recipients awarded a share of the £1.8 million Expo Fund for 2023-24 include Edinburgh Art Festival (£130,000), Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society (£550,000), Edinburgh International Book Festival (£85,000), Edinburgh International Festival (£100,000), Edinburgh International Film Festival (£59,000) and Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival (£100,000).
The PLACE Fund was set up five years ago to provide £1 million each year over five years to the Edinburgh festivals.
On Wednesday, the Scottish Government and COSLA released their anticipated (and widely leaked) consultation on Council Tax changes(writes Fraser of Allander Institute’s EMMA CONGREVE).
The proposals set out would see a repeat of the 2017 increases in band multipliers for properties in Band E – H with the consultation seeking views on whether the changes to the mulitpliers should be higher or lower, or not happen at all. .
Table 1 shows the proposed changes in the context of the original multipliers set out in 1993 and the reforms in 2017. The proposed changes would lead to an increase in the amounts paid of £139, £288, £485 and £781 per household (or dwelling in official council tax speak) for those in Band E, F, G & H respectively.
Table 1 – Council Tax Multipliers
Council Tax Band
Original multipliers
2017 reforms
New proposals
A
0.67
0.67
0.67
B
0.78
0.78
0.78
C
0.89
0.89
0.89
D
1.00
1.00
1.00
E
1.22
1.31 (+7.5%)
1.39 (+7.5%)
F
1.44
1.63 (+12.5%)
1.75 (+12.5%)
G
1.67
1.96 (+17.5%)
2.13 (+17.5%)
H
2.00
2.45 (+22.5%)
2.68 (+22.5%)
The consultation documents note a number of valid points, but fails to mention others that are fairly fundamental to the operation of the Council Tax. Here we cover some of the main issues.
A fundamentally flawed tax
Council Tax is a regressive tax. By regressive, this means that the average tax rate (the % of the tax base paid in tax) falls as the value of the tax base rises. For Council Tax, the tax rate depends on the property you live in, meaning the relevant tax base is property value (as of 1991 – an issue we’ll return to later). The highest valued properties pay a lower % of that value in their Council Tax bill.
The consultation document restates research that was completed as part of the 2015 Commission on Local Tax Reform that found that, in order for Council Tax in its current banded form to be progressive, the Band H rate would need to be in the order of 15x the Band A rate. Given this was based on 2013-14 property values, this figure may have since increased even further.
It is a shame that the government has not revisited the 2015 analysis to provide up-to-date figures. This is not an easy task (this author was involved in it the first time round!) but the data exists to repeat much of the Commission’s analysis. Updated figures would provide a better evidence base for judging their proposals.
However, updated figures would not change the overall position: the proposed changes would place Band H at 4x the Band A rate, far below values that would be required to become anything approaching progressive. The consultation document does not shy away from admitting this, stating that the proposals will not address ‘the fundamental regressivity of Council Tax’.
How do the proposed reforms link to ability to pay?
Although Council Tax is tied to property, it is income or savings that are required to pay the bill each year. As well as being regressive with respect to property, council tax is also regressive with respect to income. That is, as your income rises, the % of your income that you pay in the tax reduces.
There are some protections in the system to ensue those on the very lowest incomes do not pay some or any of their bill. The 2017 reforms also came with a condition that anyone who had income below the national average (median) would not pay any additional amounts if they were in Bands E – H. However, the regressivity with respect to income remains an issue that these reforms will not be able to address.
If we look at the impact of the proposals on the upper half of the income distribution (where we expect most people to be outwith any form of CTR protection), the average impact on Council Tax bills range from around an additional £200 – £320 a year.
In the context of some of the recent figures on increases on increases in mortgage increases, these figures look relatively sedate (although it may feel far from that, especially for those affected by mortgage increases too).
In addition, these numbers do not include any other form of discounts or exemptions which may reduce the additional amounts, such as the single person discount. Table 2 shows that, as a proportion of household income (and with the same caveats re not accounting for other discounts) this is between 0.7% and 0.5% (i.e. a half of 1%).
Table 2 also shows that although those higher up the income distribution will pay more, the proportion of income paid decreases as income rises: that is the proposed reforms will be regressive with respect to income. Those in the top 10% of income are likely to pay a lower proportion of their income in additional tax than those in the next income decile down.
Table 2 – Additional charges faced by the top half of the income distribution
Income decile group
Average additional charge
Average income (latest data)
Average additional charge as a % of household income
6
£201
£27,820
0.72%
7
£201
£31,928
0.63%
8
£222
£37,544
0.59%
9
£258
£46,384
0.56%
10 (i.e. top 10%)
£317
£64,896
0.49%
i Average income data is taken from the DWP Households Below Average Income dataset for 2021-2022. Average income in this table refers to a reference household with two adults and no children. Income is net of tax and transfers.
This is partly a result of incomes not being directly tied to value of the property you live in. Many critics of using property values as a basis for a recurring tax cite this issue, particularly for pensioners who may have lived in a home that has accrued in value over many years, but have a relatively low disposable income (although not low enough to qualify for Council Tax Reduction).
An additional factor relates to the fact that there are relatively few Band H properties where the highest charge applies: even in the top 10% of households less than 1% of households are in a Band H property, a similar proportion to households in the 9th income decile.
The elephant in the room: revaluation
An additional fundamental issue, absent from the consultation document, is the fact that the property values used to put properties into bands are based on 1991 values. Some properties have grown much faster in value than others since then.
That means that two properties that were in the same band in 1991 may now be worth vastly different sums of money, and if there was a revaluation today they would no longer be placed together in the same band.
The issue is further complicated by new builds where finding a comparable hypothetical 1991 value is difficult.
A quick look at any property website will provide you with all the evidence you need to illustrate the issue where property value and Council Tax Band are often quoted side by side.
For example, the market at the moment in Edinburgh:
A 2 bed ground floor flat for sale in the New Town for offers over £415,000 which is in Council Tax Band D (and therefore will not face the proposed additional charge)
A similarly sized 2 bed ground floor flat in Craigleith for offers over £210,000, which is in Council Tax Band E (which will face the proposed additional charge)
For those not familiar with Edinburgh geography, the locations are shown on the below map*.
This is not a one off. The Commission’s analysis in 2015 estimated that over half of all properties in Scotland would have changed band if revaluation had taken place in 2014.
We could speculate, at length, why revaluation has not happened. Scotland is not the only country that has struggled to find the political appetite to make it happen (the UK Government has done no better in England), but other parts of the UK have managed it in the last two decades.
What should be happening
Most people would agree that reforms to Council Tax need to go beyond tweaking multipliers. There are a number of options available, with a proportional tax on the value of a property being the majority view of the 2015 Commission, and indeed the previous Burt Commission that came up with similar proposals back in 2006.
However, any reform is contingent on the tax being levied on correct values. That means a revaluation is necessary. Indeed, it should be a prerequisite even for the type of tweaking that the Scottish Government did in 2017 and is proposing now given the majority of properties are likely to be in the wrong band.
To continue without revaluation is deeply unfair and to take forward reforms without a revaluation just rubs salt into the wounds.
*This map contains information from OpenStreetMap, which is made available here under the Open Database License (ODbL)
LOCAL ARTS ORGANISATION REACHES 80% OF FUNDING TARGET
North Edinburgh Arts has been awarded £250,000 from the UK Government’s Community Ownership Fund to support the Millan Hub project.
The announcement marks a significant step forward in NEA’s capital development journey, bringing the organisation closer to achieving their fundraising target: they have now reached 80% of their total goal.
Communites across the UK will benefit from over £50 million in funding to support community ownership of local assets.
North Edinburgh Arts was one of eight successful applicants in Scotland at this stage of the process. Another Edinburgh applicant was Portobello’s campaign to renovate their Town Hall. They receive £90,000.
This £250,000 awarded to NEA will be added to funds already secured for the ambitious build from Foundation Scotland, The Garfield Weston Trust, The William Syson Trust, The Robertson Trust, The Binks Foundation, and the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.
Reaching four fifths of the target gives a real boost to NEA’s Board, team, participants, visitors, and volunteers alike.
A NEA spokesperson said: “We are grateful for the overwhelming support we have received from our local residents, with over 96% backing our mission to keep NEA at the heart of a creative, connected, inspired, and inspiring community.
“Your unwavering belief in our vision has been the driving force behind this achievement. Thank you for your ongoing support!”
NEA is a well-loved and well-used venue but we had outgrown our building. To meet the needs of current and future generatons of North Edinburgh residents it needed to be redeveloped.
As part of the new MacMillan Hub the NEA capital programme will:
Increase the footprint of NEA by 380m2, adding two foors of studio and work/ space Extend the café to look/ into MacMillan Square, and ofer enhanced community facilites Provide bespok/e work/shop space for the ommunity Shed Reduce the carbon footprint through beter insulaton, lightng and environmental design and constructon Be a fully owned community asset.
With the build scheduled for completion early in 2024 NEA has set up a welcome cabin in front of the site to ensure local residents can find out more about the build, join up as NEA members (htps://northedinburgharts.co.uk//membership/) and share their aspiratons for the space.
The refurbished, redesigned and expanded venue will be a welcome space for all, ofering local residents high quality culture, arts, enterprise and meetng spaces. In additon, our venue will link, on site, to the city council’s new Library, new Learning and Skills Hub, new Early Years Centre and social housing.
Lesley Hinds, Chair of North Edinburgh Arts said: ‘North Edinburgh Arts is delighted to receive funding from Community Ownership Fund.
This funding from the Westminster Government shows the confidence they have in NEA and its future in the expanded facilities at MacMillan Hub.’
Life-changing technology that reduces the risk of complications for people with type 1 diabetes will become more widely available thanks to additional funding.
The Scottish Government has invested a further £350,000 to accelerate the distribution of Closed Loop Systems. The technology is considered the most significant development in type 1 diabetes treatment in recent years and can transform lives, particularly for children and young people.
Closed Loop Systems help people improve their glycaemic control and in turn reduce the likelihood of complications, which at their most serious can include blindness, renal failure, and amputations; as well as unplanned admissions to hospital.
The investment will see a dedicated team created by the national Centre for Sustainable Delivery at NHS Golden Jubilee to support NHS health boards to rollout the technology faster and more efficiently across Scotland.
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “There’s no reason why someone living with type 1 diabetes shouldn’t live a long and healthy life, but some people find managing their condition difficult.
Diabetes technologies make the process easier and can enhance people’s quality of life. That’s why we’re aiming to provide access to Closed Loop Systems at the earliest opportunity and are working with NHS boards to improve access.”
National Diabetes Lead Professor Brian Kennon said: Closed Loop systems are truly transformative technologies and help reduce the day-to-day burden of trying to optimise type 1 diabetes control.
“Creation of a dedicated team to help support the adoption of Closed Loop Systems and standardise our approach to access across Scotland will help ensure that our healthcare system is well placed to realise the massive advantages that these innovative technologies offer.”
