Failure to tackle poverty will be ‘a betrayal of Britain’s children’

CHILD POVERTY REACHES RECORD HIGH

controversial two-child limit on benefits a key driver, says CPAG

YESTERDAY’S official poverty statistics show child poverty has reached a record high with an estimated 100,000 more children pulled into poverty last year.

The DWP’s annual Households Below Average Income shows 4.3 million children (30%) were in poverty in the year to April 2023. It shows:

100,000 more children were pulled into relative poverty (after housing costs). That means 4.3 million children (30% of all UK children) were in poverty – up from 3.6 million in 2010-11.
69% of poor children live in working families
46% of children in families with 3 or more children are in poverty, up from 36% in 2011/12.
Poor families have fallen deeper into poverty: 2.9 million children were in deep poverty (i.e. with a household income below 50% of after-housing-costs equivalised median income) 600,000 more than in 2010/11
36% of all children in poverty were in families with a youngest child aged under five
47% of children in Asian and British Asian families are in poverty, 51% of children in Black/ African/ Caribbean and Black British families, and 24% of children in white families
44% of children in lone parent families were in poverty
34% of children living in families where someone has a disability were in poverty

Alison Garnham, Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group and Vice-Chair of the End Child Poverty Coalition, said: “In a general election year, nothing should be more important to our political leaders than making things better for the country’s poorest kids.

“But child poverty has reached a record high, with 4.3million kids now facing cold homes and empty tummies.

“We know that change is possible but we need to see a commitment from all parties to scrap the two child limit and increase child benefits. Anything less would be a betrayal of Britain’s children.”

Liv Eren 20, who grew up in poverty, says: “As an 8-year-old I couldn’t go on the school trip, as a 12-year- old I was wearing last year’s school blazer and that feeling – that knock to your self-esteem – never really leaves you.

“People say growing up in hardship can motivate you, but what could I do aged 8 or 12?. It’s awful.”

Schools are seeing the effects of rising child poverty every day.

Tom Prestwich, Headteacher at Jubilee Primary School in Lambeth said: The levels of poverty we are seeing in school now and the numbers of children affected by it, are the worst I have seen.

“This can have a significant impact on our pupils’ ability to learn and on their overall wellbeing. Pupils who are coming to school hungry, pupils who are overtired because they are struggling to sleep in difficult home conditions, pupils who are cold or uncomfortable because of the clothes they have to wear are all at a disadvantage right from the start of their day.

“We do as much as we can to counteract this. We have breakfast clubs, give out fruit and bagels every day, give out old uniforms and support as much as we can with parents battling for improved housing but it does feel like the gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged families is widening.

“This is happening at a time when school budgets are ever more stretched and our capacity to help and support families is reduced as a result.”

Simon Kidwell, head teacher at Hartford Manor Primary School in Cheshire, and president of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “At my school even working families are accessing local food banks and seeking support with uniform and school trip expenses.

“We hear from our members how schools are increasingly finding themselves having to step in and support pupils and families, with local authority budgets stretched to breaking point.”

In addition to the rise in relative child poverty (measured as living on less than 60% of today’s median income) the DWP’s figures show an increase in the number of children in absolute poverty (measured as living on less than 60% of what the median income was in 2010).

Since absolute poverty should always reduce over time as living standards generally rise, the increase is a clear warning that not only are more children being dragged below the relative poverty line, but living standards for children are falling over time, their hardship deepening.

Commenting on the publication of the latest official figures on UK poverty, which show that the number of people living below the poverty line in working households is 1.6 million higher than in 2010, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Hard work should pay for everyone. But millions of working families in this country are struggling to cover even the basics.

“In-work poverty has rocketed over the last 14 years.

“The Tories have presided over epidemic levels of insecure work, brutal cuts to social security and years of feeble wage growth.

“Working people deserve far better.”

Households Below Average Income statistics can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-for-financial-years-ending-1995-to-2023

Scotland’s poverty levels remain broadly stable

Latest Accredited Official Statistics and Official Statistics published

Covering the period until March 2023, the latest statistics show little recent change in poverty levels for children and pensioners. Poverty for working-age adults is slightly higher than in recent years, which could be driven by people becoming economically inactive as a result of the pandemic.

The four child poverty measures in the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act (relative and absolute poverty, combined low income and material deprivation, and persistent poverty) are broadly stable over the recent period. These measures are based on single-year figures which tend to fluctuate year on year, and the three-year averages provide a robust indication of trends.

While the poverty risk is much lower for children where someone in the household is in paid work compared to those in workless households, not all work pays enough to lift the household above the poverty line. Over two thirds of children in poverty live in a household with someone in paid work. This proportion has increased markedly over the past decade or so as more people move into employment.

Other key points are:

Working-age adults (21%) and pensioners (15%) are less likely to be in relative poverty after housing costs compared to children (24%).
Relative poverty has been broadly stable for all age groups. Adults under 25 are more likely to be in poverty than older adults.
Minority ethnic households are more likely to be in poverty compared to white British households. Muslim adults have higher rates of poverty compared to adults of Christian and those with no religion. Some of this difference may be explained by these households being younger.

The two full statistical publications are available here:

Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland contains statistics on poverty, child poverty, poverty risks for various equality characteristics, household income and income inequality for Scotland. This report also includes statistics on household food security.

The data comes from the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Family Resources Survey, Households Below Average Income dataset. Comparable UK income and poverty figures are published on the same day by DWP.

Figures are presented as three-year averages of each estimate. Three-year estimates best identify trends over time. Data collected during the year between April 2020 and March 2021 are excluded from the most recent estimates as response rates were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, estimates covering this period are for two years rather than three.

The four child poverty measures in the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act are based on single-year figures. These are available in the reference tables and in the child poverty summary.

Persistent Poverty in Scotland presents estimates of the proportion of people in Scotland who live in persistent poverty. The data comes from the Understanding Society Survey, and the latest statistics cover the period from 2018 to 2022.

These poverty statistics are used by the Scottish Government and other organisations to monitor progress in tackling poverty and child poverty, and to analyse what drives poverty and what works for tackling poverty and income inequality.

Official statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

Key poverty measures:

Relative poverty: A person is in relative poverty if their current household income is less than 60% of the current UK median. Increases in the proportion of people living in relative poverty indicate that the gap between the poorest and middle income households is widening.

Absolute poverty: A person is in absolute poverty if their current household income is less than 60% of the UK median in 2010/11, adjusted for inflation. Increases in the proportion of people living in absolute poverty indicate that prices are rising faster than the incomes of the poorest households.

Combined low income and material deprivation identifies the number of children in families that cannot afford basic essential goods and services because of a low income (below 70 percent of the middle household income).

Persistent poverty identifies the number of people in relative poverty for three or more out of four years. People who live in poverty for several years may be affected by it through their lifetime.

Household income is adjusted for household size.

The poverty publications present poverty figures before and after housing costs. Before housing costs figures are a basic measure of household income from earnings and benefits. After housing costs figures subtract spending on rents, mortgage interest payments and other unavoidable housing costs from this basic income.

In Scotland, poverty statistics focus mainly on poverty after housing costs. The poverty estimates in the child poverty summary refer to relative poverty after housing costs.

Further information on income and poverty statistics within Scotland is available.

Scotland’s snare ban “an important day for animal welfare”

Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill passed

Scotland’s wildlife will benefit from increased protection thanks to a new law passed by the Scottish Parliament yesterday.

The Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill includes a range of measures that will help tackle raptor persecution, and ensure that the management of species on grouse moors is done so sustainably and with animal welfare as a priority.

The Bill:

bans the practice of snaring in Scotland
bans the use of glue traps to catch rodents
gives greater powers to Scottish SPCA inspectors to tackle wildlife crime
introduces a new licensing framework for grouse moors
strictly regulates the use of muirburn, the controlled burning of vegetation on peatland

Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie said: “This Bill is a significant step in our wider journey to ensure Scotland’s environment is managed sustainably.

“People who live and work on our land have shown that it’s possible to manage wildlife. They have shown that muirburn, which is a key approach to helping manage wildfires, can be undertaken responsibly and in a way that protects biodiversity.

“We have struck the right balance between improving animal welfare, supporting rural businesses and reinforcing a zero tolerance approach to raptor persecution and wildlife crime.”

Cats Protection says Scotland’s ban on snares is a turning point for animal welfare and will prevent cruel and horrific deaths being inflicted on pets and wildlife.

The UK’s largest cat charity has been campaigning for an outright ban on snares throughout the UK and says it is delighted Scotland is taking a step forward to protect cats and other animals from unnecessary suffering with the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill.

Alice Palombo, Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland at Cats Protection, said: “The introduction of this law is an important day for animal welfare in Scotland, and will put an end to the cruel and horrific deaths that snares inflict on pets and wildlife.

“Whether it’s domestic pet cats, feral or community cats, or any other animal captured in them, snares cause incredibly distressing injuries, often leading to animals suffering long, painful deaths.

“Those animals which do manage to free themselves, or are found and released, cannot be considered lucky as they will most likely suffer life-changing injuries requiring extensive veterinary treatment.

“We are delighted that Scotland has introduced an outright ban on snares, recognising the indiscriminate suffering they cause. These outdated, inhumane and cruel traps have no place in a modern, caring society.”

The Bill was also welcomed by cat owner Marion Brownlie, of Aberdeenshire, whose pet cat Harry was found collapsed in a field with horrific injuries last year.

Harry’s injuries were so appalling that she at first believed he had been “cut in two” when he was discovered close to his home in St Cyrus.

It is thought the ginger-and-white moggy may have been trapped in the snare for five agonising days before he was able to drag himself to safety.

Having confirmed his injuries were caused by a snare, vets carried out surgery to repair a deep wound running from hip to hip across Harry’s abdomen. He was later able to return home but needs to be confined to a cage for rest during his recovery.

Marion said: “Harry had been missing for five days when we found him collapsed in a field and it was like something from a nightmare – I was afraid to pick him up as it looked as though he’d been cut in two.

“He must have been in agony, but somehow he was still alive and after lots of veterinary treatment and rest he pulled through.

“No animal deserves the pain and suffering that these inhumane devices inflict, and I’m incredibly relieved that they have finally been banned.”

Major blow to the grouse shooting industry as Scottish Parliament passes reform Bill

Grouse moor management is to be regulated for the first time as snaring animals is also banned

The Scottish Parliament has now passed a Bill to license grouse shooting, to tackle illegal wildlife persecution on grouse moors. The killing of Scotland’s birds of prey has been associated with grouse moor management for decades and campaigners hope that this legislation will tackle the ‘national disgrace’ of raptor persecution.

The passing of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill (by 85 votes in favour to 30votes against) means that if a wildlife crime takes place on a grouse moor it could lose its licence to operate.

It also means that heather burning (known as muirburn) will also be licensed and restricted on peatlands which are considered a vital carbon resource.

Meanwhile environmental and animal welfare campaigners are celebrating the Bill’s banning of snares: the animal traps which they deem as ‘cruel and indiscriminate’.

Responding to the grouse moor reform bill, Max Wiszniewski, the Campaign Manager for REVIVE, the coalition for grouse moor reform said: “This Bill marks a significant intervention into land management practices in Scotland and finally regulates a controversial industry that’s responsible for environmental destruction, that restricts economic opportunities for rural communities and that kills hundreds of thousands of animals so a few more grouse can be shot for sport.

“While it doesn’t go far enough to end the ‘killing to kill’ on grouse moors, banning snares – the cruel and indiscriminate traps that are common on grouse moors – is an important win for animal welfare against an industry that was desperate to keep them.

“The extra protection of peatlands is welcome but with three quarters of Scots against moorland burning for grouse shooting, the Parliament still has some catching up to do.

“Nevertheless, this legislation will hopefully go some way to tackling the persecution of Scotland’s birds of prey, something that our First, First Minister Donald Dewar called a ‘national disgrace’ in 1998.”

Worried and Waiting: Record waiting times for children in NHS Lothian

NHS Lothian has the longest patients waiting times for treatment, with 69.1% of total patients waiting over 12 weeks. 2382 out of 3448 paediatric patients in NHS Lothian waited over 12 weeks for treatment.

In NHS Highland 48.9% of patients were waiting over 12 weeks at that time. This is in comparison to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde where over 12 week waits made up only 19.2%, and NHS Grampian which stood at 12.9%.

The report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Worried and waiting: A review of paediatric waiting times in Scotland 2024, stated that –

‘It is worrying that children and young people are waiting longer than 12 weeks to be seen in paediatrics. However, what is the most concerning is that in September 2023, 13 out of 14 health boards in Scotland were experiencing very high waits over 12 weeks, with only NHS Western Isles achieving the national standard rate.‘

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “It is extremely concerning that young people in Lothian are waiting over 12 weeks for treatment.

“Over two thirds of young people are now waiting over the 12 week waiting target which is unacceptable.

“SNP mismanagement of our NHS means that hundreds of children are not being seen a quickly as they should be, nowhere more so than in NHS Lothian.

“We urgently need to see our health service properly run.

“It is also important that NHS Lothian receives funding parity with other health boards.

“This tired SNP Government has had no answers for years.”

Worried-and-waiting-review-waiting-times-Scotland-2024 Download

Edinburgh primary is the first in the city to be named as a Reading School

Canal View Primary in Wester Hailes has become the first school in Edinburgh to be given the prestigious Reading School accreditation by Scottish Book Trust.

The successful Reading Schools programme, developed by Scotland’s national charity changing lives with reading and writing, supports schools to build a reading culture, where every pupil is encouraged to feed their imagination through books.

Reading for pleasure is central to supporting wellbeing, improving attainment across the curriculum, and boosting critical thinking, creativity, empathy and resilience.

Canal View Primary is one of over 400 schools in Scotland to have been accredited through the programme and, having achieved the first level, the school is now working towards progressing to silver status.

The third, and top level, to be achieved is gold status.

Susannah Jeffries, Depute Head Teacher of Canal View Primary School said: “We are so excited to be recognised as the first accredited Reading School in Edinburgh.

“Our whole school community is so proud that, in Edinburgh – the first ever UNESCO City of Literature – we are the first school to receive this award.

“We are also absolutely delighted to represent our community in Wester Hailes in such a positive way!”

Samuel, the primary seven Reading Leader said: “Everyone’s worked hard to get the Reading School accreditation, especially the Reading Leaders.

“It’s great that everyone gets to share what they like to read as a whole school. I am proud and grateful that I could help the team get the award and spread the reading bug to everyone in our school.”

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “We are thrilled that Canal View Primary has achieved the honour of being the first school in Edinburgh to be accredited as a Reading School.

“A Reading Schools accreditation is a fantastic accomplishment for pupils and teachers alike, and achieving this status is a way of demonstrating a school’s commitment to developing vibrant reading cultures and the many benefits this brings.”

Path upgrades create gateway for active travel in Musselburgh

A PATH connecting Queen Margaret University (QMU) to the centre of Musselburgh has been refurbished and upgraded to meet the needs of local users after receiving a grant through Scotland’s national walking charity Paths for All on behalf of Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government and funding from East Lothian Council.

Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, Patrick Harvie MSP, joined representatives from Paths for All, East Lothian Council and QMU to see the benefits this project has delivered.

The path, which runs under the railway line between residential areas at Craighall Drive and Monktonhall Place also links the University with NCR1, has been revitalised following a £58,800 grant from Paths for All’s Ian Findlay Path Fund.

This grant funding for “A short path with a big impact’, has allowed the university, with support from East Lothian Council, to invest in making the route more accessible to all.

Work on the path involved removing physical barriers, resurfacing, new lighting and drainage. The result is path that is accessible to all and resilient to poor weather and flooding.

Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, Patrick Harvie MSP, said: “I’m really pleasedto be able to visit this project which has been made possible through grant funding provided by the Ian Findlay Path Fund (IFPF).

“Ian would have been enthused by the projects coming forward through the fund and that it continues to support communities across the country to put their ideas for local walking and cycling infrastructure into practice, and encourage more people to choose active forms of travel for their everyday journeys.

“This new path will not only help staff and students to travel in a more sustainable way, but also provides a safe and accessible connection to the wider National Cyle Network for surrounding communities.”

Queen Margaret University applied to the Ian Findlay Path Fund last year and was one of 22 successful projects to be offered funding and support to improve active travel networks in their area. Most of those projects are now reaching their conclusion, delivering improvements for communities all around the country.

Professor Richard Butt, Deputy Principal of Queen Margaret University, said: “As a university with sustainability central to our values, this new accessible path that helps our students and staff travel to and from the university safely, without the need for a car, is a huge benefit. Importantly, we know that it will also help people living around the campus.

“It’s been great seeing this project develop first-hand, knowing the positive impact it will have for our community and the surrounding area.”

East Lothian Depute Provost, Andy Forrest, said: “In recent years more people have expressed an interest in active travel both within and to our towns and villages.

“This new route offers a safe path segregated from traffic for people to walk or cycle to parts of Musselburgh connecting with the QMU campus.”

Senior Development Officer for the fund, Yvonne McLeod, said: “The Ian Findlay Path Fund team has been delighted to be able to support this project and it is fantastic to see the finished path being put to such great use.

“The purpose of the fund is to support community projects just like this one and it has been great to witness this fantastic example of team work between the University and the Local Authority which has allowed this path to be upgraded to such a high standard.

“Seldom has a project been so well named and we hope the newly refurbished path will continue to have a ‘big impact’ for this community, well into the future.”

CEO of Paths for All, Kevin Lafferty, said: “The QMU path has meant that people of all abilities can get outside, be safe and get exercise while commuting on routes that are used on a daily basis.

“Delivering safe environments for active travel is at the forefront of our Paths for All objectives, supporting people to live active healthy lives. The success from QMU’s use of the funding shows the differences that path development can make for communities.”

The fund concluded its second round of awards to community-based groups on the 8^th March and a further £1.5 million will be allocated to similar path improvement projects located all around Scotland.

The Ian Findlay Path Fund, established in memory of Ian Findlay CBE, the late Chief Officer of Paths for All, continues to support local initiatives aimed at enhancing path networks and removing barriers to active travel.

The team works directly with communities to improve local path networks that will make it easier and more attractive for people to walk, wheel and cycle or choose public transport for local everyday journeys.

Community groups interested in potential future funding can reach out to the Ian Findlay Path Fund team at IFPF@pathforall.org.uk.

For more information about the Ian Findlay Path Fund, visit:

https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/community-paths/cmp-grants/ian-findlay-path-fund

Support for family mental health

Funding for perinatal and infant services

Charities providing support to pregnant women, new mums and their families are to share £1.5 million expand and enhance their mental health and wellbeing services.

It has been estimated that up to 20% of mums and up to 10% of dads are affected by poor mental health in the perinatal period.

The Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund, which is now open for applications, enables organisations to provide a range of one-to-one and group-based support and care for parents, carers and new babies.

Over 10,000 parents, expectant parents and infants have been supported by existing funded organisations since 2019.

The new round of funding will start from October 2024.

Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “It is very important that all mothers and their families have access to good mental healthcare throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period.

“The third sector provides vital access to perinatal mental health support, and we are dedicated to supporting them to do so.

“This latest round of funding of up to £1.5 million, building on previous awards of over £2.8 million over four years, is designed to increase the provision of parenting and infant support, peer support and counselling or psychological support. The Fund will enable organisations to provide the services that women and their families need.”

Marie Balment, Infant Mental Health Lead, Perinatal Mental Health Network Scotland said: “We’re delighted the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund has been opened for a new round of funding for 18 months.

“This will enable statutory perinatal and infant mental health services to work alongside charity partners to continue offering essential perinatal mental health services that support families with babies.

“The contribution of third sector organisations is needed now more than ever, providing necessary support to parents recovering from mental illness and promoting the mental wellbeing of families during a time of vulnerability. This includes vital work promoting positive parent – infant relationships and infant mental wellbeing, which has a lifelong impact.”

Kaylie Allen, Director of Funds at Inspiring Scotland said: “We are pleased to be managing the application process for the next 18 months of Scottish Government Perinatal and Infant Mental Health funding.

“We know from the last three years of managing the fund the extraordinary impact community-based peer, parenting and infant focussed support can make for babies, parents, and families. It is so important that we focus on the early years to give all children the best start in life.”

Perinatal Infant Mental Health Fund 2024 – Inspiring Scotland

Boosting Scotland’s renewables: Consultation on bioenergy

Views are being sought on proposals for the sustainable use of bioenergy, including growing crops which can be converted into electricity, heat and fuels.

Bioenergy is already a key component of Scotland’s energy system and is produced by using organic material from trees, plants and food waste as a greener source to replace fossil fuels.

A new strategy sets out how bioenergy can be used to reduce emissions, and proposes using some agricultural land specifically to grow crops which can be converted into bioenergy.

Consultation on the strategy opens today and will run for 12 weeks, seeking views on the opportunities and barriers to using biomass for fuel, as well as the possible use of land to grow the perennial energy crops required for domestic production.

Energy Minister Gillian Martin said: “Bioenergy supports the Scottish Government’s commitment to reach net zero by 2045. Research shows if 90,000 hectares of these crops were planted, this could deliver an amount of energy equivalent to powering around 1.3 million homes a year.

“Realising this potential can help to deliver a just transition for our energy sector, and develop a self-sufficient and secure supply chain to enable us to generate more of this greener energy.

“It is vitally important that people engage on this consultation and give us their views.”

Bioenergy consultation

Scotland’s 2030 climate goals ‘are no longer credible’

Continued delays to the updated climate change plan and further slippage in promised climate policies mean that the Climate Change Committee no longer believes that the Scottish Government will meet its statutory 2030 goal to reduce emissions by 75%.

There is no comprehensive strategy for Scotland to decarbonise towards Net Zero.

The Scottish Government delayed its draft Climate Change Plan last year despite the 2030 target only being six years away. This has left a significant period without sufficient actions or policies to reach the target; the required acceleration in emissions reduction in Scotland is now beyond what is credible.

Professor Piers Forster, interim Chair of the Climate Change Committee, said: “Scotland has laudable ambitions to decarbonise, but it isn’t enough to set a target; the Government must act.

“There are risks in all reviewed areas, including those with significant policy powers devolved to the Scottish Government.

“Scotland’s Climate Change Plan needs to be published urgently, so we can assess it. We need to see actions that will deliver on its future targets.”

Scotland missed its annual target for 2021. This is the eighth time in the past 12 years that they have missed a target. The only sectors to reduce emissions in 2021 were electricity supply and industry. Most key indicators of delivery progress, such as tree planting, peatland restoration rates and heat pump installations are off track.

There is a path to Scotland’s post 2030 targets, but stronger action is needed to reduce emissions across the economy.

The transport and buildings sectors will require a particularly rapid increase in the rate of emissions reduction to meet the targets set out in the last Climate Change Plan update (2020 CCPu).

Buildings. The 2020 CCPu requires emissions from heating buildings to decrease by 71% by 2030, meaning the annual emissions reduction rate must increase by almost a factor of ten. There are welcome bold proposals in the Heat in Buildings consultation, which if implemented could become a template for the rest of the UK. But these proposals must be delivered in practice and the planned rate of decarbonisation will not achieve those promised in 2020.
Transport. The 2020 CCPu requires Scotland’s transport emissions to decrease by 44% by 2030, meaning the annual emissions reduction rate must increase by almost a factor of four. Scotland has an extremely stretching target to reduce car-kilometres by 20% on 2019 levels by 2030, but a clear strategy on how this will be achieved is still missing. Practical delivery plans must focus on deploying and improving electric car charging infrastructure – and developing plans for aviation.
Agriculture and land use. The 2020 CCPu requires this to decrease by 11% by 2030 – a reversal of recent emissions increases is needed. On woodland creation, Scotland needs to double its recent rate. On peatland restoration a tripling of Scotland’s rate is required to reach its own target, which remains less ambitious than the CCC’s.
Engineered greenhouse gas removals. The Acorn carbon capture cluster has received ‘Track 2 status’, which is positive progress for engineered removals in Scotland. But the Scottish Government should assess Acorn’s deployment potential against its own aim to achieve -3.8 MtCO₂engineered removals by 2030. A feasibility study published by the Scottish Government estimates potential for only 2.2 MtCO₂ by 2030 in Scotland.

This is a crucial time for Net Zero in Scotland. The handling of plans to close the Grangemouth refinery underlines the risk of omitting meaningful dialogue between communities, industry and government and the important role for the Scottish Government in ensuring a just transition towards Net Zero.

Further delay to the Scottish Government’s draft Climate Change Plan will prevent further progress on these strategic issues.

The STUC commented: “This is a hammer blow and cannot go unchecked. It’s the working class who bear the brunt of climate change and a lack of action from government has let them down.

“If the Scottish Government can’t meet their climate targets, then we cannot plan and manage a just transition.”

Commenting on the Climate Change Committee’s new report, which warns that “Scotland’s 2030 climate goals are no longer credible”, Convener of Holyrood’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee, Edward Mountain MSP, said: “This report is a reality check for us all. Reaching Net Zero means drastic measures need to be taken across all sectors and amongst every community.

“To make this happen, the Scottish Government must lead from the front.

“Clearly insufficient action has been taken to date. We urge the Scottish Government to present, as soon as possible, a coherent and practical delivery plan.”

Action on tobacco and vaping

New measures to protect children and young people and reduce preventable deaths

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto has welcomed the introduction of proposed legislation to ban the sale of tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 and allow tougher measures on vaping.

All governments in the UK agreed to bring forward a UK-wide Tobacco and Vapes Bill as part of their response to the 4 Nations Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping consultation.

The UK-wide legislation, introduced in Parliament today (Wednesday 20 March) will gradually increase the age of sale, making it an offence to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009. This means that children born on or after this date – those turning 15 this year and younger – will never be able to buy cigarettes.

The Bill also includes new powers to regulate displays, contents, flavours and retail packaging of vapes and nicotine products, allowing restrictions to target flavours marketed at children and to move vapes out of sight of children and away from products like sweets.

It will also remove existing Scottish provisions which make it an offence for a person under 18 to purchase tobacco products.

The Scottish Government has already published proposals to ban the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Scotland using existing environmental powers. If agreed by the Scottish Parliament, this would come into effect on 1 April 2025.

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “Scotland has been a world-leader on a range of tobacco control measures, and while there has been a steady reduction in the proportion of people smoking we know it still damages lives and kills more than 8,000 people a year in Scotland.

“Smoking is a huge burden on our NHS and social care services and contributes significantly to health inequalities, which is why our goal is for a tobacco-free Scotland by 2034.

“Research suggests that almost one in five young people have tried vaping and we’re particularly concerned about how flavours are used as an enticement to children and young people.

“We will now consider how to use these powers, if passed by Westminster, with the consent of the Scottish Parliament, to benefit public health. We will continue our four-nations approach to avoid any unnecessary regulatory divergence and to offer more certainty and for business and consistency for consumers. Powers on vapes will be taken forward following further consultation and engagement.

“In addition, we were the first government to commit to taking action on single-use vapes and have now fulfilled our 2023 Programme for Government commitment to consult on measures to tackle the environmental impact of single-use vapes.”

Scottish Govt making education accessible in partner countries

Marginalised groups in Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia to benefit

Support to make quality education accessible to all in Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia has been strengthened with funding of £356,000 from Scottish Government for the Inclusive Education Policy Academy.

The Academy forms part of the World Bank’s Foundational Learning Compact (FLC) programme and is a hands-on professional development programme designed to improve access to education for some of these countries’ most marginalised groups, such as learners with additional support needs and women.

The launch marks the Scottish Government’s first participation in a World Bank programme and underlines the Programme for Government commitment to fostering inclusive education practices globally and supporting its partner countries in achieving equitable access to quality education.

International Development Minister Kaukab Stewart said: “We’re committed to supporting inclusive education worldwide and the World Bank’s FLC programme will help us take a significant step towards providing quality education for all in Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia, including marginalised groups.

“By providing resources into this transformative initiative, we will empower educators in our Global South partner countries to create environments where every learner can thrive.

“We look forward to seeing the positive impact the Academy will have on the lives of millions of people across the world, and particularly in our partner countries through our new partnership and funding.

“The support fits with our broader commitment to education programming as we strive towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals, particularly with increasing access for marginalised groups, which include girls and learners with additional support needs.”

Luis Benveniste, World Bank Global Director for Education, said: “We are thrilled that the FLC is the first World Bank fund to receive support from the Scottish Government.

“Children everywhere will welcome this new ally in the fight to strengthen and improve inclusive access to quality education. We look forward to working with our Scottish partners on this critical initiative.”