Edinburgh residents, visitors, and industry back plans for a visitor levy, an engagement exercise has revealed.
Generating close to 4,000 responses in total, a four-week survey conducted by the Council over Christmas and New Year found broad support for the aims and objectives of its Visitor Levy for Edinburgh proposals.
The survey found that Capital residents and community groups are particularly keen to see some of an Edinburgh levy reinvested towards enhancing essential public services, such as keeping the city clean and moving.
Business groups, who have largely fed back via focussed engagement sessions, express greater support for dedicated destination marketing and industry support, while everyone tends to agree a levy should be simple to administer and support the protection and enhancement of Edinburgh’s heritage and world-famous cultural offering.
The full findings – which echo evidence gathered by Council officers over the last six years – will be presented to Councillors on the Policy and Sustainability Committee on Tuesday (12 March).
Members of the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee will also meet on the same day to debate amendments to the national Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill which, if set in legislation as the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act this Spring/Summer, will allow Scotland’s local authorities including Edinburgh to charge a levy on overnight accommodation.
With much of the Capital’s scheme already researched and developed, Edinburgh is well placed to formally consult on and finalise its plans and is likely to become the first city in the UK to formally adopt a city-wide visitor levy.
Cammy Day, City of Edinburgh Council Leader, said: “Edinburgh has been lobbying the Scottish Government for more than a decade for the local powers to introduce a visitor levy. Finally, we are edging closer to this long-called for legislation.
“Throughout the years, we have repeatedly and actively engaged with our tourism and hospitality industry, as well as with residents, seeking views at various stages on the type of visitor levy Edinburgh needs.
“At every turn, we’ve had overwhelming backing at a community level and have witnessed growing support from those in the tourism and hospitality industry. This is only building as we head towards the last Parliamentary hurdle.
“We’re very proud that Edinburgh is one of the world’s most popular visitor destinations, but we’re equally aware that this success comes at a cost. A small overnight charge is common practice in other major cities and destinations, so why not here?
“The introduction of a levy will provide a funding stream that would be reinvested in the city and our infrastructure, to the benefit of our visitors and, crucially, the people who live here in our great Capital city all year round.
“While I welcome how far the Bill has come, I also echo the concerns shared by COSLA last week that it needs to allow visitor levies to be more flexible and quicker for Councils to roll out.
“Now that Edinburgh is ready to lead the introduction, I hope to see these adopted in the amendments Members of Parliament debate next week.”
High quality, accessible and affordable childcare is a key part of driving equality in the workplace and tackling the gender pay gap, First Minister Humza Yousaf has said.
On a visit to mark International Women’s Day 2024, the First Minister announced £16 million of additional investment to enable people delivering funded early learning and childcare in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) childcare sectors, to be paid at least £12 per hour from April 2024.
Guidance published today confirms how this funding will be allocated. This is part of efforts to deliver the Scottish Government’s Fair Work agenda and to support sustainability in the childcare sector.
The First Minister confirmed the funding on a visit to TASK Childcare in Glasgow yesterday with the Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise, Natalie Don.
The announcement reflects the United Nations’ designated theme for International Women’s Day 2024: ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’ with a focus on addressing economic disempowerment.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “This International Women’s Day, I’m proud the Scottish Government’s cabinet has a majority of women and to have appointed Kaukab Stewart as the first woman of colour to hold a ministerial role in Scotland. In 2024, it is vital the Scottish Government represents modern Scotland.
“We have made great progress to prioritise and accelerate gender equality across our country. We rightly no longer question what women can accomplish but we should always question whether we are doing enough to remove barriers that too many women in our society continue to face.
“Evidence shows that a lack of affordable and accessible childcare for many women with children will result in too many women leaving the workforce, working part time or taking up work in inflexible employment which pays less and doesn’t make best use of their skills. That is why my government is prioritising additional investment of £16 million in Scotland’s childcare workforce.
“The Scottish Government has already delivered the most generous early learning and childcare offer on these islands and high quality, accessible and affordable childcare is a key part of our goal to drive equality in Scotland’s workforce and tackle the gender pay gap.
“Supporting families is not only fundamentally the right thing to do, it is critical to our national missions – affordable and accessible childcare supports female employment and enables secure, sustainable employment.”
Children’s Minister Natalie Don said: “This International Women’s Day, I am proud we are delivering on a key pledge to ensure £12 per hour for those working in the private, voluntary and independent childcare sector to deliver funded ELC. We are already delivering the most generous funded childcare offer in the UK today but we recognise we need to do more to tackle poverty and support gender equality.
“High quality, accessible and affordable childcare is a critical part of the national infrastructure we need to drive greater equality in Scotland’s workforce and tackle the gender pay gap. The innovative work we are leading through our six early adopter communities will enable us to better understand what a future all-age childcare system could look like for Scotland, to support more families out of poverty.”
COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson Councillor Tony Buchanan said: “Scotland’s councils, working closely with their partners in the private, third and childminding sectors, are committed to supporting families through delivering 1140 hours of high quality funded early learning and childcare (ELC) across our communities.
“Providing the youngest in our communities with positive opportunities for play, learning and development, funded ELC provision is enabling parents – including mothers, who we know can often face particular barriers – to access work, training or study.
“The guidance being published today to support delivery of the £12 per hour pay commitment during 2024-25 has been developed and agreed through positive partnership working between Scottish and Local Government. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership as we take forward the range of actions identified in the joint Sustainable Rates Review.”
Chancellor doubles-down on biggest childcare reform
Chancellor commits a further £500 million for childcare providers over the next two years.
New funding will give the sector the certainty to invest in staff and space for the future
The Chancellor also confirmed new rules which will require local authorities to pass through more government money and confirm final hourly rates faster.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt added £500 million in funding for the rollout of free childcare, helping tens of thousands of parents back to work and growing the economy.
The new money means childcare providers will be protected from rising costs by increasing the national average hourly rate with inflation, average earnings and the National Living Wage. This comes on top of more than £4 billion of investment per year announced at Spring Budget last year and will benefit around 60,000 childcare providers in England, giving them more confidence to invest and expand.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:“Last year I announced the single biggest investment in childcare in England’s history, saving parents up to £6,900 a year in fees and helping tens of thousands into work.
“We’re now going a step further by protecting nurseries and preschools from rising costs and getting funding to them quicker, helping parents back to work and the economy to turn a corner.”
New funding rules will mean providers are given more financial certainty and receive more government money. Planned reforms to local funding rules will mean local authorities will be required to confirm final hourly rates to providers within eight weeks of local authority rates being published and pass through at least 97 percent of funding. Currently local authorities need to pass through 95 percent of funding and confirm final rates by the end of the financial year.
To ensure that nurseries and early years providers can get the workers they need to offer more childcare places, the government recently launched a national recruitment campaign to encourage people to start a career in childcare.
There are currently 1.5 million childcare places available across England and around 330,000 staff working in the sector. The new investment will help deliver thousands more places and staff to ensure the sector is ready.
Tens of thousands of parents have already received childcare eligibility codes so they can access free childcare from April, when the first stage of the offer is rolled out. Working parents using the full 30-hour entitlement next year will save up to £6,900, helping tens of thousands back into work.
This significant expansion of childcare provision is part of the government’s plan to reward work and grow the economy. Inflation has fallen from 11.1% to 4%, borrowing costs are starting to come down and debt is on track to fall as a share of the economy. Because of this progress, the government announced tax cuts for working people Spring Budget 2024, which will bring thousands more people into work.
Building on the 2 percentage point cut to Employee National Insurance at Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced a second 2p cut from 10% to 8% from April. Taken together with the cut to Employee National Insurance at Autumn Statement, this slashes the main rate of Employee NICs by a third and means the average worker earning £35,400 a year will be over £900 better off this year.
The Chancellor also went further with tax cuts for the self-employed, having reduced Class 4 NICs from 9% to 8% and abolished the requirement to pay Class 2 NICs at Autumn Statement. Today he announced a further 2p cut to Class 4 NICs for the self-employed to 6%, meaning the average worker earning £28,000 will be £650 better off compared with last year.
This support for working parents comes on top of plans for the High Income Child Benefit Charge to be assessed on a household basis by April 2026, with a consultation to come on achieving this.
To ensure working families benefit from increasing their earnings before this change is made, the threshold to start paying back Child Benefit will increase in April from £50,000 to £60,000 – a 20% increase which will take 170,000 families out of paying the charge this year – while Child Benefit will no longer need to be repaid in full until earnings exceed £80,000.
This represents a £1,260 boost on average for around half a million working families, rising to nearly £5,000 for some families when combined with tax cuts since Autumn Statement. This will put an end to the current unfairness, where two parents earning £49,000 a year receive the full Child Benefit while a household with a single earner on over £50,000 does not.
The OBR says the immediate changes to the HICBC will lead to an increase in hours worked equivalent to around 10,000 more people entering the workforce on a full-time basis.
An independent, judge-led, statutory Public Inquiry will take place into the investigation of Emma Caldwell’s murder in 2005, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Angela Constance has announced.
In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, the Justice Secretary told MSPs that it was time to apply fresh scrutiny to the case – to understand what went wrong, to ensure lessons are learned for the future and to provide answers to the victims and survivors involved.
Further details will be set out once live legal proceedings in the case have concluded and a chair of the Inquiry has been appointed. Ministers will work alongside the Chair and Emma’s family in setting and agreeing the terms of reference for the Inquiry.
The decision to hold a Public Inquiry was reached after the First Minister and Justice Secretary held discussions with Emma’s family, including her mother Margaret Caldwell, on Tuesday this week.
The Justice Secretary said: “Margaret Caldwell and her family have waited far too long to get justice for Emma. I have expressed directly to them on behalf of the Scottish Government how deeply sorry we are for their loss, and for the pain and grief they have had to endure.
“Nineteen years have elapsed between Emma’s murder and a conviction, showing serious failings occurred in the investigation. Given this, along with the gravity of this case, the length of time that it took for justice to be served for so many women and the horrific extent of the sexual violence suffered by the victims and survivors, the case for holding a public inquiry is overwhelming.
“The family want to have answers and deserve nothing less. The First Minister made clear that we would give serious consideration to the Caldwell family’s call for a Public Inquiry after hearing directly from Margaret Caldwell and her family, and pledged we would do so quickly.
“I am glad that now we have been able to answer their call by announcing that we will set up a Public Inquiry.”
Campaigners from the Unbound the Greyhound coalition delivered their open letter, calling for a phase out to dog racing in Scotland, to the Scottish Government yesterday.
22,655 people signed the coalition’s open letter, including celebrities such as TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham, actor Peter Egan, and historian and broadcaster, David Olusoga.
MSPs joined the charities, and greyhounds rescued from the racing industry, outside Parliament in support.
The letter hand-in comes just weeks after Scottish Greens MSP, Mark Ruskell, launched the consultation for his proposed Bill to ban greyhound racing, the Proposed Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Scotland) Bill.
The coalition is very supportive of this Bill.
Spokesperson for the coalition, Eve Massie Bishop, said: “There has been a real shift in attitudes towards dog racing in recent years.
“Not only have 22,655 people added their name to our letter to the Scottish Government to phase out greyhound racing in Scotland, but polling carried out by Panelbase has also found that six in ten Scots think the Scottish Parliament should vote to phase out greyhound racing.
“A 2019 petition to ban greyhound racing, from coalition member Scotland Against Greyhound Exploitation, is also the most signed petition in Scottish parliamentary history.
“Our campaign has attracted the support of animal lovers from across the world, including the US, Australia, Japan, France, and Spain.
All eyes are now on the Scottish Parliament, which can show leadership and compassion and take steps to phase out this dying industry.”
2,718 greyhounds died and there were 2,284 total injuries recorded at the hands of the industry between 2018-2022.
Rescue greyhound, Sasha, who was at the open letter hand-in, was injured 8 years ago and was almost killed as a result.
Sasha broke her leg during a race at the former Armadale Stadium, in West Lothian, and was left in her kennel without treatment for days.
When her owner finally did take her to the vet, he wanted her to be put down, despite her injury being treatable.
Thankfully, the vet convinced Sasha’s owner to surrender her instead.
The coalition is very supportive of Mark Ruskell MSP’s Proposed Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Scotland) Bill, stating: “The Scottish Government’s proposals to license greyhound racing simply won’t protect these dogs.
“The Scottish public know this. In response to the Government’s recent consultation on its licensing proposals, most respondents responded instead calling for a phase out of greyhound racing.
“Mr Ruskell has recognised that greyhound racing carries inherent welfare risks and that only a ban on this outdated ‘sport’ will protect these loving, affectionate dogs. We are grateful for Mr Ruskell’s commitment to ending this dying industry which survives only on the exploitation of gentle dogs. He has our absolute support.”
Mark Ruskell MSP commented: “Greyhound racing is a cruel gambling-led sport. There is nothing safe about forcing dogs to run around an oval track at 40 mph. It is wrong, and it must be stopped.
“The industry has shown that it cannot be trusted to regulate itself, with hundreds of greyhounds dying or being injured every year.
“Animal welfare organisations are clear – the inherent risks of greyhound racing mean that the welfare of these beautiful dogs can only be truly protected by banning racing for good. And that is exactly what my proposed Bill intends to do.
“Thanks to the Unbound the Greyhound coalition, we know that the public also wants to see our four-legged friends protected too. An incredible 22,655 people have signed the coalition’s open letter calling for an end to greyhound racing in Scotland.
“Change is coming. So I hope that as many people as possible take part in my consultation and that we can use it to develop the most appropriate and robust legislation possible and deliver an end to this abusive and badly-dated practice.”
Commitment to enhance gender equality and women’s rights internationally
Women and girls in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia will be given the opportunity to design and deliver a new fund to advance gender equality and the rights of women and girls in their own countries.
The new Women and Girls Fund is supported by £3 million from the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund and will be delivered over four years.
The lead delivery partner for the Fund is the international research consultancy Ecorys, working in collaboration with FAWE (Forum for African Women Educationalists) in three of the Scottish Government’s International Development partner countries. The fund will take a participatory approach, being co-developed by women and girls, and women and girl-led organisations in the three countries.
International Development Minister Kaukab Stewart said: “Gender inequality remains one of the greatest human rights challenges globally, and we must work together to address this.
“Reflecting our commitment to equalise power, the Women and Girls Fund will provide direct support to local women and girl-led organisations in our Sub-Saharan African partner countries.
“Direct funding is central to driving transformational change; this fund will empower women and girls, locally, to define and meet their own priorities.
“As we mark International Women’s Day, it is fitting that we launch this incredibly valuable programme, which puts feminist principles into action and will help us to advocate for a world without gender inequality.”
Ecorys Team Leader Mpala Nkonkomalimba said: “The funding opportunity cannot be coming at a more opportune time, as women and girls are still struggling to have voice in decision making processes and with the global economic downturn, they continue to be the face of poverty.
“Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) capacities to respond to the many emerging global and national issues affecting women and girls needs to be built and what is exciting is that the fund is planned to be participatory with CSOs themselves co-creating the funding mechanism.”
A highlight of the Scottish student sporting calendar, the Varsity American football game has been played annually since 2012 and returns to Meggetland Stadium.
The traditional Edinburgh Napier Knights American Football vs University of Edinburgh Mavericks rivalry returns, as both teams fight it out for the most spectacular trophy in UK American Football.
This years game will be held on a mid-week evening under the floodlights at Meggetland, on Wednesday 20th March, with a 7pm KO.
Entertainment includes a DJ, Edinburgh Rampant medieval Armour Combat Team and the Edinburgh University Brass Band. The Canalside Bar at Boroughmuir rugby club will be open throughout with hot food available.
Last years game produced fireworks during, on and off the field, with the Edinburgh Mavericks edging the game in a 14-6 victory.
Meggetland sports complex features a seated stand for watching the action.
Join us under the lights for the city’s biggest American Football fixture of the season!
Gates open from 6pm, with a 7pm kickoff.
Tickets are £5 adult, £3 students and Free Entry for U16’s and can be purchased in advance or on the gate.
More than 292,000 baby boxes have been delivered to expectant parents – providing them with around £420 worth of essential items for their newborn.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said Baby Boxes give families reassurance that regardless of their circumstances, they will have access to essential items needed for the first six months of their newborn’s life.
Ms Somerville announced the delivery milestone on a visit to Home Start Falkirk to hear how the charity supports families with young children and meet parents who have benefited from the Scottish Government’s unique Baby Box programme.
Ms Somerville also reiterated calls for the UK Government to announce more funding to help families struggling with the cost of living when it publishes its Spring Budget.
She said: “The Baby Box is a welcome gift for every baby born in Scotland. It ensures that every family with a new-born has access to essential items needed in the first six months of a child’s life, like clothes, books and thermometers – saving expectant parents around £420.
“We want to ensure every child has the nurturing care they need to have the best start in life and to fulfil their potential. Supporting parents is key to improving outcomes for children and young people.
“As a result of the Scottish Government’s policies such as the Scottish Child Payment, it is estimated that 100,000 fewer children will live in relative poverty in 2024-25. But we will always be fighting poverty with one arm tied behind our back if the UK Government is delivering policies that result in the opposite outcome.
“The Spring Budget should be an opportunity for the UK Government to take action needed to transform the lives and outcomes of people across the UK, including introducing an Essentials Guarantee to ensure social security benefits adequately cover the cost of essentials.”
Scottish Government expected to announce public inquiry today
The Chief Constable said: “Emma Caldwell, her family, and many other victims, were let down by policing in 2005. I am sorry.
“I offered that apology personally to Emma’s family today and I am grateful they gave me the opportunity to do so and to listen to their perspective and experience. I pay tribute to their courage, resilience, and determination in the years since her death.
“I listened carefully to the family’s statement following Packer’s conviction and I understand when they say the conviction brings no joy, elation or closure but that it simply allows Emma’s mother Margaret to breathe again.
“It is important that Emma’s family and the public get answers to the many questions they have.
“I therefore support the family’s calls for a public inquiry. I absolutely commit that Police Scotland will fully participate in any further proceedings.
“We have reflected and learned from the initial investigation and subsequent re-investigation.
“Significant changes have been made in recent years to improve our organisational culture and our response, particularly in respect of investigative structures, victim care and processes to these types of crimes.
“Our Violence against Women and Girls Strategy demonstrates our absolute commitment to tackling the violence and abuse that disproportionately affects women and girls.
“I am also committed to relentlessly improving how we respond to and serve the public, and to ensuring officers and staff uphold our values and help to deliver justice for victims.”
Justice Secretary Angela Constance is expected to announce an independent public inquiry into the police handling of the Emma Caldwell murder investigation later today.
Review of powers of communities to acquire land or buildings
A review of Community Rights to Buy will begin this summer to look at how effective current powers are.
Community Right to Buy has now been in use for 20 years. During that time, there have been several additions and amendments to the original rights in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, and various reports and recommendations on how to improve and amend them further.
Speaking during a visit to the Heart of Newhaven, a community facility which was bought by the community in 2021 through the Asset Transfer process, Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “Ownership or control of land and buildings – both urban and rural – is a powerful tool for communities to drive change and achieve their goals. It can help to develop the local economy, provide activities and services, and boost community identity.
“We want to increase community ownership as an important way of delivering our vision for Scotland and our three central missions of equality, opportunity and community.
“This review will begin in Summer 2024, following introduction of the Land Reform Bill and report at the end of 2025 and will cover all the current rights to buy and will look at legislative and procedural aspects of the rights to see if new legislation is needed.”
Background
The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 introduced the first two community rights to buy. The Community Right to Buy (Part 2) gave rural communities the right to register an interest in assets. Should the owner choose to sell, the community could then be granted the right to buy that asset without it being offered to anyone else. The Crofting Community Right to Buy (Part 3) gave communities in crofting areas a right to compulsory purchase of assets, whether or not the owner wishes to sell.
The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 then amended the Community Right to Buy to widen the rights to urban communities. It also introduced the Community Right to Buy Abandoned, Neglected or Detrimental Land (Part 3A). This is a compulsory purchase right for land that is abandoned, neglected or detrimental to the environmental wellbeing of communities.
The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2018 introduced a further compulsory right, the Right to Buy Land to Further Sustainable Development (Part 5). This compulsory right does not need land to be in a certain condition and allows communities to nominate a third party purchase on their behalf.
