Tag: Scottish Government

Starmer: Fixing the Foundations? Or AUSTERITY 2 – the sequel?

Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a speech in the Downing Street garden today on fixing the foundations of our country

When I stood on the steps of Downing Street – just over there – two months ago. I promised this government would serve people like you. 

Apprentices. Teachers. Nurses. Small business owners. Firefighters. Those serving our community and our country every day. 

I promised that we would get a grip on the problems we face. And that we would be judged by our actions, not by our words. 

I said before the election – and I say it again really clearly today: Growth.

And, frankly, by that I do mean wealth creation…

[Please note political content redacted here.]

is the number one priority of this government.

That’s why, in our first few weeks, we set up the National Wealth Fund –

because we want every person and every community to benefit. 

It’s why we’ve unlocked planning decisions –

Because we are going to build 1.5 million new homes. 

It’s why we’ve set up Great British Energy – 

To create good jobs and cut people’s bills. 

And it’s why we ended the national strikes that have crippled our country for years. 

Because I defy anyone to tell me that you can grow the economy…

when people can’t get to work – because the transport system is broken.

Or can’t return to work – because they’re stuck on an NHS waiting list.

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And these are just the first steps towards the change that people voted for. 

The change I’m determined to deliver. 

But before the election I also gave a warning.

I said change would not happen overnight. 

When there is deep rot in the heart of a structure, you can’t just cover it up.

You can’t tinker with it or rely on quick fixes. 

You have to overhaul the entire thing. 

Tackle it at root. 

Even if it’s harder work and takes more time. 

Because otherwise what happens?

The rot returns.

In all the same places.

And it spreads. 

Worse than before. 

You know that – I know that. 

That’s why this project has always been about fixing the foundations of this country. 

But I have to be honest with you. Things are worse than we ever imagined. 

In the first few weeks, we discovered a £22 billion black hole in the public finances. 

And before anyone says ‘oh this is just performative’.

Or ‘playing politics’.

Let’s remember.

The OBR did not know about this.

They didn’t know.

They wrote a letter saying they didn’t know.

[Please note political content redacted here.]

Even just last Wednesday, we found out that

[Please note political content redacted here.]

We borrowed almost £5 billion more than the OBR expected in the last three months alone.

That’s not performative – that’s fact. 

But as well as the things we’ve discovered, we’ve also seen shocking scenes across the nation. 

A mindless minority of thugs – who thought they could get away with causing chaos. 

Smashing up communities and terrifying minorities. 

Vandalising and destroying people’s property. 

Even trying to set fire to a building – with human beings inside it. 

And as if that wasn’t despicable enough. 

People displaying swastika tattoos.

Shouting racist slurs on our streets. 

Nazi salutes at the cenotaph –

The cenotaph – the very place we honour those who gave their lives for this country. 

Desecrating their memory….

Under the pretence – and it is a pretence – of ‘legitimate protest’.

Now they’re learning that crime has consequences. 

That I won’t tolerate a break down in law and order under any circumstances. 

And I will not listen to those who exploit grieving families, and disrespect local communities.

But these riots didn’t happen in a vacuum. They exposed the state of our country. Revealed a deeply unhealthy society. The cracks in our foundation laid bare – 

Weakened by a decade of division and decline.

Infected by a spiral of populism…

Which fed off cycles of failures

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Stuck in the rut of the politics of performance. 

And I saw the beginning of that downward spiral firsthand.

Back in 2011.

When riots ripped through London and across the country. 

I was then Director of Public Prosecutions. 

And when I think back to that time.

I see just how far we have fallen. 

Because responding to those riots was hard – of course it was.

But dealing with the riots this summer was much harder. 

In 2011, I didn’t doubt the courts could do what they needed to do.

This time – to be honest with you – I genuinely didn’t know.

Let me tell you this. Every day of that disorder – literally every day – we had to check the precise number of prison places we had and where those places were.

To make sure we could arrest, charge and prosecute people quickly. 

Not having enough prison places is about as fundamental a failure as you can get. 

And those people throwing rocks, torching cars, making threats.

They didn’t just know the system was broken.

They were betting on it.

Gaming it.

They thought – ‘ah, they’ll never arrest me.

And if they do, I won’t be prosecuted.

And if I am, I won’t get much of a sentence.’

They saw the cracks in our society after 14 years of populism and failure – and they exploited them. 

That’s what we have inherited.

Not just an economic black hole.

A societal black hole. 

And that’s we have to take action and do things differently.

And part of that is being honest with people – about the choices we face. And How tough this will be. And frankly – things will get worse before they get better.

I didn’t want to release prisoners early. 

I was Chief Prosecutor for five years. 

It goes against the grain of everything I’ve ever done. 

But to be blunt – if we hadn’t taken that difficult decision immediately.

We wouldn’t have been able to respond to the riots as we did. 

And if we don’t take tough action across the board. We won’t be able to fix the foundations of the country as we need. 

I didn’t want to means test the Winter Fuel Payment. But it was a choice we had to make. 

A choice to protect the most vulnerable pensioners. while doing what is necessary to repair the public finances. 

Because pensioners also rely on a functioning NHS.

Good public transport.

Strong national infrastructure. 

They want their children to be able to buy homes.

They want their grandchildren to get a good education.

So we have made that difficult decision –

To mend the public finances.

So everyone benefits in the long term –

Including pensioners. 

Now that is a difficult trade off. 

And there will be more to come. 

I won’t shy away from making unpopular decisions now…

If it’s the right thing for the country in the long term. 

That’s what a government of service means. 

This shouldn’t be a country where people fear walking down their street.

Their TVs showing cars and buildings being set on fire.

This shouldn’t be a country where the Prime Minister can’t guarantee prison places.

This shouldn’t be a country where people are paying thousands more on their mortgage. 

Or waiting months for hospital appointments they desperately need. 

Where our waters are filled with sewage.

Where parents worry that their kids won’t get the opportunities they did. 

Where nothing seems to work anymore. 

So, when I talk about the inheritance the last government left us…

The £22 billion black hole in our finances…

This isn’t about a line on a graph.

That’s about people’s lives. 

Your lives.

[Please note political content redacted here.]

This government won’t always be perfect, but I promise you this:

You will be at the heart of it…

In the forefront of our minds…

At the centre of everything we do.  

That’s why I wanted to invite you here today.

To show that decent, hard-working people who make up the backbone of this country belong here. 

This government is for you.

A garden and a building that were once used for lockdown parties…

Remember the pictures just over there? With the wine and the food.

Well this garden…

And this building…

are now back in your service.

[Please note political content redacted here.]

Those things happened precisely because the government itself lost its focus.

on the hopes and ambitions of working people. 

During those recent riots, I made huge asks…

of the police and of the criminal justice system –

People already stretched to the limit.

They knew I was making big asks of them.

And I’m not going to apologise for it.

But let me tell you this – they delivered.

They deserve our gratitude.

And that’s why I went to Southport…

To Lambeth…

To Belfast…

To thank them personally. To shake the hands of the first responders who rose up to the ask I made of them.

They deserve a government that trusts them.

Supports them.

And works with them. 

That is the sort of government we will be.

One that works with people, not does things to them. 

One that believes in hard graft, not gimmicks.

Honest about the challenges we face…

And working tirelessly to fix them. 

That is how we will always work. 

Now, next week, parliament returns. The business of politics will resume. But it won’t be business as usual.

Because we can’t go on like this anymore. Things will have to be done differently. 

We will do the hard work to root out 14 years of rot. Reverse a decade of decline. And fix the foundations. 

Between now and Christmas, we will carry on as we have started. Action not words.

We will introduce legislation and take decisions to protect taxpayers’ money.

To take on the blockers by accelerating planning. to build homes and boost growth.

We’ll move forward this autumn with harnessing the full potential of AI for growth and the public good.  

We’ll bring rail service into public ownership, putting passengers first. 

The biggest levelling up of workers’ rights in a generation to give people security, dignity and respect at work.

And Great British Energy will be owned by the taxpayer, making money for the taxpayer. Producing clean energy and creating good jobs. 

That is our focus for the rest of the year. 

But I will be honest with you. There’s a budget coming in October. and it’s going to be painful.

We have no other choice given the situation that we’re in. So those with the broadest shoulders should bear the heavier burden. And that’s why we’re cracking down on non-doms.

Those who made the mess should have to do their bit to clean it up. That’s why we’re strengthening the powers of the water regulator and backing tough fines on water companies that have let sewage flood our rivers, lakes and seas. 

But just as when I responded to the riots – I’ll have to turn to the country and make big asks of you as well.

To accept short term pain for long term good.

The difficult trade-off for the genuine solution.

And I know that after all that you’ve been through – that is a really big ask and really difficult to hear. 

That is not the position we should be in. It’s not the position I want to be in. But we have to end the politics of the easy answer that solves nothing. 

But I also know that we can get through this together. 

Because the riots didn’t just betray the sickness. They also revealed the cure.

Found not in the cynical conflict of populism. But in the coming together of a country.

The people who got together the morning after. All around the country. With their brooms, their shovels, their trowels. And cleared up their community.

They reminded us who we really are. 

I felt real pride in those people who cleaned up the streets.

Rebuilt the walls. Repaired the damage.

And I couldn’t help thinking about the obvious parallels. 

Because imagine the pride we will feel as a nation.

When, after the hard work of clearing up the mess is done.

We have a country that we have built together. 

Built to last.

That belongs to every single one of us. 

And all of us have a stake in it.

Our hard work rewarded – a dozen times over. 

Because we’ll have an economy that works for everyone. 

An NHS not just back on its feet, but fit for the future. 

Streets that everyone feels safe in. 

No longer dependent on foreign dictators…because we’re producing our own clean energy right here.

And giving every child – wherever they come from. Whatever their background.The chance – to go as far as their talent will take them. 

I won’t lose sight of that prize. I won’t lose sight of what we were elected to do. 

And most importantly – I won’t lose sight of the people that we were elected to do it for. 

You.

This is our country. Let’s fix it – together.

Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill: What You Said

CONSULTATION ANALYSIS PUBLISHED

Last year the Scottish Government launched a consultation on a proposed Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill.

Find out what people told @ScotGov in the independent consultation report:

https://bit.ly/LDAN_BillConsultationAnalysis

consultation-analysis-learning-disabilities-autism-neurodivergence-billDownload

Find alternative formats of our consultation document here:

‘There is no future for the Fringe without art. There is no art without artists’

FRINGE BOSS WADES IN TO ARTS FUNDING FURORE

To whom it may concern: As the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe comes to a close, an open letter from SHONA McCARTHY, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society

As the curtain falls on the 2024 Festival Fringe, much is being discussed in the spaces,  rooms, cafes, and streets of Edinburgh, on the success of this year. 

Today it was announced that 2.6 million tickets were issued during the 2024 Fringe, however there is no doubt that the current environment for artists across the UK is of great concern; and the fragility of the performing arts community is palpable.

An outward veneer of success cannot mask the struggle for artists to emerge let alone thrive in the UK right now. While Fringe 2024 has been brilliant, and it is to be celebrated that artists, companies, venues, producers and promoters took huge financial risks and pieced it together and put on the show.

However, the dominant message as we close this year’s festival is that there is no Fringe without art. There is no art without artists.

The cumulative effect of the relentless rise in the cost of everything, and an unhelpful policy environment facing the arts sector has resulted in widespread concern that is keenly felt by artists. 

From the availability of affordable accommodation, blunt policy changes which have consequences for major events, to continuous public sector cuts; we need to ensure that the hard won and fragile success isn’t met with complacency by those who can influence change. 

It is not enough to have old stories of how important Edinburgh’s festivals were in providing healing and connection after the Second World War. They are important now, contributing hugely to health, well-being, joy and job creation.

The Edinburgh Fringe vision is to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat. That is a commitment to inclusion, to freedom of expression and to being allowed to try and to fail. It is a vision that is increasingly easier to say than it is to do.

I have worked in the arts across the UK for 35 years now, and in the last two decades there has been a journey away from elitism, monoculturalism and exclusion with inspiring developments in access to the arts for all, with still a long way to go.

If the UK continues on an upward trajectory of cuts to arts education, and Scotland continues to decimate  investment in the sector, breaking  promises of support;  then we are on a direct course to job losses, exclusion and boring art that is only the privilege of those who can afford to be part of it, as performers or as audiences.

Here at the Fringe and across the UK, the pipeline of creative potential is under threat. Artistic risk and ambition is hamstrung by an operating context that squeezes out emerging artists that have made the Fringe globally renowned, unique and joyful. 

How can the Edinburgh Fringe remain exemplary, exciting, experimental; the only place in the world to be every August?  As the most influential arts marketplace in the world, this year over 1,800 arts industry accredited with the Fringe Society, and came to Edinburgh to seek new work for onward touring and broadcast opportunities. Nearly 900 accredited media reviewed shows, interviewed artists and worked tirelessly to support the 3,746 shows that took place this year.

There is no future for the Fringe without art. There is no art without artists. Artists and the venues who host them are at the heart of this event, and there would be no Fringe without them. 

They take the risk of bringing work to the festival every year, and while the arts landscape is at a crossroads, we need to ensure that the Fringe, one of the greatest celebrations of arts and culture in the world, is protected for the future. 

As we celebrate the hundreds of thousands of people who have been moved, delighted, awed, shocked and entertained by the stories artists present across Fringe stages, it feels that now, more than ever, we must not take artists for granted; we would do so at our peril.

SHONA McCARTHY,

Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society

Creative Scotland’s Open Fund: Sign the petition!

1500 folk signed already! “We are the people of Scotland. We live and work here. We value the arts and the artists who make it.”

Please sign and share if you live in Scotland and value the arts:

http://bit.ly/4dyphen

Independent producer Mairi Robinson’s letter reads:

Open Letter to Scottish Government, on the closing of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund for Individuals

Listen to this letter here: https://on.soundcloud.com/3zuSaySKzEnftzJL8 

We, the undersigned, are artists, arts workers, and/or audience members from across Scotland. We are the people of Scotland. We live and work here. We value the arts and the artists who make it.

We are writing to you about the closure of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund for Individuals, due to the Scottish Government being unable to confirm the release of £6.6 million of funding from the Grant-in-Aid budget. This decision shocks and deeply concerns us, and places the future of the arts in Scotland at risk.  

The Open Fund for Individuals is the cornerstone of the arts in Scotland. It is the only fund of its kind to support artists to lead projects, develop their practice, support their professional development and collaborate with other artists and/or communities.

One grant awarded to an individual provides meaningful employment, creative development, allows space for artistic risk and experimentation. Many of these grants support multiple artists and arts workers through paid job opportunities. Grants for individuals can also support organisations through the filling of theatres, galleries and music festivals. 

One grant can kickstart or extend a career, allow an artist to present their work to the public, develop a new stream of income, develop their entrepreneurial and business skills. Take artworks to market and present for Scottish audiences, leading to international tours and commercial successes. They provide a training ground for the arts leaders of tomorrow, allowing artists to skill up through experience of running their own projects and developing new networks.    

One grant can place artists in schools, in care homes, working 1-to-1 with folk who do not like a crowd, or with whole communities at a time, and bring a multitude of positive personal, social and wellbeing benefits. It can reduce isolation and bring people together. It can inspire and delight. It can help people find their voice, and see their experiences and stories represented. 

The Open Fund for Individuals has an enormous impact. It is a lifeline for artists and arts workers. Beyond the individual grants and their benefits, its existence also means an enormous amount to people across Scotland, because it supports people who are not independently wealthy to be artists. It tells us that we have a right to creativity and the arts, a right to joy and wellbeing, and a right to emotion and expression. 

Without the fund, the future is bleak, and bleakest for those who are isolated and marginalised by income, geography, race, class, age, faith, caring responsibilities, gender, sex, sexuality, or disability. Those who do not have savings to fall back on, family support to sustain them, or who have to work harder to bring their work to audiences are at risk of being unable to sustain a career in the arts. The loss of these talents and perspectives in the arts leaves us all poorer.

The arts in Scotland contribute £5bn annually to the economy but they are now at breaking point. We cannot continue without direct support for our artists, arts workers & self employed people. The damage to the arts caused by the closure of the fund is immediate and long lasting. Cut it now, and it could take a generation to build back.

We urge you to fund the reopening of the Open Fund for Individuals as a matter of urgency. We ask that you provide clear guidance on the in-year and future annual budgets so that the arts in Scotland can begin to plan, develop ideas, build upon past successes and deliver a vibrant future for us all.   

[Please sign with your first name, last name and postcode at the bottom of the document]

[If you’re having trouble accessing this document, please email mharirobinson@gmail.com with your name and post code and I will add you in] 

YOU CAN ADD YOUR NAME TO THE PETITION HERE:

http://bit.ly/4dyphen

Traverse Theatre statement on closure of the Open Fund

The Scottish theatre community is in need of support more than ever in light of the cuts to arts funding. Gareth Nicholls, Artistic Director of the Traverse, said last night:

“We at the Traverse wanted to use our platform to the world on the final day of the festival to make you aware of this, and of the significant impact funding cuts are having on our nation’s artists and theatres.

“New work in Scotland doesn’t come from nothing. And one of the key ways this has been achieved is through an open fund where an individual artist can ask for money when their idea is but a seed.

“The open fund is the incubator for Scottish work, but Creative Scotland has been forced to close the fund at 2pm on Friday. It will be closed indefinitely, due to the Scottish Government being unable to confirm funding for its delivery.

“Many on our stages, and whose work you’ve enjoyed at the festivals, have been dependent upon it, alongside wider arts subsidy. It is a fund that helps build careers and craft to get an idea off the ground, and which helps places like the Traverse keep our theatres alive with bold new ideas.

“If you enjoy seeing Scottish work right here in Scotland, then please continue to support the artists who make the powerful work that appears our stages.”

Further information can be found at www.campaignforthearts.org

Celebrating three years of funded childcare in Scotland

Helping children get the best start in life

This month marks three years since funded early learning and childcare (ELC) was nearly doubled for eligible two-year-olds and all three and four-year-olds in Scotland. 

Scotland remains the only part of the UK to offer 1,140 hours a year of funded ELC to all 3 and 4-year-olds and eligible 2-year-olds regardless of their parents’ working status – putting children first.

If families paid for this themselves, it would cost them more than £5,500 per eligible child per year.

Uptake of the Scottish Government’s flagship offer remains high, with 97% of three to four-years-old accessing funded ELC in 2023. 

Children and Young People Minister Natalie Don-Innes said: “Our investment in funded early learning and childcare is vital to achieving our ambition for a diverse, thriving and sustainable childcare sector and I’m proud of the progress made through the 1140 expansion so far.

“We are working to eradicate child poverty and improve the lives of children. This includes increasing uptake of our childcare offer for two-year-olds, and testing new systems of childcare through our investment in six Early Adopter Communities, which are local systems of funded childcare for families who need it most.


“We have also provided funding of £16 million for a pay uplift to £12 an hour for staff delivering ELC in the private and third sectors, and funded a new programme to recruit and retain childminders. All of this is helping parents back into work, study or training, which is not only good for their wellbeing, but good for the economy.

“I am committed to continuing to work together with providers and local government to safeguard the sector and ensure our children get the best start in life through access to high quality funded ELC.”

Improving cancer care

Funding for projects to benefit patients and clinical staff

A total of £1.5 million funding in 2024-25 is supporting 12 projects to continue providing direct and personalised support to patients with cancer.

The Single Point of Contact (SPoC) pilots provide patients with ongoing contact to support them, putting them at the heart of all decisions and actions involving them throughout their care journey.

The NHS Lothian SPoC uses a centralised digital hub delivering telephone communication and support to patients with a range of cancer types.

Around 40% of calls are diverted away from Clinical Nurse Specialist workload, which has led to improvements in the quality of their telephone contacts. Patient engagement work carried out by NHS Lothian and Healthcare Improvement Scotland has indicated high satisfaction with the service.

Confirming the funding, which is included in the 2024-25 Budget, as he met nurses at Edinburgh Cancer Centre with experience of the service, First Minister John Swinney said: “We are fully focused on improving cancer survival, and delivering excellent and accessible care is at the core of how we do that.

“The Single Point of Contact Service meets requirements identified by Boards to deliver improvements in communication and support for patients with navigating cancer care.

“By taking in the region of 2,000 calls per month and providing person-centred support to those patients throughout their care journey, the Edinburgh Single Point of Contact project provides consistent access for patients to have conversations about their care, freeing up capacity for specialist staff to focus on the most complex cases.”

Katie Gibson, Neuroendocrine Tumour Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, said: “I’ve seen first-hand how the SPoC service has transformed our ability to care for cancer patients.

“The centralised system streamlines communication and allows us to spend more quality time with those who need it most.

“As a result, patients are aware of who to contact for the support and advice they require from diagnosis , treatment and beyond.”

Over £1.5 million will support 12 pilot projects across Scotland to deliver a single point of contact to people diagnosed with cancer.

Funding has been delivered in response to needs identified by individual Boards and proposals submitted by them, pilots vary by cancer type and location:

  • NHS Lothian has received £ 343,740 to support the telephone-based SPoC service at Edinburgh Western General, serving boards within the South East Scotland Cancer Network
  • NHS Borders has received £82,000 for 3 cancer care co-ordinators, providing support across a variety of cancer sites
  • NHS Dumfries and Galloway has received £71,000 for 2 cancer co-ordinator posts, providing a telephone-based support service across a range of tumour sites  
  • NHS Fife has received £107,354 to staff a Single Point of Contact Hub, dealing with all urgent suspected cancer referrals.  
  • NHS Forth Valley has received £67,556 for 2 healthcare support workers (HCSW) providing a single point of contact for 7 tumour groups
  • NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and NHS Lanarkshire have received total funding of £202,668to develop a regional approach to digital remote follow up of prostate cancer patients in the West of Scotland
  • NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has received £67,566 for 2 support workers to augment specialist gynaecological nursing support  and £141,324 for 4 SPoC roles across GGC sites to smooth and facilitate the patient journey, for people diagnosed with lung cancer
  • NHS Grampian has received £84,500 for 3 posts to provide a joint service with Macmillan Navigators, providing support following an Urgent Suspicion of Cancer (USC) referral
  • NHS Highland has received £270,680 for 7 Cancer Support Workers providing tailored support throughout diagnostic pathway and onto treatment
  • NHS Tayside has received £33,288 to provide support for people diagnosed with advanced Upper Gastrointestinal or Hepatopancreatobiliary tumours and lung, renal and prostate cancers
  • NHS Western Isles has received £68,000 for 2 HCSWs, as part of the Macmillan Team, to support people with all types of cancer

Health Improvement Scotland is currently carrying out a scalability assessment of all 12 projects in order to identify best practice and how best to scale and expand these pilots.

Pay offer to NHS Agenda for Change staff

5.5% pay increase for nurses and NHS workers in 2024-25

Nurses and healthcare staff across Scotland have been offered a pay increase of 5.5% that will ensure they have the best pay package in the UK.

The offer, if accepted by trade unions, will see an investment of more than £448 million in 2024-25 and will ensure almost 170,000 NHS Agenda for Change staff – including nurses, midwives, paramedics, allied health professionals, porters and others – benefit from the pay rise which will be backdated to 1 April 2024.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “Following weeks of constructive engagement with trade union representatives, I am pleased to have agreed an offer, in recognition of the Pay Review Body recommendations, that will ensure Scotland’s nurses and NHS staff have the best pay package in the UK.

“The unions will now consult their members and I hope it will be accepted.

“I want to express my thanks again to Scotland’s hardworking healthcare staff for their commitment and patience – they are the very backbone of the NHS and we are committed to supporting them, particularly during a cost of living crisis.

“I am grateful for the continued efforts around the table and that the trade unions will now put this to their members.”

A total of £448 million has been committed for Agenda for Change pay in 2024-25. This equates to an uplift of 5.5% for all staff.

Examples of increases for 2024-25:

  • experienced porters (band 2) will receive £1,395
  • experienced healthcare support workers (band 4) will receive £1,651
  • experienced staff nurses (band 5) will receive £2,072
  • experienced paramedics (band 6) will receive £2,535.
 Scottish Pay Settlement2023-24Scottish Pay in2024-25after 5.5%UpliftUplift as£New Hourly Rate
Band 1£23,240£24,518£1,278£12.71
Band 2£23,362£24,647£1,285£12.78
 £25,368£26,763£1,395£13.87
Band 3£25,468£26,869£1,401£13.93
 £27,486£28,998£1,512£15.03
Band 4£27,598£29,116£1,518£15.09
 £30,019£31,670£1,651£16.42
Band 5£30,229£31,892£1,663£16.53
 £32,300£34,077£1,777£17.66
 £37,664£39,735£2,072£20.60
Band 6£37,831£39,912£2,081£20.69
 £39,498£41,670£2,172£21.60
 £46,100£48,635£2,535£25.21
Band 7£46,244£48,788£2,543£25.29
 £48,010£50,651£2,641£26.25
 £53,789£56,747£2,958£29.41
Band 8a£56,992£60,126£3,135£31.16
 £61,522£64,906£3,384£33.64
Band 8b£67,285£70,986£3,701£36.79
 £71,978£75,937£3,959£39.36
Band 8c£79,466£83,837£4,371£43.45
 £85,181£89,866£4,685£46.58
Band 8d£94,345£99,534£5,189£51.59
 £98,384£103,795£5,411£53.80
Band 9£111,595£117,732£6,138£61.02
 £116,428£122,831£6,404£63.67

Education Secretary welcomes female Afghan medical students

Nineteen female Afghan medical students have arrived in Scotland after they were banned from completing their studies by the authorities in Afghanistan.

The Scottish Government amended student funding legislation to ensure the women could be treated as home students and receive free tuition and cost of living support.

Scottish charity the Linda Norgrove Foundation has been supporting the women and secured agreement with four Scottish universities – St Andrews, Glasgow, Dundee, and Aberdeen – where the students will now continue their medical degrees as they work to become doctors.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth met the students at Edinburgh Airport to welcome them to Scotland.

Ms Gilruth said: “Gender should not be a barrier to accessing education, and I am pleased that the Scottish Government has been able to support these extraordinary women in their journey to complete their medical education.

“The changes we made to the legislation will ensure they can access the same benefits as their peers, including free tuition and student support. 

“Scotland has a proud history of welcoming people from across the world who need support.

“I wish each and every one of these inspiring women the warmest of welcomes to Scotland and look forward to the positive contribution they will make to our country.”

‘Hugely concerning’ increase in Scotland’s drug misuse deaths

Figures show 12% rise

Health Secretary Neil Gray has said that the level of drug misuse deaths remains “hugely concerning”, as the latest statistics showed an increase of 121 deaths compared with 2022.  

Figures published by National Records of Scotland found that 1,172 people died due to drug misuse in 2023.

This is the second lowest number of deaths since 2017, with 2022 being the lowest.

During a visit to the ‘The Skylark IX Recovery Trust’ boat-building project which helps people dealing with problem drug use, Mr Gray said: “My heartfelt condolences go to all those affected by the loss of a loved one through drugs.

” This level of deaths remains hugely concerning and underlines why we we will continue to do all we can to reduce harm and deaths caused by drugs.

“We’re taking a wide range of actions through our £250 million National Mission on drugs, including opening a Safer Drug Consumption Facility pilot, working towards the opening of drug-checking facilities and widening access to life-saving naloxone.

“We will also continue to improve access to residential rehab, where we’re on track to meet our target for additional placements, and drive the rollout of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards to make treatment and support available more quickly.

“Despite this unwelcome rise, I believe that National Mission action has led to much being achieved in a short space of time, with projects delivered on an unprecedented scale making a real difference to people.

“We will intensify our efforts and are also working hard to respond to the growing threat from highly dangerous, super-strong synthetic opioids like nitazenes in an increasingly toxic and unpredictable drug supply.

“We’ve seen a 67% increase in funding from 2014-15 to 2024-25 and made record levels of funding, of more than £112 million, available to Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships (ADPs).

“Additional National Mission funding, and support has created momentum in local areas to put services in place to save lives. We’ve now backed more than 300 grassroots projects, including the Skylark IX project in Dumbarton.”

The Dunkirk ‘little ship’ Skylark IX was rescued from the River Leven in 2010, with its restoration leading to a ‘Recovery for Recovery’ initiative helping people from the Alternatives community-based drug project.

Service users now gain hands-on training at its Boatbuilding Workshop in the Scottish Maritime Museum in Dumbarton.

Skylark IX Recovery Trust community engagement officer Amy Dobson said: “Our woodcraft workshops, funded through Corra Foundation, have been a huge success, and received with a lot of enthusiasm from those in the recovery community.

“Most people at our workshops haven’t done any woodwork since high school, and they’re now learning the skills to be able to build wooden oars and paddles for our skiffs and canoes, which will then be used within the wider community.

“Although Skylark IX will never sail again, all of our project work relates back to her story and history. Skylark IX saved lives during Operation Dynamo in 1940, and continues to act as a symbol of recovery and resilience today.”

James Currie, a previous volunteer trainee who returned as trust recovery support staff member said: “Since being a part of the Skylark IX team, I have finally found a purpose in giving back to my community and helping others to see their potential.

“When they go away from the workshops smiling and talking about how they had a nice day, enjoyed the workshop, and found connection, it gives me hope that we can make a real difference to people’s lives.”   

Consultation on offshore marine conservation measures

Fisheries management measures proposed in existing Marine Protected Areas to further protect and restore ecosystems

Fisheries management measures could be introduced for 20 sites in Scotland’s offshore waters that are designated as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), fulfilling a longstanding commitment to ensure protection for MPAs.

A consultation proposes either zoned or full restrictions on the use of specified types of fishing equipment – demersal mobile and static gear – at 15 sites.

For the remaining five sites, the consultation proposes a full site-wide exclusion of specified gear types where this is the only suitable option to achieve conservation objectives.

Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin said: “Scotland has beautiful and diverse marine ecosystems.

“However, the twin biodiversity and climate crises mean we must act now to support the recovery and resilience of our marine environment, and the sustainability of the communities and industries that rely on it.

“Marine Protected Areas already provide focused protection for the species and habitats in our waters. By implementing proposed fisheries management measures, we can further guard against further biodiversity loss, help to restore high priority marine features and make a greater contribution to supporting and maintaining the marine ecosystem, which in turn supports our long-term food security. 

“This will help ensure our seas remain a source of prosperity for the nation, especially in our coastal and island communities. These proposals are the result of many years of development and we will continue to consult very closely with industry and coastal communities to hear their views.”

The Scottish MPA network now extends across more than 230 sites for nature conservation and covers 37% of Scotland’s seas. 

Each individual MPA has specific conservation objectives for the features the site is designated to protect, which range from deep sea sponge aggregations to ocean quahog – a thick shelled clam which can live for more than 400 years – and cold water coral reefs. 

Ellen Last, MPA and Fisheries Advice Manager at the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) said: “Scotland’s offshore MPAs protect a range of important habitats and species, which provide a range of ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and food provision.

“JNCC has provided statutory advice to the Scottish Government, taking into account available scientific evidence on the designated features and potential impacts of activities, to help develop management measures that will contribute towards meeting the conservation objectives of these MPAs so that they can continue to benefit future generations.”

The consultation will run until 14 October.