Tag: Scottish Government

Open letter urges: Save Lammermuir!

‘This festival cannot be allowed to disappear’

  • The Lammermuir Festival 2023 came to a close this week while urgently working to secure its future.
  • Nicola Benedetti and Sir James MacMillan add their support for Lammermuir Festival.
  • Open Letter to Creative Scotland signed by 362 musicians, composers, educationalists, politicians, participants, supporters, audience members and local businesses.

The Lammermuir Festival closed its 14th festival earlier this week, one of its most successful yet. The programme was met with great acclaim cited by some music critics as the best programme presented.

Audiences flocked with over 80% of tickets sold, over 30% of which were to new customers. Initial analysis indicates that a little over half of those audiences were local with the remaining travelling to East Lothian to enjoy one of the UK’s best loved classical music events.

This successful edition was set against the backdrop of the festival finding out just days before it opened that Creative Scotland was not supporting its 14th festival, having invested in the event for thirteen years.

Losing the cultural funder’s support this year leaves the festival in an urgent financial position, working hard to find a secure future.

Many of Scotland’s leading musicians have lent their support to the festival’s campaign, most recently Nicola Benedetti and Sir James MacMillan.

Nicola Benedetti said: “Being able to share the best, world-class music making with audiences not residing in our cities but in rural areas is a really important part of our nation’s cultural fabric.

“An aspect we must support and nurture. The Lammermuir Festival has done this brilliantly over the last 14 festivals creating acclaimed events that also enable young artists to develop in the industry, and engage young people in the region to give them deep and extraordinary experiences.

“It would be tragic for Scotland’s music scene if this festival wasn’t supported to continue this work which benefits so many.”

An Open Letter to Creative Scotland has been signed by 362 musicians, composers, education workers, participants, supporters, audience members and local businesses including Steven Obsorne, Andrea Baker, Sean Shibe, Stuart MacRae, Dinis Sousa, Ryan Corbett, Sue Baxendale, Craig Hoy MSP, Douglas Alexander, Martin Brabbins, Sian Edwards, Ruth Ellis, Monica Wilkinson and Alfonso Leal del Ojo.

James Waters, Chief Executive and Joint Artistic Director of the Lammermuir Festival said: “The support and affection for Lammermuir Festival that we have seen pouring in from musicians, education providers, local businesses, supporters and audiences across Scotland and beyond has been incredible.

“We have never been more proud of the festival and what it brings to so many and we will continue to do everything we can to secure its future.”

Letter from supporters of Lammermuir Festival

To Iain Munro, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland and its Chair, Robert Wilson,

We the undersigned appeal to you to save what one audience member has described as a ‘precious jewel of originality and joy’.

According to the panels judging Open Fund applications at Creative Scotland, Lammermuir Festival does not sufficiently align to your priorities.

This is despite having the full support of the Music Officers at Creative Scotland who approved its application and strongly recommended funding without conditions.

This is one of the most acclaimed classical music festivals in the UK, recipient of an RPS award, the highest accolade in its field, and giving work to 350 musicians a year, many of them Scottish. It has a proven record of achievement, appeals to ever-growing audiences and supports performers at all stages in their careers.

It is also a festival which returns £750,000 in economic benefits for East Lothian, on top of its social and cultural benefits, bringing visitors to a region which is underserved for arts, offering audiences international quality music performances and participation opportunities.

If the festival were to not exist, neither would its work with McOpera which engaged 1,700 children, young people and adults as participants and audience through their outreach strand over the last two years. This proved a formative part of so many young musicians’ lives in East Lothian.

This strand of the festival’s work reached out to multiple and diverse local community groups, nurturing children and young people from across 31 different schools, supporting the growth of an Instrumental Music Service and creative organisations (such as Dunbar Voices), bringing to the region international conductors and Scottish creatives, composers, singers and instrumentalists.

It has also regularly provided career placements to students from Edinburgh College, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier Universities, National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

This decision by Creative Scotland flies in the face of the expressions of support for culture in Scotland, and in particular for festivals, that the First Minister Humza Yousaf, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Neil Gray, and Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson have made in recent days.

The Open Fund process appears to have no strategic overview of provision, and no clear artistic, quality or geographic priorities.

Your process places huge pressure on organisations. Lammermuir Festival was invited to make multiple applications for the same activity with funding decisions taking their nerves to the wire – in this case Creative Scotland passed their verdict on a third application just 16 days before the festival started.

The system needs to change. As it stands it places Scotland’s cultural ecology on a downward trajectory.

Without Creative Scotland’s support the Lammermuir Festival’s future is under threat. Your decision not to fund the 2023 festival, destabilises the organisation and undermines the festival’s ability to plan for or run a festival in 2024 and beyond. In order to secure the future of this festival beyond 2023, urgent support is needed.

As musicians, educators, audience members, supporters, participants, businesses in East Lothian, and community leaders we are utterly appalled at your decision and urgently appeal to Creative Scotland to reverse it in order to save this cultural gem.

This festival cannot be allowed to disappear.

362 signatures which can be viewed on the Lammermuir Festival website: 

https://www.lammermuirfestival.co.uk/open-letter-from-supporters-of-lammermuir-festival-to-creative-scotland/

cc’d

First Minister Humza Yousaf

Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson

Minister of Culture Christina McKelvie

Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Neil Gray

Understanding the impact of the transition to net zero on low paid jobs

Discussions about the necessities and trade-offs around the transition to net zero are back on the news agenda this week (write Fraser of Allander Institute’s EMMA CONGREVER and CIARA CRUMMEY).

The changes required to meet net zero targets are complex and challenging yet the risks of not doing enough are immense.  Inherent in this are trade-offs but also opportunities. An ordered transition where businesses and households have certainty over what they will need to do is the best way to minimise harm to incomes and to maximise the benefits that can be realised.

For many businesses and households, the costs associated transition to net zero will be manageable, and perhaps even cost effective in the long run. But for some, the upfront costs will be difficult to manage.

Whilst there is a general awareness of the direct costs that will fall on households from, for example the phasing out of gas boilers (a devolved policy, so not affected by the UK Prime Minister’s recent announcement) there is also the impact in livelihoods due to changes in the structure of the economy.

At the moment, all the attention is on the ‘just transition’ for workers in carbon-intensive industries, in the North East in particular. But the impact on jobs could be far wider than this.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation asked us, along with colleagues in the Strathclyde Business School, to look into the potential for disruption to jobs in the wider Scottish economy, particularly in relation to low paid jobs. Our assessment of the available literature and various Scottish Government plans, reports and action plans didn’t provide much to go on, so we embarked on some experimental mapping and modelling of the potential intersection of net zero and low pay.

Today we published a report that we hope provides a rationale and a way forward for government, and others, to consider this issue fully. Whilst we can’t yet confidently put a figure on it, we have found that there is potential for significant disruption to jobs in sectors that employ large numbers of low pay workers, including retail and hospitality.

The mechanisms through which this impact could be felt are varied. Issues we looked at included the knock-on impact from depressed wages in areas where carbon intensive businesses cease trading. We also considered the impact on the viability of businesses with large commercial footprints who may need to invest large amounts to bring buildings up to new energy efficient standards.

There are many unknowns in this type of analysis, including the sufficiency of government policy and the behavioural response from consumers. For example, the Scottish Government is hoping to see car use reduced in Scotland.

Households may also independently decide they wish to reduce car use. It is easy to see how this could impact on the viability of out-of-town shopping centres that rely on customers arriving by car and if there aren’t serious efforts to provide adequate replacement public transport or alternative active travel routes, these large centres of employment may become unviable.

Some of the scenarios that we work through may not lead to jobs disappearing completely, but simply shifting to other places or other sectors. There are two further issues to consider here. Firstly, low paid workers tend to be less flexible on where they can work, due to a variety of factors including available transport and difficulties finding affordable childcare to cover long commuting times.

They also tend have less of a financial buffer to deal with even short periods of unemployment. Secondly, simply moving low paid jobs from one place to another misses a crucial opportunity to maximise the benefits that the transition to net zero could bring by providing career pathways into new, higher paid, growth sectors.

There is an opportunity here to better join up Scottish Government ambitions on tackling poverty and the transition to net zero that is currently missing from both the Just Transition plans and the Fair Work Action Plan. We hope this analysis will be useful in informing the future development of this work.

Council gives initial response to scathing Tram Inquiry report

‘serious mistakes were made’ – Council Leader


Council Leader Cammy Day has responded to the publication of the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry. He said: “As a Council, we’ve co-operated fully with Lord Hardie’s Edinburgh Tram Inquiry since its announcement nine years ago and have always maintained that its outcomes will be beneficial in informing investment in similar major transport infrastructure projects, both here in Edinburgh and by other local authorities.

“We’ll consider our response, and any actions required, based on the findings and report back to Transport Committee in November and then our Council meeting in December.

“From a first reading of the report it’s clear that serious mistakes were made and that this had a significant impact on the city. There’s no getting away from the fact that the original project caused a great deal of disruption to residents and businesses, as well as damaging the city’s reputation and on behalf of the Council, I want to apologise for this.“

The scathing 959-page report lays the blame for the tram fiasco – years late, millions of £ over budget and delivering only a single line, far less than was promised – at the door of TIE (the council’s tram firm), the council itself and the Scottish Government.

Cammy Day went on: “I won’t, however, apologise for building a tram system, or for our ambition to develop it further.

After all, creating a better connected, environmentally friendly transport system is essential for a modern, successful city and we need to transform the way people move around if we are to achieve our net zero goals.

“Equally, we shouldn’t forget that, in the nine years since the line between Edinburgh Airport and York Place was built, the service has flourished to become a hugely successful transport route for thousands of residents and visitors each day.

“We’ve now launched passenger services on the completed line to Newhaven, the success of which was down to the hard work of the in-house project team and partners, but also thanks to lessons learned from the first project.

“Prior to the announcement of the Inquiry, and towards the closing stages of the first project, we’d already introduced a raft of changes to project management and governance, which also proved crucial to the succesful implementation of the current Trams to Newhaven project.

“In developing the Trams to Newhaven route, clear, timely communication has been key, both between project managers, contractors and elected members but also residents, businesses and other stakeholders. The final business case built on months of extensive consultation on the designs and plans, updating and amending them in response to feedback so that they meet the community’s needs.

“We’ve drawn on the experience of skilled project managers throughout, with a particular focus on securing independent oversight and expert advice at every stage. The establishment of a tram board incorporating independent members, for example, has allowed effective scrutiny, while taking on board the advice of industry experts, such as Professor Bent Flyvbjerg, helped us to take full account of the risks involved.

“We made every effort to minimise disruption and, throughout construction, kept local people, businesses and elected members informed through regular updates, responding to concerns and questions.

“The new route’s already proving to be extremely popular, with passenger numbers doubling in the first few weeks and August clocking in as Edinburgh Trams’ best ever month, with more than 1.2m customer journeys recorded.

“We’re already looking at options for expanding the network further – to the north and south of the city, and potentially also to neighbouring authorities – and it’s encouraging to see this is very much part of the Scottish Government’s plans too.”

Read the full Edinburgh Tram Inquiry report … and weep!

Edinburgh-Tram-Inquiry-Report-SignedDownload

First Minister calls for urgent mobilisation of climate finance

First Minister Humza Yousaf has called on governments to accelerate financial support for countries most affected by climate-induced loss and damage, in a keynote speech during Climate Week NYC.

In the speech, the First Minister set out the details of how Scotland’s loss and damage finance – pledged at COP26 and COP27 – is being mobilised.

A total of £5 million has been awarded to the Climate Justice Resilience Fund who support vulnerable communities in the Global South who have experienced loss caused by climate change, with a specific focus on women and young people.

In addition, the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) will receive a further £300,000 to support communities in Malawi impacted by Storm Freddy.

Scotland’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund will also receive an additional £1 million to support communities affected by disasters, disease or conflict, in recognition that climate change is increasingly driving humanitarian emergencies abroad.

The First Minister said: “Not a single community on Earth will be left untouched by the effects of climate change, but that suffering is not and will not be divided equally. We must ensure the communities facing the worst hardship, with the least resources, are not left behind.

“At COP26, Scotland became the first country in the global north to pledge financial support to address that Loss and Damage.

“At COP27 we again led the way, committing another £5 million for the neglected area of non-economic loss and damage. We have made good on those promises but the need for urgent responses to climate shocks is only increasing.

“That is why I am also announcing a further £1 million programme to address loss and damage to be delivered through Scotland’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund.

“Scotland might be a small country but I hope these actions will inspire others to join us in not only making pledges, but in urgently mobilising the finances that are needed on the ground today.”

New Carer Support Payment to be piloted in three areas

Carer Support Payment will open for applications in pilot areas from November 2023, subject to parliamentary approval of regulations setting out rules and eligibility.

Adults living in Perth and Kinross, Dundee City and Na h-Eileanan an Iar, will be the first to be able to apply ahead of phased national rollout from Spring 2024. The benefit will be available nationally by Autumn 2024.

Carer Support Payment will replace Carer’s Allowance, currently administered by the Department for Work and Pensions, and will be provided by Social Security Scotland. It will be the 14th Scottish benefit and is a Programme for Government commitment.

More than 80,000 carers, will be able to receive the benefit in Scotland, including 1,500 carers who are currently unable to access Carer’s Allowance due to studying full-time.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley Anne Somerville said: “This 14th Scottish benefit feeds into our critical mission to reduce poverty and provide support those who are in the greatest need.

“Unpaid carers play a vital role in looking after their loved ones, but we know this can affect their own health and wellbeing. Carer Support Payment will provide unpaid carers with income in recognition of their caring role, giving them more security and helping them access opportunities outside of caring.

“Access to education is a key part of this, which is why we want to extend eligibility for our benefit to many carers studying full-time. I am pleased student carers will be able to apply as soon as Carer Support Payment is available in their local authority area, given the calls from carers and support organisations for changes to the current rules.

“This change and the delivery of Carer Support Payment will be a key milestone in our ongoing work to improve support for unpaid carers, and we are committed to further changes to make the benefit work even better in future.”

Carer’s Assistance (Carer Support Payment) (Scotland) Regulations 2023: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/sdsi/2023/9780111057964

Creating a National Care Service

Community engagement funding to ensure groups are heard

Third sector organisations are being awarded new funding to help ensure as many voices as possible are contributing to the design of the National Care Service.

The funding will facilitate contributions from minority ethnic communities, LGBTI people, children and young people and those with experience of homelessness or the justice system.

Organisations will each receive £5,000 to encourage the communities they work with to have their say on how future community healthcare and social work services should look.

Social Care Minister Maree Todd said: “As we build a National Care Service that best fits the needs of everyone in Scotland, we need to hear from people directly.

“The new National Care Service will set the standards and guidance to support the design and delivery of community healthcare and social work services locally.

“The complexities of getting this right should not be underestimated. People with experience of the current system, whether receiving health and care support or delivering it, are the experts. We need to hear those voices – and those of groups who are often overlooked.

“We know that minority ethnic communities, LGBTI people, children and young people and those with experience of homelessness or the justice system are under-represented in our co-design work to date. We also know that people affected by dementia are a key group we want to hear more from and we will benefit from partnering with an organisation with expertise in this area.

“I am confident the funding to support co-design activity with seldom heard communities will help us shape a system we can all benefit from and be proud of.”

The partner organisations are:

  • LGBT Health and Wellbeing
  • Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project (MECOPP)
  • The Simon Community
  • Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of offenders (SACRO) 
  • Alzheimer Scotland

Protecting children’s rights in Scots law

Holyrood to reconsider UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Bill

The Scottish Parliament has agreed to consider amendments to the legislation that will incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law.

The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill requires Scotland’s public authorities to protect children’s rights in their decision-making. It also allows for children, young people and their representatives to use the courts to enforce their rights.

The Bill was passed unanimously in 2021 but certain provisions within it were later ruled outwith the Scottish Parliament’s legislative competence at the Supreme Court.

Proposed changes will mean that public authorities will be required to comply with the UNCRC requirements only when delivering devolved functions conferred by or under Acts of the Scottish Parliament or under common law powers.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Our priority is to provide the greatest protection that we can to children’s rights.

“The amendments that will now be considered will ensure that the Bill protects children’s rights in the most effective way within our devolved powers.

“This is an important milestone in ensuring that we are a country that fully respects, protects and fulfils children’s rights. However, without the political commitment of the UK Government to legislate for children’s rights we are limited in what we can achieve.

“The simplest way to secure the greatest protection for children’s rights would be for our counterparts in Westminster to incorporate the UNCRC into UK law.”

Letter to committee and amendments

Affordable homes completions at 23 year high

The number of affordable homes completions in the past year is the highest annual figure since 2000, the latest quarterly statistics show.

Almost 11,000 affordable homes were delivered in the year to end June 2023. These homes ensure further progress towards achieving the Scottish Government’s target of delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with 70% of these for social rent and 10% in rural and island communities.

Housing Minister Paul McLennan said: “I am pleased that the number of affordable homes completed in the latest year is the highest annual figure since 2000, supporting almost 11,000 households to have an affordable place to live.

“The combined challenges caused by a hard Brexit and economic mismanagement by the UK government have triggered various issues including the rising cost of construction supplies and workforce challenges.

“The housing sector has done incredible work to deliver homes in these circumstances and we will continue working with partners to mitigate these impacts. We are also making £3.5 billion available in this parliamentary term, towards the delivery of more affordable and social homes.

“Despite the challenges, since 2007, Scotland has seen over 40% more affordable homes delivered per head of population than in England, and over 70% more than in Wales. We have already delivered 13,354 homes towards our next target of 110,000 affordable homes in Scotland by 2032.”

Techscaler programme creating entrepreneurs and innovators

Hundreds of start-ups supported in first year of programme

Almost 400 of Scotland’s tech start-up businesses have been supported during the first year of the Techscaler programme.

A total of 387 fledgling firms received assistance from the £42 million Scottish Government project – the most comprehensive of its kind in Europe – which provides free mentoring and advice to early stage business owners.

The seventh Techscaler hub will open in Dumfries during this financial year, joining others already operating around the country and underlining the Scottish Government’s commitment to innovative businesses.

The 2023-24 Programme for Government includes an additional £15 million to support entrepreneurs from all walks of life.

First Minister Humza Yousaf visited the Techscaler hub in Stirling to meet start up business owners and learn more about the programme.

The First Minister said: “Growing businesses are fundamental to a thriving Scotland, and the Scottish Government I lead is committed to doing whatever we can to help businesses unleash the enormous economic potential of accelerating a fair, green and growing economy. 

“That is why our Programme for Government is investing in the entrepreneurs of the future, building on the valuable work already taking place within Techscalers.

“Tech start-ups right across Scotland now have access to world-class education and mentoring and opportunities for peer learning and networking through the Techscalers – a hugely impressive programme which has made Scotland one of the most tech start-up friendly places in the world.

“We are taking action now, in partnership with business, to help stimulate sustainable and fair economic growth across Scotland.”

Inspiring a new generation of tech entrepreneurs – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Supporting a start-up nation – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Kickstarting new businesses – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Green light for Safer Drug Consumption pilot?

Minister welcomes statement from Lord Advocate

An announcement by the Lord Advocate, that it would not be in the public interest for people using a pilot Safer Drug Consumption room to face prosecution for possession within the facility, has been welcomed by the Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Elena Whitham.

Dorothy Bain KC’s indication that she would issue a public statement of prosecution policy removes an obstacle to establishing the first official Safer Drug Consumption Facility in the UK.

It follows her independent consideration of a detailed proposal for a pilot developed by Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and Police Scotland, facilitated by the Scottish Government.

Today’s news means Glasgow HSCP can take plans to establish the facility to the Glasgow City Integration Joint Board for approval.

Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Elena Whitham said: “I welcome the position the Lord Advocate has taken.

“Glasgow authorities may now progress their proposal to set up a facility which can operate within the existing legal framework. While the service would still be limited to some extent, due to the reserved Misuse of Drugs Act, we are confident it would save lives.

“This is not a silver bullet. But we know from evidence from more than 100 facilities worldwide that Safer Drug Consumption Facilities work. It is now time to see this approach piloted in Scotland.

“It’s vital this pilot has the full confidence of the general public as well as those who use the facility, and the leadership of Glasgow and Police Scotland will help ensure it is introduced as quickly as possible.

“Through our £250 million National Mission, we are doing everything within our powers to tackle drug deaths in Scotland. However, the number of deaths is still too high and we must use every means at our disposal as we face future challenges, including the increasing threat from synthetic opioids.”

Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie said: “Police Scotland is committed to working in partnership to reduce the harm associated with problematic substance use and addiction.

“Our approach to any initiative aimed at tackling these harms will be to establish how best policing can support it within the confines of the law.

“It is important to note that existing legislation will not be changing and, while we may take an overall supportive policing approach, police officers will still be bound by their legal duty to uphold the law and will not be able to simply ignore acts of criminality which they see occurring.” 

Susanne Millar, Chief Officer for Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “We welcome the position from the Lord Advocate and the positive response on plans for a Safer Drug Consumption Facility to operate in Glasgow. 

“A large body of evidence already exists from around the world which demonstrates that Safer Drug Consumption Facilities can save lives, as well as reducing the spread of blood-borne viruses and cutting levels of publicly discarded injecting equipment.”