Tag: Scottish Government

COVID-19 spring booster programme gets underway today

At-risk groups offered additional dose

Residents in care homes for older adults are receiving their spring COVID-19 booster from today (Monday) as the latest stage of the national vaccination programme gets underway.

Following recent advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), a spring booster dose will also be offered to those aged 75 and over from 11 April and individuals aged five and over with a weakened immune system from 24 April. These groups will either receive appointment details through their preferred means of contact or will be sent details of how to book.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We know that people in high-priority groups are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 so I welcome the start of the spring rollout which will offer an additional dose to those who are most vulnerable, boosting their protection.  

 “Prioritising those most at risk has been our approach from the outset and vaccination has been our most effective tool against COVID-19. However, the degree of protection offered does fade over time, which is why booster vaccination is needed.

“I continue to encourage everyone to receive the doses they are eligible for as and when they become available.”

Spring coronavirus (COVID-19) booster | NHS inform

Scottish Government launches campaign to raise awareness of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

A campaign to raise awareness of the bowel conditions Crohn’s and Colitis has been launched as study shows cases are rising.

Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis – commonly referred to as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) – are long-term conditions which inflame the gut.

The campaign comes as research from Crohn’s & Colitis UK shows the rates of IBD are higher than previously thought, with Scotland found to have the highest rates in the UK.

Symptoms include a sore stomach, recurring diarrhoea, weight loss and extreme tiredness, which if not treated can lead to complications.

The campaign will raise awareness of the symptoms with posters and leaflets in GP surgeries and community centres, as well as social media, urging anyone who is concerned to contact their GP practice.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Humza Yousaf said: “Raising awareness of Crohn’s and Colitis is crucial to ensure we can get people diagnosed as early as possible, and give them the right care and treatment.

“This will help them to get the best support, make informed choices about their diet – and live their lives to the full.

“As part of the Modernising Patient Pathways Programme from the Centre of Sustainable Delivery, improvements have already been made for patients with IBD and we will continue working with the third-sector and people with the condition to make sure this important work continues.”

Sarah Sleet, CEO of Crohn’s & Colitis UK said: “We know that there are over 50,000 people in Scotland living with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis but too many take too long to get diagnosed.

“For one in four, it’s over a year and nearly half of them end up in A&E in the meantime. Recognising the symptoms of Crohn’s and Colitis, which are widely misunderstood, and having the confidence to talk to a healthcare professional are the first steps on the path to a diagnosis. 

“We’re thrilled that the Scottish Government is leading the rest of the UK in raising public awareness of Crohn’s and Colitis, to improve the lives of everyone affected.

“Our message is simple: if you have frequent diarrhoea, stomach pain or blood in your poo, don’t suffer in silence, go and see your GP. The earlier you find out what’s wrong, the sooner you can get the help you need.”

More funding for local regeneration

Additional support totalling £848,123 is being provided from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) for a trio of flagship regeneration projects in the city.

The Leith Community Croft, Macmillan Hub  and West Shore Studios are being delivered by the City of Edinburgh Council in partnership with three keystone charities.

The Leith Community Croft project is transforming a former tennis pavilion at Leith Links into a new multifunctional community hub run by the environmental charity Earth in Common.

It will be used for events, training, and promoting local food production and will receive £159,123 of the additional funding.

The Macmillan Hub in Pennywell will feature a library, an early years centre, affordable housing, and a new enterprise, workshop, learning and creative studio space to be run by the local charity North Edinburgh Arts.

The Hub forms part of the wider strategic regeneration of Pennywell-Muirhouse and will receive £500,000 of the additional funding, to be used to help deliver the creative space.

Forming part of the Council’s sustainable regeneration of Granton Waterfront, West Shore Studios will transform a disused 1970s former industrial unit at 20 West Shore Road into a vibrant new creative and community hub that will be operated by the charity Edinburgh Palette.

The project will deliver workspaces for artists and micro-businesses along with a new home for the popular Pitt Street Food Market. The project will receive £189,000 of the additional funding towards the renewal of doors and windows along with essential utilities work.

Welcoming the news, Depute Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council Mandy Watt said: “This funding is very welcome as these projects will play a key role in the ongoing regeneration and enhancement of Granton Waterfront, Pennywell, and Leith in north Edinburgh.

“The funding will help the projects in their goals to bring new jobs, training courses, and recreation opportunities to the communities of all three areas. I look forward to visiting these projects in future to see how they are benefitting local people in the years to come.”

Community Wealth Minister Tom Arthur said: “I congratulate these projects on making progress and supporting jobs, investment and wider opportunities. Regeneration of Scotland’s more disadvantaged communities is a key Scottish Government priority to help transform the economy.

“This extra Scottish Government funding will help deliver fairer and more prosperous local districts.”

Scotland Loves Local goes digital

£250,000 boost to gift card initiative

A scheme aimed at boosting trade in town and city centres is going digital.

Scotland Loves Local (SLL) gift cards can be loaded with credit and used in participating shops and businesses within users’ local council area.

Now the Scottish Government is investing £250,000 to enable the cards to operate digitally via devices such as mobile phones.

By going digital, the cards can be used by businesses to reward loyal customers and encourage repeat custom. The new system may also be made compatible with transport providers’ ticketing systems, allowing relatives or businesses to gift train and bus fares into town centres for shopping trips.

Cards are currently utilised by more than 20 councils – including six which have used them to distribute more than £13 million of Scottish Government Coronavirus (Covid-19) economic recovery funding to lower income households.

Visiting Barrhead, where the SLL cards have helped boost business in the town centre, Community Wealth Minister Tom Arthur said: “Going digital is an important step forward for the SLL gift card.

“The scheme has already delivered millions of pounds of extra spending to help businesses recover from the pandemic and by increasing their useability I am sure even more people will be encouraged to shop locally.

“The cards have made a real difference in places like Glasgow, where thousands of cards have been used to access Scottish Government funding for economic recovery.

“They represent a step towards the creation of local currencies to be invested and retained within areas. Digitalisation will accelerate that process and help support fairer and more prosperous local economies.”

Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP) delivers the SLL initiative – which includes the gift card – encouraging people to support their communities by spending locally.

Interim Chief Officer Kimberley Guthrie said: “The Scotland Loves Local campaign is a force for good – galvanising communities to support local people and businesses at times when they have never needed that more.

“The need for us all to think, choose and spend locally is critical, not only in our ongoing recovery from the impact of Covid-19 on businesses, but in helping us all through the cost of living crisis and in responding to the climate emergency.

“Continued support from the Scottish Government allows businesses and communities to innovate, invest and embrace opportunity, building better, stronger places.”

£50m to improve Scotland’s play parks

Children will have access to high quality play areas, which will remain free of charge, as a result of new investment.

The Scottish Government and COSLA have agreed £50 million in funding to local authorities over the next three years for the refurbishment of children’s play parks.

Play parks identified for refurbishment by local authorities are expected to be revamped thanks to the additional funding.

Children’s Minister Clare Haughey visited Figgate Park with pupils from Duddingston Primary School yesterday. She said: “Playing outdoors has huge benefits for children’s physical and mental wellbeing, and play parks ensure children can access high quality safe environments free of charge as families grapple with the cost of living crisis.

“This funding will support local communities to take forward their plans to improve play parks for children in their area.”

Cyclone Freddy: UK provides life-saving support to Malawi

The UK is providing an emergency package of assistance comprising: a team of emergency medical personnel, a team with international search and rescue expertise (ISAR), specialist boats, and urgently needed emergency relief items such as shelter materials and water filters.

This is in addition to the immediate support the UK provided to the Malawi Government at the Emergency Operations Centre in Blantyre when the cyclone hit. This included food assistance, staff and vehicles to help Government and the UN launch emergency operations.

The UK ISAR team will be supporting Malawian counterparts; the team is bringing lightweight, nimble boats and a drone team to help in the search for survivors of the floods. These boats will be gifted to the Malawian Government for future emergency use when the UK ISAR team departs.

The Emergency Medical Team (EMT) will support hospitals in southern Malawi to treat the victims of Cyclone Freddy. They will also join with an existing cholera-focussed UK EMT to help reduce the risk of the ongoing cholera outbreak getting worse, following the floods.

Shelter and water filters will provide emergency shelter to approximately 3,000 people and allow up to 12,750 of those affected by floods, to access clean water and protect themselves from disease.

The UK International Search and Rescue advance party arrived in Malawi on Friday, 17 March. An additional Emergency Medical Team arrived in Blantyre on 18 March. The main UK International Search and Rescue team arrived through Kamuzu International Airport.

Acting British High Commissioner to Malawi, Sophia Willitts-King, said: “The UK is saddened by the tragic loss of life caused by Cyclone Freddy due to the extreme rainfall and unprecedented flooding in Southern Malawi. We stand side by side with Malawi in responding to this crisis.

“The UK’s rapid support will help Malawi with its search and rescue efforts. The additional medical capacity will help Malawi’s hospitals save lives. We are providing temporary shelter to give families protection from the weather.

“We are also investing in equipment that will help people access clean water and sanitation facilities. This support is vital to prevent the spread of deadly diseases, including cholera.”

Cyclone Freddy made landfall in Mozambique on 11 March and Malawi on 12 March. The flooding has already displaced 19,000 people. Malawi was hit particularly hard with what would have previously been judged as a 1-in-20 a year weather event.

While the wider picture remains unclear due to lack of access, landslides on the hillsides around Blantyre and severe flooding throughout Southern Malawi has resulted in over 326 deaths, 832 injured, and 282 missing, with the displacement of over 40,702 homes (approximately 183,159 people), as of 17 March. The flood waters are predicted to peak at the beginning of next week.

The UK ISAR deployed through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, following a request for assistance from Malawi. The team is on permanent standby to mobilise and assist when requested by disaster-affected countries. It always deploys as an official UK government team once a request has been made for assistance.

The UK ISAR is self-sufficient and provides its own food, water, shelter, sanitation, communications and all necessary equipment to undertake search and rescue operations for up to 14 days. This is to ensure no additional burden is placed upon a country already suffering demands on its resources, following a sudden onset disaster.

The UK ISAR was established in 1993 and has 30 years of experience deploying internationally to such disasters historically. The team is made up of 14 fire and rescue services.

£400,000 storm aid for Malawi from Scotland

Emergency relief funding following record-breaking storm

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has pledged £400,000 of financial support to Malawi to assist with emergency relief efforts in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Freddy.

The funding was confirmed in a letter to Malawian President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, and the First Minister also expressed the sincere condolences of the people of Scotland, following the tragic loss of life.

As of Monday 20 March, 499 people in the country have been killed and more than 508,244 people displaced as a result of the storm, which is the longest lasting and highest energy tropical cyclone ever recorded. A state of disaster in the Southern Region of Malawi has also been declared.

The storm’s impact comes as Malawi faces what the UN has described as the deadliest cholera outbreak in its recorded history. In January, the Scottish Government provided more than £236,000 to aid the Malawian Government’s outbreak response. 

The letter reads:

Your Excellency,

It is with great sadness that I find myself writing on this occasion. Please accept the sincere condolences of the people of Scotland, and the Scottish Government, following the tragic loss of life and displacement of people as a result of Tropical Cyclone Freddy.

It is heart wrenching to see the death, injury, and substantial damage to thousands of people’s homes and livelihoods, all at a time when Malawi is already facing a severe cholera outbreak.

I want to confirm today that we will pledge £400,000 to support emergency flood relief in Malawi. We are discussing with partners working on the ground already as to the most effective way that we can provide that support for those most in need and will engage Malawian Department of Disaster Management as we develop the projects.

Our thoughts are with all those affected by Tropical Storm Freddy, the people of Malawi at this difficult time and with your government in your response.

Nicola Sturgeon

Agenda for Change pay offer accepted by health trade unions

Healthcare staff will begin to benefit from largest overall investment in Agenda for Change pay in a single year from next month, following unions’ unanimous agreement.

160,000 NHS staff – including nurses, midwives, paramedics, allied health professionals, porters and others – will receive an average 6.5% increase in pay in 2023-24.

This £568 million deal includes a commitment to deliver the most progressive package of terms and conditions reform in decades and support for workforce recruitment, sustainability and retention.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “I am very pleased that the Agenda for Change trade unions have unanimously agreed to accept this pay offer, meaning staff will start seeing the benefits of this deal in their April pay packets.

“This £568 million deal that will ensure NHS Agenda for Change staff remain, by far and away, the best paid anywhere in the UK. We are also committed to delivering the most progressive package of terms and conditions reform in decades. 

“Our healthcare staff have shown how dedicated and hardworking they are time and again and I cannot thank them enough for their commitment, particularly over the last few challenging years. Our staff 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 to keep discussions going to reach this deal and that this has been able to be processed in time to get the money to staff so quickly.

A total of £568 million has been committed for Agenda for Change pay in 2023-24. This equates to an average uplift of at least 6.5% for all staff at Band 8a and below.

All staff will also receive a one-off pro rata payment of between £387 and £939 depending on banding.

The offer also reaffirms previous commitments to work to reduce the working week, protect learning time and review band 5 job nursing profiles.

Examples of increases over the two years (2022-23 and 2023-24):

  • experienced porters (band 2) receive more than £3,750 extra (19.1%)
  • experienced healthcare support workers (band 4) receive more than £4,000 extra.
  • experienced AHPs (band 5) receive more than £4,700 extra (14.4%)
  • experienced paramedics (band 6) receive more than £5,360 extra (13.2%)
  • experienced advance nurse practitioners (band 7) receive more than £5,900 extra (12.4%)

The revised pay scales are set out below:

Band  2021-222022-232023-24 Offer  2023-24 £ Uplift2023-24 % UpliftConsolidated increase over two years  One-off Payment 
11£19,487£21,692£23,240 £1,5487.1%£3,75319.3% £387 
21£19,609£21,814£23,362 £1,5487.1%£3,75319.1% £387 
 2£21,615£23,820£25,368 £1,5486.5%£3,75317.4% £387 
31£21,709£23,914£25,468 £1,5546.5%£3,75917.3% £389 
 2£23,603£25,808£27,486 £1,6786.5%£3,88316.5% £420 
41£23,709£25,914£27,598 £1,6846.5%£3,88916.4% £421 
 2£25,982£28,187£30,019 £1,8326.5%£4,03715.5% £458 
51£26,104£28,384£30,229 £1,8456.5%£4,12515.8% £461 
 2£28,049£30,329£32,300 £1,9716.5%£4,25115.2% £493 
 3£32,915£35,365£37,664 £2,2996.5%£4,74914.4% £575 
61£33,072£35,522£37,831 £2,3096.5%£4,75914.4% £577 
 2£34,637£37,087£39,498 £2,4116.5%£4,86114.0% £603 
 3£40,739£43,286£46,100 £2,8146.5%£5,36113.2% £703 
71£40,872£43,422£46,244 £2,8226.5%£5,37213.1% £706 
 2£42,530£45,080£48,010 £2,9306.5%£5,48012.9% £733 
 3£47,846£50,506£53,789 £3,2836.5%£5,94312.4% £821 
8a1£50,965£53,513£56,992 £3,4796.5%£6,02711.8% £870 
 2£55,016£57,767£61,522 £3,7556.5%£6,50611.8% £939 
8b1£61,325£63,530£67,285 £3,7555.9%£5,9609.7% £939 
 2£66,018£68,223£71,978 £3,7555.5%£5,9609.0% £939 
8c1£73,506£75,711£79,466 £3,7555.0%£5,9608.1% £939 
 2£79,221£81,426£85,181 £3,7554.6%£5,9607.5% £939 
8d1£88,385£90,590£94,345 £3,7554.1%£5,9606.7% £939 
 2£92,424£94,629£98,384 £3,7554.0%£5,9606.4% £939 
91£105,635£107,840£111,595 £3,7553.5%£5,9605.6% £939 
 2£110,468£112,673£116,428 £3,7553.3%£5,9605.4% £939 

Increase in social security benefits from 1st April

Additional support for people who need it most

Twelve Scottish Government benefits including Carer’s Allowance Supplement and Best Start Grants will be increased by 10.1% on 1 April, backed by investment of around £430 million.

The Scottish Child Payment was increased by 150% in 2022 to £25 per eligible child per week.

A total of 13 Scottish Government benefits are now being delivered through Social Security Scotland, seven of which are only available in Scotland.

Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson said: “We are committing £5.2 billion for social security benefits in 2023-24, providing support to more than one million people in Scotland. This is £776 million above the level of funding we are forecast to receive from the UK Government for social security through Block Grant Adjustments.

“The choices we have taken in our Budget represent a significant investment in people and are key to our national mission to tackle child poverty. They will help low-income families with their living costs, support people to heat their homes in winter, and enable disabled people to live full and independent lives. This is money that will go directly to people who need it the most.”

12 Scottish Government benefits will be increased by 10.1% on 1 April 2023. These are:

  • Child Winter Hearing Assistance
  • Carer’s Allowance Supplement
  • Young Carer Grant
  • Job Start Payment
  • Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment
  • Best Start Grant School Age Payment
  • Adult Disability Payment
  • Child Disability Payment
  • Best Start Foods
  • Best Start Grant Pregnancy & Baby Payment
  • Funeral Support Payment
  • Winter Heating Payment

Scottish Child Payment was increased to £25 per eligible child per week in November 2022. This represented a 150% increase in eight months.

FERRIES FIASCO

The people of Scotland and island communities have been badly let down by ferries project, says Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee

The people of Scotland and island communities have been badly let down, says Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee in a report published today which exposes a ferry fiasco riddled with failures in governance, transparency, accountability, communication and record-keeping.

The report highlights key failings exposed throughout the Committee’s scrutiny of the Auditor General for Scotland’s Report New Vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802 (1) and recommends change to ensure that future vessels are delivered on time and on budget.

It highlights, for example, the Committee’s serious concerns around the initial stages of the procurement process and, having now established that FMPG holds FMEL’s financial records, calls on the Auditor General for Scotland to complete a forensic analysis of how £128.25m of public money was spent by FMEL.

The report shines light on the serious failings of Transport Scotland, including the ‘weak and toothless’ Programme Steering Group it led and its’ consistent failure to accurately and timeously reflect CMALs concerns to Scottish Ministers.

It also calls into question the role of various Scottish Ministers. The majority of the Committee considered that both the First Minister’s decision to publicly announce the preferred bidder when considerable negotiations were still required – and the decision to proceed in the absence of a full guarantee, weakened CMAL’s position when the standard of FMEL’s work became an issue (2).

The report acknowledges that the Scottish Government’s ‘Project Neptune’ provides an opportunity for governance reform but says that a formal review of the entire project on completion of the vessels is essential for learning lessons for future projects.

Launching the report, Convener of the Public Audit Committee Richard Leonard MSP, said: “The people of Scotland have been badly let down by this project. There have been collective failures at government and agency level from the start. It has been dogged by a lack of transparency; by ineffective governance arrangements; by poor record keeping within the Government; and by baffling communication failures.

“Throughout our scrutiny, we took a wide range of evidence, navigating our way through many conflicting perspectives to reach the conclusions set out today. We had to battle to get some of the information we needed. Sadly, despite our best efforts, some questions remain unanswered.

“We recognise the efforts by the Scottish Government to protect jobs at Ferguson Marine and commend the workforce for their resilience during what has been and continues to be an extremely challenging time. Their experienced voices should have been listened to from the outset.

“It is vital that lessons are learned. That means much needed reform of governance arrangements for future vessel projects. But it also means a change in the way the Government and its agencies conduct themselves and are accountable to Parliament and the people. That is a challenge for the Permanent Secretary and the new First Minister.”

Further recommendations for improvement put forward by the Committee include:

  • Greater transparency where Scottish Ministers use written authority and shareholder authorisations and recording these occasions as a matter of public record.
  • Scottish Government to now further review and refine its record-keeping and reporting procedures.
  • Scottish Government to ensure its Business Investment Framework is sufficiently robust so there is transparency around the expected public benefit of future interventions in private companies, and greater public reporting.
  • Upon completion of vessels 801 and 802, Transport Scotland and CMAL to undertake a formal project review to learn vital lessons.
  • Parliament to be updated on the investigation into allegations raised about the procurement process.

(1) The remit of the Public Audit Committee’s inquiry was to scrutinise the Auditor General for Scotland’s (AGS) report, New Vessels for the Clyde & Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802 (published 23 March 2022), which focused on events after Scottish Ministers announced Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited (FMEL) as the preferred bidder on 31 August 2015. 

(2) Committee members Colin Beattie MSP and Willie Coffey MSP did not support these findings. Full details of where there was division can be found in the report at Annex C – Extract from minutes. 

Views sought on school learning hours

Public consultation launched

People are being asked to share their views on a new legal minimum number of school learning hours.

If approved by Parliament, councils will be required by law to provide the equivalent of 25 teaching hours per week in primaries and 27.5 hours per week in secondaries across the school year.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville announced plans to introduce the measures last month to protect the school week and give parents greater certainty about the number of learning hours their children can expect to receive.

The consultation is open now and will run until June 13.

Ms Somerville said: “The school week is the backbone of our education provision and benefits all of Scotland’s children and young people. We have been clear that any changes to the school week must be based on educational benefit to pupils.

“Any measures that materially reduce the number of hours children spend learning in school could impact pupil attainment and wellbeing, and undermine our collective efforts to close the poverty-related attainment gap.

“This is an opportunity for parents, children and young people and everyone else with an interest to make their views known about the potential impact of this policy.”