Tag: Scottish Government

Scotland set for a Summer of Strikes?

Public sector workers seem set on a collision course with local and national government over inadequate wage rises …

The General Secretary Designate of teachers union the EIS yesterday urged all of Scotland’s teachers to get active in the campaign to secure a 10% pay rise.

Ms Bradley addressed delegates on the final day of the EIS Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Dundee Caird Hall, and just ahead of a rally in support of the EIS ‘Pay Attention’ Campaign in the Civic Square outside the conference venue.

Addressing the AGM, Ms Bradley said, “The obvious and pressing priority is our Pay Attention campaign. We’ve staked our claim, nailed our colours to the mast … now we need to win.

“Listening to our speakers on the issue of pay over the last few days, I know we’ve got what it takes to win this. To win it because it’s simply unacceptable that teachers and other public sector workers would be expected to bear the burden of yet another crisis that’s been created by the economic vandalism of the Tory government and a Cabinet of millionaires …utterly morally bankrupt and more intent on callous racketeering and profiteering than they are on caring about people and supporting recovery.”

“We can’t allow COSLA to peddle the myth of the One Workforce agenda. Or the Scottish Government to quietly sit there on the side-lines being let off the hook by a raft of egalitarian-sounding rhetoric that’s in truth about pay suppression for teachers and by dint of that the rest of the public sector. We know One Workforce is utter fallacy and I have a sense that the other public sector unions know it as well.”

“If we’re to win a pay rise that protects teachers’ incomes from the worst of the cost of living increases, from every corner of the union, we need to keep building what will be a formidable display of our union strength.  We’ve started building this – the press statements, the campaign materials, the branch meetings, the petition, the social media activity, and the demo outside this building later this morning.”

“With full-blown organising, comms and political campaigning… synchronicity of actions with local associations, we’ll be ballot ready, strike ready by October and with a strong industrial action strategy mapped out so that we’re strike ready and strike able.

“From the speeches and applause that we’ve heard this AGM about pay and the other inter-related injustices it sounds like you’re well up for taking this on …and so am I!”

COSLA STATEMENT ON PAY NEGOTIATIONS

COSLA is deeply disappointed that the First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance have refused the request of all Council Leaders to engage in discussions regarding the current settlement for Local Government and its significant impact on our ongoing pay negotiations.  

The implications of the Scottish Government’s spending plans for the rest of the parliament are deeply concerning for communities across Scotland and have further increased the already strong likelihood of industrial action in the coming months.  

Scottish Government continues to fail to respect the fundamental role Local Government and its workforce has in addressing their own priorities of tackling child poverty, climate change and a stronger economy.

The ‘Resource Spending Review’, published on 31 May, shows that Local Government’s core funding for the next 3 years will remain static at time when inflation and energy costs are soaring.

This “flat-cash” scenario gives no scope to recognising the essential work of our staff, whose expectations, quite rightly, are being influenced by Scottish Government’s decisions in relation to other parts of the public sector. A suggestion that increases in welfare payments will mitigate the cost of living crisis do not recognise that our staff should not have to depend on such payments to make ends meet.

As things stand, the only option available to Councils is yet fewer jobs and cuts to services that are essential to communities everywhere.

COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Gail Macgregor said:  “COSLA, every year, argues for fair funding for Local Government to maintain the essential services our communities rely on.  

“No increase in our core funding damages these services and limits the options we have in successfully concluding pay negotiations. Refusal to engage in discussion will only see this continue and our communities will see and feel the difference.”

The Fraser of Allander Institute has recognised the impact on councils:  “The local government budget will decline by 7% in real terms between 2022/23 and 2026/27 … the real terms erosion of the funding allocations of local authorities represents the continuation of a longer trend.”

UNISON, Scotland’s largest local government union, will be balloting its members in a dispute over pay. The union is planning targeted strike action – this means select groups of workers will be balloted.

UNISON is campaigning for a pay rise for ALL local government workers.

The groups that will be balloted for strike action are members employed working in schools, who provide services to the running and operation of the school, and all members working in early years and in waste and recycling services. The union is recommending that vote ‘YES’ in favour of strike action.

The ballot will run from 10 June and will close on 26 July. It is vital that all ballots are posted back in good time to ensure we receive them by closing date.

Why are we balloting?

Having consistently worked above and beyond to keep our key services going over the past two years of the pandemic, and with the cost of living spiralling, COSLA’s offer of a 2 per cent pay increase for local government workers is nothing short of an insult.

While politicians have raced to praise your efforts their warm words have not been matched by action.

Earlier this year we ran an online consultation to see what you and other local government members thought of the employers’ 2022 pay offer. It was no surprise that the overwhelming majority of you voted to reject the offer and indicated your willingness to take action to achieve a better deal.

Nothing has changed since then and we now need you to vote YES to take strike action to remind your employers exactly how you feel.

This offer is derisory. It is less than the Scottish Public Sector Pay policy, falls far short of our pay claim and is significantly below current levels of inflation. It will exacerbate the gap between those on the lowest and those on the highest rates of pay.

And it is in sharp contrast to the 5.2% increase that councillors themselves have just received from 1st April 2022.

GMB Scotland has attacked “failure at all levels of government” as an industrial action ballot across local government gets underway this morning (Monday 6 June) against the threats of a 2 per cent pay offer and swingeing cuts to local jobs and services.

Nearly 10,000 GMB members in waste and cleansing and schools and early years services will be asked if they back strikes in the face of a pay offer from employer body COSLA amounting to less than £10 a week for staff earning under £25,000 a year.

Joint trade unions in local government wrote to the First Minister and the Finance Secretary last week seeking urgent talks and warned about the consequences for council workers of significantly below inflation pay with the cost of living at a forty-year high.

The ballot, which runs throughout the summer until Tuesday 26 July, also takes place amid dire forecasts for local government budgets following the Scottish Government’s spending review plans.

GMB Scotland Senior Organiser Keir Greenaway warned: “Council workers and the vital services they deliver are firmly in the sights of Kate Forbes’s cuts agenda, and if left unchallenged the lowest paid will pay the highest price in the biggest cost-of-living crisis for 40 years.

“This is what years of failure at all levels of government looks like – a decade of failed austerity, the passing on of cuts to communities, and a meek acceptance of the consequences locally. It’s a far cry from the doorstep applause of virtue-signalling political leaders just two years ago.

“It shows everyone there are no political superheroes and if you want wages that confront soaring inflation then you need to organise and fight for it.

“That’s exactly what our members are doing and unless an improved pay offer is tabled then industrial action looks inevitable.”

RMT launch 3 days of national strike action across the railway network

Over 50,000 railway workers will walkout as part of 3 days of national strike action later this month, in the biggest dispute on the network since 1989.

The union will shut down the country’s railway network on 21st, 23rd and 25th June, due to the inability of the rail employers to come to a negotiated settlement with RMT.

Network Rail and the train operating companies have subjected their staff to multiyear pay freezes and plan to cut thousands of jobs which will make the railways unsafe.

Despite intense talks with the rail bosses, RMT has not been able to secure a pay proposal nor a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.

In a separate dispute over pensions and job losses, London Underground RMT members will take strike action on June 21st.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Railway workers have been treated appallingly and despite our best efforts in negotiations, the rail industry with the support of the government has failed to take their concerns seriously.

“We have a cost-of-living crisis, and it is unacceptable for railway workers to either lose their jobs or face another year of a pay freeze when inflation is at 11.1pc and rising.

“Our union will now embark on a sustained campaign of industrial action which will shut down the railway system.

“Rail companies are making at least £500m a year in profits, whilst fat cat rail bosses have been paid millions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This unfairness is fuelling our members anger and their determination to win a fair settlement.

“RMT is open to meaningful negotiations with rail bosses and ministers, but they will need to come up with new proposals to prevent months of disruption on our railways.”

A snap poll from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Opinium showed the cost of living was the top issue for 75% of the Scottish electorate when casting their ballot in May.

This was followed by 60% citing the NHS as their primary concern, with public services (21%), housing (15%), Brexit (20%) and the environment (19%) all taking voter preference over the constitution (14%).

The news was cited as a ‘wake-up call’ from the Scottish Trades Union Congress leader Roz Foyer, who will host a specific cost of living crisis summit on June 17th with the Poverty Alliance.

Ms Foyer said: “These elections should be a wake-up call to all levels of government – local, Scottish and UK – that workers throughout the country need urgent and sustained help in the face of this brutal attack on their living standards.

“By far and away, with 75% of the electorate in Scotland citing the cost of living crisis as their top concern, with health, housing and the environment their taking preference over the constitution, all incoming councillors must make this their most urgent priority.

“Our local government manifesto made clear we need sustained investment from the Scottish Government to local authorities throughout the country, helping to deliver a real terms pay increase for our public sector workers. This is in addition to delivering on rent freezes, settling equal pay disputes and introducing universal free school meals throughout the country.

“This is the type of real terms action we need from councillors and government throughout Scotland. Our movement, with affiliates currently balloting for industrial action across the country, are not standing idle whilst workers face this material threat to their living conditions.”

Candidacy rights for foreign nationals

Bill passes allowing nationals from certain countries to stand as local councillors

An electoral reform bill allowing nationals from countries where a relevant treaty has been agreed, including Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain, to become local councillors has been passed by the Scottish Parliament.

All resident nationals from these countries will be able to stand for election as a councillor in Scotland, even if they only have limited leave to remain and even if that leave is set to expire during their term of office, under the Bill.

This follows changes made in 2020, which ensured all resident nationals from EU countries can vote in local elections and that those with settled status or pre-settled status can stand as candidates in local government elections.

The Bill will grant candidacy rights in Scottish local government elections to people from Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain living in Scotland who do not have settled status or pre-settled status in accordance with the treaties covering local election participation.

The Bill also allows Scottish Ministers to add to the list of countries through regulations if further treaties are signed.

Minister for Parliamentary Business George Adam said: “This Bill makes a small – but important – change to the law to ensure all nationals of Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain can stand as candidates in Scottish local government elections.

“Scots Law already allows Scotland to go further than most other countries in allowing all resident foreign nationals with any form of leave to remain to vote in Scottish Parliament and Scottish local government elections, but candidacy rights are limited to those with indefinite leave to remain and EU nationals with pre-settled status.

“This is all about open, fair, wide and transparent democracy and I look forward to further debate over the course of the year on a wider expansion of candidacy rights.”

Scotland’s Census ‘ready to move to next stage’

Almost 2.3 million households completed census – Opposition says the process has been shambolic

The extension to the census collection period saw an additional 200,000 households complete their census, it was announcedyesterday.

Setting out progress to Parliament, the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson announced that the national return rate increased by 8.7 percentage points since the start of the extension to 87.9%, bringing the total number of households providing a response to Scotland’s Census 2022 to almost 2.3 million.

The level of national census returns provides a strong position to build up a picture of the population, as National Records of Scotland moves to the next phase of the census.

Mr Robertson said: “The census is a once in a decade exercise and plays an important role in decision making for Scotland. I want to thank everyone who completed the census, your responses will help shape the future of vital public services across Scotland.

“I also want to give my thanks to all of the people involved over the past few months from the hundreds of field staff, contact centre agents and census officials who were instrumental in ensuring the voices of households across Scotland were heard.

“We extended the collection period to ensure that as many people as possible could have the opportunity to complete it. Since the start of the extension, we have seen significant progress with 10 local authorities achieving a return rate of more than 90% and 28 local authorities having a return rate of more than 85%.

“This data will provide us with a strong position as we move to the next phase and turn this data into actions that will benefit people across Scotland.

“There have been many important lessons learned over the last few months and which we will consider for the future of the census. The evaluation of Scotland’s Census 2022 will help us develop a better understanding of what has worked and make informed recommendations for the future.”

Through a combination of census returns, individual administrative data, the Census Coverage Survey, and adjustments using aggregate administrative data, NRS will be able to proceed effectively with the next phase of census.

A target was set to achieve 85% or more for each Local Authority area. On 1st May this had only been achieved in one Local Authority – it has now been achieved by 28.

£5M fund to boost sustainable travel in Scotland now open

A multi-million pound grant fund has opened to support people across Scotland to travel in more active and sustainable ways.

Community, public and third sector organisations can now apply to the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund which has £5 million worth of grants available this year alone – double the amount available previously.

Now in its fifth year, the fund has already awarded over £9.3million to hundreds of projects across Scotland that aim to get people out their cars and walk, wheel or cycle for short journeys or use public or sustainable travel for longer trips.

The launch of this year’s grant fund has been welcomed by Scotland’s Active Travel Minister Patrick Harvie MSP. He said: “I’m delighted we have been able to double this year’s Open Fund to £5 million – reflecting both the popularity of the fund and the effectiveness of giving community groups the flexibility to draw down funding and spend as they see fit to deliver initiatives that provide the best value for money in the communities they serve. 

“This increase is part of our record funding for active travel this year and another step in our commitment to make walking, wheeling and cycling the natural choice for our daily short journeys in Scotland, and I commend Paths for All for their excellent stewardship of the Open Fund.”

Managed by national walking charity Paths for All and supported by Transport Scotland, the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP) Open Fund aims to encourage people to change their behaviour and to walk, wheel or cycle for short, everyday journeys.

It also encourages people to use sustainable travel choices, including buses, trams, trains for longer journeys to help cut Scotland’s carbon emissions and improve air quality.

Since 2018, the SCSP Open Fund has supported charities, colleges and universities, social enterprises, third sector organisations, community groups and health and social care partnerships to realise their active travel ambitions.

It’s funded dozens of new active travel jobs and has boosted hundreds of initiatives to get people moving as part of their daily journeys, funding everything from information apps to active travel hubs.

Kevin Lafferty, Chief Executive Officer at Paths for All said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be able to offer £5million in grants this year to support more people to travel in ways that benefit their health and wellbeing and that helps protect our environment too.

“It’s been incredible to see what has been achieved so far, and we are looking forward to this seeing more projects coming forward with new and creative ways to make walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport the natural choice when getting from A to B.

“I’d encourage anyone with an active travel idea to get in touch with us and find out how we can help get projects off the ground. Together we can work towards creating a happier, healthier and greener Scotland.”

STIRLING, SCOTLAND – NOVEMBER 20: A Paths For All workplace walking project is pictured at Kintail House, on November 20, in Stirling, Scotland (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

For information on how to apply for a Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund grant of between £5000 and £50,000, visit Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund | Paths for All

To read inspiring examples of how our funding has been used to further active travel, visit https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/active-travel/at-success-stories

On your feet! New WHO report shows health and environmental benefits of active travel

Scottish Government welcomes study, co-authored by Edinburgh Napier University academic, that highlights the societal advantages of walking and cycling

A new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that swapping driving for cycling just one day a week saves the equivalent emissions of a flight from London to New York – about half a tonne of carbon dioxide.

The report, co-authored by Dr Adrian Davis, Professor of Transport and Health at Edinburgh Napier University, provides the latest evidence on the benefits and risks of active travel. It clearly shows that for individuals and societies, promoting active travel is good for population health and the environment.

For example, if just one in five urban residents can be convinced to permanently swap the driving seat for the saddle one day a week, it would cut emissions from all car travel in Europe by about 8%.

The health benefits of active travel are also laid bare with the report showing that active travellers have as much as a 40% lower risk of dying from cancer and a 52% lower risk of dying from heart disease compared to those commuting by car or public transport. They also have a 46% lower risk of developing heart disease and a 45% lower risk of developing cancer at all. This means a poorer quality of life.

The report also contains the latest evidence on the benefits of e-bikes which are bringing more people to cycling, including older adults for whom there is a positive impact on their health and wellbeing.

The report has been warmly welcomed by the Scottish Government. Minister for Active Travel Patrick Harvie said: “I’m pleased to welcome this new report from the World Health Organisation on the many benefits of active travel.

“This peer-reviewed publication – co-authored by Dr Davis from Edinburgh Napier University – provides the latest evidence base for policy makers across the globe on why investment in walking, wheeling and cycling is so important for our health, our cities and our environment.

“The vital role active travel can play in building healthier and happier lives is well recognised in Scotland. That’s why I’m proud the Scottish Government has committed to spend at least 10% of the transport budget on active travel by 2024/25, enabling a transformational investment in communities across the country. This report sets out all the benefits that we will see as we make that shift.”

Professor Adrian Davis outside the Scottish Parliament with his Transport Policy Paper. Neil Hanna Photography www.neilhannaphotography.co.uk 07702 246823

Co-author Dr Adrian Davis said: “This report clearly shows that for individuals and societies active travel is good for health and that we can all play our part in tackling climate change. As Individuals, we can take actions which benefits our own health and that of others.

“People who walk or cycle as well as use cars have lower carbon footprints from all daily travel. More people switching some of their journeys to active travel would lower carbon emissions from transport on a daily basis.

“The report provides timely evidence to support policy makers and practitioners, coming as it does shortly after the Scottish local government elections.”

9789289057882-engDownload

Carers Week 2022: Rising pressures on unpaid carers as public backing for greater support grows

  • 4.68 million unpaid carers concerned for physical and mental health
  • 2.2 million carers worried about ability to cope financially
  • More care is being provided than ever before – even more than during the height of the pandemic
  • Overwhelming public support for more Government action to help unpaid carers

Carers Week charities are calling for an urgent 12-month plan of targeted support for unpaid carers, as many struggle with the ongoing impact, as well as the legacy, of the pandemic, together with the strain of the social care and cost of living crises.

For the first time, the impact of caring on their own physical and mental health has topped carer’s concerns, closely followed by money worries.   

The research, released for Carers Week 2022 (6-12 June), reveals that 84% of the general public think that the UK governments should provide additional support to unpaid carers including increased financial support and investment in care and support services so that unpaid carers can have a break. Only 3% disagreed. 

The report also shows that the number of unpaid carers remains higher than before the pandemic with one in five of the UK’s adults (approximately 10.58 million people) now supporting a relative, close friend or neighbour because of chronic illness, including mental ill-health, dementia, disability, or older age.  

The intensity of care they are providing has grown since earlier in the pandemic, with several factors possibly having an impact: Many services remain reduced or closed, vulnerable people continue to shield, pressures on primary health care and the chronic shortage of social care. The numbers of people providing over 50 hours per week has risen by 30%.  

At the same time, carers with lower household incomes were much more likely to be providing significant amounts of care (i.e, over 20 hours per week). Providing more care also reduces the chance to cope financially as carers are less likely to be able to juggle work and care.  

The seven charities supporting Carers Week 2022; Carers UK, Age UK, Carers Trust, MND Association, Rethink Mental Illness, Oxfam GB and The Lewy Body Society are calling for a recovery and respite plan dedicated to the needs of carers including: specific investment in their mental health support, carers leave a priority, help with food and energy costs and ahead of the winter, prioritisation in the vaccination programme.   

Commenting on behalf of Carers Week charities, Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK said: “Clearly, whilst society has opened up for many people, it’s a very different picture for significant numbers of carers.

“So many have sacrificed their physical and mental health caring for their loved ones over the last two years and as this report clearly shows, it is absolutely essential that carers get the support they need to stay well to be able to continue to care for their loved ones, that working carers are helped to stay in employment and that all carers can feel visible, valued and supported.”

Marking #CarersWeek, Social Security Minister @BenMacpherson recognises the dedication of carers.

@scotgov has introduced 2 new and unique benefits, Young Carer Grant and Carer’s Allowance Supplement – additional support of over £42 million to more than 90,000 carers this year.

Best Start Grant School Age Payment applications now open

Families have been urged to check whether they are eligible and apply for the Best Start Grant School Age Payment as applications open for children old enough to start primary school

This one-off payment of £267.65 is to help at a key stage in a child’s life and can be used for anything from a new pair of shoes to books or arts and crafts materials.

Best Start Grant School Age Payment is available to families who get Universal Credit, tax credits or certain benefits with children born between 1 March 2017 and 28 February 2018.

Parents who have deferred their child’s entry to school from August 2022 to August 2023, or those who are home schooling, should still apply before 28 February 2023 or they will lose out on their payment. There is no cap on the number of children in a household who can get this payment.

Best Start Grant School Age Payment is one of the Scottish Government’s five family payments administered by Social Security Scotland.

The package includes Scottish Child Payment, three Best Start Grants, and Best Start Foods. From the end of this year, both the Best Start Grant School Age Payment and the Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment will be paid automatically to families who get Scottish Child Payment when their child is of eligible age.

Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “When a child is due to start school it comes with additional costs, and so I would encourage parents and carers to check if you are eligible and, if so, to apply for our Best Start Grant School Age Payment.

“This money can be used for whatever your child needs and is one of the Scottish Government’s five family benefits, which are only available in Scotland.

“We have built our new social security system to make it as straightforward as possible for people to access support. This is why people can apply online, by post or over the phone.

“You can also apply for all five family payments for all the children that you are responsible for, in a single straightforward form – and we put no cap on the number of children who can get these payments. We want every child in Scotland to have the best start in life and our social security system is here to help with that.”

Visit mygov.scot/beststart or call 0800 182 2222 to find out more or apply.

Protecting and enhancing nature

More funding for local nature restoration projects

Projects that support biodiversity and improve the health and wellbeing of local communities are set to benefit from further funding.

All local authorities, plus Scotland’s two National Parks, will receive a share of £6.5 million directly from the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Process Fund – the second stream of the £65 million annual Nature Restoration Fund.

£5 million has been allocated to local authorities to deliver projects that support the priority aims of the Fund: habitat and species restoration, freshwater restoration, coastal and marine protection and eradication of non-native species.

Councils can also apply to top up their direct allocation from a £1.5 million pot  to deliver larger scale, multi-year nature restoration projects.

Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater visited Howden Park in West Lothian to see how previous allocations from the Nature Restoration Fund have helped the local council to improve the biodiversity, connectivity and climate resilience of the popular park.

Ms Slater said: “The Scottish Government is committed to tackling the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, both at home and abroad.

“Connecting people with nature, in urban and rural areas, brings so many benefits in terms of health and wellbeing. Improving our more green spaces will enable people to enjoy spending time outdoors and care for the natural environment on their doorstep.

“The Edinburgh Process Fund will play a critical role in supporting local authorities to restore nature in their area, through things like creating wildflower habitats in parks to restoring floodplains around rivers and expanding native woodland. Projects will be delivered by local government and their partners, who are well placed to direct investment to the projects that will make the most difference for nature and benefit communities”

“The Fund builds on the Edinburgh Process which has established our commitment and reputation as leaders on the natural environment. It has provided a platform establishing the central role of subnational governments, cities and local authorities in delivering for biodiversity. We will continue to drive the Edinburgh Process forward through to COP15 later this year.

NatureScot’s Head of Biodiversity and Geodiversity Dr Katherine Leys said: “We are delighted that the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund has been able to allocate funding to local authorities through the Edinburgh Process Fund.

“Local authorities have an important role to play in tackling the nature and climate crises, and are very well placed to identify nature restoration priorities at a local scale.”

Financing the transition to net zero

Tackling climate crisis prioritised in future spending plans

Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson has pledged to maximise the use of public funding to accelerate the delivery of plans to tackle climate change.

The Resource Spending Review, published this week, commits to increased spending on heat in buildings, active travel and peatland and woodland restoration.

Capital spending on programmes will also increase by over half a billion pounds over the next three years, to speed up the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resilience across Scotland.

The Scottish Government has also committed to increasing its efforts to leverage private sector investment in the just transition to net zero, to make better use of limited public funds.

Key commitments in the Resource Spending Review include:

  • up to £75 million per year to deliver the Heat in Building Strategy, enabling £1.8 billion investment towards targets to decarbonise over a million homes and 50,000 non-domestic buildings by 2030;
  • up to £95 million towards meeting woodland creation targets of 18,000 by 2024/25;
  • £46 million to introduce the community bus fund and an increase in funding for concessionary travel schemes as well as investing up to £150 million of resource and capital across the spending review period in active travel, as part of a shift of transport funding to walking, wheeling and cycling – supporting our commitment to cut car kilometres by 20 per cent by 2030;
  • investment of over £12 million in peatland restoration to double current restoration rate and put us on track to hit our target  of 20,000 in 2025/26;
  • £4 million of resource spending alongside £150 million capital and financial investment for the North East and Moray Just Transition Fund;
  • Rollout of the agriculture National Test Programme to enhance farmers and crofters’ awareness of their climate performance.

Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson said: “This spending review comes at a critical point in the global challenge to address the climate crisis. Tangible global action is becoming ever more urgent, and Scotland is committed to playing its part with some of the most ambitious, legally-binding targets in the world.

“That is why our future spending plans prioritise investment in the package of measures to tackle climate change and deliver a just transition – as set out in our updated Climate Change Plan.

“But, as the Finance Secretary set out earlier this week, the challenging fiscal environment in the coming years means we must redouble our focus on efficiency, structural change and collaboration.

“That is why I am committed to ensuring we maximise every penny of public investment, working collaboratively with the private sector and our communities to accelerate delivery of public policies that will reduce emissions, build resilience to the impacts which are locked in, tackle biodiversity loss and help to create a fairer, greener society.”

Diagnostic test waiting times: cancer patients waiting too long, says charity

Cancer Research UK’s has responded to the latest diagnostic test waiting times statistics published by Public Health Scotland. Eight tests are considered in the report, including several that are relevant to the diagnosis of cancer. 

These latest figures show that more than 155,000 patients in Scotland were waiting for a key diagnostic test at the end of March 2022. This is a 10% increase compared with the previous quarter and a 74% increase compared with pre-pandemic levels. 

The report also tells us that, of those people waiting, 50% had been waiting more than six weeks for their test at the end of March 2022.

This is similar to the proportion waiting at the end of the previous quarter and more than three times the proportion pre-pandemic, which was 16% at the end of March 2019. The figures also show around 5,400 (3.5%) patients waiting for a test had been waiting over a year, with almost all of these patients waiting for an endoscopy test. 

The Scottish Government standard that no one should be waiting more than six weeks for a diagnostic test hasn’t been met since June 2010. 

David Ferguson, public affairs manager for Cancer Research UK in Scotland, said: “It is unacceptable that people in Scotland are waiting too long for a test to determine whether they have cancer. Early diagnosis followed by swift access to the most effective treatment can save lives.  

“Despite the best efforts of NHS staff, the delays are due to Scotland’s chronic staff shortages in the areas key to diagnosing and treating cancer. These shortages have hampered progress for years – well before the pandemic.

“The Scottish Government must set out long-term, properly funded plans to address workforce shortages and improve cancer services so patients get the care they need and deserve.”