Scottish Government – Page 198 – The NEN

Scottish Child Payment doubles

104,000 children have payment increased to £20 per week

The flagship family payment – Scottish Child Payment – has now doubled to £20 per week per child. 104,000 children are already benefiting from this increase.

The payment, which is unique to Scotland, was designed to tackle child poverty head on. It is one of five family benefits which provides financial support to low income families with children aged under 6.

The benefit will be extended at the end of the year to all eligible children under the age of 16 – and at that point also increase further from £20 to £25.

Once extended, it is expected over 400,000 children could be eligible. The newly doubled Scottish Child Payment, together with the three Best Start Grant payments and Best Start Foods, will provide families with more than £10,000 by the time their first child turns 6 and £9,700 for subsequent children.

This compares to less than £1,800 for an eligible family’s first child in England and Wales, and less than £1,300 for subsequent children.

Visiting Glasgow based family charity Govan Help, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We are using our social security powers to take immediate steps to put cash in the pockets of families by doubling the Scottish Child Payment to £20 per week per child – support not replicated anywhere else in the UK.

“This is a key part of our national mission to tackle child poverty. We will further increase this payment to £25 by the end of 2022 – five times the amount campaigners originally asked. This will gives families additional financial support of £1,300 for each eligible child every year. We will back this with investment of around £671 million over the next two years – just part of our package of support for families.

“Our Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan will also build on our investment in employment support for parents, through new skills and training opportunities and key worker support to help reduce household costs and drive longer term change.

“We are determined to give children the best start and a bright future by putting more money into the pockets of those who need it most. Increasing the Scottish Child Payment will make a real difference to families and help to build a more equal and fairer Scotland for everyone.”

Viv Sawers, Chief Officer at Govan Help, said: “This is a fantastic measure from Scottish Government in tackling Child Poverty in Scotland. The roll out and the uplift in Scottish Child Payment will have an incredible impact on the families across Scotland who need it most and we are delighted to see money going directly to families who we know are struggling to meet their basic cost of living.

“Govan has higher than average rates of Child Poverty so this will have a hugely positive impact on the quality of life for families in this local community. We see families struggling daily, they have told us what a difference this has made already with the cost of living increases, we look forward to supporting more families to access this as it rolls out to children up to age 16 later this year.

“We know parenting is a really hard job, without financial pressures, this funding will go a long way to removing stresses that can impact on healthy family functioning and wellbeing.”

Scottish Child Payment increased to £20 from Friday 1 April
Parents and carers do not need to reapply and will see their payments increase automatically
Social Security Scotland administers five benefits for families on tax credits and certain benefits. These include Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Early Learning Payment, School Age Payment, Best Start Foods and Scottish Child Payment. Parents and carers can find out more and apply at mygov.scot or by calling 0800 182 2222
Ahead of extending the Scottish Child Payment to under 16s, the Scottish Government is set to invest £225 million this year (2022-23) in our Scottish Child Payment.
The Scottish Government is also putting around £150 million in the pockets of families through Bridging Payments to families of 145k children in receipt of free school meals across 2021 and 2022
The extension of Scottish Child Payment is subject to data on qualifying benefits being received from the Department of Work and Pensions
The Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022-26 – Best Start, Bright Futures outlines actions to be taken to provide immediate support to children and families and to break the cycle of child poverty

Funding for local food initiatives

Projects that celebrate locally sourced and produced food and drink are being encouraged to apply for funding.

The Regional Food Fund aims to support the food and drink sector’s recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic with £110,000 of Scottish Government funding.

The fund, managed by Scotland Food & Drink, provides grants of up to £5,000 to applicants across the country.

Last year the fund was allocated across 42 projects, which varied from helping regional food group producers in Argyll & Bute grow their sales, to supporting the expansion of the Bowhouse market in Fife to allow more local producers to showcase their food and drink offerings.

Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands said: “This government is committed to supporting and promoting Scotland’s local produce, which is some of the finest in the world.

“I would encourage eligible groups and businesses to apply for this year’s Regional Food Fund.

“Since its launch in 2018, the Regional Food Fund has provided over £550,000 to 121 projects, and this additional funding will support many more projects and initiatives.”

Fiona Richmond, Head of Regional Food at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “The Regional Food Fund has already played an important role in promoting food and drink in local communities and delivering benefits to Scotland’s local food and drink sector over the long-term.

“It’s great to see the fund reopen and continuing to promote and encourage great local food initiatives by supporting regional activities, networks and collaborative initiatives across the country.”

Regional Food Fund information and application

Who can apply?

individual businesses in the food and drink sector, including primary producers, on behalf of a collaborative group or project
regional and community groups (both rural and urban)
individuals on behalf of a collaborative group or project

The deadline for applications is 5pm, 9 May 2022.

Employment support to improve lives

Further funding to provide a route out of poverty

Employability services to help those most at risk of long-term unemployment will receive up to £113 million of funding.

To deliver the ambitions set out in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation and the Child Poverty Delivery Plan, tailored services based on local needs will ensure the right help is given to ensure people are supported to move towards and into work.

The No One Left Behind approach – which includes the Young Person’s Guarantee – sees services funded through Local Employability Partnerships (LEPs) bringing together local government, Skills Development Scotland, Department for Work and Pensions, colleges, the third sector and other partners to provide support that meets both individual and labour market needs in each area. This is crucial to achieving shared aims around tackling poverty and inequalities.

The National Strategy for Economic Transformation aims to build a fairer and more equal society by ensuring economic transformation which tackles inequality, drives up working standards and improves pay. It also outlines how partnership working can support people into jobs by tackling labour market inequalities and unlocking Scotland’s economic potential.

Employment Minister Richard Lochhead said: “Redesigning services with the user in mind is part of the bold steps we’re taking to achieve the goals of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

“If delivering on our objectives involves change to get a better outcome for the people of Scotland, we won’t duck from that challenge.

“We have always been clear that No One Left Behind places people at the centre of employability services and support, to give them help tailored to their specific needs. I’m pleased that in 2022/23 we are able to invest up to £113 million to support those at risk of long-term unemployment.

“This investment will build on existing support to deliver more localised help around employability and skills to people most disadvantaged in the labour market. It will also align more closely with other local services in housing, justice, advice, and health.”

Read about the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan here.

£25 million funding for drugs services

A total of 77 initiatives working with people affected by drug use are to receive awards totalling more than £25 million over the next five years.

Grants of more than £6 million in total have been allocated to 16 organisations providing residential rehabilitation and pre and post rehabilitation support to enable them to further enhance their services.

The charity Teen Challenge UK, which supports young people with drug and alcohol addictions is among the recipients. An award of almost £800,000 will be used to improve and increase capacity at their Sunnybrae and Benaiah rehabilitation centres in Aberdeenshire by increasing staffing and carrying out refurbishment work.

A further 38 awards totalling more than £10 million have been made to organisations who support people through recovery including WRASAC (Women’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre) Dundee & Angus Ltd.

The money will be spent on establishing a women’s hub in Dundee to support women with substance dependency and additional complex needs.

In addition, 23 projects working with children and families have received funding of almost £9.5 million.

Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance said: “I am pleased that so many organisations doing valuable work around the country are to benefit from this latest round of funding from our Improvement Fund and Children and Families Fund.

“The grants awarded will enable services to increase and improve the support available for people suffering from addiction and of course, their families.

“Getting more people into the treatment which works for them is central to our National Mission and we continue to embed the new Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards which reinforce a rights-based approach for people who use drugs and the treatment they should expect regardless of their circumstances.

“We aim to increase the number of publicly funded residential rehabilitation placements by more than 300 per cent over the lifetime of this Parliament and I recently announced a treatment target to increase the number of people with problematic opiate drug use accessing community treatments.

“I am determined that the £250 million we are investing in tackling this public health emergency will make a difference and we will continue to prioritise our efforts to turn this crisis around.”

Teen Challenge North East Scotland Area Manager Gordon Cruden said: “We are extremely grateful to have been awarded this funding for our work at Teen Challenge North East Scotland.

“We are passionate about seeing people set free from addiction and this funding will help us support more men and women to freedom.

“The grant has been specifically awarded to improve, expand and increase the capacity of our two residential centres – our men’s centre, Sunnybrae, and women’s centre, Benaiah – through increased staffing, improvements to equipment and minor refurbishments.

“A main aim of ours is to see each resident progress on with positive personal life goals in the areas of home, career, financial stability and social network and this funding will help us to support people to achieve just that.”

Information on the national mission

Corra Foundation

Teen Challenge UK

Persistent poverty levels ‘stable’

Latest Official Statistics published

Between 2016 and 2020, one tenth of people in Scotland were in persistent poverty after housing costs. Persistent poverty identifies individuals who live in relative poverty (have a household income of less than 60% of the UK median) for at least three years out of the last four.

Persistent poverty rates were similar for children and working-age adults (10%) and pensioners (11%). Over time, persistent poverty rates have been fairly stable for all age groups, except for children in the most recent period.

Persistent child poverty saw a relatively large drop compared to previous estimates, from 15% to 10%. This observed fall should be interpreted with caution as persistent poverty estimates do tend to fluctuate. So not all of this decrease is likely to reflect real change and will be due to a range of factors.

Some low income households will have benefitted from increased financial support during the pandemic. At the same time, reduced earnings and job losses may have resulted in a lower median income, leading to a fall in the poverty line, and a drop in the relative poverty rate.

Not everyone in poverty is in persistent poverty: More than a third of people in poverty move out of poverty each year. At the same time, a similar number of people who were not in poverty before enter poverty each year.

The persistent poverty report usually goes alongside the main poverty statistics publication Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland. This will not be published this year due to the disrupted data collection during COVID-19 restrictions.

An analytical report will be published instead to explain the limitations of the most recent data. Users should note that the latest reliable figures are those previously published.

These figures are produced in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Reacting to the publication of new statistics on poverty in Scotland and across the UK, Poverty Alliance director Peter Kelly said: “In a compassionate society like ours, we believe in looking after one another and protecting each other from harm. But these new figures show that we are failing to put that compassion into practice.

“When the Chancellor raised Universal Credit by £20 a week, he lifted 400,000 children across the UK out of poverty. But when he cut that £20 lifeline, many of those children and their families will have been pulled back into poverty’s grip. It was an unjust and scandalous decision then, and its impact on people’s lives is becoming even clearer now.

“The Scottish Government’s actions to increase the Scottish Child Payment show what can be done when we make our compassion concrete and is a good example to build on. We need to make sure that the money gets to the people who need it, as soon as possible, and that wider action on transport, childcare and housing all ramp up in ambition to help us meet our child poverty targets.”

The full publications are available here:

Persistent Poverty in Scotland presents estimates of the proportion of people in Scotland who live in persistent poverty. The data come from the Understanding Society Survey, and the latest statistics cover the period from 2016 to 2020.

These poverty statistics are used by the Scottish Government and other organisations to monitor progress in tackling poverty and child poverty, and to analyse what drives poverty and what works for tackling poverty and income inequality.

Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland – analytical report provides information on the limitations of the most recent data for 2020/21 from the Department for Work and Pensions Family Resources Survey Households Below Average Income dataset.

This report and dataset are not official statistics. Users should note that the latest reliable figures are those previously published for 2019/20.

The latest estimates are unreliable as they are based on data collected during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic and associated restrictions. These affected the data collection and as a result, it was not possible to obtain a representative sample for Scotland. UK income and poverty figures are published on the same day by DWP.

Key poverty measures:

Relative poverty: A household is in relative poverty if its income is below 60 percent of the middle household income in the UK (the poverty threshold). Relative poverty is a measure of whether the income of the poorest households are keeping pace with middle income households across the UK.

Persistent poverty identifies the number of people in relative poverty for three or more out of four years. People who live in poverty for several years are affected by it through their lifetime.

Household income is adjusted for household size.

The poverty publications present poverty figures before and after housing costs. Before housing costs figures are a basic measure of household income from earnings and benefits.

After housing costs figures subtract spending on rents, mortgage interest payments and other unavoidable housing costs from this basic income. In Scotland, poverty statistics focus mainly on poverty after housing costs.

The poverty estimates in this summary refer to relative poverty after housing costs.

Delivering The Promise

Blueprint to ‘transform’ the care system

A major plan containing 80 actions to improve the lives of children, young people and families in and around the edges of care has been published.

The ‘Keeping The Promise Implementation Plan’ aims to significantly reduce the number of children in care, with at least £500 million over this Parliamentary term to help families stay together.

The Scottish Government will also introduce a national allowance for foster and kinship carers and provide a £200 grant each year for 16 to 25-year-olds with care experience.

Other commitments include:

redesigning the Children’s Hearings System
redesigning the governance of the care system
ending the placement of 16 and 17-year-olds in young offender institutions
reducing the use of restraint in residential or secure care

Minister for Children and Young People Clare Haughey said: “More than 5,500 people – half of them children and young people with experience of care – told the Independent Care Review that change is needed. This plan sets out, for the first time, over 80 actions that the Scottish Government will take to keep The Promise to deliver that change.

“These ambitious actions will help families to thrive so they can safely stay together. They will also support carers and families engaged with the care system, as well as care leavers and care experienced people in education and employment.

“Alongside The Promise Scotland, the care community, local government, and many others, we are building on work that is already under way to bring forward change as quickly as possible.”

In February 2020 the Independent Care Review published The Promise setting out recommendations to improve outcomes for those with care experience.

Keeping the Promise Implementation Plan

Rebuilding and Revitalising Independent Cinema in Scotland

New Funding for Cinemas Across the Country

From Annan’s Lonsdale Cinema to Mareel in Shetland, 29 independent cinemas and two touring cinema operators from across Scotland have received new funding support from the Scottish Government through Screen Scotland.

The £3.19 million Recovery Fund for Indie Cinemas will help stabilise, rebuild and revitalise independent cinema businesses in Scotland, by supporting new activity and initiatives that help address the fundamental shifts to the industry brought about by COVID-19.

Edinburgh’s Dominion Cinema is among the beneficiaries.

Sambrooke Scott, Head of Audience Development at Screen Scotland said: “Scotland has a marvellously unique cohort of independent cinemas serving communities across the country, from historic purpose-built venues to arts centres and multi-screen cinemas.

“Despite facing unprecedented challenges as we adapt to living with COVID they have continued to provide vital cultural, social and economic hubs for the towns and cities they serve.

“This fund will ensure they are able to continue that work and make vital changes to welcome cinema-goers back, to reach new audiences and future generations to come.”

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “We’re delighted to support independent cinemas across the country to build back and adapt their businesses in the light of the challenges faced by the industry throughout the Covid pandemic.

“Local cinemas are a focal point for communities and these funds will help them to develop new activities to re-engage with, and grow, their audiences.”

This latest funding takes the total emergency funds awarded to cinemas, from the Scottish Government through Screen Scotland, since the pandemic began in March 2020 to £8,727,829 through the Independent Cinema Recovery and Resilience Fund and the Recovery Fund for Indie Cinemas.

Increase in social security payments

Social Security Scotland: Payment rates for benefits increase from April

EIGHT of the benefits delivered by Social Security Scotland will now increase by 6%. The increase in payments for low income households and carers comes as the cost of living continues to rise.

Benefits and assistance including Job Start Payment, Young Carers Grant, Funeral Support Payment and Carer’s Allowance Supplement were due to be increased by 3.1% for 2022/23. Subject to parliamentary approval, the increases will now be almost doubled to a 6% uprate.

In addition, the three Best Start Grant payments, which we had not previously planned to uprate, will also now be uprated by 6%, and Child Winter Heating Assistance, which was previously set to rise by 5%, will now also rise by 6%.

From tomorrow (1st April), there will be a 100% increase in Scottish Child Payment, which will double from £10 per week to £20. Best Start Foods was already increased from £4.25 to £4.50 a week in August (5.88%).

Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment will still increase by 3.1% on April 11 in line with the equivalent benefits (Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment) which are still administered by the Department for Work and Pensions under agency agreement.

This is to avoid creating a two-tier system where individuals paid by Social Security Scotland are paid more than clients whose cases have not yet transferred to the Scottish system.

Payment rates for 2022-2023 are:

Benefit	Rates 2021-2022	Rates 2022-2023	New rates 2022-2023 (6% uprate)
Best Start Grant
Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment (1st Child Payment)	£606.00	£606.00	£642.35
Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment (Subsequent Child Payment & Extra Payment for Twins/Triplets)	£303.00	£303.00	£321.20
Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment	£252.50	£252.50	£267.65
Best Start Grant School Age Payment	£252.50	£252.50	£267.65
Child Winter Heating Assistance
Child Winter Heating Assistance (annually)	£202.00	£212.10	£214.10
Funeral Support Payment
standard rate for other expenses element	£1,010.00	£1041.30	£1,070.60
other expenses element where there is a funeral plan	£123.25	£127.05	£130.65
removal of implanted medical devices	£20.55	£21.20	£21.55
Job Start Payment
Job Start Payment (one-off) standard rate	£251.25	£260.35	£267.65
higher rate	£404.00	£416.50	£428.25
Young Carer Grant
Young Carer Grant (annually)	£308.15	£317.70	£326.65
Carer’s Allowance Supplement	£8.90	£9.15	£9.45

Child Disability Payment	Rates 2021-2022	Rates 2022-2023*
Care Component Highest Rate	£89.60	£92.40
Care Component Middle Rate	£60.00	£61.85
Care Component Lowest Rate	£23.70	£24.45
Mobility Component Higher Rate	£62.55	£64.50
Mobility Component Lower Rate	£23.70	£24.45

Adult Disability Payment	Rates 2021-2022	Rates 2022-2023*
Daily Living Component Standard Rate	£60.00	£61.85
Daily Living Component Enhanced Rate	£89.60	£92.40
Mobility Component Standard Rate	£23.70	£24.45
Mobility Component Enhanced Rate	£62.55	£64.50

* 3.1% increase in line with the equivalent benefits (Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment) which are still administered by DWP under agency agreement.

New Health and Social Care Standards for care homes

Anne’s Law: Reinforcing the rights of residents to have visits and care from loved ones

Changes to the national Health and Social Care Standards for Scotland’s adult care homes will put Anne’s Law into practical effect while legislation is being prepared.

Two new Standards set out the expectation that people living in care homes should have the right to see someone who is dear to them, even during a Covid-19 outbreak, and be able to name a person or persons who can directly participate in meeting their care needs.

The Standards should be reflected by care homes in their policies, and the Care Inspectorate will consider whether they are being met when registering, inspecting and supporting homes.

Anne’s Law aims to ensure people who live in adult care homes have rights to see and get support from those who are important to them.

The stepped approach to its introduction – new Standards followed by legislation – follows a public consultation which found overwhelming backing for Anne’s law and for a change to the Standards. The new Standards are supported by the body representing care homes, Scottish Care.

Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said: “We are fulfilling our pledge to introduce the provisions of Anne’s Law as quickly as possible by using our existing legal powers to help ensure care home visitors can be involved in the care and support of their loved ones.

“We will go further by including Anne’s Law within the new National Care Service Bill, with that legislation due to be introduced to the Scottish Parliament in the coming months. We are clear in our expectation that care home residents must have their care delivered in a dignified manner that reflects their rights.”

Donald Macaskill, Chief Executive of Scottish Care, said: “I am pleased to commend the new Social Care Standards which have been published today. They make explicit what we all recognise, namely the critical role that family and friends play in the care support of a resident in a care home.

“They clearly underline the rights of residents, should they wish, even during a managed infectious disease outbreak, to have family and friends support them in visiting and support.

“In the months ahead staff, providers, families, and residents will work together to ensure that these rights are understood and that the new Standards are a success.”

Edith Macintosh, interim Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate said: “The Care Inspectorate welcomes the new Standards. We know that having regular contact with people is essential for wellbeing and good mental health.

“Meaningful contact must be included in personal care plans, with clear strategies in place for staff to support it. This includes people experiencing care from those close to them when that is their choice.

“These new Standards will be reflected in how we register, inspect and support adult care homes in Scotland, to ensure care services embed them in their practice.”

A spokesperson for Care Home Relatives Scotland (CHRS) said: “CHRS is pleased the new Social Care Standards have been published and the importance of maintaining contact with care home residents at all times has been formally recognised.

“Relatives and close friends of those in residential care are not simply visitors, but continue with a caring role and as the voice and representative for our loved ones. It is reassuring to know we will always have the right to uphold that essential contact.

“We look forward to working together with all care home staff to ensure the Standards are respected and upheld.”

The Health and Social Care Standards set out what people should expect when experiencing health, social care or social work services in Scotland. As with the existing Standards, the Care Inspectorate will be under a duty to consider how care service providers are upholding them in relation to registering, inspecting and supporting care services.

The Scottish Government will provide further support and resource to enhance the Care Inspectorate’s role in supporting visiting rights. This additional resource will enable the Care Inspectorate to proactively champion the implementation of the new Standards and rigorously monitor its progress.

The two new Standards are:

If I am an adult living in a care home and restrictions to routine visiting are needed to prevent infection, I can nominate relatives/friends (and substitutes) to visit me. My nominated relatives/friends will be supported by the care home to see me in person day-to-day and to be directly involved in providing my care and support if that is what I want
If I am an adult living in a care home, I can nominate relatives/friends (and substitutes), who will be supported by the care home to be directly involved in providing my day-to-day care and support if that is what I want

The Standards follow on from updates to the Scottish Government’s Named Visitor policy during COVID-19 outbreaks in care homes and will be followed by Anne’s Law, which will be incorporated into primary legislation in the National Care Service Bill, due to be introduced by the end of this Parliamentary year.

Coffee cup charge plans re-introduced

Campaigners call for more ambition

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater has announced the formation of an advisory group that will shape plans for mandatory charges on coffee cups and other single-use disposable beverage containers.

Work to tackle single-use cup waste is re-starting, having been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The charge is expected to come into effect during the course of this parliament.

The group will contain representatives from every stage of the supply chain – from manufacturers and distributors through small and large retailers – as well as consumer groups, environmental NGOs, equalities groups and academics.

Charging for single-use cups will help encourage people to make the move to reusable alternatives and support the shift to a more circular economy.

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “Single-use coffee cups are a classic example of the throwaway culture that we are taking action to tackle.

“Lots of people already carry a reusable cup with them, but hundreds of millions of single-use cups are still being wasted every single year.

“Evidence shows that a small charge on single-use cups can be hugely effective in encouraging people to switch to a reusable alternative.

“I look forward to working with experts representing business, the environment and consumers to take forward this important measure. Alongside Scotland’s deposit return scheme, which will recycle nearly two billion bottles and cans every year, and our action to ban some of the most problematic single-use plastics, this will make a vital contribution to reducing the amount of waste generated in the country.”

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Single-use items, like cups, are emblematic of the throwaway culture we need to change if we want to tackle the climate crisis.

“We know there’s an appetite for action on such items, with a recent Zero Waste Scotland survey indicating that 66 per cent of Scots would support introducing charges to limit the use of single-use plastic and packaging.

“Switching to reusable over single-use is one of the best things we can all do for the environment, so it’s hugely welcome news that work to shape a chargeable cup scheme is continuing with the formation of an advisory group.”

Campaigners are calling for more ambition, however. Friends of the Earth Scotland point out that disposable cups are a small part of Scotland’s overall material footprint. Scotland consumed 100 million tonnes of materials in 2017, and must reduce this by 57% to become environmentally sustainable.

Removing disposable cups completely would be less than 0.01% (4,000 tonnes) of the change that is needed.

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “Disposable cups are a symbol of our linear economy that we need to move away from, but we simply do not have the time to change our economy one product at a time.

“The Scottish Government must go further and faster on this, and it needs to use the charge introduction to learn lessons that can be applied more widely.

“Over-consumption is causing the climate crisis, and changing our culture of consumption is a key part of the solution. The Circular Economy Bill, which is being consulted on by the Scottish Government in May, is a vital opportunity to make the whole system change that is needed.”

82% of Scotland’s carbon footprint relates to material consumption. From buildings and transport to food and clothing, we use materials in a linear way: extracting raw materials, making them into products, using them (sometimes only once) and throwing them away to be burnt or buried.

Cutting our material consumption to sustainable levels will support Scotland to reach its climate goals.