Scottish Government – Page 232 – The NEN

Gender Equality and Climate Change: leaders sign joint statement at COP26

A statement calling for the role of women and girls to be advanced in addressing climate change has been launched at COP26, jointly-sponsored by the Scottish Government and UN Women.

The Glasgow Women’s Leadership Statement on Gender Equality and Climate Change commits to further strengthening efforts to support women and girls to lead on addressing climate change at community, national, and international level.

It recognises that women and girls are often disproportionately affected by climate change and face greater risks and burdens from its impacts, particularly in situations of poverty.

Drafted in cooperation with UN Women, the statement was launched following a panel discussion convened by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, which included Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan, and Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas.

The statement will remain open for signatures from today until the 66th meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women, to be held in March 2022 with a focus on women’s empowerment in the context of climate change, the environment and disaster risk reduction.

The panel discussed gendered impacts of climate change and the importance of women and girls’ leadership in addressing these.

The First Minister said: “I am delighted to convene the Glasgow Women’s Leadership Initiative with UN Women, to put gender equality and climate change at the very forefront of COP26.

“One of the great injustices of the climate crisis is that the people and countries who are worst affected are those who have contributed least to its causes. That includes women and girls, with girls more likely to be taken out of school, and women less able to find alternative forms of work as a result of climate impacts.

“The Glasgow statement recognises that the leadership of women and girls is essential to ensure global efforts to tackle climate change succeed. With strong partnerships between governments, businesses, and civil society we can enable more women and girls to lead on the solutions we need to address climate impacts and promote gender equality.

“I am determined that Scotland will lead on progressing this at home and internationally where we can, and I call on all leaders to join me in signing up to the statement.”

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous said: “We can only achieve our collective goal and responsibility of reducing emissions to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius if women and girls are part of the response.

“Today’s statement is a powerful tool in sustaining the growing momentum of women’s and girls’ leadership and innovation in climate action. I call on women leaders to make concrete commitments by signing it.”

Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas said: “Empowerment of women and girls is a priority for Estonia also in our UN work. We need to recognize at the highest political level that especially in fragile and conflict-affected settings women and girls are particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change.”

Glasgow Women’s Leadership Statement on Gender Equality and Climate Change – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Scotland commits to action on rainforests

Scotland’s rainforest will be restored and expanded as a natural solution to the climate emergency, Environment Minister Mairi McAllan announced yesterday.

The west of Scotland is home to one of the most important remaining rainforest sites in Europe, with its rich diversity of species making it internationally important. Supporting the restoration and expansion of this site will be a key part of a £500 million investment in Scotland’s natural economy.

The Scottish Government is engaging with the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforests, comprising a diverse group of organisations and public sector bodies, to determine how best to fulfil these commitments.

Ms McAllan said: “Scotland is home to its own Atlantic rainforest boasting a variety of rare species and habitats. We want to protect and expand this precious environment and we have committed to do so in the life of this Parliament.

“I welcome the Glasgow Declaration’s strategic vision which recognises that forests and woodlands have a crucial role in reversing the effects of climate change and nature loss. As an active global citizen, Scotland is playing its role with world-leading ambitions in reaching Net Zero by 2045, five years before the rest of the UK.

“Our forests and woodlands are an important net carbon sink, absorbing around 6.2 million tonnes of CO2 every year – equivalent to almost 10% of Scotland’s gross greenhouse gas emissions. As world leaders commit to end deforestation by 2030, we are planting 80% of the UK’s trees and making bold commitments like this to protect and enhance Scotland’s own temperate rainforest.

“Our ambitions do not stop there. We have increased our new woodland creation targets from 12,000 hectares a year to 18,000 hectares by 2024/5. By then, we will be planting 36 million new trees every year in Scotland.”

Ms McAllan spoke at the RSPB’s Glasgow to Globe living exhibition at Glasgow Botanic Gardens yesterday to welcome the Glasgow Declaration and highlight Scotland’s efforts to protect and restore Scotland’s woodlands.

The Scottish Government is committed to investing £500 million in Scotland’s natural economy. Actions include expanding the nature restoration fund, supporting the creation of a new national park and local nature networks, protecting and restoring Scotland’s Atlantic rainforest and ancient woodlands, and investing more in the restoration of peatland and expansion of woodlands

Forests and woodlands are part of the global solution. The Scottish Government would urge all nations to make best use of these precious natural resources to keep the 1.5 C temperature target in sight.

Scottish health service set for gruelling winter as performance deteriorates yet again

The latest Emergency Department performance figures for Scotland published by the Scottish Government yesterday for September 2021 show a deterioration in performance for the fifth consecutive month. The data show the worst four-hour performance on record and both the highest number of 12-hour and eight-hour stays since records began.

In September 2021 there were 113,998 attendances to major Emergency Departments across Scotland, the number of attendances dropped by 3,500 patients (3%) compared to the previous month, August 2021.

Despite the slight decrease in attendances data show that four-hour performance reached a new record low, with 73.8% of patients being seen within four-hours, this is 1.5 percentage points lower than the previous month, August 2021. It is the second time in 2021 that performance has fallen below 75%.

In September 2021 1,840 patients spent 12-hours or more in a major Emergency Department, this is an increase of 31.5% compared to the previous month, August 2021. This number increased for the fifth consecutive month and is once again the highest number of 12-hour stays since records began.

Data also show that 6,413 patients spent eight hours or more in a major Emergency Department. This is an increase of 20%, equal to over 1,000 patients. The number of patients delayed by eight-hours or more increased for the fifth consecutive month and once again this is the highest number of eight-hour stays since records began.

Dr John Thomson, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said: “The consistent fall in performance is seriously worrying. What we are seeing: ambulance handover delays; dangerous crowding; long stays; put patient safety at risk and can lead to harm or avoidable deaths.

“Data show that for every 67 patients waiting 8-12 hours, one of them will come to avoidable harm – therefore we can estimate that in Scotland between January and August 2021 there have been 231 excess deaths directly caused by a long wait due to a crowded Emergency Department.

“These are unconscionable practices and both ambulance crews and Emergency Medicine staff are under pressure to resolve the problem – together with the College of Paramedics we laid out this guidance.

“The problem is poor flow throughout the hospital and exit block, this will not be resolved in the Emergency Department, it is a system-wide problem and requires system-wide solutions and collaboration.

“Boards must safely expand capacity where possible, provided doctors and nurses and other healthcare workers are available to staff the beds. Same-day emergency care can help to reduce unplanned hospital admissions, maximising the delivery of this service may alleviate some pressures.

“Discharge to assess, ensuring that patients can be discharged in a safe and timely way where they have the support they need to recover in the community, can help free up beds to increase flow throughout the hospital.

“Lastly, it is vital that adequate support and resources are given to social and community care so vulnerable patients do not face successive trips to the Emergency Department or hospital.

“Clear communication between Clinical Leads and senior Board management about the reality of ambulance handover delays; dangerous crowding; and long stays is also vital. Stating the threat these practices pose to patient safety and both reporting and escalating incidents as they occur should guide leadership to take swift action.

“It is a very difficult time, and we are preparing for a gruelling winter. The past five months of performance figures suggest that more deterioration is set to come. In Emergency Medicine we must continue to work towards collaborative solutions and work with other departments, specialties, and management.

“But we continue to call on the Scottish government to set out a long-term workforce plan. In Emergency Medicine (EM) in Scotland there is a vital need to both recruit new and retain existing staff, we need at least 113 EM consultants along with sufficient numbers of both junior and supporting staff and nurses.”

Today’s statistics revealed the worst weekly and monthly A&E statistics since records began.

The statistics show that only 65.6% of attendances at A&E services in NHS Lothian were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within 4 hours for the week ending on the 24^th of October.

This is lower than the previous record low of 66.3% recorded in week ending 12th September. Furthermore, 508 patients in NHS Lothian waited more than 8 hours, with 240 not being seen for 12 hours.

Scottish Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury said: “A&E services in the Lothians are in crisis, with the situation rapidly deteriorating with every passing week.’’

“Hard-pressed frontline staff have been sounding the alarm for months, but the Health Secretary has spectacularly failed to take action. Patients in the Lothians are being put in danger thanks to the SNP’s catastrophic failure to support A&E services.

‘’The Health Secretary is without a workable plan, so we have a health service in freefall. Action must be taken now. Our NHS deserves better’’

NHS Dentistry: Scottish Government plans set to spark exodus from service

The British Dental Association has warned the Scottish Government plans to revert to pre-COVID models of care risks sparking a flight of dentists from the NHS, with potentially devastating consequences for patient access across Scotland.

In October Cabinet Secretary Humza Yousaf wrote to all NHS dental teams that all emergency support will be withdrawn by 1 April 2022. Since the first lockdown NHS practices have operated under a COVID support package, reflecting pandemic pressures and tight infection control restrictions that continue to limit capacity across the service.

According to a new survey of dentists in Scotland [1]:

80% of dentists estimate their practices will reduce their NHS commitment should the Scottish Government withdraw emergency support and return to pre-COVID models of care. Over a third (38%) of dentists indicate they are now likely to change career or seek early retirement in the next 12 months should the policy be taken forward. 15% say they are likely to practice dentistry outside of Scotland, and 1 in 10 estimate their practice is likely to cease operations.
Half of dentists report that they are operating at less than 50% of pre-COVID capacity. While the Scottish Government has offered a support package to boost capacity, many practices are unwilling to commit to a broken NHS model. Over 30% say they have not applied, andamong those half (50%) say they are now unable to commit to the NHS long-term. Support for ventilation costs requires a minimum 3 year commitment to the NHS.
9 in 10 of dentists (89%) estimate the removal of emergency funding will have a high impact on the short-medium term sustainability of their practices.

BDA Scotland have warned from the outset that a return to a ‘business as usual model’ – low margin and high volume – will put practices under unsustainable financial pressure and will likely lead to closures or movement to the private sector. Practices are facing an unprecedented backlog, with recent data from Public Health Scotland indicating that the number of treatments delivered in the year to March 2021 was less than 25% of those delivered in the previous 12-month period, corresponding to over 3.5 million appointments lost as a result of the pandemic.

NHS dental care free at the point of use remains a centrepiece SNP policy. BDA Scotland has said the Scottish Government must change course to achieve that goal, develop an interim funding package to support dentists and their teams as they work through the backlog, and begin work on a new, sustainable model for delivering care.

David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “Free NHS dentistry for all is a worthy ambition. Rather than exploring ways to actually achieve that goal the Scottish Government has blindly headed down a road that could destroy this service.

“COVID has slashed our capacity, yet emergency support will end. Yes, Ministers have offered some support, but with small print many practices simply could not sign up to in good conscience.

“Dentists are unwilling to be shackled to a corpse. When aid hinges on committing to an NHS model that is now frankly unsustainable it is unsurprising take up appears so modest.

“We doubt Humza Yousaf wants to be remembered as the man who killed NHS dentistry in Scotland. Without a willingness to reflect on choices made in recent weeks that risks being his legacy.”

Communities urged to join Scotland’s Climate Festival

Seed funding made available to help communities combat climate change

To achieve the ambitious changes needed to tackle climate change, environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful is urging communities across the nation to come forward and register events as part of Scotland’s Climate Festival.

The exciting new initiative aims to kick start climate conversations and inspire community led climate action. Whatever the outcome of discussions by world leaders at COP26 in Glasgow, it will augment the scale and increase the impact of empowered local voices across Scotland.

Community climate action is already widespread across Scotland and, building on that, we are calling for communities already hosting events, big and small, physical and online, to sign up to be part of Scotland’s Climate Festival – amplifying the call for greater action and raising awareness of the changes we all need to make if Scotland is to become a Net Zero Nation by 2045.

Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson said: “COP26 coming to Scotland is a unique opportunity to advance the society-wide transformation demanded by the climate crisis. That’s why we are determined to make sure the event reaches out far beyond the negotiations in Glasgow, into every community in the country.

“Scotland has made great progress in delivering its world-leading climate targets and is already over half-way to net zero. To end our contribution to climate change within a generation, we will all need to play role. Our communities and young people will be at the heart of that action.

“This programme will help empower everyone to take action to tackle climate change – especially those that might have not previously engaged.”

All climate event organisers will have access to expert advice and resources to help promote local events in their community. They will also be offered the opportunity to work with national agencies, such as Sustrans, Zero Waste Scotland and Community Energy Scotland, to create and support events.

Climate events will be added to an online festival map and events calendar further promoting action and engaging wider audiences.

And, to help voices of people everywhere to be included, a Seed Fund has been opened to support organisers set up community climate festivals and events across Scotland.

Funds of up to £500 are available and will support groups that are interested in starting a new climate event in their local community, or in getting their fledging event to the next stage.

Catherine Gee, Deputy CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful said: “The hosting of COP26 in Scotland must be a catalyst to broaden and intensify climate action so that everyone, from all areas of life, can play their part combatting the climate emergency.

“Scotland’s Climate Festival will bring the issues discussed before, during and after COP26 right to the heart of our communities, providing much needed energy and mobilisation to support local action whatever the global agreement is.

“Building on our track record of supporting communities and young people we aim to further unlock opportunities for those currently not engaged in climate change action by providing resources, links to national agency supporters, webinars, branded communications kits and seed funding.”

Scotland’s Climate Festival is supported by the Scottish Government.

Further information can be found at:

www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/climatefestivalscot

Scottish Government steps up vaccination programme

Military to support national Autumn/Winter vaccination programme

More than 100 members of the Armed Forces will this week join the national Autumn/Winter vaccination programme.

Some 100 vaccinators and 15 nurses will work across all 11 territorial health boards on the mainland to support the rollout of flu vaccines and coronavirus (COVID-19) injections and boosters.

Vaccinations are being offered to as many people as possible as winter approaches.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has been involved in the COVID -19 vaccine rollout in Scotland, including the military, which has ensured more than 8 million first and second doses have been delivered.

“We are now in the midst of an extremely busy period for the national Autumn/Winter vaccination programme with flu and COVID-19 booster injections being offered to the most vulnerable groups, alongside first COVID-19 jabs to 12-15 year olds.

“With increasing levels of social mixing and close social contact in the colder months, it is expected that COVID-19 will add to the winter pressures usually faced by the NHS. That is why we have again requested military support to complement our existing resources and to ensure we can get even more vaccinations into arms as quickly as possible.

“It remains clear that getting vaccinated is the single most effective step that anyone can take to protect themselves from the most severe disease caused by COVID-19. Anyone who has not yet received their first or second COVID-19 vaccination can check their nearest open access centre on NHS Inform or phone the national vaccination helpline on 0800 030 8013.”

NHS Inform – Information on open access centres

Further £10 million winter funding for NHS

An additional £10 million is going to health boards across Scotland to bring in a range of measures to get A&E patients to the right care as quickly as possible.

This includes deploying physiotherapists and occupational therapists at A&E units to help triage and treat patients who would otherwise wait to see nursing staff. This will prevent people being admitted to hospital unnecessarily.

The new funding will provide more specialists such as social care workers and Allied Health Professionals on hospital rotas, and extended opening hours for pharmacy and diagnostic services such as scanning and ultrasound to speed up referrals. It will also support extra staff for peak public holidays.

This is on top of the £300 million package of funding announced as part of the Winter Plan to support the NHS.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “As part of the NHS Recovery Plan we have invested £27 million towards the Redesign of Urgent Care to ensure people receive the right care, at the right place. This will add to that work so our hospitals and A&E departments are not overstretched, if some patients can be safely and effectively treated elsewhere.

“Alongside the additional £10 million investment recently announced to prevent delayed discharge and avoid hospital stays, this extra winter funding aims to ease pressures in A&E departments and minimise delays that patients are currently experiencing when they need urgent care.

“Placing physiotherapists and occupational therapists in A&E will stop unnecessary hospital admissions so that, for example, patients with musculoskeletal conditions, chest infections, or those who have suffered a fall, can receive the right care quickly and advice on exercises to support recovery at home and in the community.

“This is not only good news for our NHS, but also better for the public in giving treatment in the right place, so emergency care is available when it’s really needed.”

Earlier this month the Scottish Government announced a record winter funding package of £300 million to increase NHS and social care capacity.

Since then, a further £482 million has been allocated to NHS Boards and Integrated Authorities to deal with the costs of responding to the pandemic

The Scottish Government will be working with health boards over next few weeks to identify what they might need most from this latest £10 million funding.

Scottish Veterans Fund opens

£500,000 to help former Armed Forces personnel

A support fund for initiatives that improve the lives of former service personnel and their families is now open.

A priority for this year’s Scottish Veterans Fund – which has doubled to £500,000 – is projects that support veterans who have left the Services early.

Bids that promote collaboration between the veterans charity sector and other bodies are also being prioritised.

Since the fund’s inception in 2008 more than 180 projects have been supported receiving more than £1.7 million. The increase to £500,000 means individual projects can now bid for up to £50,000 a year.

Veterans Secretary Keith Brown said: “Our veterans community is a tremendous asset to society and deserves the best possible care and support.

“Former Armed Forces personnel have a tremendous array of transferable knowledge, skills and experience to offer and they add value to any organisation.

“I am pleased that we have now doubled funding to £500,000, with individual projects now able to bid up to a limit of £50,000 per year.

“We are looking to support projects which provide unique and innovative approaches to aiding our veterans and in particular are seeking bids from charities and other support organisations that are working together.

“We are also looking to support projects that are rising to the challenge of providing support for early service leavers.”

One of the projects to benefit from the fund last year was SaluteMyJob which received £15,000 to run cyber security courses for veterans.

SaluteMyJob Managing Director Andrew Jackson said: “Gaining support from the Scottish Veterans Fund has enabled SaluteMyJob and training partners to better connect the military community with employers.

“That means we can provide access to training and the potential for future employment in new industries such as cyber security.”

Marketing campaign highlights benefits of flu and COVID-19 booster jabs

TV and radio adverts begin airing today (Monday) encouraging everyone who is eligible for either or both of the flu and COVID-19 booster vaccinations to take up the offer when invited.

The Autumn/Winter vaccination programme has been underway since September with people in the highest risk groups vaccinated first, and those aged 60 to 69 and over-16s with underlying health conditions currently receiving their appointments through the post.

For those in the underlying health conditions group, the type of health condition will guide whether they will be offered a flu jab, the COVID-19 booster, or both vaccines.

Later this month, an online portal will launch to allow people aged 50 to 59, unpaid carers who are 16 and over, and those aged 16 and over who are household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals to book their Autumn/Winter vaccination appointments online.

The Autumn/Winter vaccination programme is working to reduce the risks of COVID-19 and flu. Wherever possible, those eligible for both the flu vaccine and COVID-19 boosters will receive both on the same day. This is safe and effective to do.

Details about who is eligible for these vaccinations are available on NHS Inform.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are keen to stress that everyone who is eligible for either of these vaccinations will be offered them. These TV and radio adverts urge people to check which jabs they qualify for on NHS Inform and to take up the offer when they get it.

“Appointments for both vaccines are being scheduled based on clinical need and age. Many of those who routinely have the flu vaccine are also eligible for a COVID-19 booster, and so will be protected from both illnesses.

“The Autumn/Winter vaccination programme is continuing at pace and running well. COVID-19 booster vaccination can usually only take place six months (24 weeks) after the second dose, although there is now further flexibility to offer vaccination to the most vulnerable groups after five months, which will increase the number of people able to have both vaccinations at the same time.

“We started the programme as soon as possible following advice from the JCVI in September. It is important to note that many people in the original early priority cohorts of the initial vaccination programme already had a six month gap prior to this advice being given.

“The Autumn/Winter vaccination programme includes a record number of free flu vaccines to help protect the people of Scotland, reaching more than 3 million people.

“Flu can be extremely serious and is very infectious. With COVID-19 still circulating in the community we can best protect those most at risk as well as ease pressure on our National Health Service and social care services by encouraging everyone eligible to get vaccinated.”

To find out more about vaccine eligibility and when you will be invited visit:

nhsinform.scot/fluandcovid19vaccsguide

For more information about the flu vaccine, visit:

nhsinform.scot/fluvaccine

For more information about the COVID-19 booster visit:

nhsinform.scot/covid19vaccinebooster

First Minister: Scotland to show leadership on Climate Justice

Investment to tackle “loss and damage” from climate change

Funding to help some of the world’s most vulnerable communities recover from and build resilience against climate change will be announced as world leaders gather for COP26.

The Scottish Government’s Climate Justice Fund will provide £1 million to support a partnership with the Climate Justice Resilience Fund to help communities repair and rebuild from climate-related events, such as flooding and wild fires.

The partnership forms part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensure COP26 empowers the most vulnerable to tackle structural inequalities.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will make the announcement at the Global Climate Assembly at a Green Zone event today, where she will set out Scotland’s intention to bridge the divide between those whose voices are rarely heard and those making the decisions.

The First Minister said: “Climate justice has to be at the heart of COP26 – and the Scottish Government is working to ensure that it provides a platform for unheard voices, including citizens, young people and those from the Global South.

“Through our work on climate justice, Scotland continues to proudly support nations which – despite having done the least to cause climate change – are already suffering its impact.

“We don’t have the resources of other western governments, but we can lead by example. And so I’m pleased to announce that not only are we doubling our climate justice fund to £24 million – we’re also entering into a partnership with the Climate Justice Resilience Fund to support communities and address loss and damage, supported by this £1 million investment.

“I hope this will galvanise other organisations to support the partnership – and show world leaders that where small nations lead they can follow, by making similarly ambitious commitments during COP26.”

The First Minister met with President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, yesterday to discuss a COP hub which will open in the country to connect Malawian youth and community leaders to events in Glasgow (top).

She also met the Prime Minister of Viet Nam, Mr Pham Min Chihn, at Bute House (above).

The doubling of the Climate Justice Fund was announced in September.

Glasgow Bin Strikes Underway

Glasgow’s cleansing service went on strike from 00.01am this morning.

Responding to the collapse of last ditch talks between GMB and Glasgow City Council late last night, , GMB Scotland Secretary Louise Gilmour said: “We met the council in good faith, offering a clear set of proposals to reset industrial relations and avoid strikes. The council rejected these proposals.

“We specifically offered heads of terms to work together to tackle the chronic and unacceptable problems caused by years of cuts, to urgently address the employer’s unresolved discriminatory pay system and outstanding equal pay liabilities, and back this with a commitment from the council that they would not use anti-trade union laws against their workers again.

“We also proposed the Scottish Government support this process, because if the fair work agenda is to have any credibility whatsoever, then Scotland’s biggest city should be the example of it rather than the opposite.

“Regrettably, the council refused this massive opportunity to move forward and strike action across the cleansing service will now begin, during which time our members will be balloted on the COSLA pay offer.”

Financial support for families in need this winter

£41 million Winter Support Fund for low income households

Funding to help people struggling financially during the winter is part of a new £41 million support package. The Winter Support Fund will help those on low incomes, children and people at risk of homelessness against a backdrop of rising living and fuel costs.

The funding comes from consequentials of the UK Government’s £500 million Household Support Fund.

Key elements of the package include:

£10 million to help people who are struggling to pay fuel bills
£25 million flexible funding to help local authorities support wellbeing and respond to financial insecurity based on local needs
£6 million for third sector partners to support low income families

Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “We know that many families are struggling financially due to the increased costs they are facing right now. This package of measure aims to ease some of that strain by providing direct support to people.

“The Scottish Government has invested £2.5 billion to support low income households in 2020-21, with around £1 billion focused on supporting children as a cornerstone of our national mission to tackle child poverty and homelessness.

“That includes doubling the Scottish Child Payment to £20 per child per week, with our plans to do so set out in the forthcoming Scottish Budget.

“We are passing on every penny of the £41 million we received in UK Government consequentials.

“However, this in no way makes up for the recent £20-a-week cut to Universal Credit, which has taken an estimated £460 million from the pockets of the people in Scotland who need it most.”

Support for those struggling with fuel bills will include access to fuel top-up vouchers, advice to manage fuel debt and support for those in remote and rural areas.

The Winter Support Fund will continue to promote cash-first responses in line with our draft national plan on ending the need for food banks as a primary response. In some cases help may also be offered to tackle social isolation and support mental health.

In addition to helping people heat their homes and meet rising food costs, funding will help to ensure no-one is faced with rough sleeping this winter.

The funding comes from consequentials of the UK Government’s £500 million Household Support Fund.