Scottish Government – Page 233 – The NEN

A Fairer, Greener Scotland?

First Minister lays out her Programme for Government 2021/22

Leading Scotland safely out of the pandemic, urgently confronting climate change, driving a green, fair economic recovery, and boosting opportunities for children and young people are among the core priorities in this year’s Programme for Government (PfG), published yesterday. Oh … and there’s a referendum in there, too …

The programme sets out plans for a record increase in frontline health spending, new legislation for a National Care Service, a system providing low-income families with free childcare before and after school and during holidays, and actions to drive forward Scotland’s national mission to end child poverty.

The programme also includes plans to help secure a just transition to net zero – creating opportunities for new, good and green jobs, making homes easier and greener to heat, and encouraging people to walk, wheel or cycle instead of driving.

Speaking in Parliament, the First Minister said: “This programme addresses the key challenges Scotland faces, and aims to shape a better future.

“It sets out how we will tackle the challenge of Covid, and rebuild from it. It outlines how we will address the deep-seated inequalities in our society. It shows how we will confront with urgency the climate emergency, in a way that captures maximum economic benefit. And it details the steps we will take to mitigate, as far as we can, the damaging consequences of Brexit while offering a better alternative.

“In the face of these challenges, our ambition must be bold. This programme sets out clear plans to lead Scotland out of the greatest health crisis in a century and transform our nation and the lives of those who live here.

“We will deliver a National Care Service; double the Scottish Child Payment; and invest in affordable, energy efficient homes and green travel. We will ensure that businesses have the support, and people have the skills, to succeed in the low carbon economy of the future. We will show global leadership in tackling the climate crisis. And we will offer people an informed choice on Scotland’s future.

“To that end, I can confirm that the Scottish Government will now restart work on the detailed prospectus that will guide the decision. The case for independence is a strong one and we will present it openly, frankly and with confidence and ambition.

“This programme addresses our current reality, but it also looks forward with confidence and ambition to a brighter future. It recognises that out of the many challenges we currently face, a better Scotland – as part of a better world – is waiting to be built.”

Building on the progress from the first 100 days of this government, with the co-operation agreement with the Scottish Green Party at its heart, the PfG sets the scene for the next five years.

Key commitments for over the course of this Parliament include:

increasing frontline health spending by 20%, leading to an increase of at least £2.5 billion by 2026-27
undertaking the biggest public service reform since the founding of the NHS – the creation of a National Care Service – with legislation brought forward by June next year
improving national wellbeing with increased direct mental health investment of at least 25%, with £120 million this year to support the recovery and transformation of services
investing £250 million to tackle the drugs deaths emergency over the next five years
expanding the Scottish Child Payment to under-16s by the end of next year and doubling it to £20 a week as soon as possible after that, with a £520 bridging payment given to every child in receipt of free school meals this year
investing a further £1 billion to tackle the poverty-related attainment gap and providing councils with funding to recruit 3,500 additional teachers and 500 classroom assistants
providing free childcare to low income families before and after school and during holidays, and expanding free early learning and childcare to one and two year olds
investing £100 million over the next three years to support frontline services for preventing violence against women and girls
providing £1.8 billion to make homes easier and greener to heat, as part of a commitment to decarbonise 1 million homes by 2030
ensuring that at least 10% of the total transport budget goes on active travel by 2024-25, helping more people to cycle, wheel or walk instead of drive
delivering a revolution in children’s rights, including across the justice system
supporting a just transition to a low-carbon economy for people and businesses, including a £500 million Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray
investing an additional £500 million to support the new, good and green jobs of the future, including by helping people access training
delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 and investing an additional £50 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping
taking forward the democratic mandate for a referendum on independence to be held within this Parliament and, if the Covid crisis is over, within the first half of this Parliament, while providing the people of Scotland with the information they need to make an informed choice on their future.

Programme for Government 2021-22

First Minister statement to the Scottish Parliament, 7 September 2021

Commenting on yesterday’s Programme for Government announcement, Chris Birt, Associate Director for Scotland at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said: “Alarm bells should already be ringing in both the Scottish Government and Parliament that we are currently set to miss our child poverty targets, with no clear plan on how to achieve them.

“The Programme for Government published today pushes that plan further down the road, both to the budget later in the year and next year’s Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan.

“Time is running out on the targets. Families on low incomes across Scotland are experiencing growing financial pressure and uncertainty . They will hope the commitment to double the child payment “sooner rather than later” happens very soon and that our national mission to end child poverty gathers urgency and scale.”

The STUC welcomed the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government, specifically highlighting the commitments from the First Minister to implement national bargaining in the care sector, additional funding for the health service, gender recognition reform and justice for Scotland’s miners wrongfully arrested in the 1980s.

STUC General Secretary, Roz Foyer said: “Reform of our care sector cannot come quick enough and the STUC will engage fully in this legislation, campaigning for a National Care Service based on sectoral collective bargaining and not for profit delivery.

“The commitment of the First Minister to National Bargaining is therefore very welcome. However, the £800 million additional funding announced over the course of the Parliament is less than a quarter of the expenditure which the Feeley Review said was necessary for the social care sector.

“Yet we still have concerns that the Programme of Government tries too hard be all things to all people. It is simply not credible to raise the levels of investment required to tackle climate change, reduce inequality and create jobs while at the same time boasting about the lowest business taxes in UK and freezing income tax rates for the duration of the Parliament.

“The same lack of ambition is reflected in today’s Scottish Government response to the report of the Just Transition Commission which leaves much to be desired on future job creation and ensuring the burden of climate change is not carried by workers and the less well off.

“Fighting discrimination and inequality is at the heart of trade unions, we know trans people are some of the most disadvantaged and discriminated people in Scotland and the gender recognition bill is therefore extremely welcome in enabling trans people to access their human rights.

“Finally, I welcome the proposed Miners’ Strike Pardon Bill. It has been all too clear for decades that the miners were the victims of a politically inspired political attack and that organs of the state, including the police, were used to repress their legitimate industrial action.

“This Bill will help provide some relief to the thousands of lives were wrecked by wrongful arrest and is a testament to years of campaigning by working class families who refused to give up.”

GMB Scotland Secretary Louise Gilmour said: “The need to tackle the crisis in care is accepted, but the challenge is to end years of exploitation by giving care workers substantial pay increases. That’s how we’ll confront the understaffing crisis and transform the sector.

“It’s why GMB is campaigning for £15 an hour minimum for care workers. The prospect of staff remaining mired in wages of just under or over £10 an hour isn’t credible.

“And there is a growing consensus supporting that view, including among Cabinet Secretaries as the Greens committed to a £15 minimum in their recent manifesto, so we need to make it happen.

“If we are prepared to be bold and deliver proper value for workers across the social care sector then there is a huge opportunity to be grasped, everyone will benefit and Scotland will be fairer for it.”

Joanne Smith, policy and public affairs manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “Recovery and reform are very much needed as we move forward from the pandemic, and this year’s Programme for Government is the first step in this journey.

“For children in Scotland to have the best start in life, it is vital that all families can access holistic support, where and when they need it, and so we are heartened by the Scottish Government’s announcement of a Whole Family Wellbeing Fund.

“In line with the Promise’s recommendations we would like to see that national spending prioritises early, preventative support for families, therefore stripping out demand for crisis-led services.

“We are also greatly encouraged by the Scottish Government’s commitment to review and redesign the Children’s Hearing System. Through our work with very young children and families in Glasgow, we see the limitations of current justice processes in meeting the distinct needs of infants and their families.

“Given that around a third of children who come into care in Scotland are under the age of five, we need to ensure justice processes are better aligned with infants’ developmental timescales. We look forward to working alongside the Review team to ensure that the rights of infants are upheld throughout the process.”

Mary Glasgow Chief Executive of the charity Children 1st said: “Today’s Programme for Government has rightly prioritised the right of children and their families to know they can access the help and support they need whenever they need it.

“Children 1st have long called for a transformation in the support available to families, which must be based on learning from the – often difficult – experiences of children and their families when they have needed practical, emotional or financial help.

“The proposed £500m investment in a ‘Whole Family Wellbeing Fund’ is a hugely welcome step forward and we are committed to working alongside children and their families, and the Scottish Government, to turn this significant investment into practical action.”

Tracy Black, CBI Scotland Director, said: “With Glasgow hosting COP26 later this year, the Scottish Government is right to focus on its plans for a net zero economy. Yet given the need to cement Scotland’s economic recovery post-pandemic, businesses will feel there ought to have been a greater focus on boosting growth. While there were encouraging mentions of greater access to finance, the devil will be in the detail.

“Firms are already decarbonising their operations, and, by working alongside government, can help urgently transform net zero ambitions into action. Reforming the planning and business rates systems – enabling much needed in investment in low carbon infrastructure – would help achieve ambitious climate targets.

“The First Minister is also right to highlight that COVID hasn’t gone away. Scottish firms have worked tirelessly throughout the crisis to keep staff and customers safe. Businesses are not calling for a rushed return to the workplace, though employers will rightly be speaking with their employees about a gradual return in line with the latest guidance.

“As the economy reopens, skills shortages remain a key concern, so employers will be frustrated not to hear more about plans for upskilling and retraining.

“Business investment is absolutely vital to Scotland’s economic recovery, and the government should do everything in its power to attract – not repel – investment and the very best talent. Ultimately, by working more closely with business to create sustainable economic growth, ministers will be able to achieve their goals of improving people’s living standards and public services.”

Additional £5.4 billion for NHS COVID-19 response in England over next six months

Includes £1 billion to help tackle COVID-19 backlogs, delivering routine surgery and treatments for patients

The NHS will receive an extra £5.4 billion over the next six months to support its response to COVID-19 and help tackle waiting lists, the Prime Minister and Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid have announced.

The funding will immediately go towards supporting the NHS to manage the immediate pressures of the pandemic. This includes an extra £1 billion to help tackle the COVID-19 backlog, £2.8 billion to cover related costs such as enhanced infection control measures to keep staff and patients safe from the virus and £478 million to continue the hospital discharge programme, freeing up beds.

The additional £5.4 billion brings the government’s total investment to health services for COVID-19 so far this year to over £34 billion, with £2 billion in total for the NHS to tackle the elective backlog.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The NHS was there for us during the pandemic – but treating Covid patients has created huge backlogs.

“This funding will go straight to the frontline, to provide more patients with the treatments they need but aren’t getting quickly enough.

“We will continue to make sure our NHS has what it needs to bust the Covid backlogs and help the health service build back better from the worst pandemic in a century.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “The NHS has been phenomenal as it has faced one of the biggest challenges in its history.

“Today’s additional £5.4 billion funding over the next 6 months is critical to ensuring the health service has what it needs to manage the ongoing pandemic and helping to tackle waiting lists.

“We know waiting lists will get worse before they get better as people come forward for help, and I want to reassure you the NHS is open, and we are doing what we can to support the NHS to deliver routine operations and treatment to patients across the country.”

Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said: “This funding provides welcome certainty for the NHS, which has pulled out all the stops to restore services, while caring for thousands of seriously ill Covid patients requiring hospital treatment during the toughest summer on record.

“This additional investment will enable the NHS to deliver more checks, scans and procedures as well as helping to deal with the ongoing costs and pressures of the pandemic as the NHS heads in to winter.”

The UK Government has been clear that the NHS will ‘get what it needs’ to recover its usual services and deliver quality care to patients.

The waiting list for routine operations and treatments such as hip replacements and eye cataract surgery could potentially increase to as high as 13 million. While today’s extra £1 billion funding will go some way to help reduce this number, waiting lists will rise before they improve as more people who didn’t seek care over the pandemic come forward.

£478 million of this new funding has been dedicated to continue the hospital discharge programme so staff can ensure patients leave hospital as quickly and as safely as possible, with the right community or at-home support.

This will free up thousands of extra beds and staff time to help the NHS recover services. The government has also invested £500 million in capital funding for extra theatre capacity and productivity-boosting technology, to increase the number of surgeries able to take place.

This funding is for England only. The devolved administrations will receive up to £1 billion in Barnett consequentials in 2021-22. The final amount will be confirmed and allocated at Supplementary Estimates 2021-22.

On top of this funding, the NHS recently launched a £160 million initiative to tackle waiting lists. This is looking to accelerate the recovery of routine treatments and operations by trialling new ways of working, including a high-volume cataract service, one stop testing facilities where people can get tests done quickly and efficiently, to speed up the time to treatment, greater access to specialist advice for GPs and pop-up clinics so patients can be seen and discharged closer to home.

The UK government is ‘committed to delivering the greatest hospital building programme in a generation with 40 new hospitals by 2030’, backed by an initial £3.7 billion.

Yesterday’s announcement is in addition to the £3 billion announced at Spending Review 2020 to support the NHS.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to announce a further £2.5 billion increase in NHS spending in Scotland when she lays out her Programme for Government later today.

Programme for Government: Record investment to ‘transform’ Scotland’s NHS

FM to confirm £2.5 billion increase in spending

Record investment to ensure Scotland’s NHS is ready to meet changing patient demands and the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will be at the heart of the 2021/22 Programme for Government (PFG) this week.

The PfG will confirm plans to introduce an unprecedented increase in frontline health spending of 20% over the current Parliament.

The first rise will be confirmed in the 2022/23 budget being published later this year and will provide additional funding of at least £2.5 billion by 2026/27.

The PfG will be set out by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the Scottish Parliament tomorrow (Tuesday 7 September), and will also include measures to drive a green, fair economic recovery, create a land of opportunity for our children and young people, and achieve a just transition to net zero.

It will also confirm plans to introduce legislation in the coming year to establish a new National Care Service in Scotland by the end of the current Parliament, transforming the way health and social care services are provided.

The First Minister said: “We owe our health and social care services, and the extraordinary staff who kept them running in the toughest of years, our immense gratitude.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, we will strengthen and improve our health and social care system so that everyone gets the care they need, while recognising and repaying the efforts of staff given the toll the pandemic has had on them.

“We are already investing record amounts in out NHS, but this 20% increase will help transform the way we deliver services and ensure the system is ready to meet the challenges which still lie ahead.

“Our recent NHS recovery plan set out measures to establish a network of cancer diagnostic centres, refurbish NHS facilities across Scotland and make unprecedented investment in mental health services.

“The creation of a National Care Service will also mark the biggest reform of health and social care since the creation of the NHS and will help ensure every patient’s care journey is focused on the individual.

“Recovery from COVID-19 across all of society is the Scottish Government’s first and most pressing priority and I am determined that this Programme for Government will allow our health service to continue managing COVID-19 and our longer term population health challenges.”

Primary care funding will go up by 25% over the course of this parliament, with half of all frontline health spending invested in community health services.

The PfG will also confirm plans to invest £29 million to provide an additional 78,000 diagnostic procedures, as well as increasing inpatient and day case activity by 10% in 2022/23 and outpatient activity by 10% by 2025/26.

The first £50 million, of the planned £250 million increased investment to tackle the drugs death emergency, will also be provided.

Backing for staff facing abuse

Abuse directed at retail and bar staff who ask customers to comply with the law and wear face coverings will not be tolerated, Justice Secretary Keith Brown said yesterday.

It continues to be a legal requirement to wear face coverings in places such as shops and pubs and on public transport unless exempt – and Mr Brown said any form of abuse, threats or violence faced by workers as a result of simply doing their job is “completely unacceptable”.

It comes as new powers came into force in Scotland last month, making assaulting, threating or abusing certain staff a new standalone offence. Previously such conduct would be dealt with under more general offences.

Face coverings are a hugely important mitigation in the fight against COVID-19 as they create a physical barrier that helps stop the virus spreading from an infected person, while providing a degree of protection to the wearer against exposure to the virus.

Mr Brown urged people to follow the rules and treat staff with respect as Scotland continued to face high infection levels.

He said: “I would like to thank the vast majority of people who continue to wear face coverings and urge people to please follow the rules and guidelines still in place. It is still a requirement to wear face coverings in indoor public places, such as shops, public transport and when entering and moving about in hospitality settings.

“Everyone who can should wear a face covering because it is a simple and vital measure we can take to protect others and stem the spread of this deadly virus.

“Retail workers and those working in hospitality play a vital role serving our communities which has been clearly demonstrated throughout the pandemic and it’s extremely important they know they have the protection of the law when carrying out their duties.

“Any form of abuse, threats or violence faced by such workers as a result of simply doing their job is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“Parliament recently introduced a standalone law with penalties of up to 12 months in prison and fines up to £10,000 for this type of behaviour and staff serving communities across Scotland can be assured the police and prosecution services stand ready to respond to any instances as necessary.”

DCC Malcolm Graham of Police Scotland said: “Everyone has the right to go to their work without being threatened or assaulted.

“Retail workers now have added protection in law and the police will act on reports we receive about this kind of unacceptable behaviour.

“I would also continue to encourage people to follow the regulations and guidance that remain in place to help stop the spread of coronavirus.”

Solicitor General for Scotland Ruth Charteris QC said: “People in any walk of life should expect to go about their business without the fear of threats or abuse.

“This is true of shop workers who are protected in law and deserve our thanks and appreciation for the work they have done throughout the pandemic.”

By law, you must wear a face covering in certain indoor public places, including public transport, in Scotland unless an exemption applies.

See the complete list of settings where we all have to wear face coverings.

Scotland’s biggest ever flu vaccine programme launches tomorrow

Primary and secondary school pupils will start receiving their flu vaccine tomorrow (Monday) as Scotland’s biggest flu immunisation programme gets underway.

Over four million people will be offered the free flu vaccine this year with secondary school pupils eligible for the first time.

Running until December all primary and secondary school pupils will be offered the vaccine which is given as a painless nasal spray.

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “More people than ever are being offered the flu vaccine and we hope to see a large uptake amongst pupils as we aim to keep flu out of schools this year.

“If you’ve not missed the deadline for returning consent forms to your school, I’d urge you to complete and return these now. Last year with the public health measures that were in place, there was lower levels of flu than there has been in previous years so our immunity levels to flu may be lower this year.

“The vaccines are safe and the best way to help protect you, and others, from flu this winter.”

The flu virus changes every year, so you need to get the vaccine every year to stay protected. The flu vaccine cannot give you flu, but it can stop you catching it. The COVID-19 vaccine does not offer any protection from flu, you need to get the separate flu vaccine.

In a small number of cases, the nasal spray may not be suitable, and the vaccine can be given as an injection in the arm instead.

For more information about the flu vaccine, visit www.nhsinfrom.scot/childflu, call 0800 030 8013, or speak to a health or immunisation team, practice nurse, or GP.

While the flu vaccination programme will get underway tomorrow, the decision on Covid vaccinations for 12 – 15 year olds is still to be taken.

Health Ministers of the devolved nations wrote to their respective Chief Medical Officers on Friday to seek further advice.

The joint letter reads:

Dear UK Chief Medical Officers,

We are writing on behalf of the 4 nations of the UK following the recent JCVI discussions on 1 and 2 September regarding the COVID-19 vaccination of children and young people aged 12 to 15.

JCVI has updated its advice on this topic. This advice says that the committee is of the opinion that the health benefits from vaccination are marginally greater than the potential harms. However, that margin of benefit, based primarily on a health perspective, is considered too small to support advice on a universal programme of vaccination of otherwise healthy 12 to 15-year-old children at this time.

The JCVI’s advice goes on to suggest that the government may wish to take further advice, including on educational impacts, from the chief medical officers of the 4 nations, with representation from JCVI in these subsequent discussions.

We agree with the approach suggested by JCVI, and so we are writing to request that you take forward work (drawing on experts as you see fit) to consider the matter from a broader perspective, as suggested by the JCVI.

We will consider the advice from the CMOs of the 4 nations, building on the JCVI’s advice, in making our decision. Given the importance of this issue, we would be grateful if you could provide your advice as soon as possible.

Sajid Javid MP
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, HM Government

Eluned Morgan AS/MS
Y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol
Minister for Health and Social Services, Welsh Government

Humza Yousaf MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Scottish Government

Robin Swann MLA
Minister of Health, Northern Ireland Executive

6,152 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Scotland yesterday.

Have your say on short term lets

The city council is seeking views on a proposal for Edinburgh to be short term let control area.

A public consultation approved by the Planning Committee on 11 August, will run from Friday 3 September for nine weeks, until 5 November 2021.

If, following the public consultation, the Council gives the go ahead and the proposal is approved by the Scottish Government, the new powers would mean all residential properties, which are not an owner’s principle home, being let as STLs in their totality throughout the local authority area would require approval of a ‘change of use’ to a STL from Planning.

The ‘Choices’ consultation responses for our next local development plan, ‘City Plan 2030’, also showed overwhelming support for the council to look at control areas in the Capital.

Around a third of STLs in Scotland are in Edinburgh. At the moment, in addition to planning applications made for STLs, to establish whether or not planning permission is required for properties where this is disputed, the Council’s enforcement team looks at each case individually, which is a very lengthy and time consuming process.

The introduction of powers to make a control area, follows the Council calling for new legislation to tighten up the control of STLs to help manage high concentrations of secondary letting where it affects the availability of residential housing or the character of a neighbourhood.

Also, it will help to restrict or prevent STLs in places or types of buildings where they are not appropriate as well as making sure homes are used to best effect in their areas.

Generally renting out a room/s in your house or letting your property whilst on holiday would also still be allowed if Edinburgh became a STL control zone.

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on legislation to introduce a new licensing regime next year, which the Council also called for, to address the issues of safety, anti-social behaviour and noise. These issues have all had a detrimental effect on communities as the number of STLs has greatly increased across the city in recent years.

The proposal is that all Scottish councils will have to adopt a STL licensing system by October 2022. In terms of the Government’s proposed new licensing regime, if Edinburgh becomes a control area it will be a mandatory condition of any licensing application to have made a planning application or to have planning permission already when providing accommodation that requires it.

Councillor Neil Gardiner, Planning Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We’ve worked hard calling for greater controls for short term lets and so it’s great we’re now asking for your views on the whole city becoming a control area.

“This is a positive step forward as Edinburgh has almost a third of all STLs in Scotland and so we need to take action. They’re putting pressure on house prices and rents and taking houses out of supply as well as causing issues such as anti-social behaviour and the hollowing out of communities.

“We’re really keen to hear views from residents in all communities across the city and the industry and we’ll carefully consider all of the feedback you give us before the proposal is finalised as the impact of STLs can be felt in communities across Edinburgh.”

Councillor Maureen Child, Planning Vice-Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “If we do proceed with this approach and it’s approved by the Scottish Government, we’ll be better able to manage the number of STLs in the city.

“Many properties being let out in a control area would automatically require to have ‘change of use’ planning permission in place and I’m pleased the Scottish Government is also proposing that when people apply for a licence we can ask for evidence of that.”

To have your say in the consultation visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk/stlcontrol

Teen vaccinations: Health Chiefs, it’s over to you …

JVCI advises politicians to seek further advice from CMOs

The four Chief Medical Officers will provide further advice on the COVID-19 vaccination of young people aged 12 to 15 with COVID-19 vaccines following the advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

The independent medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has approved the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for people aged 12 and over after they met strict standards of safety and effectiveness.

The JCVI has advised that the health benefits from vaccination are marginally greater than the potential known harms. It has advised the government to seek further input from the Chief Medical Officers on the wider impacts.

This includes the impact on schools and young people’s education, which has been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

UK health ministers from across the four nations have today written to the Chief Medical Officers to request they begin the process of assessing the broader impact of universal COVID-19 vaccination in this age group.

They will now convene experts and senior leaders in clinical and public health to consider the issue. They will then present their advice to ministers on whether a universal programme should be taken forward.

People aged 12 to 15 who are clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 or who live with adults who are at increased risk of serious illness from the virus are already eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine and are being contacted by the NHS, to be invited to come forward.

The JCVI has advised that this offer should be expanded to include more children aged 12 to 15, for example those with sickle cell disease or type 1 diabetes.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Our COVID-19 vaccines have brought a wide range of benefits to the country, from saving lives and preventing hospitalisations, to helping stop infections and allowing children to return to school.

“I am grateful for the expert advice that I have received from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

“People aged 12 to 15 who are clinically vulnerable to the virus have already been offered a COVID-19 vaccine, and today we’ll be expanding the offer to those with conditions such as sickle cell disease or type 1 diabetes to protect even more vulnerable children.

“Along with Health Ministers across the four nations, I have today written to the Chief Medical Officers to ask that they consider the vaccination of 12 to 15 year olds from a broader perspective, as suggested by the JCVI.

“We will then consider the advice from the Chief Medical Officers, building on the advice from the JCVI, before making a decision shortly.”

Scottish Health Minister Humza Yousaf said: “I want to thank the JCVI for today’s advice regarding vaccination for 12 -15 year olds.

“While the JCVI has agreed that the benefits marginally outweigh the risks they are not yet prepared to recommend universal vaccination of 12-15 year olds, however, they have suggested that Health Ministers may wish to ask their respective CMOs to explore the issue further, taking into consideration broader educational and societal impacts.

“Therefore, I have agreed with the other three UK Health Ministers to write a letter asking the four Chief Medical Officers to consider this latest guidance and explore whether there is additional evidence to suggest it would be beneficial to offer vaccination to all 12 – 15 year olds. We have asked for this further work to be conducted as soon as possible.

“A further update will be issued once these discussions have taken place. In the meantime, we will offer the vaccine to those children and young people currently recommended.

“The recent increase in cases of COVID-19 means it remains crucial that everyone who is offered a vaccination takes up the offer.”

Tory MSP urges Scottish Government to do more to prevent homelessness in Edinburgh

Lothian Conservative MSP Miles Briggs has called on SNP and Green Minister to do more to support Edinburgh Council in preventing homelessness.

Yesterday the city council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee met to discuss challenges facing the capital.

Councillors raised concerns that the number of people presenting as homeless would rise over the next few months. Between 1^st April 2020 and 30 June 2021, 2,550 people presented to the Council as homeless.

The number of household in temporary accommodation increased from 3,570 in March 2020 to 4,431 in March 2021, an increase of 24%.

Mr Briggs has also supported calls for tenants to contact Edinburgh Council if they are having trouble paying their rent to help resolve the issue sooner rather than later.

The pledge to end homelessness across Scotland by the end of this Parliament has received cross party support, with Lothian MSP Miles Briggs going even further, calling for homelessness to be ended by 2023.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “If we are going to end homelessness in Scotland then the first step is to prevent people becoming homeless.

“Charities, such as Crisis, do excellent work to stop people becoming homeless, by working with Private landlords and Edinburgh Council.

“In Edinburgh we face unique challenges to preventing homelessness and SNP/ Green Ministers are not providing enough support to prevent people from becoming homeless.

“I will be meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government later this month to discuss these issues in greater detail.”

“A tragedy is engulfing Afghanistan”

Both UK and Scottish Governments provide humanitarian aid

The UK Government will be releasing up to £30 million of life-saving aid to Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries to help those who choose to leave Afghanistan as part of the Government’s efforts to support regional stability.

£10 million will be made available immediately to humanitarian partners, such as the UNHCR, to enable essential supplies such as shelters to be despatched to the Afghan borders as well as setting up sanitation and hygiene facilities.

A further £20 million will be allocated to countries that experience a significant increase in refugees to support reception and registration facilities and provide essential services and supplies.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “It is vital that we help those fleeing Afghanistan and do not allow the crisis there to undermine regional stability.

“That’s why these life-saving supplies are so important. They will provide Afghans who have left everything behind with essential kit offering shelter and basic sanitation as they seek to pick up the pieces of their lives. This aid demonstrates the UK’s commitment to shoulder our humanitarian responsibility and support those countries who will face the greatest demands for those displaced.”

This is the first tranche of the additional funding, announced by the Prime Minister in response to the crisis when he doubled the UK’s aid contribution to Afghanistan to £286 million this year.

The security and political instability in Afghanistan has compounded an already dire humanitarian situation for the Afghan population with 550,000 people displaced within Afghanistan since the start of the year and significant increases in refugees moving across Afghanistan’s borders in recent weeks.

The UNHCR estimates a worst case scenario of over 500,000 refugees fleeing the country to Pakistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in the coming months.

The disbursement of aid comes as the Foreign Secretary continues his visit to the region for talks on Afghanistan with the focus on securing safe passage for UK nationals and eligible Afghans as well as the Government’s four international priorities – preventing Afghanistan becoming a haven for terrorists; responding to the humanitarian plight; safeguarding regional stability; and holding the Taliban to account on human rights.

The UK announced the uplift in aid to Afghanistan on 18 August 2021, bringing UK funding for this year to £286 million here.
The UK’s total aid contribution to the country since 2001 is now around £3.5 billion.

Scotland commits £250,000 for urgent aid

Critical help for the people of Afghanistan worth £250,000 is to be made available from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF).

External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson, who led a Hplyrood debate yesterday on the humanitarian and human rights crisis in Afghanistan, said the funds will be dedicated to aid those in peril and need.

The Scottish Government is in close contact with the charities involved in the HEF to determine how support can be delivered safely and effectively.

The announcement follows the commitment by the Scottish Government to play its full part in the resettlement of Afghan refugees.

The Scottish Government also continues to call on the UK Government to provide further details of the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme as soon as possible.

Mr Robertson said: “We have all been moved by the current crisis in Afghanistan and stand ready to help those in need at this critical time.

“We have activated the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund and this £250,000 will provide crucial help to those desperately in need in the midst of this harrowing crisis. And this is additional to the financial commitment the Scottish people already make to the UK’s aid budget through tax contributions.

“The UK Government has said that its aid to Afghanistan will be doubled, and that is a step in the right direction – but ultimately amounts to nothing more than a reversal of previous major cuts to aid to Afghanistan.

“A tragedy is engulfing Afghanistan. We are ready and willing to play our part – Scotland will not only provide humanitarian assistance, but is committed to playing a full role in assisting, and welcoming, the resettlement and relocation of Afghans at risk.”

Scotland’s faith leaders unite to back call to double Scottish Child Payment now

Faith leaders from across Scotland have today united in urging the Scottish Government to “use its powers to do the just and compassionate thing” by committing to doubling the Scottish Child Payment this year.

In a joint statement released ahead of Tuesday’s publication of the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government for 2021/22, the leaders say that the levels of poverty in communities across Scotland “go against everything we stand for as a society.”

They go on to highlight the “moral imperative that the Scottish Government does all it can to lift children out of poverty” by immediately doubling the £10 per week per child benefit for low income families.

The significant intervention from key figures representing Scotland’s major faith groups comes two weeks after more than 120 organisations from across Scottish civil society wrote to Nicola Sturgeon, urging her to “do the right thing” by committing to doubling the payment now.

The faith leaders signing today’s joint statement include Jim Wallace (Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland), Bishop William Nolan (Scottish Catholic Bishops Conference), Imam Dr Muhammad Rafiq Habib (Convenor, Muslim Council of Scotland), Rabbi Moshe Rubin (Senior Rabbi of Scotland and Giffnock & Newlands Hebrew Congregation), Charandeep Singh BEM (Director, Sikhs in Scotland), Madhu Jain (Executive Committee, Hindu Mandir Glasgow), Elizabeth Allen (Clerk, General Meeting for Scotland, Quakers) and Lieut. Col. Carol Bailey (Secretary for Scotland, The Salvation Army).

The Rt Hon Lord Wallace of Tankerness (Jim Wallace), Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, said: “The vision of the early leaders of the Church of Scotland at the time of the Reformation was for a ‘school in every parish’ to allow every child the chance to have every opportunity to reach their full potential.

“Our vision today is nothing less than the eradication of child poverty. It will require all levels of Government – Scottish, UK and local – to work together and use all the powers at their disposal.

“We have the means to help and there has been support expressed across the political spectrum. Surely there must now be the will to carry this through.”

Imam Dr Muhammad Rafiq Habib (Convenor, Muslim Council of Scotland) said: “Around one quarter of children in Scotland are living in poverty and we all share a moral duty to do what we can to help. These families deserve dignity and fairness.

“The Scottish Government has the opportunity next week to support those most in need by putting more cash in their pockets. I urge the Scottish Government to commit to doubling the Scottish Child Payment now.”

Peter Kelly (Director, Poverty Alliance) said: “This intervention from Scotland’s faith leaders makes clear that doubling the Scottish Child Payment now is just the right thing to do.

“We have the urgent need, we have the powers, and we have the support from across all the political parties, civil society and faith groups for doubling the Scottish Child Payment. Children living in poverty can’t wait, so let’s get on and do it now.”