Tag: Scottish Government

Delivery Partners confirmed for £5 million Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers

 Fund Guidance to be published: Thursday 22 October 

Applications invited from: 12 noon, Monday 26 October 

Crafts Council & Craft Scotland, Help Musicians, Society of Authors and Visual Arts Scotland have been confirmed as partners to assist Creative Scotland in the delivery of the Scottish Government’s £5million Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers. 

Subject to confirmation, BECTU will also be partnering with Creative Scotland on the delivery of this funding. 

The specific sector expertise of these partners will help ensure the hardship funds reach as many freelancers across different creative sectors as possible, working with Creative Scotland who will deliver the funds to creative freelancers who work in the sectors not covered by the partner organisations 

Eligibility criteria for the fund will be published on Thursday 22 October followed by the fund opening for application at 12noon, Monday 26 October.  

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Culture is vitally important to all of our lives in Scotland. This is an extremely worrying time for many people involved in culture and creative industries, particularly creative freelancers and practitioners whose work is integral not only to the economy, but to the wellbeing of individuals and communities. 

“Many continue to face uncertain futures while much of their sectors remain unable to operate, and it is important that we can offer financial support while we continue to navigate our way through the pandemic. 

“This fund will provide emergency support to creative freelancers in Scotland who are experiencing hardship as a result of the pandemic. Working closely with partners in industry to deliver this fund will help Creative Scotland ensure support reaches people as quickly as possible.” 

Iain Munro, CEO at Creative Scotland said: “There is no end in sight to the COVID-19 pandemic and the significant impact it is having on Scotland’s creative sector. 

“With welcome financial support from the Scottish Government, this Hardship Fund offers much needed support for creative freelancers who have been particularly hard hit by the inability to work due to necessary restrictions. Creative Scotland is working hard with our partners to ensure this support reaches those in need as quickly as possible.” 

CraftsCouncil’s Executive Director, Rosy Greenlees OBE said: “We are delighted to partner with Craft Scotland to deliver much needed financial support to craft freelancers in Scotland.

“We know that craft professionals from curators, and educators to individual makers and businesses are struggling. Creative Scotland’s investment will offer a lifeline to ensure the Scottish craft sector remains a thriving and creative force.”

 Help Musicians’ Chief Executive, James Ainscough said: “With no end in sight to the restrictions that prevent musicians earning a living from live performance, we are delighted to see Creative Scotland providing this much needed funding for the community of Scottish musicians. 

“The team at Help Musicians are pleased to play a supporting role by administering this funding, ensuring that musicians experiencing financial hardship are given a real financial boost as quickly as possible.” 

Society of Authors Chief Executive, Nicola Solomon said: “This funding will be invaluable to the many Scottish writers, illustrators and translators who have fallen between the gaps in financial support during the health crisis. 

The grants we will now be able to distribute through the Authors’ Contingency Fund will enable some authors to keep working in spite of financial losses, others to stay afloat while dealing with their own ill health, others to fulfil caring responsibilities – and others simply to keep a roof over their heads. We are grateful for the opportunity to make a difference for Scottish authors.” 

Sarah Calmus, President of Visual Arts Scotland said: “Visual Arts Scotland are proud to be partnering with Creative Scotland to help deliver these new funds which follow on from our own Emergency Art Workers Support Fund.

“In this unprecedented period, Visual Arts Scotland are dedicated to helping the creative community and are committed to stand in solidarity through distributing funds to Visual Artists who are most in need of support at this time.” 

The Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers is one of a series of Scottish Government emergency funds for creativity and culture being administered through Creative Scotland. 

These funds have been put in place to help mitigate the immediate impacts of COVID-19 on the creative and cultural sector. There are five new emergency funds which were announced by the First Minister on Friday 28 August and which are being delivered through Creative Scotland as follows: 

  • £15million Culture Organisation and Venues Recovery Fund which opened for applications on Thursday 17 September with a deadline of Thursday 24 September. 348 applications have been received totalling over £22million. Application assessments are now taking place and decisions will be communicated early November. 
  • £5million Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers, for which an open call for partner organisations to help us distribute this fund was launched on Friday 11 September, with a deadline of Friday 25 September.  18 Expressions of Interest were received with five organisations now selected.  The £700,000 Screen element of these Hardship Funds opened for applications on Tuesday 22 September and closed on Friday 2 October.  Assessments are taking place and decisions being communicated to applicants. 
  • £3.5million Independent Cinemas Recovery and Resilience Fund, which opened for applications on Monday 14 September with a deadline of Monday 5 October.  27 applications have been received totalling £3.55million. Assessments are taking place and decisions will be announced w/c 26 October. 
  • £3.5million additional funds for Creative Scotland’s Open Fund which is open for applications to individuals and organisations now.  The application threshold has recently been increased from £50K to £100K. 
  • £3million Youth Arts funding package comprises of at least £1.2million through the Access to Youth Arts Fund which will be open to applications until Thursday 12 November; the £700,000 Small Grants Scheme which launched onThursday 24 September and will be open to applications until Monday 2 November; £50,000 assigned to the Time to Shine Nurturing Talent Fund, and anadditional £1,050,000 allocated to support a number of targeted national and local area youth music and wider youth arts organisations. These organisations will be invited to apply for the Youth Arts Targeted Fund by Tuesday 13 October. 
  • £1.5million for the Culture Collective programme (part of the £5million Sustaining Creative Practice Fund, referred to in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government), supporting organisations employing freelance artists to work in and with communities across Scotland. More details to be announced in the coming weeks. 

Previously announced funds from the Scottish Government are: 

Updates on all emergency funds are being published regularly on the Creative Scotland website and publicised through media and social media communications. 

Support for people with neurological conditions

Projects which support people with neurological conditions are to benefit from the latest round of funding announced as part of a five-year action plan.

The investment of £492,535 is focussed on initiatives where partnership working is key. Many of the 17 funded activities see NHS Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships and Third Sector organisations joining forces to achieve better outcomes for people living with neurological conditions.

Funding recipients include Pain Association Scotland who will develop online courses to support the wellbeing of unpaid carers and the MS Society who will deliver online and telephone sessions to support the physical and emotional wellbeing of people living with MS in response to the pandemic.

‘Neurological care and support: framework for action – 2020 to 2025’ aims to ensure people get access to personalised care and support regardless of their condition or where in Scotland they live.

Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “Around one million people in Scotland live with a neurological condition ranging from common conditions such as migraines to life-limiting illnesses such as Motor Neurone Disease.

“We recognise the scale, variety and context of neurological conditions and how distressing they can be for the person with the condition and their family and the framework for action aims to support those responsible for providing care and support to people affected.

“This latest round of funding will ensure this vital work not only continues but is strengthened despite the challenges faced during the pandemic.”

PSPA provides information and support to people affected by Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD).

CEO Andrew Symons said: “Neurological Care and Support Framework Funding will allow us to map provision for PSP and CBD in Scotland, simultaneously highlighting the information and support that we can offer from PSPA.

“This will contribute to the aim of earlier diagnosis of these rare conditions and reduce the time spent by people in the wrong part of the system with the result they can benefit from the provisions of the Framework as soon as their disease is recognised.”

Funding-recipientsDownload

Prime Minister announces new local COVID Alert Levels

The Prime Minister yesterday set out how the UK government will further simplify and standardise local rules by introducing a three tiered system of local COVID Alert Levels in England.

Addressing MPs before hosting a Downing Street press conference, he confirmed the levels will be set at medium, high, and very high.

He set out how this new approach will be simpler and standardised, and thanked local leaders who have engaged with the government over the weekend.

The “medium” alert level – which will cover most of the country – will consist of the current national measures, which came into force on 25 September.

This includes the Rule of Six, and the closure of hospitality at 10pm.

The “high” alert level will reflect many current local interventions, but there will now be consistency across the country.

This primarily aims to reduce household to household transmission by preventing all mixing between households or support bubbles indoors. The Rule of Six will apply in outdoor spaces, including private gardens.

Most areas which are already subject to local restrictions will automatically move into the “high” alert level.

The “very high” alert level will apply where transmission rates are causing the greatest concern, based on an assessment of all the available data and the local situation.

This includes incidence and test positivity, including amongst older and more at-risk age groups, as well as the growth rate, hospital admissions and other factors.

In these areas, the government will set a baseline of prohibiting social mixing indoors and in private gardens, with the Rule of Six allowed in open public spaces like parks and beaches.

Pubs and bars must close, and can only remain open where they operate as if they were a restaurant – which means serving substantial meals, like a main lunchtime or evening meal. They may only serve alcohol as part of such a meal.

People will be advised not to travel in and out of these areas.

To create local consensus behind this more severe action, the government will work with local leaders on how individual areas should go beyond this baseline, which may include measures such as the closure of gyms, casinos, and leisure centres.

Non-essential retail, schools and universities will remain open in all levels.

Cases are rising rapidly across the country, particularly in the North East and North West, and this is resulting in increased hospitalisations and deaths.

The Prime Minster said that further action is required now to suppress the virus and make sure the NHS isn’t overwhelmed, and can continue providing essential services such as cancer care.

This follows significant local engagement throughout the weekend.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister spoke to Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, following detailed discussions over the last few days between all the region’s leaders, Chief Executives and senior government figures.

They discussed the huge challenge from rising numbers of COVID cases in the region and pledged to work together on combatting the virus.

Senior No 10 advisers and the Housing Communities and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick also held discussions with local authority leaders and mayors from the highest areas of concern.

As the Prime Minister said, in recent months, local outbreaks have been tackled with targeted restrictions – helping save lives and avoiding the need to apply those measures nationally.

However, over time this has led to different rules in different parts of the country, with some rules becoming increasingly complex and difficult to enforce.

A postcode checker on gov.uk will show which alert level applies in each area and the NHS COVID-19 app will also direct people to this information.

Regulations for all three local alert levels were laid yesterday (Monday) and they will be debated and voted on in the House of Commons today (Tuesday). Subject to that vote, they will come into force on Wednesday, subject to the approval of Parliament.

These measures will be kept under constant review, including a four-week sunset clause for interventions in “very high” areas.

The PM also confirmed that the government will also provide Local Authorities across England with around £1 billion of new financial support.

He also said that engagement with other leaders in the North West, the North East and Yorkshire & Humber is continuing.

The PM also called on local leaders in the areas rated very high to work with the government on these measures, in return for more support for local test and trace, more funding for local enforcement, the offer of help from the armed services, and the job support scheme as announced by the Chancellor.

PM Boris Johnson made a statement at the coronavirus press conference:

Good evening everyone.

We are entering a new and crucial phase of our fight against Coronavirus.

Because the number of cases has gone up four times in four weeks and it is once again spreading among the elderly and vulnerable.

There are already more Covid patients in UK hospitals today than there were on 23 March when the whole country went into lockdown and deaths, alas, are also rising once again.

These figures are flashing at us like dashboard warnings in a passenger jet. And we must act now.

So we are giving local authorities across England around a billion pounds so they can protect vital services as they fight the virus.

Nightingale Hospitals across the North of England are being prepared for service.

And so we can squash this virus wherever it appears we are today simplifying, standardising and in some places toughening local rules in England by introducing three levels of Covid Alert.

  • Medium, with existing national measures such as the Rule of Six and the closure of hospitality at 10pm.
  • High, with extra measures including a ban on indoor social mixing between households or support bubbles.
  • And Very High, for places where, without further action, the NHS will swiftly be under intolerable pressure.

Areas within the Very High Alert category will be reviewed every four weeks and nowhere will be shut down indefinitely. And the exact restrictions at this level, Very High, will be worked out with local leaders, along with tailored packages of support.

But at a minimum they will, sadly, include a ban on all social mixing between households in private places, including gardens

and pubs and bars must close unless they can operate solely as a restaurant, serving alcohol only as part of a main meal.

We will also ask people not to travel into and out of Very High alert level areas.

Nobody affected by this will be left to fend for themselves.

And we will expand our unprecedented economic support to assist those affected by these decisions, extending our Job Support Scheme to cover two-thirds of the wages of those in any business that is required to close, and providing those businesses with a cash grant of up to £3,000 a month, instead of £1500 every three weeks, and extra funding too for those in the Very High category for local test and trace and enforcement.

You will shortly be able to type in your postcode into Gov.UK and see exactly what restrictions apply where you live.

The majority of the country will, for now, be at medium.

Most areas currently under local intervention will be at High, and Nottinghamshire, including Nottingham itself, East and West Cheshire and a small area of High Peak will also move to this level.

Over the weekend we have been working with local leaders in areas where the data are most worrying.

And from Wednesday, local authorities in the Liverpool City Region will move to the Very High alert level.

In addition to pubs and bars we have agreed with Liverpool City mayor Steve Rotheram that gyms, leisure centres, betting shops, adult gaming centres and casinos will close.

We are still working with other local leaders to determine how best to tackle the resurgence of the virus in their areas. But tackle it we will.

No one, least of all me, wants to impose these kinds of erosions of our personal liberty, but I am as convinced as I have ever been that the British people have the resolve to beat this virus and that, together, we will do just that.

With that I’ll hand over to the Chancellor, who has some more details on how we’ll be supporting these businesses, employees and areas affected by today’s changes …

Full details on what the COVID Alert Levels contain are set out below:

Local COVID Alert Level – Medium

This is for areas where national restrictions continue to be in place. This means:

  • All businesses and venues can continue to operate, in a COVID-Secure manner, other than those that remain closed in law, such as nightclubs.
  • Certain businesses selling food or drink on their premises are required to close between 10pm and 5am.
  • Businesses and venues selling food for consumption off the premises can continue to do so after 10pm as long as this is through delivery service, click-and-collect or drive-thru.
  • Schools, universities and places of worship remain open
  • Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of attendees
  • Organised indoor sport and exercise classes can continue to take place, provided the Rule of Six is followed
  • People must not meet in groups larger than 6, indoors or outdoors

Local COVID Alert Level – High

  • This is for areas with a higher level of infections. This means the following additional measures are in place:
  • People must not meet with anybody outside their household or support bubble in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place
  • People must not meet in a group of more than 6 outside, including in a garden or other space.
  • People should aim to reduce the number of journeys they make where possible. If they need to travel, they should walk or cycle where possible, or to plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes on public transport.

Local COVID Alert Level – Very High

This is for areas with a very high level of infections. The Government will set a baseline of measures for any area in this local alert level. Consultation with local authorities will determine additional measures.

The baseline means the below additional measures are in place:

  • Pubs and bars must close, and can only remain open where they operate as if they were a restaurant – which means serving substantial meals, like a main lunchtime or evening meal. They may only serve alcohol as part of such a meal.
  • Wedding receptions are not allowed
  • People must not meet with anybody outside their household or support bubble in any indoor or outdoor setting, whether at home or in a public space. The Rule of Six applies in open public spaces like parks and beaches.
  • People should try to avoid travelling outside the ‘Very High’ area they are in, or entering a ‘Very High’ area, other than for things like work, education, accessing youth services, to meet caring responsibilities or if they are in transit.
  • People should avoid staying overnight in another part of the UK if they are resident in a ‘Very High’ area, or avoid staying overnight in a ‘Very High’ area if they are resident elsewhere.

Local COVID Alert Level – Very High:

Liverpool City Region

  • Liverpool
  • Knowsley
  • Wirral
  • St Helens
  • Sefton
  • Halton

Scotland is likely to adopt it’s own version of the ‘three tier’ strategy when the current ‘circuit breaker’ ends later this month, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.

She told yesterday’s press briefing: “We intend to develop our own tiering framework and take that to Parliament after the October recess and of course, that will coincide with the ending of the temporary reset restrictions announced last week.

“At a strategic level, we will be looking to align as closely as possible with the other UK nations. I think it is important and it makes sense to try to do that, though, I would stress, that operational decisions about which tiers might apply in which parts of our nations will be for each of us to take at a devolved level.

“The publication of a new framework will be a key step to guide us through the next phase of the pandemic. But it’s by no means the only step we will be taking over the next couple of weeks.

“What we want to do is ensure that these temporary restrictions don’t simply slow or reverse the increase in cases for a while, although that is clearly important, before things return to normal or as they were before these restrictions afterwards.

“What we want to do is use the two weeks to secure a longer term benefit and greater resilience as we know we will be living with this virus for some time yet to come.

“So, for example, as I indicated last week, later this week we will introduce regulations to extend the mandatory use of face coverings in indoor communal settings, for example, staff canteens and corridors in workplaces.

“We are also going to be taking action to strengthen compliance with the different strands of the FACTS advice. That will focus particularly on self-isolation because that is so essential to reducing and preventing transmission, but it also an area where we know, for understandable reasons, that compliance is not yet as high as we need it to be.

“We are also talking to different sectors of the economy, including hospitality and retail, to help them ensure that they can operate even more safely in future. For example, we have already asked shops to return to two metre physical distancing, and to reintroduce other measures, such as one way systems, that they had place earlier on in the pandemic.

“And finally, as I said last week in parliament, we are reviewing, again, our testing strategy. As we continue to expand our testing capacity, we are looking at the basis on which we would test more people including groups of people who do not have symptoms but who may, if the virus is not detected help to generate, or risk, community transmission, or transmission where people are vulnerable.

“So we will be working hard over the next two weeks, to further improve how we control the pandemic, while living as freely as possible for individuals and businesses, and we will be seeking to ensure that as we exit the reset restrictions two weeks from now, we do that on a more resilient footing.”

Consultation launched on banning common single-use plastic items

Plans to ban some of the most environmentally damaging single-use plastic items in Scotland, including plastic cutlery and plastic straws, have been published for consultation.

The Scottish Government is seeking views on the introduction of new legislation to restrict the sale or commercial supply of plastic plates, plastic straws, plastic cutlery, polystyrene food and drink containers, plastic balloon sticks and products made from oxo-degradable plastics.

These items are the ones most commonly found washed up on European beaches and were identified in the EU Single Plastics Directive as contributing the majority share of litter found in the marine environment.

Millions are used in Scotland each year, including an estimated 300 million plastic straws, 276 million pieces of plastic cutlery, 50 million plastic plates and 66 million polystyrene food containers.

Restrictions on the sale or commercial supply of these single use plastic products would support efforts to tackle Scotland’s throwaway culture, reduce problematic litter and promote the use of more environmentally-friendly alternatives. 

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “There is no longer any doubt that plastic waste is having a hugely damaging impact on our oceans, rivers and land ecosystems.

“We must act now to reduce our reliance on single-use plastic and drive forward a move towards more sustainable, environmentally-friendly alternatives.

“Failure to do so is a dereliction of our duty to our children, who will inherit a natural world polluted by the plastics we have thrown away for the sake of convenience.

“This government is committed to tackling this problem. We were the first country in the UK to ban plastic-stemmed cotton buds and plans are well underway for a Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland.

“The proposals published today will take us further – keeping pace with the environmental standards of our European partners and re-affirming our position as a world-leader in the circular economy.

“However, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that the introduction of these measures is carefully considered. It is why we are keen to hear a range of views and I would encourage any individual, business or organisation with an interest to respond to the consultation.”

It is expected that any legislation would be introduced in 2021. The consultation will also seek views on the introduction of a ban on the non-commercial supply and manufacture of the single-use plastic items outlined in the consultation.

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Plastic is by far the most commonly used material in today’s single-use culture. There are clear benefits in use, of flexibility and durability, but plastic also causes significant damage when it leaks into our natural environment, including our rivers, lochs and seas.

“The consultation offers an opportunity to protect wildlife and prevent the heart-breaking scenes we see all too often in TV documentaries like Blue Planet 2. We hope people will also take this opportunity to adopt more sustainable solutions, such as reusable alternatives, to these single-use items.”

View the consultation on Citizen Space. The consultation will be open for 12 weeks and close on 04 January 2021 .

The full list of products being considered for market restrictions are:

  1. Single-use plastic cutlery (forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks)
  2. Single-use plastic plates (plates, trays/platters, bowls)
  3. Single-use plastic straws
  4. Single-use plastic beverage stirrers
  5. Single-use plastic balloon sticks
  6. Single-use food containers made of expanded polystyrene
  7. Single-use cups and other beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene, including their covers and lids
  8. All oxo-degradable products. This type of plastic (due to additives contained in it) contributes to micro-plastic pollution in the environment, is not compostable and negatively affects the recycling of conventional plastic.

Restricting these items would bring Scotland in line with Article 5 of the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive (EU) 2019/904.

Government must act to address steep rise in Covid transmission among children, says union

Teachers’ Union the NASUWT is deeply concerned following the release of the COVID-19 Statistical Report by Public Health Scotland showing a significant increase in the percentage of secondary age children testing positive for Coronavirus in September.

The percentage of young people testing positive for coronavirus is of great concern to the NASUWT, particularly among the 12-17 age group, and could potentially increase the risk to teachers, education staff and the wider community unless further measures are introduced in schools to protect them.

Additionally, since the end of September there is evidence of increased percentage of patients testing positive among the primary school age group.

NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach has called on Deputy First Minister John Swinney to urgently review the situation and identify what further measures can be taken to mitigate the risks posed by the increases seen in the data.

Dr Roach said: “Schools should remain open as long as they remain safe. But it is clear the spike in the Covid-19 transmission rate in certain secondary school children age groups, and also primary school age groups, coupled with the rise in transmission in the community, could potentially increase the risk to teachers and other education staff unless further measures are introduced in schools to protect them.

“At a time of significantly increased risk of virus transmission within the wider population, the data on the number of cases and testing among children strongly indicates a deeply concerning trend within the secondary school age population.

“The sharp upward trend in the data is a major concern for our members and secondary schools increasingly appear to be high-risk environments for coronavirus.

“This situation urgently requires attention by the Government and further mitigating measures need to be identified and implemented.”

Usdaw welcomes unanimous support for Ne’er Day closing

Happy New Year for shop workers?

Shop workers’ trade union Usdaw has welcomed Holyrood’s Petitions Committee’s unanimous decision to back a petition to end New Year’s Day trading in large stores.

The committee has agreed to write to stakeholders within the retail industry and urges the Scottish Government to conduct the required consultation.

Usdaw launched a petition last year calling on the Scottish Government to launch a consultation on implementing legislation already in place to ban most large shops from opening on New Year’s Day. The Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Trading Act (Scotland) Act 2007 prohibits trading in most large shops on Christmas Day and gave powers to the Scottish Government to stop the opening of those shops on New Year’s Day as well, which has never been enacted.

An extensive Usdaw survey of over 1,000 Scottish retail staff, found that:

  • 98% say that stores should be shut on New Year’s Day
  • Three-quarters feel they spend too little time with friends and family over New Year.
  • Only 4% are happy to work on New Year’s Day or 2 January.

The full survey results can be viewed at: www.usdaw.org.uk/NYDSurvey

Tracy Gilbert, Usdaw’s Scottish Deputy Divisional Officer, said: “We thank the petitions committee for their unanimous support and decision to progress our petition.

“As Jackie Baillie MSP rightly pointed out, the First Minister agreed to look at Usdaw’s campaign, but that was back in January and the Scottish Government is now saying it’s not the right time to do this. It’s been 13 years since the original legislation was passed, so it is difficult to understand when the Government thinks it would be the right time.

“The strength of feeling among our members is clearly demonstrated by our survey and over 3,000 of them writing to their MSPs asking for support. Retail staff work incredibly hard all year round, but it is particularly busy and stressful throughout December. So they deserve to be able to spend time with family and friends.

“Hogmanay and New Year is a special holiday, but this is not reflected in the experience of many retail workers. Under the Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Trading (Scotland) Act 2007 Scottish Ministers may, by statutory instrument, ban large shops from opening on New Year’s Day, subject to consultation.

“On behalf of Scotland’s retail workers, we are urging the Scottish Government to open that consultation and for MSPs to listen to shopworkers’ concerns about their work and life balance. After everything Scottish shop workers have been through this year, as key workers on the frontline of delivering essential services, they deserve a decent break over New Year.”

What shopworkers say:

  • You’re tired from working and don’t really relax or enjoy the limited time you get with the kids. Then you start all over again working New Year’s Day too!!!
  • If, like myself, you have to work Boxing Day and New Year’s Day – it should be paid at least time and half.
  • As a store manager I have had to work Christmas and New Year. A lot of hard work goes into the weeks leading up. By Christmas Day you are exhausted and then back to work on Boxing Day. This year I also have to work New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and on the second.
  • I am not happy working till 1930 on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. By 4pm our store was fairly empty.
  • Finishing times on Christmas Eve and Hogmanay are creeping up later, which has a severe impact on family life for retail workers.

Training for people facing redundancy and unemployment

People who have lost their jobs or who are at risk of redundancy as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) can access support to retrain through a new fund launched by Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop this week.

The £25 million National Transition Training Fund – a flagship Programme for Government commitment – will help up to 10,000 people aged 25 and over to develop the skills required to move into sectors with the greatest potential for future growth and job opportunities.

The fund will help to boost the supply of skills in areas such as sustainable green jobs and raise the profile of training opportunities linked to Scotland’s transition to a net zero economy.

Ms Hyslop said: “This is a very worrying time for many people – particularly for those working in sectors most affected by the pandemic and whose livelihoods are at risk.

“That is why we are doing everything we can to protect jobs and ensure that people faced with redundancy can get back to work as quickly as possible.

“The National Transition Training Fund will help people take advantage of the jobs available in growth areas of the economy, such as digital and green technologies. It will also be responsive to industry needs and targeted towards the most exposed sectors including oil and gas, aviation and tourism.

“As we recover from the pandemic, it is our ambition to create a stronger, more resilient, more sustainable economy. Ensuring people have the right skills to futureproof their careers will be crucial in achieving that goal.”

Skills Development Scotland will be responsible for the initial £11 million phase of the fund, which is now live and will help up to 6,000 people by March 2021.

People accessing the fund will be in control of their own training plan but will have the support of advisers with knowledge of local job opportunities so they can make informed decisions about their future career.

Frank Mitchell, Chair of SDS, said: “The National Transition Training Fund is an important part of the plan for how Scotland can emerge strongly from this crisis with more of the skills that will drive our future economy.

“For anyone currently facing or dealing with redundancy, the fund offers the chance to get vital training offering a pathway towards jobs in growth areas.

“For employers, it’s also an opportunity to access some of the most in-demand skills that are needed to speed up economic recovery and return to growth.”

Stuart McKenna, Chief Executive of the Scottish Training Federation, said: “We welcome the introduction of this new fund which will help people re-shape and develop their existing skills – and through bespoke support, develop a portfolio of skills much needed in growth sectors.

“The focus on ensuring that people have control over their own training plan is particularly welcome. This will promote ownership of their future career and allow them to develop the skills that will give the best opportunities in their specific circumstances.”

The first phase of the National Transition Training Fund will be administered by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) on behalf of Scottish Government, with work coaches from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and PACE advisers from SDS providing advice and support. Two further strands will launch this autumn.

The Fund is open to anyone aged 25 or over who is unemployed, economically inactive or at risk of unemployment due to the impact of Covid-19.

To find out more, visit myworldofwork.co.uk/national-transition-training-fund or call 0800 917 8000.

£40 million COVID Restrictions Fund to provide grants and employment support

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop has outlined details of a £40 million fund to help businesses affected by temporary restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The COVID-19 Restrictions Fund will provide one-off grants of up to £3,000, depending on rateable value, to bars, restaurants and other businesses required to close by regulations.

A hardship fund with grants of up to £1,500 will support some businesses that remain open but are directly impacted by the restrictions, including those in the direct supply chains of firms that must close from tonight.

In addition, up to £9 million of funding will help with the costs of re-furloughing staff by supporting the 20% salary contribution required by the UK Government.

A discretionary fund of up to £11 million will help businesses that need support but don’t fall into the above categories. This will, for example, support soft play centres that have been unable to re-open this month.

The plan has been developed following discussions with business groups, trades unions and local authorities.

Ms Hyslop said: “The temporary restrictions announced by the First Minister are absolutely essential if we are to prevent a return to the dangerous level of infections that we experienced earlier this year.

“It is a difficult balance and we do not underestimate the challenge that these new measures present for businesses – particularly those in the hospitality sector.

“We have developed a funding plan which will help to protect jobs over the coming fortnight and I encourage business owners to apply for support. 

“We are also committed to helping businesses meet their contribution to furlough costs, where staff have to be re-furloughed.  We have increased the size of the grant available and are urgently identifying a mechanism to deliver additional support on top of that.

“While I welcome the UK Government’s plans to adapt the job retention scheme and the associated consequential funding, we still require clarity on what the Chancellor’s announcement will mean for Scotland.

“This situation further underlines the need for us to have the financial flexibility which would help us to rebuild our economy.”

Information for businesses is available at findbusinesssupport.gov.scot

Grants will be distributed by local authorities. Up to £2,000 will be payable to businesses with a rateable value of up to £51,000 that are required to close by law, for those with a rateable value of £51,001 or above the grant will be £3,000.

Ms Hislop’s announcement followed the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s statement:

Job Support Scheme expanded to firms required to close due to Covid Restrictions

The UK government’s Job Support Scheme (JSS) will be expanded to protect jobs and support businesses required to close their doors as a result of coronavirus restrictions, the Chancellor announced today (Friday 9 October).

  • Job Support Scheme will be expanded to support businesses across the UK required to close their premises due to coronavirus restrictions
  • government will pay two thirds of employees’ salaries to protect jobs over the coming months
  • cash grants for businesses required to close in local lockdowns also increased to up to £3,000 per month

Under the expansion, firms whose premises are legally required to shut for some period over winter as part of local or national restrictions will receive grants to pay the wages of staff who cannot work – protecting jobs and enabling businesses to reopen quickly once restrictions are lifted.

The government will support eligible businesses by paying two thirds of each employees’ salary (or 67%), up to a maximum of £2,100 a month.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said: “Throughout the crisis the driving force of our economic policy has not changed.

“I have always said that we will do whatever is necessary to protect jobs and livelihoods as the situation evolves.

“The expansion of the Job Support Scheme will provide a safety net for businesses across the UK who are required to temporarily close their doors, giving them the right support at the right time.”

Under the scheme, employers will not be required to contribute towards wages and only asked to cover NICS and pension contributions, a very small proportion of overall employment costs. It is estimated that around half of potential claims are likely not to incur employer NICs or auto-enrolment pension contributions and so face no employer contribution.

Businesses will only be eligible to claim the grant while they are subject to restrictions and employees must be off work for a minimum of seven consecutive days.

The scheme will begin on 1 November and will be available for six months, with a review point in January. In line with the rest of the JSS, payments to businesses will be made in arrears, via a HMRC claims service that will be available from early December. Employees of firms that have been legally closed in the period before 1 November are eligible for the CJRS.

The scheme is UK wide and the UK Government will work with the devolved administrations to ensure the scheme operates effectively across all four nations.

This comes alongside intensive engagement with local leaders today on potential measures are coming in their areas.

In addition to expansion of the JSS, the government is increasing the cash grants to businesses in England shut in local lockdowns to support with fixed costs. These grants will be linked to rateable values, with up to £3,000 per month payable every two weeks, compared to the up to £1,500 every three weeks which was available previously. This could benefit hundreds of thousands of businesses, including restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, bowling alleys and many more.

The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will benefit from a £1.3 billion increase to their guaranteed funding for 2020-21 – allowing them to continue their response to Covid-19 including through similar measures if they wish.

These measures will sit alongside the original JSS – which is designed to support businesses that are facing low demand over the winter months – and the £1,000 Job Retention Bonus (JRB) which encourages employers to keep staff on payroll.

They build on the UK government’s wider package of unprecedented measures to help protect, create and support jobs through the pandemic, to ensure that nobody is left without hope or opportunity.

Welcoming the move, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “The extension of the Chancellor’s Job Support Scheme is welcome news for businesses across Scotland, providing a vital safety net for companies which are asked to close temporarily.

“From the very start of the pandemic, the UK Government has focussed on stopping the spread of coronavirus and keeping people safe, while also doing everything we can to protect the economy.

“The unprecedented package of measures we have put in place to support all parts of the country shows the clear benefits for Scotland being part of a strong United Kingdom.”

First Minister explains new regulations

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, yesterday (Friday 8 October):

Good afternoon, and thanks for joining us. I will start with the usual report on the daily COVID statistics.

The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 1,246.

That is 16.2% of people newly tested, and takes the total number of cases to 37,033.

440 of the cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 306 in Lanarkshire, and 192 in Lothian. 

The remaining cases were spread across 9 other health board areas.

I can also confirm that 397 people are currently in hospital – that is an increase of 20  since yesterday.

33 people are now in intensive care, that is  2 more than yesterday.

And I regret to say that 6 additional deaths have been registered of people who first tested positive during the previous 28 days. The total number of deaths, under the measure used in these daily figures, is therefore now 2,544.

Today’s total – and indeed all of the deaths that have been recorded in recent days – reminds us, and should remind us, again that Covid is a virus that is deadly for some people, as well as being really dangerous for others.

This is not a virus that we can be complacent about or just allow to spread unchecked, however much we might wish it was and I think that is an important point in the context of everything else I will say today. But let me at this stage pass on my condolences to everybody who has lost a loved one to this illness.

Now, I have a couple of points I want to update on today. First of all, let me report that two more walk-in testing centres have opened this week.

A new centre opened in Old Kilpatrick in West Dunbartonshire yesterday, and a centre is opening for bookings in Stirling shortly.

We are continuing to work with the UK Government to increase the number of walk-in sites across the country, and several more – including centres in Dundee and Inverness – are due to open later this month.

These add to the five walk-in centres that are already in operation – two in Glasgow and one each in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and St Andrews. These five centres, that are already operational, are within walking distance of student campuses, and therefore will be especially useful for students. But I want to stress that all walk-in centres are open to all members of the public. You can book a test by going onto the NHS Inform website.

As always, please don’t use public transport to travel to any testing centre.

If you do not have a car – and can’t walk, or cycle to a testing centre – please book a home testing kit through NHS Inform.

And remember, because this is an absolutely crucial point for all of us to understand, that you must start to self-isolate from the time you start to experience symptoms of Covid – you must not wait until you get a test result before you start self-isolating.

That is a really important point to make sure that we are doing everything we can to break the chains of transmission.

My second theme today, as you would expect, relates to the new regulations which come into force later today and tomorrow.

The regulations applying to hospitality will take effect at 6pm this evening – those relating to other premises like snooker and bingo halls take effect tomorrow. They will all  be in force until Sunday 25th October – in other words, across two weeks and three weekends.

First – and with the exception of five central belt health board areas that I will come onto shortly where tighter restrictions will apply – pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes will only be able to operate indoors on a very restricted basis.

They can only open indoors from 6 am to 6 pm, for the service of food and non-alcoholic drinks.

They can however continue to serve alcohol outdoors up to the existing curfew time of 10 pm.

In addition, hotel restaurants will be able to serve residents indoors beyond 6 pm, but will not be able to serve alcohol.

In all cafes, restaurants and bars that will remain open, the existing rules on meetings will continue to apply – so that means no more than 6 people can meet, and they should come from no more than 2 households.

However there is an exemption to these rules – and this exemption applies in all parts of Scotland – for weddings that have already been booked and of course for funerals. The current rules for these will continue to apply.

As I indicated earlier this week, we are introducing stricter restrictions in five health board regions: Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley.

I think you probably only need to look at today’s figures to get a sense of why we have taken that difficult decision. I mentioned that there are 440 new cases in Glasgow today, 306 in Lanarkshire, 192 in Lothian.

Numbers in Forth Valley and Ayrshire and Arran are lower – at 53 new cases in Forth Valley and 84 in Ayrshire and Arran – but they are still very high for the population of those areas.

And given that people live and work across all five areas, there can be a ripple effect between them, which is a further reason that tighter restrictions apply to all five of these health boards.

So in these areas, all licensed bars and restaurants will be required to close indoors and outdoors from 6pm this evening, though takeaways will be permitted. There is again an exception for hotels serving food and non-alcoholic drinks to residents.

Now I want to address a frustration about what I understand some see as a lack of clarity over the exemption for cafes – which are being allowed to stay open even in the central belt during the day as long as they don’t serve alcohol.

The reason for this café exemption is quite simple, it is to give people – particularly those who might be living alone and also working from home – somewhere they can still meet a friend for a coffee and a chat. And we judge that as important to help reduce the loneliness and isolation that comes with some of these restrictions that are in place right now.

But, and this is the other side of this balance, we are deliberately trying to reduce the volume of places that people come together so that we can stop the virus spreading, so we’ve got to draw any exemption really tightly.

That’s why we are not allowing premises like restaurants to decide to just stop serving alcohol, become cafes and therefore stay open – that would undermine the purpose of these restrictions.

But we did realise there was a potential anomaly for existing cafes that have an alcohol licence even though serving alcohol is very incidental to their business. What I announced the other day would have forced these cafes to close. In some areas – particularly rural areas – they might be the only cafe in a village.

So we decided to try to resolve this in a very targeted way. And in the 24 hours that we have been doing so, I readily accept that that has resulted in a lack of clarity.

But sometimes that’s the price we have to pay right now for trying to be as flexible as possible. It would have been easier and would have given much greater clarity just to stick to the position yesterday that cafes with a licence had to close.

But we decided to try to strike a different balance.

I can confirm that the Regulations being published today, I think they have just been published before the briefing started, have a definition of cafe which applies regardless of whether or not they have a licence. And that definition is –

“An establishment whose primary business activity, in the ordinary course of its business, is the sale of non alcoholic drinks, snacks or light meals.”

Now that is a definition based on what a cafe already does. It doesn’t allow a restaurant to now turn itself into a cafe.

I think business owners will know whether their establishment fits that definition or not. But any doubts or questions that any have should be discussed with local environmental health authorities.

I know how tough this is and I can’t tell you how sorry I am to be standing here in a position where we are requiring some businesses to close again. I am desperately sorry for that, and I know how desperately difficult this is for people trying to make a living, keep businesses they have worked to build up going and of course take care of their staff.

But government – all governments – are trying to strike right now almost impossible balances between lives and jobs.

And speaking for the Scottish Government, we are trying to do that as best we can. As I’ve said all along we will not always get it perfectly right but we are trying our best to get through this as well as we can.

Let me turn now to the other central belt restrictions that will be in place for the next two weeks.

Snooker and pool halls, indoor bowling alleys, casinos and bingo halls will close in those areas for two weeks, from tomorrow.

Contact sports for people aged 18 and over will also be suspended – with an exception for professional sports.

Indoor group exercise activities will not be allowed, although the current rules will remain in place for under-18s, and gyms and pools can remain open for individual exercise.

And outdoor live events will not be permitted in these five areas for the next two weeks.

And in general, we are advising people who live in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley not to travel outside the health board area that they live in, if they do not need to. Similarly, people in other parts of Scotland should not travel to those areas if they do not need to.

That said, we are not imposing mandatory travel restrictions at this stage. And we are not asking people to cancel any half-term breaks that they might have. But we are asking people, if you don’t need to travel – don’t do it at this stage.

Finally, if you live in these five health board areas please limit public transport to essential purposes only, for example, going to school or to work, if you are not able to work from home.

Now, I know that businesses who are affected by these temporary restrictions rightly want to know details of the compensation package that we are developing to support them for the next two week period.

We intended to publish details on the allocation of our £40 million support fund this morning. But we are now expecting an announcement from the Chancellor later today on furlough which might have an impact on our proposals, I hope they will have a positive impact on our proposals – so we will publish details after we have clarity on that. I would call on the UK government to ensure that whatever it announces today on furlough applies in Scotland from tonight.

However, I do now want to outline the three strands of the additional Scottish Government package:

  1. Support for employment – this was intended to top up the existing furlough scheme. However, it is this aspect that might be impacted – we hope positively – by the Chancellor’s announcement later today.
  2. We will give a cash grant over and above any employment support for each business that is being required to close or reduce their operations. This is likely to be at the same level as the support provided in Aberdeen when we had the local lockdown there – and that was, depending on rateable value, grants of £1000 or £1500.
  3. We will make available a discretionary fund for local authorities to distribute to businesses that are in need of support but might not fall into the categories that I have already covered.

As I say, we will publish details of that once we have clarity of the first strand which we hope to get from the Chancellor later on.  The restrictions which are coming into force today are significant, there is no way in which I can suggest otherwise. But the case numbers we have seen in recent weeks – including, increasingly, the figures now for people being hospitalised – show why these restrictions are necessary.

We have to stop the virus from spreading further. And having already restricted meetings between households in each other’s homes, the most important additional step we can take is to restrict people meeting up in places like bars and restaurants.

These measures still allow for some social contact in cafes as I have already outlined. And they do not prevent people from taking the half term holidays that they had already  booked, or from going ahead with weddings which have already been planned. We have tried to minimize the impact on your lives as much as possible while still doing as much as we need to do to get this virus under control.

But for a period, and this is why for a period of just over two weeks, we will remove some of the major opportunities the virus has to spread. And we do believe this can have and will have a significant impact on transmission.

And so I know these steps are unwelcome – and believe me when I say they have been imposed with the greatest reluctance – I would urge all of you to stick with them. The only alternative to restrictions like this right now is a continuing surge in COVID, which would take more lives and probably in turn require even tighter restrictions in the weeks and months to come.

Now in addition to the temporary restrictions which come into place this weekend, and this is the point I will end on – I would urge everyone to continue to stick with the existing rules and guidance.

None of us should be visiting each other’s homes at the moment – except for specific purposes like childcare. That is a really tough restriction but it is perhaps the most important way we have of stopping this virus jumping from household to household.

When we do meet – outdoors, or in cafes – the maximum group size is 6, from a maximum of two households.

In addition, only car-share if it is essential.

Work from home if you can.

Download the Protect Scotland app, if you haven’t already done so.

And finally, please remember FACTS – FACTS comprises the basic rules that if we all follow take away the opportunities for the virus to spread. So:

  • Face coverings
  • Avoid crowded places.
  • Clean hands and hard surfaces
  • Two metres distance from people in other households.
  • and Self isolate, and get tested, if you have symptoms.

I know this is tough, I really do know this is tough and none of what the government is doing right now is being done lightly. I do not want to be standing here imposing restrictions that limit the freedoms we all love and take for granted but this is, as it was at the very start of this pandemic, about saving lives and keeping each other as safe and as well as we possibly can.

We will get through this, it will pass, that much I do know, but I know it will pass easier and possibly more quickly if we pull together, stick together and look out for each other by doing all of these really important things. So my deep gratitude to all of you for that. Jason is now going to say a word of two before he and I turn to questions as usual.

Scottish Government updates homelessness action plan

Night shelters will be replaced with rapid rehousing ‘welcome centres’ for people who would otherwise be sleeping rough this winter, in updated plans for tackling homelessness.

The centres will provide emergency accommodation for people who have no other options, encouraging them to move on to other services. People using the centres will be offered targeted support, including for wellbeing, health and social care issues, legal rights, employment and welfare.

Announced yesterday in an updated action plan for tackling homelessness, the centres are part of plans to phase out night shelters entirely by expanding rapid rehousing approaches such as Housing First that provide settled accommodation as quickly as possible.  

The Ending Homelessness Together updated plan also contains actions that will:

  • minimise the risk of evictions
  • strengthen protections for people experiencing domestic abuse
  • give people with lived experience of homelessness or rough sleeping a greater say in the development of policy
  • explore alternative routes to reducing migrant homelessness.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart, who co-chairs the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group, said: “Our vision is of a Scotland with no need for night shelters – where everyone has a home that meets their needs.

“Since our plan for tackling homelessness was first published in 2018 we have delivered on many of the urgent issues facing homeless people. The Scottish Government’s swift response to coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to a dramatic reduction in the numbers of people sleeping rough and we must not let the problem return.

“This updated action plan renews our commitment to ending homelessness and rough sleeping once and for all, particularly by expanding services such as Housing First that provide longer-term accommodation and give homeless people the time and space to establish new lives for themselves.

“We are also placing even greater emphasis on preventing homelessness in the first place, and our new rapid rehousing welcome centres and are a first step to ending the use of night shelters altogether.

“I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this updated plan.”

Cllr Elena Whitham, CoSLA’s Community Wellbeing Spokesperson and the strategy group’s other co-chair, said: “The pandemic has reminded us all of the importance of having a safe and comfortable home that meets our needs. However, we know that the impacts of the crisis have not been felt equally.

“People facing poverty, inequality and other social harms have felt the impact far more greatly. Local Government has shared the ambition to end homelessness and our resolve to do this is now stronger than ever.

“The updated action plan sets out an inclusive and human rights-based approach focused on preventing homelessness, responding quickly, working together with our partners across sectors, taking a person-centred approach which is tailored to reflect individual needs and circumstances.

“I am grateful to the partners who have contributed to this plan, in particular to those with lived experience of homelessness. We must not allow the deepening of inequalities in our response and recovery to the pandemic, and ending homelessness is vital in preventing this.”

Crisis chief executive Jon Sparkes, chair of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group, said: “The ambition shown by the Scottish Government in publishing a revised Action Plan is brilliant to see.

“It builds on unprecedented action throughout the pandemic to protect people experiencing homelessness, and shows renewed ambition – including a commitment to move away from night shelters. The outbreak has shown that we can tackle homelessness and end rough sleeping when the will is there.

“As the economic impact of the outbreak continues to be felt, it is more important than ever to prevent people from losing their homes in the first place, and ensuring that if they do, they are helped to find somewhere safe and settled straight away. These actions must be a priority to ensure that Scotland continues towards ending homelessness for good.”