Scottish Government – Page 314 – The NEN

TIPping point – Tenant Information Packs launched

Tenants and landlords in the private rented sector are to benefit from a new Tenant Information Pack (TIP) which will improve access to information on renting and help ensure that accommodation is good quality and well managed.

Launched by Minister for Housing and Welfare Margaret Burgess yesterday, landlords have a legal duty to provide the TIP to new tenants. The easy to read document, which has been made available on the Scottish Government website, contains a summary of legislation relevant to private tenants and landlords.

During a public consultation on its introduction, the TIP received broad cross-sector support as a means of providing consistent and reliable information to tenants, and the TIP will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that it provides an accurate, user friendly, summary of housing law.

The launch of the pack is supported by a new website which offers practical renting guides for tenants and landlords in Scotland’s private rented sector. Funded by the Scottish Government, the Renting Scotland website has been created by Shelter Scotland and industry partners and contains key tenant and landlord information on renting in the private rented sector.

Mrs Burgess said: “The Tenant Information Pack provides vital information for tenants and landlords in an easy-to-read format. There is already a lot of good information available to tenants and the pack is not intended to replace existing material, but to create a benchmark for information available across the whole sector.

“The introduction of the pack will contribute towards ensuring that the private rented sector provides good quality and well managed accommodation, where both landlords and tenants understand their respective rights and responsibilities. The Renting Scotland website, which went live today, is another important form of support, offering crucial advice to tenants and landlords.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Association of Landlords said: “We are encouraged by the possibility offered by the Tenant Information Pack to improve and maintain landlord-tenant relationships. The pack is a helpful resource which will raise awareness of both landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities.”

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: “The introduction of the Tenant Information Pack by the Scottish Government is a positive step forward for tenants and landlords alike, who will be clear on their rights and responsibilities from the day a tenant moves in. By improving access to key information, Tenant Information Packs will build trust and respect on both sides. It will help avoid problems at an early stage and empower tenants as consumers should something go wrong.

“An informed tenant is a good tenant, and likewise a landlord who is aware of their rights and responsibilities can better manage their property to anticipate and avoid problems, allowing both parties to get off to a good start.”

Minister pledges support for community growing schemes

Scotland’s growing Grow Your Own movement was given extra support by Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead during a visit to Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre this morning. The minister was impressed by the Centre’s Drylaw and Telford Community Gardens project, and after meeting some enthusiastic volunteers Mr Lochhead endorsed the workings of the Grow Your Own Working Group.

Made possible through Climate Challenge Funding, Drylaw’s community gardens project has now been running for three years and – like the healthiest of plants – has continued to thrive. From small beginnings the project has flourished and now encompasses two orchards and vegetable and flower beds at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, along with a number of patches of once unused and unwanted across the area which have been transformed. And it’s not only flowers and vegetables that have flourished – the number of volunteers involved in the gardening project has grown too, and the group has supported te development of gardening projects at nearby Ferryhill and Rowanfield schools.

Richard Lochhead met Centre staff and volunteers to talk about the project before going on to plant some tatties with Brendan and Brandon, two green-fingered helpers from Rowanfield School. He also met members of the Centre’s enthusiastic gardening group who proudly displayed their recenty-created willow tunnel.

The Minister said: ” There are so many benefits to projects like this one, and I am really very encouraged and impressed by what I’ve seen in Drylaw today. It’s been great to see the contribution of the staff and the enthusiasm of the volunteers and it would be great to see these ideas replicated all over Scotland. I’ve also learned some posh new recipe ideas from some of the young volunteers, so well done to everyone involved!”

Mr Lochhead’s support for community initiatives like Drylaw Community Gardens follows the launch of a consultation on simplifying and overhauling Scotland’s allotment rules, and there are three meetings taking place for people to air their views – in Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Twenty seven recommendations were made in a report from the Grow Your Own Working Group (GYOWG) that covered six key themes: planning, legal, skills, community land, guidance and funding. The GYOWG has been working collaboratively with the Scottish Government and other partners to deliver these recommendations.

Mr Lochhead said: “More and more people are looking to get their hands dirty by getting back to nature and growing their own food. Growing your own food allows people to eat the fruits of their own labour and understand where their food comes from – a topic which is high on the agenda at the moment. The work of the Grow Your Own Working Group is making it easier for people to do this by pulling people together to develop best practice and practical advice, and encouraging more people and groups to get involved.”

David Jamieson, Chair of the Grow Your Own Working Group, said: “The wonderful garden in Drylaw is an excellent example of a community making the most of their local space to get active and grow food. We are delighted that Mr Lochhead is able to see for himself the fruits of their labour, and really pleased that the Scottish Government is doing so much to encourage communities across Scotland to do likewise.”

Cammy Day is vice-convener of the city council’s Health and Wellbeing Committee as well as being a member of Drylaw’s management committee. He said: “The health benefits associated with community growing include providing exercise in the open air – exercise which we can take at our own pace and therefore suitable for all ages; it helps to relieve stress and is of proven benefit to mental health and wellbeing. Locally produced food also contributes to healthy eating and helps to combat the risks of obesity and sedentary lifestyles. It also helps to reduce our carbon footprint, so contributes in a small way to the battle against climate change.”

He added: “The Community garden project has been a great success and it’s been a real community initiative that’s gone from strength to strength. I’d like to thank Roy (Douglas) and the staff and management committee at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, particularly Elizabeth (Graham) and her team of volunteers for all the hard work and effort they have put in.”

Jason Rust, also a city councillor, is legal adviser to Scottish Land & Estates. He added: “We are keen to see partnership working with public, private and community landowners making further land available for allotment sites and community growing spaces, and for awareness of the range of advantages to be increased. Drylaw is a great example of what can be achieved.”

The Edinburgh allotment consultation meeting will be held on

Thursday 16 May from 2 – 4pm in Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, EH11 3XD.

For more information about growing your community, contact the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens on 0131 623 7058, email scotland@farmgarden.org.uk or visit the website www.farmgarden.org.uk

You can also visit Drylaw & Telford Community Gardens on Facebook

Babies to be offered vaccination against rotavirus – and kids can pick up a passport too

All babies in Scotland born on or after May 1 this year will be offered vaccination against rotavirus, the Scottish Government has announced.

Rotavirus causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting in babies and young children, and can lead to dehydration that requires hospital treatment. The introduction of the rotavirus vaccine follows a recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The vaccine will be part of the routine childhood immunisation programme and mainly given in GP surgeries.

Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson said: “The rotavirus vaccine has already been given safely to millions of babies around the world. Currently in Scotland, around 1,200 babies have to go to hospital every year due to severe diarrhoea and vomiting caused by rotavirus, and in some of the most serious cases that can result in a hospital stay. The vaccine will not only protect tens of thousands of children from the effects of rotavirus every year, it will cut down on costly hospital admissions and the anxiety of hospital stays for parents and children.”

Rotavirus is the first in a number of forthcoming additions to immunisation programmes. Childhood immunisation in Scotland is highly successful and a key contributor to protecting our public health.

A two dose vaccine will be offered routinely to all babies aged two months, and again at three months when they attend for their first and second routine childhood immunisations. The rotavirus vaccine, Rotarix®, is given orally as a liquid and protects against the most common strains of rotavirus. It is not a new vaccine and has been used extensively with millions of doses having been given to babies in other countries. More information can is available from Immunisation Scotland

As with any vaccine or medicine newly introduced in the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency will closely monitor the use of the Rotarix® vaccine.

The introduction of the rotavirus programme is part of a wider programme of changes to the routine immunisation programme in Scotland. They are:

– From June 2013, changes to the current schedule for administering the Meningitis C vaccine

– From September 2013, the introduction of a shingles vaccine for people aged 70 and 79 years to protect against shingles

– From autumn 2013, a phased rollout of the new childhood flu programme – the extension of the seasonal flu programme to all children aged two to 17 years. The programme will be phased over the next two to three years.

And in another child health development, an innovative scheme which aims to help children combat their fear of being in hospital is to be rolled out in children’s hospitals across Scotland. The Hospital Passport scheme was developed by psychologists at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow (Yorkhill) and has been piloted in a number of wards in the hospital.

Children can use the passport around the hospital collecting a variety of stickers and stamps as they go through various treatments, or “travel” to different departments.

It aims to make children feel more at ease, and more involved in their treatment and care.

Health Secretary Alex Neil met some of the children who have benefitted from the passport and said: “Going into hospital can be a scary time for a child, and this passport is a great tool to help put children at ease. It gives them ways to feel more prepared when coming into hospital for appointments, assessments and treatments. I’ve met with some of the children and families who have used the passport to hear their own experiences of how it helped make going into hospital seem less daunting. I am delighted that the passport is now to be rolled out to other children’s hospitals across Scotland, and I hope it can make a difference to the experiences of more children and their families.”

A parent involved in the pilot scheme said: “It definitely helped me and my child talk more and made it easier to approach what is wrong with her and why she has come to hospital.”

One of the children said: “It is good cos it helps the doctors and nurses help me better.”

The passport is jointly funded by Yorkhill Children’s Foundation and NHS Education for Scotland (NES).

There has also been interest from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and the National Children’s Hospital in Dublin to develop their own passport scheme.

Children or their parents can request a copy of the Hospital Passport Coping Kit from staff when they come into hospital.

It includes an information sheet for parents so they can use the passport to talk through with their child what will happen to them in hospital, discuss anything which is making the child anxious, and choose techniques to make them feel less worried.

It is primarily aimed at primary school aged children but can also be used for older children.

Psychologist Dr Janie Donnan, who co-created the Hospital Passport Coping Kit at Yorkhill, explained: “The passport has proven to be a great success not only among children but also with parents and staff and we are delighted that we’ve had so much interest in developing it further and rolling it out across Scotland. Of the children and parents we surveyed about the impact of the passport, 100 per cent of children said they would recommend it to their friends and more than 90 per cent of parents said they would recommend the Hospital Passport as a useful tool.

“It gives children a simple way to make choices about what would help them with procedures and treatments, and communicates those easily to staff, which helps place them at the heart of decision making around their own healthcare. Staff also found the passport helped them with hints and tips in how to support children during procedures and make hospital visits as positive an experience as possible for them.”

Yorkhill Children’s Foundation Director of Fundraising David Welch added: “The Hospital Passport is a crucial tool in supporting children and families during hospital visits and procedures. It is vital children are given as much help and assistance as quickly as possible to ensure any distress or discomfort is dealt with quickly and appropriately – we are delighted the Hospital Passport it set to reach a national audience around Scotland which is an initiative we hope to continue to support.”

Programme Director for Paediatric Psychology at NHS Education for Scotland, Dr Terri Carney, said: “We are delighted to have supported the pilot for the Hospital Passport and to have financed the training in the use of the Passport for paediatric staff throughout NHSScotland. It links in with other ongoing wider skills based training programmes for paediatric staff designed to improve communication with children and young people and increase psychological knowledge and understanding within paediatric staff across Scotland.”

£25m housing boost for disadvantaged communities

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and COSLA President Councillor David O’Neill today announced a £25 million fund which aims to help transform disadvantaged areas across Scotland.

The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF), which has been developed in partnership with local authorities, will provide financial support to projects that will help to deliver large scale positive improvements to deprived areas. It will focus on projects that engage and involve local communities and those that can demonstrate the ability to deliver sustainable regeneration outcomes. The fund will be open to local authorities, urban regeneration companies and regeneration special purpose vehicles.

The Deputy First Minister and COSLA President announced the new fund during a visit to Govan Workspace in Glasgow – a project supported by the European Regional Development Fund involving the transformation of the 1670m2 derelict Fairfield Shipyard offices in Govan into 12 new workspaces for SMEs and social enterprises.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Investment in large scale regeneration projects is absolutely key for stimulating economic growth throughout Scotland. The development of this fund is a great example of how Scotland’s public bodies can work in partnership to deliver initiatives that help to create more jobs for Scottish people, while bringing our communities closer together and injecting new life into deprived and run down areas.

“Community involvement is integral to the success of the design and delivery of local economic and social regeneration initiatives. This government is absolutely clear about the contribution that regeneration makes to growing our economy and improving the life chances of Scotland’s people. I am pleased that COSLA have agreed to work with us on this initiative and that local authorities will play a fundamental role in delivery while ensuring local people are at the heart of the projects that will help to transform the spaces around them.”

Councillor David O’Neill, President of COSLA said: “Councils and their partners work at the heart of every local community and are uniquely placed to deliver regeneration outcomes with and for local communities. COSLA and Scottish Government via the creation of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund are helping to ensure the delivery of Scotland’s regeneration strategy has the biggest economic, social and environment impact possible on local communities.

“Communities want resources focused on delivering large scale regeneration projects which can also deliver wider impacts of job creation, clearing up land as well as regenerating buildings and infrastructure. We believe the fund as envisaged will deliver long term strategic and transformational change. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this fund at local level throughout Scotland over the next few years. Scotland’s identity is to a large extent local and so are people’s expectations, this fund will enable local authorities to deliver local communities expectations of the places they want to live in and be proud of for years to come.”

Holyrood Bill will support families

Charities have welcomed news that three and four year old children will, for the first time in Scotland, be entitled to 600 hours of funded early learning and childcare through the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill, published today. Third sector organisations will also receive an additional £10 million.

The Bill proposes a range of measures which also include:

Looked after two year olds and those with a kinship care order will receive the same entitlement as three and four year olds
A named person for every child and young person from birth to safeguard and support their wellbeing, working with other bodies as required
Providing kinship carers with more support from local authorities to increase family stability.

Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell (pictured above) also announced an extra £10 million on top of the £20 million third sector fund to be shared between 45 organisations working closely with children, young people and families, as part of wider investment in prevention and early intervention. This lifts the total budget for the fund to £30 million over two years, an increase on the funding available over the previous two years.

Ms Campbell said: “There is excellent work being done across Scotland to support parents, carers, children and young people. This Bill will improve levels of care and support to children and families across the country through an increase in free and more flexible early learning and childcare from 475 to 600 hours, as well as more joined up services to support the wellbeing of all children and young people through a named person. Further measures will also add stability to kinship care arrangements. The level of investment the Scottish Government is putting into ensuring the Bill works for Scotland’s young people also demonstrates our commitment to investing in our children from the very start.

“We must also recognise the important role of the third sector in reaching out to families and children in inventive and inspirational ways, which is why I am providing an additional £10 million on top of the Third Sector Early Intervention Fund for groups working directly with children, young people and their families. The £20 million Third Sector Early Intervention Fund captured the imagination of many key organisations that work with children and young people. This additional funding means that even more organisations will be able to work with the Scottish Government and each other, as they continue to improve the lives of Scotland’s children, young people and their families.

“Together with the publication of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill, today is the biggest step forward so far on the path towards making Scotland the best place in the world to grow up.”

Anne Houston, Chief Executive of CHILDREN 1ST, said: “The Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill has a key role to play in achieving the Scottish Government’s ambition of making Scotland the best place for children to grow up. For CHILDREN 1ST, that means a place where every child and young person has a happy, healthy, safe and secure childhood. We support the Bill’s intentions and must all now maximise the opportunity before us to achieve the Scottish Government’s vision.

“We are heartened by the proposals to provide 600 hours of flexible early learning and childcare for children in kinship care aged two and to provide a statutory definition of well-being.”

Martin Crewe, Director of Barnardo’s Scotland, said: “Barnardo’s Scotland is pleased to see the introduction of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill in Parliament. This Bill will be an important step forward in improving the lives of Scotland’s most vulnerable children and young people. We are particularly pleased to see more support for those young people leaving care, many of whom are not getting the help they need to make a successful transition into adulthood.

“We are looking forward to scrutinising the Bill and working with the Scottish Parliament to ensure that it delivers on the Scottish Government’s aim to make Scotland the best place in the world to bring up children.”

A 12 week consultation on the Bill was launched in July 2012 and was accompanied by extensive stakeholder communication, including national engagement events with over 800 stakeholders and activities with nearly 2,400 children and young people.

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill will also increase the powers of Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People as well as improving support for kinship carers, families and care leavers

Provisions relating to a ‘named person’ will:

Place a duty on NHS Boards to allocate every child with a named person from birth to school age
Place a duty on local authorities to allocate every child with a named person until they are 18 or leave school, whichever is later.
Oblige all relevant authorities to share information with the named person if it is necessary to safeguard, support and promote the wellbeing of the child.

The £10 million will go towards Strategic Funding Partnerships for children and youth organisations.

The Third Sector Early Intervention Fund is managed by the BIG Lottery on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Growing demand produces allotment consultation

Scotland’s Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has launched a consultation to consider the shape of future allotment legislation following the announcement of Government plans to simplify and overhaul Scotland’s allotment rules.

Among the questions being asked are: should councils be required to provide people in their area within a specified timeframe? And should councils have a duty to provide a specific number of allotments in their area per head of population?

Mr Lochhead said: “Growing your own food is continuing to grow in popularity in Scotland and this goes hand in hand with an increasing desire to know where our food comes from. Allotments provide a range of benefits including better health, an opportunity to learn new skills, and an understanding of where food comes from – not forgetting the chance to eat the fruits of your labour.

“We’re committed to helping people to grow their own food and this consultation will consider what changes should be made to the existing legislation to make it simpler and fit for today’s community needs. Many communities have expressed a desire to get back to nature and more involved with growing their own food and that’s exactly what we’re working to make possible.”

The consultation runs until Friday 24 May.

£61m boost for Scottish colleges

Student support, including funding for childcare, will be increased through additional financial support for the college sector from the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council have set out how the £61 million of additional funding added to college budgets for 2013-15 will be spent.

Focusing on improving attainment, the additional investment over the next academic year (2013-14) includes:

£1.9 million for additional student support through bursaries and childcare
£2.1 million targeted for some college regions to meet increased demand
£6.6 million for an additional learner places, including for women returning to study and part time places
£4 million to aid the successful integration of newly merging colleges.

Education Secretary Michael Russell (pictured above) said: “Earlier this year the Scottish Government showed its commitment to Scotland’s colleges by adding £61 million to the sector’s budget compared to what was originally announced for the spending review period. Since then, we have been discussing with college representatives and NUS Scotland how to allocate this funding to improve attainment so that more students gain and complete their qualifications, while moving towards a system of large, efficient regional colleges that offers courses responsive to local economic need.

“I am very pleased to be able to map out how we can further support the sector and its students. Increased student bursaries will mean more money in the pockets of our hard pressed students in times of economic difficulty. While full time courses for younger people remain a priority, there will be more learning opportunities for older and part time students, including women returning to study.

“Further funding will also help colleges with increasing demand and help institutions work closely together on a regional basis. This is a substantial investment in a sector with enormous economic importance to Scotland, and I am looking forward to working with the entire sector to ensure colleges continue to deliver for learners.”

Edinburgh to act against impact of welfare reforms

Plans to mitigate the impact of national welfare reform measures on the capital have been announced by the City of Edinburgh Council. The plans, which will see an additional investment of £350,000 in advice and support services, will be discussed by the Corporate Policy and Strategy Committee on Tuesday (16 April).

The introduction of policies such as the Housing Benefit Under-occupancy Restrictions (or ‘bedroom tax’), which are expected to affect 3,800 Council tenants, and around 2,500 Housing Association tenants, combined with national reductions in benefits will have a significant impact on some Edinburgh residents and the city’s economy as a whole.

The Council has taken steps to minimise these repercussions where possible and is considering further actions to offer support. Residents affected by the under-occupancy restrictions have been contacted to provide advice about options such as moving to a smaller home, taking in lodgers or budgeting on a lower income.

Health, Wellbeing and Housing Convener, Councillor Ricky Henderson, (pictured below)said: “The new changes to the national welfare system will have a significant impact on the city and particularly those receiving benefits. It is also expected that the introduction of the under-occupancy changes will lead to increasing rent arrears, which may have an adverse impact on the Council’s ability to deliver services and capital investment in its homes.

“We have taken steps to bolster Council and voluntary sector advice services to make sure that residents are aware of these changes and the help that is available to them. It is vital that we support our most vulnerable citizens and do what we can to minimise these repercussions where possible.”

The committee will be asked to approve an investment of £350,000 to provide additional advice services. Of this sum, £100,000 will be provided to Citizens Advice Edinburgh, £22,000 to the Community Ability Network, £15,000 to The Action Group, £15,000 to FAIR and £7,000 to COSS. Some of the extra funds will also be invested in the Council’s own Advice Shop service and Contact Centre.

An additional £67,000 has already been agreed for the Welfare Rights and Health Project, CHAI Advice Service and Granton Information Centre.

Recent Scottish Local Government Forum Against Poverty figures suggest that changes to the national welfare system will lead to a loss of income of £223 million by 2015/2016 for people in Edinburgh. These changes mainly affect individuals and families living on low wages, those seeking work and disabled people who are unable to work. This will result in a greater need for advice about benefits, debt and budgeting, as well as an increased demand on social work, housing and homelessness services.

The administration of Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants is now the responsibility of the Council, after being transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions on 1 April. Crisis Grants are available as emergency payments where there is an immediate threat to health or safety and are now paid out from Council Neighbourhood and City Centre Offices with an out of hours service also available. A new team has been recruited to deal with the assessment and processing of claims, which can be made by phone, online, on paper and in person. Community Care grants will help to enable or continue independent living by providing furniture, carpets and white goods.

Further measures will be discussed by the Health, Wellbeing and Housing Policy Development and Review Sub Committee on Tuesday 23 April 2013.

The city council’s announcement comes as new independent research by Sheffield Hallam University has shown that welfare cuts will take more than £1.6bn a year out of the Scottish economy and hit the poorest parts hardest – the equivalent to about £480 a year for every adult of working age. The biggest losses are from reforms to incapacity benefits at about £500m a year.

The report states: “The financial losses arising from the reforms will hit the most deprived parts of Scotland hardest. Glasgow in particular, but also a number of other older industrial areas, will feel the impact most. The loss of benefit income, which is often large, will have knock-on consequences for local spending and thus for local employment, which will in turn add a further twist to the downward spiral.”

The report added: “A key effect of welfare reform will therefore be to widen the gaps in prosperity between the best and worst local economies across Scotland.” Researchers note that the scale of financial loss in Scotland would have been greater if the Scottish government had chosen to pass on the cut to council tax benefit.

The report was commissioned by the Holyrood’s welfare reform committee, and while it’s findings are unlikely to come as a major surprise, committee convener Labour MSP Michael McMahon said: “Our committee wanted a detailed picture of what would happen on the ground when these reforms were fully implemented. It is obvious to all that the impact is dramatic – and more so in the areas that can least afford it.”

A Scottish government spokesman said: “Sheffield Hallam have used the same publicly available data as the Scottish government analysis and reach broadly the same conclusions on the scale of the cuts. It is completely unacceptable that hard-working people and vulnerable groups will bear the brunt of the UK government’s welfare cuts.”

The UK government insists that changes must be considered alongside other measures like the increase of the tax threshold, that changes to the welfare system were necessary and that reforms will benefit the Scottish economy in the long-term.

Financial support to help cut your energy bills

The worst of winter may at last be over, but with sky-high utility bills dropping through the letterbox people across Scotland are being urged to seek assistance to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, helping to reduce household energy bills.

Housing and Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess has outlined that households can apply for financial assistance from the Scottish Government of up to £1,200 to pay for energy improvement measures such as cavity and loft insulation, double glazing, a new boiler or draft proofing.

Getting loft insulation can reduce energy bills by up to £175 per year, while replacing single-glazed windows with double glazed ones could save the average home around £165 per year. And taking simple steps to draught proof can cut £55 per year off the average property’s energy bill, while getting a new, energy efficient boiler could save a three bedroom home owner up to £300 annually.

Mrs Burgess said: “It is my belief that everyone in Scotland should live in a warm and safe home that doesn’t cost the earth to heat. In these current economic times, it is more important than ever that people take advantage of money saving opportunities like these when they can.

“Rising energy bills are a huge concern for this government, and fuel poverty is an absolute scandal in a country like Scotland. There is a wide range of financial support and offers available to Scottish households to support them when it comes to making the decision that is right for them.

“As well as perhaps being eligible for up to £400 towards the cost of a new boiler, householders could access up to £500 towards the cost of insulation measures, and up to £300 towards other measures such as double glazing or draft proofing if recommended as part of a Green Deal assessment. I would urge anyone who would like to reduce their energy bills to contact the Hotline as soon as possible to find out about how to get a Green Deal assessment and to find out about the offers available to them.”

You can find out more and apply for a Green Homes Cashback voucher by visiting

www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland

or by calling the Scottish Government’s Home Energy Scotland free hotline on 0800 512 012.

Scotland set for lower drink drive limits

Scotland is on course to adopt stricter drink driving limits than the rest of the UK following a government consultation. The vast majority of people who responded would like to see a lower drink drive limit in Scotland, with almost three quarters (74 per cent) of respondents to Reducing the Drink Driving Limit in Scotland believing that drink drive limits should be reduced.

The analysis also revealed that amongst those who want to see a lower limit, there was widespread agreement (87 per cent) with the Scottish Government’s proposal to lower the blood alcohol limit from 80mg of alcohol in every 100 ml of blood to 50 mg of alcohol in every 100 ml of blood.

The consultation responses suggested the likely benefits of a lower limit would be fewer road accidents and fewer casualties. A number of respondents also called for the Scottish Government to be given further powers to tackle drink driving.

Speaking at an event at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to highlight the harm caused by drink driving last week, Justice Secretary cKenny MacAskill confirmed that the Scottish Government will now be taking the necessary steps to bring in a lower drink driving limit in Scotland.

Mr MacAskill said: “Drink driving can shatter families and communities and we must take action to reduce the risk on our roads. On average, 30 families every year have to cope with the loss of a loved one and around 900 people are treated for injuries caused by someone who thought it was acceptable to drink alcohol and get behind the wheel and drive. We cannot let this continue. Lowering the drink drive limit will help make Scotland’s roads safer and save lives. The evidence is clear and the vast majority of those who responded to our consultation support the Scottish Government’s plans for change.

“The consultation now allows us to progress formal discussions with the police and the UK Government on the recalibration and testing of drink drive enforcement devices to ensure prosecutions are as robust as possible. Before a lower limit is introduced we will also consider issues such as how motorists driving into Scotland from England will be made aware of the lower limit. We are exploring options with Transport Scotland, police and justice and road safety partners as we move forward with our plans. Once we have progressed these issues over the next few months, I will be asking the Scottish Parliament to approve regulations to lower the limit.”

Dr Dave Caesar, Clinical Director of Emergency Medicine, NHS Lothian, said: “NHS Lothian runs Scotland’s busiest Emergency Department and we are too often faced with alcohol related emergencies in our hospitals. We welcome the results of the consultation to lower the drink drive limit. Alcohol in your blood stream slows your reaction times and how long it takes to process visual information. A lower drink drive limit would prevent road traffic accidents and deaths on our roads and therefore reduce the number of people who needlessly die each year.”

Kathleen Braidwood, road safety officer for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in Scotland, added: “Far too many people are being killed on our roads as a result of people who drink and drive, so RoSPA is delighted to see that a clear majority of people are in favour of the Scottish Government’s proposal to reduce the current drink-drive limit. One of RoSPA’s long-standing campaigns is for the drink-drive limit to be lowered from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg, not just in Scotland but across the whole of the UK.

“People need to realise that any amount of alcohol impairs a driver’s ability to judge speed and distance while behind the wheel. Alcohol also slows reaction times and can make drivers over-confident and more likely to take risks. Lowering the drink-drive limit will not only contribute to making our roads safer but also have a wider social impact.”