Tag: Scottish Government

New scheme to support town centres

£50 million fund for high street investment.

The Scottish Government has launched a £50 million fund to help boost town centres across the country. Edinburgh’s EIGHT town centres will receive £2.6 million under the deal.

The Town Centre Fund, which has been set up in partnership with COSLA, is supporting councils to ensure their high streets are more diverse, sustainable and successful in the face of changing and evolving retail patterns.

It will be for local authorities to allocate this fund against the themes of the Town Centre Action Plan.

The money will fund a wide range of investments which will make town centres more vibrant, enterprising, and accessible.

This could include the re-purposing of empty buildings for housing or social and community enterprises.

Speaking as he announced the launch of the fund, Economy Secretary Derek Mackay said: “Town centres are facing challenges across Scotland in adapting to a changing retail climate, and it is important that we help them to diversify and adjust to overcome these challenges.

“I want to make sure we can keep life in our high streets, and ensure they continue to be thriving places for communities to live, work and enjoy.

“This £50 million fund will enable local authorities to stimulate and support a wide range of investments which will encourage town centres to diversify and flourish, and create an increase in footfall through local improvements and partnerships.

“It is part of a wider boost to the economy through providing more than £5 billion of capital investment to grow and modernise Scotland’s infrastructure, and a wider package of support to businesses, including maintaining a competitive business rates package and providing the most generous package of non-domestic rates reliefs anywhere in the UK.”

Councillor Steven Heddle, COSLA’s Environment and Economy Spokesperson said:  “Local Economic Development drives so much of the other vital things that Councils do on behalf of our Communities.  This was a message we promoted as part of our essential services campaign ahead of this year’s budget.  We were clear that inclusive growth must be supported through investment in Local Government.

“We welcome today’s announcement of the £50 million for investment in our towns and we will continue to work with Scottish Government on our shared priority of Inclusive Growth and growing Scotland’s Economy.”

Did you know that Edinburgh has no less than EIGHT town centres?

There are eight town centres defined in the current city local plan. They are:

  • Corstorphine
  • Gorgie / Dalry
  • Leith / Leith Walk
  • Morningside / Bruntsfield
  • Nicolson Street / Clerk Street
  • Portobello
  • Stockbridge
  • Tollcross.

Eating disorder charity and NHS Lothian launch peer support for parents

The UK’s eating disorder charity Beat is partnering with NHS Lothian CAMHS to provide a peer support programme for young people experiencing eating disorders and for parents and carers of people with the illnesses, thanks to funding received from the Scottish Government of £100,000 over three years. Continue reading Eating disorder charity and NHS Lothian launch peer support for parents

Closing the Gap: Record number of school leavers reach a ‘positive destination’

Deprivation gap in positive destinations falls by half

94.4% of pupils had a ’positive destination’ including work, training or further study within three months of leaving school last year, official statistics show.

The figures also reveal that the gap between those from the most and least deprived communities achieving a positive destination has halved since 2009/10, with an increase in positive destinations for school leavers from both backgrounds.

Over the same period there have been increases at all levels of attainment – the qualifications young people are achieving.

For the first time more than 30% of pupils left school with a minimum of five passes at Higher Level or better, up from 22.2% in 2009/10. The gap between those from the most and least deprived areas achieving a pass at Higher Level or better is now at a record low, reducing for the eighth successive year.

In addition, more young people are choosing to remain at school, with almost two thirds leaving in S6.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “These welcome statistics show that more young Scots are studying, training or working within three months of leaving school than ever before. And, the gap between the richest and poorest communities for those getting into one of these positive destinations is now half what it was. That is real world progress in tackling an age old problem.

“They also show pupils are generally staying at school for longer and gaining more qualifications between fourth and sixth year. I am particularly pleased to see the attainment gap between school leavers achieving a pass at Higher Level or better is at a record low.

“At National 4 and 5 level, however, the attainment gap has remained broadly flat over the last two years which reflects the distance we know we have to go and why we are investing more than £180 million through the Scottish Attainment Challenge in 2019/20 alone.

“The figures published today are encouraging but we know there is more to do to raise attainment and ensure all our young people have the very best chance to build the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to succeed – regardless of their background.”

The 2009/10 summary statistics for attainment and initial leaver destinations are the earliest comparable figures to those published today.

Not fair: report calls for better deal for care workers

The Fair Work Convention today published its report Fair Work in Scotland’s Social Care Sector 2019. The report calls for urgent interventions by policy makers, commissioners and leaders in the social care sector to improve the quality of work and employment for the 200,000 strong workforce in Scotland.

The Scottish Greens have urged the Holyrood government to put fair work at the heart of social care by accepting the report’s recommendations in full. Continue reading Not fair: report calls for better deal for care workers

Holyrood to debate changes to organ donation legislation

A Bill to introduce a soft opt-out system of organ and tissue donation for deceased donors  will be debated in Parliament today. Members will be asked to agree to the general principles of the Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Bill. Continue reading Holyrood to debate changes to organ donation legislation

Holyrood backs Scottish Budget

MSPs back £42.5 billion budget

The Scottish Parliament has approved the 2019-20 Scottish Budget which provides £42.5 billion of investment in Scotland’s public services and economy. Scottish Greens support for the SNP budget ensured the budget was passed.

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said the budget provides essential funding for health and care services, education, local government and economic investment, while ensuring that 55% of income taxpayers in Scotland pay less tax than those earning the same income in the rest of the UK.

The passage of the Budget comes on the same day as the Scottish Government’s Chief Economist published a report showing that a ‘No Deal’ Brexit would lead to a major dislocation to the Scottish economy, with the potential for national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to fall by up to 7% and up to 100,000 jobs put at risk.

Mr Mackay said: “The passage of the budget provides £42.5 billion of investment in our public services and economy delivering for the people of Scotland today, whilst building for our future. This is a budget that ensures stability, sustainability and economic stimulus.

“Scotland’s economy continues to grow and unemployment is at the lowest on record but our prosperity is being put at risk by the increasing Brexit uncertainty, and in particular the ‘No Deal’ scenario.

“Today’s Chief Economist report shows that a ‘No Deal’ Brexit would be expected to push the Scottish economy into recession during 2019, with the potential for the economy to contract by between 2.5% and 7% by the end of 2019.

“Such an economic slowdown would risk a rise in unemployment from its current record low, with up to 100,000 more people in Scotland made unemployed.

“This would be an economic shock on the scale of the 2008 financial crisis, and this cannot be allowed to happen.

“We will continue to call on the UK Government to immediately rule out the possibility of a ‘No Deal’ Brexit and extend the Article 50 process. As a responsible government we are also continuing – and indeed intensifying – our work to prepare for all outcomes as best we can. However, while we will do everything we can to prepare, we will not be able to mitigate all of the impacts of the UK Government’s Brexit approach.

“This budget safeguards Scotland as best we can, using all the powers and resources at our disposal with a clear focus on our priorities as a nation.”

You can read the ‘No Deal’ Brexit – Economic Implications for Scotland’ paper here.

The 2019-20 Scottish Budget headlines:

  • Provides more than £180 million in raising attainment in schools, including £120 million through the Pupil Equity Fund to close the attainment gap
  • Continues to deliver a progressive income tax system
  • Includes a public sector pay deal that continues the journey of restoring pay levels and provides an above inflation pay uplift of 3% for those earning up to £36,500
  • Provides the most generous package of business rates reliefs in the UK, and ensures more than 90% of properties in Scotland will be charged a lower tax rate than other parts of the UK
  • Allocates more than £600 million for colleges and maintains investment at more than £1 billion for universities
  • Increases direct investment in mental health by £27 million, taking overall funding to £1.1 billion, including improving mental health services for young people, and providing support in schools, colleges and universities
  • Increases investment in Health and Social Care Partnerships to more than £9 billion for delivery of primary and community health services
  • Delivers new and improved social security benefits based on dignity and respect
  • Provides local government with a real terms increase in both revenue and capital funding, and a real terms increase in total overall support, through a £11.2 billion settlement
  • Prioritises £500 million to expand funded early learning and childcare, supporting the recruitment and training of staff and investment in building, refurbishment and extension of around 750 nurseries and family centres
  • Includes initial funding of £130 million towards the establishment of a Scottish National Investment Bank
  • Protects the police resource budget in real terms
  • Provides more than £20 million for zero waste, supporting the transition towards a more resource-efficient, circular economy, including design and implementation of a deposit return scheme
  • Allocates £80 million for Active Travel to help build an Active Nation
  • Invests more than £825 million, as part of our total investment in excess of £3 billion to deliver 50,000 affordable homes over the course of the Parliament
  • Continues to invest in the £50 million Ending Homelessness Together fund
  • Provides more than £70 million in 2019-20 to drive forward sustainable and inclusive growth in the rural economy

 

 

Auld Alliance: FM calls for EU nationals to stay in Scotland

The Scottish Government will increase its efforts to encourage EU citizens to remain in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will confirm in an address to the Assemblée Nationale, the lower house of the French Parliament, later today. Ms Sturgeon will describe the UK’s decision to end Freedom of Movement as part of its Brexit deal as a ‘self-defeating measure.’ Continue reading Auld Alliance: FM calls for EU nationals to stay in Scotland