Following final advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland (PHS) are finalising plans for the roll out of Scotland’s winter vaccination programme, delivered at a local level by Health Boards across the country.
This year’s programme has an increased focus on protecting those at highest risk of becoming seriously ill from flu and COVID-19. There will also be changes to call up dates to ensure maximum protection to these groups over the winter months.
Everyone over 50 and those with certain conditions will be offered a flu vaccination.
People aged 50-64 with no underlying health conditions, are now being called forward for appointments starting from 4 September.
The expansion of the flu programme to include secondary school pupils continues this winter, with all school age pupils, children aged 2-5 and children aged 6 months to under 2 years at risk being eligible.
Both flu and COVID-19 vaccines will be offered to people most vulnerable to illness and, where possible, administered at the same time.
Clinical advice and evidence shows that administration of both vaccines together is a safe and efficient way to deliver maximum protection. JCVI has advised that protection is highest in the three months following vaccination, so vaccinating those at highest risk of COVID-19 later provides greater protection over the peak winter period and into the new year.
Invitations to people aged 65-74 years of age with no underlying conditions and those aged 12-64 years in a clinical risk group (excluding those with a weakened immune system) that leaves them at greater risk from COVID-19 will be the first to receive invitations, with appointments starting from 18 September.
Invitations for all other priority groups receiving both flu and COVID-19 vaccines will follow as the programme progresses. This includes people in care homes and those aged 75 and over who will receive invitations for appointments starting from mid-October. Both of these groups were offered vaccination during the spring COVID-19 programme, so their immunity has received a recent boost.
People should wait for NHS Scotland to contact them with details of their appointment, or prompt to book. Depending on their selected communication preferences, this will be by email, text, or by post in a white, NHS Scotland branded envelope, which replaces the blue envelopes used previously.
Public Health Minister, Jenni Minto said: “We thank the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation for their latest independent expert clinical advice which recommends we focus on protecting those most vulnerable to serious illness from COVID-19.
“We have accepted this advice and will continue to plan and implement the vaccination programme this winter.
“Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourselves, your loved ones, and the NHS from both COVID-19 and flu viruses, and I encourage all those eligible to take up their invitations when they are offered.”
Dr Claire Cameron, Consultant in Health Protection at PHS said: “Getting vaccinated is the safest and most effective way to protect yourself against flu and COVID-19 this winter.
“This year’s programme focuses on protecting those who are at highest risk. One of the ways we’re doing this is by offering vaccination to people who are most vulnerable to illness later in the programme to ensure they have maximum protection in the peak of winter.
“Scotland’s vaccination programme has always offered vaccinations in the safest and most effective ways possible. We know that administration of both vaccines together is a safe, efficient way to deliver increased protection when it’s most needed. Last year, over 89% of flu and COVID-19 vaccines were administered at the same time.
“We hope to see most vaccinations completed by early December. Those eligible for a flu or flu and COVID-19 vaccination this winter should look out for their invitation by email, text or by post in a white NHS Scotland envelope and take up the offer to protect themselves.”
View the JCVI advice on a vaccination programme for this winter:
Your Voice Matters in Shaping Health and Social Care!
Ever wanted to put your question to the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health, and Social Care? Here’s your chance!
Michael Matheson MSP will appear before the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on 12th September, and the Committee want to hear from you.
Whether you’re part of the public or work in health and care, submit your relevant questions on topics such as the NHS recovery from the pandemic and be part of scrutinising the work of government.
Clare Haughey MSP, Convener of the Committee, says, “This is a great opportunity… your suggested questions may help to inform our scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s approach.”
Shona Robison: 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships ‘celebrate inclusion‘
With more than 260 medals already awarded, the opening days of the inaugural 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships has seen thousands of cyclists take to the roads, ramps, tracks, and mountains across Glasgow and Scotland for this first-of-its-kind event.
Kicking off on Thursday, 3 August, the biggest cycling event ever has already witnessed some special moments, with events taking place across Scotland following a stellar opening ceremony that was headlined by KT Tunstall in Glasgow city centre on Wednesday, 2 August.
Around 400,000 fans and residents have thrown their support behind the athletes at events over the last four days, including an estimate of more than 300,000 fans across the entire route of the Men Elite Road Race on Sunday. Of that, 190,000 were estimated to have turned out around the Glasgow circuit specifically.
Avid spectators have also been present in venues across the country, watching the incredible action at the BMX Freestyle Park at Glasgow Green, the Mountain Bike Downhill in Fort William and Track and Para-cycling Track at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome with millions more watching from home thanks to action being broadcast live across the world.
Meanwhile in Perth & Kinross and Dundee & Angus more than 2,000 top amateur athletes took to the road for the Gran Fondo and Medio Fondo road races and also the Gran Fondo Time Trials. Among the competitors was UCI President David Lappartient, completing the 160km scenic and challenging course.
Trudy Lindblade, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships CEO, said: “The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships has got off to a truly spectacular start with the action across the last four days coming thick and fast. After years of planning, it is fantastic to see fans getting out to support athletes from around the world as they vie for one of the UCI’s famous rainbow jerseys.
“While the first four days have been hugely successfully, we now look forward to another week of world class cycling across Scotland, including BMX Racing at Knightswood, Para-cycling Road in Dumfries and Galloway, Mountain Bike Cross-country at Glentress and the Individual Time Trials in Stirling before we sign off in Glasgow with Indoor Cycling, the Para-cycling Mixed Relay and the Women Elite road race bringing this incredible celebration of cycling to a close.”
New UCI World Champions Crowned
The action has come thick and fast at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome as the Track and Para-cycling Track have been integrated into one event for the first time.
Japan’s Keiko Sugiura took the honour of being crowned the first UCI World Champion of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, winning gold in the Women’s C3 Individual Pursuit. Great Britain got their first UCI World title of the championships thanks to Jenny Holl and Sophie Unwin, who were victorious in the women’s B 1km time trial.
The Great Britian team used the roar of the home crowd to their advantage to win a slew of gold medals and rainbow jerseys over the last four days,
including Scotsman Neil Fachie and his pilot Matthew Rotherham taking the win in the men’s B 1km time trial; para-cycling super power Jody Cundy winning his 14th straight kilo UCI World title, while Jaco van Gass (men’s C3 1km time trial), and Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl (women’s B individual pursuit) also claimed more gold medals.
Saturday’s action was seen out in style as the team of Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Josie Knight and Anna Morris took home the gold in the women’s team pursuit for team GB ahead of the New Zealand team. There were amazing scenes in the velodrome as they took the win by over 4 seconds after a tightly contested first couple of kilometres, especially for home talent, Katie Archibald who makes a thrilling comeback after a tough year.
It was also a sweet return for USA Track cyclist Chloé Dygert who made her return to competition after a tragic crash three years ago by winning the Women’s Elite Individual Pursuit, her 11th UCI World title across Junior and Elite categories on the track and road.
On Sunday, one of the most incredible races of the championships saw 5-time UCI World Champion Filippo Ganna narrowly pip Great Britain’s Dan Bigham in the men’s individual pursuit, while Belgian Lotte Kopecky added a rainbow jersey to her Tour de France green jersey win earlier this year.
A dominant performance by Great Britain’s Fran Brown in the women’s C1 individual pursuit is made even more impressive with the bonus of a world record, while debutant Archie Atkinson became men’s C4 scratch UCI World Champion at the age of 19: this is an athlete we’ll be looking out for in the future.
On the Road
On the road, the Juniors got the action underway as France’s Julie Bego took home the gold ahead of Team GB’s Cat Ferguson in the Women Junior road race and Denmark’s Albert Philipsen blew away competition, winning with over a minute margin.
This set the stage Sunday’s action that saw Dutchman Mathieu Van der Poel power through more than 200km, from Edinburgh to Glasgow to claim his first road UCI World title during the Men Elite Road Race, beating Belgium’s Wout van Aert (silver) and Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia who outsprinted Denmark’s Mads Pedersen for bronze. Van der Poel win saw him become the first Dutch champion to win the Men Elite road race UCI World title since Joop Zoetemelk in 1985.
In the Mountains
Up at Fort William Austria’s Valentina Höll conquered Nevis Range to win her second consecutive gold medal in the Women Elite Mountain Bike Downhill, while Charlie Hatton became the fifth Men Elite British rider to win the UCI World title in the Mountain Bike Downhill.
In the Men Junior MTB Downhill, Germany’s Henri Kiefer overcame a stacked field secure first place, while New Zealand’s Erice van Leuven took the top spot in the women’s junior category, completing dominant display from the Kiwis, who also took silver and bronze medals.
The mountain bike action continued down in Glentress as Brazil’s Henrique Avancini won the men’s mountain bike cross-country marathon ahead of a stacked field. In the women’s race, Mona Mitterwallner solidified her lead midway through today’s race to take the win for Austria.
A full list of 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships medal winners and results are available here.
Tickets for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championship events are still on sale from as little as £8, with concessions from £5, plus there are many free events to watch throughout the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.
Deputy First Minister Shona Robison attended the Gran Fondo amateur time trial as the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships continue across Scotland.
The Scottish Government hopes the world’s biggest ever cycling competition will motivate people to cycle for sport, recreation and active travel. The £8 million Cycling Facilities Fund, delivered in partnership with sportscotland, will create a network of new accessible facilities that will encourage people of all ages to ride bikes and enjoy cycling.
In the time trial, cyclists of varying ages and abilities take on a challenging course that starts in Dundee and takes in parts of Angus before returning to the city. It follows two Gran Fondo road races of different lengths in Perth and Kinross last week.
The Deputy First Minister said: “Hosting the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships is helping us to showcase Scotland as an inclusive and welcoming nation.
“I hope that these Championships, through its many events such as the Gran Fondo, will inspire people from all walks of life to build a more active and healthier Scotland through the power of the bike.
“We understand the importance of sport and physical activity, particularly for women and girls in Scotland, and the positive impact on their physical, mental and social health across all stages in life – from early years, teenage years, through adulthood and into later life.”
The Skills Development Scotland (SDS) Results Helpline is staffed by more than 30 expert careers advisors and opens tomorrow (Tuesday 8th August) for four days.
The service provides impartial careers advice and guidance on the next steps to students, and their parents and carers, following receipt of their exam results.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth met SDS staff at a Results Helpline centre in Edinburgh to learn more about their work and how it benefits pupils.
Ms Gilruth said: “Results day can be a very emotional one for pupils, parents and carers. The opportunity to have a conversation with someone who is impartial and knowledgeable is so valuable.
“Whatever a person’s results, there are options out there for everyone and I would encourage anyone with any concerns or uncertainty about future choices to contact the results helpline to speak with friendly, knowledgeable staff for advice about your next steps.”
SDS Head of Career Information, Advice and Guidance Operations Sharon McIntyre said: “We are so pleased the Education Secretary took time out to come and visit the Results Helpline staff this year.
“It was very clear from the conversations we had that she recognises just how valuable our support is for worried pupils, parents and carers. We wish everyone all the very best with their results this year, but please don’t worry if you don’t get the outcome you hoped for, just phone 0808 100 8000 and we will help you find alternative options.”
The SDS helpline can be reached on 0800 100 8000 and will be open from 8am to 8pm on Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th August.
It will then open from 9am to 5pm on Thursday 10th and Friday 11th August. The SDS’ careers advisers will be on hand to offer advice about all post school options, including UK colleges and universities, Confirmation and Clearing, apprenticeships, jobs and volunteering.
Students can also access the SQA Candidate Advice Line (CAL) on 0345 279 1000.
It offers support and information relating to the Scottish Qualification Certificates and is open from 8am-6pm on 8 August and 8.30am – 5pm on 9August.
A pilot project to radically improve residents’ homes in an area with high levels of poverty has been hailed by the Housing Minister.
The City of Edinburgh Council’s three-year Mixed Tenure Improve Plan is directing £30m towards boosting the sustainability of homes and comfort of residents across the Murrayburn, Hailesland and Dumbryden estates in Wester Hailes.
Measures being installed in Wester Hailes are revolutionising the energy efficiency of these properties, resulting in warmer homes, reduced fuel bills, and significantly lower carbon emissions.
Two years in, over 900 hundred homes have been upgraded, benefitting over 670 council tenants and 230 private residents in the first eight phases of work. Phases 9 to 11 will be completed by the end of 2024.
Following a visit to a recently renovated estate at Murrayburn Park, where 84 homes have benefited from the pilot, Housing Minister Paul McLennan said: “I was delighted to see first-hand the work of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Mixed Tenure Improvement Service programme, which is making homes more energy efficient so that people are able to live in good quality, warm homes.
“The Scottish Government has provided £36.9 million of funding to the City of Edinburgh Council to fund initiatives like this one in Wester Hailes. This is part of a £1.8 billion investment during this parliamentary term to transform the heat and energy efficiency of homes throughout Scotland and help people with their energy bills.
“High quality housing is a key pillar of Housing to 2040. I am delighted to see the benefits these home improvements will have for residents in Edinburgh.”
Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said:What a transformation and a shining example of the work our officers are doing to make hundreds of homes warmer, greener and better inside and out. It just goes to show what we can jointly achieve when we have the funding we so desperately need.
“It has been fantastic to see the effect this ground-breaking initiative is having. The work we’ve put in to this pilot is clearly welcomed by local residents, including many of our own tenants, and will have a lasting impact on the community.
“Edinburgh is quite unique in the amount of shared housing we have, with many blocks and estates benefitting from a mix of privately owned homes, rented properties and social housing. This project has already increased the lifespan of many of these buildings so that everyone living here now and in the future benefits.”
Residents of the housing estates which have already benefitted from the pilot have reported experiencing warmer, more comfortable homes and a noticeable decrease in their energy bills.
One local tenant said:“The neighbourhood feels refreshed and brighter, and homes feel warmer.
Another resident laughed, telling us that his daughter gave him a row for having his heating on, when he didn’t. He felt that the works have improved the heat in his home noticeably.
One tenant told us that she did not switch on her heating at all last winter, saying she thought she had saved about 80% off her heating bills.
One key initiative has involved installing cutting-edge insulation technologies. The Council has successfully minimised heat loss from homes, helping them to remain warm and comfortable during colder months.
Other upgrades include new roofs, new common windows, new main doors and door entry systems and decoration of common stairs.
Organisations at the frontline of helping people facing poverty and hardship can now apply for a share of government funding to help tackle food insecurity.
The £1.6 million Cash-First Fund is aimed at public sector and third sector partnerships to deliver cash grants for food and other essentials, helping to reduce the need for food parcels.
Up to £200,000 will be made available to partnerships including community food initiatives, local authority teams, and money advice services.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Taking a cash-first approach to tackling food insecurity means people can access the essentials they need while maintaining dignity. When this is delivered collaboratively, with advice and support to strengthen people’s income, it can also help prevent future hardship.
“Local public and third sector services know their communities best and are well-placed to support households in crisis, so I encourage them to work together and apply for the Cash-First Fund.
“Tackling poverty and protecting people from harm is a critical mission for this government and our actions are already making a difference to households, including some of our most vulnerable children, across Scotland. The Cash-First Fund is another important milestone on this journey and our learning from this will take us another step closer towards a Scotland without the need for food banks.”
Head of Scotland at the Trussell Trust, Polly Jones said: “Cash-first partnerships will play a key role in taking us closer to a Scotland where no one needs to use a food bank.
“We are delighted the Scottish Government is launching this innovative pilot, supporting public sector bodies and community organisations to work together to ensure people get the support they need in a crisis and to reduce the need for food banks in their communities.”
Coordinator of the Independent Food Aid Network, Sabine Goodwin said: “This funding provides a critical opportunity to cement local cash first actions aimed at reducing food insecurity.
“Ending the need for food banks undoubtedly requires strategic vision and close collaboration at a local level. We very much welcome the Scottish Government’s support of local partnerships and the prioritisation of a cash first approach to food insecurity.
Public and third sector partnerships are invited to apply to the Cash-First Fund by 5pm on Friday 1 September.
Up to eight successful partnerships will each be provided with up to £200,000 over two years to deliver activities that improve urgent local access to cash in a crisis.
Anyone who is struggling financially can get advice through their local authority, a local advice service, Social Security Scotland or by visiting the Scottish Government’s cost of living website: https://costofliving.campaign.gov.scot/
Projects across Scotland have been awarded funding as part of the Scottish Government’s Digital Inclusion Programme aimed at helping people to access online support services, initially in mental health and housing services.
The thirteen projects, which bid to be one of the ‘Digital Pioneers’, will develop, test and implement programmes to help people access the services they need online to support their health and wellbeing.
The £600,000 first phase of the programme is being delivered in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. It will benefit more than 1,500 people by building skills and confidence, as well as devices to support access to digital services in mental health and housing.
It is expected that following the programme, which will run for two years, a shared understanding and learning of how best to support digital inclusion in mental health and housing will be created.
Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, Michael Matheson said: “Supporting people to feel more digitally confident so they can access the services they need online is absolutely vital and it is one of our long-standing commitments.
“This programme will see models tested that will help so many people gain the skills they need to improve their own health and know how to access the support that is available to them.”
The Digital Inclusion Programme launched in March 2023, is led by the Digital Health and Care directorate and delivered in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and Connecting Scotland.
The programme, backed by £2 million of funding, focuses on two areas: digital inclusion in Mental Health (supporting people with a mental health condition (s)) and digital inclusion in Housing (supporting customers or tenants in social housing, the private rented sector or owner-occupied housing who are most at risk of digital exclusion).
List of organisations awarded funding with overview of their project:
Organisation
Amount
Project Overview
Anticipated number of direct beneficiaries
Aberdeen Foyer
£54,867
Aberdeen Foyers Housing Digital Support project will work with young people in Aberdeenshire at risk of experiencing homelessness. Funding will allow them to expand their current services to provide devices, connectivity and digital inclusion support to improve access to supports and services and to reduce isolation. The project will support 22 staff and volunteers and 75 young people.
75
Blackwood Homes and Care
£55,000
Blackwoods Digital Buddies project will work with older people in supported living accomodation, in rural areas in Scotland. Funding will allow them to expand their current digital inclusion model across newly acquired supported living accomodation. The project will provide digital training to upskill 76 staff and volunteers and provide connectivity, devices and digital skills support to 130 older residents.
130
Simon Community Scotland
£54,982
Simon Community Scotland’s Get Connected Housing project will work with people experiencing homelessness. Funding will allow them to embed their existing digital inclusion approach within their Housing First & Housing Support Services within Edinburgh. The project will provide devices, connectivity and one to one digital support to work with people transitioning from homelessness and temporary accommodation to sustained tenancies. The project will work with 65 staff and 130 participants to build digital skills and confidence and improve access to services.
130
Prospect Community Housing Limited
£31,310
Prospect Community Housing’s Link Up project works with people with a disability or long term health condition in Wester Hailes. Funding will allow them to continue to work in partnership with WHALE arts to deliver digital drop-ins and one to one support to improve digital skills and confidence. The project will support 5 staff and volunteers and 70 participants.
70
Shettleston Housing Association Limited
£54,980
Shettleston Housing Association’s Shettleston Does Digital project works with older adults who are not in work or are retired. Funding will allow them to expand their existing digital inclusion work in partnership with Fuse Youth Cafe to deliver digital drop-ins and digital skills training to improve digital confidence and increase access to services and support. The project will work with 10 staff and volunteers and 160 participants
160
Link living
£50,268
Link Living’s Digital support service supports young people and people with moderate to severe mental health conditions across Edinburgh to improve digital skills. Funding will allow them to continue delivery of their Digital Support Service providing connectivity, devices and one to one support to improve digital skills and confidence. The project will support 1 staff member and 130 participants
130
Queens Cross Housing Association Limited
£42,753
Queens Cross Housing Association’s Digital Spaces in Community Places works with mutiple digitally excluded groups across communities in Glasgow. Funding will allow them to continue delivering digital sessions inlcuding coding for young people, digital cafes for older people and structured course content across 4 community facilities in Glasgow.The project will work with 50 staff and volunteers and 190 participants to build digital skills, confidence and increase access to support services.
190
Carr Gomm
£54,677
Carr Gomm’s Connected Lives project builds on the learning from their previous Digital Inclusion Research Project (DIRP). Funding will allow them to expand their digital inclusion support across Glasgow’s Integrated Services and enhance support through establishing a safe, online peer network to facilitate improved wellbeing through meaningful community connections. The project will support 40 staff and 60 service users to build their digital skills and confidence.
60
Saheliya
£54,773
Saheliya Digital Pioneers project works with marginalised New Scots women in Edinburgh and Glasgow to increase their digital skills and confidence. Funding will allow them to continue to deliver digital inclusion and language sessions to improve skills and confidence to access further supports and services to improve mental health and wellbeing. The project will support will support 10 staff and 72 New Scots women.
72
Moray Wellbeing Hub
£54,982
Moray Wellbeing Hub’s Digital Mental Health Capacity Building project aims to establish a digital mental health hub in to improve digital skills and access to services in Moray. Funding will allow them to build on current work with Health and Social Care Partnership Moray to offer online and in person digital support to improve digital skills and confidence and social connections. The project will work with 30 staff and 300 participants to reduce digital exclusion.
300
Scottish Association for Mental Health
£51,270
The Scottish Association for Mental Health’s Enduring Digital Accessibility project works with people in supported living settings to enhance their digital skills and confidence. Funding will allow them to expand and formalise their existing digital inclusion activities in Edinburgh, Perth and Glasgow and increase access to online supports and services. The project will also enhance staff and participants access with their care management system to improve peoples engagement within their individual care plans. The project will support 25 staff and 100 people in supported living settings.
100
Cyrenians
£36,244
Cyrenians Digital Inclusion project works with people facing long term unemployment, transitioning from hospital care and living in residential care. Funding will allow them to expand their current digital inclusion activities and provide a digital hub at their Farm, one to one support and indepth digital skills support in Edinburgh and West Lothian. The project will support 37 people.
37
Just Bee Productions
£54,229
Just Bee’s Just Breath project works with people to reduce mental health inequalities, assessments and waiting times to access services. Funding will allow them to deliver a variety of digital inclusion activities with people in crisis to improve their digital skills and confidence to access services and supports to support their mental Health. The project will support 4 staff and 80 participants experiencing moderate to severe mental health conditions.
The very best of cultural talent from Scotland will be under the spotlight this month as Edinburgh welcomes visitors from home and abroad to its world-class summer arts festivals.
Six of the festivals have received support from the Scottish Government’s Expo Fund to commission new work, some of which will tour internationally following festival performances. Under the Made in Scotland banner there are 18 funded shows this year featuring an exciting mix of theatre, music and dance commissions and performances.
In addition, the Platforms for Creative Excellence (PLACE) programme – jointly funded by the Scottish Government and the City of Edinburgh Council – focuses on programme innovation, creative development, and community.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Scotland has a wealth of phenomenally talented artists and the Edinburgh festivals provide a fantastic platform for them to reach a much wider audience.
“Expo and PLACE funding have not only helped to raise the profile of Scottish artists but contributed to a more vibrant and diverse arts scene both at home and internationally.
“There is something for everyone across the summer festivals and I hope people from home and abroad, whether they’re taking part in events or watching performances will enjoy this fantastic celebration of culture.”
Festivals Edinburgh chair Dr Simon Gage said: “We warmly welcome this sustained support from the Scottish Government for our festivals and the people who make them happen.
“This is crucial in allowing us to deliver unparalleled cultural, social and economic benefits that enhance lives at home and Scotland’s profile around the world.”
Since it was set up in 2008, the Expo cohort has received £32 million. Within the first ten years, the fund had supported the commissioning of more than 550 new works of art, music and theatre.
Recipients awarded a share of the £1.8 million Expo Fund for 2023-24 include Edinburgh Art Festival (£130,000), Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society (£550,000), Edinburgh International Book Festival (£85,000), Edinburgh International Festival (£100,000), Edinburgh International Film Festival (£59,000) and Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival (£100,000).
The PLACE Fund was set up five years ago to provide £1 million each year over five years to the Edinburgh festivals.
Expert advisory group aims to improve fairness in the workplace
Leading figures from business, trade unions, equality groups and academia are coming together to advise the Scottish Government on its fair work agenda.
Chaired by Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray, the Fair Work Oversight Group meets for the first time today (Thursday, 3 August) and will help ensure that policies deliver on the aim of creating a fair, green and growing economy.
Group members include representatives from the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the Fair Work Convention and the Fraser of Allander Institute, underlining the broad commitment to the Scottish Government’s ambitions to encourage payment of the real Living Wage, give employees a voice in the workplace and provide equal opportunity.
As well as reviewing the preparation and implementation of policy, the group will share best practice and submit a report on fair work progress to Parliament in early 2024.
Mr Gray said: “Fair work and fair pay make sense for both workers and employers across all sectors, helping to improve staff retention and productivity, reduce recruitment costs and contribute to a skilled and motivated workforce.
“The diversity of this group is a testament to our shared ambition for fair work to be an integral part of Scotland’s wellbeing economy. Members will bring to the table ideas and insights from across Scottish society. They will also support and scrutinise our plans to ensure we work in partnership effectively.
“While employers have made good progress, more can be done to tackle inequalities and improve conditions in workplaces. This group will advise on how best to address on-going challenges and take forward our Fair Work Action Plan.”
The Fair Work Oversight Group members:
Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Neil Gray (Chair)
Andrew Carter – NHS Borders
Anna Ritchie Allan – Close the Gap
Charandeep Singh – Scottish Chambers of Commerce
Claire Reid – Scottish Council for Development and Industry
Dave Moxham – Scottish Trades Union Congress
David Lonsdale – Scottish Retail Consortium
Emma Congreve – Fraser of Allander Institute
Heather Fisken – Inclusion Scotland
Professor Ima Jackson – Glasgow Caledonia University
Lee Ann Panglea – Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Professor Tricia Findlay – Fair Work Convention
Terry Duffy – ACAS
Stephanie Griffin – Equality and Human Rights Commission
A representative from the Non-Departmental Public Bodies Chief Executives’ Forum
UK Government will continue to top-up the Scottish Government’s tax revenues, worth £1.4 billion last year, as a benefit of strength and scale of the UK.
Boost to borrowing powers and backing of Barnett formula will build a better future for Scotland and help to grow the economy.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury John Glen hails a fair and responsible deal in line with the Prime Minister’s economic priorities.
The UK and Scottish Governments have today reached an agreement on an updated Fiscal Framework.
Holyrood’s capital borrowing powers will rise in line with inflation, enabling the Scottish Government to invest further in schools, hospitals, roads and other key infrastructure that will help to create better paid jobs and opportunity in Scotland.
The new deal maintains the Barnett formula, through which the Scottish Government receives over £8 billion more funding each year than if it received the levels of UK Government spending per person elsewhere in the UK. It also updates funding arrangements in relation to court revenues and the Crown Estate.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, said:“This is a fair and responsible deal that has been arrived at following a serious and proactive offer from the UK Government.
“We have kept what works and listened to the Scottish Government’s calls for greater certainty and flexibility to deliver for Scotland.
“The Scottish Government can now use this for greater investment in public services to help the people of Scotland prosper. These are the clear benefits of a United Kingdom that is stronger as a union.”
The funding arrangements for tax will be continued, with the Scottish Government continuing to keep every penny of devolved Scottish taxes while also receiving an additional contribution from the rest of the UK.
Under the previous Fiscal Framework, the Scottish Government could borrow £450 million per year within a £3 billion cap, as well as receiving a Barnett-based share of UK Government borrowing. Going forward these amounts will instead rise in line with inflation, which supports additional investment across Scotland and lays the foundations for economic growth.
The UK Government has listened to calls from the Scottish Government for greater certainty and flexibility to help them manage their Budget and agreed a permanent doubling of the resource borrowing annual limit from £300 million to £600 million.
Limits on how much can be withdrawn from the Scotland Reserve to spend in future years will also be removed. This will boost spending through borrowing by £90 million in 2024/25. All future limits will increase in line with inflation.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said:“The renewed Fiscal Framework shows what can be achieved when there is a collaborative focus on delivering economic opportunity and why we are stronger and more prosperous as one United Kingdom.
“The deal – worth billions of pounds to Scotland over the coming years – builds upon work to support economic growth and provide more high skill jobs, investment and future opportunities for local people, such as the establishment of Investment Zones and Freeports in Scotland.
“The UK Government knows that high prices are still a huge worry for families. That’s why we’re sticking to our plan to halve inflation, reduce debt and grow the economy. As well as providing targeted cost of living support, we are directly investing more than £2.4 billion in hundreds of projects across Scotland as we help level up the country.”
As both governments continue to work together to tackle challenges like the cost of living, an updated Fiscal Framework equips the Scottish Government with the instruments for growth while protecting the wider public finances.
Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Shona Robison said: “This is a finely balanced agreement that gives us some extra flexibility to deal with unexpected shocks, against a background of continuing widespread concern about the sustainability of UK public finances and while it is a narrower review than we would have liked, I am grateful to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury for reaching this deal.
“As I set out in the Medium-Term Financial Strategy, we are committed to tackling poverty, building a fair, green and growing economy, and improving our public services to make them fit for the needs of future generations.
“We still face a profoundly challenging situation and will need to make tough choices in the context of a poorly performing UK economy and the constraints of devolution, to ensure finances remain sustainable.”
This morning the UK and Scottish governments have published the long-awaited update to the Fiscal Framework, following the review that has been going on for the last couple of years (writes MAIRI SPOWAGE of the Fraser of Allander Institute).
Since this was due to happen in 2021, we have been waiting for the outcome of this review. For more background, see our blog from late 2021.
For those new to it, the Fiscal Framework sets out the rules for how devolution of tax and social security powers following the Scotland Act 2016 is supposed to work in terms of finances. It sets out the mechanisms by which the Scottish block grant is adjusted to reflect the fact that large amounts of tax and social security powers are now the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament.
It also sets out fiscal flexibilities that the Scottish Government can choose to use in managing these new powers, as new tax and social security powers also come with risks that require to be managed.
In this blog, we set out the main headlines and our initial reaction to the updates.
The mechanism for adjusting the Block Grant will remain permanently as the Index Per Capita (IPC) method.
This is one of the most complex areas of the fiscal framework but definitely one of the most significant.
For tax, it sets out the mechanism for working out how much the UK Government has “given up” by devolving a tax to Scotland, given that it is a significant loss in revenue. As, following devolution, there are different policies pursued in rest of UK and Scotland, this is not straightforward. Essentially though, the mechanism agreed in 2016 was to grow the tax at the point of devolution at the rate, per person, that it grows in the rest of the UK. This is known as the Index Per Capita (IPC) method.
So, the idea is that if taxes per head grow quicker in Scotland, the Scottish Budget will be better off – conversely, if taxes per head grow more slowly, the Scottish Budget will be worse off.
In 2016, when the fiscal framework was first agreed, the IPC method was the SG’s preference, whereas the UKG preferred the “Comparable Method” (which would generally be worse than the IPC method for the Scottish Budget). SO they agreed to use IPC for the first 5 years and review it in this review published today.
They have now agreed that the IPC method will remain on a permanent basis.
Interestingly, this means that on a permanent basis, the mechanisms for adjusting the block grants for Wales and Scotland will be different, given Wales’s Fiscal Framework uses the Comparable Method, albeit with additional provisions to keep a funding floor in place.
Borrowing Powers for managing forecast error have been increased significantly
Resource borrowing powers to manage forecast error associated with tax and social security powers have been increased from £300m to £600m. This is required because when budgets are set, the tax, social security and block grant adjustment estimates are set on the basis of forecasts from both the Scottish Fiscal Commission and the Office for Budget Responsibility. When the outturn data is available, if there is a discrepancy (which is very likely) then the Scottish Budget has to reconcile these differences.
This will be good news for the Deputy First Minister looking ahead to delivering her first budget in December, given that it was confirmed recently that there will be a large negative reconciliation to reflect income tax receipts in 2021-22 of £390m. As these changes are coming into effect for the 2024-25 budget year, this means she will have more flexibility to borrow to cover this.
All limits, such as resource and capital borrowing powers, will be uprated in line with inflation
When the Fiscal Framework was first agreed, the limits on borrowing for both resource and capital, and the limits for what could be put into the Scotland reserve, were set in cash terms and have been fixed ever since.
This agreement today sets out that the ones that remain will be uprated by inflation (although the exact inflation measure and timing is still to be confirmed), and that the limits on the additions and drawdowns on the Scotland Reserve will also be abolished.
The VAT Assignment can gets kicked down the road again
One thing that is a little disappointing is that there was no final decision on VAT Assignment. See our blog from 2019 to get the background in this.
VAT Assignment was included as part of the Smith Commission powers. The idea was that half of VAT raised in Scotland would be assigned to the Scottish Budget, which would mean, if the Scottish Economy was performing better than the UK as a whole, the budget would be better off, and conversely, if VAT was growing less quickly in Scotland, the budget would be worse off.
However, after almost 10 years, it has become clear that there is no way to estimate VAT in Scotland that is precise enough for this to have budgetary implications. It is a large amount of money (more than £5 billion) so even small fluctuations in how it is estimated can mean changes of hundreds of millions of pounds.
Today, the Governments have agreed to just keep discussing it. We think it is time that everyone admitted it is just not a sensible idea.
We’ll keep digging through the detail of everything published today and will provide more commentary through our weekly update on Friday.
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