Tag: Scottish Government

A Warm Scots Future for Ukrainians

Next steps to help displaced people rebuild their lives

A new strategy will help Ukrainians living in Scotland to settle into communities and gain longer term housing.

Developed by the Scottish Government in collaboration with the Scottish Refugee Council and COSLA, the Warm Scots Future paper sets out priorities for the next phase of Scotland’s Ukraine response to support those fleeing the conflict to rebuild their lives here.

These include reducing the use of temporary accommodation, boosting access to settled housing, and keeping human rights at the heart of all integration efforts.

To support these priorities, more than £1.5 million is being made available to third sector organisations to benefit Ukrainians.

Local authorities will also receive £3.2 million to support staffing of resettlement teams. This is alongside £30 million being distributed to councils to support Ukrainians into sustainable housing, including through private and social renting.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville launched the plan at an arts and wellbeing event at the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain’s (AUGB) Edinburgh hub.

Ms Somerville said: “Scotland acted swiftly to provide an immediate place of safety to Ukrainians following the illegal Russian invasion. We have offered sanctuary to more than 25,500 people since the war outbreak.

“Many of those arrivals have now started to rebuild their lives in Scotland – gaining employment, enrolling children in schools, and settling into communities. As we look to the future, it is right that our approach to supporting Ukrainians reflects these changing circumstances.

“This paper sets out the steps we and our partners will take to help Ukrainians continue to settle into life in Scotland for the longer term. Working closely with charities and local authorities, this will include support for integration – from English lessons, to employment support, to accessing mental health services – and help even more people into settled housing.

“We are clear that we want Scotland to be home for every Ukrainian living here for as long as they need it to be; and this includes a need to establish clear routes to settlement in Scotland for those who wish to stay here. We will also continue to press the UK Government for much-needed clarity on options available for people displaced from Ukraine when the three-year visa period ends.”

Chief Executive of Scottish Refugee Council Sabir Zazai said: “The illegal invasion of Ukraine reminds us how quickly and devastatingly any of our lives can change. It underlines the lifesaving importance of providing refugee protection in an era of mass conflict and global instability.

“At Scottish Refugee Council we’re proud to have played a part in supporting people through this emergency, and we’ll continue to be there for people from Ukraine to do all we can to support them through the process of rebuilding their lives here.”

COSLA Community Wellbeing spokesperson Councillor Maureen Chalmers said: “I cannot underestimate the tremendous effort it has taken Councils and all partners to ensure that our Ukrainian guests have found a safe and welcoming place to stay in Scotland.

“The publication of the Warm Scots Future paper represents the start of a conversation on how we can move from an emergency response to a long term and more sustainable approach to resettlement.” 

Ukrainian Consul Andrii Kuslii said: “By offering comprehensive assistance, Scotland stands unwaveringly with the people of Ukraine, extending a message of hope and unity.

“The actions of the Scottish Government and its partners not only provide immediate relief but also send a powerful message to the world about the importance of coming together to support and protect vulnerable populations during times of Russia’s war against Ukraine.”

A Warm Scots Future: Policy Position Paper

warm-scots-future-policy-position-paperDownload

Scottish Government ‘will not meet infrastructure goals’

The Scottish Government no longer expects to have enough money to deliver all its planned £26 billion investment in public sector infrastructure. says spending watchdog Audit Scotland.

Growing the economy and delivering high quality public services relies on infrastructure like roads, railways, hospitals and other buildings. But a combination of reduced capital budgets, higher costs and increased maintenance requirements have left ministers with difficult decisions to make on prioritising capital spending. This includes stopping or pausing planned projects.

The Scottish Government’s investment plan focuses on driving inclusive economic growth, enabling the transition to net-zero emissions, and building resilient and sustainable places. But it is not always clear how the Scottish Government is directing funding to these three infrastructure investment priorities, or how they will contribute to reducing greenhouse gases.

Better data on the condition, occupancy and cost of the wider public estate is needed to ensure buildings are used more efficiently as part of Scottish Government plans to reform public services.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “Scottish Government spending decisions on infrastructure will affect public services, and ministers need to be transparent about how they are made.

“Efficient use of the public estate in the future is key to reforming public services, but the Scottish Government needs better infrastructure data to inform its planning.”

briefing_230928_scotlands_infrastructureDownload

Victim Surcharge Fund opens

More help for victims as criminals pay towards costs

Organisations that support victims of crime will be able to bid for support from a fund financed by  penalties imposed on all offenders who receive a court fine.

Successful applicants will be able to use their share of the £350,000 Victim Surcharge Fund, which is now in its fourth year, to provide direct, practical help to victims. This includes repairing or replacing damaged items, providing replacement clothes for people escaping domestic abuse, or equipment that helps people impacted by crime feel safe.

Since its introduction in 2019, over £916,000 has been paid out to 11 organisations supporting victims and survivors of crime, including Victim Support Scotland, Angus Women’s Aid and the Manda Centre – which offers support to people affected by trauma, loss and personal crisis.

Minister for Victims and Community Safety Siobhian Brown said: “While there are less crimes and fewer victims than over a decade ago, the impact on victims, can be devastating.

“That is why we are investing in law enforcement, crime prevention, and reducing reoffending through a range of activity. And we have invested £93 million over the past five years to support victims and we are committed to putting victims at the heart of the justice system.

“It is right that convicted criminals pay for the harm they cause and the Victim Surcharge Fund has provided more than £916,000 to help support victims recover from their experience.

“I encourage victim support organisations to apply to the Fund so that victims and survivors can continue to access the support and help that they need.”

Victims’ organisations interested in applying to the Fund can request an application form by emailing VictimSurchargefund@gov.scot and should apply by the 27 October 2023 deadline.

Lorna Slater welcomes cheaper, greener rail fares 

Lorna Slater MSP, the local Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, has hailed the cheaper greener rail fares pilot that will see peak rail fares scrapped across Scotland from 2nd October.

The pilot, which will last for at least six months, will provide huge financial relief to people commuting to and from Edinburgh at peak hours, and will protect the planet by encouraging more people to take the train rather than drive.

Route                                     Current peak fare                 New peak fare

Edinburgh to Glasgow                     £28.90                                    £14.90

Edinburgh to Dundee                      £41.40                                    £32.20

Edinburgh to North Berwick           £4.90                                      £3.80

Lorna Slater, the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, said: “I’m delighted that with Scottish Greens in government we are introducing this trial, ending the two-tier pricing system and helping thousands of people across Lothian to cut costs while leaving the car at home.

“Every pound saved on a commute is money that can instead go towards heating, eating, and other expenses this winter.

“It’s a game-changing opportunity to transform habits, cut congestion, save money, and make our communities safer, cleaner and greener places to live and work.

“We’ve already seen how free bus travel for everyone under 22 has boosted bus use since we launched it last year, with tens of thousands of journeys being taken across Scotland every day.

“By helping people come back to public transport, and making our streets safer to walk, wheel and cycle, we are beginning to see the kind of positive, transformational change that Scottish Greens joined the government to deliver. Change that will help people, communities like the Lothians, and our planet.”

Best Start: More than 38,000 automatic payments help families with the costs of early learning

Families who qualify for Scottish Child Payment are now automatically awarded Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment when their child becomes eligible, without them having to apply separately.

Figures showed that since Social Security Scotland introduced automation of the payments in November last year, 14,825 Early Learning Payments and 23,810 School Age Payments have been made, up to the end of June 2023.

Early Learning and School Age Payments are one-off payments of £294.70 to help eligible families as their child grows up, with things like clothes, travel, stationery or toys for home learning.

Social Security Scotland began making these payments automatically to eligible families who already get Scottish Child Payment, which is £25 per child per week, when it was extended to under 16 year olds.

1.7 million Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods payments have been made with more than £130 million paid to clients since the benefits launched in 2018.

Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Social Security Scotland’s five family payments, which includes Best Start Grant Early Learning and School Age Payments, are part of a package of measurements taken by the Scottish Government which will help lift 90,000 children out of poverty in Scotland this year.

“Tackling child poverty is central to the work of the Scottish Government and part of that work is making processes as straightforward as they can be for eligible people. The introduction of automatic payments for some of our benefits is a crucial part of that.

“This change has meant less paperwork for tens of thousands of families and has made sure that families across Scotland quickly and automatically get the financial support they are entitled to, to help support the development of their child when they are young.

“A very small number of people are eligible for Early Learning and School Age Payment but not Scottish Child Payment and I encourage them to check if they are eligible and continue to apply.”

Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods: high level statistics to 30 June 2023

Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment are part of a wider package of five family payments including: Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Foods.

Best Start Grant Early Learning and School Age Payments are paid automatically to parents and carers who already receive Scottish Child Payment when their children become eligible. Automated payments were first made in November last year after Scottish Child Payment was extended to include all eligible people under the age of 16 and increased to £25 per child per week.

A small number of people are eligible for Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment but not Scottish Child Payment. The can apply at mygov.scot/benefits or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222

Keeping people safe and secure online

£500,000 funding for communities

Projects providing practical help to support people tackle the growing risks posed by online crime will share a £500,000 fund aimed at ensuring a digitally secure and resilient Scotland.

Organisations including Scottish Union Learning and Community Enterprise, will use the money to provide workshops aimed at tackling scams and internet safety, deliver training to upskill under-represented groups into careers within cyber security and provide digital advice in different languages.

The projects will be targeted at specific groups, including disabled people and those with specific learning needs, minority ethnic groups, people living in areas of social deprivation or in rural or remote communities and those for whom English is not their first language.

Since  2019- 20 cyber crimes (crimes committed using the internet) have risen with an estimated 14,890 cyber-crimes recorded by Police Scotland in in 2022-23 almost twice the level in 2019-20 (7,710). This £500,000 fund is part of £1.16 million invested by the Scottish Government in 2023-24 to improve preparedness to withstand, defend against, manage, and recover quickly from cyber incidents.

Justice and Home Affairs Secretary Angela Constance said: “Cybercrime such as fraud and data theft can have a devastating impact on people, communities and businesses. 

“The Scottish Government is committed to building cyber resilience within all our communities and this funding will enable many more people across the country keep themselves safe and secure when going online by supporting them to gain practical knowledge and skills to recognise and avoid cyber-attacks.

“We will also continue to work closely with Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure Scotland’s public sector is resilient to cyber threats.“

Minimum Unit Pricing consultation

Views sought on increased level of 65p

A proposal to increase the Minimum Unit Price of alcohol by 15 pence per unit to 65 pence is included in a new consultation on the future of the public health policy.

Views are being sought on whether to continue the Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) legislation beyond the current term which ends next April, and the level at which it should be set.

A Scottish Government report on the operation and effect of MUP in its first five years, an Interim Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment and a report on public attitudes to the policy have also been published.

These papers assess the success of the measure so far and look at the future impact on health and industry sectors if it is continued and the potential effects of different minimum price levels.

This builds on Ministerial engagement with business and health stakeholders which has taken place throughout the summer.

Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Elena Whitham said: The recent rise in alcohol-specific deaths highlights the need for more to be done to tackle alcohol-related harm.

“Our world-leading Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) policy is one of the measures we know can make a difference. Recent research estimated it has saved hundreds of lives, likely averted hundreds of alcohol-attributable hospital admissions each year – and also contributed to reducing health inequalities. It is one of a range of measures we have in place across prevention and treatment services to reduce alcohol harm.

“We believe the proposals set out in this consultation strike a reasonable balance between public health benefits and any effects on the alcoholic drinks market and subsequent impact on consumers, but we want to hear from all sides and urge everyone to take the time to respond.”

Read the consultation: Alcohol – minimum unit pricing – continuation and future pricing

Maths Week Scotland: Maths in Motion

This week will see maths-related activities taking place across the country in the annual Maths Week Scotland programme. The theme of this year’s programme, which is coordinated by National Museums Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government, is Maths in Motion.

Maths Week Scotland: 25 September to 1 October 2023

mathsweek.scot

@mathsweekscot

Maths Week Scotland combines in-person events from Orkney to the Scottish Borders – in a mix of schools programming and public activities in museums, libraries and galleries – with a range of online events, resources and workshops.

The Maths in Motion theme has a huge variety of applications, as the programme shows, with diverse topics ranging from the maths of money to ceilidh dancing, and from nautical navigation to maths in football.

The Scottish Mathematical Council have created a series of football-themed films for of football-themed films for Maths Week Scotland, in conjunction with the Scottish Football Association and featuring the Hearts Women’s team, the Scottish Football Museum and Rugby Park, the home of Kilmarnock Football Club.

The films cover topics as diverse as predicting the outcome of penalty kicks, travel logistics, how to calculate how many people can get through the turnstiles in time for kick-off and the mathematics of the curve on a free kick.

The National Museum of Scotland will host a pop-up exhibition from the Open University entitled Maths in Motion: Pendulums and Patterns, maths-themed Magic Carpet sessions for pre-schoolers, object handling in the Grand Gallery and a maths-themed trail inspired by Dolly the Sheep.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “The Scottish Government is proud to support Maths Week Scotland’s delivery of yet another amazing range of activities to promote the important merits of maths in everyday life.

“We are determined to do everything we can to inspire the next generation of people to engage with maths and the events and workshops on offer will play an important role in doing exactly that.”

Maths Week Scotland coordinator Ailsa Brien said: “We’re delighted to launch Maths Week Scotland in its seventh consecutive year.

“Maths in Motion is a theme which invites a wide range of interpretations and so we’re thrilled to see such a creative and diverse programme of activities and events, which I’m sure will inspire and engage a wide range of audiences.”

Maths Week Scotland is supporting a host of classroom activities for schools across the country, encouraging innovation and participation.

Activity packs are available to download from the Maths Week Scotland website, with ideas of how to celebrate and enjoy the week for everyone from early years to secondary school pupils.

Meanwhile, the daily Maths Week Scotland challenges will return, with accompanying BBC Bitesize learning videos setting out how to tackle them.

Support has also been provided to Scottish museums and galleries to integrate more maths into their programming during the week-long event.

Maths Week Scotland and National Museums Scotland will support maths activities taking place in: The Museum on the Mound, Auchindrain Township Museum, The Scottish Maritime Museum, The Burrell Collection, Sumerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life, Surgeons’ Hall Museum, The Scottish Fisheries Museum, National Galleries of Scotland and The Great Tapestry of Scotland.

Over 20 libraries are also taking part in Maths Week Scotland, with activities including Maths-themed Bookbug sessions, crafts and LEGO.

Maths Week Scotland has a supporting year-round programme for schools, families, adults and community groups.

This is part of an ongoing drive to transform Scotland into a maths-positive nation through raising the profile of maths and encouraging enthusiasm for maths across the country.

National Museums Scotland is working with a wide range of organisations and collaborators to support and deliver Maths Week Scotland activity across Scotland. For a full list of contributors and to view the whole programme, visit:

www.mathsweek.scot

#mathsweekscot 

@mathsweekscot 

Open letter urges: Save Lammermuir!

‘This festival cannot be allowed to disappear’

  • The Lammermuir Festival 2023 came to a close this week while urgently working to secure its future.
  • Nicola Benedetti and Sir James MacMillan add their support for Lammermuir Festival.
  • Open Letter to Creative Scotland signed by 362 musicians, composers, educationalists, politicians, participants, supporters, audience members and local businesses.

The Lammermuir Festival closed its 14th festival earlier this week, one of its most successful yet. The programme was met with great acclaim cited by some music critics as the best programme presented.

Audiences flocked with over 80% of tickets sold, over 30% of which were to new customers. Initial analysis indicates that a little over half of those audiences were local with the remaining travelling to East Lothian to enjoy one of the UK’s best loved classical music events.

This successful edition was set against the backdrop of the festival finding out just days before it opened that Creative Scotland was not supporting its 14th festival, having invested in the event for thirteen years.

Losing the cultural funder’s support this year leaves the festival in an urgent financial position, working hard to find a secure future.

Many of Scotland’s leading musicians have lent their support to the festival’s campaign, most recently Nicola Benedetti and Sir James MacMillan.

Nicola Benedetti said: “Being able to share the best, world-class music making with audiences not residing in our cities but in rural areas is a really important part of our nation’s cultural fabric.

“An aspect we must support and nurture. The Lammermuir Festival has done this brilliantly over the last 14 festivals creating acclaimed events that also enable young artists to develop in the industry, and engage young people in the region to give them deep and extraordinary experiences.

“It would be tragic for Scotland’s music scene if this festival wasn’t supported to continue this work which benefits so many.”

An Open Letter to Creative Scotland has been signed by 362 musicians, composers, education workers, participants, supporters, audience members and local businesses including Steven Obsorne, Andrea Baker, Sean Shibe, Stuart MacRae, Dinis Sousa, Ryan Corbett, Sue Baxendale, Craig Hoy MSP, Douglas Alexander, Martin Brabbins, Sian Edwards, Ruth Ellis, Monica Wilkinson and Alfonso Leal del Ojo.

James Waters, Chief Executive and Joint Artistic Director of the Lammermuir Festival said: “The support and affection for Lammermuir Festival that we have seen pouring in from musicians, education providers, local businesses, supporters and audiences across Scotland and beyond has been incredible.

“We have never been more proud of the festival and what it brings to so many and we will continue to do everything we can to secure its future.”

Letter from supporters of Lammermuir Festival

To Iain Munro, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland and its Chair, Robert Wilson,

We the undersigned appeal to you to save what one audience member has described as a ‘precious jewel of originality and joy’.

According to the panels judging Open Fund applications at Creative Scotland, Lammermuir Festival does not sufficiently align to your priorities.

This is despite having the full support of the Music Officers at Creative Scotland who approved its application and strongly recommended funding without conditions.

This is one of the most acclaimed classical music festivals in the UK, recipient of an RPS award, the highest accolade in its field, and giving work to 350 musicians a year, many of them Scottish. It has a proven record of achievement, appeals to ever-growing audiences and supports performers at all stages in their careers.

It is also a festival which returns £750,000 in economic benefits for East Lothian, on top of its social and cultural benefits, bringing visitors to a region which is underserved for arts, offering audiences international quality music performances and participation opportunities.

If the festival were to not exist, neither would its work with McOpera which engaged 1,700 children, young people and adults as participants and audience through their outreach strand over the last two years. This proved a formative part of so many young musicians’ lives in East Lothian.

This strand of the festival’s work reached out to multiple and diverse local community groups, nurturing children and young people from across 31 different schools, supporting the growth of an Instrumental Music Service and creative organisations (such as Dunbar Voices), bringing to the region international conductors and Scottish creatives, composers, singers and instrumentalists.

It has also regularly provided career placements to students from Edinburgh College, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier Universities, National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

This decision by Creative Scotland flies in the face of the expressions of support for culture in Scotland, and in particular for festivals, that the First Minister Humza Yousaf, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Neil Gray, and Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson have made in recent days.

The Open Fund process appears to have no strategic overview of provision, and no clear artistic, quality or geographic priorities.

Your process places huge pressure on organisations. Lammermuir Festival was invited to make multiple applications for the same activity with funding decisions taking their nerves to the wire – in this case Creative Scotland passed their verdict on a third application just 16 days before the festival started.

The system needs to change. As it stands it places Scotland’s cultural ecology on a downward trajectory.

Without Creative Scotland’s support the Lammermuir Festival’s future is under threat. Your decision not to fund the 2023 festival, destabilises the organisation and undermines the festival’s ability to plan for or run a festival in 2024 and beyond. In order to secure the future of this festival beyond 2023, urgent support is needed.

As musicians, educators, audience members, supporters, participants, businesses in East Lothian, and community leaders we are utterly appalled at your decision and urgently appeal to Creative Scotland to reverse it in order to save this cultural gem.

This festival cannot be allowed to disappear.

362 signatures which can be viewed on the Lammermuir Festival website: 

https://www.lammermuirfestival.co.uk/open-letter-from-supporters-of-lammermuir-festival-to-creative-scotland/

cc’d

First Minister Humza Yousaf

Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson

Minister of Culture Christina McKelvie

Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Neil Gray

Understanding the impact of the transition to net zero on low paid jobs

Discussions about the necessities and trade-offs around the transition to net zero are back on the news agenda this week (write Fraser of Allander Institute’s EMMA CONGREVER and CIARA CRUMMEY).

The changes required to meet net zero targets are complex and challenging yet the risks of not doing enough are immense.  Inherent in this are trade-offs but also opportunities. An ordered transition where businesses and households have certainty over what they will need to do is the best way to minimise harm to incomes and to maximise the benefits that can be realised.

For many businesses and households, the costs associated transition to net zero will be manageable, and perhaps even cost effective in the long run. But for some, the upfront costs will be difficult to manage.

Whilst there is a general awareness of the direct costs that will fall on households from, for example the phasing out of gas boilers (a devolved policy, so not affected by the UK Prime Minister’s recent announcement) there is also the impact in livelihoods due to changes in the structure of the economy.

At the moment, all the attention is on the ‘just transition’ for workers in carbon-intensive industries, in the North East in particular. But the impact on jobs could be far wider than this.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation asked us, along with colleagues in the Strathclyde Business School, to look into the potential for disruption to jobs in the wider Scottish economy, particularly in relation to low paid jobs. Our assessment of the available literature and various Scottish Government plans, reports and action plans didn’t provide much to go on, so we embarked on some experimental mapping and modelling of the potential intersection of net zero and low pay.

Today we published a report that we hope provides a rationale and a way forward for government, and others, to consider this issue fully. Whilst we can’t yet confidently put a figure on it, we have found that there is potential for significant disruption to jobs in sectors that employ large numbers of low pay workers, including retail and hospitality.

The mechanisms through which this impact could be felt are varied. Issues we looked at included the knock-on impact from depressed wages in areas where carbon intensive businesses cease trading. We also considered the impact on the viability of businesses with large commercial footprints who may need to invest large amounts to bring buildings up to new energy efficient standards.

There are many unknowns in this type of analysis, including the sufficiency of government policy and the behavioural response from consumers. For example, the Scottish Government is hoping to see car use reduced in Scotland.

Households may also independently decide they wish to reduce car use. It is easy to see how this could impact on the viability of out-of-town shopping centres that rely on customers arriving by car and if there aren’t serious efforts to provide adequate replacement public transport or alternative active travel routes, these large centres of employment may become unviable.

Some of the scenarios that we work through may not lead to jobs disappearing completely, but simply shifting to other places or other sectors. There are two further issues to consider here. Firstly, low paid workers tend to be less flexible on where they can work, due to a variety of factors including available transport and difficulties finding affordable childcare to cover long commuting times.

They also tend have less of a financial buffer to deal with even short periods of unemployment. Secondly, simply moving low paid jobs from one place to another misses a crucial opportunity to maximise the benefits that the transition to net zero could bring by providing career pathways into new, higher paid, growth sectors.

There is an opportunity here to better join up Scottish Government ambitions on tackling poverty and the transition to net zero that is currently missing from both the Just Transition plans and the Fair Work Action Plan. We hope this analysis will be useful in informing the future development of this work.