Tag: Westminster

‘Broken’ careers service funding model to be reformed, UK Government confirms

‘just one meeting between jobseekers and advisors a year is like trying to fill an ocean with a teaspoon‘

Funding for careers advisors will be reformed, the UK Government has confirmed, following criticism of the current model in a report by a cross-party Committee of MPs.

Westminster’s Work and Pensions Committee’s Creating a new jobs and careers service report said that a combination of poor funding and badly designed targets had led to the service spending too little time with people and focusing too much on low impact interventions.

In its response to the report, the Government said that bringing “careers advice in England in house will end the current incentivised model and enable the development of a more integrated service”.

Careers advice in the UK is devolved, so these changes will not automatically apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Government also agreed with the Committee on the importance of recognising the distinct roles of work coaches and careers advisors. It added that it was looking into a “dedicated training pathway” for advisors in addition to the planned Coaching Academy for work coaches.  

MPs on the Committee made their recommendation following fears that the planned Jobcentre-careers service merger would eliminate the distinction between Work Coaches and Careers Advisors, which they thought would reduce the effectiveness of the service.

The DWP also committed to providing certainty to staff at the National Careers Service by publishing a transition plan in the next 6 months. Since publication of the report, the Government has moved to bring the contracts for careers advisors in-house, sparking concerns among advisors over what will happen when their contracts run out on 30 September 2026. 

Committee Chair, Debbie Abrahams said, “We welcome the Government’s recognition that the careers service funding model was broken and that it must be reformed.

“Budgeting, as it does now, for just one meeting between jobseekers and advisors a year is like trying to fill an ocean with a teaspoon.

“The job is about finding out enough about people, their ambitions and interests, their skills, the barriers they face, what drives them, their needs, in order for them to be effective. A new, less exclusive, model would help meet the goals of Government and get people into work that suits them; benefitting jobseekers, employers and ultimately, the economy.

“The recent brief shake-up will help. Giving the DWP sole responsibility over the adult skills brief, instead of sharing with the Department for Education, should help to reduce the incoherent patchwork of services that are available. And bringing the careers service in house, rather than outsourcing, will in time provide clearer lines of accountability, and greater efficiency.

“But we have to recognise that pressing on with little detail on what will happen after current contracts end in September 2026 has caused significant worry among careers advisors. Certainty on this could be the solid foundation that ensures the new system gets off to the best start.

“So, the Government really needs to crack on with fleshing out the detail of the service from 2027 to boost the confidence of advisors and in the new system.”

Could fixed link connections strengthen Scotland’s island economies?

Commons committee to investigate

Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry investigating the strategic and economic case for improved fixed transport links between Scotland’s islands.

Transport connectivity is a major challenge for Scotland’s islands, with many island communities currently being connected via ferry services. This lack of fixed-link connectivity can restrict economic development.  

Fixed links to connect the islands, such as bridges or tunnels, are increasingly being considered as long-term solutions. For example, Shetland’s Island Council has approved a feasibility study into building tunnels into undersea tunnel connections.  

Fixed link infrastructure like this has been a success in the Faroe Islands, an archipelago 200 miles further into the Atlantic than the Shetland Islands, which has been building undersea tunnels since the 1960s.  

Scotland’s islands have been highlighted as a key region for economic growth, due to their clean energy, tourism and space sectors.

As momentum grows at a local level, the cross-party committee could examine the economic case for these fixed link projects and the UK Government’s potential strategic interest in supporting this infrastructure.  

Full terms of reference are available on the committee website.

Submissions can be made via the committee’s website until 12 December 2025.  

Connectivity is a crucial issue affecting communities across Scotland, particularly those in remote, rural and island areas, where infrastructure delivery is complex and costly.

Alongside this inquiry into physical connectivity, the committee will shortly be launching an inquiry into digital connectivity.  

Patricia Ferguson, Chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee, said: “Current transport links between Scotland’s islands simply don’t seem to be up to scratch. Delayed and cancelled ferries cause disruption for entire communities, and  undoubtedly also pose huge barriers to the development of island economies. 

“Fixed link infrastructure projects like undersea tunnels could be transformational for Scotland’s island communities.

“Throughout this inquiry, we’ll be looking closely at the economic case for these fixed link projects, their value for money and, ultimately, whether there could be a strategic interest for the UK Government to support their development.” 

First Private Member’s Bill of new parliament made law by capital MP

Tracy Gilbert MP’s Absent Voting (Scotland and Wales) Bill, the first Private Member’s Bill of the new Parliament, has now received Royal Assent, officially becoming law.

The new legislation will make it easier for voters in Scotland and Wales to apply for a postal or proxy vote in devolved elections, allowing them to do so online.

Currently, voters must apply for postal or proxy votes using physical forms, a process that can be particularly challenging for people with disabilities or those living overseas. The new law will remove those barriers and modernise the voting system ahead of next year’s Scottish and Welsh elections.

Tracy Gilbert MP said: “I’m incredibly proud that my Bill has now become law, and as the first Private Member’s Bill of this Parliament to do so.

“It now gives both the Scottish and Welsh Governments the time they need to implement these changes ahead of next year’s Holyrood and Senedd elections, ensuring voters can benefit from this new, more accessible system.”

Billions squandered on asylum accommodation by Home Office mismanagement

SCATHING HOME AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REPORT PUBLISHED

Flawed contract design and incompetent delivery left the Home Office unable to cope with the surge in demand for asylum accommodation, a report by the Home Affairs Committee has found.

Hotels went from a temporary stop-gap to the go-to solution for asylum accommodation, leading to a failed system that is expensive, unpopular with local communities and unsuitable for asylum seekers.  

As the cost of asylum accommodation contracts more than tripled, inadequate oversight meant failings went unnoticed and unaddressed. The Home Office failed to keep costs down and underutilised mechanisms to penalise providers for poor performance and reclaim excess profits.

No performance penalties are applied for poor performance at Napier, Wethersfield or asylum hotels, despite hotels accounting for over 75% of spending on asylum accommodation. 

Break clauses in 2026 and the end of the contracts in 2029 offer the Home Office an opportunity to end the failed system. However, without a clear long-term plan and the institutional capability to deliver a model that is more effective and offers value for money, past failures risk being repeated, the Committee warns. 

The Home Office’s approach has been a series of hasty, short-term responses. It must now learn from past failures and deliver a clear long-term strategy for asylum accommodation that provides value for money, adequate standards of accommodation and takes account of the impact on local communities.  

Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, Dame Karen Bradley said: “The Home Office has presided over a failing asylum accommodation system that has cost taxpayers billions of pounds.

“Its response to increasing demand has been rushed and chaotic, and the department has neglected the day-to-day management of these contracts. The Government needs to get a grip on the asylum accommodation system in order to bring costs down and hold providers to account for poor performance.  

“Urgent action is needed to lower the cost of asylum accommodation and address the concerns of local communities. While reducing hotel use is rightly a Government priority, there will always be a need for flexibility within the system, and the Home Office risks boxing itself in by making undeliverable promises to appeal to popular sentiment. It shouldn’t set itself up for more failure.   

“The Home Office has not proved able to develop a long term strategy for the delivery of asylum accommodation. It has instead focused on short term, reactive responses.

“There is now an opportunity to draw a line under the current failed, chaotic and expensive system, but the Home Office must finally learn from its previous mistakes or it is doomed to repeat them.”

Edinburgh MP leads the way with first successful Private Member’s Bill

The first Private Members Bill of this Parliament has passed all stages in the Houses of Commons and Lords. The bill, proposed by Labour MP for Edinburgh North and Leith Tracy Gilbert, will make it easier for voters in Scotland and Wales to apply for a postal or proxy vote in devolved elections next year.

The Private Member’s Bill, Absent Voting (Scotland and Wales) Bill, passed its Third Reading in the House of Lords today (Friday 24 October). As no changes were made to the Bill in the House of Lords it will now go forward for Royal Assent.

Tracy Gilbert MP was drawn 12th in the Private Members Bill ballot last September. Twenty MPs are drawn in the ballot, giving them a right to introduce a bill.

Ms. Gilbert’s bill will allow voters to apply for a postal or proxy vote online, making it easier for voters to participate in elections and ending the anomaly in Scotland and Wales where voters can apply online for UK Parliament elections but not devolved elections.

Currently, voters must apply for a proxy vote by sending a physical letter. This can make the process difficult for people with disabilities or for those living outside the country. This necessary legislative change means voters will now be able to apply online for a postal or proxy vote for Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru elections next year.

During the passage of the bill through Parliament, Gilbert won cross-party praise for her bill being called a ‘modern day chartist woman’ by Tonia Antoniazzi MP.

Tracy Gilbert MP said: “I’m thrilled that my Private Member’s Bill is the first of this Parliament to pass both Houses of Parliament. I am grateful for the cross-party support the Bill has received.

“My bill will simplify the process for applying for a postal or proxy vote in next year’s Scottish and Welsh Parliament elections by enabling voters to apply online, extending access to democracy.”

A copy of the Bill can be found here – https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3785

Progress of Private Member Bills (Ballot Bill) (listed in order of ballot)

MemberBillCurrent/Next Stage
Kim Leadbeater, Labour (Spen Valley)Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Lords – Committee Stage
Max Wilkinson, Liberal Democrats (Cheltenham)New Homes (Solar Generation) Bill Commons – Second Reading
Dr Roz Savage, Liberal Democrats (South Cotswolds)Climate and Nature BillCommons – Second Reading
Clive Lewis, Labour (Norwich South)Water Bill Commons – Second Reading
Josh MacAlister, Labour (Whitehaven and Workington)Protection of Children (Digital Safety and Data Protection) Bill Withdrawn
Dr Scott Arthur, Labour (Edinburgh South West)Rare Cancers Bill Lords – Second Reading
Jim Allister, Traditional Unionist Voice (North Antrim)European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) Bill Commons – Second Reading
Peter Lamb, Labour (Crawley)Free School Meals (Automatic Registration of Eligible Children) Bill Commons – Second Reading
Alex McIntyre, Labour (Gloucester)Controlled Drugs (Procedure for Specification) Bill Commons – Report Stage
Andrew Ranger, Labour (Wrexham)Licensing Hours Extensions Bill Lords – Second Reading
Jake Richards, Labour (Rother Valley)Looked After Children (Distance Placements) Bill Commons – Second Reading
Tracy Gilbert, Labour (Edinburgh North and Leith)Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill Royal Assent
Linsey Farnsworth, Labour (Amber Valley)Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Bill Lords – Second Reading
John Grady, Labour (Glasgow East)Space Industry (Indemnities) Bill Lords – Committee Stage
Rachael Maskell, Labour (Co-op), (York Central)Short-term Let Accommodation Bill Commons – Second Reading
Ruth Jones, Labour (Newport West and Islwyn)Fur (Import and Sale) Bill Commons – Second Reading
Dr Danny Chambers, Liberal Democrats (Winchester)Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill Lords – Committee Stage
Sarah Owen, Labour (Luton North)Fireworks Bill Commons – Second Reading
Wendy Chamberlain, Liberal Democrats (North East Fife)Gambling Act 2005 (Monetary Limits for Lotteries) Bill Commons – Second Reading
Dr Rupa Huq, Labour (Ealing Central and Acton)Sale of Tickets (Sporting and Cultural Events) Bill Commons – Second Reading

Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund allocation “wholly unacceptable”

SCOTTISH FISHERMEN BEING RIPPED OFF?

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon is calling on the UK Government to reconsider its approach to funding allocations in the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund as it is “not a fair settlement for Scotland.”

Ms Gougeon’s letter reads:

To: Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Dame Angela Eagle DBE MP

From: Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon 

Dear Angela,  

Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund  

Thank you for your letter of Monday 20 October setting out your intention to allocate the Scottish Government just £28 million of the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund announced by your government earlier this year.  

The deal that you have presented on the share of this funding to Scotland is wholly unacceptable. As you will be aware, the Scottish fishing sector accounts for over 60% of the UK’s fishing capacity and over 60% of UK seafood exports.

Moreover, more than 75% of all UK quota species is landed by Scottish vessels. Over the past several months, at both Ministerial and official level, we have set out a clear, rational, and evidence-based case for Scotland’s share of this funding to be representative of the relative size and importance of the Scottish sector, and reflect at least the 46% share Scotland previously received from the EU funding allocated to the UK.

Instead the announced allocation of just 7.78% is a grossly oversimplified approach which does not represent a fair settlement for Scotland, a position supported by key Scottish stakeholders.

It is unjustified and nothing short of insulting to the Scottish fishing industry and our coastal communities. It also disproportionately benefits your own fishing sector in England – for whom you have retained over £300 million, despite landing significantly smaller catches than Scotland.  

With the funding being spread over 12 years – and no guarantee that the commitment will even be maintained following this parliamentary term – the deal you have set out means Scotland will have a meagre £2.3 million per annum of additional funding to invest in our marine industries and coastal communities. This is nowhere near enough to support the next generation of fishermen and breathe new life into our coastal communities as your letter sets out.  

This announcement is yet another negative consequence of Brexit which the people of Scotland did not vote for, but for which our businesses and communities are paying the price.

However, more than that, it demonstrates a clear misunderstanding of, and lack of care for, the Scottish fishing industry and our coastal communities by the UK Government.

The fact that this announcement was made within hours of you writing to me and my counterparts in the devolved governments in Wales and Northern Ireland, with no opportunity for discussion, also demonstrates a disappointing departure from your government’s commitment to resetting and renewing the devolution relationship and effective intergovernmental working.

This comes on the back of a similar lack of engagement on the EU deal in relation to fisheries, which will hit the Scottish sector hard. At the same time we are still assessing the likely implications of the scientific advice on mackerel and cod – which are expected to have serious negative impacts for the fishing industry in Scotland.  

I strongly urge you to reconsider this approach, and enter into discussions at the earliest possible opportunity with myself, and our colleagues in Wales and Northern Ireland, to agree an alternative approach which treats each of our respective industries and communities with the respect they deserve.  

I have copied this letter to Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies and Minister Andrew Muir for awareness of the Scottish Government’s position.  

I look forward to hearing from you. 

Mairi Gougeon

The Scottish fishing industry has condemned the UK Government’s “grossly unfair” allocation of funding from its £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund.

Read our full statement below:

Migrants will be required to pass A Level standard of English

Migrants will be required to pass tough new English language requirements under a law introduced at Westminster Parliament yesterday

Migrants will be required to pass tough new English language requirements under a law introduced in Parliament yesterday (14 October), as the UK government continues to replace Britain’s failed immigration system with one that is controlled, selective and fair.  

Immigrants applying through certain legal routes must meet an A level equivalent standard in speaking, listening, reading and writing.  

The Secure English Language Test must be conducted with a Home Office-approved provider, and the results will then be verified as part of the visa application process. 

Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said: This country has always welcomed those who come to this country and contribute. 

“But it is unacceptable for migrants to come here without learning our language, unable to contribute to our national life. 

“If you come to this country, you must learn our language and play your part.”

Laid in changes before Parliament this week, the measures form part of the government’s flagship immigration white paper and Plan for Change to deliver on the priorities of working people for tighter control of who comes to this country while continuing to attract top global talent. 

The time for international students to find a graduate-level job after completing their studies will also be cut to 18 months from the current two years. 

The immigration skills charge (ISC), which is paid by employers sponsoring skilled foreign workers and reinvested in training the domestic workforce, is being raised by 32%. 

The ISC increase is the first since 2017 and will be used to boost investment in British workers and reduce reliance on overseas recruitment. The Parliamentary process to increase the charge will begin later this week. 

To ensure graduates contribute effectively to the economy, the maximum post-study stay will be reduced to 18 months from the current 2 years for most from 1 January 2027. It comes after data clearly showed that many holders had not transitioned into graduate-level employment as intended. 

Finance requirements for student visas will also be increased for the 2025 to 2026 academic year, meaning foreign students will have to demonstrate they have sufficient funds to support themselves. 

A series of changes to position the UK as a global leader in attracting highly skilled talent, outlined in the immigration white paper, and aligned with the UK’s industrial strategy, are also being made. 

Changes include: 

  1. Expansion of the High Potential Individual (HPI) route to graduates from the top 100 international universities, with a cap of 8,000 applications per year. The number of people coming to the UK through the HPI route is expected to double from 2,000 to 4,000, giving graduates from the world’s best universities the chance to base their careers in the UK. 
  2. The world’s most talented entrepreneurs studying in the UK will also be able to seamlessly establish innovative business ventures in the UK after concluding their studies, while transitioning from a student visa to the Innovator Founder route.
  3. Enhancements to the Global Talent route, including an expanded list of prestigious prizes and changes to expand some of the evidential requirements of achievement and contribution for architects. 

The UK government aims to double the number of highly skilled people coming to the UK on our high skilled routes, including the best researchers, designers, and creatives working in film and TV to ensure continued competitiveness in growth sectors. Further changes, including to the Global Talent route, will be made in 2026.

The immigration white paper forms part of the Plan for Change to reform our immigration system, with further measures on asylum and border security to be announced later this autumn. 

In further changes, effective from 3pm today, all nationals of Botswana will now be required to obtain a visa before travelling to the UK, including for short visits.  

This decision comes in response to a high number of Botswana nationals arriving since 2022 as visitors and subsequently claiming asylum, which is a misuse of the UK’s immigration system.

Weak controls and oversight blamed for faulty home installations under energy efficiency scheme

SCATHING REPORT HIGHLIGHTS HOMES INSULATION SCANDAL

  • 98% of homes with external wall insulation installed under the UK government’s ECO scheme require work to correct major issues that will cause problems such as damp and mould. 
  • DESNZ’s consumer protection system, which was set up in 2021, did not alert it to significant issues with the quality of installations until late 2024.
  • The NAO recommends that DESNZ sets out how and when affected households can have faulty installations repaired, and reforms the consumer protection system.
  • Download the embargoed report (PDF)

A new National Audit Office (NAO) report sets out the reasons for failures in the government’s energy efficiency scheme for homes, including poor-quality installations, weak government oversight and inadequate audit and monitoring, which the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) believes have led to tens of thousands of households needing repair work to correct major issues that will cause problems such as damp and mould.

The government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme aims to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions in Great Britain by requiring energy companies to fund the installation of energy efficiency measures, such as insulation, in homes.

But poor installation work has resulted in an estimated 22,000 to 23,000 homes with external wall insulation fitted under the scheme (98% of the total) and 9,000 to 13,000 homes with internal insulation (29% of the total) having major issues that need fixing. A small percentage of these installations also pose immediate health and safety risks.

Possible explanations why so many installations have been carried out to such a poor standard include an under-skilled workforce, with work being subcontracted to individuals and firms who are not competent or certified; uncertainty over which standards apply to which jobs; and businesses ‘cutting corners’ when undertaking design and installation work.

DESNZ implemented a new consumer protection system for the scheme in 2021, which included appointing TrustMark as its government-endorsed quality scheme. 

But this system failed to alert DESNZ to significant issues with the quality of installations until October 2024, by which time the media had already reported on individual cases of bad mould in homes.

Reasons for the ECO scheme’s shortcomings include:

  • weak government oversight resulting in widespread issues with the ECO scheme not being identified sooner;
  • an overly complex consumer protection system that ultimately failed due to unclear and fragmented roles, responsibilities and accountabilities among DESNZ, Ofgem and private sector certification bodies and scheme providers;5
  • TrustMark’s funding arrangements limiting its ability to have analytical systems fully up and running until the latter half of 2024; and
  • insufficient audit and monitoring, in part due to weaknesses that allowed installers to ‘game’ the system.6

In addition to these issues, in November 2024 Ofgem estimated that businesses had falsified claims for ECO installations in between 5,600 and 16,500 homes, potentially claiming between £56 million and £165 million from the energy suppliers operating under the scheme.7

DESNZ and Ofgem took action once TrustMark made them aware of the extent of the problems. This included asking certification bodies and scheme providers to suspend the worst performing installers; communicating the issues to potentially affected households and to the wider public; and implementing immediate changes to the consumer protection system.

DESNZ also plans to apply the lessons learned from this experience to the design of its future schemes and its forthcoming Warm Homes Plan.

To improve the consumer protection system, and to boost householders’ confidence in government-backed schemes, the NAO recommends that DESNZ:

  • takes clear responsibility for schemes such as ECO, even when they are funded through consumers’ electricity bills;
  • clarifies its approach to repairing faulty ECO scheme installations alongside its Warm Homes Plan;
  • reforms the consumer protection system for retrofit schemes; and
  • reports annually on a statistically robust estimate of the level of fraud and non-compliance in each of its retrofit schemes.

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “ECO and other such schemes are important to help reduce fuel poverty and meet the government’s ambitions for energy efficiency.

“But clear failures in the design and set-up of ECO and in the consumer protection system have led to poor-quality installations, as well as suspected fraud.

“DESNZ must now ensure that businesses meet their obligations to repair all affected homes as quickly as possible. It must also reform the system so that this cannot happen again.”

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Chair of Westminster’s Committee of Public Accounts. said: “The failures of the two current Energy Company Obligation (ECO) schemes are stark, with nearly all external and nearly a third of internal wall insulation fitted under the schemes requiring remediation.

“The potential impact of major issues to the health and safety of affected households must not be understated.

“Despite allegations of fraud, lack of sufficient quality data means that overall levels of fraud in ECO remain unknown.

“DESNZ and Ofgem have been quick to act after becoming aware of widespread problems, but their efforts remain hampered by weak government oversight and an overly complex consumer protection system.

“It is imperative that households receive clarity on how they can fix their homes and a system is put in place whereby these failings do not reoccur.”

Holyrood Staff Unite to Support Menopause Awareness

UK Parliaments Join Forces to Support Menopause Awareness

Staff from three UK parliaments – Holyrood, Westminster, and the Senedd – are coming together during World Menopause Month in a united commitment to supporting colleagues through every stage of life.

The three UK parliaments are hosting Menopause Cafés, supported by the Perth-based charity of the same name, and are backing its Menopause Awareness Ribbon campaign to spark open conversations about menopause and break down the stigma surrounding it.

Since forming in 2017, Menopause Café has sparked a global movement of informal ‘cafés’ worldwide, where people of all ages and genders get together either at work or in the community to discuss menopause. Since the first ever café in Perth that same year, the charity has supported over 1,800 Menopause Cafés worldwide, from the UK and the USA to Chile, Zambia, Bahrain and Portugal, empowering more than 18,000 participants to get talking.

The event at Holyrood today (Thursday 9 October 2025) was for all parliamentarians and parliamentary staff and hosted by MSPs Carol Mochan (South Scotland) and Monica Lennon (Central Scotland), representatives of the Cross-Party Women’s Health Group.

Carol Mochan MSP said, “The Menopause Café was a genuinely heartening event that gave lots of people the platform to put across their views on this vital issue.

“To be doing so in conjunction with colleagues in Cardiff and London offers hope that we can make significant progress on this issue in terms of substantial policy.”

Meanwhile, a bilingual Menopause Café for both English and Welsh speakers was held at the Senedd event on Friday 3 October and the Westminster event, hosted by the Scotland Office at Whitehall, will be held later this month on Tuesday 28 October.

Anna Daniel, Head of Strategic Transformation at the Senedd Commission, is one of the Welsh Parliament’s workplace Menopause Champions.

She said, “On World Menopause Day, 18 October 2023, the Senedd Commission proudly launched its ‘Peri/Menopause: Wellbeing in the Workplace Toolkit’, becoming the first organisation in Wales to adopt the British Standard – Menstruation, Menstrual Health, and Menopause in the Workplace: Guide.

“This October, in celebration of Menopause Awareness Month, we hosted two Menopause Cafés – an open, welcoming space to talk, listen, and learn. It’s part of our ongoing commitment to building a workplace culture that emphasises comfort, wellbeing and inclusivity.

“By raising awareness and creating space for honest, supportive conversations, we aim to make the Senedd a place where everyone is empowered to thrive.”

Rachel Weiss, Founder of Menopause Café, added, “We are thrilled that these Parliaments are holding Menopause Cafes and embracing the Menopause Awareness Ribbon campaign this month.

“Their eagerness to support both their parliamentarians and their staff sends a signal far beyond the walls of government, both symbolically and practically.

“By openly acknowledging and supporting menopause awareness, our Parliaments can help drive conversation across every workplace, inspiring a UK-wide commitment to improving workplace culture.

“This united front also sets the tone for future legislation and higher standards as, by embracing menopause awareness internally, they’re better placed to shape inclusive policies externally.”

Order a box of Menopause Awareness ribbons or single ribbons from:

www.menopausecafe.net

John Swinney: A Fresh Start with Independence

FM: Scots should make choices that best serve Scotland’s interests

Independence would give the people of Scotland new opportunities to improve their standards of living, according to a new paper published by First Minister John Swinney.

‘A Fresh Start with Independence’ examines how an independent Scotland would be able to improve the economy and the NHS, and tackle issues such as household finances, pensions, social security, migration, energy and defence.

The paper states that the Scottish Government has worked hard to improve the lives of people living in Scotland using devolved powers but it would only be able to fully capitalise on the nation’s potential with independence.

The First Minister said: “I firmly believe that the people who live in Scotland are best placed to make decisions about Scotland. That is the fundamental democratic and practical argument underpinning the case that we make.

“Too many people in Scotland today do not have a decent standard of living and are finding it difficult to make ends meet. That is because standards of living in the UK have improved little in over 10 years, due to a failing economic system and Westminster decisions such as austerity and the disastrous decision to leave the European Union. Scotland did not support austerity and it did not support Brexit. The reality is Westminster is not working for Scotland.

“The Scottish Government works tirelessly to use the powers of devolution to deliver the very best for Scotland. Much good has been achieved through the expansion of early learning and childcare, the introduction of free university tuition, the expansion of the rail network, the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing of alcohol, the creation of the Scottish Child Payment and many other measures.

“But Scotland needs to be able to improve the opportunities available to our people, our communities and our businesses. Scotland needs to build a stronger, more inclusive economy that works for all. Those possibilities would only be available to Scotland with the fresh start of independence.

“We have shown that when we have the power to decide for ourselves, we find solutions and make choices that best serve Scotland’s interests. I believe Scotland can and will become a successful independent country, with a more dynamic economy and a fairer society.”

The Scottish Conservatives don’t agree, oddly enough:

A Fresh Start with Independence – gov.scot