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  • Kerry McCarthy – 2022 Speech on the National Food Strategy and Food Security

    Kerry McCarthy – 2022 Speech on the National Food Strategy and Food Security

    The speech made by Kerry McCarthy, the Labour MP for Bristol East, in the House of Commons on 27 October 2022.

    I thank the right hon. Member for Tatton (Esther McVey) for that comprehensive introduction. It means, I hope, that I can keep my remarks quite short. I agree on a lot of what she said, although she may not be surprised to hear that I do not agree with her about chickpeas. Hodmedod, a really good British pulse grower, has been growing them in Norfolk for the past few years and I urge her to support it in its efforts. There is so much potential and growing pulses here is really good for the soil. I can wax lyrical about things like chickpeas.

    Esther McVey

    I want to explain that I make a fabulous chickpea soup and stew. If anyone would like to know the recipes, I will be more than happy to share them.

    Kerry McCarthy

    I make a very good chana dal.

    The debate is about food security, which the right hon. Lady covered in detail, but also about the national food strategy. I pay tribute to Henry Dimbleby, who put a huge amount of work into the strategy. I have a well-thumbed copy of the strategy document; it is almost like a Bible to me, giving an overview of all the different aspects of food policy and what we need to do.

    I think Henry should feel let down by the inadequacy of the Government’s response to that document. I want to highlight some of the things the Government should be doing more on. The work was commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and he was an executive director there. It is disappointing that the Government are not treating that as the Bible for how to take things forward.

    Food poverty is now far worse than when Henry Dimbleby started that work. We have seen frightening figures from the Office for National Statistics this week showing how prices of basic foodstuffs have shot up: vegetable oil by 65%; pasta by 60%; bread by 38%. The Food Foundation recently reported that 18% of households, and 26% of households with children, have experienced food insecurity in the past month. That is nearly 10 million adults, and around 4 million children. Many of those surveyed said they have cooked less, eaten food cold, turned off fridges and washed dishes in cold water because of concern about energy bills and rising inflation. Many were buying less fruit and vegetables.

    On “Newsnight” last week, the former Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, said she had never seen child food poverty on this scale before. She called, as did Henry Dimbleby, for Cobra to be convened. I raised that at Cabinet Office questions this morning and got a response about how the Prime Minister wanted compassion to be at the heart of what he did, but I did not get a response on how a cross-departmental approach to tackling food poverty could be steered by the Cabinet Office. A cross-departmental approach is needed. As Henry Dimbleby said when giving evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee last week, we need a structural mechanism to drive progress. If it is not Cobra, I would like to know from the Minister what mechanism he envisages would work.

    Cobra is also very good at looking at granular detail, which is important because this calls for a localised response. We can express some generalities about food poverty, but Bristol, for example, which is known to be quite a foodie place, also has two of the top five food deserts in the entire country. There are estates in south Bristol where it is very difficult to access affordable and healthy food. So this needs to be done at a local level. My first question to the Minister is about how he sees that overarching response. Would DEFRA be leading? Does he see a role for Cobra?

    In terms of swift action, the national food strategy is clear that extending eligibility for free school meals is one of the best levers we have. Extending it just to families on universal credit would feed an extra 1.4 million children. Healthy Start and holiday hunger schemes are also important.

    Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab)

    I am grateful to my hon. Friend for drawing attention to the importance of families being able to afford healthy food—all the more important given the rising cost of living. In relation to Healthy Start, she will know that take-up of these essential vouchers that provide fresh fruit and veg, and milk and vitamins to pregnant and new mums and their children is at only about 60% across the country. Will she support me in calling on the Government to work across Departments so that those applying for universal credit who are also eligible for Healthy Start are automatically registered for that Healthy Start support?

    Kerry McCarthy

    I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. As I understand it, next week she will introduce a Bill, which I very much support and I hope that the Government will, too.

    I do not have much time to talk about the importance of healthy diets, but does the Minister know what has happened to the health inequalities White Paper? Will we see that soon?

    The national food strategy approach on junk food is quite straightforward: it is about restricting advertising and promotions, and targeting ingredients. Some people I know are concerned that that will mean increased costs for consumers, who can ill-afford to feed their families as it is. However, the suggestion is not to tax food in the shops but, for example, to tax sugar in the huge quantities bought by the food manufacturers, so it would be in their interests to reformulate their products to avoid that tax. We saw that happen with the soft drinks levy. I would be interested to know what the Minister thinks about that.

    There is all this concern about the nanny state and not wanting to dictate to people what they do and do not eat. However, we accept that action on smoking is important for public health reasons and that action on alcohol abuse is important. When we look at the cost to the NHS of diet-related diseases and ill health, it seems a no-brainer to me to take an interventionist approach on this, too. It is not about telling people what they can and cannot eat; it is about helping them to make the right choices for themselves and their families, making sure that the education is out there and giving financial incentives such as the Healthy Start scheme.

    In terms of other levers that could be used, public procurement could make a huge difference. The DEFRA consultation on public sector food and catering closed on 4 September. Could the Minister tell us when we will hear the results from that?

    This may be going back to chickpeas, but the Mayor of New York, Eric Adams, who describes himself as an imperfect vegan—I suppose that is better than nothing—has introduced a scheme whereby the default option for catering in New York hospitals is plant-based. That does not mean that people cannot choose meat-based options or things that are not plant-based, but apparently it is proving to be really popular and there is good take-up. Again, that is a way of encouraging people down the path of taking a healthier option. I hope the Minister agrees that much of the food served in our hospitals—regardless of whether it is of animal origin—is not the sort of food we should be serving people we are trying to make healthier and better.

    Kate Green

    In that regard, my hon. Friend will be pleased to know that Healthy Start does support the provision of plant-based meals.

    Kerry McCarthy

    I am glad to hear that; it is a good step. I will not go into the environmental arguments. I hope that people accept that I am not trying to force people down a particular path, but the Climate Change Committee, the UN and several Cabinet Ministers have accepted that, for environmental and health reasons, we could do with reducing meat consumption.

    I turn to the need for a land-use framework. I understand that the Government intend to publish one next year. Land is a finite, scarce resource, but we do not always treat it as such. We need to be strategic about how we use it for food, carbon sequestration, biodiversity and fuel. Where possible, “best and most versatile” land should be used for food growing,

    It is nonsense for the Government to seek to reclassify poorer-quality soil as BMV as part of their war on solar farms. Is that ill-thought-out proposal still Government policy? It was a few weeks ago; I hope the Minister understands that I am finding it quite difficult to keep up. Could he tell me whether the proposal to reclassify poorer-quality land as BMV is still going to be brought through?

    After yesterday’s Prime Minister’s questions, I am also not sure where the Government stand on onshore wind. Will the Minister clarify that? I am glad, however, to see that the fracking ban is back, but that one U-turn—or two U-turns—has left many casualties on the road in its wake. Again, that goes to the whole issue of what land is best used for. As Henry Dimbleby told the EFRA Committee last week, over the seven or eight decades since the war, we have been steadily producing more and more food on the same amount of land. He said:

    “That is making the land sick, destroying the environment and driving out nature.”

    What he said about the need for the land to be carbon-negative—not net zero—was spot on. The potential for carbon sequestration is huge, and by taking some of the least productive agricultural land out of production, we could enhance biodiversity at the same time as creating natural carbon sinks.

    Some 20% of our farmland—mostly peatland and upland—produces only 3% of our calories. Henry Dimbleby argued that about 5% of that should come out of farming. The rest of the farmland would be higher yielding, with lower inputs and lower environmental costs.

    Mr Carmichael

    May I warn the hon. Lady about the law of unintended consequences? By way of illustration, I offer the example of my own family farm on Islay, not in my constituency but on the west coast. Our farm sits in a site of special scientific interest designed to protect choughs, which are a highly endangered species. However, chough numbers continue to decline because the way in which land is farmed discourages the presence of cattle and, to encourage chough, both sheep and cattle need to be on that land. If she is not careful, the sort of blunt tool that she is talking about could work to the detriment of the chough population.

    Kerry McCarthy

    I do not know why the right hon. Member says that I am suggesting a blunt tool.

    Mr Carmichael

    You mentioned talking land out of production.

    Kerry McCarthy

    Yes; Henry Dimbleby suggests that that 5% should come out of production. However he does not dictate that that should be anywhere that, perhaps, does not have certain productivity levels or does not do this or that. That brings me neatly to my concluding point.

    Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (The Cotswolds) (Con)

    Will the hon. Member give way?

    Kerry McCarthy

    I think that the hon. Gentleman will make a speech, so I will let him make his comments then.

    This is where the environmental land management scheme comes in, which is a sophisticated approach and not a blunt tool. It is about looking at everything taking place on the land, including what is being done to support nature and biodiversity. I would think that the farmland mentioned by the right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael) would very much come under those criteria; I hope so. My final question to the Minister is: where are we now with ELMS? Farmers are desperately seeking certainty on it. Will he confirm that the public money for public goods approach will still underpin support for our food and farming system?

  • Esther McVey – 2022 Speech on the National Food Strategy and Food Security

    Esther McVey – 2022 Speech on the National Food Strategy and Food Security

    The speech made by Esther McVey, the Conservative MP for Tatton, in the House of Commons on 27 October 2022.

    I beg to move,

    That this House recognises that food security is a major concern to the British public and that the impact of the covid-19 pandemic, the cost of living crisis and the conflict in Ukraine has made UK food security more important than ever before; further recognises the strain on the farming sector due to rising farming and energy costs; supports the Government’s ambition to produce a National Food Strategy white paper and recognises the urgent need for its publication; notes that the UK food system needs to become more sustainable; and calls on the Government to recognise and promote alternative proteins in the National Food Strategy, invest in homegrown opportunities for food innovation, back British businesses and help future-proof British farming.

    The motion is in my name and that of the hon. Member for Bristol East (Kerry McCarthy). I pay tribute to her for all her help in co-ordinating this debate, and I particularly thank the Backbench Business Committee for finding time for it.

    Food security is a perennial concern. Even the meaning of “food security” causes concern and disagreement, but I will use this definition as a starting point—being able to feed the population at a reasonable cost, even in the face of future shocks such as a global pandemic, massive harvest failure or a general crisis of agricultural productivity caused by climate change. However, colleagues may well wish to expand on that definition and talk about a whole array of issues, for this is such a vast topic with so many important implications for farmers and for families and household food bills, particularly now that we see them rising with the cost of living crisis.

    The UK is addressing the issues of food security by using new approaches to agriculture such as vertical farming, precision agriculture and genome editing. It is cutting food waste with Government policies and new technology, producing alternative proteins from cultured insects and algae—not for the faint-hearted—as well as producing plant-based meat, on which the UK leads the way, and packaging food in innovative ways to reduce damage, prolong freshness and fight off bacteria.

    However, with the shocks we have suffered to our food security over the last two years—the consequences of covid and lockdowns, and now of the war in Ukraine —there is much more the Government need to do, particularly to help our local farmers. In the north-west, our 12,815 farming and growing community quietly go about their business, collectively producing a wealth of food commodities and contributing more than £726 million to the economy. Our UK farmers and growers are world leaders in food safety, animal welfare, traceability and environmental enhancements, and these values are reflected through our UK annual food and drink export value of £2 billion.

    I want to focus on my little corner of the world. Over 70% of Cheshire county is still agriculture-producing, with large swathes given to dairy, sheep and cattle farming. More than 7,000 people are employed on 2,804 farm holdings covering nearly 160,000 hectares of land. We are home to some of the country’s leading dairy farms and dairies—for example, Grosvenor’s Eaton Estate in Cheshire produces more than 35 million litres of fresh milk a year, which is enough for half a million people every day. In Tatton, we have County Milk, which is a family-run business and the largest privately owned dairy ingredient company in the UK. We have the award-winning Delamere Dairy, located in Knutsford, and Bexton Cheese in Knutsford. We have the award-winning Lambing Shed, run by the Mitchell family, and Cheshire Smokehouse in Morley Green, Wilmslow. We have Mobberley Ice Cream, Great Budworth Ice Cream and Seven Sisters Farm Ice Cream—there are lots of ice creams—and Roberts Bakery. I meet my local farmers regularly, assisted and facilitated by the local National Farmers Union team.

    There have always been concerns in farming, for livestock and the Great British weather are temperamental fellows to work with, but of late these issues have got bigger and they need to be addressed if we want our food strategy to work. In Tatton, our farmers, like those across the country, are facing labour shortages, energy price increases of up to 400%, fertiliser cost increases of over 150% and red diesel increases, as well as increases in rural crime. Only the other week, I met a group of local farmers at Shepherd’s farm in Aston by Budworth, which has just invested £300,000 in a new milking shed of the new cubicle type, and they all concurred that we are now seeing particularly tough times.

    My farmers are renowned for good husbandry, good farming and good farming techniques, and they go to great lengths to look after their animals and land, for high-quality care leads to high-quality meat, milk and produce, but they need help to find staff and to offer competitive training and apprenticeships. New farmers entering the profession need to have a chance to get a farm, and those leaving it need a chance to relinquish a farm at a price that will provide for their retirement. Can the Minister please look into these matters as a matter of urgency? I know significant work has been done, but certainly more work needs to be done. If the Minister cannot provide a full answer today, I am more than happy for him to write to me.

    Another of my constituents is Philip Pearson, who, along with other members of his family, runs a family business called the APS Group. Set up by his grandfather after the second world war in Alderley Edge, it is now the biggest tomato producer in the UK, producing approximately 650 million tomatoes a year. He has explained quite clearly that the horticulture sector in the UK is desperately short of staff to look after crops and to cope during the harvest. He would have expected 1,500 workers, out of a peak total of 2,500, from central and eastern Europe each year—from March to Christmas—but this has not been possible this year.

    A question for the Minister is: can these farmers have more visas for seasonal agricultural workers—the number must rise from the current 30,000 to at least 50,000 as soon as possible—and can farmers employ Ukrainian nationals and other migrants now housed in the UK to help deliver an increase in the number of seasonal agricultural workers?

    Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD)

    The right hon. Lady is making a very powerful case, very little of which I would disagree with, but the food strategy is not all about agriculture. The fishing industry also needs visas for crews in particular, which has been a problem for years. Through her, can I add to the Minister’s list to take to the Home Office the plight of the fishing industry as well as that of farmers?

    Esther McVey

    The right hon. Member absolutely can, and indeed he has. I expect other Members to talk about the farming in and the produce coming from their parts of the country. As I said, I am focusing on Cheshire, but I believe we all share the same concerns.

    In my patch, farmers are leading the way in technology, too. In the case of APS, it is developing robotics for tomato production, starting with harvesting and going right the way through to packaging. It is putting significant money and research into this development to cope with the lack of people now coming forward to work in the farming sector. However, these robots will not be ready for four to five years, so it needs short-term help now to be able to deliver on its commitment to supply tomatoes for the country.

    Farmers also care deeply about the environment. This particular farm is working hard to deliver compostable packaging. It uses its tomato plant waste to develop packaging, and it is using it for other sectors, including fake leather for car seats, coffee cups and even bactericidal treatment for the NHS. It is charged a packaging tax, yet it is developing green, biodegradable alternatives, so can the Minister let me know what incentives there are for such great British technology to help the companies providing these terrific developments, which will be used not just here, but right around the world?

    Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)

    Robotics is very important in my constituency of Strangford in two ways. First, for the dairy sector, it is a seven-figure sum to set up a new robotic milking dairy—my neighbours are doing that—and, secondly, it is a significant six-figure sum for those wanting to have tomato houses, as the right hon. Lady has mentioned. To make such vast investments happen, the Government must be involved, so the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs here and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs back home will have to be very much part of that process.

    Esther McVey

    I thank the hon. Member for joining in and adding that pertinent point.

    We could not have this debate without talking about the high energy prices at the moment, with an increase of 400%, and what is happening to farms having to cope with those increased costs. For APS, this has resulted in reduced production of UK tomatoes and other foods, because the costs of production are not recovered through higher prices. Farmers must be mindful of passing on higher prices to customers—if they can, as the supermarkets and shops the food goes to will not accept them—so we must be mindful of how we support farmers.

    That company has even developed a combined heat and power plant, which supplies 3 MW of power to Alderley Edge, and it uses the waste heat and the carbon dioxide from that to grow their crop. I wonder whether it can get some recognition that it uses carbon dioxide from power generation to produce food, because that would help it to offset the huge increases in energy cost. I know the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is reviewing the move from the European Union energy trading scheme to the ETS UK equivalent post Brexit, but can the Minister liaise with his ministerial colleague at BEIS and give me the latest news on that?

    Food production is essential for the delivery of the environmental benefits on which the Government plan to centre in their agricultural support policy, but unless we recognise the dual role of farmers as food producers and conservationists, we risk turning farmers into environmental contractors with little incentive to continue farming. That would do enormous damage to the jobs and communities that depend on farming, as well as weaken our food security. The strategy needs to be clearer in linking food production to action against climate change and enhancing the natural environment.

    My final plea is for greater clarity on food labelling, so that the high standards of British food are known and recognised—so a shopper knows the quality of the produce and where it is from. Buying British and locally, for me that means buying from Cheshire, is important not just because of the high husbandry standards of UK food but the low transport mileage to get from field to fork. That low transport mileage is particularly important if we are concerned about the environment. As my beef and sheep farmers say, it is better to have high-quality beef and lamb from Cheshire than chickpeas from halfway around the world. [Interruption.] I thank Members for the cheers for that.

    On food standards, it is important when the Government are negotiating and implementing free trade agreements to avoid undermining the domestic sector for farmers and growers and reducing standards. In its report on the UK-Australia free trade agreement issued on Friday 17 June 2022, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee concluded:

    “In practice it appears unlikely that food produced to lower animal welfare standards will enter the UK as a result of this deal.”

    That is positive news, but my farmers are calling for greater transparency on food labelling. Like me, they believe in choice, but we only have choice when we have knowledge of what we are choosing and what we are choosing from.

    Geraint Davies (Swansea West) (Lab/Co-op)

    I sit on that Committee and we observed that the average size of a sheep farm in Australia is 100 times the size of one in Wales, and they practise mulesing—shearing the back- sides of sheep in a painful way without anaesthetics—and transport cattle for 24 hours. So there is a clear problem of British producers being undercut by inhumane welfare practices and massive intensity of production.

    Esther McVey

    That relates to the transparency that some people are calling for to know what they are eating and enjoying, to appreciate the difference in cost and the treatment the animals have gone through. Fair competition can only really come from accurate labelling and transparency on produce. The UK produces some of the best food in the world, with the highest standards of safety and animal welfare, and it is only right that people in this country know what they are getting.

    Tatton farmers and producers are hard-working, dedicated to the sector, industrious and experts in their field, with many generations of experience. They want to help solve the food security issues that this country is facing, but along with this strategy, which goes some of the way, and along with awareness of what is happening around the world, more assistance is needed to help our farmers here and now with the problems the world is facing.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Committee Calls for Clarity on Scottish Government Covid Recovery Funding [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Committee Calls for Clarity on Scottish Government Covid Recovery Funding [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the Scottish Parliament on 29 October 2022.

    The Scottish Parliament’s COVID-19 Recovery Committee has called on the Scottish Government to clarify whether the cost crisis will affect the funding of Scotland’s Covid Recovery Strategy.

    Following pre-budget scrutiny of how the Scottish Government plans to fund its Covid Recovery Strategy and the ongoing costs associated with the pandemic, the Committee have written to John Swinney MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery, asking for the Committee’s views to be considered when preparing the budget.

    The impact of the cost crisis was highlighted during the Committee’s evidence sessions, including concerns from witnesses over how this could affect the funding and delivery of the Covid Recovery Strategy, with some saying the crisis will pose more significant challenges for organisations, service providers and individuals than even those faced during the pandemic.

    The Covid Recovery Strategy was published in October 2021, before the scale of the emerging cost-of-living crisis was apparent.

    The Strategy sets out the Scottish Government’s vision for recovery, focusing on efforts to tackle inequality and disadvantage arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and states that progress towards public service reform and a well-being economy is necessary to tackle these inequalities.

    Commenting, Siobhian Brown MSP, Convener of the COVID-19 Recovery Committee, said:

    “During our pre-budget scrutiny, we heard that the Scottish Government’s budget is approximately £1.7 billion less than it was worth in December 2021 due to inflationary pressures.

    “The Committee, therefore, are seeking clarity on how this will impact the Scottish Government’s priorities and ability to deliver the outcomes as set out in the Covid Recovery Strategy and whether it intends to refresh the strategy to reflect any policy changes in light of the cost-of-living crisis.

    “As the budget doesn’t commit to specific spending on COVID-19 or Covid Recovery, it’s important that there is greater clarity provided on how much funding the Scottish Government intends to commit to achieving the outcomes identified in its Covid Recovery Strategy within the upcoming budget.”

    The Committee’s pre-budget scrutiny also set out the evidence gathered on costs associated with the Strategic Framework. These included future pandemic preparedness, vaccinations, testing and surveillance, personal protective equipment, monitoring Covid-19 recovery and Scottish Government progress towards developing a well-being economy.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Citizens’ Panel on Public Participation to meet in the Scottish Parliament [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Citizens’ Panel on Public Participation to meet in the Scottish Parliament [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the Scottish Parliament on 27 October 2022.

    A newly established Citizens’ Panel will meet for the first time this weekend (28th – 30th October) in the Scottish Parliament to help shape how Parliament engages with the people of Scotland.

    The Citizens’ Panel, comprised of 22 people broadly reflecting the demographic make-up of Scotland, will come together to deliberate how the Scottish Parliament can best work with communities to ensure their needs are reflected in its work.

    The Citizens’ Panel will meet for two full weekends at the Scottish Parliament and three shorter evening sessions online.

    Earlier this year, the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee launched an inquiry into Public Participation, looking at how people’s voices are heard in the work of the Parliament.

    The Citizens’ Panel will assist the inquiry by making recommendations on improving how Holyrood’s work involves, reflects, and meets the needs of the full range of communities it represents, focusing on improving engagement for those currently under-represented.

    Throughout the sittings, the Citizen’s Panel will have the opportunity to hear from MSPs and leading academics about democracy and public participation to help facilitate discussion and inform their findings.

    Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Convener Jackson Carlaw, MSP, said:

    “Our inquiry into Public Participation is important because we know that the Parliament doesn’t hear enough from some groups and communities.

    “We want to make sure that the views and opinions of everyone in Scotland are included in the work of the Parliament, and the Citizens’ Panel will be crucial to helping us understand how we can improve this.

    “Ensuring the Scottish Parliament is accessible to a diverse range of people, particularly when developing new laws or policies that affect them, is essential and the Committee will eagerly anticipate the Citizens’ Panel recommendations.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Health, Social Care and Sport Committee seek views on proposals for a Patient Safety Commissioner [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Health, Social Care and Sport Committee seek views on proposals for a Patient Safety Commissioner [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the Scottish Parliament on 26 October 2022.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Protecting Scotland’s water [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Protecting Scotland’s water [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 30 October 2022.

    New rules to align with European Union standards.

    Powers passed by MSPs to help deal with the impact of Brexit are being used for the first time to ensure Scotland’s high quality drinking water aligns with standards set by the European Union.

    The EU Continuity Act 2020 ensures that Scotland can maintain and advance the high standards shared between devolved Scots and EU law, irrespective of the consequences of the UK’s exit from the European Union.

    New regulations being laid under the Act this week will adhere to updated standards set by the World Health Organisation that limit emerging pollutants and endocrine disrupting compounds. Such pollutants include PFAs which are better known as ‘forever chemicals’ and are commonly used in non-stick and water repellent products and do not degrade when they reach the environment.

    Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson said:

    “Scotland’s drinking water is renowned for its excellent quality all over the world and we will be relentless in ensuring it stays this way and meets the highest of standards.

    “These latest steps we are taking, to maintain those standards, are a prime example of our commitment to re-join the EU and align with its policies. Through such action, we will continue to protect the health and wellbeing of people in Scotland and also ease the future process of Scotland’s return to the EU.

    “This is in stark contrast to the approach being taken by the UK Government, intent on undermining retained EU law which will be hugely damaging to people and businesses in Scotland.

    “We’re determined to continue to be an active and constructive participant on EU matters, which will ease the process of Scotland’s future return to the EU.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Scotland leads on the Real Living Wage [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Scotland leads on the Real Living Wage [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 30 October 2022.

    A Fair Work approach to the cost of living crisis.

    A record proportion of employees in Scotland are being paid the real Living Wage (rLW) or more, new figures reveal.

    The Office for National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings shows 91% of employees aged 18 and over earned at least the rLW in 2022, an increase from 85.5% in 2021 and the highest proportion since the rLW series began in 2012.

    In comparison, 87.5% of employees aged 18 and over in England are paid the rLW or more, 88.2% in Wales and 85.4% in Northern Ireland.

    The ONS survey also confirms that the Gender Pay Gap is lower in Scotland than across the UK as a whole. For full-time employees the gap is 3.7% compared with the UK figure of  8.3%.

    The Scottish Government is committed to tackling the cost of living crisis with a Fair Work approach, ensuring workers are paid at least the rLW – currently £10.90 per hour – and supporting more women into jobs through flexible working opportunities.

    Minister for Employment and Fair Work Richard Lochhead said:

    “The Scottish Government’s commitment to promoting payment of the real Living Wage is a fundamental part of our National Strategy for Economic Transformation and a key cost of living policy to deliver a fairer and more equal society.

    “The ONS figures confirm that Scottish employers are leading the way and we can be proud of the progress that has been made.

    “There is still work to be done on tackling the gender pay gap, but we are taking steps to make this happen. We will publish our refreshed Fair Work Action Plan later this year, outlining the actions needed to close the gap further and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. We will continue to work with employers, employability providers and partners to achieve this aim.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Scotland is world’s first Daily Mile Nation [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Scotland is world’s first Daily Mile Nation [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 28 October 2022.

    Key target to involve all 32 local authorities is met.

    Scottish children have stepped their way into the history books as the country is confirmed as the world’s first Daily Mile Nation.

    Around 187,000 school children in all of Scotland’s local authority areas are getting active for at least fifteen minutes a day meeting the criteria agreed with the Daily Mile Foundation. More than half of primary schools are now signed up to the Daily Mile.

    The initiative is proven to improve the wellbeing of children across the country, as part of wider efforts to improve overall health and reduce the pressure on the NHS over winter.

    It was started by former Head Teacher Elaine Wyllie of St Ninian’s Primary in Stirling in 2012 and has grown every year – extending beyond schools into communities and workplaces and encouraging more people in Scotland to get on the move.

    The Scottish Football Association is backing the initiative using its extensive network of community clubs to promote the role of physical activity in health and wellbeing.

    Public Health Minister Maree Todd said:

    “We want Scotland to become a nation where more people are more active, more often. The benefits of instilling these habits early are plain to see – children will see the joy of walking, running or wheeling which will boost their health in the long term, and reduce the strain on our NHS.

    “I try to do a Daily Mile whenever I can and there is no doubt I always feel better for it.

    “I consider this initiative to be one of Scotland’s best exports – building on our success, other home nations and countries around the world are now embracing The Daily Mile initiative.  Scotland continues to lead the way on a global scale.”

    Daily Mile UK Partnership Manager Fiona Paterson said:

    “In our joint strategy published in 2020, The Daily Mile Foundation and the Scottish Government set out the key targets which would signify that Scotland could be recognised as the world’s first Daily Mile nation.

    “We are delighted to announce that these targets have been met and that the foundations have been laid for further work to continue to embed the INEOS backed Daily Mile across the country’.

    Ms Wylie said:

    “From one school in Stirling to Scotland to becoming a Daily Mile Nation, I am incredibly proud of all the schools, teachers and children that have helped us achieve this milestone and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them and our partners across Scotland.

    “The Daily Mile was created by children which I truly believe is why it has been so successful and is now reaching nearly 4 million children around the world.”

    Scottish FA Chief Executive Ian Maxwell said:

    “The Scottish FA recognises the unique reach of football and the importance that physical activity can play in the health and wellbeing of children and young people in this country, and we are thrilled to support this initiative as Scotland becomes the world’s first Daily Mile Nation.

    “Opportunities to exercise on and off the pitch should be available to everyone and through our network of community football clubs and local partners, we are ready to play our part and use the power of football to inspire the country to become more active.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Storm Arwen review [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Storm Arwen review [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 28 October 2022.

    New processes in place one year on.

    Organisations across Scotland have put in place a series of measures to protect communities from the effects of severe weather ahead of winter.

    It follows a review of the Storm Arwen response published in January 2022, which set out 15 recommendations for the Scottish Government and its partners.

    A report published today updates on progress since then, with a range of improvements put in place ahead of winter. These include:

    • A full winter readiness exercise carried out by emergency responders across every area in Scotland by the end of November
    • A new online learning and training hub to help individuals, community groups and the voluntary sector to prepare, respond and recover from emergencies
    • The development of a new process to monitor and evaluate Scotland’s resilience system annually to identify and resolve issues quickly and effectively
    • Increased integration and engagement with the voluntary sector, and expansion of local directories of assets and capabilities to support resilience activity

    Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans, Keith Brown, said:

    “The Scottish Government committed to a full review of the circumstances of Storm Arwen, and this report demonstrates clearly the range of work that is underway to ensure that lessons are learned.

    “Our responder community, including our blue light services and our local authorities, will put these recommendations in place and we will support them to ensure our resilience arrangements continue to strengthen to protect communities.”

    Chair of the Scottish Resilience Partnership Jim Savege said:

    “Responders have worked hard through the year, reviewing the risks we need to be prepared for, planning and exercising and making sure we are as prepared as we all can be for any future events and incidents we may have to respond to. More than ever, emergency services have considered wider risks that may be realised, and the growing reality of having to deal with concurrent risks and incidents.

    “Significant additional work has been invested this year into working with voluntary organisations and communities to ensure their resilience and their ability to deal with incidents has been enhanced. Community and business resilience are the bedrock upon which emergency services work and respond.

    “The SRP is grateful for all of the work that so many colleagues have invested in ensuring we are as prepared as we can be for the winter ahead.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Tenant Protection Act becomes law [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Tenant Protection Act becomes law [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 28 October 2022.

    Rents frozen and evictions prevented.

    Emergency legislation giving tenants increased protection from rent increases and evictions during the cost of living crisis has become law after receiving Royal Assent.

    The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) Act gives Ministers temporary power to cap rent increases for private and social tenants, as well as for student accommodation.

    This applies to in-tenancy rent increases, with the cap set at 0% from 6 September 2022 until at least 31 March 2023, effectively freezing rents for most tenants during this period.

    Enforcement of eviction actions resulting from the cost crisis are prevented over the same period except in a number of specified circumstances, and damages for unlawful evictions have been increased to a maximum of 36 months’ worth of rent.

    Tenants’ Rights Minister Patrick Harvie said:

    “Many people who rent their homes are facing real difficulties as a result of the cost of living crisis. While bills are rising for all of us, many tenants are more exposed as they are more likely to be on low incomes or living in poverty than other people.

    “These measures aim to give tenants greater confidence about their housing costs and the security of a stable home.

    “Some landlords may be feeling the effects of this crisis too. So while the primary purpose is to protect tenants, the emergency measures also include safeguards for those landlords who may be impacted.

    “For anyone struggling with their rent, I would urge you to contact your landlord, an advice organisation or a tenants’ union to get help as early as possible.”