Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 24 November 2022.

A ‘best and final offer’ has been made to NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) workers following pay negotiations with trade unions and employers.

The record high pay offer, the best in the UK, will ensure that these front line workers will receive pay rises ranging from £2,205 to £2,751, which is a further improvement on the existing offer for staff in Bands 5-8A. For the lowest paid this represents an uplift of 11.3%, and delivers an average uplift of 7.5%.

This increased offer was made after constructive negotiations between the Scottish Government and NHS unions. In a final offer made to trade unions, the new deal is worth an additional £515 million in 2022-23 and now includes a package of progressive measures to promote staff and patient safety, support long-term workforce sustainability and to recognise the breadth of skills and experience of NHS Scotland staff.

The settlement ensures that NHS staff would remain the best paid anywhere in the UK. It gives all frontline NHS Scotland AfC staff in bands 1-7 a pay premium of between £1,149 and £2,834 over their counterparts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Agenda for Change pay offer for 2022-23 will deliver the most progressive package of terms and conditions reform in over 40 years. The deal will benefit more than 160,000 employees including nurses, paramedics, allied health professionals and healthcare support staff.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said:

“We have engaged tirelessly with trade union representatives over recent weeks, leaving no stone unturned to reach an offer which responds to the key concerns of staff across the service.

“This best and final pay offer of over half a billion pounds underlines our commitment to supporting our fantastic NHS staff. A newly qualified nurse would see a pay rise of 8.7%, and experienced nurses and would get uplifts of between £2,450 and £2,751.

“We are making this offer at a time of extraordinary financial challenges to the Scottish Government.

“We have made the best offer possible to get money into the pockets of hard working staff and to avoid industrial action, in what is already going to be an incredibly challenging winter. If the offer is agreed this pay uplift will also be backdated to April.

“Finally, I would urge the UK Government to get back to the negotiating table with the unions. This settlement has been shaped by the unions’ constructive approach and I hope it is backed by their members.”

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 22 November 2022.

A new progressive pay offer – the fourth which has been made to unions – recognises the impact of the cost of living crisis on lower-paid teachers, with an increase of up to 6.85%.

For those classroom teachers on the main grade scale, who benefit from pay progression, this offer will mean an increase in one year of over 10%.

Those at the top of the scale will receive a 5% increase, taking their salary to £44,453. A teacher moving from probation into a fully qualified post would gain an annual salary increase of 27%.

A fully qualified teacher in Scotland would receive £35,650 – over £7,500 more than their counterparts in England under the offer. The most experienced classroom teachers would receive £5,600 more than they would if they were teaching in England on the main pay range.

Overall, if accepted, this would represent a cumulative pay increase for the majority of teachers of 21.8% since 2018.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:

“This is a fair offer which recognises that the cost of living crisis is the priority, with higher increases for staff on lower salaries.

“This is now the fourth offer that has been made. In the same time EIS have not changed their request for a 10% pay increase – even for those on the highest incomes.

“I have been clear that we have limited room for manoeuvre. The financial situation for the Scottish Government is challenging and additional money for teacher pay means reduced public services elsewhere.

“In these challenging times it is important we focus our attention on those who are most impacted by the cost of living crisis, as well as ensuring fairness to all public sector workers. I would urge leadership to postpone plans for industrial action and consider this new offer.”

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 22 November 2022.

Crime recorded by police remains lower than before the pandemic, according to new statistics released today – reflecting the long term trend of fewer victims and people feeling safer in communities.

The latest National Statistics: Recorded Crime in Scotland bulletin shows recorded crime is 4% down since the year ending September 2018, falling 42% in total since 2006-07.

Overall, recorded crime is at one of the lowest levels seen for a 12-month period since 1974.

The overall reduction in recorded crime is reflected in the Scottish Crime & Justice Survey for 2019-20, which shows that people living in Scotland are less likely to be victims of crime than in England and Wales.

Justice Secretary Keith Brown said:

“The latest figures today show Scotland continues to be a safe place to live. Recorded crime is at one of the lowest levels seen since 1974, and below pre-pandemic levels, meaning the vast majority of people do not experience crime.

“While there are fewer victims compared to 2007, we continue to strengthen support for those who experience crime and to promote work to reduce reoffending. This includes proposals to introduce an independent Victims’ Commissioner, making sure victims’ voices are heard and placing women and children at the heart of delivery.

“Continuing to reduce crime and the harm it causes both individuals and our society as a whole is central to our ambitious vision to reform our justice system.

“These historically low levels of crime are testimony to the continued efforts across the justice sector as we continue to deliver a safer Scotland for everyone.”

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 22 November 2022.

Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) “is achieving one of its key aims” according to Ministers after a new report concluded that it has been effective in cutting alcohol consumption.

Looking at the first three years since introduction, new research by Public Health Scotland and Glasgow University has concluded that the policy is reducing overall sales.

The level of minimum unit pricing is currently under review and a consultation on restrictions on the marketing of alcohol to help drive down hazardous consumption is also underway.

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said:

“I welcome this report which shows that minimum unit pricing has been effective in creating a 3% net reduction in total alcohol sales in the first three years of implementation. This important conclusion takes account of other factors such as the impact of the pandemic on alcohol sales, seasonal variations, existing trends, household income and comparison with England and Wales where MUP was not in place.

“Minimum unit pricing is achieving what it set out to do – a reduction in sales overall with a focus on the cheap high-strength alcohol, which is often drunk by people drinking at harmful levels. Further studies on MUP, including a final evaluation report, which is due next year, will examine how MUP has impacted on alcohol harms.

“Our focus is not only on MUP – last week, we launched a consultation on restrictions on the marketing of alcohol to help drive down hazardous consumption, and we are reviewing Scotland’s Alcohol Brief Interventions Programme which aims to motivate people to cut down on drinking.”