Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 2 November 2022.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has asked Elena Whitham MSP to join the Scottish Government as Minister for Community Safety.

Ms Whitham’s appointment will be put to Parliament and His Majesty The King, and subject to approval she will take up the post, reporting to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans.

Prior to entering elected politics, Ms Whitham worked in community youth and homelessness roles and ran three businesses as a sole trader, in addition to spending over a decade as a Women’s Aid worker in Ayrshire, supporting women and children experiencing domestic abuse.

More recently, she served as the Depute Leader of East Ayrshire Council and was also COSLA’s Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, where her remit included housing and homelessness.

The First Minister said:

“I would like to thank Ash Regan for her Ministerial contribution to the Scottish Government, most notably in leading new legislation to control the sale and use of fireworks and tackling inequality in the justice system.

“I’m pleased to appoint Elena to her first Ministerial position, which has cross-cutting responsibilities across Scotland’s fire service, our justice system, and the prevention of violence against women and girls.

“I’m confident Elena’s professional and personal experience will stand her in good stead for this role and I look forward to working with her to improve the safety of communities across the country.”

Background

New Ministerial Appointments are subject to formal confirmation and acceptance by Parliament and His Majesty the King.

Responsibilities

The Minister for Community Safety supports the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans. Specific responsibilities of the role include:

• Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• Community safety
• Civil Law and Tribunals
• Anti-social behaviour
• Legal profession
• Legal regulation
• Access to Justice
• Legal Aid Fund
• Scottish Law Commission Bills
• Strategic Approach to Women in the Justice System
• Violence against women, prostitution and misogynistic harassment
• Control of dogs including review of the Dangerous Dog Act
• Alcohol licensing
• Fireworks
• Human Trafficking

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 2 November 2022.

Measures announced today will provide further help to those most impacted by the cost of living crisis while tackling budget pressures caused by rising inflation and economic uncertainty.

The Emergency Budget Review (EBR) for 2022-23 identifies funding of around £35 million for a range of initiatives to support people with the increased cost of living, including doubling the Fuel Insecurity Fund, doubling the Scottish Child Bridging Payment to £260 and a new £1.4 million Island Cost Crisis Emergency Fund to help island households manage higher energy costs.

Significant investment in public sector pay deals – delivering higher increases in pay for low earners – is also designed to help families and individuals deal with the cost of living crisis.

Other measures include:

• confirming funds to local authorities to support Discretionary Housing Payments

• establishing a Joint Taskforce with business, COSLA, local authorities and agencies to consider the differing impacts of regulation on business

• extending energy advice to businesses by investing £300,000 to expand the services of Business Energy Scotland, while doubling the value of the SME energy efficiency Loan and Cash Back Scheme for energy efficiency to £20,000

• new payment break options to help protect those who have agreed to repay debt through the Debt Arrangement Scheme but face unexpected increases in the cost of living

Additional savings of £615 million have been identified to enable enhanced public sector pay offers to be made while maintaining a route to complying with Ministers’ responsibility to balance the budget. They follow savings of £560 million announced on 7 September.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said:

“There has never been a time of greater pressure on the public finances.

“The Scottish Government’s budget today is worth £1.7 billion less than when it was published last December. At the same time, demand for government support and intervention is understandably increasing while we continue to try to fund increased public sector pay claims, particularly for those on lowest incomes.

“These savings are not ones we would wish to make, but in the absence of additional funding from the UK Government, we are left with no alternative.

“We must balance the books while prioritising funding to help families, back business, provide fair pay awards and to protect the delivery of public services. This Emergency Budget Review delivers on these objectives.”

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 2 November 2022.

Recommendations to improve how marches and parades are planned and organised across Scotland have been published.

The Short Life Working Group on Processions in Scotland was set up following a pledge by the First Minister last year to consider if an approach similar to that taken in Northern Ireland should be adopted here. The report aims to strike a balance between protecting the rights of those who seek to march or protest and those in communities affected by such events.

The independent working group of experts recommends that a national parades’ commission is not necessary in the context in Scotland, as improvements could be best handled by local partners.

A further 17 recommendations put forward by the working group include:

• Improving the notification process around marches – ensuring relevant information is available for communities
• Improving the facilitation and regulation of processions by making sure people’s human rights continue to be upheld
• Reducing the need for public order policing

Key partners, including the Scottish Government, the City of Edinburgh Council, Glasgow City Council, Police Scotland, COSLA and human rights experts will now come together to consider the report recommendations and agree the best way forward.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans Keith Brown said:

“Marching, parading and protesting is of great importance to many people in Scotland for cultural, community and political reasons.

“The Scottish Government fully recognises this and is committed to freedom of speech and to upholding the human rights of those seeking to participate in such events. But in doing this we must also ensure that the rights of those seeking to go about their business undisturbed are also protected. As such, a balance must be struck between protecting the rights of those who seek to march or protest and those of the communities impacted by such events.

“I am very grateful to the Working Group for their dedication and hard work in developing their report and recommendations, as well as to everyone who took the time to speak with group to give their experiences and expertise.

“We will continue to hold meaningful and productive dialogue with march and parade organisers, community representatives, Police Scotland and local authorities to ensure that, collectively, we continue to work towards achieving the correct balance of right for all.”

Chair of the working group Dominic Bryan, said:

“Members of the working group were impressed with much of the work already undertaken by local authorities in sometimes challenging circumstances.

“We believe that our recommendations will offer a sustainable way forward for the facilitation and regulation of processions in Scotland reflecting important human rights considerations.”

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 2 November 2022.

Latest step in £600 million winter resilience plan.

Scots are being urged to play their part to ease pressure on the NHS this winter as an awareness campaign is launched today (2 November).

Targeted advertising on TV, radio and online will encourage people to get the right care in the right place – diverting them away from busy A&E wards where appropriate.

It will make clear that – if a condition is not life-threatening – people can visit their local pharmacy, dial NHS 24 on 111, or contact their GP. It will also signpost people to the NHS Inform website which provides practical self-help guides.

Pandemic backlogs, Brexit-driven staff shortages and inflation costs have all contributed to make this the most challenging winter the NHS has ever faced. This advertising campaign is the latest step in the £600 million winter resilience plan which is already recruiting an extra 1,000 extra staff, vaccinating the public from COVID-19 and the flu, and prioritising care for the most vulnerable.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf visited Edinburgh’s Bangholm Medical Centre to hear experiences of how multi-disciplinary teams are already embracing the approach. He said:

“I am under no illusion that this winter will be the toughest in the history of our great NHS, which is why I am pulling every lever at my disposal to help ease pressure where possible.

“This campaign will make it easier than ever to know where to go to get the right care in the right place – saving patients time and freeing up space in our emergency departments.

“It is the latest step in our £600 million resilience plan to support our NHS through the tough winter ahead, which will recruit 1,000 extra staff, vaccinate the public from COVID-19 and flu, and prioritise care for the most vulnerable.”

Peju Adeyemo, Physician Associate, at Bangholm Medical Centre said:

“Physician associates are healthcare professionals with a generalist medical education, who work alongside doctors providing medical care as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team. We are able to alleviate pressure on GPs because we can see a broad spectrum of patients, provide holistic care and follow up. Furthermore, we are able to see more acute patients thereby freeing up time for GPs to see more chronic conditions where 15 minutes appointments may not be suitable. “

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 1 November 2022.

Displaced people from Ukraine will be supported to make choices about their future while living in Scotland. Following a review of the Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor Scheme, which was paused in July, a paper has been published giving details of the work undertaken by the review.

It includes sixteen interventions aiming to better support people who have fled the war in Ukraine to integrate into communities across Scotland. These measures have a particular emphasis on accommodation as well as a focus on ensuring people have access to employment advice and support.

As part of this work, the Minister with Special Responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine Neil Gray announced more than £6 million of funding has been allocated to Aberdeen City Council from the Ukraine Longer Term Resettlement Fund to enable the council to bring around 500 void properties back into use, making more longer-term accommodation available across the city.

The paper also outlines the seven criteria for re-opening the Super Sponsor Scheme, which will remain paused to new applications for the time being, in order to improve its sustainability and ultimately help to better support displaced people from Ukraine now and in the future.

Mr Gray said:

“As a nation, we continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. We know that our Super Sponsor Scheme has provided an additional and immediate route to safety. Our communities have welcomed thousands of people fleeing the war; Scottish families have opened their homes; and our local authorities and third sector partners are working round the clock to provide often traumatised people with the safety and support they need.

“The review has outlined support for people in the medium and longer term with interventions providing clear steps to empower those arriving with clear advice, support and improved access to longer-term housing options thereby reducing dependency on short-term accommodation. The measures listed will also help us with the prioritisation of that limited temporary accommodation capacity for those already here and newly arriving who are most in need. Depending on the needs of guests, we will consider asking for a contribution to temporary welcome accommodation for those still using them.

“We will continue to work with local authorities to make more longer-term accommodation available across the country through our Longer Term Resettlement Fund. We are also supporting our matching service with additional resource, because we know that matching takes considerable time and effort and we need to make sure that the home is the best fit for displaced people and the hosts. We will soon launch a Scotland-specific campaign asking more households to consider offering a place in their home to displaced people from Ukraine.”

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 1 November 2022.

The biggest ever expansion of medical training posts will see 152 additional places created for trainee doctors in 2023.

The Scottish Government will provide £37 million over the next four years to help meet the challenges facing Scotland’s NHS and future-proof it against rising demand.

This exceeds last year’s record increase of 139 places, and equates to a 2.5% increase in the current Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) workforce of 6100 trainees – making it the most significant increase in medical training places to date.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) recommended the Scottish Government fund the creation of additional training places in a number of key specialties including General Practice, Core Psychiatry, Oncology, Emergency Medicine, Intensive Care Medicine, Anaesthetics and Paediatrics.

The majority of successful applicants will take up posts in August 2023, however the Scottish Government is also funding additional Core Psychiatry training places which will have an earlier start date of February 2023. Further Core Psychiatry training places will also be made available for the August 2023 start date.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said:

“These additional training places highlight the Scottish Government’s continued commitment to ensure our health service is resilient and can continue delivering high quality care to those who need it.

“This record expansion will support a wide range of medical specialties, many of which are under increased pressure as a result of growing demand.

“We will continue to monitor the number of available training places in collaboration with NHS Education for Scotland to help make sure the NHS is equipped to meet the country’s current and future needs.”

NHS Education for Scotland Medical Director, Dr Emma Watson said:

“We welcome this announcement of additional posts across a wide range of specialties. We believe Scotland offers the highest quality medical education. Our trainees are the NHS workforce of the future – enabling us to offer better quality care and outcomes for every citizen in Scotland.”

 

Background

Trainee doctors currently make up 42% of doctors employed by NHS Scotland Health Boards, with 6100.2 WTE (whole time equivalent) trainees currently in post.

Since 2014, Scottish Ministers have created 573 additional training places for trainee doctors. The 152 posts being created in 2023 will represent the largest annual expansion to date (13 posts above the 139 which were created 2022).

Following discussions with the Scottish Shape of Training Transition Group (SSoTTG), NHS Education for Scotland (NES) delivered recommendations to the Scottish Government to create additional training places in a wide range of medical specialties.

Additional training places are shown in the table below.

 

Specialty		No. of posts
1.	Anaesthetics	15
2.	Intensive Care Medicine	16
3.	Emergency Medicine	10
4.	Trauma & Orthopaedics	12
5.	Urology	4
6.	Paediatrics	22
7.	Obstetrics & Gynaecology	13
8.	Medical Oncology	3
8.	Clinical Oncology	4
9.	Community Sexual & Reproductive Health	2
10.	Paediatric Pathology	1
11.	Core Psychiatry	15
12.	General Practice	35
Total:		152

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 31 October 2022.

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 31 October 2022.

A new annual publication with estimated take-up rates of Scottish social security benefits has been published for the first time.

The report will help track progress against the Scottish Government’s Benefit Take-up Strategy which is a requirement of the 2018 Social Security (Scotland) Act.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a transparent social security system and reporting annually on progress will support that aim. This first publication covers estimates from introduction of the benefits up to the end of March in the 2021-2022 financial year and will sit alongside existing performance reporting on Social Security Scotland.

Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said:

“We are committed to making sure everyone gets the financial support they are entitled to and our benefit take-up strategy outlines how we are doing this. We actively work to encourage take-up of Scottish social security benefits by promoting our 12 benefits, collaborating with various organisations and removing barriers to access.

“This new publication of estimated take-up rates provides us with valuable insights, and will help us to identify where we can do more. Our commitment to continuous improvement ensures we are making progress in breaking down the barriers to access, and in reducing stigma that may have previously led to people not accessing the benefits they are entitled to.

“For example, we have been working with supermarket retailers to promote Best Start Foods, we have shared over 42,000 leaflets about our five family payments and Child Disability Payment in NHS Scotland’s baby boxes, and we have included information on Scottish social security benefits in welcome packs supporting refugees.

“Our efforts to maximise incomes and support benefit take-up are even more important during the current cost of living crisis. Our new cost of living website is a trusted ‘one stop shop’ for advice and information about financial support available in Scotland, including all our Scottish benefits. I would encourage everyone to use and share this website, to make sure people are accessing the financial support they are entitled to.”

Background:

• View and download Take-Up Rates of Scottish Benefits: October 2022.
• A take-up rate is the percentage of people entitled to a benefit that actually receive it. While the number of people receiving Scottish social security benefits is known through published official statistics, the number of people eligible to receive these benefits has to be estimated internally by Scottish Government analysts using a range of data sources. This means the take-up rates in this publication are estimates only.
• Visit gov.scot/costoflivingsupport  to find out more about information on help available for households to meet rising energy, housing and other costs. The website also provides details on accessing Scottish and UK social security payments, including online benefit calculators, as well as wider health and wellbeing information.
• View and download the second Benefit Take-up Strategy, published in October 2021, which sets out how the Scottish Government is working to ensure people can access the support they are entitled to
• Since the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 was passed, the Scottish Government has introduced 12 benefits, seven of which are completely new forms of financial support, only available in Scotland
• When all benefits have been introduced and clients have transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions, Social Security Scotland will support approximately 2 million children and adults – around one in three people in Scotland.

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 31 October 2022.

Young people from some of the countries already facing the worst impacts of climate change are being given the opportunity to attend COP27 in Egypt as part of the Scottish Government’s work to widen access to climate negotiations.

The Climate Youth Negotiator Programme will support 35 young people from countries including the Solomon Islands, Liberia and Bhutan to attend the UN climate negotiations, which take place from 6-18 November. The initiative is being delivered in partnership with the Future Leaders Network, with financial backing from the Scottish Government.

The programme will fund their participation and training with the aim of giving young people a voice in the talks and developing their negotiations and leadership skills.

The Scottish Government is also providing funding to help women from the Global South participate. The Women’s Delegate Fund, delivered in partnership with the Women’s Environment Development Organisation, will support four women from Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic and Timor-Leste to take part in discussions at COP27.

The Scottish Government will be hosting an event at COP27 with attendees from the Climate Youth Negotiator Programme and Women’s Delegate Fund.

Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said:

“At COP26 in Glasgow, one of our biggest achievements was raising awareness that the people least responsible for global warming are often the ones suffering its worst consequences. Young people in the global south are all too aware of this injustice – they have not caused this crisis, but their lives are already being impacted by its consequences. That is why it is so important that their voices are heard at COP27 and I am proud that Scotland is able to help make that happen.”

Sophie Daud, Chief Executive Officer of the Future Leaders Network and Co-founder of the Youth Negotiators Academy, added:

“For too long, young people have been systematically underrepresented in climate change negotiations. Recent developments have seen young people as powerful motivational speakers, but are often tokenistic and continue to exclude youth from decision making. The Scottish Government’s transformative support will help to change this – by enabling 35 young negotiators from the global south to take their rightful seats at the decision making tables at COP27. We are delighted to partner with them, and look forward to seeing the positive impacts of meaningful youth participation this COP.”

Background

At COP25, only a quarter (25%) of negotiators were under 35 despite this age group making up more than half (56%) of the world’s population.

The 2008-2014 average for women’s participation in Eastern and Western European delegations was 45%, but only 21% for Africa and the Asia-Pacific.

The Scottish Government has provided funding of up to £206,000 to support the Climate Youth Negotiator Programme and £150,000 to support the Women’s Environment Development Organisation deliver the Women’s Delegate Fund and other activity to enhance women’s participation in climate action.