scottish government

Will the Olympics ring true in Edinburgh?

November 17, 2011 By kittywaller 2 Comments

by Kirsten Hayley Waller

That outside of Edinburgh Castle could have the Olympic Rings displayed. Photo: S.Johnson

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) is applying to Historic Scotland
to place the symbol of the Olympic rings on Edinburgh Castle during August 2012.

The rings will measure 8.5m in height and 18m in width, and will be displayed on the north-west rampart of the castle.

LOCOG have also submitted planning applications for other heritage sites, all over the UK, in a bid to make the 2012 games feel less London-centric.

A spokesman said they would not comment on ongoing applications and “would wait to hear the results.”

He explained the thinking behind this application was to ensure that there was “benefit across the UK for these games.” The plan is to “use the rings to draw attention to UK landmarks.”

The committee hope this will encourage foreign visitors to visit other parts of Britain, in addition to visiting London, for the Olympic Games.

LOCOG has worked with the Scottish Government, Historic Scotland and Edinburgh Council to establish the best location for the rings to be displayed.

The logistics of installing, maintaining and dismantling the rings will be undertaken by the Organising Committee, using funds from the central government in Westminster, and not from the Scottish Executive.

Historic Scotland released a brief statement to Napier News, saying “We have received a Scheduled Monument Consent for a temporary application for the Olympic Rings installation at Edinburgh Castle which is going through the due process.”

The Cockburn Association, who promote the conservation of Edinburgh’s landscape and architecture, have previously expressed their disgust at this plan. The Director, Marion Williams, said “I think it’s daft, insulting and ridiculous. They should leave the castle alone and get on with having the Olympics in London. Edinburgh has other things to worry about at the moment. “I’m not grumpy about the Olympics, but I am grumpy about London stamping its mark on Edinburgh.”

What do you think about the Olympic Rings coming to Edinburgh Castle? Contact Napier News and let us know.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: edinburgh castle, Historic Scotland, London, Olympics, scottish government

New Call for Opt-Out Organ Donation

November 17, 2011 By sturnbull89 Leave a Comment

by Sarah Turnbull

“Three people will die unnecessarily every day in Scotland” said Professor John Forsythe,
lead clinician for NHS Lothian. This is because more than 700 people in Scotland are waiting for an organ transplant.

While 90% of the population in Scotland are in favour of the idea of organ donation, only 37% of people have actually joined the register to become a potential donor.

The Scottish Government has decided to invest money into a television advertising campaign to promote registering as an organ donor. Some people, though, are calling for a more extreme system to increase organ donation. Termed an ‘opt-out’ system, this scheme would mean that everyone is automatically added to the Organ Donor Register. In order to remove oneself from this list, a person would be required to notify NHS.

Dundee MSP Joe Fitzpatrick supports this system. He recently signed a petition to persuade the Scottish Government to change the current system of organ donation to the ‘opt-out’ system. Mr. Fitzpatrick claims “this system is supported by the British Medical Association and major charities including the British Heart Foundation and Kidney Research UK.”

This system has been suggested before and has been met with some controversy.

Scotland has the highest percentage of people donating organs in the UK, with 37% of its population on the register. Forsythe, however, said that this is not enough. “We urgently need more people from across Scotland to join the Organ Donor Register” he said.

It seems the top factor preventing people from joining the register is fear. According to the NHS, one of most frequently asked questions about organ donation is “how do they know when you are really dead?” The organisation assures people that a doctors confirm the organ donors are dead in exactly the same way as those who are not on the register.

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: NHS Lothian, Organ Transplant, scottish government

Is living in Glasgow bad for your health?

November 24, 2010 By jenmcclure Leave a Comment

The city's residents are more likely to suffer a heart attack than the rest of Scotland. Credit. Flickr.

By Jen McClure

Findings of a recent health survey of Scotland’s largest city found that Glaswegians are 1 and a half times more likely to have a heart-attack and suffer from anxiety, regardless of their lifestyle or social circumstances.

The so-called “Glasgow Effect”, stood out above all the other factors taken into consideration. The latest survey, said: “There remained an unexplained Glasgow Effect in relation to prevalence of anxiety and doctor-diagnosed heart attack.”

Researchers say that further study into the issue is needed to fully investigate their recent discoveries.

The report analysed; socio-economic, behavioural, biological, relationship and social mobility before compiling their findings. The report concluded: “People living in Greater Glasgow and Clyde still had a 92 per cent higher risk of anxiety compared to those living elsewhere.” It continued, ” For two important outcomes relating to both physical and mental health, no explanation can be derived for the excess risk of doctor-diagnosed heart attack or anxiety.”

Politicians and health bodies claim that there is no mystery to Glasgow’s health misery. The city’s poverty and deprivation are at the root of the “effect” and that more has to done to help the most vulnerable members of society.

Consultant Cardiologist, Dr. Adrian Brady at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, commented: “Lifestyle is an important part of the issue, for example, smoking, lack of exercise and poor diet, but they are all being addressed.” He added: ” Even allowing for cholesterol, higher blood pressure and smoking you can still see, for some reason, individuals in the West of Scotland are more prone to heart attacks than patients in the south of England with the same blood pressure and cholesterol level. Why that is the case, we are not sure.” He further commented about the city’s deprivation as a factor. ” If you measured deprivation, as a measure of a lack of social advantage, that in fact, goes some way to explain the differences in heart attack risk with Glasgow and the rest of the UK. Why deprivation would do this, we don’t know, but deprivation is a very robust measure of cardiovascular risk.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said that health inequalities remained a “significant challenge in Scotland, with the poorest in our society dying earlier and experiencing higher rates of ill health.” She added, ” This remains the case whether there is or is not a Glasgow Effect.” In response to health issues that need to be addressed she continued: ” Reducing health inequalities is not going to be done overnight. It will take generations to tackle problems which have affected Scotland but poor health is not inevitable and we should not accept it.”

Filed Under: Life and Society, Uncategorized Tagged With: anxiety, Glasgow, heart attacks, scottish government, Scottish health, smoking

Alcohol Bill fails to raise spirits

November 12, 2010 By Euan Black Leave a Comment

By Euan Black

Edinburgh’s local business owners and residents gave the Scottish Government’s Alcohol Bill a lukewarm reception today.

The bill will outlaw volume discounting – offers such as two crates of beer for £14 – and make a ‘Challenge 25′ ID policy compulsory, and has paved the way for a possible Social Responsibility Fee which will make on and off licenses pay a sum towards policing and health costs relating to alcohol abuse.

However, the SNP’s key policy of minimum pricing of alcohol was rejected by the majority of MSPs, with the votes going 76 to 49.

David Simpson, 32, assistant manager of the Golden Rule pub near Fountainpark, was unhappy with the majority of the measures introduced by the bill, especially the Social Responsibility Fee. He said: “The point of a license is that you are licensed to sell alcohol responsibly, so having a license should imply that you are socially responsible, so I think this fee is pretty pointless.

“I think it will be harder for independent pubs, whose margins are being squeezed more and more. The massive chains like Wetherspoons will be able to absorb these costs. Inevitably, in independents prices will have to go up yet again to absorb the costs of a fee. Unfortunately, and I hope it doesn’t happen, more pubs may close and more people may lose their jobs.”

Mr Simpson supported the minimum pricing of alcohol to 45p a unit, believing that was the only policy that would have tackled Scotland’s perceived alcohol problem.

He said: “Minimum pricing is the only thing that would have helped. It wouldn’t affect the price of a pint, or of a nice £15 bottle of wine that I sometimes want to enjoy. What it would change is the price of stuff like cheap cider.

“I was in the local shop the other day and I saw someone buy four and a half litres of cider for £3. That proves to me that minimum pricing is socially responsible, and that the rest of these measures are just penalising the on-trade.”

Shoppers’ views at Edinburgh off-licenses were mixed. Michael Webber, a 24 year-old Edinburgh student, said he was “all in favour of a Challenge 25 ID scheme”. He added: “If people are offended by being asked for ID, who cares?”

Gail Stevens, 45, a part-time receptionist, agreed with Mr Simpson on minimum pricing. She said: “Minimum pricing should have been voted through – there is a problem with drink in Scotland.”

Callum Black, 20, a bar worker in St Andrews, also took issue with the Social Responisibility Fee. He said: “The fee is a big problem. How will they decide how much to charge? Smaller pubs struggle as it is.”

Filed Under: All Politics, Economy and Business, Life and Society Tagged With: alcohol, Edinburgh, Politics, Scotland, scottish government, SNP

Christmas cocaine crackdown

November 10, 2010 By adamjbell Leave a Comment

Courtesy of HeatherJox3 via DeviantArt

by Adam Bell

The Scottish Government has launched a Christmas campaign to reign in the use of Britain’s most acceptable class A drug.

Spread across 140 Scottish pubs, targeting 18-24 year-olds, the Know the Score campaign will promote the message that you do not know what you are getting with cocaine.

“Young people often see cocaine as a harmless, even glamorous drug, a problem which is compounded by its falling cost and increased levels of availability across the country,” explained Nick Smith, Manager of the Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership, who are backing the campaign.

Surveys have shown that cocaine is the second most used drug amongst young people, and that the majority believe the drug to be relatively safe.

The government campaign will seek to show the truth about the drug, and the real side effects, including sweats, paranoia, anxiety, chest pains, a raised heart rate which can lead to heart attacks and an greater risk of strokes.

Research has shown that whilst both male and female users are at a greater risk of having a heart attack, it is males who are twice as likely to die from taking the drug.

One reason behind the campaign is the revelation that Scotland has one of the highest user rates of the drug in the world: according to a United Nations report published in June, 3.7% of the population are users.

Prof Graeme Pearson, from Glasgow University‘s Unit for the Study of Serious Organised Crime, highlights another issue: “Over the last decade the purity values of the drug have fallen very significantly. Ten years ago purity values were over 40% – today they’re below 20%, sometimes 10%, and as a result the price has also fallen.”

The campaign with take place on two fronts: first there will be a radio, cinema and online advertising campaign costing £269,000.

The second is in the field, with weekend events scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights for the next four weeks.

The field team will display campaign material in all participating venues, while questioning young people about their experiences and opinions of the drug, and offering advice.

Fergus Ewing, Minister for Community Safety, confirmed: “The key message of this campaign is clear – you don’t know what you’re getting when you take cocaine. Cocaine is not a harmless drug; the risks to health of individuals and communities are as serious as they are significant and that’s why this festive period we are taking the message across Scotland to highlight the dangers.”

Alongside the Alcohol and Drug Partnership, the campaign has received backing from the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, the National Union of Students and Young Scot.

The weekend events start in Edinburgh this Friday and Saturday [12th & 13th November], before moving to Glasgow the weekend after.

Filed Under: Life and Society Tagged With: Adam Bell, Crack cocaine, drugs, Fergus Ewing, Glasgow University, Minister for Community Safety, National Union of Students, scottish government, Young Scot

Scotland’s larder bringing home the bacon

November 2, 2010 By jenmcclure Leave a Comment

By Jen McClure

Scottish Whisky exported across the globe

A £1 billion boost to Scotland’s economy comes courtesy of its thriving food and drink industry. In new figures from Scottish Annual Business Statistics (SABS), Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Richard Lochhead announced that final sales figures for 2007-2008 rose from £10.2 billion to £11.2 billion. This puts the Scottish Government on track to meet their 2017 target of £12.5 billion.

Lochhead commented, “Scotland’s food and drink is already a fantastic success story and an industry punching well above its weight. We have producers, suppliers, fishermen, farmers and manufacturers to be extremely proud of. Consumers, at home and abroad, have also played a vital role by recognising Scotland’s quality food and drink sector. Our food and drink sector continues to play a key role in Scotland’s economic recovery.”

Food and drink manufacturing in Scotland attributed to the main growth within the industry. The drinks industry is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, and whisky alone accounts for £3 billion of exports annually. AG Barr, producer of Scotland’s most popular soft drink, Irn Bru, have also shared in this success. The company recently announced pre-tax profits of £16 million, a rise of 18% on 2009 figures.

Paul McLaughlin, Chief Executive of Scotland Food & Drink, comments, “While food and drink is a more robust sector than others in times of economic downturn due to consistent demand for core products, this does not mean we rest on our laurels. The latest industry figures are very encouraging and evidence the significant progress Scotland Food and Drink is making towards delivering our mission to grow the sector to a £12.5 billion industry.”

McLaughlin continues, “The sector must invest more in the Research and Development of what is a booming industry. Given that innovation represents the future of the industry, we are addressing this as a high priority.”

This soar in the food and drink sector mirrors a trend seen in the export industry. Earlier this year, Scotland saw a record 6% rise in food and drink exports during 2009, brining the total value to an all-time high of £4.06 billion. Food exports alone increased by 20%, accounting for £934 million in overseas sales. Scotland’s seafood industry saw a significant turnover of £555 million, with Scottish salmon alone contributing £300 million and accounting for 40% of all food exports.

This success story might be short lived as last quarter results saw a dip in the trend. Figures released by the Government clash with Scotland’s Chief Statistician, who announced the Scottish Manufactured Exports Estimates for the second quarter of 2010. The results showed a slight decline in food, drink and tobacco exports – down 4.4%. This decline is against an overall growth in food, drink & tobacco over the year to June 2010 of 10.1%.

All this comes during the ‘Year of Food and Drink’ 2010, a government incentive to promote Scotland as a land of food and drink following on from last year’s ‘Homecoming’ campaign.

Filed Under: Economy and Business Tagged With: AG Barr, food and drink, Scotland, scottish government, Whisky, Year of Food and Drink

Education Minister Promises No Tuition Fees in Scotland

November 2, 2010 By ryangavan 1 Comment

By Ryan C. Gavan

Tuition fees are ruled out but a graduate tax might be implemented

Mike Russell, the Cabinet Secretary for Education in Scotland, has promised not to introduce tuition fees north of the border.

This comes after the recent Browne Review into higher education funding in England and Wales. This is rasing concerns about the future of University funding in Scotland. In a statement about the subject, Russel said ” one measure has been ruled out, tuition fees.”

There is much worry that spending cuts could lead to changes in University funding in Scotland. Russell stated, ” the Scottish Government plans to publish a Green Paper by the end of the year.” This will include a wide consultation process involving student groups, universities and government.

This will be welcome news to student groups. Callum Leslie, of Liberal Youth Scotland, said ” bringing in tuition fees would be a regressive step for Scotland.”

Anne Ballanger, of the Scottish Secondary Teacher Association, stated “tuition fees may prove an impossible task for some prospective students.” She believes that if they were introduced student levels would fall.

Measures such as a graduate tax have not been ruled out. This would be in line with future earnings. The more a graduate was paid in the future, the more they would pay back. This policy proposal is causing great debate in England and Wales.

Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, recently made a number of U-turns on the possibility of a graduate tax. He defended the policy initially, only to argue it was unworkable. He stated ” it fails both the tests of fairness and deficit reduction.”

The Browne review is facing questions over its independence. It is reported that it was available to ministers to view long before the publication date.

Graduate unemployment is at its highest levels for 17 years at 8.9%, recent figures show.

Filed Under: All Politics Tagged With: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University, Education, government, Politics, Scotland, scottish government, Scottish Parliament, SNP, students

Charity Accused of Being ‘Eugenical’

October 25, 2010 By ryangavan Leave a Comment

Drug users can be paid to be sterilised

By Ryan C. Gavan

The current campaign by U.S. charity Project Prevention to persuade drug and alcohol addicts to be sterilised in return for a payment of £200 has been condemned by addiction support groups.

David Liddel, Director of the Scottish Drug Forum, believes “the tactics and underlying agenda of this organisation smack of the discredited eugenics movements of the early 20th century.” He continued “all women, irrespective of whether they are drug addicts or not, should be offered family planning advice.”

Project Prevention was started in the United States by Barbara Harris, a child welfare campaigner .The charity’s remit is to prevent children from being born with birth defects as a result of drug dependent pregnancies. Their website states “the main objective is public awareness to the problem of addicts exposing their unborn child to drugs during pregnancy.”

The charity argues that “the average number of children per addict is 3.” This, they feel, can be easily prevented through cash incentives for long-term birth control or total sterilisation.

The number of children born to drug addicts is on the rise in the UK. A survey carried out by the University of Aberdeen shows it has increased 30% since 1998. Last week the first UK addict took up the charity’s offer. The addict, from Leicester, was paid after having a vasectomy.

This has been likened to the programme run by Dundee Council to convince smokers to quit by paying them £50 a month.

Filed Under: All Politics, Life and Society Tagged With: alcohol, drugs, Health, Lothian and Borders Police, NHS, scottish government, Unemployment

‘Scottish Government Fails to Convince in Raising Drinking Age’

October 6, 2010 By ryangavan Leave a Comment

Young people are being targeted in this legislation

By Ryan C. Gavan

The Scottish Government’s measures to give licensing boards the ability to raise the age of buying alcohol to combat Scotland’s binge drinking epidemic has failed. After a dramatic deliberation in a meeting of the Health and Sport committee at Holyrood, the plan has been voted down 3-5 against in the most recent review of the Alcohol Bill after strong opposition.

The Bill, introduced by Nicola Sturgeon MSP, says, “There are clear arguments in support of raising the off-sales age,where appropriate, as part of a range of local measures to address local problems. Our proposal would have made it easier for Licensing Boards to apply a minimum age of 21 to off-sales but would not have meant that they had to do so.”

The measures stood against strong opposition from other parties. Lib Dem Health spokesman Ross Finnie MSP stated that “we could have been in the ridiculous situation where a 19-year-old army officer could not buy a bottle of wine to celebrate returning from the front line.” This shows the problems facing such legislation.

This has also been criticised by youth groups such as the National Union for Students. In a statement put to the committee the organisation said “we do not agree that the evidence has shown that an alcohol purchase age of 21 for off-sales would reduce anti-social behaviour in our communities.”

Sturgeon comments that there is compelling evidence to raise the age of drink purchasing in off licenses saying ” We’ve considered international evidence which found that increasing the legal drinking age can have substantial effects on youth drinking and alcohol-related harm.”

The proposed amendment failed to convince the rest of the committee. Finnie now believes it is time to focus on more workable parts of the legislation. “We must now focus on the health related aspects of the Bill” continuing that it is more important to focus on “banning irresponsible promotions”.

Other measures also failed such as the controversial proposal of minimum drink pricing. The SNP are focusing on anti-social behaviour with the upcoming Holyrood election on the horizon. They have suffered a number of recent blows including Alex Salmond’s decision not to hold a referendum on independence but rather seek greater devolution powers.

Filed Under: All Politics, Life and Society Tagged With: alcohol, Edinburgh, Health, NHS, Politics, Scotland, scottish government, Scottish Parliament, SNP, students

Edinburgh school pupils out perform the rest

October 1, 2010 By Oonagh Brown Leave a Comment

Pupils in Edinburgh have been studying hard

By Oonagh Brown

New figures say that Edinburgh pupils are acing their exams. Statistics published by the Scottish Government have claimed that pupils from Edinburgh, who sat their Highers and Advanced Highers in May, achieved better results than pupils in the rest of Scotland.

Edinburgh’s schools have also topped Scotland’s Standard Grade results, with 37% of pupils achieving credit level compared to the country’s average of 35%.

Credit for Edinburgh’s high achieving pupils can be given to the city’s independent and state school sectors.

Alistair Pugh, management staff at Edinburgh Rudolf Steiner School, said he thought the results showed Edinburgh’s strong tradition in Education.

He said: “Many of the schools in Edinburgh are well established, including ours, and are constantly improving as a consequence of the cities schools having the ability to get the best out of pupils.

“Young people today are determined to get most best out of themselves as possible as there is now so much competition to get into higher education.”

Though Edinburgh’s exam results are currently the country’s best, there is concern that the state schools may be affected by future budget cuts. This is because of last year’s proposal from education bosses to cut state school budgets by 2.5% in 2010 and another 2.5% in the next two years.

As well as highlighting Edinburgh’s exam success, the report released by Scotland’s chief statistician examined all of Scotland’s educational progress. The report claimed that 22 % of Scottish students were achieving five Higher qualifications by the end of school. This is an improvement of 2 %.

Filed Under: All Politics, Life and Society Tagged With: Edinburgh Rudolf Steiner School, Edinburgh schools, exam results, scottish government

Scotland Lead the Way to a Brighter Future

October 1, 2010 By ogilviej Leave a Comment

New legislation will ensure forced marriage is a thing for the history books.

Scottish government ministers today revealed proposals to pass a bill of rights making forced marriages a thing of the past.

The legislation enables courts to pass prison sentences of up to two years and issue annulments on any marriage found to cause emotional distress. Friends and family of victims also have the right to voice any concern to the police.

This comes as a direct response to current campaigning by the Scottish Women’s Association (SWA) who last week held their annual conference in Edinburgh where discussions were drawn to a close and action taken.

Lily Greenan, Managing Director of Scottish Women’s Aid was present at the conference.

“It was suggested by senior police and court officials that the issue is now a big enough problem in Edinburgh to require legislation,” she said.

Home office statistics show that 4000 women in the UK are forced into marriage every year, and 17, 000 women are victims of honour related violence.

Women’s protection charity Shakti, based in Edinburgh, say the move is long overdue.

“This act is particularly important as it sends a strong message to communities throughout Scotland, that forced marriage is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

The latest measure will stop cases such as Puja’s from occurring. After her marriage turned from bad to worse, her husband started beating her, and forbid her from seeing her only son. She had nowhere to turn for fear that her situation would deteriorate. This law will give men and women such as Puja legal protection as it will provide them with a safe environment and an escape.

Lothian and Borders police say this is a very positive step, which has been needed for a long time, but that public prejudice remains.

A police statement said: “Education also needs to be addressed with regards to the situation. An arranged marriage is a cultural and consensual practice but a forced marriage is an entirely different thing. It is an enforced situation whereby men and women feel trapped within their circumstances.”

Women’s charities hope the bill will raise awareness between the difference as the two are very different, and that difference is not well known. SWA expressed relief and that this positive step was taken, saying: “The fact that there is now a protection order shows valuable steps have been taken to ensure that anyone in breach of this will be identified as committing a criminal offense”.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: law, Legislation, marriage, prejudice, scottish government

Backing for higher council tax

October 1, 2010 By Michael Fern Leave a Comment

By Michael Fern

Seven out of ten Edinburgh residents have told the council that they are prepared to pay more council tax to soften public service cuts.

Council Tax

The results follow a number of summits in which locals gave their opinions, ahead of council talks with the Scottish Government on ending the current freeze on council tax.

Labour Councillor Ricky Henderson has criticised the findings, saying that the council had “not explain[ed] what mechanism they would use” to safeguard frontline services with the extra money generated. We asked Edinburgh residents’ opinions on the findings.

John McIntosh, 58, said: “I know that they have been freezing council tax, and no, I don’t think they should continue to. Local consumers should pay for the services they receive, and if those services are going up in price, I see no problem with the tax rising.”

Anna Tomlinson, a 22 year old student living in Marchmont, said: “I know I don’t pay council tax myself so maybe I shouldn’t judge, but before I moved here I lived in a very expensive area of London, and they think they can charge what they want because of where it is.

“It depends on the area, but I wouldn’t want to see it go up at all, it feels so expensive in some places already.”

Keith Brame, 43, said that it was a delicate balancing act. “I would prefer for it not to go up,” he said. “But it is a choice between protecting people during a recession and protecting services, and I think if council tax has to go up to protect services people will be able to handle it.”

Filed Under: All Politics, Economy and Business Tagged With: City of Edinburgh Council, Ricky Henderson, scottish government

Publish medical pay says doctor

November 13, 2009 By mattmoorek Leave a Comment

By Matthew Moore

Taking maternity is an attributing factor to the pay gap in the medical profession says report

Doctor’s wages should be published to give “transparency” to the profession, says the author of a landmark gender pay report.

There is a £15,000 gap between men and women in the medical profession in the UK, according to the report published by Imperial College London, the University of East Anglia and the British Medical Association (BMA).

Speaking to Edinburgh Napier News, Dr Anita Holdcroft, a co-author of the report said that women face many challenges in “career progression”.

Dr Holdcroft said: “This is an obstacle that can be overcome through increased transparency.

“We want more openness with regard to what salaries people are earning, and we’d like independent auditors to analyse these.”

TV sports report sparks backlash

November 13, 2009 By mylesedwards Leave a Comment

The Olympics are among numerous other events which are free-to-air (http://pictures.thaindian.com)

By Suhayl Afzal and Myles Edwards

Proposed changes to the list of free-to-air sporting events have triggered widespread criticism.

Sporting associations, journalists and the public have reacted angrily to the recommendations put to the department of culture, media and sport by an independent panel. [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Politics, News in Brief, Sports Tagged With: BBC, Football, government, Myles Edwards, rugby, Scotland, Scottish Football, scottish government

Eviction Causes Homelessness for Five Children a Day

November 10, 2009 By lmcgirk Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of Shelter

By Lucy McGirk

A new report released by leading charity ‘Shelter Scotland‘, shows the shocking figure that 5 children per day in Scotland are threatened by homelessness due to eviction.

Shelter Scotland has, in this report issued a five point action plan for the Scottish government to help tackle this issue and suggests alternatives to eviction which they believe to be more efficient. The report shows that the cost of evictions in 2007/8 was £11 million, Director of Shelter Scotland Graeme Brown said

‘It is vital alternatives to eviction are sought and it needs to be recognised that eviction is not the best way to recover rent’.

The report also questions whether it is fair to evict families due to disputes with neighbors.

‘Eviction wrecks lives, leaving families and children without a home and causing severe distress. Families who fall into arrears, more often than not, are struggling with the harsh reality of living in poverty. One family we worked with were evicted for rent arrears following a mix up with housing benefit. This led to the family being homeless for three years and moving four times to different types of temporary accommodation, which was very unsettling and upsetting; particularly for the children’.

Shelter Scotland is calling for a summit on this issue in order for the best outcomes to be reached.

Filed Under: Life and Society, Uncategorized Tagged With: homelessness, scottish government, shelter

‘Best Bar None’ Pubs to Receive Metal Detectors

November 10, 2009 By gemmashaw17 Leave a Comment

By Gemma Shaw

Photo courtesy of NHS Sefton

The Scottish Government announced plans today to cut down knife crime in bars and clubs by giving metal detectors to first-time winners of Best Bar None awards.

The government has set aside £30,000 to award winners with handheld metal detectors and training on their effective use, in an attempt to keep knives out of pubs and clubs. This is the latest step in an ongoing plan from the government to remove weapons from Scottish culture. In a press statement, Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing said: ”We are now doing more than ever to tackle knife crime with tougher sentences and tough police action to take weapons off our streets. Changing the booze and blade culture won’t be quick and it won’t be easy but we can not go on as we are.”

The Best Bar None scheme was launched in Glasgow in 2005, and now covers areas across Scotland including Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness and West Lothian, with plans to spread the scheme to a further 5 areas in Scotland currently in progress. The scheme aims to keep licensed premises safe by giving awards to the venues which meet the set guidelines, focussing on safety, one of which being the ability to prevent crime and disorder issues. The bars are graded with bronze, silver and gold awards.

The winners of this year’s Best Bar None awards for the Glasgow, Perth and Fife areas will be announced in an award ceremony taking place today.

Filed Under: All Politics, Courts and Crime, Economy and Business Tagged With: Best Bar None, knife crime, scottish government

Independence Referendum Bill

November 9, 2009 By Jennifer Russell Leave a Comment

By Jennifer Russell

Picture Courtesy of Google Images

The Scottish National Party are set to table a bill for an Independence Referendum on St. Andrews day 2010. The bill must first pass through the Scottish Parliament before the Scottish people can vote in the referendum. It faces being rejected because of lack of Parliamentary support.

As the SNP are a minority government, they need more support to pass the Bill. The Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Labour all oppose the Bill. However, the Green Party and Independent Margo MacDonald are in favour.

The Referendum Bill if passed will allow the Scottish public to not only vote “yes” or “no” for independence but it will also have a third question that gives the option of extending the powers of the Parliament but not independence. However, a “yes” vote in the referendum would only mark the start of talks with the UK government, there would still be a long way to go.

First Minister, Alex Salmond said “The Scottish Government will bring forward a Referendum Bill next year – exactly as we set out in our manifesto – and we are minded to include a ‘more powers’ option in the Bill, alongside the option of independence and equality for Scotland.”

An Independent Scotland, for some, seems to be the way forward. There is ”consensus for change” needed.

SNP Minister Michael Russell stated his views on an Independent Scotland, ”I firmly believe that Scotland will not fulfil its potential until the powers of the Parliament are complete and Scotland is independent. Independence would provide the opportunity to make decisions for ourselves – it would bring new rights as well as new responsibilities.”

Those against the proposed Bill, strongly believe that independence is not the way forward. Scotland does need more power, however independence is not the only option.

Liberal Democrat, MSP Ross Finnie commented that, “The Liberal Democrats will not support the SNP’s rigged Referendum Bill. The party overwelmingly rejected it at the autumn conference earlier this month. I have never believed that independence is the best deal for Scotland. But i do think that we need to build on the current devolution settlement. Our Parliament needs real powers, powers for purpose. That is why the Liberal Democrats have driven forward the campaign for a real home settlement and are determined to realise the Calman Commission’s proposals for a beefed-up Scottish Parliament.”

SNP believe that as they were elected in 2007, with Independence as there main manifesto pledge, then it must be a popular issue. The jury is still out.

“We all have strong and passionately held views on Scotland’s future – let us all be prepared to take our case to the people, in whose name we are elected and in whose interests we act.” First Minister, Alex Salmond.

Filed Under: All Politics, News in Brief Tagged With: scottish government

A song to save a life.

November 9, 2009 By errish3 Leave a Comment

gaz_organ_couple_3_v01.jpg.display
courtesy of the “Gazette”

By Erris Healy

28 year old Sarah Springett from Essex saved her boyfriend Paul Shepards life last year. The singer/songwriter donated her kidney to him after he was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy.
“IgA nephropathy is a kidney disorder that occurs when infection deffence protein settles in the kidney. Scientists do not know what causes IgA to form in the kidney. IgA causes permanent kidney damage which can lead to kidney failure. People with kidney failure need dialysis or a transplant.”- National kidney and urologic disease information clearinghouse.

Sarahs donation experience has inspired her to release a single titled “I hope you know.” Her single is in support of the first UK-wide organ donation campaign that was launched on November 3, 2009 by NHS blood and transplant. Each copy of Springettes single will include a link to the organ registration website and profits will be donated to the transplant trust. You can hear Sarah discussing the importance of becoming a donor, the need for more donors to sign up and her support for the campaign by visiting www.ihopeyouknow.co.uk.

Statistics from the NHS show that this year “977 lives were saved in the UK through a heart, lung, liver or kidney transplant.” Also a survey for kidney.org stated that, “more than two in nine people back organ donation but only one in five are actually on the register.” The same website gave a figure of 3,916 deaths a year are because of kidney failure-www.kidney.org

Yvonne MacFarlane, spokeswoman for the Scottish Government Health and Wellbeing office said,”The number of Scottish residents listed, as at November 8, 2009 awaiting an organ transplant is 663. The UK average waiting time to transplant in days is a heart=103 days, lung= 406 days, liver= 95 days and a kidney= 265 days. As you can see the waiting period is lengthy and a lot of people do not survive the wait.

If more people signed up the waiting time would be less. Sarah says, “watching Paul go through what he did was far worse than donating my kidney.” So, if Ms. Springettes story has inspired you or you are interested in becoming a donor, find out more at: www.orgondonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 1232323.
This Christmas you may just give someone a very special gift, you could give someone in need a second chance at life.

Filed Under: Life and Society, Science and Technology Tagged With: Health, IgA nephropathy, Kidney disease, NHS, scottish government

5 children a day face homelessness

November 6, 2009 By Lauren Redpath Leave a Comment

By Fiona Gardner and Lauren Redpath

Five children a day face homelessness due to eviction, according to a leading charity.

Shelter Scotland’s latest report has warned that children are the worst affected by eviction when families fail to keep up with rent payments.

The report, “Eviction of children and families: The Impact and the Alternatives” highlights the devastating effect that eviction can have on children, as it often results in families being left with no choice but to take up temporary accomodation in a different area, leading to the upheaval of changing schools.

The findings show that approximately 2000 children in Scotland were left facing homelessness because of eviction in 2007/08, at an estimated total of £11 million.

The Scottish Government and social landlords are being urged to only use eviction as the last resort.

Questions have also arisen as to whether eviction should be allowed on the grounds of rent arrears and Shelter Scotland told Edinburgh Napier News that Stirling Council has already banned eviction when it concerns rent arrears.

Jessie Crawford, author of the report and children’s service policy and practice co-ordinator at Shelter Scotland says families should seek help as soon as they begin to struggle with keeping up with rent payments.

The charity are also calling for a five-point plan which includes measures to deal with problems which can lead to rent arrears such as illness, unemployment and family break-downs.

Filed Under: Life and Society Tagged With: eviction, homelessness, Jessie Crawford, scottish government, Shelter Scotland, Stirling Council

Child Poverty on the Rise

November 5, 2009 By mmewordsmith Leave a Comment

By Grainne Byrne

Image courtesy of The Guardian

A report launched this week shows alarming increases in the number of children living in poverty worrying figures for children in Scotland.

The report by The Campaign to End Child Poverty warns that 137,000 children now live in families with unemployed parents. This means that the number of children now living in families that are entirely dependent on benefits has risen by 13%.

The report entitled Through Thick and Thin: Tackling Child Poverty found that four constituencies in Glasgow have the highest incidences of child poverty; North-East Glasgow, the worst hit area, has the highest number of unemployed parents as 4,000 people remain out of work.

Douglas Hamilton, Head of Scotland, for Save the Children said:

“These figures are shocking and illustrate that Scotland’s poorest are becoming even worse off. The highest jobless rate in Scotland is Glasgow North-East, an issue that must be addressed during the forthcoming by-election. As a nation, we cannot let this continue”.

John Wilson MSP, for Central Scotland,who has previously worked to tackle child poverty in Scotland with Poverty Alliance said:

“From our perspective it is about trying to maximise income into households where there is child poverty and to increase opportunities for the children whilst trying find routes for the family out of poverty.”

The report not only shows stark figures for the traditionally poorer areas, as the typically more affluent areas such as West Aberdeenshire and East Lothian now recording an alarming increase of 100% in unemployment.

This week’s report hopes to kick start the government action on End Child Poverty’s ”Recession Recovery Package”; the report that calls for the government to increase and maximise benefits for out of work and low-income parents to try and put them back on the path to recovery.

John Dickie, Head of Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, in support of the “Recession Recovery Package”, said:

“This report shows that government can reduce child poverty even in a recession. It is vital for families across Scotland, and the rest of the UK, that the Chancellor uses the Pre-Budget Report to invest in the benefits and tax credits needed to protect our children from unemployment and poverty and to get the government back on track to hitting its child poverty targets”.

Esteemed social policy researcher and report author, Donald Hirsch, calls for change to make a difference to the future of children living in poverty:

“We couldn’t afford to let the banks fail and now we can’t afford to fail our children, our future. Rising unemployment in the UK has created a new poverty crisis which could leave children scarred for life and cost society some £25 billion a year. This dwarfs the £4 billion needed to hit the 2010 target.”

The Campaign to End Child Poverty report shows that government targets to reduce child poverty by 50% will not be met by 2010 with half a million more children likely to suffer deprivation next year.

Filed Under: All Politics, Life and Society Tagged With: child poverty, end child poverty, john wilson msp, poverty alliance, scottish government

Tories Try to Block Cheap Booze Ban

November 5, 2009 By Una Purdie Leave a Comment

Is the end to cheap booze in sight?

by Una Purdie

A heated debate is expected in the Scottish Parliament today as the Conservatives try to vote down plans for a minimum price on alcohol.

Setting a minimum price per unit is a key plank of the Scottish Government’s alcohol strategy. The move would end high strength, cut-price booze such as supermarket own brand spirits and lagers. Conservatives oppose what they call a ‘blanket hike’ on prices, which they say will unfairly punish responsible drinkers without tackling Scotland’s alcohol problems. They hope to strike a body blow to the plans by voting them down today.

Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservatives Murdo Fraser said: “Increasing prices will not automatically reduce consumption. Problem drinkers will find the extra money and spend less on other things, such as food for them and their family.”

The Scottish Government dismisses these criticisms. Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “Minimum pricing will not raise the price of all drinks – it will target products sold at rock-bottom prices.”

Research from Sheffield University, commissioned by the Scottish Government, supports the case. It found a suggested minimum of 40 pence per unit would reduce consumption by 9% in harmful drinkers, cut alcohol-related deaths by nearly 19% in ten years and reduce hospital admissions by 10 per cent. The additional cost of alcohol for responsible drinkers was estimated to be £11 per year.

Minimum pricing also has strong backing from health organisations including the British Medical Association, Alcohol Focus Scotland and the World Health Organisation.

Lobbying against the proposal is the Scotch Whisky Association which warns of job losses should the policy get the go-ahead. They seized on a recent European court opinion which declared plans for minimum pricing on tobacco were illegal. The tobacco price plans had been put forward by France, Ireland and Austria but were said to distort competition and ‘were not necessary in order to protect public health.’ The SWA claims the same distortion of competiton would apply for alcohol.

With the Liberal Democrats also opposed to minimum pricing, the minority SNP Government is relying on votes from Labour to get the plans through the Scottish Parliament, but so far they are refusing to show their cards. Their new Health Spokesperson, Jackie Baillie seems less keen on the scheme than her predecessor Cathy Jamieson. The Chivas whisky distillery, employing 600 people, is situated within her constituency.

The conservatives have brought the issue to the chamber before the final bill has been published. While today’s vote is not binding, it will set the tone of the debate for the months to come.

Filed Under: All Politics Tagged With: alcohol, scottish conservaties, scottish government

Advice for the Elderly

November 3, 2009 By gemmashaw17 Leave a Comment

By Gemma Shaw

Photo courtesy of BBC Gloucestershire

The Scottish Government has announced a new service to help elderly people receive advice on claiming the benefits that they are entitled to, through face-to-face visits.

According to the Scottish Government, the Older People’s Advice Service, concentrating on less mobile pensioners in deprived areas, ‘could benefit up to 22,000 people’. The scheme is targeting poverty-stricken areas in Clackmannanshire, West Lothian and North Lanarkshire, and is aiming to help the ill, immobile, and those living in remote areas.

Backed with £700,000 of Scottish government money, a repeat of the successes of the scheme’s predecessor, the Older Persons Advice Project, is expected. OPAP increased benefits received by the elderly by over £2 million.

The OPAS service, based on home visits, has been designed for those who do not have internet access and do not like to discuss their financial details over the telephone, but may pose further problems. A recent episode of Tonight With Trevor McDonald highlighted the risk of theft which elderly people are exposed to when they allow civil servants into their homes.

This could brand OPAS ineffective, due to the increased wariness of strangers encouraged in pensioners.

Filed Under: All Politics, Economy and Business Tagged With: benefits, elderly, scottish government

Feeling stressed? Help is at hand…

November 3, 2009 By falserodhull Leave a Comment

Picture courtesy of Web Health Guides.

By Simon Brown

The Scottish Government has today launched a large-scale campaign to tackle stress for working Scots. The initiative, which has been given the moniker Steps For Stress, was unveiled by the Public Health Minister Shona Robison during a meditation walk at the Cambuslang and Rutherglen Community Health Initiative.

Ms Robison said, “Stress can affect everyone. We all have busy lives today, juggling work and family commitments, but by knowing how to spot the signs we can help ourselves feel better.

“If the causes and symptoms of stress are allowed to snowball, they can risk leading to other problems like unhealthy eating, drinking too much or heavy smoking.”

Spearheading the campaign is a new six-part TV series on STV entitled Make Me Happier. The programme, which is to be presented by Lorraine Kelly and Angus Purden, will aim to promote the message of well-being and a maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A website has also been launched, allowing users to take a quick test to see if they may be suffering from stress and it also offers a series of useful tips and contact numbers.

Steps For Stress has been warmly welcomed by a variety of people. Peter Rice of the Royal College of Psychiatrists said that the organisation is “delighted to support the Steps for Stress campaign”, adding that “taking time to understand the demands we face, identifying and coping with problems better, using support from those close to us and using outside help when we need it are important steps in maintaining our ability to live life to its fullest.”

A member of the public has also spoken out in favour of the scheme. Fifty-four year old Christine Muirhead has benefited immensely from the techniques that the Government are highlighting. “My self esteem and confidence were really low and I basically lost interest in life.”

“But I’ve learned that simple things like taking time to relax do make a difference. I also realised that I can’t sort everything out at once and that setting myself small goals is better than rushing in,” adding that she was “helping people and that makes me feel good about myself.”

The scheme comes as a government survey revealed that three-quarters of Scots admit to feeling the strain of every day life, though only one in four feel comfortable talking about it.

Filed Under: Life and Society Tagged With: coping strategy, government campaign, make me happier, scottish government, stress

Pylon fears for Central Belt

November 2, 2009 By Brionny 2 Comments

BY BRIONNY LEIPER

Residents of Denny, near Falkirk, have been angered by reports that the Scottish Government is set to approve plans for a £400 billion powerline upgrade which will see 200-feet high pylons erected.

The 140 mile powerline would stretch from Denny to Beauly in Inverness-shire and would consist of around 600 high voltage pylons. The plans were proposed in 2008 by Scottish and Southern Energy who want to upgrade the existing line in order to prepare for when a number of renewable energy sources are connected to it in the near future.

The upgrading of the line will allow for wind and tide farms in the Highlands and Islands to be connected to the National Energy Grid. If the plans to approve the project are approved by the Scottish Government, the line will be able to carry 6GW of power and allow for these renewable energy sources to prove they are worth the investment to Scotland’s economy.

Some supporters of the project, calling themselves the BDU-Friends, say the upgrade: “is crucial for the success of renewable energy projects in the Highlands and Islands area and therefore it is in the interest of the environment and the welfare of humankind that it goes ahead.”

Image courtesy of www.firstscience.com

However, the residents of the towns the new pylons are proposed to run through are concerned.

Denny resident Jay Toner said: “There have been people complaining about the plans. People are thinking it will make Denny look worse.”

But the look of the town and the possible depreciation in the value of homes is not the only apprehension. Others have voiced valid worries that the pylons will cause heath problems. A study in Switzerland between 2000 and 2005 showed that there was a link between the magnetic exposure from high voltage pylons and deaths from neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s Disease. The UK’s Draper Report in 2005 backed up the negative health claims, revealing that young people living within 200 metres of powerlines double their risk of contracting Childhood Leukaemia.

Filed Under: Economy and Business Tagged With: Renewable Energy Systems, Scotland, scottish government

Government increase PR spending

October 23, 2009 By journalismbehr Leave a Comment

by Andrew Tweedie, Calum Liddle and Michael Behr.

Scottish Government spending on PR increased by 10% during the recession, new information has revealed.

The report was gained through a Freedom of Information request which showed that the government spending on PR was £704 086 during April 2008 - March 2009. This was an increase of £64 033 compared to the 2007-2008 period, where PR spending was £640 053.

Scott Douglas, director of media consultancy firm Holyrood Partnership, said the way the government chooses PR companies was to blame for the increase in spending.

“Take one stout jute sack. Insert half a dozen hungry ferrets. Add a scrawny chicken that thinks it’s the most succulent bird on two legs. Hit with a big stick. Ta da! You’ve got the Scottish Government’s PR Roster system,” he said on his company blog.

“Words fail me on just how awful and flawed the whole process is. There’s nothing wrong with trying to squeeze the best possible value out of contractors – but this system does nothing for value, nothing for Scottish agencies and, I suspect, delivers little in the way of real value to the taxpayer.”

The Scottish Government responded to this by pointing out that PR Spending during 2006 – 2007 was £1 022 814 and the latest figures represent a 30% decrease.

A Scottish Government representative said; “The Scottish Government spend on PR has increased between 2008 and 2009 to reflect the changing nature of the Scottish populations media consumption. Marketing has long since moved away from big budget mass advertising campaigns to focus on a more strategic and targeted approaches of which PR plays a key part.”