The safety and well-being of women and children who are at risk of experiencing violence during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is being supported with funds for key organisations.
Grants from the Scottish Government’s £350 million Communities Fund have been made to Scottish Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland to ensure that access to these key support services is maintained and victims still have access to methods of reporting crimes during the crisis, including using online video platforms, text messaging and phone calls.
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We want women and children experiencing domestic abuse in the home to know that although they may feel isolated and vulnerable during these unprecedented times, they are not alone.
“Anyone experiencing violence, including coercive and controlling behaviours, should not feel in any way inhibited by the current coronavirus outbreak to report a crime against them.
“These are enormously difficult times, but the safety of women and child victims who experience abuse in the home is paramount – the message to stay at home does not mean that they should not seek urgent help, advice or support.
“As the anniversary of the Domestic Abuse Scotland Act 2018 approaches, it is a priority now as ever that victims of domestic abuse and gender based violence have access to support services, and that support organisations and frontline staff, who work tirelessly to provide these vital services, are supported to deliver new ways of working in these unprecedented times.
“The Scottish Government will continue to prioritise ensuring that the health, safety and wellbeing needs of women and children experiencing domestic abuse and gender based violence are met. If you are experiencing abuse – please do not feel you have wait to receive vital support. This is available now.”
Scotland’s 24hr Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline is available on 0800 027 1234.
Rape Crisis Scotland Helpline is available on 08088 01 03 02. Calls to this number are free. Or email support@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk or text 07537 410027.
The Scottish Government has also provided an additional £825,000 to Police Scotland to support the training of officers and frontline staff to respond to and investigate the new domestic abuse offence. ... See MoreSee Less
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Financial support for seafood processors to help them through economic pressures related to COVID-19 will be available through a new £10 million scheme.
With many seafood businesses fighting for survival, and in turn threatening livelihoods in coastal communities, the Scottish Seafood Business Resilience Fund provides a combination of grants and loans to businesses suffering severe hardship following the shutdown of international markets and the food service industry across the UK.
Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said:
“The Scottish Government is working flat out to support businesses which are adversely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Parts of the seafood sector have been decimated by the collapse of the export and hospitality markets, and are now struggling to survive.
“Our seafood processors are the lifeblood of many rural and coastal communities, supporting thousands of local jobs and producing some of the finest seafood in the world. The industry has been very clear that cashflow is the critical issue facing businesses and this new fund seeks to inject capital into businesses to help them meet their ongoing costs, keep the business solvent and keep people on the payroll.
“Our approach is rightly focused on those businesses who may need our support the most and we would encourage others that can step in to help, to do so. I am also exploring how supermarkets and other retailers might help ensure more of Scotland’s seafood reaches Scottish consumers to help create alternative markets.
“I continue to have regular discussions with the industry during this time and I pay tribute to the leadership shown by the Scottish Seafood Association and Seafood Scotland. We will now move to get these funds out of the door as quickly as possible to assist a sector which has been a real success story for the Scottish economy.”
Donna Fordyce, Interim Head of Seafood Scotland said:
“Following the Scottish Government’s recent announcement of financial aid for the fishing sector, this package of support for the wider seafood industry is critical to its survival, and very much welcome. We have spent the last two weeks speaking to seafood businesses all over Scotland, and these measures are just what they have been asking for.
“The sector is one of the most fragile areas of Scotland’s economy, yet delivers so much in terms of employment and export effort. With most export routes almost entirely closed off and around 80% of shellfish and seafood normally destined for international markets, the industry is currently on its knees but this package will help many seafood businesses live beyond the impact of COVID-19.” ... See MoreSee Less
People in Scotland at highest risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19) were due to begin to receive home deliveries of essential groceries from today.
Letters from the Chief Medical Officer have been issued this week to those who are at greatest risk of COVID-19, to provide bespoke guidance on shielding from infection and information about the support available, which includes access to home deliveries through a text message service.
People who have received the letter this week and signed up to the service have been texted with the option of starting their weekly deliveries of essential food items including soup, pasta, rice, fruit, vegetables, tea, coffee and biscuits, as well as toiletries such as shower gel and toilet roll, on Friday.
Other measures being put in place include:
· Specialist medicines such as chemotherapy drugs delivered through local health boards
· Local Resilience Partnerships working with Community Pharmacy to scale up deliveries of pharmacy medicines
· Work with supermarkets to ensure priority delivery slots for people at high clinical risk
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said:
“These new services are available to those at the highest risk of severe illness from COVID-19 who do not have support structures around them to help. This includes people with specific forms of cancer, severe respiratory conditions, certain rare diseases, recipients of organ transplants, those on immunosuppression therapies and pregnant women with congenital heart disease.
“Many people will have support from friends and family but I would encourage everyone who receives a letter and requires support to sign up to the service immediately - this will ensure you have adequate supplies of food and essential items during these challenging times.
“It is vitally important that people at highest clinical risk are shielded as much as possible, and our advice alongside this text service will help protect people from the detrimental effects of the virus, including disruption to health and social care and key services.
“Our local services must prioritise those most in need and - by doing so - we will protect them, reduce the burden on the NHS and save lives. By continuing to work together, we can all play our part in keeping everyone safe.”
Those in the high risk group who do not have access to mobile phones will be able to register for deliveries through their local authority. Contact details are on the NHS Inform website and can also be accessed through the main switchboard number for local councils.
The grocery delivery service will be led by Brakes and Bidfood.
The six categories of risk - as agreed by the UK’s Chief Medical Officers - are:
1. Solid organ transplant recipients
2. People with specific cancers:
a. People with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer
b. People with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
c. People having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
d. People having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
e. People who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last six months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD
4. People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell)
5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection
6. People who are pregnant with significant congenital heart disease
Initial estimates of the numbers involved were 150,000-200,000, however, a large number of people have been found to qualify in more than one category, and examination of patient records has identified patients who do not fall into the categories and do not need to apply such stringent measures to protect themselves. ... See MoreSee Less
The SNP has called on the UK government to amend the Jobs Retention Scheme guidance to ensure anyone who changed job before the scheme was announced receives support and allow businesses to undertake tasks necessary for their survival.
Guidance on the Jobs Retention scheme states that for a person “to be eligible for the subsidy, when on furlough, an employee cannot undertake work for or on behalf of the organisation”, including providing services or generating revenue. It also states that an employer is not able to access government support for an employee taken on after 28th February this year.
SNP MPs including Drew Hendry, Tommy Sheppard and Angela Crawley have written to the Chancellor urging him to immediately update the Jobs Retention Scheme guidance to allow workers employed after 28th February to qualify for support and businesses to undertake non-commercial tasks essential to their survival - such as issuing refunds, re-scheduling, security checks to meet insurance obligations, payroll, and applying for government assistance.
There are other instances, where employers are nervous about committing to the furlough scheme because they fear losing out at a later date and for others, the cost of furloughing workers will cause cashflow difficulties in the short-term, therefore access to finance without personal liability strings attached is vital. The SNP has said that more clarity is needed if the majority of employees are to benefit from this scheme. ... See MoreSee Less
Thank you to everyone who has been in touch over the last few weeks. My office has received an unprecedented number of emails and calls and we are working through them to help many constituents as possible.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected us all and there are many people who are very, very worried about the impact on their lives, their livelihoods and their future.
It has been good to see so many communities pulling together and local businesses and organisations doing what they can to help.
I have also been astounded by the generosity shown by so many people towards helping others and the work being done by our NHS workers, public services staff, shops, and other essential workers to support communities and keep everyone going.
The team at Argyll & Bute Council have also been doing sterling work in very difficult circumstances. A lot has been done in the last few weeks to change policies to make things easier and to make sure everyone gets as much support as possible.
They have also launched the new Caring For People helpline, please call 01546 605 524 or visit the website www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/news/2020/mar/coronavirus-caring-people-helpline
The helpline is available for individuals living in Argyll and Bute who are self-isolating/vulnerable and whose usual support network is no longer available. You can also contact the helpline for business, education and financial advice. ... See MoreSee Less
Some welcome news from the FCA, aimed at helping people who have been affected financially by the Coronavirus outbreak.
These proposals will see payment holidays and interest relief on loans, credit cards and overdrafts. From my inbox, I know that a lot of constituents across Argyll & Bute are worried about finances at the minute and hopefully this provides some temporary relief. ... See MoreSee Less
Well done to the team at West Coast Motors for all their hard work supporting communities across Argyll & Bute at the moment.
Last week the company, which is working in partnership with the council, announced free bus travel for all NHS workers who present a valid ID card to the driver. This also applies to journeys made on Glasgow Citybus services.
They are also working with some areas including Ardhrishaig to offer a delivery service to the most vulnerable. This not only helps support people who are self-isolating but also reduces pressure on local shops and pharmacies.
Buses are a key service in so many of our communities and for many people the only way to access shops for food, prescriptions and other essentials. They also provide a vital service for critical and essential workers.
More details and up to date timetables are available here www.westcoastmotors.co.uk/free-travel-nhs-workers
Please remember to travel only if it is essential. ... See MoreSee Less
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The SNP has renewed calls on the UK government to strengthen welfare protections - after new figures revealed almost a million people, including many across Argyll & Bute, have applied for Universal Credit in the past fortnight.
My Westminster colleague Neil Gray MP said the current system of Universal Credit was not generous or flexible enough to properly support the millions of people that need help amid the coronavirus crisis.
The SNP Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary repeated calls on the UK government to use the tax and welfare system to boost support, and ensure no one is left behind - by introducing a guaranteed minimum income for everyone.
The SNP has also called on the UK government to make Universal Credit more responsive to people's needs - including by introducing an immediate upfront payment, extending the backdating of benefits and relaxing the criteria, removing the capital tariff reduction for those with savings, and removing the shared accommodation rate from the Local Housing Allowance.
Commenting, SNP Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Neil Gray MP said:
"The staggering news that almost a million people have applied for Universal Credit in the past fortnight alone highlights the huge scale of the crisis we face - and proves beyond doubt that more support is needed.
"The UK government must listen to those of us who have been calling for welfare protections to be significantly strengthened to help people through this unprecedented emergency.
"The SNP has repeatedly called for the Chancellor to introduce a guaranteed minimum income for everyone. That is the simplest way to ensure everyone has the support they need. It is clear that the current jobs retention and self-employed schemes are failing to cover everyone.
"The Universal Credit system must be urgently improved so it is more generous, flexible, and responsive to people's needs - including by tackling the delays and introducing an immediate upfront payment. People shouldn't have to wait weeks to get the help they need right now.
"The UK government must also look again at the range of practical measures that have been suggested to improve the system - including extending the backdating of benefits, removing the reductions for those with savings, ending the shared accommodation rate, and reducing the long wait to get help with mortgage interest.
“A huge proportion of the population is worried about how they are going to make ends meet. Every MP will have constituents who are desperate for greater help. The UK Government rightly brought in the rules to keep people socially isolated but they must now match that by protecting their incomes. With Universal Credit they have not done nearly enough.
"The flaws in the UK's welfare system are not new - but the scale of this crisis means they must now be urgently addressed so millions are not left struggling to get by." ... See MoreSee Less
