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Edinburgh Reporter
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Edinburgh Reporter
Government announces funding for Ukrainian communities
The latest wave of funding packages was announced by The Scottish Government today with more than £600,000 will support third sector organisations working to support displaced Ukrainians, including community and cultural activities, while a further £3.5m funding for local authorities and COSLA will support displaced Ukrainians, as well as refugees and people seeking asylum, to settle into communities. The monies are intended to support Ukrainian communities and culture in Scotland to flourish as announced by Equalities Minister, Kaukab Stewart. The funding was announced at an event hosted by COSLA, marking a visit to Scotland by a civic delegation of mayors from Ukraine. The Edinburgh branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB)has been awarded funding of £46,786.58. Hannah Beaton-Hawryluk, Chair of the AUGB said: 'The funding we receive from the Scottish Government has been absolutely invaluable. We couldn't have provided the level of support our new Ukrainian community needs without it. Thanks to this ongoing support, we're able to employ a dedicated staff team at the Ukrainian Community Centre seven days a week, offering vital social, cultural, and emotional assistance. Over the last three financial years, this consistent funding has enabled us to build a trusted, safe haven where the community feels welcomed and supported.' The community centre hosts English lessons, choirs, dance troops, teens clubs, coffee mornings, advice/information sessions, knitting clubs, art sessions, cooking together, and community meals and is a safe space for all Ukrainians. Speaking ahead of the event, Ms Stewart said: 'Scotland stands in unwavering solidarity with Ukraine, as it has since Russia's illegal invasion in 2022. More than 28,000 displaced Ukrainians with a Scottish-sponsored visa have arrived in the UK, and we are helping people rebuild their lives here. 'Many of those who left Ukraine shortly after the war outbreak have now been in Scotland for several years, forming thriving Ukrainian communities right across the country. We want those communities to flourish, and this funding will support cultural and social activities and events to strengthen. It will also support services to help people recover from the trauma of fleeing war. 'I'm very pleased to be announcing this funding at the same time as a visit from the Ukrainian rebirth delegation, and I look forward to exploring further opportunities for connection and partnership between Scotland and Ukraine.' COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson Councillor Maureen Chalmers said: 'COSLA is so very pleased to welcome colleagues from Local Government in Ukraine to Verity House today. We are also delighted to be working with Scottish Government to host this event, coming together to show our commitment across government in Scotland. 'COSLA has expressed full support and solidarity to the Ukrainian people and our peers in local and regional government, standing ready to support those affected and play a very active part in Ukrainian refugee resettlement. 'COSLA welcomes Scottish Government's announcement of the continuation of £3.4m resettlement funding for Local Authorities for 2025-26. This funding will play an important role in enabling councils' ongoing work supporting the integration of Ukrainians fleeing Russia's illegal war, as well as other people seeking protection in this country. 'We are also very grateful for confirmation of continued funding for COSLA to support the work that we do with our member councils and with Scottish Government in relation to the integration of people displaced from Ukraine, as well as others who are seeking sanctuary here and migrants who are at risk of destitution.' Scotland stands in solidarity with Ukraine. More than 28000 displaced Ukrainians with a Scottish-sponsored visa have arrived in the UK. Speaking at a @COSLA event Equalities Minister @kaukabstewart announced funding to help Ukrainian communities flourish. — Scot Gov Fairer (@ScotGovFairer) May 27, 2025 A honour to co-host with the Minister for Equalities @kaukabstewart @COSLA a delegation of LG Leaders from across Ukraine. Thanks to @Edinburgh_CC and @AUGBEdinburgh for their contributions today. Ukrainian Mayors are playing a fundamental role in preserving democratic governance — Shona Morrison (@MorayShona) May 27, 2025 Like this: Like Related
The Herald Scotland
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish Government fails to update councils on teacher numbers plans
A spokesperson for COSLA - which represents Scotland's councils - called the delay "disappointing". Late last year, the government announced an agreement with COSLA to 'restore teacher numbers to 2023 levels' for the 2025/26 school year. The deal was also supposed to lead to 'meaningful progress towards reducing class contact time for teachers', which was promised in the last SNP election manifesto. All councils were asked to provide information to the government by the end of last year, including in areas where they believed that mitigating circumstances should entitle them to some form of exemption from the government's demands. Many highlighted falling school rolls and insufficient government funding in their submissions. Following receipt of this material, government officials held meetings with a number of councils to discuss their circumstances. During one such meeting with West Dunbartonshire Council, government officials advised that a final decision on whether mitigating factors would be accepted was a matter for Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth, and that communication to be issued by the end of April would 'set out the Scottish Government position'. In an email to officers at North Ayrshire Council, the government states that this is intended to provide 'more clarity' and enable the council to finalise plans for teacher numbers in 2025/26 'with greater certainty". However, The Herald has now confirmed that no such communication has been issued, leaving councils unclear about the government's approach to funding around teacher numbers and facing the prospect of financial sanctions being imposed by the Education Secretary. READ MORE: The government has acknowledged that councils were advised that they would be updated by the end of April, but says that this was not a formal deadline. Earlier this week, The Herald revealed that during a discussion with officers from West Dunbartonshire Council, the government was warned it could face legal action if it attempt to impose sanctions on councils failing to increase teacher numbers for the coming year. An official note of the meeting, released under Freedom of Information legislation, reveals that council officers challenged government education officials about the current plans, highlighting that their delayed response meant that budgets had already been set. Council staff went on to state that they currently have no plans to increase teacher numbers, pointing to funding shortfalls, falling school rolls, and a decline in the number of probationers being allocated to the authority. Officials from the Scottish government 'stated that it was unlikely that any mitigation covering further reductions would be accepted, but that they would report this to the Cabinet Secretary for her decision.' The meeting note also states that they accepted that 'a focus on teacher numbers isn't necessarily the best measure' of education provision but added: "we are where we are". Council officers were ultimately told that an agreement has been made between the government and COSLA – which represents local authorities – to restore teacher numbers. At this stage, the note says that they 'stated that there would be grounds to challenge this, perhaps through a Judicial Review". The note continues: 'The agreement between COSLA and the Scottish Government was done at very short notice, without adequate time for Leaders to be fully briefed by officers. The delay to this meeting is also after our budget has been set, so any clawback or financial penalties are after the fact. If there are financial penalties, the reality is that this will have to be found from elsewhere in the Education budget.' A COSLA spokesperson told The Herald: 'As part of a wider agreement on funding, Scottish Government asked that councils restore teacher numbers to 2023 levels. It should be noted that this only impacted on councils where numbers of teachers had been reduced since 2023. 'In many councils the number of teachers had not changed or had increased over the period. There was a recognition that there are valid reasons why a council may have reduced teacher numbers, such as falling school roles. Government agreed to consider these reasons provided by councils, referred to as 'mitigations', before deciding how or whether this should impact on funding. 'It is clear that in taking this approach Government recognised that it is appropriate to consider the individual geographic, demographic, funding and other substantive factors impacting on the practicality of meeting the 2023 target. It is disappointing that clarity around what Scottish Government would consider acceptable mitigations has not yet been provided, however we cannot comment on the timescales that Government is working to in undertaking this assessment. 'As reported widely, public service budgets have been under pressure for some time. COSLA, on behalf of our member councils, is clear that maintaining funding for hard pressed councils to be able to continue to deliver critical services is vital. In the light of this we trust that Government will work closely with councils to understand their decisions and their work to support learners.' A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: 'Delivering the agreement to restore teacher numbers to 2023 levels requires ongoing engagement with councils and is based on a joint commitment made by COSLA and the Scottish Government. We have been engaging with councils since December, and discussions with some are still ongoing. We expect to be able to communicate decisions to councils shortly.'
The Herald Scotland
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish Government threatened with legal action over teacher numbers
The number of teachers working in Scotland has fallen in each of the last three years, and the latest figure is lower than that seen when the SNP first took office in 2007. However, West Dunbartonshire Council officials have told the government that they are not planning to increase teacher numbers and suggested that any sanctions for this could be challenged in court. All councils were asked to provide information to the government by the end of last year, including in areas where they believed that mitigating circumstances should entitle them to some form of exemption from the government's demands. Many highlighted falling school rolls and insufficient government funding in their submissions. Officials from West Dunbartonshire submitted a seven-point argument that also included falling allocations of probationary teachers. An online meeting was subsequently held on 26 March this year to discuss the issues. An official note of the meeting, released under Freedom of Information legislation, reveals that council officers challenged government education officials about the current plans, highlighting that their delayed response meant that that budgets had already been set. Government officials were asked at this stage to explain what sanctions councils would face, but instead advised that 'this would be a matter for the Cabinet Secretary to consider'. READ MORE: Council officers then mentioned 'many communications about what is being referred to as additional funding', but argued that 'the reality is quite different' before going on to outline reasons why they believe that government funding has been insufficient and will not allow them to increase the number of teachers working in schools. The meeting note states that the government officials were 'keen to hear [the council's] plan to restore teacher numbers'. In response, a council official 'stated that we don't have one' and cited factors such as a falling school roll, difficulty filling some subject-specific posts, and the reduction in anti-poverty funding from central government. Officials from the Scottish government 'stated that it was unlikely that any mitigation covering further reductions would be accepted, but that they would report this to the Cabinet Secretary for her decision.' The meeting note also states that they accepted that 'a focus on teacher numbers isn't necessarily the best measure' of education provision but added: "we are where we are". Council officers were ultimately told that an agreement has been made between the government and COSLA – which represents local authorities – to restore teacher numbers. At this stage, the note says that they 'stated that there would be grounds to challenge this, perhaps through a Judicial Review.' The note continues: 'The agreement between COSLA and the Scottish Government was done at very short notice, without adequate time for Leaders to be fully briefed by officers. The delay to this meeting is also after our budget has been set, so any clawback or financial penalties are after the fact. If there are financial penalties, the reality is that this will have to be found from elsewhere in the Education budget.' Before the end of the meeting, government officials were asked to explain why ministers were focusing on 2023 teacher numbers. In response, they 'stated that there had been a significant drop in numbers between 2023 and 2024, and that a position had to be made somewhere. It was felt that 2023 was the best year to use, as the teacher number in 2022 was even higher.' Representatives of the Scottish Government also advised that all of the gathered information would be considered by Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth, and that a further communication, to be issued by the end of the April, would 'set out the Scottish Government position.' The Herald understands that this has not happened. A spokesperson for West Dunbartonshire Council said: 'We are hopeful for continued positive discussions with the Scottish Government on this matter.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The agreement reached with COSLA in December was to restore teacher numbers to 2023 levels in 2025, as well as freeze learning hours and make meaningful progress on reducing class contact time for teachers. This is supported by increased funding £186.5 million from Scottish Government. 'This agreement is predicated on trust. The Scottish Government is committed to working together with COSLA and local government on these issues, and it is our expectation that teacher numbers will increase in 2025.'
Edinburgh Reporter
12-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Trading standards officials in Edinburgh lack funds to tackle vape ban
Trading standards officials in Edinburgh have warned that they lack extra funding to tackle enforcement of the upcoming single use vapes ban. In a report to councillors, they say that any efforts to combat sales of disposable vapes will have to be drawn from existing resources, pulling staff from other tasks. And they said there would be a need to enforce the new rules, with test purchases of tobacco and vapes over the last year seeing 42% of venues tested illegally selling products to under-18s. From 1 June 2025, single-use vapes will become illegal across the UK as part of an effort to help reduce littering and other environmental issues. The legislation places the responsibility for enforcement with council trading standards teams, but officers say that no new funding has come from the Scottish Government to help with enforcement. And, they say the council is not technically legally required to enforce the ban – however, they say the health and environmental impacts of vaping make it a priority. Enforcing the single use vape ban will incur extra costs for the trading standards team due to the cost of disposing of seized goods. Officers said that some of the cost of running enforcement activities could be met through income from fixed penalty notices – but that it would be 'unlikely' to cover the full costs of enforcing the legislation. COSLA, the trade group representing councils to the Scottish government, also believes more funding should be made available to councils to enforce the ban. Officers also provided an update on their current enforcement activities around tobacco and vaping products. The trading standards team said that it had undertaken 99 test purchases across the city this year. They found that in 42 cases, vapes had been sold to under-18s, leading to 24 fixed penalty notices being issued. And, they said that for the first time ever, the council had applied to the Sheriff Court for a banning order, preventing a premise which had failed three separate test purchases from selling tobacco or vapes. A second application for a banning order is in progress for another premises. Officers noted that the enforcement teams specifically targeted premises where high numbers of complaints had been received. According to the report, the council's efforts to enforce the single use vape ban will start later in 2025. They also said that enforcing the expected lifetime ban on purchasing nicotine products for those born on or after 1 January 2009 will also cause additional pressure on the city's trading standards team. By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Live
12-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh trading standards warn over lack of funding to enforce of single use vape ban
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Trading standards officials in Edinburgh have warned that they lack extra funding to tackle enforcement of the upcoming single use vapes ban. In a report to councillors, they say that any efforts to combat sales of disposable vapes will have to be drawn from existing resources, pulling staff from other tasks. And they said there would be a need to enforce the new rules, with test purchases of tobacco and vapes over the last year seeing 42% of venues tested illegally selling products to under-18s. From 1 June 2025, single-use vapes will become illegal across the UK as part of an effort to help reduce littering and other environmental issues. The legislation places the responsibility for enforcement with council trading standards teams, but officers say that no new funding has come from the Scottish Government to help with enforcement. And, they say the council is not technically legally required to enforce the ban – however, they say the health and environmental impacts of vaping make it a priority. Enforcing the single use vape ban will incur extra costs for the trading standards team due to the cost of disposing of seized goods. Officers said that some of the cost of running enforcement activities could be met through income from fixed penalty notices – but that it would be 'unlikely' to cover the full costs of enforcing the legislation. COSLA, the trade group representing councils to the Scottish government, also believes more funding should be made available to councils to enforce the ban. Officers also provided an update on their current enforcement activities around tobacco and vaping products. The trading standards team said that it had undertaken 99 test purchases across the city this year. They found that in 42 cases, vapes had been sold to under-18s, leading to 24 fixed penalty notices being issued. And, they said that for the first time ever, the council had applied to the Sheriff Court for a banning order, preventing a premise which had failed three separate test purchases from selling tobacco or vapes. A second application for a banning order is in progress for another premises. Officers noted that the enforcement teams specifically targeted premises where high numbers of complaints had been received. According to the report, the council's efforts to enforce the single use vape ban will start later in 2025. They also said that enforcing the expected lifetime ban on purchasing nicotine products for those born on or after 1 January 2009 will also cause additional pressure on the city's trading standards team. The report will be reviewed by councillors at the next meeting of the Regulatory Committee on Monday, 19 May, which can be viewed here. Sign up to Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
