SEPTEMBER
Our Five things you need to know today article will come back after the planned rest during August… slowly. As it can be quite a labour intensive article to produce we plan to write a weekly roundup of news on a Monday for now. This month is a particularly busy one with a lot going on behind the scenes.
We have recently invested in The Edinburgh Reporter website and hope you have noticed the difference. For everyone it should now be quicker to load – and we believe it is easier to navigate. We have turned off some of the Google ads to make these less intrusive. This work continues to improve the user experience.
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THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT RESUMES
Parliament resumes this week. Chamber business begins with the usual time for reflection on Tuesday at 2 pm and includes First Minister’s Questions (with British Sign Language – BSL – interpreting) at 12 noon on Thursday. Business will also include:
Tuesday 3 September 2024
Community cohesion (Ministerial statement)
Scottish Government pre-budget fiscal update (Ministerial statement)
Gender identity healthcare for young people – update and new national standards(Ministerial statement)
Clyde and Hebrides ferries – provision, service and harbours update (Ministerial statement)
Mobile phones and behaviour and relationships in school (Ministerial statement)
Wednesday 4 September 2024
Programme for Government 2024-25 (First Minister’s statement)
Programme for Government 2024-25 (Scottish Government debate)
Tackling the misuse of off-road vehicles (Members’ business)
Thursday 5 September 2024
Programme for Government – eradicating child poverty (Scottish Government debate)
Details will be published in the Business Bulletin.
Committee business will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but all business is subject to change at short notice.
You can watch meetings live on SPTV. The transcript of what is said will be available in the Official Report and the videos will be available in the SPTV archive.
The Scottish Government will lay down its Programme for Government with “plans to deliver a wealthier, fairer and greener Scotland despite difficult financial challenges”.
The First Minister is to outline his first programme since taking office, laying out how the Scottish Government will focus on improving the lives of the people of Scotland.
First Minister John Swinney said: “Against a challenging financial backdrop this year’s Programme for Government will set out clear actions to deliver real change for the people of Scotland.
“The Prime Minister was clear last week that the UK Budget, to be delivered in October, will be painful, and the reality is that the UK’s finances will inevitably affect the funding available to us here in Scotland. Their decisions mean tough decisions ahead for Scotland.
“Yet despite this the Scottish Government will continue to prioritise action to eradicate child poverty, to grasp the opportunities of delivering net zero and to grow the economy by investing in public services and infrastructure. While we will work with the UK Government wherever we can, we will continue to urge them to drop the damaging cuts and set new spending rules that support investment.
“The Scottish Government already has a strong track record of improving lives in challenging circumstances. We have delivered an expansion of funded childcare, record investment in the NHS, renewable energy development, and the introduction of the Scottish Child Payment, which are strong foundations for this year’s Programme for Government.
“Even when faced with unprecedented budgetary constraints, our aim will be to improve people’s lives by focusing on clear priorities that make the biggest difference.”
AT THE CITY CHAMBERS THIS WEEK
There are not many committee meetings open to the public this week, but probably the most important is the Education Committee on Tuesday. The council’s education convener says she is facing making cuts of up to £40 million in the next three years to the education budget amid “the devastation in local government funding”. The council sets its budget in February each year, but there will be constant discussion at committees until then.
Monday, 2 September, 2024
NO MEETINGS
Tuesday, 3 September, 2024
- 10.00 am Education, Children and Families Committee – Dean of Guild Court Room – City Chambers
- 2.00 pm Edinburgh Partnership – Microsoft Teams
Wednesday, 4 September, 2024
- 10.00 am Development Management Sub-Committee – Dean of Guild Court Room – City Chambers
Thursday, 5 September, 2024
NO MEETINGS
Friday, 6 September, 2024
10.00 am Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal Joint Committee – Virtual Meeting – via Microsoft Teams
HIDDEN DOOR HAVE BIG NEWS
The team at Hidden Door Festival have secured a “huge new venue” and all will be revealed soon. If you would like to be among the first to know then you have to join the Friends of Hidden Door scheme today.
Benefits of being a friend include:
- being the first to hear about our new venue
- early access to exclusive events
- regular newsletters with advance announcements
- 10% discount on tickets with priority booking
- the opportunity to donate to a cause you love
- flexibility to pay monthly or annually
- 25% Gift Aid boost for UK taxpayers on their contribution
- a special ‘Friends of Hidden Door’ pin badge
Adult Education – new venue
The Adult Education Centre at South Bridge Resource Centre is now closed as it is being taken over and developed as a hub for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. One of the replacement venues will be the Nelson Hall on Bernard Terrace just up from Summerhall.
The venue is fully accessible and has a lift to the upper floor. Book classes by phoning 0131 556 7978 or click here for more information on chair yoga or painting, Latin Dance therapy or singing for fun. Click on the image below for more details.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
