Category: News in Lothian

Hyslop has welcomed the announcement that new legislation which requires all homes in Scotland to have interlinked smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, will be delayed until February 2022. The Scottish Government recently confirmed that it will ask Parliament to approve a 12-month delay in the deadline to carry out this important safety work.  If the delay is approved, the new regulations, which extend the standard which currently applies to private rented property and new-builds to all homes in Scotland, will be moved back to February 2022.  The Scottish Government has already made over £15m of loan funding available for Social Landlords to procure and install the necessary alarms which should help ensure that social tenants are safe in their homes.  Furthermore, the Scottish Government has also provided additional funding of…

Hyslop has welcomed the news that two performing arts venues in West Lothian will receive emergency funding support from the SNP Government. Many industries have faced financial struggles due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Creative Arts sector is included in this, with many performing venues still having to remain closed. In her role as Culture Secretary, Fiona Hyslop has been working hard to ensure the Creative Arts sector has been supported and not left behind. The latest Scottish Government support will go a long way in ensuring local arts venues avoid unnecessary closure. West Lothian performing venues Howden Park Theatre and the Regal will benefit from this financial support, which totals £120,000 for West Lothian from the Performing Arts Venue Relief fund. Fiona commented: “It has been…

With companies in West Lothian voicing fears of redundancies with the furlough scheme ending next month, Local Constituency MSP, Fiona Hyslop, has said the Tory Government must urgently reverse its reckless decision to withdraw support for jobs and businesses. In her role as Cabinet Secretary for Economy in the Scottish Government, Fiona has consistently and directly called for the extension of the furlough scheme and believes the replacement Jobs Support Scheme is ineffective and will not go far enough to save jobs.  Bakery chain Greggs, which has 25,000 workers across Scotland and the UK, is the latest company to indicate it may have to cut staff hours or jobs when the scheme ends. A local Greggs in Linlithgow Regent Shopping Centre is facing this unnecessary threat of closure. The company…

Hyslop has welcomed new figures that show a huge boost to connectivity in West Lothian, thanks to significant investment from the SNP Government. According to the latest coverage statistics from Thinkbroadband, 97.9% properties in West Lothian are now connected to superfast broadband – a 34.9% increase from 2014 when only 63.0% properties were connected to internet speeds of at least 30Mbps. A report published this week from Ofcom also found that 172,889 properties across Scotland have been connected to superfast broadband in the last year alone. Despite connectivity and broadband remaining reserved to Westminster, Scotland is the only part of the UK that has guaranteed 100% superfast broadband access. While the SNP is investing £600 million in the R100 programme, the single biggest public sector investment in digital connectivity in…

FREE, ANONYMOUS APP WILL HELP STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 AND SAVE LIVES Hyslop has urged people in West Lothian to download the new ‘Protect Scotland’ app - to help slow the spread of Coronavirus and support the easing of lockdown restrictions. The app can be downloaded onto phones and will let users know if they have come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.   The app will automatically alert users if someone reports that they’ve tested positive for Covid-19 and that they have been in close contact recently. No personal identifiable information will be entered on the app and the Scottish Government has assured that it will not monitor the location of individuals as the app uses Bluetooth technology, and not GPS, to identify contacts.…

Hyslop welcomes new funding from the Scottish Government which will provide targeted support for care experienced young people in West Lothian. West Lothian has been handed £344,400 to invest in projects designed to boost the attainment of local care experienced children and young people, The council will work with Chief Social Workers, and Directors of Education, to decide how this year’s funding will be used. Care experienced young people from birth up to the age of 26 are eligible for the support. Across Scotland, the SNP Government has pledged £11.6 million to support the fund. Fiona commented: ‘The SNP is determined to give all young people the best start in life.’ ‘This investment will help to remove obstacles for care experienced young people by allowing the local authority to provide…

SNP GOVERNMENT’S ‘JOB START PAYMENT’ NOW OPEN TO APPLICATIONS Hyslop has welcomed a new Scottish benefit, introduced this week, that will help 16 to 24-year olds into work if they have been unemployed for over six months. The SNP Scottish Government’s Job Start Payment is a one-off grant of £250 to help with the costs of starting a new job. The upper age limit rises to 25 for care leavers and the payment rises to £400 if the person has a child. It is estimated around 5,000 young people across Scotland will benefit from this new financial support in its first year. Fiona commented: “The coronavirus pandemic has caused uncertainty for many young people entering the job market, which is why I am pleased there is now extra support available…