Gordon Macdonald MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands has welcomed new figures showing spending on education in Edinburgh rose by £41.6 million last year. The figures show councils spent £547 million more on education in 2019-20 than the previous year - a real terms spending increase of 8% across Scotland. The increase was driven in large part by the SNP’s flagship policy of expanding free childcare. Commenting, Gordon Macdonald MSP said, “This SNP Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that our young people here in Edinburgh, and across Scotland, get the best possible start in life. “We’ve handed local councils the cash needed to increase free childcare and early learning and are continuing
Commenting on today’s announcement from the Scottish Government that schools will return full-time in August, without distancing, if Scotland continues to make progress on suppressing the coronavirus – Gordon MacDonald MSP for Gordon MacDonald said: “Thanks to the united effort of people here in Edinburgh, and across Scotland, who have stuck to government advice we have now made significant progress in the fight against COVID-19. “I’m absolutely delighted by today’s announcement that if we stay on the right path, and continue to suppress this virus, our young people can return to school full time from August. “This is an important step not only in ensuring our young people get the education
SNP MSPs on Holyrood’s Economy Committee have today branded the UK Government’s treatment of the committee “disgraceful”, after the UK Government refused to provide information to the committee that they later released to the media. In a letter on the 26th May 2020, The Scottish Parliament’s Economy Committee asked the Chief Secretary to the Treasury “to provide regular written updates with Scotland-specific data on the UK Government economic response to COVID19, including: the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, the Job Retention Scheme, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.” The Treasury responded claiming “the UK government is accountable to
SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald has welcomed the Scottish Government's announcement of extra financial help for students facing financial hardship over the summer months. The Scottish Government has brought forward early access to £11.4 million of discretionary funds - which will be administered by colleges and universities - to support higher education students. Students are, due to UK government rules, unable to claim Universal Credit or other benefits. Scottish students studying in Europe as part of EU Portability or historically arranged schemes will also be able to access a £100,000 emergency fund administered b the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). MSP Gordon MacDonald said, “Many studen
Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, has welcome the news that tourism and hospitality businesses in the capital may be able to reopen on July 15 2020. The announcement was made by the Rural Economy and Tourism Secretary, Fergus Ewing, in The Scottish Parliament today. The provisional date of 15 July has been set for when tourism businesses may be able to resume operations, dependent on public health advice and progression to Phase 3 of the Scottish Government lockdown route-map. A new Scottish Recovery Tourism Taskforce has been set up to prepare for this and assist with the ongoing reset of the sector. The taskforce will look at the sector’s recovery needs as well as actions bein
MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon Macdonald, has said pupils living in Edinburgh's most deprived communities will benefit from targeted funding from the Attainment Scotland Fund to help close the poverty-related attainment gap. City of Edinburgh Council will receive an £845,595 investment from the SNP Scottish Government to support pupils from deprived backgrounds. To help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, schools and local authorities will have flexibility to redirect some of this funding from existing plans to best support the most vulnerable and disadvantaged families, with a continued focus on equity in education. The £50 million package is in addition to the £250 millio
Gordon MacDonald MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands has encouraged parents of children aged four to five to apply for the SNP Government’s Best Start Grant. A one-off £250 payment is currently open to eligible families, with a child who was born between 1st March 2015 and 29th February 2016, who will be starting primary school later this year. The School Age payment can be used for anything from a new pair of school shoes or arts and crafts materials for children. The payment is part of the SNP Government’s Best Start Grant, a package of three payments for families in receipt of eligible benefits – including Universal Credit and Housing Benefit – to help at key stages in a child’s life. Commenting,
