Our Man in Holyrood: Support small businesses in the run up to Christmas as many are working extremely hard to return to business as normal while keeping their customers safe
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
MSP Fergus Ewing says it is vital that after a very hard time for many small businesses we do what we can to help them
As we all know, this year has been a very hard time for many small businesses across the constituency as we continue on the air of caution with Covid-19.
Many are working extremely hard to return to business as normal while keeping their customers safe in the run up to Christmas.
I owned and ran a small business before I became your MSP in 1999, so I am aware of the work it takes and how the key trading period for many is in the run up to Christmas.
Although Small Business Saturday took place at the weekend, I would encourage you, if you can, to help keep our small shops and businesses open and buy local this festive period.
This week the First Minister announced that the Scottish Child Payment will be doubled to £20 per week, per child, from April 2022.
More than 400,000 children are set to benefit from the increased payment, which supports low income families with children under the age of six. At a time where we are seeing rising inflation, energy costs and cuts to Universal Credit from the UK government, this payment comes as a welcome investment to lift children out of poverty and make a real difference to families across Scotland.
n For too long, miscarriage has been considered a taboo subject and something we must keep a secret. This can leave many parents feeling burdened with their grief by themselves.
However, with one in four pregnancies ending in miscarriage, it is time that we talk more openly about the subject and the effects it has on parents and families. These conversations particularly need to take place in the workplace where parents may need proper time off to be able to grieve properly.
Under current legislation, workers receive no paid leave if this occurs before 24 weeks. Losing a child, even in the early stages of pregnancy, is a devastating loss for parents that can be very traumatic. It’s time that legislation changed to support parents through these times.
I am pleased to support my colleague, Angela Crawley MP, who is bringing forward a private members bill to call for a minimum of a guaranteed three days paid leave for parents who experience a loss through miscarriage.
This would be transformational for many people’s lives and help the grieving process for families become that little easier. The bill has received cross-party support across the chamber and I hope, in the near future, can be legislated to help families across the UK.
Click here to read more political news
