Talking-up Scotland

An FAI report makes the following points about Scotland’s growing pharmaceutical industry:

• worth £2.7 billion a year to the Scottish economy
• employs more than 5,000 people
• supports in total 16,500 FTE jobs
• total pharmaceutical exports increased 26% (2008-2013) against background of 15% in overall export growth

https://www.epmmagazine.com/analysis/scottish-pharma-may-drive-long-term-sustainable-growth-notes/

This looks like one more example of the reasons underlying Scotland unique in the UK trade surplus. See:

Scotland’s 2017 trade surplus grows as England’s deficit soars saddling the UK with ever more debt

Is Scotland being dragged under by London and the South’s massive trade deficit as the consequent debt mountain frustrates the Chancellor?

 

In a disturbing piece in the Guardian today, we read:

‘About 80% of full-term stillbirths and deaths of babies during childbirth could be prevented if mothers received better care and UK maternity units were better staffed, according to a report by doctors, academics and health charities. About 180 babies died in 2015 as a result of midwife shortages, mistakes by maternity staff and delivery delays out of a total of 225 full-term stillbirths and deaths during childbirth, according to the study.’

The research was carried out by the MBRRACE-UK coalition. Note there is no breakdown of results for the four UK health areas or any discussion of differences between them.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/28/four-out-of-five-full-term-baby-deaths-uk-could-be-prevented-study

https://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/downloads/files/mbrrace-uk/reports/MBRRACE-UK%20Intrapartum%20Confidential%20Enquiry%20Report%202017%20-%20final%20version.pdf

The resultant message is that there is a midwifery staffing shortage across the UK and that babies are dying due to it. This is incorrect. See these comments from BBC Scotland News in the same year as the survey was done (2015) and the Royal College of Midwifery this year:

‘[T] here is not a shortage of midwives in Scotland.’

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-34645647

‘Today the Scottish Government has published its national maternity review ‘The Best Start – A Five Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland’. Commenting on the Plan, Mary Ross-Davie, Director for Scotland at the Royal College of Midwives, said; “This is a very welcome report and one that has the full support of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).’

https://www.rcm.org.uk/news-views-and-analysis/press-releases

Finally, the level of deaths of babies and infants, in Scotland is significantly lower than in the rest of the UK and, indeed, is approaching the Scandinavian ‘gold standard’. See This:

‘In the Nordic countries – Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland – the rate of stillbirths and deaths of babies within 28 days is 4.3 per 1 000 live births. This is the lowest in the world. In the USA, it’s about 10. The Scottish figure has now fallen to just 4.72 with the rate for the UK at 5.61.’

More details at:

Scottish stillbirth and early infant death rates lowest in the UK and approaching lowest in the world

At the beginning of this, I described the Guardian piece as disturbing. I meant that in two senses. First, clearly, the whole notion of stillbirth is deeply disturbing but secondly, this implied conflation of Scotland with the UK is all too common and all too ignorant.

Whether Ruth Davidson and/or the new Labour Leader in Scotland and/or BBC Scotland will attempt to use the same story to attack SNP management of NHS Scotland, we’ll see. We’ve already seen what a numpty the second of them is in his attack on privatisation in Scottish Water. See:

‘Leonard also called for Scottish Water to be nationalised, despite the utility company already being 100 per cent owned by the state.’

http://www.thenational.scot/news/15687091.Richard_Leonard_mocked_after_gaffe_filled_speech_on_Scottish_politics/

Let me know if you see signs of misuse of the research in the Scottish media.

(c) India Today

India is losing 5 334 million tons of soil every year due to erosion. Due to this and the high costs of chemical-based agriculture. Thousands of farmers go out of business every year and many of them commit suicide.

Now, 500 000 small-holder farmers will abandon costly, ineffective and damaging modern fertilisers and convert to Climate Resilient Zero Budget Natural Farming (CRZBNF). Without the massive prior investment in fertilisers and pesticides, it becomes possible to recover from crop failures without being trapped in a massive debt cycle.

It is also expected that there will be major health benefits from not being exposed to the toxins in fertilisers and pesticides. Scotland’s James Hutton Institute will:

‘help support the state government in developing a cost-effective, scalable, reporting system to enable the measurement of GHG emissions. Data will also be captured on the other ecological and social-related benefits of moving from chemical-based agricultural systems to CRZBNF.’

The Institute’s reporting and analysis will enable the expansion of the scheme to more than 5 million famers to proceed on a sound scientific basis.

http://www.hutton.ac.uk/news/hutton-expertise-support-12-billion-dollar-indian-initiative-aimed-combating-climate-change

See this rationale for a similar scheme,with a more manageable acronym too:

‘ZBNF ends reliance on purchased inputs and loans for farming, positioning itself as a solution to extreme indebtedness and suicides among Indian farmers. The ZBNF movement has achieved massive scale not only because of effective farming practices, but because of a social movement dynamic – motivating members through discourse, mobilizing resources from allies, self-organized pedagogical activities, charismatic and local leadership, and generating a spirit of volunteerism among its members.’

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03066150.2016.1276450?journalCode=fjps20

This is another example in a growing list of Scottish research teams working to improve conditions in disadvantaged areas across the globe. See:

Scottish Researchers again!

Scottish research first to identify ways of reducing cattle-fart with view to saving the planet

Scottish Association for Marine Science to lead seaweed research to benefit developing nations

Scottish Veterinary researchers working to improve the health and productivity of farmed animals in sub-Saharan Africa.

Scottish university research to help developing nations remove arsenic from water supplies

Two Fife companies revive Soviet Space technology to provide clean water for 100 000 people in Pakistan using Scottish Government grant

Another story for Good Morning Scotland?

(c) en.wikipedia.org

Now, I’m not complaining about off-topic posts but it’s become apparent that some of you want to comment, often at length, on things I’ve missed. So, I’m going to post an open space or forum every so often where you can raise any topic you like and maybe get more attention to it. Give them a BIG BOLD HEADLINE. off you go!

 

According to the latest UCAS 2017 figures, only Scotland saw an increase in the number of its students accepted for entry to UK universities. The figures are:

England           -0.7%

N Ireland         -2.9%

Scotland          +2.4%

Wales              -0.2%

Thought this increase only brings Scotland’s share of UCAS acceptances up to 8% (36 500) of the total and the same as our share of the population, UCAS notes point out:

‘In Scotland, there is a substantial section of higher education provision not included in UCAS’ figures. This is mostly full-time higher education provided in further education colleges, which represents around one third of young full-time undergraduate study in Scotland, and this proportion varies by geography and background within Scotland. Accordingly, figures on entry rates or total recruitment in Scotland reflect only the part of full-time undergraduate study that uses UCAS.’

https://www.ucas.com/file/135626/download?token=ccFEbGGR

This, unique to Scotland, arrangement of FE/HE articulation whereby students can begin, at lower living and/or travel costs, in their local FE college for the first and/or second year of a degree before transferring directly into second or third year of a partner university considerably increases the access opportunities to student from deprived areas. This system also, commonly, has the advantage of allowing these students to leave after year one with HNC or after year 2 with HND, qualifications which are recognised by employers. This may be a factor in the significantly lower youth unemployment in Scotland than in rUK. See:

Scottish Government meets its youth employment target four years early to place Scotland as among the most successful in Europe

Given that around 33% of entrants to HE in Scotland start out this way, this suggests that entry to HE from Scotland, is higher per capita than the rUK figure at around 12% of the total from, only 8% of the population.

(c) scmp.com

That’s kind of counter-intuitive isn’t it? Have the Chinese politicians and trade administrators been drinking the stuff and thinking let’s have more of this, cheaper, and pay even less in taxes to our own government?

According to a piece in Insider magazine:

‘The country’s Finance Ministry announced it would slash tariffs on 187 consumer goods including Scotch and cashmere clothing in a bid to boost economic growth.’

http://www.insider.co.uk/news/whisky-boost-china-slashes-import-11580502

I’m confused. How do the Chinese expect importing more Scotch to enable their economy to grow? Might it not have the opposite effect? Anyhoo, this looks like further improving the only trade surplus in the UK. See:

Scotland’s 2017 trade surplus grows as England’s deficit soars saddling the UK with ever more debt

Also, will it further improve the figures in this?

Scottish food and drink exports still booming so is it still only 28% of the UK’s food and drink exports? We’re still only 8% of the population

I gather our population is not growing much so we’ll have to increase the 28%. 30% next time, Office for National Statistics?

Footnote: They do seem determined to get the real stuff. See:

Chinese court jails fake Scotch whisky seller

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-21194829

 

(c) scottishpowerrenewables.com

We have roughly 2 500 000 homes in Scotland and already have enough wind and tidal capacity to meet the demand for 3 200 000* homes after the installation of a new 1 Gwh wind-farm in a national forest near Dumfries with the capacity for 500 000 homes. According a to fully-sourced Wikipedia account, Scotland has:

• existing installed capacity of 1.3 Gwh of hydro-electric schemes
• an estimated potential of 36.5 Gwh of wind
• 25% of the estimated total wind power capacity in Europe
• An estimated potential of 7.5 Gwh of tidal power
• 14 GWh of wave power potential, 10% of EU capacity
• Total renewable electricity generating capacity may be 60 Gwh or more

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_Scotland

So, with a potential to generate 60 GWh what is our domestic demand? In 2015 it was only 6 Gwh!

http://euanmearns.com/scotland-gagging-on-wind-power/

https://www.energyvoice.com/otherenergy/157290/1gw-wind-energy-installed-scotlands-national-forest/

*This, of course, depends on wind energy collected but we have already had one complete month (October) with 189% and another (May) with 95% prior to the completion of the three massive offshore fields – Neart Na Gaoithe, Inch Cape and Seagreen in the Outer Firths of Tay and Forth.

The Scottish government target of 100% by 2030 is fast looking pretty timid as we surge toward 100% by 2020 and, perhaps, 1 000% by 2030.

Photo: Ben Cawthra/ London News Pictures

Only two ‘Scots’ MPs have personal income from private health companies, Liam Fox and Malcom Rifkind, but a staggering 68 English MPs, almost entirely Tories, have investments in health companies making serious money out of NHS England.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/selling-nhs-profit-full-list-4646154

In year 2015/16 NHS England spent £7 billion on private services. NHS Scotland spent £78.5 million. So, with 10 times the population to care for, NHS England spent nearly 100 times as much on private care. In 2016/17, NHS Scotland spending on private care fell again, to £72 million. The NHS figure for 2016/17 is not available but is expected to have risen even further. Good news for those Tory MPs.

https://www.bma.org.uk/collective-voice/influence/key-negotiations/nhs-funding/privatisation-and-independent-sector-providers-in-nhs-care

https://stv.tv/news/politics/1402987-nhs-spending-on-private-health-care-falls-year-on-year/

Making things even worse, those private care providers rated as inadequate by NHS England inspectors, typically spent 4.2% more per patient than those rated good. Where did that extra money go? To the shareholders who are often English (and 2 Scots) Tory MPS.

https://www.bma.org.uk/collective-voice/influence/key-negotiations/nhs-funding/privatisation-report

How do Scottish Tory MSPs feel about this? Conservative shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said:

‘Listening to the SNP you would think private healthcare was an evil that isn’t welcome in Scotland. Yet now we see it spends millions every month using it to help out the NHS.’

https://stv.tv/news/politics/1402987-nhs-spending-on-private-health-care-falls-year-on-year/

Bad SNP –  not wasting enough money on poor private health care companies and their shareholders!

Footnote: Liam Fox and Malcom Rifkind. Today’s competition is to describe them in as many adjectives as you like.

If you search this blog for the word ‘praise’, you’ll see the Scottish Government praised for it’s openness and responsiveness to research from agencies such as the British Medical Association, the United Nations and European Commission. Now the British Ecological Society has said:

‘Engaging with Scottish Parliament is much easier, as it is more accessible, than at Westminster, making it easier to engage policymakers directly. This means that in Scotland there is a unique opportunity to closely link policy to research.’

Examples of how science-based policies have helped to protect bio-diversity in Scotland have been offered by the RSPB:

1. One strategy that has been successful is protecting the corn bunting (Emberiza calandra), which has been in decline for a number of decades in Scotland, due to modern agricultural practices. A package of simple measures including compensating farmers for later silage cutting and leaving strips of grain unharvested for winter food were introduced. This has been followed up by monitoring which has shown how population numbers have increased.
2. A more general science-based policy success has been agri-environment schemes implemented over the last 30 years. For birds, they have included the introduction of field margins, skylark nesting patches in fields, and later meadow mowing, all backed up by subsidies. Most measures have shown that these policies have been successful in maintaining and enhancing biodiversity.

https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/understanding-science-policy-interface-scotland/

(c) offshore-technology.com

The Culzean field, 145 miles east of Aberdeen is expected to be at peak production in 2020-21 by which time it will be producing enough gas to meet 5% of total UK demand or, of course, more than 50% of Scotland’s total demand.

https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/north-sea/157216/breaking-maersk-oil-asks-go-ahead-develop-north-sea-field/

In April, we heard of another field, west of Shetland, that could fuel 100% of Scotland’s total demand. See:

Scottish Gas output rises as production begins on a new field that could fuel, by itself, all of post-independence Scotland

So, if we have the gumption to go solo in the next few years we won’t be beholden to Putin for Russian gas supplies like most of the rest of Europe.