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Scotland editor THE Westminster government must make 2021 the year that age discrimination in pay is finally abolished, the SNP demanded today. Research from the House of Commons Library has revealed that the gap in the minimum wage for younger workers grew to its widest ever level in 2020. The gulf between the highest and lowest age band rates has grown almost every year since the minimum wage was introduced, widening from 12.5 per cent in 2000 to 91.6 per cent 20 years later. The minimum wage for those aged 25 and over is £8.72, but for 16 to 17-year-olds is just £4.55. The rate is even lower for apprentices, at £4.15 an hour. ....
Scotland Editor MORE than 2,200 racist incidents have been recorded in Scottish schools in the past three years, new figures show. A freedom of information request by the Scottish Liberal Democrats found that there were at least 2,251 instances of racism in schools between 2017-18 and 2019-20. Glasgow City Council had the highest number of reported incidents with 642, with reports in Edinburgh at 490. Orkney recorded the lowest level of incidents with three, all in the 2017-18 school year, while West Lothian, Highland and Falkirk councils did not reply. MSPs said the Black Lives Matter movement has encouraged them to “think about racial injustice and to reflect on Scotland’s own history,” while the Scottish government said “we need to be vigilant in challenging any racist and abusive behaviour in schools.” ....
Scotland Editor GREEN campaigners urged the Scottish government today to urgently introduce a ban on single-use plastic items. Friends of the Earth (FoE) Scotland said that delaying a ban by even six months could result in hundreds of millions more items such as straws and disposable cutlery ending up in landfill. Scots use an estimated 300 million plastic straws, 276 million pieces of plastic cutlery, 50 million plastic plates and 66 million polystyrene food containers every year. The green group’s call came at the end of a Scottish government consultation which considered the possibility of introducing restrictions on plastic items such as cutlery, plates, straws and drink stirrers. ....