Drivetime with John Beattie
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, bbc

The health secretary said the government was unable to top up carers' pay directly because it was not the employer, but hopes to reach an agreement this week.

She was responding to Unison expressing frustration that care home staff were still not being paid the living wage despite her making an announcement on this seven weeks ago.

Jeane Freeman told Drivetime: "I have done what I said I would do: I have made the money available. I am hopeful by the end of this week on that 3.3% increase there will be agreement between us and Cosla about how much goes out to which different parts of that sector, and then the money will get to people's pockets."

Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

Emergency powers granting longer periods of detention - and which make it simpler to secure short-term detention certificates and compulsory treatment orders in response to mental health - should be repealed, a Holyrood committee urges.

The powers are contained in Schedule 9 of the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020, but the Scottish Parliament's equalities and human rights committee points out: “These powers have not been used, even at the peak of the outbreak, and therefore can no longer be deemed as proportionate.

"The committee is concerned that the longer these powers remain in law the harder it will be to reverse the position.”

Details of organisations offering information and support with mental health issues are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline, or you can call for free, at any time to hear recorded information on 0800 888 809.

Drivetime with John Beattie
BBC Radio Scotland

On April 12 Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said that social care workers would be paid the real living wage - that's £9.30 an hour. But trade unions have said this is still not the case.

Deborah Clarke from Unison said: "Unfortunately, despite the very public announcement by the Scottish government, we're still two months on in talks to make that funding reach the frontline."

She explained only a small number of staff are seeing the money and described this is a "real frustration".

Ms Clarke also said exactly the same "circular conversations" are also being had on sick pay. There are "absolutely" care workers still going into work when they shouldn't be because they face "poverty" otherwise, the Unison representative said.

The UK government will give its daily coronavirus briefing from 10 Downing Street at 17:00 BST.

It will be led by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. He will be joined by Sir Peter Hendy who chairs Britain's railway infrastructure operator Network Rail.

You'll be able to follow the briefing live here.

Glasgow city centre is to suspend about a third of its on-street parking spaces to increase space for social distancing.

The move is part of an initiative by the city council to create about 25km (15 miles) of extra space for physical distancing.

The plan is to widen footways to make it easier for pedestrians to stay a safe distance apart.

Streets affected include St Vincent Street, Argyle Street and Queen Street. The proposed pedestrianisation of George Square is also being brought forward.

The council believes there will still be enough parking provision.

Read more here.

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A mother is using Lego to teach her children about social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Cat Cook said her seven-year-old son - who has severe respiratory problems, and her daughter, four, had been in a "safe little bubble" during lockdown.

"They've been living a very sheltered life... without a care in the world."

Read and see more here.

Image source, CATHERINE COOK/PA WIRE

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman announced care workers would be paid the Scottish living wage almost two months ago.

But union Unison is asking: where is it? Ms Freeman will be on Drivetime shortly.

Image source, AFP

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has urged those wishing to join anti-racism protests to do so digitally.

A joint statement with Labour MSP Anas Sarwar, human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar and Kadijartu Johnson, the sister of Sheku Bayoh, highlighted the "fragile" progress made against Covid-19.

The group also referred to a report from Public Health England indicating people from ethnic minorities are at a higher risk of dying from coronavirus.

The statement said: "As long-term anti-racist campaigners we are still urging people to protect but use the many other methods available at this time, including digital protests."

Nicola Sturgeon has warned people that meeting up with other households indoors is a "surefire way" of allowing coronavirus to spread.

The current restrictions allow people from two households to meet outdoors in small groups of no more than eight.

With wet weather forecast for the weekend, the first minister warned that gatherings should not move indoors.

She said Scotland was "going in the right direction" but said she could not overstate how "fragile" progress was.

Read more here.

Drivetime with John Beattie
BBC Radio Scotland

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman announced care workers would be paid the Scottish living wage almost two months ago. But union Unison is asking: where is it?

The rate at which an infected individual is passing the virus to others stands at between 0.7 and 0.9 - a little below what it was earlier in May. This does not take into account the recent easing of lockdown measures. But what are the regional differences and could this lead to a regional lifting of lockdown?

Listen on this live page or on BBC Radio Scotland.

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More than half the UK population has struggled with sleep during the lockdown, a survey suggests.

King's College London researchers said sleep problems were more common in people facing financial hardship, while two in five reported having more vivid dreams than usual.

Some people slept for longer than usual, but without feeling rested.

The findings are based on online interviews in late May with 2,254 UK residents in the 16-75 age bracket.

Read more here.

Image source, PA Media

Fraud continues to be on the increase in Scotland during lockdown despite almost all other areas of crime showing a fall.

Police Scotland had 17,171 crimes reported during April - an 18% reduction on the same month last year.

But Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf says: “We know that some people have been using lockdown as a chance to commit offences, notably fraud - including targeting some of our most vulnerable citizens and exploiting businesses. We must remain vigilant to such criminals."

Non-sexual crimes of violence fell by 14%, with a 13% decrease in crimes recorded under the Domestic Abuse Act 2018.

With recorded sexual crimes being 26% lower overall, mainly because of a drop in offences of sexual assault (down by 46%) and rape and attempted rape (down by 27%), Mr Yousaf also urges anyone experiencing or witnessing such crime to report it.

"Some women and children may feel very isolated now and need our help more than ever," he adds.

James Shaw
BBC Scotland reporter

The coronavirus infection rate in Scotland has reduced slightly since last week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.

She said the R number - the measure of how many new people are infected by each case - is now between 0.7 and 0.9.

Last week, it was said to be 0.7 to 1.

But the first minister said the new figures did not reflect the situation since the lockdown was eased last Friday.

Sturgeon also revealed that the Scottish government was considering making the wearing of face coverings mandatory in enclosed public spaces.

She said there was evidence that using them in places such as shops and public transport, where physical distancing is not possible, could help reduce the spread of coronavirus.

Image source, Getty Images

The reopening of UK Parliament will put lives at unneccesary risk, says a union representing more than 800 parliamentary staff.

The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) - whose members include security guards, cleaners and maintenance workers - has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to tell him of its concerns.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka wrote: "Staff believe they are now at increased risk of contracting Covid-19 and this, in turn, is impacting on the mental wellbeing of our members working on the Estate.

"We believe Parliament has opened too soon and the lives of PCS members, and those of our sister unions, are being put at risk unnecessarily."

Scotland has enough intensive care beds to meet the demands of the coronavirus crisis, according to a new report by the Scottish Intensive Care Society audit group.

But at its peak, the number of patients needing treatment in ICU exceeded the original capacity.

Health boards can provide 585 ICU beds - that’s up from 173 before the pandemic.

But the interim Chief Medical Officer, Dr Gregor Smith revealed that at the peak of the virus in April, the number of patients requiring treatment in ICU exceeded the original capacity by 46% .

The report concludes that Scotland was only able to cope because of the extra beds

Image source, Reuters

Angie Brown
Edinburgh and East reporter

An initiative that led to some Edinburgh city centre streets being pedestrianised during the summer has been shelved this year.

Some retailers, already worried about the impact of the lockdown, said the move had been a "disaster" for their businesses last year.

Galab Singh Gold, a senior director and partner of the Gold Brothers, welcomed the decision to cancel Summertime Streets.

Read more here

Image source, Getty Images