Welcome to my first e-Magazine of 2019.

As usual Brexit is dominating everything in Parliament but there are some good local updates on priority parking, bank closures and local planning applications as well as a selection of my recent articles and appearances in the House of Commons.

As always, if you have any issues or concerns you feel I can assist with, please get in touch using the below contact details.

Email: ian.murray.mp@parliament.uk

Telephone: 0131 662 4520

Facebook: Ian Murray for Edinburgh South

Twitter: IanMurrayMP

Website: ianmurraymp.com

Casework

Casework stats:
Policy enquiries:

Edinburgh South

Guest Blog

Westminster

Planning

Sick Kids site 18/02719/FUL – the application submitted by the developer is expected to be decided at Planning Committee in early February.

Duncan Street Garage 19/00114/FUL– Change of Use from car servicing and repairs centre to student accommodation (Comprising 25 student studios coupled with shared quiet spaces, reception, laundry and ancillary spaces) and associated works.

The developer has worked hard to address resident’s concerns with previous plans and is willing to work with residents on this development. If you have any questions please get in touch with my office as we have an information pack in the office.

Holy Corner Pub (former Bank of Scotland building) – the City of Edinburgh Council Licencing Committee has approved a licence on limited terms: from 11am to Midnight 7 days a week.

House of Commons

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Media

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Noticeboard

Claimant count in Edinburgh South – Data produced by the House of Commons Library

·        The total number of unemployed claimants in Edinburgh South constituency in December 2018 was 525.

·        This represents a rate of 1.2% of the economically active population aged 16-64.

·        The equivalent UK claimant rate was 3.1%. The UK unemployment rate, which includes people not claiming benefits and is estimated from survey data, was 4.0% in September to November 2018.

·        The number of claimants in Edinburgh South constituency is 25 lower than December 2017 and 5 lower than November 2018.

·        There were 65 claimants aged 18-24 in December 2018, 35 lower than December 2017.

Figures are not seasonally adjusted and are rounded to the nearest five. ‘Unemployed claimants’ include people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance or who are claiming Universal Credit and are required to seek work.

The Europe Prize

The Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development is launching a design competition as of 15 December 2018. It is addressed to all students of art/fine art/design and architecture schools/universities of the 47 Member States of the Council of Europe. This competition, which will last until 8 April 2019, aims at creating a new design for the Europe Prize Trophy. In June 2019, the winning team will be awarded 3 WACOM graphic tablets and a cheque of 1500€ during the June part-session of the Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg.

In order to participate in this competition, students just need to follow the link assembly.coe.int/2019-trophy to register and submit an application form by 8 April 2019 at midnight (Paris time)

More information on the Europe Prize: www.assembly.coe.int/europe-prize/

Register today for a free safety training from Google Digital Garage in Edinburgh to learn how to keep you and your family safer online this.. Find out more at https://goo.gl/y5g2oq

This hour long training session for parents and guardians is designed in partnership with Internet Matters to learn the risks of children face and how to proactively deal with these challenges.

  • Introduction to online safety and what challenges parents face keeping children safe online
  • Advice and tool recommendations to help tackle stranger danger, inappropriate content, cyber bullying, phishing/scams, and how to better control screentime.
  • Guidance on discussing these topics with children.
Telephone Scams

Ofcom’s response to my recent letter regarding telephone scams:

Citizens Advice Scotland Advice:

You can be scammed in different ways – online, by phone, by post or in person.

Scammers try to get your personal details to get money from you or steal your details so they can pretend to be you.

If you think someone might be trying to scam you, don’t:

•give them any personal information, like bank details, computer passwords or PIN numbers

•reply to their email or click on any links

•download any attachments or files in emails

•send them any money or buy anything

•ring any numbers in emails or letters you receive

•let them into your house if they’re at your door

If you’ve lost money because of a scam, you can report it.

Check the warning signs

It’s easier to spot a scam if you know what to look for.

Be careful if something:

•comes out of the blue or from someone you don’t know

•sounds out of the ordinary – like you’ve won the lottery, or you’ve been invited to invest in an ‘amazing’ scheme and keep it a secret

•asks you to pay for something in advance – especially by bank transfer

•asks you for personal information – like your bank details, computer passwords or PIN numbers

•pressures you into buying something or making a decision quickly – a trustworthy company will be happy to wait

•asks you to phone an expensive number – these start with 070, 084, 087, 090, 091 or 098

You can check recent scams on Action Fraud’s website, and common financial scams on the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) website.

If you’ve been contacted about making an investment, check if the company is registered with the FCA on their website. If it’s not, it’s probably a scam.

If someone is offering to do building work for you, don’t let them start immediately and ask them for references – this will give you time to check if they’re reliable. You can find out more about hiring a trustworthy builder.

Spotting a fake email or website

Scam emails ask you for personal information like passwords or bank details to get money. This is called ‘phishing’.

They often look like they’re from a real company – like a bank or building society. Remember that your bank will never ask you to confirm personal details by clicking on an email link.

If you’re not sure if it’s a scam, check:

•the email or website address – if it’s a scam, it might have a strange address or come from a free email provider like Gmail

•for spelling mistakes – trustworthy websites are less likely to have them

•if the website starts with https:// – this means the information you send on the website is secure, but the website could still be a scam

•if the website has a green padlock in the website address bar – this means the information you send on the site is private

Get advice on being safe on the internet on Get Safe Online’s website. They also have advice on protecting your computer from viruses which can sometimes steal your details.

If you think you’re being scammed online

Don’t click on anything and leave the website. You might want to keep the email as evidence in case you report the scam.

If you’ve had an email something that looks like it’s from your bank, contact your bank directly using the number on your card. You can also log into your account on their website – use Google to find the real one.

You can also block the email sender or mark an email as ‘spam’ or ‘junk’ – this means you won’t see them in your inbox. Check your email provider’s help section for instructions on how to do this.

Shared Repair Service

The Edinburgh Shared Repairs Service are looking into new ways to help tenement owners carry out common repairs, particularly where difficulty in contacting neighbours may cause delays in arranging works. As you and your fellow owners may have recently arranged a common repair at your own property, we would be grateful if you could complete a short, four-question survey below.

 

Complete Common Repairs Survey

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