17 May 2020
Nicola Sturgeon must come up with a lockdown plan for people without gardens, after it emerged a third of Scots live in flats or similar accommodation.
The First Minister is expected to provide an update on coronavirus restrictions in coming days as Scots face up to more weeks of lockdown.
Now the Scottish Conservatives have called for more help for people who don’t have their own outdoor space to spend time and exercise.
Figures obtained by the party show that, in 2018 – the latest year for which figures are available – 33.4 per cent of people in Scotland lived in a “flat, maisonette or apartment”.
Leader Jackson Carlaw said thought also had to be given to those living alone, after the same survey – Scotland’s People Annual Report – revealed 36 per of households contained only one adult.
He said that while exiting lockdown as quickly and safely as possible was key to economic recovery, the issue of the population’s physical and mental health was of increasing concern.
Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw said:
“We know this is a public health emergency first and foremost, and that there have been and will be severe economic consequences too.
“But there will come a point where lockdown does more harm than good when it comes to the physical and mental health of Scotland’s population.
“For those people lucky enough to have a garden, this period – especially with the favourable weather – will have been all the more bearable.
“But these statistics show a third of Scots live in flats, most of which won’t have private garden space.
“For these people especially, further weeks of lockdown will be a very grim prospect indeed, and we need to see a detailed plan to help them.
“It’s no longer a case of telling people to sit on the couch and watch television for a few weeks and it’ll all pass.
“There are now very serious concerns about individuals’ health and welfare being caused directly by these restrictions.
“When the First Minister next addresses this, we need to hear something from her that takes these specific difficulties into account.”
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