oui’ pensioners, for example, our winter heating payments from guarantees a annual payment, unlike the uk government's cold weather payments it does not do this. regardless of the certain circumstances. we also continue our... last year provided support to 30,000 children, young people and their families who had higher energy costs needs due to disability health conditions. this benefit is not available elsewhere in the uk. meanwhile, our more homes in scotland, our area —based schemes helping people experiencing poverty, and the last decade, these two programmes have supported over 150,000 households living in or at risk of fuel poverty. these programmes are valuable, but we are also recognising that households across the country keep filling pressures. firstly, cuts to security budgets made many years by successive uk governments, conservative and non—labour,

and secondly, rising energy costs, energy bills would fall if they were in governments, they are set to rise once again in january. they are set to rise once again injanuary. presiding officer, in january. presiding officer, this injanuary. presiding officer, this year alone, the scottish government has already spent £134 million mitigating the effects of uk government welfare decisions. we cannot possibly mitigate every decision, made by the uk government, we are determined to do more where it is possible to do more where it is possible to do more where it is possible to do so. and therefore announcing today that the government will invest a further £20 million in the scottish welfare funds budgeted to be distributed to councils this financial year. presiding officer, this increase will help councils make increased demands upon the fund as a result of the decisions taken by westminster. i'm also confirming today that we will invest an additional £20 million in the warmer homes in scotland scheme, this scheme provides focus on long—term sustainable measures, and this additionalfunding will sustainable measures, and this additional funding will help a wider group to install energy

efficiency measures and more efficient heating systems, saving on average around £300 per year per household on energy bills. finally, for this yearin energy bills. finally, for this year in response to calls from a coalition of housing and anti—poverty statements, from a shift in spending... i will direct an additional £1 million of grant funding to registered social landlords and third sector past liz mark. the government recognises that more must be done, this is precisely why i have consistently committed to keeping the eligibility for this under review. after careful consideration, i'm announcing today to parliaments that had of next winter, i'll bring forward regulations to introduce a universal pension age winter heating payments, in winter 25, 2026, for every single scottish pensioner. this

universal benefit providing much—needed support is not available anywhere else in the uk will deliver support across scotland's older people as we had always intended to do before the uk government's decision to cut the payments, it will help mitigate energy costs, provide vital cost of living support, and help reduce pension poverty. i can announce that pensioners in scotland in receipt of a qualifying benefits such as pension credits, will receive payments of 200 £300 depending on their age will continue to receive this payment automatically next winter. we will introduce an... this ensures that pensioners in receipt of this benefits will

also... we haven't taken this decision lightly given the significance pressures from the government's budget, this scottish government is determined to stay true to our values, and i will watch we will treat people in this country with fairness, dignity and respect, we will not abandon older people this winter, or indeed any winter and we will continue to protect our pensioners from the harsh reality of a uk labour government.- reality of a uk labour government. the cabinet secretary _ government. the cabinet secretary will _ government. the cabinet secretary will now - government. the cabinet secretary will now take . secretary will now take questions. i intend to allow around 20 minutes or so for questions. i'd be grateful if members were to press their request to speak buttons. i call it les smith. i request to speak buttons. i call it les smith.— request to speak buttons. i call it les smith. i note what ou call it les smith. i note what you said _ call it les smith. i note what you said in — call it les smith. i note what you said in your— call it les smith. i note what you said in your first -

call it les smith. i note what| you said in your first remarks that the scottish government was quite rightly angered by the uk government not giving any notice and therefore undermining the scrutiny that was necessary, the same has happened this afternoon when we do not get prior site in time to scrutinise at this properly. 0f to scrutinise at this properly. of course, there is more than a hint of irony in this announcement because the snp is constantly moaning that their fiscal hands are tied by the bad deeds of westminster, as the scottish fiscal commission rightly said a few months ago, some of the real pressure on budgets come from the scottish government's own decisions, it is not true for ministers to argue that they had absolutely no choice but to leave pensioners out in the cold, i have two questions for the cabinet secretary, firstly, would the secretary admits that the snp are hoodwinking pensioners by pretending they are bringing back the full winter fuel payments because thatis winter fuel payments because that is simply not the case, and secondly, in her statement

to the cabinet secretary mentions that she is bringing forward regulations, can i ask her to confirm whether that means primary legislation and if so, when will that happen? thank you, i said at the beginning of my remarks, i apologise to the opposition spokespeople and i do so directly as well, i hope she knows me well enough to know that this was absolutely not my intention. we have returned to a universal payment for pensioners, that is an important principle that we are determined to hold two, i think if anyone is concerned about the principles behind social security, it would be the discussion that has been instigated since taking over leadership of the scottish conservatives, he has questioned the amount we spend on social security in scotland, when i questioned him directly about this, about whether or not that's meant he to cut

income for low income families, disabled people, carers, or pensioners, he could not answer my question. we do see this as an investment in our people, we see it as an important protection for our pensioners, with response to this question about the regulations, they will be through secondary legislation is as we do for all benefits as we have done since the original bill in 2018 became an act. it the original bill in 2018 became an act. it would be customary _ became an act. it would be customary to _ became an act. it would be customary to thank - became an act. it would be customary to thank the - customary to thank the secretary for advance sight to her statement, we have read it in some detail this morning in the press. i would like to begin by welcoming finally the support that has been offered in terms of this winter, that is the first place to start, because the secretary knows that i have always said that there is more that can be done this winter, i would point to the fact that i have

consistently raised the issue of the £42 million that will come as a result of uk government on the household support fund, the first thing i would ask is to confirm is this her finally getting some clarity to watch this money is going to be used forin addition, we have always said that pension aids winter heating payments was an opportunity to widen the criteria above pension credits, i would point again to the announcement of 1.5 billion rising to 3.5 billion in the budget next day, as a result of that spending, she is able to announce that she will bring forward regulations on pension and winter payments heating, finally, will she be speaking to the poverty and equality commission on a review of this payment?—

payment? can i gently point out, payment? can i gently point out. that — payment? can i gently point out, that we _ payment? can i gently point out, that we wouldn't - payment? can i gently point out, that we wouldn't have l payment? can i gently point. out, that we wouldn't have to be mitigating this if the labour government haven't whipped away money from pensioners this year. that is why am doing this today. i think as well as asking some questions which he is obviously right to do, his party should come here with a bit of humility and a bit of a apology for scottish pensioners for putting us in the position in the first place. he always said, we have always said with the greatest respect, labour have said a lot of things, both at a uk level and a scottish government level since the chancellor made this announcement. most particularly, they have been two votes on this, one in the uk parliament, one in the scottish parliament, and everybody was whipped to vote against scottish pensioners, and proud that this scottish government is stepping up to defend pensioners, we will

continue to do this, it is a shame that scottish labour haven't done the same. there will be a form of universal fuel payment for pensioners in scotland, not this winter but next winter, this winter but next winter, this will be on top of the pension credit receipts that people received 200, £300, it will be on top of that, universal payment. this year, she announced £20 million extra for councils and an extra £20 million for the warmer homes in scotland scheme. there is plenty more coverage of this right now continuing on bbc live page, do had there is plenty more coverage of this right now continuing on bbc live page, do had therefore more details. let's get the

weather. hello there. this morning's fog has been lifting, but it was a very cold start this morning. —ii in scotland, —6 in northern ireland. the cold air is underneath that area of high pressure. it's getting pushed away, though. and we're just catching the tail end of that weatherfront, getting more of a southerly breeze. and those temperatures are lifting in northern ireland and the southwest of england and wales, where there's a little bit of rain. but it's still quite chilly further east, in the sunshine, temperatures of 4 or 5 degrees and maybe an early frost across these eastern areas, but temperatures will rise overnight. that breeze picks up. there'll be more cloud coming in. the rain moves away from the southwest and northern ireland and heads towards the north and northwest of scotland. so for the western side of the uk, with the cloud and the breeze, it's going to be very mild overnight. still quite chilly by the morning, but above freezing across those eastern areas and through the midlands, where we should see some sunshine and dry weather on friday. there is more cloud out towards the west and as we head into the afternoon, some rain comes back into northern ireland, western scotland and then heads over the irish sea towards west wales and the southwest of england.

southerly breeze will be more noticeable, i think, on friday. it's going to be mild across the western side of the uk. highs of 8 or 9 degrees in the east, so all of us will see higher temperatures compared with today. and that's because low pressure is to the west of us, high to the east. that's giving us a southerly wind. within that southerly airflow, there is that weather front taking some rain eastwards on friday night into saturday morning. with that then out of the way, we're left with a lot of cloud for the start of the weekend. maybe a little sunshine around the moray firth, to the east of the pennines, and in north wales. a little drizzle around some western hills, perhaps, but temperatures widely going to be 13, perhaps even 14 degrees for the start of the weekend. now there is more rain to come as we head into the second half of the weekend. that low pressure running to the north—west, steering this weather front and a band of rain eastwards to clear away quickly from scotland but head eastwards across england and wales, followed by some sunshine but also some showers. this, of course, is the first day of meteorological winter.

it's not going to feel like winter at all because we're still in mild air, with south to south westerly breezes and highs of 13 degrees. that mild air may not last into monday, mind you, because the wind direction changes from that southerly to a northerly and those temperatures are going to drop.

live from london, this is bbc news. the uk government signs what it calls a landmark deal to crack down on people smuggling and boost border security. it comes as net migration to the uk hits as net migration to the uk hits a new record high afterfigures for 2023 are revised. we hear

from downing street shortly. we will bring you that as soon as it happens. in other news, a former soldier who escaped from a london prison has been found guilty of spying for iran. civilians take to shelters and 1 million people are left without power after russia launches massive strikes targeting ukraine cosmic energy infrastructure. the world's first social media ban for under 165 has been passed by the australian senate. and how a baby bouncer helped this tiny penguin walk again. hello and welcome to bbc news. let's start with the breaking news you heard in the headlines because the uk home secretary has signed what the government is calling a landmark deal with iraq to crack down on people smuggling and boost border

security. all