News Archive
29/10/2022
Covid-19 Variants Identified In The UK - Latest Updates
Latest updates on SARS-CoV-2 variants detected in the UK. UKHSA designates 2 new COVID-19 variants.
29/10/2022
Welsh Ambitions Are Powering Ahead Of Scotland's
A tale of woe that the Scottish government would like to forget. Oh maybe also the banking dreams and the ferries still not delivered after six years.29/10/2022
Low And High Pay In The UK 2022
Over the coronavirus pandemic period, earnings estimates were affected by changes in composition of the workforce and the impact of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough) making interpretation difficult; also data collection disruption and lower response rates mean that, for 2020 and 2021, data were subject to more uncertainty and should be treated with caution; we would encourage users to focus on long-term trends rather than year-on-year changes. The proportion of low-paid employee jobs (based on hourly pay) fell to 10.5% in 2022 from 14.3% in 2021, the lowest since the series began in 1997, with the proportion of high-paid employee jobs falling 0.7 percentage points on-the-year to 23.7% in 2022.29/10/2022
UK Government Approves Agreement Between Bulb And Octopus Energy, Providing Certainty To 1.5 Million Customers
A deal has been signed confirming Bulb's 1.5 million customers will have a new energy home in Octopus. UK government approves deal between the special administrators of Bulb and Octopus Energy to acquire Bulb's 1.5 million customers following an extensive and competitive sale process, the move provides a stable new home for Bulb's customers and 650 employees.
29/10/2022
Scotland Is World's First Daily Mile Nation
Scottish children have stepped their way into the history books as the country is confirmed as the world's first Daily Mile Nation. Around 187,000 school children in all of Scotland's local authority areas are getting active for at least fifteen minutes a day meeting the criteria agreed with the Daily Mile Foundation.29/10/2022
Scottish Independence: How Nicola Sturgeon's Pledge To Rejoin The EU Could Impact A Referendum Vote
John Curtice, Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Social Research, and Professor of Politics, University of Strathclyde and TV pundit on the statistics writing for the Conversation web site. In its new white paper on the economics of independence , the Scottish government made it clear that rejoining the EU was central to its vision of how Scotland could prosper outside the UK.28/10/2022
Progress In Nhs Highland - Improvements In Governance, Leadership And Culture - Have they Solved The Bullying Problems?
NHS Highland will move from Stage 3 to Stage 2 of NHS Scotland's national performance framework following improvements in governance, leadership and culture. The Health Secretary confirmed that the health board had taken actions to warrant reviewing the escalation, initially put in place in 2018, and will continue to be monitored by the Scottish Government.28/10/2022
Dormant Training Firm Shut Down After Abusing Covid Support
Training and development company took £60,000 through two financial support schemes despite not being eligible. Keysholders Ltd was wound up by the High Court on 21 June 2022 and the Official Receiver has been appointed Liquidator of the company.28/10/2022
BURGER KING, PIZZA HUT, KFC AND WAGAMAMA DELIVERY WORKERS BEGIN STRIKE VOTE TODAY
All these GMB members want is a pay deal that protects them from this crushing cost of living crisis. Hundreds of workers delivering food to some of Britain's best loved family restaurants begin voting on strike action today [28 October 2022] The Bestfood Logistics workers, who deliver fresh food to the likes of Pizza Express, KFC, Zizzi, Burger King, Wagamama and Pizza Hut, have rejected a six per cent pay offer, which would amount to a real terms pay cut this year and into next.28/10/2022
Tenant Protection Act Becomes Law - Rents frozen and evictions prevented
Emergency legislation giving tenants increased protection from rent increases and evictions during the cost of living crisis has become law after receiving Royal Assent. The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) Act gives Ministers temporary power to cap rent increases for private and social tenants, as well as for student accommodation.28/10/2022
Aldi Becomes First Supermarket To Pay Minimum Of £11.00 An Hour To All Store Assistants
Starting pay for Aldi Store Assistants will increase to £11.00 per hour nationally and £12.45 within the M25, from 1st January 2023. Pay rates rise further to £11.90 nationally and £12.75 within the M25 based on length of service.28/10/2022
Rough Gas Storage Facility Reopened By Centrica On 28 October 2022
Rough is a natural gas storage facility under the North Sea off the east coast of England. It is capable of storing 100 billion cubic feet of gas, nearly double the storage capacities in operation in Great Britain in 2021.28/10/2022
Help For Vulnerable People To Spot Disinformation And Boost Online Safety
Elderly, disabled and other vulnerable people will get better support to stay safe online and avoid being misled by disinformation thanks to a funding boost from the government to mark UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week. Funding awarded to improve media literacy among vulnerable and ‘hard-to-reach' groups.28/10/2022
Fund Third Sector Organisations Properly Or Risk A New Wave Of Strikes, Warns Unison
UNISON Scotland has written to the Scottish government today (Friday 28 October 2022) calling for an urgent funding injection for the third sector to allow workers to receive pay increases equal to their counterparts in local government. UNISON, Scotland's largest union, says workers in the third sector support some of the most vulnerable people in communities, yet many are on very low rates of pay.28/10/2022
Storm Arwen Review - New Processes In Place One Year On
Organisations across Scotland have put in place a series of measures to protect communities from the effects of severe weather ahead of winter. It follows a review of the Storm Arwen response published in January 2022, which set out 15 recommendations for the Scottish Government and its partners.27/10/2022
Pay, Pensions & Pressures On Public Services
Higher inflation is squeezing household incomes and weighing on the economic recovery. But higher inflation also squeezes public services, whose budgets are fixed in cash terms and are not automatically adjusted in the face of higher cost pressures.
27/10/2022
Cryptocurrency Trading Firm Shut Down After Scamming Investors
Company named as part of the Praetorian Group International Trading Inc, which has been shut down by US authorities. PGI Global UK Ltd was wound up by the High Court on 13 September and the Official Receiver has been appointed liquidator of the company.27/10/2022
National Flu And Covid-19 Surveillance Reports Published
Weekly national influenza and coronavirus (COVID-19) report, COVID-19 activity, seasonal flu and other seasonal respiratory illnesses. Flu surveillance up until end of week 42 Positivity for flu has continued to increase and is now at 5.2%.27/10/2022
Is Worsening Health Leading To More Older Workers Quitting Work, Driving Up Rates Of Economic Inactivity?
From The Institute for Fiscal Studies. We examine labour market trends for older people to see if poorer health is driving down employment rates and causing a rise in economic inactivity.27/10/2022
