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News Archive


13/7/2022
Cost Of Living Support
Almost £3 billion to help households with rising prices.   Family benefits, free school meals and concessionary travel are part of support helping households to mitigate the increased cost of living.  
13/7/2022
Trade Secretary Launches Uk-Ukraine Infrastructure Taskforce
International Trade Secretary has launched the UK-Ukraine Infrastructure Taskforce alongside Ukrainian Minister for Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov.   The first UK-Ukraine Infrastructure Taskforce meeting saw commitments made by the UK to deliver temporary housing and longer-term infrastructure projects to help the nation rebuild in the wake of Putin's illegal war.  
13/7/2022
Mental Health Staffing Boost
More than 950 additional frontline workers recruited.   A commitment to recruit an additional 800 mental health staff to frontline roles across Scotland has been exceeded.  
13/7/2022
Contract Signed For Mesh Removal Surgery In United States - Costs Covered by Scottish Government
Patients can visit Dr Veronikis for mesh removal surgery in the US.   A contract, to enable NHS patients to visit Dr Dionysios Veronikis in the United States to receive transvaginal mesh removal surgery, has now been signed.  
13/7/2022
Scotland Office And OAG Annual Report And Accounts 2021-22 Published
Accounts reports may not always be the most exciting things to read but this one does provide an interesting overview of some aspects of Government in Scotland and its relationship to the UK government.   In the light of a possible impending independence referendum learning more about how things work may help decision making on the vote.  
13/7/2022
Ofgem Seeks Improvements From 12 Suppliers In Relation To Customer Direct Debit Setting
In April, Ofgem launched a Market Compliance Review to assess how suppliers set and review customer direct debit levels.  This was in response to growing concerns regarding sharp increases in direct debit levels across the domestic energy market.  
12/7/2022
Another Shock For Energy Prices Coming Soon Revealed in Parliament
Can energy prices get any higher? Well the answer unfortunately seems to be yes.   The energy price is now higher than at the time of last price cap estimate according to the Ofgem Chief at a parliamentary committee yesterday.  
12/7/2022
Homeworking In The Uk - Regional Patterns: 2019 To 2022Thumbnail for article : Homeworking In The Uk - Regional Patterns: 2019 To 2022
Homeworking during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, focusing on changes and how they have altered the distribution of labour across the UK.   Between October to December 2019 and January to March 2022, homeworking in the UK more than doubled from 4.7 million to 9.9 million people.  
12/7/2022
How Our Spending Has Changed Since The End Of Coronavirus (covid-19) RestrictionsThumbnail for article : How Our Spending Has Changed Since The End Of Coronavirus (covid-19) Restrictions
Online shopping, hobbies and habits — the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had a huge impact on where our money goes.  As the cost-of-living increases, we look at what has happened recently to retail and the story behind our financial transactions.  
12/7/2022
Fuel Poverty Set To Break The 50% Barrier In Parts Of ScotlandThumbnail for article : Fuel Poverty Set To Break The 50% Barrier In Parts Of Scotland
Energy Action Scotland published this article in March 2022.   Things have gotten significantly worse since then but it does set out the problems April's energy price rises will see more than 40% of households in large parts of Scotland move into fuel poverty.  
12/7/2022
Urology Hub Bringing Down Waiting Lists in Scotland
A urology hub at Forth Valley Royal Hospital is helping to drive down waiting lists by redesigning the way services are delivered.   The hub, part of the Scottish Government's £70 million Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan, provides a one-stop diagnostic and treatment service for patients Team members worked with GPs to develop the service which sees procedures carried out by a new specialist Surgical Care Practitioner, supported by consultants.  
12/7/2022
Super Sponsor Scheme Paused As Ukrainian Numbers Surge In Scotland
Ensuring support can continue after large increase of new applications.   A three-month pause on new visa applications for displaced Ukrainians to come to Scotland will be in place from 9:00 am on Wednesday 13 July.  
12/7/2022
UK Provides Increased Support For Ukraine's Energy SectorThumbnail for article : UK Provides Increased Support For Ukraine's Energy Sector
Business Secretary announces a £5 million support fund for providing safety and security equipment to Ukraine's civil nuclear sector.   UK government announces further £5 million to support Ukraine's energy sector, helping provide safety and security equipment for their civil nuclear sector.  
John O'Groats Ferry Company Up For Sale
Not often you see a ferry company up for sale.   S this is a unique opportunity to buy a business that operates over the summer season from Caithness to Orkney.  
11/7/2022
Foreign-owned Businesses In The Uk Non-financial Business EconomyThumbnail for article : Foreign-owned Businesses In The Uk Non-financial Business Economy
A report from the Office for National Statistics.   Annual estimates of the number of foreign-owned businesses, turnover and approximate gross value added (aGVA) in the UK non-financial economy for 2020 and revised estimates for 2019, from the Annual Business Survey (ABS).  
£3.2m For Food And Drink Tech Hub
TechHUB is part of the Northern Innovation Hub (NIH), a £14.2m initiative delivered by HIE under the Deal, which focuses on developing innovation in small and medium sized businesses in the Highland Council area.   The funding approval includes costs of refurbishing Fyrish House at Teaninich Industrial Estate in Alness, a building owned by HIE, where the TechHUB will be housed.  
11/7/2022
Big Rise In Claims Means Disability Benefits Bill 70% Higher Than Expected - And Claimants On Average Waiting Five Months To ReceiveThumbnail for article : Big Rise In Claims Means Disability Benefits Bill 70% Higher Than Expected - And Claimants On Average Waiting Five Months To Receive
The number of people on disability benefits has been steadily rising - from 2% of the working-age population in the early 1990s (591,000) to 6% in 2020-21 (2.2 million) - in spite of a 2013 reform which explicitly aimed to reduce numbers.  In other signs of a system under strain, on average claimants are now waiting about five months between applying for benefits and receiving them.  
11/7/2022
Pre-pandemic Relative Poverty Rate For Children Of Lone Parents Almost Double That For Children Living With Two ParentsThumbnail for article : Pre-pandemic Relative Poverty Rate For Children Of Lone Parents Almost Double That For Children Living With Two Parents
In the year prior to the pandemic, nearly half (49%) of children in lone-parent families were in relative poverty - defined as having an income of less than 60% of median incomes adjusted for household size.  This is almost double the rate among children living in two-parent families (25%).  
11/7/2022
Uk's 4th Cfd Round Awards More Than 1gw Of Clean Energy To The Highlands And Islands
Ninety-three successful low carbon projects from across the UK were awarded a contract by the UK government's department for business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS), securing record low prices to sell their power.   Audrey MacIver, director of energy transition and net zero at HIE, said, "This is a major milestone for the region’s renewable energy industry, which will ultimately help boost the economy and create many new jobs in the Highlands and Islands.  
11/7/2022
Why A New Eurozone Crisis Now Looks A Distinct PossibilityThumbnail for article : Why A New Eurozone Crisis Now Looks A Distinct Possibility
The European Central Bank (ECB) has confirmed speculation that it will become the latest central bank to start raising headline interest rates to try to ward off inflation.  The bank is to raise rates by 0.25 points to 0.25% for lending and -0.25% for deposits, with plans for another rise at the next meeting in September.