News Archive
25/6/2022
We All Spent More But Ended Up With Less As Inflation Took Hold In May
The Government's retail figures for May make grim reading, with the amount of goods we bought falling by -0.5% even though the amount we spent actually rose by 0.6%. ParcelHero says it is no wonder as 93% of consumers complained the cost of their food shop increased during the month.25/6/2022
A Very Clear Explanation On Radio About The Cost Of Living Crisis And How The Uk Government Is Getting It Wrong
This is an interview on BBC Radio Kent yesterday morning on the cost of living crisis. See below for the link to the interview.25/6/2022
Rail Union Leader Mick Lynch Versus the Media and Politicians
The RMT union leader Mick Lynch calmly stands up to the aggressive questioning from the media. He is totally unphased by the questions and makes the questioners look silly.
25/6/2022
Cost Of Living Support Factsheet From The UK Government
The UK government is helping with the cost of living but some things are left out. There has not been any suggestion to help people in rural areas who heat their homes with oil.
25/6/2022
Low-paid Workers Fear Another Jump In Inflation Says Usdaw - Call for £12 Minimum Wage
Retail trade union Usdaw has released results from their cost of living survey. They show that low-paid workers, many of them delivering essential services, are already struggling to make ends meet and fear further jumps in inflation.24/6/2022
Short Term Lets In Highland to Require A Licence To Operate At A Cost Of Between £300 to £600
Business operating in the short term letting market may think this is the worst time to add more cost to running what for many is a small business. The Highland Council has set in motion the plans required by the Scottish government to control who can an cannot operate in the region.
24/6/2022
Public's Views Sought On Council's Short Term Let Draft Policy Statement & Additional Conditions
The Highland Council wants to hear the views of residents, visitors, interested groups and organisations on the Council's short term let draft policy statement and proposed additional conditions for a licence. Earlier this year the Scottish Parliament approved legislation to introduce a new licensing scheme for short-term let properties, which is due to come into effect on 1 October this year.24/6/2022
Scotland largest health union to recommend NHS Scotland staff reject Scottish government 5% pay offer
UNISON Scotland's Health Committee - UNISON's senior decision making body in health and which represents UNISON health workers across Scotland - will ballot UNISON health members on whether they wish to accept or reject the latest pay offer from the Scottish Government. After speaking to health workers across UNISON Scotland branches and in hospitals and community health settings, the committee will now ballot UNISON members, in a consultative ballot, with a recommendation to reject the pay offer - following discussion this afternoon.24/6/2022
Coronavirus (covid-19) Infection Survey, UK: 24 June 2022 - Numbers Increase In Third Wave
1.Main points In the most recent week (week ending 18 June for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; week ending 17 June for Scotland): There was an increase in the percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, likely caused by infections compatible with Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5. In England, the estimated number of people testing positive for COVID-19 was 1,360,600 (95% credible interval: 1,285,600 to 1,438,200), equating to 2.50% of the population or around 1 in 40 people.
24/6/2022
Magnox Reprocessing Plant Achieves Final Milestone
One of the UK's most iconic nuclear plants has completed a key last job before operations end next month. Staff at Sellafield's Magnox Reprocessing Plant have safely reprocessed the final box of spent fuel from the UK’s fast reactor programme being stored in the plant’s ponds.
24/6/2022
Covid-19 Variants Identified In The UK - Latest Updates As Third Wave Increases
UKHSA issues COVID-19 vaccination reminder as Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 become dominant in the UK, driving increase in infections The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is reminding people to ensure their COVID-19 vaccinations are up to date and to continue following COVID-safe behaviours, as latest technical data indicates BA.4 and BA.5 have become dominant in the UK and are driving the recent increase in infections. The UKHSA's COVID-19 variant technical briefing 43, published today, includes epidemiological analysis that shows that Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 now make up more than half of new COVID-19 cases in England, accounting for approximately 22% and 39% of cases, respectively.24/6/2022
Managing Scotland's Finances - Underspend for 2021-22 is £650 million
The 2021-22 Provisional Outturn has been published detailing how the Scottish Government spent £47 billion on funding key public services to mitigate the impacts of the Covid pandemic and help tackle rising cost of living pressures. The remaining £650 million of available funding has been carried over through the Scotland Reserve and allocated to support key priorities for 2022-23, which include tackling child poverty and striving towards our climate change targets.24/6/2022
Support For Equality In Agriculture
Initiatives to deliver greater equality for women in agriculture and help young farmers become the boardroom leaders of the future will benefit from additional funding. The future Women in Agriculture Business Skills Training project will receive £100,000 per year for the next three years, while funding to the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs will see board members develop their leadership skills to create greater diversity in the boardrooms of the future.24/6/2022
Scottish Government To Spend Another £10million Each Year To Deal With Drug Treatments
Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance says progress being made on the implementation of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards is "neither good enough nor quick enough". MAT standards ensure safe, accessible and consistently high-quality treatment for drug users to help reduce drug deaths and other harms and promote recovery.24/6/2022
Creating A Wellbeing Economy
A new monitor will help inform policy decisions to reduce Scotland's vulnerability to future financial and environmental shocks, helping build a more prosperous, resilient, equal and sustainable economy. The Wellbeing Economy Monitor will complement traditional metrics like Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and include measures such as child poverty, levels of greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity, and fair work indicators to consider Scotland's economic success.24/6/2022
Uk Signs Up To Global Coalition On Sustainable Food Production
UK to join Sustainable Productivity Growth Coalition (SPG) to share knowledge of best practice on green agriculture and food production. The UK has signed up to a global coalition which works to speed up the move towards more sustainable food production, Environment Secretary George Eustice announced on Thursday 23 June 2022.
23/6/2022
100 Days Left To Use Your Paper £20 And £50 Banknotes
The Bank of England will be withdrawing legal tender status of paper £20 and £50 banknotes after 30 September 2022. After this date, paper £20 and £50 banknotes will no longer be legal tender.
23/6/2022
Rail Strikes Could See Reduced Products On Shelves And Even Some Products Rationed
UK very dependent on rail freight. Food distribution one of the big users of rail freight.23/6/2022
Immersive Films From Spirit Of The Highlands Islands Come To Royal Highland Show
Visitors to this week's Royal Highland Show can enjoy a glimpse of the Highlands and Islands few get to experience. Utilising immersive 360-degree films inside a specially created immersive portal, the experience is thanks to the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands project.
22/6/2022
