News Archive
23/12/2021
Crofters' Home Grants - Allocation of next round of Croft House Grants for 2021/22
Grants have been awarded to 11 crofters in some of Scotland's most remote and marginal communities to help them improve their housing or to build new homes. The Croft House Grant scheme aims to retain and attract people to rural and remote communities with the latest round of funding awarding grants worth £265,922.23/12/2021
£21 Million To Support Culture And Events - Additional funds for organisations and freelancers
A £21 million support package to support cultural and events organisations and freelancers experiencing cancellations due to the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant has been announced. This is to help manage the significant impact of the new guidelines around social distancing and the limitations on the number of people who can attend events.23/12/2021
James Webb Space Telescope/miri - Launching Soon
The telescope will study the first stars and galaxies and examine the physical and chemical properties of solar systems. Looking back in time NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will look further back in time than any other telescope - to 400m years after the Big Bang.
23/12/2021
JCVI issues new vaccination advice for children and young people
Vaccinations are to be offered to 5 to 11 year olds who are at higher risk from coronavirus (COVID-19). Following extensive assessment of the risks and benefits of vaccinations for 5 to 11 year olds, including analysis of clinical trial results and real-world international data, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has updated its advice for this age group.23/12/2021
Next Step In Plans For Gigabit Broadband In New-build Homes In England
New-build homes will come with fast and reliable gigabit broadband under plans being brought forward by the government. Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez has launched a consultation on proposals for changes to building regulations to ensure new homes have next-generation gigabit broadband installed in them as standard practice.23/12/2021
UK And EU Reach Agreement On Fishing Opportunities For 2022
The UK and EU reach agreement on catch limits for 2022, providing around 140,000 tonnes of fishing opportunities for the UK fleet. The UK has concluded annual fisheries negotiations with the EU, providing certainty for the fishing industry on catch limits for 2022.23/12/2021
5 Top Tips To Stay Safe Online - Shoppers Beware
Shoppers seeking seasonal bargains on social media are being warned to beware of illicit counterfeit goods promoted and endorsed by social media influencers. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has today issued a list of 5 top tips to help consumers stay safe when shopping on social media platforms.23/12/2021
UK Hits 30 Million Boosters As Push Continues To Get Boosted Now
UK hits major milestone of 30 million boosters as all adults urged to Get Boosted Now. A record-breaking week for daily vaccinations with a rolling average of nearly 1 million top-up jabs in arms a day.23/12/2021
Monthly GDP Estimates For October 2021
Scotland's onshore GDP grew by 0.2% in October, according to statistics announced today by the Chief Statistician. Output is now 0.4% below the pre-pandemic level in February 2020.23/12/2021
Carers Urged To Get Covid-19 Booster Now
All unpaid carers, care home and home care workers are urged to get boosted now to protect the most vulnerable this winter. New study shows boosters significantly reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 infections in care residents.23/12/2021
Coronavirus (covid-19): Daily Data For Scotland - 23 December 2021
6,215 new cases of COVID-19 reported*. 54,863 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results* 12.7% of these were positive.
23/12/2021
Eradicating Fuel Poverty
New strategy to make homes safer, warmer and cheaper to heat. A 20-year vision to eradicate fuel poverty in Scotland has been published.23/12/2021
Nursing And Midwifery Student Intake
Student nurses and midwives entering Scottish Government funded degree programmes will increase by 8.7% in 2022-23, to a total recommended intake of 4837 students. This will be the 10th successive increase in recommended student numbers, with the intake doubling over the last decade.23/12/2021
Nightclubs To Close For Three Weeks In Scotland
Closure to be reviewed in three weeks and follows consultation with sector. Nightclubs will close from 27 December to tackle the transmission of Omicron which continues to spread rapidly.22/12/2021
Limekiln Wind Farm In Caithness Moves Forward
At the North Planning Applications Committee of The Highland Council on Tuesday the 7thDecember councillors voted unanimously to allow the Limekiln project variation application to move to the final decision-making stage with the Scottish Government Ministers. The decision, which will see two of the 21 turbines removed from the wind farm at Limekiln, south of Reay in Caithness will allow the application to progress unopposed by statutory consultees.22/12/2021
Small businesses deliver a green Christmas this festive season
The UK's small business community is seeing first-hand that taking action on climate change will not only help protect the planet, but also help their businesses to grow. Small businesses across the UK, from Cornwall to Edinburgh, are putting sustainability at the heart of their Christmas plans.22/12/2021
Further Measures Needed To Reduce Contacts In Scotland
Additional steps to slow spread of dominant Omicron variant will be reviewed after three weeks. Due to the urgent threat posed by Omicron's much higher transmissibility than other variants of coronavirus (COVID-19), additional targeted measures to minimise contacts will come into force for at least three weeks to allow immunity from the accelerated booster vaccine programme to take effect.22/12/2021
New Restrictions Likely To Hinder Optimism For A Strong Recovery In The New Year
This article is from the Fraser of Allender Institute. The central outlook is still for the Scottish economy to meet pre-pandemic levels in the Spring, but Omicron casts a shadow over the speed of recovery in 2022 as restrictions are increased Despite the threat of the Omicron variant, and the introduction of new economic restrictions, the Scottish economy is still forecast to recover to pre-pandemic levels in the Spring of 2022.22/12/2021
UK Secures Millions For More Antivirals To Help Fight Omicron
The UK has signed contracts to buy a further 4.25 million courses of antivirals for the NHS. Monumental deals have been accelerated to combat the Omicron variant and protect patients.[ Government urges all over 50s and most vulnerable to sign up to the national study as soon as they test positive for COVID-19.22/12/2021
