Stopping plastics from being incinerated is one of the key recommendations of an independent review of decarbonising the treatment of residual waste. The report follows last year's independent review of the role of incineration in Scotland, which recommended placing a cap on future capacity and led to Ministers putting restrictions on the development of further incinerators.
Resilience committee holds further meeting. The Scottish Government's resilience committee (SGoRR) has met again to discuss the challenges facing health and social care this winter.
Grant Shapps is to give energy suppliers a deadline to urgently report back on remedial action for customers who faced wrongful prepayment meter installations. Business Secretary gives energy suppliers deadline to urgently report back on remedial action for customers who faced wrongful installations.
The government backs law that gives all workers the legal right to request a predictable working pattern. Law will combat ‘one-sided flexibility', where workers are often on standby for work that never comes.
The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee met (Thursday 2 February 2023) and received a progress update on the recommencement of the legislative process for the Local Visitor Levy Bill, including the likely timescales and implications for its introduction in Highland. Members agreed the Council’s proposed next steps, which include an offer to provide verbal and written evidence to the Scottish Government Parliamentary Committee(s).
The Bank of England upgraded its economic outlook for the UK in 2023 as it increased interest rates for the tenth successive time to 4 per cent, but also showed that the UK is in the midst of the weakest 20-year period of growth since 1938, the Resolution Foundation said on Thursday 2 February 2023. The Bank of England raised interest rates to 4 per cent - their highest level in 14 years – but said this may be as high as interest rates go, hinting that market expectations of a rise to 4.5 per cent by the middle of next year are overdone.
Sector stakeholders warn that prices will rise for consumers and overseas producers may leave the country altogether. The confluence of three legislative threats to Scotland's drinks industry has raised alarm from various stakeholders, from producers to retailers, hospitality venues and distributors.
Overseas organisations owning UK land must have publicly declared their true owners, under world leading UK laws to crack down on dirty money. Oligarchs and non-compliant organisations face severe restrictions on their ability to buy and sell property and could risk future additional penalties.
Ben Cooper is joined by Adam McGeoch to discuss the latest Scottish Business Monitor results for Q4 of 2022 and the ongoing cost of doing business crisis. This podcast is 14:33 minutes long.
Find out what a confirmation statement is and how to send your statement to Companies House. Every company, including dormant and non trading companies, must file a confirmation statement.
Three years on from leaving the EU, where is Britain now? Britain has the lowest growth rate among G7 countries and the IMF forecasts that it will be the only leading economy to shrink this year. Although Brexit is not the only reason behind this economic underperformance, it is an important factor, having a bigger impact than forecasted on many economic indicators.
Controversial legislation requiring trade unions in certain public services to ensure a minimum level of service during strike action has moved closer to becoming law. The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, which will affect the likes of rail, ambulance and fire service workers, was approved in the House of Commons by 315-246 yesterday and now goes to the Lords.
Members of Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee today (2 February 2023) agreed the local authority’s Delivery Plan for funding received via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Ken Gowans, said: "We welcome this significant funding, it important that, as a council, we move at pace to maximise the very real benefits this additional funding will bring.
Survey launched to understand international interests and aspirations. A public survey to help develop an International Culture Strategy for Scotland has been launched by the Culture Secretary.
At a meeting of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee (Thursday 2 February) members were given an update on the next steps to be taken after an intensive period of public consultations for transport improvement projects, funded by the Scottish Government Bus Partnership Fund. The report presented to the committee follows on from the well-attended public joint consultation event held in Inverness last month which pulled together three of the four transport improvement studies currently underway.
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant has grilled the Scottish Government today in the Chamber on Caithness Maternity Services saying that "Caithness women are being left behind." This comes after the news that NHS Dumfries and Galloway have appointed two independent chairs to undertake a review of maternity services in the region with public consultation set to begin in March. In General Questions today the Regional MSP branded the current situation in Caithness as "unacceptable" and urged the Scottish Government to admit that centralisation of maternity services was a mistake.
New draft legislation on non-domestic rates (NDR) aims to tackle tax avoidance and promote the Scottish Government's ground-breaking Deposit Return Scheme. Regulations laid before the Scottish Parliament will empower councils to crack down on tax-avoidance such as the artificial use of insolvency, leasing arrangements or shell companies.
New group will lead implementation of new measures. A comprehensive plan to ensure the recovery of wild Atlantic Salmon populations in Scotland has been published.
This article is from Epicenter- The European Policy Information Center. Author - Carlo Stagnaro, Research and Studies Director at Instituto Bruno Leoni.
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