News Archive
19/12/2020
Savers Receive Help To Save Bonus Payment
More than 60,400 savers across the UK have earned their first Help to Save bonus payment, each receiving an average of £378 in time for Christmas, HMRC can reveal. Help to Save is the UK government backed saving scheme.
19/12/2020
New Sites In England To Test How Connecting People With Nature Can Improve Mental Health
Issued by Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Department of Health and Social Care, Natural England. The Scottish Government departments control the issue in Scotland.19/12/2020
Jobcentre Guidance On Covid-19 Local Restriction Tiers
Jobcentres will remain open, as they have throughout the pandemic, to provide essential services to those we cannot help remotely. The Department will follow the latest government and PHE guidance to ensure colleagues and customers remain safe throughout.19/12/2020
RAF Surveillance Fleet To Be Based In Moray
RAF Lossiemouth will be the new home of the UK's fleet of E-7 Wedgetail surveillance aircraft, bolstering Scotland’s key role in UK and NATO defence and security, Defence Minister Baroness Goldie announced today. Delivering a step change in capability from the current E-3D Sentry, the E-7 Wedgetail is capable of simultaneously tracking multiple airborne and maritime targets, using the information it gathers to improve situational awareness and direct assets such as fighter jets and warships.
19/12/2020
Alister Jack Responds To October 2020 Scottish GDP Figures
Commenting on the Scottish GDP figures for October 2020, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: Today's figures show again the significant challenge we face to recover from the economic shock of the covid pandemic. The UK Government continues to take unprecedented action to support jobs and business in Scotland.
19/12/2020
Transforming Vacant And Derelict Land
£50 million to help bring disused land back into use. Thousands of hectares of vacant and derelict land across Scotland will be transformed through a new £50 million programme over the next five years.
19/12/2020
NDA Helps Boost Workplace Diversity In The North
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) joined forces with industry leaders in a bid to tackle workplace diversity issues. Part of a panel of 25 organisations, the NDA discussed diversity and inclusion matters facing northern employers, at the Northern Lights event.
19/12/2020
English Sparkling Wine Leading Global Innovation
Innovative flare of the industry is generating attention with novel approaches, including using sheep to maintain vineyards and bespoke weather forecasting. English sparkling wine is fast becoming a leader on the global stage - not just for its exceptional quality and dedicated producers, but also with the industry's thirst to drive innovation.
19/12/2020
The government will regret relaxing the Covid rules over Christmas
An article from the Institute for Government - Author - Alex Thomas. Being prime minister involves taking the hardest decisions.19/12/2020
Statement From Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty About New Strain Of Covid-19
Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty said:As announced on Monday, the UK has identified a new variant of Covid-19 through Public Health England's genomic surveillance. As a result of the rapid spread of the new variant, preliminary modelling data and rapidly rising incidence rates in the South East, the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) now consider that the new strain can spread more quickly.
18/12/2020
Open Reach To Create 275 New Scottish Jobs At Several Locations
Openreach today bucked the prevailing economic trend by creating at least 275 new Scotland-based engineering jobs to be filled during 2021, alongside more roles in its supply chain. The new Openreach roles in locations across the country will enable the company to continue improving service levels across its existing networks, whilst building and connecting customers to its new, ultrafast, ultra-reliable ‘Full Fibre' broadband network at a record pace.
18/12/2020
Stay In Scotland - First Minister's open letter to EU Citizens
Citizens of the European Union who live in Scotland are being urged to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. In an open letter and video message, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it is vital that every EU citizen who wishes to stay in Scotland completes an application by 30 June, 2021.
18/12/2020
Avian Influenza Case Confirmed In Orkney
Disease confirmed in birds in Scotland. A flock of birds from a farm on the Island of Sanday in Orkney has tested positive for H5N8 Avian Influenza.
18/12/2020
New Board Members Appointed and Reappointments To Highland NHS Board
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, Jeane Freeman MSP, today announced the appointments of Gerard O'Brien, Graham Bell OBE and Susan Ringwood as Members of Highland NHS Board. MEMBERS Gerard O'Brien is an experienced NHS professional who has worked in NHS Scotland for over twenty years.18/12/2020
NHS Highland advises caution at Christmas
NHS Highland is appealing to members of the public to be cautious this Christmas in order to limit the spread of COVID-19. Between 23 and 27 December you can form a Christmas bubble of up to three households (the legal maximum), no more than eight people - this doesn't include children under 12.18/12/2020
Coronavirus Covid-19 Local Authority Discretionary Fund For Businesses - Information
Information about a fund for local authorities to provide additional support for businesses where they consider that necessary or justified. £30 million funding has been provided to local authorities to provide additional support for businesses where they consider that necessary or justified.18/12/2020
The future of Scotland's fisheries
New strategy to promote sustainability. A new 12-point action plan will support Scotland's ambition to be a world class fishing nation and ensure responsible and sustainable fisheries management.18/12/2020
Foreign Travel Health Rules Updated - Final planned adjustments of 2020 to quarantine exemptions
Travellers arriving in Scotland from Namibia, Uruguay and the US Virgin Islands must quarantine for 10 days at home or another address, from 4 am on Saturday (19 December 2020). A significant increase in cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in those countries, as well as a rise in the numbers of cases testing positive and the associated risk of importation into Scotland has led to the decisions to remove quarantine exemption status.18/12/2020
Schools Upgrade - £800 Million Boost Helps Construction Industry
£800m investment in learning facilities. 25 new schools and campuses are to be constructed or refurbished to provide modern, state of the art learning facilities for approximately 21,000 children and young people across Scotland.18/12/2020
