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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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%).
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.
The recent dramatic events that led to the resignation of UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, on July 7 2022 raise the issue of how politics - and economic policy uncertainty more specifically - affects the UK economy. The answer, of course, is that it does, and sometimes for as much as two years.
The US dollar has been on a major surge against major global currencies in the past year, recently hitting levels not seen in 20 years. It has gained 15% against the British pound, 16% against the euro and 23% against the Japanese yen.
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.
The Highland Council is urging businesses - particularly those in the tourism and hospitality sectors - to be prepared for the end of relaxation of planning and building warrant controls on 30 September 2022. In line with changes to the COVID-19 guidance from the Scottish Government many of the pandemic mitigations that were put in place in terms of the provision of temporary structures and their uses – are no longer required.
