News Archive
24/5/2024
Significant Cuts Are Coming In Scotland's Budgets
Scotland's top civil servant has warned First Minister John Swinney that "significant" cuts will be required to balance public finances. Permanent Secretary John-Paul Marks said the budget-setting process this year was "one of the hardest experiences of prioritisation" since devolution.24/5/2024
New Dentists Required To Deliver Nhs Care Under Government Plans
Consultation asks whether newly qualified dentists should commit to delivering a minimum amount of NHS work after graduating or repay some training fees. Proposals would require dental graduates to work in the NHS for several years after graduating or repay their training fees.24/5/2024
Short Term Lets Licensing Statistics, To 31 December 2023
There were at least 23,576 applications for a short-term lets licence as of end December 2023. 14,539 short term lets licence applications were received and validated by local authorities relating to the period between 1 October 2022 (when the scheme opened) and 31 December 2023.24/5/2024
Why Is There A Rental Crisis In The UK?
"While rent control aims to protect tenants from rising costs, it often inadvertently contributes to housing inequality. With limited rental options, those who are more financially disadvantaged struggle to secure suitable housing, limiting their opportunities for social mobility and affecting access to education and work opportunities.24/5/2024
Demand For Heat Pumps Rises Following Increase In Applications To The Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Demand for heat pumps increases, as applications to the government's Boiler Upgrade Scheme doubles. Heat pumps a more affordable and attractive option for families as demand continues to soar with applications in April up 93% year-on-year.
24/5/2024
£5 Million For Scotland's Island Communities
Funding to tackle rising costs and invest in local infrastructure. First Minister John Swinney will announce a £5 million package for Scotland's island communities during a visit to Shetland.24/5/2024
New Measures To Tackle Student Visa Abuse
New proposals will further crackdown on student visas, ensuring only genuine students can come to the UK; route will be kept under review. The Home Secretary and Education Secretary have announced new proposals to ensure the UK's world-leading higher education sector is used for education, not as a gateway to immigration, with options to go further remaining under consideration.
24/5/2024
Competition And Markets Authority Presses Ahead With Full Investigation Into Vets Market
The CMA has today confirmed its decision to launch a market investigation into the veterinary sector and published tips to help pet owners struggling with vet costs now. This follows an initial review last September which prompted 56,000 responses to a call from pet owners and those working in the vet industry.
24/5/2024
Energy Price Cap Reduces Again From 1 July 2024
Between 1 July to 30 September 2024 the energy price cap is set at £1,568 per year for a typical household who use electricity and gas and pay by Direct Debit. This is £122 lower than the cap set between 1 April to 30 June 2024 (£1,690).23/5/2024
Battery Breakdown - Safer Use How Owners Of E-bikes And E-scooters Can Use Them More Safely
One of the primary risks related to lithium-ion batteries is thermal runaway. Thermal runaway is a major challenge in the lithium-ion battery field due to its uncontrollable and irreversible nature, which can lead to venting of toxic fumes, fires and explosions.
23/5/2024
New Training Facility For NHS Scotland Workforce
Health Secretary Neil Gray has opened the NHS Scotland Academy Skills and Simulation Centre at Clydebank's Golden Jubilee University National Hospital. The custom-built centre provides state-of-the-art training and education facilities to practitioners including an array of advanced simulators.23/5/2024
Apology To Victims Of Infected Blood Scandal
First Minister John Swinney has formally apologised on behalf of the government to everyone who has been infected or affected as a result of infected NHS blood or blood products in Scotland. Yesterday, the Infected Blood Inquiry Chair Sir Brian Langstaff made clear in the report that the situation was a result of "systemic, collective, and individual failures".23/5/2024
UK General Election Called For 4 July
Rishi Sunak has called a UK general election for 4 July - a Thursday as is traditional. This is just inside the second half of the year, as he promised.
23/5/2024
Scotland's Carbon Footprint - 1998-2020
Scotland's Chief Statistician today published Scotland's Carbon Footprint: 1998-2020. This publication provides estimates of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions on a consumption basis; that is emissions that are associated with the spending of Scottish residents on goods and services, wherever in the world these emissions arise, together with emissions directly generated by Scottish households.23/5/2024
Corwm Visits Dounreay Nuclear Site
Members were given an overview of the scale of the problem and challenges faced in the decommissioning of the site. In the last week of March 2024, several members of CoRWM led by the Chair, Sir Nigel Thrift, made the long journey up to the North of Scotland to visit the Dounreay nuclear site, now managed by Nuclear Restoration Services.
23/5/2024
Proposals To Expand The Uk Emissions Trading Scheme
The UK Emissions Authority has published a package of consultations on expanding the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, to further limit carbon emissions. Further detail on plans to expand the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to the energy from waste and waste incineration sectors expanding the scheme will ensure that a greater proportion of emissions are capped.
23/5/2024
Overtime Epidemic Plagues Uk Workplaces, Impacting Employee Retention And Business Performance
An embedded culture of overwork and unpaid overtime is taking a severe toll on business and workers across the UK, according to new research released today by Protime UK. The research, conducted among 2,000 UK employees, found excessive workloads and unrealistic expectations from managers are driving a work environment that undermines employee, motivation, productivity, retention and overall business performance.
23/5/2024
Uk House Price Index For March 2024
UK house prices rose by 1.8% in the year to March 2024, compared with a negative of 0.2% in the 12 months to February 2024. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, average house prices in the UK increased by 0.7% between February 2024 and March 2024, compared with a decrease of 1.2% during the same period a year earlier (February and March 2023).22/5/2024
Confirmed Horrifying Scandal - Dr John Campbell
Worst treatment sandal in HNS history (so far). Infected blood report.
22/5/2024
