News Archive
At a meeting of The Highland Council (Thursday 26 June 2025), Members received a progress report on the partnership approach and important successes since declaring a Highland Housing Challenge in November 2023. Since establishing the ambitious Highland Housing Challenge, important successes included: A call for sites delivered 250 sites, with a potential 25,000 housing units which will support delivery against the target of an additional 12,000 houses over the next 10 years.
27/6/2025
There's significant speculation that some of the proposed disability benefit changes will be scaled back. The Institute for Fiscal Studies discuss some of the government's options.
27/6/2025
Ok this video is from USA but think about all the potential problems wherever you are..
Members of the meeting of The Highland Council (26 June 2025) have considered and agreed the Accounts Commission's Best Value report, which was published in April 2025 and highlights organisational improvements across leadership, performance management and community engagement. In April’s report, the Accounts Commission recognised and welcomed significant progress within the organisation since the 2020 Best Value Assurance Report (BVAR) and commended the embedded culture of transformation.
27/6/2025
Funding of over £4 million to establish new secure care houses has been announced by the Scottish Government. The funding will allow for restored capacity and enable a different approach to be developed to ensure children with the greatest need are able to access intensive support.
27/6/2025
Pet owners urged to be wary of dangerous fake treatments discovered on e-commerce sites. urgent government warning issued after toxic insecticide discovered in counterfeit flea treatments - one cat required emergency surgery after severe poisoning.
27/6/2025
Farage says he's for the people, but he’s part of the elite. Just like Trump, he promises to drain the swamp while swimming in it.
27/6/2025
Following reports of people experiencing severe side effects after using fake weight-loss medicines, the MHRA is warning people not to buy these medications via social media or in beauty salons without a healthcare professional's prescription. The growth in popularity of these medications such as semaglutide or Mounjaro, known collectively as GLP-1 medicines, has led to a rise in scam websites and social media posts which impersonate pharmacies and offer them illegally without a prescription.
27/6/2025
There have been lots of recent reports of scam adverts on search engines and social media that offer health products such as diet pills and 'miracle' treatments for various conditions and illnesses. They usually falsely claim that the products they are selling are endorsed by medical bodies and/or well-known doctors who have appeared on television, but fail to send any products after receiving payment for them.
27/6/2025
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has issued a warning to the public about dangerous and unregulated nasal tanning sprays that are being marketed to consumers on social media platforms. Nasal tanning sprays, or nasal tanners, promise an all-over tan without sun exposure.
27/6/2025
Here's a summary of Labour’s latest benefit‐reform plans, drawing on the recent draft legislation, concessions to ba.ckbench MPs and the March 2025 green paper: 1. Universal Credit & PIP Bill: £4-5 billion of savings – The flagship Welfare Reform Bill aims to shave about £4.1–5 billion off annual spending by tightening eligibility for both Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the Universal Credit (UC) health-related top-ups.
27/6/2025
There have been recent reports of scam emails that appear to be from pharmacies including Lloyds Direct (part of Lloyds Pharmacy) and offer free delivery or collection of prescriptions. You are asked to click a link in the email to sign up for an account with the pharmacy.
27/6/2025
An attempt to uncover outturn expenditure on measures in the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery plans by Fraser of Allender Institute. Tackling Child Poverty is cited as the number one priority of the Scottish Government, and a set of statutory targets and related delivery plans should be leading to dramatic falls in child poverty.
26/6/2025
UK Government hosts a major international nature finance event attended by His Majesty the King at Lancaster House. Key commitments made by the private sector to deploy millions of dollars of investment for nature.
26/6/2025
UK Government statement on the sandeel Arbitration Tribunal's final ruling in the UK-Sandeel case. The UK Government has received the sandeel Arbitration Tribunal's final ruling in the UK-Sandeel case.
26/6/2025
Brexit, COVID, the war in Ukraine and now Trump's tariffs have all highlighted how vulnerable life in the UK is to disruptions in trade. Everyday items that people rely on can be subject to major shortages, delays and price rises, due to something as simple as a ship getting stuck in a canal.
26/6/2025
Thousands of people are set to benefit from on-the-job training and career opportunities in the construction sector. Deputy Prime Minister and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall attend inaugural Construction Skills Mission Board attended by CEOs from across the sector, launching industry commitment to recruit 100,000 more construction workers per year by the end of the Parliament.
26/6/2025
The change in earnings, probability of being a paid employee and probability of benefits receipt attributable to having a major condition requiring hospital admission, compared with a reference period before the hospital admission. There was a consistent loss of earnings, a lower probability of being in paid employment, and a higher probability of receiving benefits for all major health conditions over the five years after first hospital diagnosis, compared with the reference periods before hospital diagnosis.
26/6/2025
Operation Pangea brings together health regulators, customs authorities, law enforcement agencies, and private sector partners to tackle the threat posed by global criminal networks. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has seized almost eight million doses of illegal medicines as part of an annual global coordinated operation to tackle the illegal online sale of medicines and medical devices.
26/6/2025
The strategy will make the UK the most connected nation in the world while protecting vital industries from global threats and backing businesses to thrive. New Trade Strategy to protect and boost British business.