News Archive
21/3/2024
UK Takes Major Step Towards Joining Indo-pacific Trade Bloc
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Act receives Royal Assent. UK poised to join Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade group later this year as the Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Act receives Royal Assent Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch signed the accession treaty for Indo-Pacific bloc last July following two years of negotiations With the UK as a member CPTPP will account for 15% of global GDP - worth £12 trillion in 2022 The UK is today [20 March] one step closer to joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) later this year, as the new Trade (CPTPP) Act received Royal Assent.21/3/2024
Fastest Inflation Fall In Nearly Half A Century Suggests Uk Is On Track To Hit Two Per Cent Target By April
CPI inflation fell to 3.4 per cent in February, confirming the fastest 12-month fall in inflation since 1978 and bringing inflation to its lowest level since September 2021, the Resolution Foundation said. This latest fall takes UK inflation within touching distance of US CPI inflation (3.2 per cent), although remains above the euro area (2.6 per cent), having experienced far higher inflation in recent months.21/3/2024
Star Wars A Step Closer - Advanced Future Military Laser Achieves Uk First
A military laser which could boost the UK Armed Forces with greater accuracy while reducing the reliance on high-cost ammunition has reached its next milestone. During a trial at the MOD's Hebrides Range, the DragonFire laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system achieved the UK's first high-power firing of a laser weapon against aerial targets.
21/3/2024
Poverty Levels\ In Scotland Broadly Stable
Covering the period until March 2023, the latest statistics show little recent change in poverty levels for children and pensioners. Poverty for working-age adults is slightly higher than in recent years, which could be driven by people becoming economically inactive as a result of the pandemic.21/3/2024
No Change To Bank Rate - Maintained at 5.25%
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) sets monetary policy to meet the 2% inflation target, and in a way that helps to sustain growth and employment. At its meeting ending on 20 March 2024, the MPC voted by a majority of 8-1 to maintain Bank Rate at 5.25%.
21/3/2024
Revolutionary Rocket Eats For The Stars
Igniting innovation: With the help of DASA funding, engineers from the University of Glasgow successfully test-fired a rocket that eats itself for fuel. With the help of DASA funding, the University of Glasgow has successfully test-fired an autophage rocket that consumes its own fuselage for fuel This technology can help significantly reduce the dry mass of launch vehicles, increasing payload fraction and facilitating miniaturisation DASA played a key role in offering a flexible and outcome-oriented funding approach, which helped the engineers achieve their objective of demonstrating the feasibility of the self-eating rocket.
21/3/2024
Update On Passport Application Fees
The proposals, which are subject to parliamentary approval, will include the following: a standard online application made from within the UK will rise to £88.50 for adults and £57.50 for children a standard postal application will increase to £100.00 for adults and £69.00 for children a standard online application when applying from overseas will rise to £101.00 for adults and £65.50 for children a standard paper application when applying from overseas will increase to £112.50 for adults and £77.00 for children The new fees will help ensure that income from these applications better meets the cost of delivering passport and associated operations, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation. The government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications.
21/3/2024
Farm Income In Scotland At Record High In 2022-23
The Chief Statistician has released figures on 2022-23 farm incomes. These show that average income increased to its highest level since 2012-13, after adjusting for inflation.20/3/2024
SSEN Transmission Welcomes ‘Beyond 2030' Investment Plan For Future Energy System
SSEN Transmission, part of leading electricity infrastructure company SSE, welcomes today's (19 March 2024) publication by National Grid ESO (the ESO) of its ‘Beyond 2030' report. Today's publication builds on the ESO's ‘Pathway to 2030' Holistic Network Design from 2022 which established the blueprint for the electricity transmission network infrastructure required to enable the UK Government’s 2030 50GW offshore wind target, which included around 11GW of ScotWind generation.
20/3/2024
The Gateway To Net Zero - SSEN Transmission Publishes New Innovation Strategy
SSEN Transmission has this week published its new Innovation Strategy which sets out the foundations for driving and implementing transformative innovation and recognising innovation as a tool to deliver a reliable and resilient network for net zero. The new strategy has been developed benefitting from horizon scanning and engagement at every level to ensure that it not only complements other strategies across SSEN Transmission but also aligns with the needs of stakeholders and customers.
20/3/2024
Women Cannot Realise Their Potential In Business, In Politics, In Life, If They Do Not Have Control Over Their Own Bodies - UK Statement At The UN General Assembly
Statement by Ambassador Archie Young at the UN General Assembly for the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. Societies flourish when all people, especially women and girls, can thrive, complete their education and take control over their own lives; when women can take up positions of power and leadership in politics and in business; when women and girls have access to the rights and services that make this possible.
20/3/2024
Action On Tobacco And Vaping - New Measures To Protect Children And Young People And Reduce Preventable Deaths
Smoking Kills and it is well proven for tobacco but do vapers need to await statistics to prove what we all know - putting chemicals in your body probably leads to serious health problems. Public Health Minister Jenni Minto has welcomed the introduction of proposed legislation to ban the sale of tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 and allow tougher measures on vaping.
20/3/2024
Exploring The Impact Of Mentoring-based Throughcare: An Update
The main aim of the New Routes programme is to reduce reoffending in Scotland by supporting individuals to reintegrate into their communities beyond their prison sentence and build a sustainable future through inclusion in society. The scheme provides mentoring and support six months pre-release and post-release from prison.
20/3/2024
Consumer Price Inflation UK - February 2024 - Nudging Down To 3.4%
The Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs (CPIH) rose by 3.8% in the 12 months to February 2024, down from 4.2% in January. On a monthly basis, CPIH rose by 0.6% in February 2024, compared with a rise of 1.0% in February 2023.
20/3/2024
New Report Seeks To End Ineffective Business EDI Practices
The independent Inclusion at Work Panel has today published a report on the state of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) business practices in the UK. Expert panel sets out how employers can move beyond ineffective diversity and inclusion practices.
20/3/2024
Foreign Secretary Pushes For Closer Cooperation With Thailand
David Cameron heads to Thailand, one of the biggest economies in south-east Asia, for his first visit as Foreign Secretary to the Indo-Pacific region. The Foreign Secretary travels to Thailand on his first visit to the Indo-Pacific region.
20/3/2024
Largest Uk Aid Delivery Enters Gaza To Feed 275,000 People
UK funding to World Food Programme supports major aid delivery in Gaza via Jordanian land corridor. The UK's largest delivery of aid to Gaza has crossed the border and is being distributed by the United Nations to families in need, the Foreign Secretary has confirmed.
20/3/2024
China: Why The Country's Economy Has Hit A Wall - And What It Plans To Do About It
China's annual parliamentary meetings in Beijing came to a close on March 11. They were conducted under great pressure: a weak economy and high expectations from both the domestic public and international observers as to what the government can do to get the economy out of the woods.
20/3/2024
Boosting Scotland's Renewables - Consultation On Bioenergy - Needs A lot Of Thought
Views are being sought on proposals for the sustainable use of bioenergy, including growing crops which can be converted into electricity, heat and fuels. Bioenergy is already a key component of Scotland's energy system and is produced by using organic material from trees, plants and food waste as a greener source to replace fossil fuels.
20/3/2024
