Total membership of occupational pension schemes with two or more members was estimated to be 27.9 million in 2013, an increase of 300,000 compared with 2012. These estimates exclude participation in other workplace (group personal) pensions.
Week Commencing 22 September 2014 Energy & Business services: Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd (MORL) has announced the installation of a met mast at its large offshore wind site in the Moray Firth, marking another step in its project to develop the site which lies around 22km off the Caithness coast. As previously reported here, MORL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Wick Harbour Authority regarding potential future use of Wick harbour.
Passenger numbers at regional airport operator HIAL climbed to their highest ever level in the latest financial year, as the group stepped up its investment for the future. The company's annual report and accounts for the year 2013/14 show that almost 70,000 extra passengers used the group's 11 airports during the year.
Two day multi-agency operation to combat doorstep crime carried out in Inverness and Fort William. As part of ongoing efforts to help keep people safe from doorstep crime and its associated criminal activity, on Wednesday 24 September and Thursday 25 September 2014, officers from Police Scotland, VOSA, SEPA and Highland Council Trading Standards, carried out a high visibility operation in both Inverness and Fort William.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (September, 25th) sold 4,396 breeding and store sheep. Breeding ewes (2,522) sold to £122 gross for Texel crosses from the dispersal of the Ballachraggan flock, Kildary.
Mark McGinty, a Highland Council Trading Standards Team Leader has been announced as the new Chairman of the Trading Standards Institute (TSI). Spending 22 years in local authority trading standards, Mark began his career in the Lothian region as a trainee assistant enforcement officer following brief spells as a student in the Fife and Tayside regions.
*Nearly a fifth of Scottish consumers say they are making finance payments for something they no longer own *The most common agreement to still be paying for is a mobile phone contract *Upgrading was the reason that most people gave for not owning the item anymore Almost a fifth of people in Scotland - equating to 950,000 - are still paying off loans or finance agreements for goods that they don't own anymore. A survey* conducted on behalf of Scottish debt advice and solutions provider Debt Advisory Centre Scotland (DACS) revealed that nearly one in five (18%) of those questioned said they still owe money for items, even though they no longer own them.
Local business support organisations are coming together this month to host a unique event as part of an ongoing initiative to help local businesses find out about, and harness, the support available to do business overseas. This comes after two recent surveys found that Scottish businesses want to grow internationally, but feel that they are held back by a lack of resources.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (September, 24th) sold 1,096 store cattle at their annual show and sale of Aberdeen Angus, native and continental store cattle sponsored by Brogan Fuels. The judge, Mr H.
Scotland's most Northerly port represented at 2014 biggest conference of the year devoted solely to electricity from the seas. The managers of the Scottish mainland's most Northerly port, on the shores of the Pentland Firth's Inner Sound, were represented at this week's Marine Conference in Inverness organised by trade representative body Scottish Renewables (SR).
You can find out more about the local services which Highland Council provides at a series of events across the Highlands, beginning on 1 October. Community Services is a new directorate of The Highland Council that delivers many of the Council's everyday services, with staff in regular contact with the people of the Highlands.
Highland Councillors have given the go ahead for a major public consultation to help prepare a new 20 year Local Development Plan for the Caithness and Sutherland area, to be known as CaSPlan. The Caithness and Sutherland Area Committee agreed the Main Issues Report which will be the first formal stage of preparing the new CaSPlan.
Still time to have say on Tain school consultation Around 80 members of the public turned out to a public meeting on the proposed new 3 - 18 school campus in Tain which would replace the existing Tain Royal Academy, Craighill and Knockbreck Primaries and St Duthus Special School. The meeting was held by The Highland on the evening of Monday 15 September at Tain Royal Academy.
A rise in the minimum wage rate for agricultural workers has been confirmed by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB). The wage rates agreed by the Wages Board on August 20, 2014 were in line with those announced at the SAWB's negotiation meeting held in May.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (September, 23rd) sold 26 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (8) averaged 218.5p (+1.6p) and sold to 234p per kg and £1,449.00 gross.
Results for year to 30 June 2014. The latest APS data covers the year from 01 July 2013 to 30 June 2014.
The next meeting of the Caithness and Sutherland Area Committee of Highland council will be held in the newly refurbished town hall on Tuesday 23rd September 2014. the meeting starts at 10.30am and may last until 3.00pm depending on debates and presentations.
Innovation will be at the centre of this week's Marine Energy Conference in Inverness. With the recent green light for MeyGen - the world’s first tidal stream project in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth - marine energy is firmly at the heart of the expansion of the renewable energy sector in the Highlands and Islands.
The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) has launched its call for evidence on armed policing by inviting a wide range of interested parties to submit views and provide evidence. Views will inform the SPA's recently announced scrutiny inquiry which will assess the public impact of Police Scotland's decision to allow a number of specially trained armed response vehicle officers to carry visible firearms on routine patrols.
Period 25 August - 15 September 2014 Energy & Business services: Tidal energy plans for the Pentland Firth have received a massive boost with news that financial closure (UK leads marine energy revolution as world's largest tidal stream project agrees investment to begin construction in Scotland | MeyGen) was reached for Phase 1 of the build out of Atlantis resources' Meygen site in the Inner Sound of the Firth. Support for this has come from CNSRP partners HIE and Scottish Government (via the Renewable Energy Investment Fund) as well as The Crown Estate and the Department of Energy & Climate Change.
