News Archive

Covid-19 Inquiry Module One - Oral Statement

The Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster's response to the Module One Report of the Covid-19 Inquiry.   With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the covid-19 inquiry.  

Lowest fixed mortgage rate drops below 4%

Rachel Springall, Finance Expert at Moneyfactscompare.co.uk, said, "Fixed mortgage rates are on the downward trend, which will be a relief to borrowers looking to refinance.  There is still much more room for improvement, but it has taken a few months for the lowest fixed mortgage rates to drop below the 4% mark.  

The Global Food System Is Owned By An Ever Smaller Number Of Companies - It's Damaging Our Health, Our Communities And The Planet

Across the world, over 800 million people spend their days hungry.  More than 2 billion have limited access to food.  

Net Zeroing In On Investment - Priorities For The New Government In Delivering A Fair Transition

A new Resolution Foundation paper details some of the major challenges facing the new Government as it sets out policies to decarbonise the UK economy at the pace required by our legally binding carbon targets.   It assesses recent trends in decarbonisation and how they will need to change in the future, how this could impact the living standards of households on low- to middle-incomes, and steps that should be taken over the next five years to ensure that the burden of decarbonisation does not unduly fall on poorer families.  

UK Economic Outlook - July 2024 - Can The New Government Get The Economy Growing Again?

The Pwc report July 2024 looks at the economy.   The new Labour Government has placed economic growth at the heart of their plans for the next five years.  

What Is Labour's Economic Strategy? - IFS Zooms In

In the King's Speech last week, Labour announced 40 new bills covering areas from planning and green energy, to fiscal locks and a national wealth fund.   What can these bills tell us about Labour's economic strategy? We speak with IFS economists, Christine Farquharson and Ben Zaranko..  

Let's Talk Pensions - Richard Murphy

Pensions are in the news because they very obviously are not working for people in the UK.  The trouble is, the solutions assume a bit of financial engineering, and pouring some more money into the bottomless pit of the City of London will solve the problems.  

A Damning Report On The Nursing And Midwifery Council

A report on the Nursing and Midwifery council - Independent Culture Review will sound familiar in Highland.   It reveals many problems.  

First Minister To Visit North East

First Minister John Swinney will visit the site of an innovative carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility in Aberdeenshire where he will unveil new Scottish Government funding for the project.   The Acorn project, based in St Fergus, would take captured CO2 emissions from industrial processes across the country and store it safely under the North Sea.  

£33 Million Boost For National Space Programme

More than 20 national space projects have been announced today by DSIT Secretary of State Peter Kyle, on the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow.   The projects, worth £33 million, come from the UK Space Agency's National Space Innovation Programme - designed to invest in high-potential technologies, drive innovation and unlock growth across the UK.