Following on from the turbulence of late 2022, some average mortgage rates in 2023 have reached levels not seen since (and in some instances, before) the 2008 global financial crisis. With significant fluctuation having occurred across interest rates and product availability alike, Moneyfacts offers its analysis of the mortgage market in 2023.
The Bank of Scotland have announced they will close it mobile banking service from May 2024. The nearest in the north are services for Helmsdale and Dornoch.
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner took off from Heathrow on November 28 and head for JFK airport in New York, powered by so-called sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). According to its operator, Virgin Atlantic, the world's "first 100% SAF flight" will mark "a historic moment in aviation's roadmap to decarbonisation".
We study the role of privately held firms in income inequality in Finland, especially looking at the the role of retained earnings. Business owners of privately held firms have multiple opportunities to decide how much taxable income to take out from their firm and how much to retain within the firm.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has announced £900,000 in new funding for staff to tackle poor behaviour and attendance in schools. The funding will be provided directly to local authorities to train support staff to respond to new challenges and develop behaviour management strategies in schools post COVID.
The government has today introduced the Post Office (Horizon System) Compensation Bill to the House of Commons. New legislation will ensure all those exposed to the IT scandal do not miss out on compensation.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has launched its Social Impact and Communities Strategy for consultation until 21 February 2024. On Wednesday 29 November 2023, the NDA has opened its updated Social Impact and Communities Strategy for consultation, which will run for a period of 12 weeks until Wednesday 21 February 2024.
Criminals have been prevented from fraudulently withdrawing around £29 million from bank accounts over the last five years, according to a report into serious organised crime in Scotland. The report by Scotland's Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT) updates on the success of the Banking Protocol since its launch in 2018.
Members at today's (29 November 2023) Communities and Place Committee were updated on a series of Waste Projects and approved Highland Council's amended Household Waste Policy. An update was provided on the progress of the phased introduction of waste and recycling collection service changes, which is being funded through the Scottish Government Recycling Improvement Fund (RIF).
Statistics on annual average private sector rents to the end of September 2023 have been released today by Scotland's Chief Statistician. These statistics are based predominantly on advertised rents, and so reflect rents that landlords are charging when their properties become available for rent at the point of tenant turnover or when properties are new to the rental market.
Global corporate investment in artificial intelligence has risen greatly over the past decade. A Stanford University analysis estimates that total mergers and acquisitions, minority stake and private investments and public offerings amounted to $934.2 billion from 2013 to 2022.
Total spending on five family payments passes £596 million. The families of more than 323,000 under-16s were benefitting from Scottish Child Payment at the end of September, official statistics show.
Over 500 respondents contributed to the Department for Education's call for evidence on generative AI. Education professionals, Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology specialists, and ed-tech experts are embracing the opportunities offered by AI in the education sector, according to the results of the government's first ever Call for Evidence on Artificial Intelligence in Education, published today.
Thousands of head teachers, teachers and support staff have shared their views on pupil behaviour and relationships in Scotland's local authority schools. The fifth edition of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR) report found staff perceived the majority of pupils to be behaving well.
When ChatGPT launched a year ago, headlines flooded the internet about fears of student cheating. A pair of essays in The Atlantic decried "the end of high-school English" and the death of the college essay." NPR informed readers that "everybody is cheating." Meanwhile, Teen Vogue ventured that the moral panic "may be overblown." The more measured tone in Teen Vogue tracks better with preliminary findings from our 2023 survey that examined attitudes and feelings about artificial intelligence among college faculty who teach writing.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Crime levels have dropped by more than half since 2008-09, according to the latest Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS). The 2021-22 official statistics show that people feel safer in their communities, with the proportion of those experiencing the types of crime covered in the survey at an historic low.
On 22 November, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, presented the government's Autumn Statement 2023. The Statement contained a variety of measures related to energy including: £600bn of planned public sector investment over the next five years to underpin future growth and support energy security, net zero, and public services.
Plan includes delivery of national self-harm support services. A new strategy focused on supporting people who self-harm is being launched, backed by new investment from the Scottish Government of £1.5 million.
Proposals to replace fossil fuel heating with clean heating and improve energy efficiency Clean heating systems will replace polluting heating systems in Scotland's homes and buildings by 2045 under proposals published today. Under legislation to be introduced in 2025 which will start taking effect later in the decade, those buying new homes or buildings would be asked to move to a "clean" heating system, such as a heat pump or connection to a heat network, within a fixed period of time following that purchase.
