News Archive
10/12/2021
Budget Statement: 2022-23 - Statement Given To Parliament By Finance Secretary Kate Forbes
Statement given to Parliament by Finance Secretary Kate Forbes on Thursday, 9th December 2021. Presiding Officer, today's budget will help tackle the climate emergency, support economic recovery and reduce inequalities.10/12/2021
Appeal For More Vaccinators To Come Forward
Scotland's National Clinical Director Jason Leitch is becoming a vaccinator and is encouraging more people to enrol to help accelerate the national booster jab programme. Since 19 November, the equivalent of 300 full-time additional staff (more than 1000 individuals) have joined the national vaccination effort and health boards are actively recruiting to create extra capacity.10/12/2021
Public Health Scotland Urges Public To Defer Christmas Parties As Omicron Threat Grows
Given the number of COVID-19 outbreaks that are being linked to Christmas parties, particularly those caused by Omicron, Public Health Scotland (PHS) is urging people to defer such parties at this time. Dr Nick Phin, Director of Public Health Science and Medical Director, PHS explains:"There is much that we still need to learn about Omicron, but early evidence suggests that this new Covid variant is much more transmissible.10/12/2021
Income Tax Rates Remain The Same For 2022/23...But Personal Allowances Frozen by UK Budget
The Scottish Parliament has the power to set the Income Tax rates and bands for the non-savings, non-dividend income of Scottish taxpayers, with the revenue received coming to the Scottish Government through the operation of the Fiscal Framework. Responsibility for the other parts of the Income Tax system, which includes reliefs and exemptions, and setting the UK-wide Personal Allowance, remains reserved to the UK Parliament.10/12/2021
Scottish Budget 2022/23 Announcements By Kate Forbes on 9 December
Foreword - by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy. This Scottish Budget comes at a crucial juncture for Scotland.10/12/2021
Land And Buildings Transaction Tax Rates - No Change
Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) is a tax applied to residential and non-residential land and buildings transactions (including commercial leases) where a chargeable interest is acquired. The Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) is payable, as part of LBTT, on purchases of all relevant residential properties for £40,000 and above.10/12/2021
Safeguarding Scotland's Marine Wildlife
The critically endangered flapper skate is to gain further protection following the extension of an urgent Marine Protected Area (MPA) within the Inner Sound of Skye. The site protects a nationally important flapper skate egg nursery area which is the largest of its kind to be identified in Scotland.10/12/2021
Non Domestic Rates - Often Called Business Rates
Non-Domestic Rates. Non-domestic rates (NDR), often described as business rates, are a local tax levied on lands and heritages used for non-domestic purposes in the public, private and third sectors.10/12/2021
Councils Given Freedom To Set Council Tax Rates For 2022/23
2021/22 council Tax was frozen but now councils may set new rates for 2022/23. Council Tax is a local tax, with receipts retained by local government and separate from the Scottish Budget.10/12/2021
Scottish Budget 2022-23
Ending Scotland's contribution to climate change, tackling inequalities and investing in the economy and our public services are at the forefront of the 2022-2023 Scottish Budget. Outlining a bold, ambitious and progressive funding package, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes said the Budget will accelerate Scotland's COVID recovery and help transition the country towards becoming fairer, greener and more prosperous.10/12/2021
Construction Pauses For Winter As Cairngorm Mountain Gets Ready To Welcome Skiers
One of the UK's most challenging civil engineering projects will be paused for the next few months as winter takes hold on Cairngorm mountain estate. Teams from contractor Balfour Beatty, acting for Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), have been busy on site since April 2021, carrying out a range of technical tasks to strengthen the 1.8km viaduct that supports the Cairngorm funicular railway.
10/12/2021
Scottish Income Tax: Distributional Analysis 2022-2023
A note on the distributional impact of the Scottish Government's Income Tax policy for 2022-2023. Income Tax: Cumulative Impacts on Income Levels and Equality Summary This note sets out the distributional impact of the Scottish Government's Income Tax policy choices on Scottish taxpayers since 2016-17, when the Scottish Parliament was first able to set a different rate of Income Tax in Scotland.
10/12/2021
£5m For Aquaculture R and D Project That Will Create 30 Jobs
A four-year aquaculture R&D project that will create 30 jobs has been awarded up to £5m. A four-year aquaculture research and development project has been awarded up to £5m in public sector funding.10/12/2021
Net Zero Strategy Approach For Highland
Highland Councillors have agreed an ambitious approach to developing a net zero strategy and action plan for the region that will maximise external funding to deliver its climate change targets. Councillors welcomed feedback on staff and Members' attendance at COP26 which helped to secure a variety of benefits and new opportunities to support and strengthen the Council’s approach to climate action.10/12/2021
Training And More Testing To Help People Become HGV Drivers
First intensive short courses in HGV driving get under way to help tackle skills shortages and support up to 11,000 people launching new careers in the logistics sector. Free courses for adults to train to be HGV drivers are under way across the country - as part of a package of measures to ease driver shortages and support supply chains this Christmas and beyond.10/12/2021
Handover Completed For New Broadford Hospital At Fort William
Development partner hub North Scotland can confirm work has been completed on the new Broadford Hospital on Skye and the building handed over to NHS Highland. The successful completion of the 24-bed hospital follows the handover of the Badenoch and Strathspey Community Hospital in Aviemore in September in a £40 million hub North Scotland development on behalf of NHS Highland.10/12/2021
North of the Ord textile exhibition at the Thurso Gallery
North of the Ord - One Artist's View of Caithness is the new exhibition at the Thurso Gallery. Mixed media textile artist Debbie Lee started the collection when the country was in lockdown, with inspiration sought locally, most often whilst out for walks.
10/12/2021
Record £18 Billion For Health And Social Care But A Measly 48 Pence An Hour Extra For Careworkers
Scotland's Budget is providing record funding to health and social care, including £12.9 billion for health boards to support patient services and ensure frontline funding increases by at least £2.5 billion by 2026-27. This will be part of a total £18 billion allocated to the sector as it faces up to the continued challenges of COVID-19.10/12/2021
National Flu And Covid-19 Surveillance Reports Published
Weekly national influenza and COVID-19 report, monitoring coronavirus (COVID-19) activity, seasonal flu and other seasonal respiratory illnesses. The main points from this week's national influenza and COVID-19 surveillance report are: Surveillance indicators suggest that at a national level COVID-19 activity has increased in some indicators such as case rates for those aged 5 to 9 and the number of acute respiratory infection incidents in England in week 48 of 2021.10/12/2021
