News Archive

Card Spending Rose 11% In The First Week Of May - But What Are We All Splashing Our Money On?

Credit and debit card spending soared during the first week of May and was also up 5% against the same week last year.  And if you think you're paying considerably more for some items than you did in 2022, then the home delivery expert ParcelHero says ‘hard cheese’ - literally.  

Student Support - Eligibility for free student tuition support in Scotland will be extended

Changes to residency conditions to be introduced for 2023-24 academic year.   Eligibility for free student tuition support in Scotland will be extended to cover a wider range of immigration statuses under new proposals.  

GDP Monthly Estimate UK - March 2023

Monthly real gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have fallen by 0.3% in March 2023, after showing no growth in February 2023 (unrevised from our previous publication).   Looking at the broader picture, GDP grew by 0.1% in the three months to March 2023.  

UK Trade - March 2023

The value of goods imports decreased by £1.4 billion (2.8%) in March 2023; after removing the effect of inflation, imports of goods fell by £0.8 billion (2.1%).   The value of goods exports decreased by £0.7 billion (2.3%) in March 2023; after removing the effect of inflation, exports of goods fell by £0.7 billion (2.7%).  

NDA Staff Get The Royal Treatment At Buckingham Palace Garden Party

On Tuesday 9 May, members of staff from the NDA attended a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, the first since the King's coronation.   Arun Khuttan, Sustainability Manager, Tim Cook, Major Projects and Programmes Manager, Lucy Austin, Government Relations Manager and Michael Calloway, Head of Programme Nuclear Liabilities Assurance, were among 8,000 guests invited to spend the afternoon in the beautiful gardens of Buckingham Palace.  

HVS Invites Fleet Operators To Trial UKs First Zero-emission Hydrogen-Electric HGV

Zero-emission, hydrogen-powered commercial vehicle innovator, Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS), today invites fleet operators to register expressions of interest in trialling its state-of-the-art, clean-sheet-designed hydrogen-electric Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) prior to purchasing.   Supported trials are set to commence in Q4 2025 once the exhaustive pre-production prototyping phase is completed and the HGVs are ready to enter volume production in the UK.  

Spring Brings Relative Optimism As Scottish Business Sentiment Rises

The latest Fraser of Allander (FAI) Scottish Business Monitor, published in partnership with Addleshaw Goddard.   Business sentiment has risen to its highest level since 2021 as signs of optimism begin to emerge among Scottish businesses, according to the latest Addleshaw Goddard Scottish Business Monitor report.  

Salmon Farmers Welcome Scottish Government Deliberation On Coastal Community Housing Investment

Salmon farmers have welcomed a Scottish Government commitment to consider their call for £10million-a-year in licence fees to help tackle a housing crisis in rural Scotland.   Trade body Salmon Scotland launched a campaign last year to overhaul the current system so that the millions sent to Crown Estate Scotland in Edinburgh are instead directly ringfenced for coastal areas where farms operate.  

Benefit Fraud And Error Falling After Government Crackdown

Total rate of overpayments has fallen from 4.0% in 2022 to 3.6% in 2023.   The Universal Credit overpayment rate decreased by £400 million in a year.  

Thousands More Can Apply To Become Judges in England Under Plans To Expand Diversity

New rules will see up to 4,500 more lawyers from diverse backgrounds eligible to become judges under plans announced by the government today (11 May 2023).  plans drawn up for up to 4,500 lawyers to apply for a range of judicial roles.   move latest step in wider efforts to boost judge numbers and tackle outstanding cases.