News Archive
4/9/2024
Finance Minister Announces £500million Of Changes or Cuts Needed This Year To Balance The Scottish Budget
Shona Robison confirmed on 3 September 2024 that up to £500m in savings will be introduced to support the 2024/25 budget for the Scottish government. £60m of savings will come through Emergency Spend Controls, particularly targeting recruitment, overtime, travel and marketing.4/9/2024
How One 83-year-old Fell Into A Fraudster's Fear Bubble - And How Gift Cards Played A Key Role - An American Story Being Repeated In The UK
Wednesday morning, the day before Thanksgiving, Mae awoke, set her hair in curlers and switched on her laptop. A message appeared.
4/9/2024
Support For Farmers And Crofters - Early Payment To More Than 11,500 Businesses
Scottish farming businesses will see support payments start to reach their bank accounts this week with initial payments worth approximately £243 million. The Scottish Government first brought the payments forward in 2022 to help with the transition from EU's CAP Payment system and give recipients greater reassurance and stability.4/9/2024
Poor People Are Business Owners, Too - But Myths Around Poverty And Entrepreneurship Hold Them Back
Nearly 1 in 5 people in the world lives in poverty. Even in many developed countries such as the U.S., poverty rates exceed 12%.4/9/2024
Blowing Away The Competition - What To Make Of Britain's 2024 Renewable Energy Auction Results
The latest round of renewable energy auctions procured a record 9.6 gigawatts (GW) of low-carbon energy, of which the majority (5 GW) was offshore wind. This represents a much-needed acceleration towards the new Government's ambitious decarbonisation targets and was essential given the failure of last year's auction.
4/9/2024
The Guardian View On Poverty In Britain - Desperation In Plain Sight
New Trussell Trust research is both alarming and shaming. Labour cannot defer action while waiting for an economic upturn.4/9/2024
Major Improvements Required To Sewer Overflow Monitoring And Management
A new report published today (4 September 2024) by Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) finds that action needs to be taken to improve monitoring, regulatory guidance and the operation of storm overflows in Scotland. The report Storm overflows an assessment of spills their impact on the water environment and the effectiveness of legislation and policy sets out that: there is no comprehensive, publicly available information on the scale and environmental impact of spills from storm overflows in Scotland.
4/9/2024
First Minister To Set Out Programme For Government Today Live
The First Minister John Swinney will set out his programme for government following question time. Todays Schedule.3/9/2024
NDA Group Showcases Progress On Sustainability
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group publishes overview of progress being made against sustainability goals. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group has today published an overview of progress being made against its sustainability goals.
3/9/2024
Think You Know All About House Prices And Pay Inequality? Think Again
"Perceptions take a while to catch up with reality and that presents a challenge for the new government." Paul Johnson writes for The Times. The triple lock has ensured that pensioners' incomes have risen faster than those of working-age people over the past 15 years.3/9/2024
Highland Film Office Rebrand Launch Helps Support Industry Growth
The Council has today officially launched its new and improved film office - ‘Screen Highland' as part of a new proactive approach to continue to support the growth of the industry in Highland and ensure film productions are delivered in a sustainable way. Formerly known as the ‘Highlands of Scotland Film Commission', the rebrand also includes a refreshed website which better promotes the amazing and varied locations and world class talent and services the region offers.
3/9/2024
Royal Society Confirms UK Fusion Plant Designs Are World-leading
Royal Society publishes peer-reviewed papers demonstrating technical progress to deliver STEP, the UK's first prototype fusion energy powerplant. The UK is leading the way in fusion energy powerplant design, as confirmed by the recent publication of a special Royal Society edition.3/9/2024
Did Starmer Have To Be So Miserable? The Doom And Gloom May Be More Political Than Economic
Keir Starmer has warned that things will get worse for the UK before they get better. The prime minister asked the country to accept short-term pain for the long-term good and warned of a tough budget to come in October, blaming the Conservatives for leaving a "black hole" in the public finances.
3/9/2024
Shop Prices In Deflation For First Time In Almost Three Years
Period Covered: 01 - 07 August 2024. Shop Price deflation was at 0.3% in August, down from inflation of 0.2% in the previous month.3/9/2024
Crackdown To Halt Rise In Phone Thefts
Ministers pledge to crack down on ‘snatch thefts' in a summit with tech companies. The government has pledged to crack down on ‘snatch thefts' after this criminality soared by more than 150 per cent in the last year.3/9/2024
The Ups And Downs Of Retail Footfall In August
Covering the four weeks 28 July 2024 - 24 August 2024 According to BRC-Sensormatic IQ data: Total UK footfall decreased by 0.4% in August (YoY), up from -3.3% in July. High Street footfall decreased by 0.3% in August (YoY), up from -2.7% in July.3/9/2024
If Rachel Reeves Hikes Capital Gains Tax, She'll Be More In Line With Nigel Lawson Than Gordon Brown
With Labour having won the UK election, there has been much talk about future tax plans. Keir Starmer insists the party's priority is economic growth, but many believe it will have to raise taxes to shore up the public finances.2/9/2024
A836 In Caithness - Average Speed Cameras Go Live Today Monday 2nd September
Police Scotland's North Safety Camera Unit are now operating average speed cameras on the A836 between Reay and Thurso with offences being progressed from Monday 2nd September. In partnership with the Scottish Safety Camera Programme and the Highland Council, the location was identified as having speed concerns and increased traffic volumes, both of which are potential ongoing road safety challenges.
2/9/2024
A £5.9m Project To Create A New Whisky Distillery Within The Former Derelict Mill At Castletown In Caithness
A £5.9m project to create a new whisky distillery within the former derelict Mill at Castletown in Caithness has secured a £250,000 investment from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Dunnet Bay Distillers Limited (DBDL) is leading the project, which will create 13 jobs.
2/9/2024
