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News Archive


29/6/2021
TotalEnergies E&P UK is building its offshore wind business in ScotlandThumbnail for article : TotalEnergies E&P UK is building its offshore wind business in Scotland
TotalEnergies is inviting supply chain businesses to join them for a virtual event to find out more about TotalEnergies, their current UK wind projects including Erebus and Round 4 and their ambitions for their offshore wind business in Scotland and the wider UK.  The event, taking place on Thursday 15 July at 1.45pm till 3.15pm will include networking opportunities, speakers, and a live Q&A session.  
29/6/2021
Coronavirus COVID-19: daily data for Scotland - 29 June 2021
3,118 new cases of COVID-19 reported*.   27,875 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results 11.6% of these were positive.  
29/6/2021
Manchester, Salford And Bolton Travel Restrictions Lifted
Rules will remain in place on areas with high Delta variant cases.   A temporary travel restriction between Scotland and parts of north west England is to be lifted.  
29/6/2021
Supporting Edinburgh's Festivals
COVID-19 funding to aid cultural recovery.   Producers and venues have been awarded £1 million to support the safe return of live events at this year's Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Fringe.  
29/6/2021
Homelessness Applications Fall But Households In Temporary Accommodation On The Rise
Housing secretary Shona Robison said today that ensuring people in temporary accommodation are supported into permanent settled accommodation as soon as possible is the Scottish Government's "utmost objective" after new figures revealed a 12% increase in households in temporary accommodation over the last year.   Speaking on the release of the Homelessness Statistics 2020/21, Ms Robison said efforts to move hundreds of people from the streets and night shelters into a place of safety had contributed to the increase and that £37.5 million is being invested to support councils to prioritise settled accommodation for those impacted.  
29/6/2021
New Peatland Construction Methods Could Unlock Further Rural Housing Developments
A new study is being carried out into more environmentally friendly methods for laying housing foundations on peatland that could pave the way for increased economic development in parts of the Highlands and Islands, while mitigating disruption to the natural ecosystem and captured carbon dioxide.   A research consortium involving Edinburgh Napier University and Heriot-Watt University, with support from the Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) and JAHAMA Highland Estates is assessing the feasibility of a range of construction methods to minimise disturbance to peat and mitigate the environmental impacts.  
29/6/2021
Homelessness Statistics 2020-21
Annual update on Homelessness Statistics covering 2020/21 have been released by Scotland's Chief Statistician.   Findings for that period show: There were 33,792 applications for homelessness assistance - a decrease of 3,251 (9%) compared with 2019/20.  
28/6/2021
Higher Than Expected Inflation Spike Poses More Of A Challenge To Household Incomes Than To The Bank Of England
Inflation is on course to rise above four per cent in the coming months - reducing real average household incomes by £700.  And while monetary policy makers at the Bank of England should ‘look through' this temporary inflation spike, fiscal policy makers should act to protect family incomes and strengthen the recovery, according to new Resolution Foundation research published on 20th June.  
28/6/2021
Uk Surpasses 500,000 Coronavirus Covid-19 Tests Genomically SequencedThumbnail for article : Uk Surpasses 500,000 Coronavirus Covid-19 Tests Genomically Sequenced
More than half a million positive COVID-19 samples have been genomically sequenced, cementing the UK's status as a world leader in genomics.   Genomic sequencing has made a crucial contribution to the fight against the virus by rapidly identifying variants of concern, understanding transmission and slowing their spread.  
28/6/2021
£8 Million Package For Health And Social Care Workforce Wellbeing
An £8 million package to support the wellbeing of health and social care staff across Scotland has been announced.   The increased support will help fund a number of immediate recovery actions and lead to the development of a National Wellbeing programme.  
28/6/2021
Millennials Face The Highest Lifetime Costs Of Their First-time Properties, Despite Historically Low Interest Rates
The costs of buying a typical first-time property with a mortgage have risen by two-thirds over the past half-century, with those born in the late 1980s experiencing the highest costs of all, as falling interest payments have failed to offset rapidly rising house prices, according to new Resolution Foundation research published on Saturday 26 June 2021.   The report Stakes and ladders - funded by the Nuffield Foundation - examines the total costs of buying one's first home to establish who the overall winners and losers have been from Britain's property market over the past 50 years.  
28/6/2021
Around One-in-seven Arts, Leisure And Hospitality Employees Remained On Furlough After Grand Reopening In May - Despite Widespread Reports Of Staff Shortages
Overall furlough rates dropped to their lowest level since the start of the pandemic in late May, but a significant proportion of employees remain out of work even as firms report staff shortages, and the Government prepares to start phasing out the Job Retention Scheme (JRS) in just by the end of June, the Resolution Foundation said in response to the latest ONS data.   The Foundation notes that furlough rates have fallen rapidly in recent months - from 20 per cent in late January to just 7 per cent at the end of May.  
28/6/2021
How Defence Contributes To The Prosperity Of The Uk And Supports The Uk EconomyThumbnail for article : How Defence Contributes To The Prosperity Of The Uk And Supports The Uk Economy
The impact of defence spending is felt in every region of the country through its support of 260,000 UK jobs and nearly £20-billion investment into UK industries every year.   The UK defence sector is a national success story, a world leader in defence capability, supporting our own armed forces and those of our allies and partners by delivering unique export opportunities across the world.  
28/6/2021
Coronavirus COVID-19: daily data for Scotland - 28 June 2021
3,285 new cases of COVID-19 reported*.   27,226 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results 12.6% of these were positive.  
28/6/2021
Labour Market Is Lukewarm Not Hot, With Pay Rises Overstated And Hours Worked Still At Recession Levels
Employees are coming off furlough at a rapid pace but the UK labour market is lukewarm rather than hot, as total hours worked remain well below pre-crisis levels and most vacancies are still relatively easy to fill despite the focus on shortages in some sectors, according to new Resolution Foundation research published today (Monday 28 June 2021).   The Foundation's research identifies encouraging signs for the UK labour market.  
27/6/2021
Significant Rise in Covid Cases In Highland
NHS Highland says there is a rise in Covid cases in Highland.   In keeping with other areas of Scotland, there has been a significant increase in cases of COVID-19 across Highland, with 83 cases notified in our area on Tuesday (22nd June).  
27/6/2021
Highland Council Agrees A Financial Plan
A financial plan which will invest a further £10M across a range of projects in phase 2 of the investment strategy for Health and Prosperity and £54M of capital investment in schools.   The detailed designs and costings for the five schools identified for investment will be brought to Council in September for approval.  
27/6/2021
Coronavirus (COVID-19): daily data for Scotland - 27 June 2021
2,639 new cases of COVID-19 reported.   31,695 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results 8.9% of these were positive.  
27/6/2021
7 Cities Hydrogen Challenge Terrific Opportunity For Highland's Green Engineers Of TomorrowThumbnail for article : 7 Cities Hydrogen Challenge Terrific Opportunity For Highland's Green Engineers Of Tomorrow
Second year pupils in Highland with an interest in a career in green energy are being given an amazing opportunity to take part in the 7-Cities Hydrogen Challenge later this summer.   The 7-Cities Hydrogen Challenge, funded by Scottish Power, ITM Power and Arcola Energy, is aiming to engage with over 7,000 young people across Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Highland, Perth and Stirling.  
27/6/2021
Self-registration Portal For All Over 18s
Every adult can sign up for a vaccine.   Anyone aged 18 and over who has not received a first coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination appointment or has missed their first dose for any reason is being invited to self-register for an appointment.