News Archive
27/6/2021
Calling writers, musicians, filmmakers, visual artists for Spirit 360 funding
Invitation to Artists. Spirit:360 is a commissioning programme for emerging and established creative professionals - writers, musicians, filmmakers, visual artists, and others - to create new work inspired by local stories that reflect the theme ‘Spirit of the Highlands'.
26/6/2021
Dunnet Bay Distillers Pick Up Another Business Award
SCDI Highlands & Islands Chair's Award for Outstanding Business Achievement was won for 2021 by Dunnet Bay Distillers. Going from strength to strength Dunnet Bay Distillers have grown to add another still, shop and to cater for the growing number of tourists visiting via the North Coast 500 route.
26/6/2021
State Of The Epidemic In Scotland - 25th June 2021
Background This report summarises the current situation on the Covid-19 epidemic in Scotland. It brings together the different sources of evidence and data about the epidemic in Scotland at this point in time, why we are at that place, and what is likely to happen next.
26/6/2021
Launch Of Consultation On Licensing Order For Short Term Lets
Balancing neighbourhood needs with tourism interests. Consultation on the details of a licensing scheme for short term lets will take place over seven weeks this summer.26/6/2021
Coronavirus COVID-19: daily data for Scotland - 26 June 2021
2,836 new cases of COVID-19 reported. 33,569 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results 8.9% of these were positive 3 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive.26/6/2021
Funding Will Help Convenience Stores To Stock Local Produce
Project continues after pilot exceeds expectations. A funding programme to promote the sale of local produce in convenience stores across Scotland is underway.25/6/2021
World's Deepest Nuclear Clean-up Underway At Dounreay
The shaft and silo project ‘advanced transition' work is getting underway at Dounreay. Radioactive waste was historically consigned to the 65 metre deep shaft and the silo, an underground waste storage vault, over several decades starting in the late 1950s.
25/6/2021
Four Facts about Soaring Consumer Food Prices
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) blog highlights world food prices are rising. By Christian Bogmans, Andrea Pescatori, and Ervin Prifti Rising world food prices for producers are making headlines and causing concerns among the public.
25/6/2021
UK travel update: Malta added to green list and green watchlist extended as plans for quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated passengers from amber list countries confirmed
Transport Secretary announces measures to continue cautiously reopening international travel in a safe and sustainable way. Malta, Madeira, the Balearic Islands, several UK overseas territories, and Caribbean islands, including Barbados are added to the government's green list for travel.25/6/2021
New research shows 2 million people may have had long COVID
Findings from the REACT-2 studies show over a third of people who had coronavirus (COVID-19) reported symptoms lasting at least 12 weeks. This amounts to 5.8% of the whole study population, with 2% reporting severe symptoms Prevalence of long COVID increased with age and was higher among women Over 2 million people in England are thought to have had one or more COVID-19 symptoms lasting at least 12 weeks according to one of the largest studies of the virus funded by the government.25/6/2021
DVLA Busts 9 Myths Around SORN - Statutory Off Road Notification
March 2020 saw the highest number of SORNs (Statutory Off Road Notifications) made of any month in the past decade, so we've busted 9 common myths about it. Each year around 3.4 million vehicles are declared as being "off the road" (Statutory off Road Notification or SORN) - sometimes for just a few months at a time.
25/6/2021
New Advertising Rules To Help Tackle Childhood Obesity
New rules on advertising unhealthy foods online and before 9pm on TV across the UK after public consultation. These restrictions will help protect children from developing long-term unhealthy eating habits and improve nation's health, and forms just one part of wider plans to tackle childhood obesity.
25/6/2021
Expanded Travel Green List For Scotland
New additions have been made to the international travel green list for Scotland to include Malta, Madeira and the Balearics. There will be close monitoring of the position in the Balearics over the next three weeks ahead of the next review point.25/6/2021
Coronavirus Bill Passed
Measures no longer necessary to support the ongoing public health response will be removed from the Scottish Coronavirus Acts after Parliament approved their expiration. The Coronavirus (Extension and Expiry) (Scotland) Bill was voted for by MSPs after three days of scrutiny.25/6/2021
Extra £28 Billion For The Union Since The Start Of The Covid-19 Pandemic
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have benefitted from £28 billion of UK government funding to the devolved administrations, figures released today by the Treasury show. The annual publication of the Block Grant Transparency shows that since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic the Scottish Government has received an additional £14.5 billion, the Welsh Government an additional £8.6 billion and the Northern Ireland Executive an additional £5.0 billion.25/6/2021
Thousands Of Service Families Receive £650-million Accommodation Boost
New contracts to enhance maintenance and repair services across Service Family Accommodation (SFA) supporting jobs across the UK Defence supply chain over 7 years. Five new contracts worth £650-million have been awarded to industry to deliver crucial building and maintenance services for more than 39,000 Service families.25/6/2021
How Many People Live In The UK?
The latest Office for National Statistics mid-year estimates suggest the UK population has reached 67 million for the first time. But the year to June 2020 saw considerably slower growth than recent decades as the effects of the pandemic took hold.25/6/2021
The House Of Lords Is Too Large: Party Leaders Must Put Aside Short-term Interests And Agree Plans To Reduce Its Numbers
Five years after its creation, the Lord Speaker's committee on the size of the House has called for firm, fast action on reducing the number of peers in the legislature. Chair of the committee, Lord (Terry) Burns, argues that it is essential that party leaders have the courage to come together and agree the necessary measures.
25/6/2021
Bank Rate Maintained At 0.1% - June 2021
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) sets monetary policy to meet the 2% inflation target, and in a way that helps to sustain growth and employment. At its meeting ending on 22 June 2021, the Committee judged that the existing stance of monetary policy remained appropriate.25/6/2021
