The Youth Mobility and Working Holiday schemes have been expanded so more young people will be eligible to live and work in both countries for longer. Young Brits and New Zealanders will benefit from life-changing opportunities on the other side of the world thanks to the expansion of our shared visa schemes.
Crown Estate Scotland and The Crown Estate have begun the first round of formal engagement with developers on Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS). The two organisations have issued a joint survey to industry stakeholders to explore and understand market requirements for future seabed and subsurface carbon store development.
The United Kingdom and its allies have re-affirmed their joint commitment to enforce sanctions on Russia. Since Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Elites, Proxies and Oligarchs Taskforce (REPO) has worked across the globe to block or freeze more than £48 billion in Russian assets.
Reuters Europe's banks sucked into global rout as high rates reality hits home European bank shares tumbled on Friday in the wake of a dramatic sell-off in U.S. lenders as concern spread that the sector will be vulnerable to the rising cost of money.
Monthly real gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have grown by 0.3% in January 2023, after falling by 0.5% in December 2022. Looking at the broader picture, GDP was flat in the three months to January 2023.
Members of the EIS have voted overwhelmingly to accept the current pay offer proposed by local authority employers and the Scottish Government. In an online ballot that closed today, 90% of those voting opted to accept the pay offer.
Monthly construction output is estimated to have decreased 1.7% in volume terms in January 2023; this is the weakest monthly growth since June 2022 (negative 2.0%) and the lowest monthly value in level terms (£14,841 million) since February 2022 (£14,719 million). Anecdotal evidence continued the narrative around economic uncertainty leading to delays, cancellations, and less work being requested by customers; this has particularly contributed to an ongoing slowdown of work in the housing sector.
A new scam email purporting to be from the Royal Bank of Scotland has recently been reported. The message says that a request to change your mobile number has been received.
A range of sources exploring the impact of strikes in the context of the wider economic and social landscape. In total, 2.472 million working days were lost between June and December 2022; of these, over three-quarters (79%) came from workers in transport, storage, information and communication.
A question at Highland council today highlights the fact that many short term letting landlords have still to apply for a licence. The question and answer from todays Highland council meeting 9 March 2023 papers is set out below To the Leader of the Council If there is sufficient staff to handle the Licencing and Energy Performing Certification available when this requirement of Short Term Lets resume later this year.
Spending indicators recorded increased activity when compared with the previous week, coinciding with usual within-month variations, with Revolut debit card spending on "travel and accommodation" rising by 6 percentage points; meanwhile the number of in-store transactions at Pret A Manger locations in both London airports and London stations increased by 7 percentage points over the same period (Revolut, Pret A Manger). Section 3: Consumer behaviour.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd, (March, 8th) sold 1,088 store cattle and 127 OTM cattle. Bullocks (655) averaged 294.9p per kg and sold to 371.3p per kg for a 272kg Limousin cross from Kennachy, Forss and £2,120 gross for a pen of 690kg Charolais crosses from Easter Sheeppark, Balblair.
Private landlords need to read this article carefully and think about their position and perhaps increase rents very soon to the amounts allowed. Private rent increases will be capped at 3% and restrictions will remain on enforcement of evictions under measures approved today by MSPs.
The total combined number of monthly cross-border and domestic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) involving a change in majority share ownership decreased slightly between October 2022 (total 183) and November 2022 (173), before falling sharply to 127 during December 2022. The value of outward M&A (UK companies acquiring foreign companies abroad) in Quarter 4 (Oct to Dec) 2022 was £10.1 billion, £2.5 billion more than Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2022 (£7.6 billion) and £6.7 billion higher than Quarter 4 2021 (£3.4 billion).
UK food and drink inflation trends, using data from producer price inflation, consumer price inflation and the Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS). In the 12 months to January 2023, the price of inputs into the production of food, drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and tobacco increased by 19.8%.
ighland Council members welcomed an update on the successful Green Freeport bid by the Opportunity Cromarty Firth (OCF) consortium of which The Highland Council is a partner. The Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, jointly announced by the Scottish Government and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in January, will make a significant contribution towards meeting the local and national transition to net zero, create high quality, long-lasting employment in a green economy, regenerate and strengthen communities across the region and reverse demographic challenges.
System Average Price (SAP) of gas This is the average price of all gas traded through the balancing market. Market participants post bids or offers for volumes of gas a day ahead and within-day trades.
The System Price of electricity, made available by Elexon, is used to settle the difference between contracted generation or consumption of electricity, and actual generation or consumption, in each half-hour trading period in the Balancing Market, the mechanism used to balance supply and demand in Great Britain's electricity market. Companies are contracted to generate or consume a certain amount of electricity within each half hour (known as the Settlement Period).
Insights into the effects of the re-opening of economies and supply bottlenecks on Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation in 2021 and 2022. Consumer price inflation reached 40-year highs in late 2022, including the effects of the re-opening of economies in 2021 and bottlenecks forming in the global economy.
Funding Open now until 31 March 2023. Support for community groups bringing people and communities together to tackle isolation has been launched today.
