Scottish Ministers are looking to fill a non-executive director position on the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Board, with the new appointee expected to start a three-year term in May. With around 300 staff based across the region, HIE aims to grow successful, productive, and resilient businesses; create conditions for growth, and build strong, capable, and resourceful communities.
Courses will help grow our skilled domestic forestry sector, which is worth over £2 billion to UK economy, and deliver Government tree planting and net zero ambitions. Courses funded by government teaching skills like chainsaw maintenance, coppicing, woodland management, and marketing and selling timber are available from today.
Additional funding has been secured to support work to integrate refugees across Scotland. The £1.6 million in funding will focus on the development of a refreshed New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy, ensuring refugees and asylum seekers are supported to make their new communities their home.
The United Kingdom and international coalition partners have announced price caps on Russian oil products. The Price Cap Coalition of the G7, the European Union and Australia have set caps on the price of seaborne Russian oil products, effective from 05 February 2023.
Funding will help tackle social impact of rising cost of living. Projects supporting people most at risk of social isolation and loneliness will receive a share of almost £1 million support funding announced today.
Eleven more lethal substances to be made Class A drugs, following a recommendation by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. To stop lethal drugs claiming more lives, 11 synthetic opioids will be banned in the UK, the Home Office announced (3 February 2023).
Stopping plastics from being incinerated is one of the key recommendations of an independent review of decarbonising the treatment of residual waste. The report follows last year's independent review of the role of incineration in Scotland, which recommended placing a cap on future capacity and led to Ministers putting restrictions on the development of further incinerators.
Resilience committee holds further meeting. The Scottish Government's resilience committee (SGoRR) has met again to discuss the challenges facing health and social care this winter.
Grant Shapps is to give energy suppliers a deadline to urgently report back on remedial action for customers who faced wrongful prepayment meter installations. Business Secretary gives energy suppliers deadline to urgently report back on remedial action for customers who faced wrongful installations.
The government backs law that gives all workers the legal right to request a predictable working pattern. Law will combat ‘one-sided flexibility', where workers are often on standby for work that never comes.
The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee met (Thursday 2 February 2023) and received a progress update on the recommencement of the legislative process for the Local Visitor Levy Bill, including the likely timescales and implications for its introduction in Highland. Members agreed the Council’s proposed next steps, which include an offer to provide verbal and written evidence to the Scottish Government Parliamentary Committee(s).
The Bank of England upgraded its economic outlook for the UK in 2023 as it increased interest rates for the tenth successive time to 4 per cent, but also showed that the UK is in the midst of the weakest 20-year period of growth since 1938, the Resolution Foundation said on Thursday 2 February 2023. The Bank of England raised interest rates to 4 per cent - their highest level in 14 years – but said this may be as high as interest rates go, hinting that market expectations of a rise to 4.5 per cent by the middle of next year are overdone.
Sector stakeholders warn that prices will rise for consumers and overseas producers may leave the country altogether. The confluence of three legislative threats to Scotland's drinks industry has raised alarm from various stakeholders, from producers to retailers, hospitality venues and distributors.
Overseas organisations owning UK land must have publicly declared their true owners, under world leading UK laws to crack down on dirty money. Oligarchs and non-compliant organisations face severe restrictions on their ability to buy and sell property and could risk future additional penalties.
Ben Cooper is joined by Adam McGeoch to discuss the latest Scottish Business Monitor results for Q4 of 2022 and the ongoing cost of doing business crisis. This podcast is 14:33 minutes long.
Find out what a confirmation statement is and how to send your statement to Companies House. Every company, including dormant and non trading companies, must file a confirmation statement.
Three years on from leaving the EU, where is Britain now? Britain has the lowest growth rate among G7 countries and the IMF forecasts that it will be the only leading economy to shrink this year. Although Brexit is not the only reason behind this economic underperformance, it is an important factor, having a bigger impact than forecasted on many economic indicators.
Controversial legislation requiring trade unions in certain public services to ensure a minimum level of service during strike action has moved closer to becoming law. The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, which will affect the likes of rail, ambulance and fire service workers, was approved in the House of Commons by 315-246 yesterday and now goes to the Lords.
Members of Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee today (2 February 2023) agreed the local authority’s Delivery Plan for funding received via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Ken Gowans, said: "We welcome this significant funding, it important that, as a council, we move at pace to maximise the very real benefits this additional funding will bring.
Survey launched to understand international interests and aspirations. A public survey to help develop an International Culture Strategy for Scotland has been launched by the Culture Secretary.
