News Archive

28/6/2023

 
Boost For Logistics Sector As Government And Industry Collaborate To Increase Recruitment

Funding to raise the profile of logistics in schools and colleges will encourage talented young people to pursue a career in the sector.   Young people are being encouraged to take up careers in the logistics sector in the next phase of a campaign, backed by £300,000 of government funding, supporting the sector to thrive and grow the economy.  

28/6/2023

 
UK Export Finance Backs British Exporters With £6.5 Billion

New figures unveiled as part of the Export Credit Agency's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23.   UK Export Finance has provided £6.5 billion to help UK companies, particularly small and medium-sized businesses.  

28/6/2023

 
Ardersier Port joins the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF) consortium

Haventus, the owner of Ardersier Port, has joined the growing list of Green Freeport consortium members that includes the Port of Cromarty Firth, Port of Inverness, Global Energy Group, The Highland Council, the University of the Highlands and Islands, Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd and Inverness Chamber of Commerce.   Haventus has begun the redevelopment of the 450-acre Ardersier Port site, transforming the former McDermott Yard into a leading energy transition facility.  

28/6/2023

Mortgage Prisoners Trapped In Expensive Deals

The House of Commons has published an overview of how many mortgage-holders became trapped in expensive deals, and of efforts made to help resolve the situation.   Who are mortgage prisoners? Although definitions vary, generally speaking "mortgage prisoners" are people who are unable to switch mortgages to a better deal, even if they are up to date with their payments.  

28/6/2023

 
Is Your Business Ready To Deal With Flexible Working Requests From Employees

Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill 2022-23 has passed through all its stages and employers may soon begin to have requests from staff in certain circumstances.   Employees will have the right to request flexible working from day one of their employment.  

27/6/2023

 
Record Numbers Looking To Kickstart New Careers In Cyber

Over 3,600 people are looking to embark on a new career in cyber this year through applications to the government's Upskill in Cyber programme.   programme supports the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy by creating better-paid jobs.  

27/6/2023

Inspiring The Next Generation Of Scottish Entrepreneurs

A ten-year plan to help create world-class entrepreneurial campuses at 45 universities and colleges across Scotland has been launched by the First Minister during a visit to a technology campus in Brussels aiming to support digital transformation.   Strengthening global networks and supporting more university start up businesses is among a raft of actions in The Entrepreneurial Campus plan - aimed at inspiring entrepreneurial thinking and improving enterprise skills.  

27/6/2023

Is The Price Of Alcohol Going Up In UK? - Definitely Yes

As announced at Spring Budget 2023, the government will increase the duty rates under the revised duty structure for alcohol products being introduced from 1 August 2023 in line with the Retail Price Index ( RPI ).  This includes all alcoholic products produced in, or imported into, the UK.  

27/6/2023

 
Warning Of Invasive Pink Salmon Threat To Uk Fisheries

Public urged to report sightings of invasive Pacific pink salmon in UK waters.   The Environment Agency has urged anglers to report catches or sightings of invasive Pacific pink salmon, which are expected to appear in UK waters this year.  

27/6/2023

Over Six Million Disabled People Receive £150 Cost Of Living Payment

More than six million disabled people across the UK have been paid a £150 Cost of Living Payment.   99% of those eligible for Disability Cost of Living payment have received £150 from DWP One-off payments form part of wider support package worth up to £1,350 for the most vulnerable The one-off payment, issued by the Department for Work and Pensions, will help disabled people with the extra costs they face.  

27/6/2023

Billions In Foreign Investment Sees Thousands Of New Jobs Across The Uk

Country continues to be levelled-up as foreign investment creates thousands of jobs, including in manufacturing, life sciences and tech.   Tens of thousands of new jobs are being created across the UK thanks to billions of pounds of foreign investment, helping the Government's priority to grow the economy and levelling-up across the UK.  

27/6/2023

Minimum Unit Pricing Has ‘positive Impact' On Health

Report concludes policy has saved lives and cut hospital admissions.   Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Elena Whitham has welcomed research from Public Health Scotland which concludes that Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) has saved lives, reduced hospital admissions and had a ‘positive impact' on health.  

27/6/2023

There's A Lot Of Mortgage Pain Coming

BOE Governor Andrew Bailey said Thursday's interest rate rise was necessary to continue the fight against stubbornly high inflation.   Official figures published ahead of the BOE's meeting showed annual inflation rose by 8.7% in May, exceeding expectations.  

27/6/2023

 
Housing Benefits Have Been Frozen While Rents Have Sky-rocketed. Only 1 In 20 Private Rental Properties On Zoopla Can Be Covered By Housing Benefit

Local housing allowance (LHA) rates - which govern the maximum amount of support for their rent that low-income private renters can get - have been frozen in cash terms since April 2020.  But rents for new lets have increased by more than a fifth on average.  

27/6/2023

 
High Energy Use Businesses Urged To Claim Extra Discount On Energy Bills

Energy-intensive businesses and heat network operators have a month left to apply for government support that could see wholesale energy bills slashed by as much as a fifth.   Energy and trade intensive businesses have a month to claim additional support to keep their energy bills down.  

27/6/2023 : Auctioneers

Dingwall and Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 27 June 2023

DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (June 27th) sold 23 Prime Cattle.   Prime Bullocks (10) averaged 275.6p per kg (-0.7p) and sold to 285.0p per kg and £2,041.30 gross.  

27/6/2023

Reconviction Statistics For Scotland 2019-20

The latest reconviction statistics for the 2019-20 offender cohort have been published today by Scotland's Chief Statistician.   This is the first year that reconviction data affected by the COVID-19 pandemic has been published.  

27/6/2023

Quarterly Housing Statistics For Scotland - June 2023

There were 23,512 all-sector new build homes completed in Scotland in the year to end March 2023, according to quarterly statistics on housebuilding and affordable housing supply published today by Scotland's Chief Statistician.   This is an increase of 9% (1,897 homes) on the 21,615 completions in the previous year, and the highest annual figure to end March since 2008.  

27/6/2023

Advancing Children's Rights - Update On Incorporating UN Convention Into Scots Law

Amendments to legislation incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child will deliver a clear, coherent and workable Bill that provides some valuable protections for the rights of children in Scotland.   The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill was passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament in 2021 but certain provisions within it were later ruled outwith the parliament's legislative competence at the Supreme Court.  

26/6/2023

 
China's Economic Recovery Is Built On Increasingly Shaky Foundations And That Could Affect The Whole World

Confidence in China's post-COVID recovery has started to waver over the past week after the world's second-largest economy reported disappointing figures for two of the major drivers of its economy: property and exports.   In response, China's central bank is taking the opposite approach to western counterparts like the Bank of England by cutting its main interest rates to try to stimulate investment in its economy.