10-year ban for boss of Fortress Restructuring Ltd after wrongly claiming £50,000 loan Boss claimed £50,000 Bounce Back Loan for dormant Scottish restructuring business, and withdrew cash before firm was wound up. Thomas Whyte, director and shareholder of Fortress Restructuring Ltd has been hit with a 10-year ban.
National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) was adopted by the Scottish Ministers and published today at 09:00. It is now part of the statutory development plan, while also replacing NPF3 and Scottish Planning Policy.
Projects returning former industrial or derelict sites to community use will be more likely to be approved following the introduction of long term planning reforms. Planning Minister Tom Arthur visited the £4.2 million Lochshore development at the former Glengarnock Steelworks in Ayrshire to see progress transforming a former heavy industry site into parkland for the benefit of local people and visitors.
Trade Minister visits Indonesia and Singapore. Trade Minister Ivan McKee will meet global industry leaders during a visit to Indonesia and Singapore aimed at unlocking new trade and investment opportunities.
Additional funding for Charitable Bond scheme. Investment worth £105 million has been agreed to boost the number of affordable homes in Scotland.
Stakeholders including producers, importers, and resellers of alcoholic products have from 13 February 2023 until 9 April 2023 to submit their views on the secondary legislation - which will come into effect on 1 August 2023. Consultation description The Alcohol Duty Review aims to improve the current alcohol duty system - by making it simpler, more economically rational and less administratively burdensome on businesses and HMRC.
More than 50 flats now available to rent through The Highland Council and HHA. The former Arnotts building on Union Street in Inverness has been transformed into high-quality flats across four storeys, which will help to address the demand for rental properties in the city.
A report setting out Highland's Children’s Services Families First strategy was presented to and approved by members of the Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Committee (Thursday, 9 February 2023). The strategy’s vision is summarised simply as: "To safely ensure that children and young people remain with their families and within their Highland communities." It is also underpinned by a set of core principles of family support, which are outcome focused in preserving, protecting and upholding the rights of children within their families in the Highlands.
The UK avoided a recession by the narrowest of margins last year, but with household incomes falling, families are still living through a living standards downturn, the Resolution Foundation said on Friday in response to the latest ONS GDP data. GDP in Q4 2022 was broadly flat, following a contraction in Q3, with weak trade offset by rising consumption and investment.
The SNP government has been working towards a deposit return scheme that now comes into effect in August 2023. The problem for the scheme is that retailers and in particular small retailers do not want it as it will increase their costs to handle returns and those costs will be passed on to customers in higher prices.
Members of the Flow Country partnership are at the early stages of creating a Green Finance Initiative, looking at ways the peatlands can provide financial benefits to local communities. Flow Country partnership members are hosting a series of drop-in sessions and are inviting people to join them to discuss green finance and peatland restoration.
Emma Congreve and Mairi Spowage from Fraser of Allender Institute give their asessment of the current position on the economy in Scotland This week we are upholding our reputation as economists and bringing plenty of doom and gloom, even with today's ‘not as bad as it could be' news on UK GDP. Technical recession in 2022 avoided - for now The big headline today from the ONS release of UK GDP data was that despite a contraction in growth in December of 0.5%, growth was flat in the October-December quarter overall.
Scotland has achieved its highest ever reported score in an international survey which asks 60,000 adults from 20 countries what their perceptions are of 60 nations. The Nation Brands Index (NBI) 2022 survey scores and ranks countries across six dimensions including Culture, Tourism, Governance, Immigration and Investment, Exports, and People.
Hospitality businesses will be able to place tables and chairs on the pavement outside their premises without submitting a planning application under measures expected to come into force at the end of next month. Strong support was expressed in a public consultation for the extension of permitted development rights to enable more cafes, bars and restaurants to offer outdoor eating and drinking.
More women will be helped back into the workplace following the launch of a Government-backed training programme. Women facing work barriers due to caring to be helped back to careers.
The Prime Minister announces the UK's second Global Investment Summit in October 2023 during a meeting of the Investment Council. PM announces UK's second Global Investment Summit to take place in October.
A diverging income tax system means higher earners in Scotland will pay a lot more than they would in England, while Scottish welfare benefits get more generous. The Institute of Fiscal Studies says the poorest households will be £580 better off than they would be in England, and the highest earners, on average, £2590 worse off.
Commercial pipelines provide a forward look at potential commercial activity within a department. The information presented is for reference only and reflects the Dounreay anticipated procurement pipeline.
Vitamin D and Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in People With Prediabetes, (7th Feb 2023). Vitamin D has many functions in the body, including a role in insulin secretion and glucose metabolism.
The UK will provide vital items such as tents and blankets to help survivors cope with the freezing conditions, as part of its immediate response to the crisis. immediate extra support will help save lives and prevent suffering package to include thousands of tents, blankets and hygiene kits world-class UK surgical team and equipment will help address urgent medical needs.
