Around 9 in 10 (87%) adults reported an increase in their cost of living over the previous month in March 2022 (16 to 27 March 2022), an increase of 25 percentage points compared with around 6 in 10 (62%) adults in November 2021 (3 to 14 November 2021). Nearly a quarter (23%) of adults reported that it was very difficult or difficult to pay their usual household bills in the last month, compared with a year ago, in March 2022 (16 to 27 March 2022); an increase from 17% in November 2021 (3 to 14 November 2021).
The UK has today signed a contract with the Polish Government supporting the early introduction of Poland's future short-range air defence system, Narew. CEO of the Polish Armaments Group Sebastian Chwałek and MBDA Sales Director Poland Adrian Monks signed the interim capability contract in Warsaw today, which is the first of two stages to deliver the Common Anti Air Modular Missile (CAMM), a surface to air missile.
An article published in The Mirror newspaper on 22 April 2022 written by Richard Murphy and Danny Blanchflower sets out ways to avoid recession. Bill Fernie, a candidate for Wick and East Caithness in the Highland council elections said, I am a regular follower of Richard Murphy's astute observations on the economy on his web site and agree with the conclusions they reach in the article in the Mirror.
From Phil Connor, Electoral Reform Society Scotland Campaigns Officer. It is now 15 years since Scotland abandoned First Past the Post for local government elections and adopted the Single Transferable Vote form of proportional representation.
Regular UKHSA updates on the ongoing investigation into higher than usual rates of liver inflammation (hepatitis) in children across the UK. Today, the UK Heath Security Agency (UKHSA) published a detailed technical briefing on the investigations into a rise in cases of sudden onset hepatitis (liver inflammation) in children, with data and findings on cases resident in England, up to 20 April 2022.
Government outlines plans to resume helping claimants move to Universal Credit by end of 2024. Government outlines plans to resume helping claimants move to Universal Credit by end of 2024.
UK to cut tariffs on all goods from Ukraine to zero under the UK-Ukraine FTA, providing much-needed economic support. New export ban on products and technology that Russia could use to repress the people of Ukraine.
Cross-union body failed to support nuclear energy at key trade union conference A key cross-union body failed to support nuclear energy today (Tuesday). At the Scottish TUC congress, where member unions gather to discuss vital issues facing workers across Scotland and decide priorities for the year ahead, support for nuclear energy workers fell before it even hit the conference floor.
Most people barely new about European Funding and how it worked. This probably partly explains how we ended up with Brexit.
A new website from Spirit of the Highlands and Islands, filled with stories from across the region, is now available to visit. Spirit: Stories is an online archive of tales submitted to the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands project from people who live, work and travel in the region.
The third annual Scottish Highlands and Islands Renewable Energy Awards celebrates the very best of the region's green energy sector in a virtual event on Thursday 23rd June. The event showcases the achievements of the sector, while also recognising and rewarding the contribution that renewable energy makes to the Highlands and Islands economy and the businesses at the heart of it.
There are around 20% more job vacancies than there were pre-pandemic, and that seems to have been stable for 6 months or so now. But new analysis from researchers at the IFS shows that the overall amount of change in the occupational mix of vacancies is no greater than would be expected over a ‘normal' two-year period.
New research at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), commissioned by the Department for Education, examines the financial benefit associated with different degree classifications. Even after controlling for student characteristics, higher degree classes are associated with substantially higher earnings: The average premium for gaining a first class degree over an upper second (2.1) is 4% for women and 7% for men.
Access £7,500 worth of business development training for free from Heriot Watt University. We have tailored the government's new Help to Grow programme (more info can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/business-finance-support/help-to-grow-management-uk specifically for rural Scottish businesses.
The UK will on Monday (25 April) host the second transatlantic trade dialogue in Aberdeen aimed at boosting our £200 billion trade partnership with the US. International Trade Secretary welcomes US counterpart Ambassador Tai to Aberdeen to discuss how transatlantic trade is delivering for the people of Scotland and the rest of the UK.
Scotland's journey to net zero will be amplified thanks to better partnership working between the Scottish Government and trade unions to deliver a just transition. At the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) in Aberdeen, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will announce £100,000 in grant funding to support just transition capacity within the trade union movement.
Stringent standards of biosecurity remain essential as the risk of avian influenza continues. The mandatory housing measures for poultry and captive birds, which were introduced across the United Kingdom to help stop the spread of bird flu, will be lifted from 00:01 on Monday 2 May 2022, the Chief Veterinary Officers have confirmed today.
The fourteen categories will be open for nominations and entries from 21 April. Entries can be made online at www.hifoodanddrinkawards.com before the closing date of the 31 May.
HIE and Scottish Enterprise (SE) teamed up to run the project, aimed at helping companies meet the growing requirement to accurately forecast their environmental impacts. The two-month pilot recognised that environmental impact is increasingly becoming a deciding factor in a company's overall attractiveness to investors and customers.
There is a lot of information on self build online. A while back we published a series of articles that covered all the aspects of Self-build and it may be easier than you think.
