The Scottish Government is investing an additional £10 million to help patients avoid a hospital stay wherever possible - and to prevent delayed discharge for inpatients. This is part of a range of actions included in the £300 million winter package of funding to health and social care services, and outlined in the health and social care winter plan, to take the pressure off hospitals and frontline staff.
Scotland's Chief Statistician today published Homicide in Scotland, 2020-21. The publication provides information on crimes of homicide recorded by the police in Scotland in 2020-21.
Work to be undertaken to support a just transition for Scotland's energy sector. The Scottish Government will no longer support unlimited recovery of hydrocarbons including oil and gas, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has reiterated.
2,262 new cases of COVID-19 reported. 20,897 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results 11.5% of these were positive.
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant has cautiously welcomed the announcement from HIAL that it has opened productive talks with Prospect and its members over its controversial Air Traffic Management centralisation plans. The announcement comes following the agreement of a framework for future discussions and means that Air Traffic Controllers across the region have now suspended all industrial action while talks are ongoing.
The sum represents a 70% shift and comes as The Caithness Collection - which includes the Norseman Hotel in Wick, Thurso's Pentland Hotel and the Castletown Hotel - reaches the end of a 24-month deal next week. Owner Andrew Mackay says the best quote on offer will take the annual cost to almost £130,000.
Local government unions have today issued notices of industrial action to local authorities across Scotland in a dispute over pay for council workers. The Joint Trade Unions have between them mandates to take action in half of Scotland's local authority areas.
Several months ago, I warned that the crisis in container ships could jeopardise Christmas by leaving retailers without enough goods on their shelves. Since then, there have been similar fears all over the media, not only due to shipping problems but also shortages of lorry drivers and unavailable products.
UK petrol prices have hit their highest level on record and could rise further in the coming weeks as the global energy crisis drives oil markets to a three-year high. The average daily price for a litre reached 142.94p on Sunday, surpassing the all-time record 142.48p reached on 16 April 2012, according to data from the RAC/Experian.
The National Living Wage is set to rise from £8.91 per hour to £9.50 in the Budget according to some sources A 6.6% increase in the minimum wage for all those aged 23 and over - more than twice the current 3.1% rise in the cost of living. The rise is recommended by campaign group the Living Wage Foundation.
This article if from the Office for National Statistics written by Sarah Crofts is the Head of Analytical Outputs for the COVID-19 Infection Survey. As well as providing estimates on infection levels and antibodies, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey (CIS) collects information from participants on their vaccination status, providing some insight into vaccine effectiveness on variants, including Delta.
Bitcoin's journey into mainstream finance has reached another major milestone - and another record price. The cryptocurrency was trading at US$66,975 (£48,456) following the launch of an exchange traded fund (ETF) in the US which has dramatically increased bitcoin's exposure to investors.
Major phone networks have agreed to automatically block almost all internet calls coming from abroad if they pretend to be from UK numbers, Ofcom has confirmed. Criminals have been using internet-based calling technology to make it look like a phone call or text is coming from a real telephone number.
Office for National Statistics Blog by Darren Morgan is ONS Director of Economic Statistics. Many of the UK's key indicators have seen dramatic movements as a result of the pandemic, making it hard to see underlying trends.
If we are to build a greener, fairer and more equal society in the wake of COVID-19, it's time for rich countries to end their practice of dumping plastic waste in developing countries. This not only harms the environment but disproportionately affects the women and girls who tend to clear it up.
Zeeshan Syed, economics expert at the University of Salford Business School, comments as Chancellor Rishi Sunak puts the finishing touches to his budget, set to be announced on Wednesday. Zeeshan said: "Jobs at a record high, national debt levels declining, housing prices soaring, and a public ever more confident is the picture of post-covid UK.
The total volume of online job adverts grew by 2% on 15 October 2021 from the previous week to 143% of its February 2020 average. "Transport, logistics and warehouse" remains the category with the highest volume of job adverts relative to its February 2020 average level, with the volume now over four times higher than the period shortly before the first UK lockdown, according to data from Adzuna.
2,240 new cases of COVID-19 reported 23,055 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results 10.3% of these were positive. 0 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive (noting that Register Offices are generally closed at the weekend).
In most of our analysis of education spending, we focus on spending in England to ensure comparability. In this observation, we expand our analysis to show the level and changes to school spending per pupil across the four nations of the UK.
Earlier last week, markets reacted to comments by the governor of the Bank of England by bringing forward their expectations of when interest rates will rise. Bank Rate currently sits at an ultra-low 0.1% and hasn't exceeded 1% since January 2009 but markets are now pricing-in an increase at next month's MPC meeting and expect rates to reach 1% by next summer.
