Indoor soft play centres across Highland have received top-up grants in recognition of the enhanced Covid-19 restrictions they have faced for much of the pandemic. Grants of between £3,500 and £5,000, totalling £29,500 have been paid out to eight indoor soft play centres, depending on the rateable value of their premises.
A consultation seeking the views of people from across Scotland on the proposed Islands Bond has been published. The Islands Bond aims to tackle population decline across the Scottish islands and provide funding to help people stay on or move to the islands.
799 new cases of COVID-19 reported. 13,807 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results 6.5% of these were positive 1 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive (noting that Register Offices are now generally closed at weekends).
Best Start Foods payments are increasing this month marking the achievement of another commitment for the first 100 days of this government. The payment supports low income families to buy healthy food for children under the age of three, and forms part of the Scottish Government's national mission of eradicating child poverty.
Monday, 2nd August 2021 is a public holiday for GP Practices across north Highland. Some Practices will be operating a restricted service on that day, including pre-booked appointments and COVID-19 vaccination clinics.
The consortium owning the Beatrice Offshore wind farm off the coast of Scotland, has signed an agreement to sell the 588MW wind farm's Offshore Transmission Assets (OFTO) to Transmission Capital Partners. The buyer is a consortium comprising International Public Partnerships Limited, Amber Infrastructure Group, and Transmission Investment.
1,034 new cases of COVID-19 reported. 21,046 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results 5.4% of these were positive.
Children and young people aged 12-17 from key groups to be offered COVID-19 vaccine. Young people with certain conditions are to be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, in line with the latest advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), before the majority of schools return on the 16th of August 2021.
Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme launches. A scheme to provide children in eligible pre-school settings with milk and a portion of fruit or vegetables starts on 1 August.
1,018 new cases of COVID-19 reported. 22,725 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results 4.9% of these were positive.
Proposals to establish fair and sustainable green ports have attracted support from industry and public bodies after nine informal notes of interest were submitted by organisations across Scotland. The Scottish green port model adapts the UK Government's freeport model to fit the Scottish context and help deliver a net-zero emissions economy and Fair Work First approach, while supporting innovation, trade and inclusive growth.
Author - Tara Hurst, Lecturer, Biomedical Science, Birmingham City University. Most of the world, the UK included, is currently grappling with the delta variant of the coronavirus.
The number of furloughed employees fell below two million for the first time at the end of June, ahead of the scheme being wound down over the summer, the Resolution Foundation said on Thursday in response to the latest HMRC Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme data. The number of furloughed employees fell by 590,000 during June - roughly half the 1.1 million fall that took place during the grand reopening in May - taking the total number of furloughed staff down to 1.9 million.
People with reduced private water supplies following recent warm weather will be offered free bottled water through a Scottish Government support scheme. Public water supplies, which the vast majority of households in Scotland use, are not affected.
The Government intends to increase social care spending and is considering its options, having delayed a decision until the Autumn. They are 100 per cent right to do so.
1,456 new cases of COVID-19 reported. 25,990 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results 6.2% of these were positive.
Highland Council's Environmental Health team have identified raised levels of naturally occurring bivalve shellfish biotoxins following routine monitoring at Loch Harport. Eating bivalve shellfish such as cockles, mussels, oysters or razor fish from this area may pose a health risk arising from the consumption of these biotoxins.
Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance has described the increase in drug-related deaths as "heart-breaking", and reiterated the Scottish Government's determination to continue its work to address the crisis. National Records of Scotland figures show there were 1,339 deaths, an increase of 5% on 2019 and the highest figure on record.
As with last year, many holiday makers will be spending this summer in the UK. So in this Spotlight we look at the implications of another year of ‘staycations' for the UK's labour market.
Period Covered: 01 - 07 July 2021. Shop Price deflation accelerated to 1.2% year-on-year in July compared to June's decrease of 0.7%.
