The Highland Council is providing all parent councils with a Gmail address to help establish a consistent approach to communication across parent councils in Highland. Cllr John Finlayson, Chair of Education Committee said: "I am delighted we have managed to pull this together, as consistent partnership working and communication with parents is essential, as we work together to support the education of all our young people.
Public health rules for international travel are an important part of Scotland's wider response to the pandemic to limit the introduction of new chains of transmission. Following the laying of the regulations, the change to self-isolation rules will come into force at 0400 on Friday 29 January.
Action to reduce backlog of unpaid work during pandemic. New measures will help ensure the justice system can operate effectively and ease pressure on local authorities as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues.
In order to protect people's incomes, local authorities are to be given £90 million of funding - the equivalent of a 3% increase - on top of the local government settlement to compensate councils who choose to freeze their council tax. Some have already said this amounts to an election bribe.
Record funding to support NHS Scotland through the most challenging period in its history has been delivered in the 2021-22 Scottish Budget. The Health portfolio will receive more than £16 billion, an increase of 5.3% on 2020-21 spending, with a further £869 million for tackling Coronavirus (COVID-19).
More support will be available to people experiencing emotional distress following the expansion of the Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) programme to further local areas. If someone presents as ‘in distress' to emergency services or in a primary care setting, this programme can offer them a call from a trained operator within 24 hours.
Statement given by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman at a media briefing in St Andrew's House, Edinburgh on 29 January 2021. Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport's speech - 29 January 2021 Thank you again for joining us today.
Dounreay features in a new leaflet from the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency showing recent research, development and innovation. See the leaflet link at the bottom of this page to read about some of the other investments by the NDA.
HIE has approved investment of up to £8.3m in Scottish Government funding for an £18.9m project to develop the East Quay at Nigg in Easter Ross. The project will help the Highlands and Islands economy benefit more from the growth in renewable energy development, as well as meeting the needs of existing clients.
Speciality vaccine company Valneva has started commercial manufacturing of its promising COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland. Valneva begins large-scale vaccine manufacturing at its Livingston site in West Lothian.
New grants for groundbreaking aerospace projects to help the industry build back greener. Green technology which could one day be used for taxi-like aircraft is set to revolutionise the aviation industry, with potential for zero-emissions air travel by 2023 £84.6 million invested by government and industry in 3 ambitious aerospace projects based in Bedford, Bristol, and Cranfield projects will help the industry to build back better and greener, and have the potential to unlock up to 4,750 jobs across the UK Nearly 5,000 jobs could be secured in making the UK's aviation sector greener, thanks to a multi-million-pound boost for 3 pioneering research and development projects announced today (Thursday 28 January) by Business Minister Paul Scully.
Highways England has today (Thursday 28 January) revealed the major jobs boost the Lower Thames Crossing will give to Kent and Essex, with at least 22,000 people expected to work on the country's largest road scheme since the M25 was built 35 years ago. The new crossing under the River Thames will almost double road capacity between Kent and Essex, ease congestion across the region, and divert over 13 million vehicles away from the Dartford Crossing each year, currently the only river crossing east of London.
A new initiative to drive growth in the food and drink sector has been welcomed by HIE. The Scotland Food & Drink Partnership launched The Academy this week to help businesses targeting growth, after the industry was one of the hardest hit by COVID-19 and Brexit.
INTRODUCING so-called vaccination passports has been downplayed by Scotland's National Clinical director - but it has not been ruled out. At Holyrood’s Covid Committee this morning, Jason Leitch told Labour’s shadow public health minister David Stewart the idea that people carry a certificate showing they have had the vaccine, giving them more freedom in daily life, was "an interesting concept".
Frontline workers to get specialist help. An additional £500,000 will be made available to health boards this financial year to provide dedicated mental health support for health and social care staff during the (Coronavirus) COVID-19 pandemic.
Parliamentary statement given by the First Minister on Thursday 28 January 2021. I will start with an update on the key statistics.
Members of the public are invited to view and comment upon the recently created draft Wick Pulteneytown Conservation Area Appraisal and Conservation Area Management Plan. Pulteneytown remains a unique area of considerable architectural and historic interest.
As part of the transformation of Inverness Castle to create a gateway for Highland tourism, the cell block located to the rear of the south tower -used up until the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service vacated the building in March 2020 - has been demolished. Originally built as a garage at the rear of the south tower of the castle, the removal of cell block has revealed a doorway and two windows to the rear of the south tower, all of which had been blocked up and hidden for many decades.
1,201 new cases of COVID-19 reported. 25,955 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results - 5.6% of these were positive.
On 4th February 2021 The Economy and Infrastructure committee of Highland Council will debate a wide ranging paper The Highland Labour Market on how to deal with the rising numbers of unemployed people in Highland. The meeting will be web cast at https://highland.public-i.tv/core/portal/home The paper covers many aspects of how to help people find and get back into work.
