Executive summary Business owners have been the fastest-growing part of the UK labour force since at least 2000. Between 2000-01 and 2015-16, the number of employees grew by 15%, while self-employment (including those operating as a sole trader or as a partner in a partnership) grew by 25% and the number of directors of companies with at most two directors more than doubled.
Following the global financial crisis, overall current account surpluses and deficits fell sharply from about 6 percent of global GDP in 2007 to about 3.5 percent in 2013. Since then, as shown in our new External Sector Report, global current account imbalances have declined only slightly to 3 percent of world GDP in 2018, while rotating toward advanced economies and away from emerging economies, including China whose current account is now broadly in line with fundamentals.
The Caithness & North Sutherland Fund has committed over £70k to six community projects in its latest round of grant awards. CNSFund Chairperson David Glass said "This latest investment supports improvements to recreational amenities and events in Caithness & North Sutherland, helping to ensure that people living and visiting our area can enjoy a high standard of leisure activities.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd, (July, 17th) sold 1,505 store cattle at their 16th anniversary show and sale. The Judge, Mr John Brown, Gaindykehead Farm, Airdrie chose his overall champion in the show sponsored by Brodies LLP, HRN Tractors Ltd, Conan Vet & Ian S.
Covering the five weeks 26 May - 29 June 2019. Footfall declined by 2.9% in June, compared to the same point last year when it declined by 0.9%.
This was the NDA's third summit, and the inspirational setting of the new Coleg Menai facilities, on Anglesey in North Wales, perfectly reflected the NDA’s approach to building sustainable post-nuclear communities around its estate. Some £4 million of funding from the NDA’s socio-economic budget has been used to create a state-of-the-art educational facility at the heart of the island.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (July, 16th) sold 13 prime cattle. Prime Bullocks (2) averaged 205.0p (+8.0p) and sold to 205.0p per kg and £1,209.50 gross.
An interesting petition currently on the Scottish Government petitions section of the web site. Councils have the power to seize assets to cover the cost of certain things such as care home costs.
The Dales Voe decommissioning facility in Shetland is one step closer to becoming a centre of excellence for recycling offshore structures from the North Sea with the arrival of two new installations for decommissioning by strategic partners Veolia and Peterson. The structures from Spirit Energy's ST-1 arrived in the dedicated port facility on 15 July 2019.
Scotland's wind turbines produced enough electricity to power almost double the number of homes in Scotland between January and June 2019. Wind power output at record high during first 6 months of year.
Migration Minister Ben Macpherson has urged the Home Office to work with the Scottish Government and stakeholders on an immigration policy that addresses the particular problems experienced by remote communities - and proposed that Scotland pilot a different approach. In a letter to the Minister of State for Immigration Caroline Nokes ahead of the next four-nations meeting on migration issues, Mr Macpherson has proposed working with the UK Government to take forward recommendations made in the Migration Advisory Committee's recent report on skills shortages.
The refurbished X Ray Department at NHS Highland's Lawson Memorial Hospital was officially reopened this week (Tuesday 9th July 2019) following a significant upgrade to equipment. The ceremony marks the installation of state-of-the-art direct digital equipment that replaces technology which is more than 25 years old.
Today we begin a series of articles written by Peter Body of Thermohaus Ltd , a Caithness based timber frame kit home company. Why Self-Build? For decades the British have bought new homes as standard speculatively built products from national and regional house builders.
Elisa Miller, a Caithness-born solicitor is set to return to her home county next weekend to offer legal advice and guidance to visitors at the 2019 Caithness Show in Wick. Elisa Miller, who was born and raised on a farm in Caithness, works in the Inverness branch of law firm Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP (WJM), and will be on-hand over the weekend to advise show-goers on agricultural and rural legal affairs.
At present, electricity generated from the four existing sub-sea tidal stream turbines at its MeyGen site, in the Pentland Firth's Inner Sound between 1 mile and 1.5 miles off Gills Harbour, is not fed directly into the UK National Grid network. It is sent instead by a specially-built underground cable from the MeyGen onshore site at Ness o' Quoys, Canisbay, to the small electricity sub-station at Hastigrow, Bower, from where it is distributed to local households, farms and other NE Caithness business users via SSE's 'Local Distribution Network'This has a limited capacity..
Highland Council's Environmental Health team have identified raised levels of naturally occurring algal toxins following routine monitoring in coastal waters at Loch Glencoul, Kylesku area. Eating shellfish such as cockles, mussels, oysters or razor fish from these areas may pose a health risk arising from the consumption of these algal toxins.
BARRATT SECURES LAND TO CREATE THE FIRST PHASE. The first planning application for over 500 homes in the new masterplanned neighbourhood of Findrassie has received consent from Moray Council, enabling the sale of its first phase to Barratt Homes to complete this week.
Caithness homeowners are being encouraged to contact Home Energy Scotland this summer to see if they could qualify for free heating systems and insulation through the Scottish Government's flagship energy efficiency scheme. Since its launch nearly four years ago the Scottish Government's Warmer Homes Scotland scheme has helped 15,000 qualifying householders.
The Road Safety Foundation is calling for the formation of a Highway Standards and Safety Board - in line with that already in place for rail - to provide expertise and guidance on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT) to local authorities, sub-national transport bodies and Highways England. This is one of a series of recommendations in a report* out today from the Road Safety Foundation (RSF).
Some banks are sending out letters reducing interest rates on accounts so is it time you gave more serious thought to switching accounts. Plenty advice online and it is much easier than it was years ago.
