Week Commening 27 January 2019 SpaceHub Sutherland: The SHS team were in Melness yesterday (Thursday 31 January 2019), continuing its series of engagement events with the local community. The drop-in event was in Melness Village Hall and had the additional benefit of personnel from Lockheed Martin being present to help answer questions on the project.
Budget Leader Cllr Alister Mackinnon responded to the Scottish Government's revised budget settlement. He said: "Further to receiving detailed information yesterday evening, we now have a more accurate picture of what this means for Highland.
UNISON, the largest union in local government, have today informed COSLA that their members have overwhelmingly voted to accept the pay offer for local government workers. The move follows a consultative ballot of UNISON Scotland local government members in which 91% voted in favour of the deal and in record numbers.
www.closethegap.org.uk Close the Gap, Scotland's national expert on women's labour market participation, launching the pilot of an innovative employer accreditation programme which will support employers to advance women's equality in the workplace, and prevent violence against women. The world-leading programme, Equally Safe at Work, will be piloted in seven councils across Scotland during 2019.
Now is a good time to look at the key changes affecting payroll for the 2019-20 tax year. Employers - what's new for 2019-20? Join this live webinar for an overview of ‘what's new' - including the new rates for National Insurance, National Living Wage/National Minimum Wage and statutory payments, changes to expenses and benefits and Student Loan deductions.
The board of NHS Highland unanimously gave the green light to the next stage of its multi-million pound redesign of services in Caithness at a meeting on Tuesday 29th January 2019. With the board endorsing the recommendations made by its Health and Social Care committee (HSCC) last week, the board will now seek the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport's approval prior to moving to start the business case process.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (January, 30th) sold 728 sheep of all classes. Lambs (536) averaged £63.63 and sold to £83.50 for a pen of Cheviots from Davoch, Rogart.
Scotland's international exports (excluding oil and gas) increased by £1.9 billion to £32.4 billion in 2017, the highest annual growth rate (6.2%) since 2011. The rise, revealed in today's National Statistics Publication: Export Statistics Scotland (ESS) 2017, was driven by an increase in manufacturing exports, including food and drink, while exports of services also increased.
From when the Scottish Welfare Fund scheme began on 1 April 2013 until 30 September 2018, 316,095 individual households have received awards totalling £181.6 million. Scotland's Chief Statistician today released statistics on the Scottish Welfare Fund covering the period from 1 April 2013 to 30 September 2018.
The Scottish economy grew by 0.2% during the third quarter of 2018, according to updated statistics announced today by Scotland's Chief Statistician. The quarterly growth rate has been revised down from the first estimate of 0.3% published on 19 December.
In 2018 Quarter 4, the quantity of retail sales in Scotland grew by 0.6 per cent compared to the previous quarter, according to statistics announced today by Scotland's Chief Statistician. The Retail Sales Index Scotland (RSIS) for Quarter 4 (October to December) 2018.
Total income from farming is estimated to have fallen by £57 million in 2018, after increasing in 2017. The Chief Statistician in the Scottish Government today published Total Income from Farming Estimates for Scotland 2016-2018, which contains near-final estimates of Total Income from Farming (TIFF) for 2017 and an initial estimate of 2018 TIFF.
The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) today published the Children's Services Workforce 2017 report, taking a detailed look at the children's social services workforce. See https://data.sssc.uk.com/data-publications/194-the-childrens-services-workforce-2017 The data in the report supplements the information published in the SSSC's Scottish Social Service Sector: Report on 2017 Workforce Data.
Following an investigation by Highland Council Environmental Health Officers, a Fort William Landlord has been successfully prosecuted for operating a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) without a licence. An HMO is a property in which three or more unrelated adults are residing as their main residence and require to share kitchen, toilet or personal washing facilities.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (January, 29th) sold 18 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (6) averaged 208.1p (-2.9p) and sold to 212.0p per kg and £1,359.60 gross.
Two Highland GPs joined MSP Rhoda Grant for a meeting in Holyrood with Health Secretary Jeane Freeman. Mrs Grant, Dingwall GP Miles Mack and Inverness GP Phil Wilson, also a Professor of Primary Care and Rural Health at the University of Aberdeen, outlined their concerns for rural and remote practices under the new GP Contract.
Week Commencing 21 January 2019 SpaceHub Sutherland: The team working on this exciting project have now created a web presence at www.spacehubsutherland.com which will be a central resource for information about the project as it progresses. And the team will be on the ground in Melness next week, continuing the series of engagement events with the local community.
This February, entrepreneurs in Caithness have the chance to attend a workshop that will leave them pitch perfect. Business leaders will develop and hone their business pitches thanks to a workshop organised by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) through its Entrepreneurial Academy.
4th March 2019, 09:30 - 12:30 at Caithness Chamber of Commerce, Thurso. £75 inclusive of SQA registration & certification.
