The latest list of Bank of Scotland branch closures is once again put down to changing banking habits by customers who are doing more transactions online. The latest wave of Lloyds closures will affect 54 Lloyds bank branches, 22 Halifax branches and 24 Bank of Scotland branches.
Ambulance bosses are admitting that inter-hospital transfers from Caithness General are estimated to double this year from the number recorded four to five years ago. Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant has now received an answer to a question sent on 8th December last year asking the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) for details of transfers.
Interest-free loans now available to help reduce fuel bills. The Scottish Government's Home Energy Efficiency Programme Scotland (HEEPS) has announced £30 million of funding to help householders make their homes more energy efficient.
Four design consultancies or Joint Ventures are to be invited to bid for the contract for a 26 mile stretch of the A96 from east of Huntly to Aberdeen - the eastern section of the Scottish Government's ambitious programme to dual the A96 from Inverness to Aberdeen by 2030. The contract, worth up to £50 million, is expected to be awarded later this year.
You may not have been keeping up with changes flowing from the Local Democracy Bill but the Commission on Highland Democracy setup last year by the Highland Council with agreement from all parties has now publish its interim report. Cllr.
The output of the Scottish economy contracted by 0.2% during the fourth quarter of 2016, according to statistics announced today by Scotland's Chief Statistician. Change in gross domestic product (GDP) is the main indicator of economic growth in Scotland.
As many as 4,800 people with health conditions and disabilities will receive help to get into work without the threat of sanctions in the first year of new Scottish employment services. Employment support is one of the first powers to be devolved through the Scotland Act 2016.
Wave Energy Scotland (WES) has issued its fourth funding call for complete control systems suitable for use with a variety of wave energy converters. Advanced control systems have the potential to play a vital role in the delivery of cost-effective wave energy generation technology.
Farmers and crofters who are waiting for their 2016 payment under the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) will be offered a Scottish Government funded loan. Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing confirmed this will provide around £50 million support to businesses operating in Scotland's most marginalised and remote areas.
Funding to support training of social service staff. Hundreds of care workers will be supported to get necessary qualifications with more than £1 million funding from the Scottish Government.
Funding to support women-led businesses has been doubled to £120,000 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced today in California. The funding for Investing Women, a Scottish social enterprise which supports women-led businesses, was confirmed during a meeting with American angel investors in the First Minister's first day of engagements in the United States.
In response to a call for evidence on the impact of city-region deals in Scotland, by a Scottish Parliament Committee, Highland Council Director of Development and Infrastructure, Stuart Black said:"It is very early days to assess the impact of the City-Region Deal, however, it is anticipated that the impact of the Deal on Inverness and the wider Highland region will be significant in securing the long term productivity and economic growth of the region and position it as a region of digital opportunity. Regional partners estimate that the City-Region Deal funding of £315m could unlock up to an additional £800 million of investment by the private sector.
With Scottish Council elections taking place in just a few weeks, voters in the Highlands are being urged to make sure they are registered to vote and are able to take part on polling day, Thursday 4 May. The call for voters to sign up comes as the Electoral Commission launches a national voter registration campaign to encourage as many people as possible to register ahead of the elections taking place this year.
The Highland Council has awarded a contract to a world leading engineering design firm to carry out comprehensive flood protection studies for two Highland coastal towns. Thurso on the north coast and Golspie on the east coast have both suffered from flooding incidents over the years that has affected domestic and business properties and resulted in both towns being identified as Potentially Vulnerable Areas (PVAs) in the Highland and Argyll Local Flood Risk Management Plan.
The new powers over Scottish Income Tax will come into force next week. Rates have been frozen and the threshold at which people start paying the higher tax rate will remain at £43,000.
The data, which analyses passenger counts over the previous six months, lists the top ten trains busiest services and the points along each route which are most affected. The data not only identifies the busiest trains, it also gives information on the measures being taken to alleviate crowding such as when new rolling stock will come into service.
Powers over the revenue and management of Crown Estate resources in Scotland have been transferred to the Scottish Government, giving communities a stronger voice in how these assets are managed. From 1st April 2017, Scottish Ministers will have control over thousands of hectares of rural land, approximately half Scotland's foreshore and leasing the seabed for rights to renewable energy.
Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme higher price cap retained for 2018/19. New changes to the maximum value of a property eligible for Help to Buy Scotland will help more families onto the housing ladder, Housing Minister Kevin Stewart has said.
From today (1 April 2017), new rules apply to the sale and purchase of tobacco and nicotine vapour products - known as NVPs or e-cigarettes. This legislative changes mean that: it is illegal to sell NVPs to anyone under 18 it is illegal to buy NVPs for someone under 18 all retailers selling tobacco or NVPs will need to be registered stores will need to have an age verification policy for sales of tobacco and NVPs an unauthorised person under 18 will not be able to sell these products These were introduced in the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc.
New arrangements to support people who receive benefits and the long term employed come into effect today. The devolution of powers through the Scotland Act 2016 now has employability services delivered by the Scottish Government with 12 month transitional arrangements set to launch on Monday.
