Week commencing 27 August 2018 UKVL Sutherland: Today (Friday) marks Roy Kirk's last day as Area Manager for HIE in Caithness and Sutherland, as he will move next week to become full-time director for the Sutherland Spaceport project. Following Roy's move I have been offered (and have accepted) the role of acting Area Manager for Caithness and Sutherland, which in the short term I will take forward in addition to my CNSRP work.
FORT WILLIAM, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (August, 31st) sold 1,307 store sheep of all classes. Lambs (1,127) sold to £60.50 for Mule lambs from Ardtornish Farms, Morven.
The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has announced her intention to appoint Richard Lochhead as Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science. Mr Lochhead will be able to undertake some Ministerial duties immediately and will be put forward for approval by Parliament next week (subject to Parliamentary timetabling) and Her Majesty the Queen in September.
Salaried doctors and dentists working in Scotland, who earn below £80,000, are to receive a 3% increase in pay in 2018/19. The Dentists' and Doctors’ Pay Award will be backdated to 1 April 2018.
Caithness Councillors have welcomed information that shows progress being made in respect of destinations of pupils on leaving Wick High School in recent years. The information was presented at the Caithness Area Committee meeting held in Wick on Tuesday 28 August.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has made leadership changes in Caithness and Sutherland, following the recent announcement of plans to create a spaceport near Tongue. Roy Kirk has moved from his role as area manager to become project director for the new spaceport, where he will lead HIE's plans to develop the new satellite launch facility.
The Corporate Revenue Monitoring Statement for Quarter 1 (Apr - June 18), has been considered by the Council's Corporate Resources Committee. The paper sets out actions to address the projected 1% overspend of £5.1m.
Scotland's new public service to make first social security payments. Carers will receive the first payments of the new Carer's Allowance Supplement from mid-September, back-dated to April.
An Official Statistics Publication for Scotland. Scotland's Chief Statistician today published the above statistics on the progress and results of revaluation appeals following the 2010 and 2017 Revaluations, as at 30 June 2018.
Scotland is known for its vision as a world-leading entrepreneurial and innovative nation, one in which growth and innovation go hand-in-hand with fair work and delivering in a way which benefits everyone. The £650,000 funding package will support the next generation of entrepreneurs, building on Scotland's CAN DO vison, to encourage more people set up new businesses and social enterprises and for the government itself to be more entrepreneurial.
A new industry leadership group will aim to make Scotland the best country in the world for employee-owned (EO) businesses, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced this week. The First Minister confirmed the establishment of ‘Scotland for EO' when she travels to Arran for a meeting of the Scottish Cabinet.
Businesses in Scotland are to benefit from the most advanced ‘Internet of Things' (IoT) network in the UK as part of a £6 million project. The new network, called IoT Scotland, will provide a wireless sensor network for applications and services to collect data from devices and send that data without the need for 3G/4G or Wi-Fi, supporting businesses develop new and innovative applications, changing the way they work.
LOCHMADDY, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (August, 27th) sold 2,614 store lambs. Lambs (2,614) averaged £48.70 and sold to £86 gross for a Texel lamb from Druim Torrach, 17 Hougharry.
One hundred and nineteen probationer teachers were recently welcomed to the Highlands at an Induction Course held in Smithton Free Church Hall. We were also delighted to welcome a group of 13 new Canadian teachers, recruited through our agency partners TimePlan Education who will work in our primary and secondary schools across the authority.
Everyone in Caithness can recall the problems of getting a dental appointment locally. For several years it was very difficult but now the recently opened Wick Dental Practice is still looking for new registrations.
WeekCommencing 20th August 2018 Energy & Business Services: Good to see another Beatrice milestone being reached this week, with the news that all of the inter-array cabling for the development has now been completed. With the crew transfer vessels based in Wick now able to use the new pontoon berths at the harbour the project is reaching the critical phase where construction work and operations work are both moving ahead quickly.
Budget Leader highlights early action required to address overspend. The Corporate Revenue Monitoring Statement for Quarter 1 (Apr - June 18), which will go to the Council's Corporate Resources Committee next week, is projecting a £5.1 m overspend for the year.
How things will change under BREXIT from the EU is still essentially unknown but today the UK government published its thought on a NO Deal situation by 29th March 2019. Food, Credit Cards, Farm Payments, Banking, Finance, Atomic Agreements, Money Laundering and much more.
A proposal to set a fixed school holiday for the first 2 weeks in April each year from 2019 onwards will go out to consultation by The Highland Council's Care and Learning Service. The service will consult with Head Teachers, Parent Councils, the Local Negotiating Committee for Teacher representatives and other relevant educational establishments in Highland.
Members of The Highland Council's Care, Learning and Housing Committee have agreed for the Council to conduct a statutory consultation on a proposal to discontinue the provision of education at Altnaharra Primary School and to formally close the school. In a report to committee, Councillors were informed that the school has been mothballed since February 2017 and that there are no prospective pupils in the foreseeable future, and no long term prospect of the school having a viable roll.