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.
UNISON launches its manifesto for the local government elections in Scotland today ‘For fairness and democracy: keep it local' (1 April 2017). It is launched with polling from Survation showing that public services are the top priority for voters (70%); followed by the economy (51%); and job security and availability (44%).
More than £2.5 million has been awarded to help and develop new entrants into farming. The funding will support the next generation of farmers while increasing opportunities for young people to establish a career in agriculture.
£5 million to ensure veterans get full war pensions. Veterans who receive social care in Scotland will now get the full value of their war pensions thanks to £5 million of funding, Health Secretary Shona Robison has announced.
Changes to the enterprise and skills support system will drive forward Scotland's ambitions to be a top performing OECD nation, Economy Secretary Keith Brown has said. Updating Parliament, Mr Brown confirmed details of a new Strategic Board that will reset the relationship enterprise and skills agencies have with businesses.
Members and staff of the Highland Council are saddened by the passing of Councillor John Rosie on Wednesday 29 March 2017. Councillor Rosie was elected in 1999 and served on the Council until May 2003 during which time he held the position of Convener for Caithness.
Plans to increase ambulance provision in Caithness have been announced by the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS Highland. The investment follows a review showing an increase in inter-hospital transfers between Caithness General Hospital and Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
One of the contractors that has been operating in the Inner Sound for Atlantis RL's MeyGen site has been taken over by another, a much-larger one. See note on Insight Marine Services Ltd of Cornwall.
Week 27 March 2017 Energy & business services: Following last week's news that it has received consent from Scottish Government for its proposed Dounreay Tri floating offshore wind project off the north Caithness coast, this week Hexicon has announced a €45 million funding boost which will allow it to begin construction on the project. http://renews.biz/106475/hexicon-swells-dounreay-coffers/ The offshore construction phase of the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm project also progresses, with the arrival off Caithness of the huge vessel Stanislav Yudin.
Dounreay Tri Ltd has closed a EUR 45.0 million Sr Sec bond issued in the Nordic bond market. The bonds have a tenor of 3 years and a fixed coupon of 10.0%.
Moves to ensure the positive achievements of young people sitting National 5 qualifications continue to be recognised have been announced by Deputy First Minister John Swinney. Mandatory unit assessments are being removed from the qualification from the 2017/18 academic year to reduce teacher and pupil workload.
Scheme to boost access to qualifications for job seekers and low paid workers. A new scheme will make it easier for job seekers and low paid workers to gain access to qualifications and skills training.
The Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Ken Macintosh MSP, and Holyrood Conveners Clare Adamson MSP and Edward Mountain MSP will begin a series of engagements on behalf of the Scottish Parliament to mark Scotland Week on Sunday 2 April. Together, the delegation will visit Winnipeg, Ottawa and New York, meeting with parliamentarians, Scottish organisations working in North America, and helping to mark Tartan Day on 6 April.