The Highland Council has agreed a fresh approach to tackling poverty and unemployment in the Highlands. Organisations are being invited to develop innovative approaches to assisting people with barriers to employment into training, work experience and jobs.
Police Operation Reveals Five Breaches Of Licensing Laws POLICE are disappointed at the failure of five premises to comply with licensing laws during a test purchase operation in the North. Following the commencement of Northern Constabulary's Test Purchasing operation, which involved youths entering licensed premises under controlled conditions to purchase alcohol, 18 off-sales premises were tested in Wick and Thurso on Saturday the 29th of January 2011.
Weekly update, 24th January Week commencing 24th January I met with Caithness area Highland Councillors and HIE's Area Manager Roy Kirk to discuss the ongoing issues regarding the future of the tax office in Wick, which is scheduled for closure in 2012. HIE remains keen to incorporate the skills represented in the Wick office into its developing campaigns for inward investment in the priority "business services" sector.
Parents and guardians of children are being informed by The Highland Council that its time for enrolment into pre-school and primary school in the Highlands. The next school session starts on 16 August 2011.
Lybster Police Station To Close As Part Of Savings Measures By Northern Constabulary Police Stations were the focus of a meeting ot he Joint Northern Police Board today when it was agreed to close 15 police stations in the latest round of cuts and savings measures being announced by public bodies right across the UK. Lybster police station will now be covered by Wick police station.
Week commencing 17th January From Eann Sinclair - Programme Manage The Partnership's Delivery Group met this week, and discussed progress on our two priority areas of energy and business services. Roy Kirk, HIE's Area Manager reported progress in existing businesses and with targeted inward investment research and campaigns in specific areas of both energy and business services.
Tall Ships opportunity http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D17A9CA4-C88D-4A22-89DE- (Pdf) Tall Ships application form http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/CAD08E77-536D-43A5-862C- (Pdf) In partnership with Ocean Young Trust, Young Scot and COSLA, The Highland Council is offering 2 young people the opportunity to participate in the Tall Ships Races 2011. The opportunity includes travel to and from the vessel and all costs incurred while taking part in the project.
Ahead of the Budget Bill debate in the Scottish Parliament today, Finance Secretary John Swinney said:"I look forward to Stage 1 of the Budget Bill and debating a budget that will protect jobs and frontline services, promote economic recovery and support the move to a low carbon economy. Scotland's budget next year has been slashed by £1.3 billion as a result of Westminster cuts, planned by the previous UK Government and extended by the current UK coalition.
Speaking in response to the publication of UK GDP figures, which show the UK economy contracted by 0.5 per cent during the fourth quarter of 2010, Finance Secretary John Swinney on Tuesday said:"Today's shock UK figures entirely vindicate the Scottish Government's decision to defer the UK coalition Government's Emergency Budget cuts for 2010/11 to next year, so that we can continue investing and building recovery now. Clearly, Westminster's cuts go too far and too fast, and are choking off the UK's recovery.
Scotland's Chief Statistician today published Scottish Farm Income Estimates 2010, containing the first release of aggregate Total Income From Farming (TIFF) estimates for 2010 and average Farm Business Income (FBI) estimates for 2009-10, along with revisions for previous years. Main findings: Total Income From Farming (TIFF) increased by £122 million to £618 million between 2009 and 2010.
UK Housing Benefit changes will penalise the poor Around 60,000 households will face severe hardship when UK housing benefit changes take hold in Scotland, Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil said today. In April, 55,000 households will be given nine months to either lose housing benefit or move out of their home.
Regulations governing the approval of a national Tenancy Deposit Scheme were laid in the Scottish Parliament. The regulations are expected to become law in March.
Budding computer games designers are being given a unique opportunity to design a digital game for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Any student studying in Scotland is eligible for the competition which will see both the winner and runner up take home a cash prize of £2014.
Transport Minister Keith Brown today gave the go ahead for the upgrade after considering the findings and recommendations of the public local inquiry. The improvements will provide continuous dual carriageway between Aberdeen and Ellon and remove the bottleneck caused by the existing single carriageway.
The Highland Council's Library Service has received acknowledgement for their commitment to providing high quality services at the inaugural Scottish Library Excellence Awards. With public libraries in Scotland attracting over 30 million visitors per year and academic libraries attracting 12.8 million, the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) acknowledged the achievements of Highland libraries.
A 2,000 Tonne load of salt delivered to Inverness yesterday (24 January 2011) has boosted total stock on salt for Highland Council roads to 14,800 Tonnes. With a further 8,300 Tonnes due later in the week, stocks are now sustainably above the 12,800 Tonne threshold at which Councillors decided last week that restrictions should be lifted.
The Highland Council has welcomed the progress announced today (Tuesday 25 January 2011) in reactivating the former Nigg oil fabrication yard in East Ross. Global Energy has confirmed it has been given preferred bidder status and is in the process of purchasing part of the site owned by US company, KBR, and securing a long term lease of the section owned by the Wakelyn Trust, with a view to taking over the site in April.
Young people from across the Highlands still have time to stand as candidates in the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) elections which take place across Scotland in March. SYP is the national organisation which provides young people aged 14-25 a platform to represent young people across Highland and Scotland and is an opportunity to influence politicians and formal decision makers.
Planning consultations seek views on sustainable design and impact of development on trees and woodland. An eight-week public consultation gets under way today Monday (24 January 2011) on two new planning documents produced by The Highland Council's Planning Environment and Development Service, which provide guidance on the design of buildings as well the impact of developments on trees and woodland.
Highland householders are being advised by The Highland Council of new and extended ways of paying their Council Tax, rent and other Council bills. The new payment system takes effect from 1 April - the start of the new financial year.
