Richard Murphy once again yesterday on his blog exposed that farce of the independent Bank of England promoted by the UK government. HM Treasury and the Bank of England issued a Memorandum of Understanding between them yesterday.
An 8% rent increase has been agreed for council homes in 2025/26, in order to meet increasing costs and the need to provide future housing options while keeping rent affordable for tenants. An attempt by a group of councillors to keep he rise to 6 % was voted down by the SNP led administration.
A taskforce has published 44 recommended actions on how to improve working conditions for Scotland's nurses and midwives. The Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce was established by the Scottish Government in 2023 to build on efforts to make Scotland the best place for nurses and midwives to work.
Members of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee have had the opportunity to be updated on progress being made for the Community Wealth Building action plan when they met on Thursday 13 February 2025. They have given their backing to a stand-alone Highland Social Value Charter update report coming to their May 2025 committee.
Members of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee have agreed the council’s response to the National Speed Limit Review Transport Scotland is currently running on behalf of the Scottish Government. The review seeks views on proposed changes to speed limits in Scotland.
Equalities Minister calls on UK Government to change family visa rules. Changes to the UK Family Visa Route would support the wellbeing of married couples and families by helping them reunite in Scotland, according to a new Scottish Government report.
Members of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee have unanimously endorsed the Regional Economic Strategy produced by the Highlands and Islands Regional Economic Partnership. The Highlands and Islands Regional Economic Partnership (HIREP) is a partnership of public, private, third sector and academic organisations, working together to realise the regions' economic potential in a sustainable and inclusive way.
Agentic AI is an upcoming form of artificial intelligence that proactively makes decisions and drives actions to achieve preset goals. Unlike traditional AI, its agentic version will assess situations, formulate plans and execute them with minimal human oversight.
The possibility of an AI-managed world is increasingly tangible. Not well represented in STEM areas, women could get left behind in an AI-driven economy.
UK's AI Safety Institute becomes ‘UK AI Security Institute'. UK's AI Safety Institute becomes ‘UK AI Security Institute’ - strengthening protections against the risks AI poses to national security and crime.
Armed forces personnel will have access to the latest space-based imagery for military operations, following a deal signed for a new satellite system, named Oberon. New satellite system to enhance military operations, named ‘Oberon', will be designed and built in the UK.
UK sanctions several high-profile individuals with links to Putin's inner circle in latest crackdown on the Kremlin. Russia's war machine further constrained by British sanctions, bolstering UK's national security and delivering on the Plan for Change.
The Prime Minister spoke to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Prime Minister spoke to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this morning.
Hundreds of thousands of working people and families will reap the rewards new towns across Britain, as the Prime Minister paves the way for the largest housebuilding programme since the post-war era. Over 100 sites across England have come forward to be considered for next generation of new towns.
£250 million upgrade to naval communications will support more than 100 high-skilled UK jobs, delivering on the Government's Plan for Change. More than 100 high-skilled jobs will be secured in the UK thanks to a new £250 million contract to upgrade the communications systems of the Royal Navy's warship and submarine fleet.
Farmers and crofters will be able to continue to access payments to carry out soil analysis, carbon audits, and animal health and welfare interventions for an extra year, Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon has confirmed. The ‘Preparing for Sustainable Farming' payments were originally due to end next month (March), but activities performed during 2025 will continue to be funded and claims will be accepted up until the end of February 2026.
Monthly real gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have grown by 0.4% in December 2024, largely because of growth in the service sector, following an unrevised growth of 0.1% in November 2024. Real GDP is estimated to have grown by 0.1% in the three months to December 2024, compared with the three months to September 2024, mainly because of growth in the services sector.
Construction output is estimated to have increased by 0.5% in Quarter 4 (Oct to Dec) 2024 compared with Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2024; this came solely from an increase in new work (1.2%), as repair and maintenance fell by 0.4%. Monthly construction output is estimated to have fallen by 0.2% in volume terms in December 2024; this came solely from a fall in repair and maintenance (1.8%) as new work grew by 1.1%.
# 13 February 2025 Update on UK Shared Prosperity Fund Delivery Plan progress An update on the progress being made across a range of interventions under the UK Government funded UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) priorities of Communities and Places, Supporting Local Business and People and Skills was noted by Members of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee today (Thursday 13 February 2025). The report included reference to the Highland UKSPF allocation for 2025/26 and the work being progressed to establish a Delivery Plan for the coming financial year.
Industrial heartlands and coastal areas will receive a major economic boost as the government backs renewable energy firms investing in industrial communities. Government launches new investment to support clean energy manufacturing, and highly skilled jobs in industrial towns and cities.
