Overall retail footfall decreased by 2% when compared with the previous week and decreased by 4% when compared with the equivalent week of 2024; both high street and retail park footfall decreased by 2% when compared with the previous week and shopping centre footfall decreased by 1% (MRI OnLocation). Total Revolut debit card spending increased by 4% when compared with the equivalent week of 2024; the 18 to 34 years age group saw the largest average spend increase over this period of 6% (Revolut).
The Charity Commission has launched a statutory inquiry into Iraqi Welfare Association. The charity regulator for England and Wales is investigating the Iraqi Welfare Association (IWA) about its use of ‘high-risk' methods to transfer and spend funds.
Over the 10 years between mid-2022 and mid-2032, the population of the UK is projected to increase by 4.9 million (7.3%) from an estimated 67.6 million to 72.5 million. This increase is projected to arise from net migration of 4.9 million compared with 6.8 million births and 6.8 million deaths.
NDA utilises innovative technology to bring to life progress in delivering its nationally important mission at ‘Nuclear Week in Parliament'. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group utilised innovative technology to bring to life progress in delivering its nationally important mission at the Nuclear Industry Association's ‘Nuclear Week in Parliament' (NWIP).
The new Alcohol Duty rates, draught rates and Small Producer Relief discounts will take effect on 1 February 2025. Most alcohol prices will rise next week, on 1st February, as new duty rates on wine and spirits come into force, linked to their (abv).
Agreements have been reached separately with the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Scottish Green Party to support the 2025-26 Budget. Finance Secretary Shona Robison has announced she will table amendments to the 2025-26 Budget Bill to allocate £16.7 million funding.
A judge has ruled that a £166m legal claim against the Scottish government over the failed deposit return scheme can go ahead. Ministers effectively dropped plans for a Scotland-specific bottle return initiative in June 2023 following a dispute with the UK government.
Police Scotland is aware of a batch of counterfeit currency currently in circulation across the Grampian area. Criminals are purchasing vehicles from Facebook Marketplace and paying in a mix of genuine and counterfeit currency.
New ONS population projections should, if incorporated by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), improve the economic and fiscal outlook, and reduce borrowing by around £5 billion, the Resolution Foundation said on Tuesday 28 January 2025. The new projections have revised up expectations of the working-age population in 2029-30 by around 400,000.
Some of the biggest changes announced in the Autumn Budget will affect employers. With changes to the employers National Insurance Contributions (NICs) rate, the secondary threshold and the National Living and Minimum Wage, a lot of employers will be concerned how this will affect their business from April 2025.
Chancellor unveils new plans to deliver the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor that will boost the UK economy by up to £78 billion by 2035. Rachel Reeves will today vow to go ‘further and faster' to deliver the government’s Plan for Change to kick start economic growth and put more pounds in people’s pockets.
First-time buyers struggling to secure a mortgage will be hoping for more support from the Government, such as loosening lending rules. Moneyfactscompare.co.uk explores the latest options for buyers.
Outlines the government's position on airport expansion and work being done on sustainable aviation fuels. I wish to update the House on the government's position regarding airport expansion and the transition to greener aviation.
Lift-off for growth as government backs expansion at Britain's busiest and only hub airport. Plan could create over 100,000 direct jobs, boost a better-connected British economy by billions, and lead to cheaper fares and fewer delays for families as part of Plan for Change.
A new law to bring about an immediate and sustained reduction in the prison population will take effect from 11 February. The Prisoners (Early Release) (Scotland) Act - passed by the Scottish Parliament in November 2024 - will change the release point for those serving prison sentences of less than four years from 50% of their sentence to 40%.
Specialist, Specialty and Associate Specialist (SAS) doctors across Scotland have voted to accept a £7.2 million investment in their pay, ensuring it remains competitive with other UK nations. The pay deal will see uplifts of between 6% and 10%, backdated to 1 April 2024.
Battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs) now match the lifespans of traditional cars and vans with petrol and diesel engines - marking a pivotal moment in the push towards sustainable transportation, a new study reveals. Findings in "The closing longevity gap between battery electric vehicles and internal combustion vehicles in Great Britain" demonstrate that, on average, BEVs now have a lifespan of 18.4 years, similar to that of a petrol engine and surpassing the lifespan of a diesel engine.
Scotland's onshore GDP contracted by 0.5% in November 2024, according to statistics announced by the Chief Statistician. This follows a revised contraction of 0.4% (revised from -0.2%) in October 2024.
Novel solutions are being sought by the British Army to boost the range and effectiveness of uncrewed systems. DASA has launched a new Market Exploration called ‘Air Launched Effects: Revolutionary Deployment Systems'.
Communities across the country will benefit from £9 million Scottish Government funding for measures to help cut energy costs and support the development of locally-owned renewable energy projects. The funding - which builds on the successful Community Energy Generation Growth Fund pilot – will be used to scale up community energy projects across Scotland as part of a drive to cut carbon emissions, create local jobs, reduce energy costs and stimulate local investment.
