Demand for heat pumps increases, as applications to the government's Boiler Upgrade Scheme doubles. Heat pumps a more affordable and attractive option for families as demand continues to soar with applications in April up 93% year-on-year.
Funding to tackle rising costs and invest in local infrastructure. First Minister John Swinney will announce a £5 million package for Scotland's island communities during a visit to Shetland.
New proposals will further crackdown on student visas, ensuring only genuine students can come to the UK; route will be kept under review. The Home Secretary and Education Secretary have announced new proposals to ensure the UK's world-leading higher education sector is used for education, not as a gateway to immigration, with options to go further remaining under consideration.
The CMA has today confirmed its decision to launch a market investigation into the veterinary sector and published tips to help pet owners struggling with vet costs now. This follows an initial review last September which prompted 56,000 responses to a call from pet owners and those working in the vet industry.
Between 1 July to 30 September 2024 the energy price cap is set at £1,568 per year for a typical household who use electricity and gas and pay by Direct Debit. This is £122 lower than the cap set between 1 April to 30 June 2024 (£1,690).
Members were given an overview of the scale of the problem and challenges faced in the decommissioning of the site. In the last week of March 2024, several members of CoRWM led by the Chair, Sir Nigel Thrift, made the long journey up to the North of Scotland to visit the Dounreay nuclear site, now managed by Nuclear Restoration Services.
One of the primary risks related to lithium-ion batteries is thermal runaway. Thermal runaway is a major challenge in the lithium-ion battery field due to its uncontrollable and irreversible nature, which can lead to venting of toxic fumes, fires and explosions.
Health Secretary Neil Gray has opened the NHS Scotland Academy Skills and Simulation Centre at Clydebank's Golden Jubilee University National Hospital. The custom-built centre provides state-of-the-art training and education facilities to practitioners including an array of advanced simulators.
Rishi Sunak has called a UK general election for 4 July - a Thursday as is traditional. This is just inside the second half of the year, as he promised.
First Minister John Swinney has formally apologised on behalf of the government to everyone who has been infected or affected as a result of infected NHS blood or blood products in Scotland. Yesterday, the Infected Blood Inquiry Chair Sir Brian Langstaff made clear in the report that the situation was a result of "systemic, collective, and individual failures".
Scotland's Chief Statistician today published Scotland's Carbon Footprint: 1998-2020. This publication provides estimates of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions on a consumption basis; that is emissions that are associated with the spending of Scottish residents on goods and services, wherever in the world these emissions arise, together with emissions directly generated by Scottish households.
The UK Emissions Authority has published a package of consultations on expanding the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, to further limit carbon emissions. Further detail on plans to expand the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to the energy from waste and waste incineration sectors expanding the scheme will ensure that a greater proportion of emissions are capped.
An embedded culture of overwork and unpaid overtime is taking a severe toll on business and workers across the UK, according to new research released today by Protime UK. The research, conducted among 2,000 UK employees, found excessive workloads and unrealistic expectations from managers are driving a work environment that undermines employee, motivation, productivity, retention and overall business performance.
UK house prices rose by 1.8% in the year to March 2024, compared with a negative of 0.2% in the 12 months to February 2024. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, average house prices in the UK increased by 0.7% between February 2024 and March 2024, compared with a decrease of 1.2% during the same period a year earlier (February and March 2023).
Worst treatment sandal in HNS history (so far). Infected blood report.
The Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs (CPIH) rose by 3.0% in the 12 months to April 2024, down from 3.8% in the 12 months to March. On a monthly basis, CPIH rose by 0.5% in April 2024, compared with a rise of 1.2% in April 2023.
The boss of a British supermarket has claimed that the "era of cheap food is over". But what he calls cheap, many people still find expensive.
The US president, Joe Biden, has announced new tariffs on imports of electric vehicles, solar equipment and batteries from China. The move comes a month after he called for higher tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium products, and said that his administration would investigate Chinese shipbuilding.
The government is cracking down on those they call extremists, who seem to me and, I suspect most people, to be those holding exceedingly normal opinions. Woe beside nature lovers, democrats and those concerned about poverty, let alone anyone not a neoliberal.
The Singapore-based fast-fashion company Shein is poised to choose between floating on the London Stock Exchange and Wall Street. As the potential £60bn IPO causes ripples on both side of the Pond, the home delivery expert Parcelhero asks what impact could it have on ASOS and Boohoo? The fast-fashion giant Shein (founded in China in 2012 but based in Singapore since 2021) is currently deciding whether to launch an initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) or on Wall Street.
