News Archive

13/11/2024

More Support For The Delivery Of New Homes In Scotland

New Housing Planning Hub to unlock development sites.   Actions to help planning authorities will increase the speed of approvals, deliver more new homes and grow the number of planners.  

13/11/2024

More Support For The Delivery Of New Homes In Scotland

New Housing Planning Hub to unlock development sites.   Actions to help planning authorities will increase the speed of approvals, deliver more new homes and grow the number of planners.  

13/11/2024

Empowering Great Britain For A Clean And Flexible Energy Future With The Next Generation Of Interconnectors

In a major boost for energy security and the shift to clean power, Ofgem yesterday approved five major new undersea energy links which will further harness the vast potential of North Sea wind and help power millions of homes.   With Great Britain expected to be a net exporter of energy by 2030* the greenlit projects will capitalise on the growing amount of homegrown wind power by providing additional channels for exporting in times of energy surplus and importing during times of more limited domestic supply.  

13/11/2024

Britain's Post-pandemic High-vacancies Era Ends As Pay Growth Continues To Weaken

Britain's three-year period of high vacancies has ended, with vacancy rates now back to pre-pandemic levels in both the private and public sectors, while pay rises continue to slow as a result, the Resolution Foundation said in response to the latest labour market statistics.   The latest data shows vacancy levels falling again, as they have done in all but one of the last 29 months, reaching 831,000 in the three months to October 2024.  

12/11/2024 : Local Authority

Highland Council Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2024-2030

On Thursday 14 November 2024, Members of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee will be presented with a new Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2024-2030 and asked to note and agree recommendations which include adopting the new Sustainable Tourism Strategy.  Also an agreement to amend the strategy to accommodate consultation feedback on the Visitor Levy Scheme.  

12/11/2024

 
Average Weekly Earnings In Great Britain - November 2024

Annual growth in employees' average regular earnings (excluding bonuses) was 4.8%; growth was previously lower than this in April to June 2022, when it was 4.7%.   Annual growth in total earnings (including bonuses) was 4.3%; this total growth rate is affected by the civil service one-off payments made in July and August 2023.  

12/11/2024

Scotland's Economy After 25 Years Of Devolution - The Scottish Government Under Scrutiny

A new research paper published by Edinburgh University press sets out what has happened in the Scottish Economy.   The report discusses SNP policies that do not stack up to the rhetoric of politicians Andrew Goudie, Graeme Roy and David Waite cooperated for the report.  

12/11/2024

Failing NHS Managers' Pay Clampdown

Health and Social Care Secretary to set out measures in speech at NHS Providers annual conference.   ‘No more rewards for failure', with senior leaders to be denied pay rises if key improvements are not made.  

12/11/2024

Labour Market Overview UK - November 2024

Estimates for payrolled employees in the UK decreased by 9,000 (0.0%) between August and September 2024, but rose by 136,000 (0.4%) between September 2023 and September 2024.   Payrolled employees fell by 9,000 (0.0%) over the quarter but rose by 182,000 (0.6%) over the year, when looking at July to September 2024, which is the period comparable with our Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates.  

12/11/2024

Progress In Overhauling The Railways

How the government is reforming the railways to put passengers first.   The Rt Hon Louise Haigh MP minister for transport.  

12/11/2024

Negotiations Begin For UKs Small Modular Reactor Programme

Great British Nuclear (GBN) has today started detailed negotiations with the final four shortlisted bidders into the UK's Small Modular Reactor (SMR) programme.   The four companies, GE Hitachi, Holtec, Rolls Royce SMR and Westinghouse, have been shortlisted following two rounds of assessment by GBN, the government's expert nuclear delivery body.  

12/11/2024

Planning Applications Statistics 2023/2024: Annual And Quarterly October 2023 To March 2024 Official Statistics

Official statistics publication provides data on the number, type and decision times of planning applications made to Scottish Planning Authorities during 2023/24.   Summary statistics on planning decision-making and timescales for 2019/20 to 2023/24.  

12/11/2024

Labour Market In The Regions Of The UK - November 2024

Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates have been affected by increased volatility, resulting from smaller achieved sample sizes.   This means that estimates of change should be treated with additional caution, and we recommend using them as part of our suite of labour market indicators alongside Workforce Jobs (WFJ), Claimant Count data, and Pay As You Earn Real Time Information (PAYE RTI) estimates.  

12/11/2024

 
Vacancies And Jobs In The Uk - November 2024

The estimated number of vacancies in the UK in August to October 2024 was 831,000, a decrease of 35,000, or 4.0%, from May to July 2024.   Vacancy numbers decreased on the quarter for the 28th consecutive period in August to October 2024, with vacancies decreasing in 16 of the 18 industry sectors.  

12/11/2024

 
The Unemployment Rate In Scotland Is 3.3 Per Cent

The latest Labour Market Statistics for Scotland are published today and show figures for July to September 2024, compared with the quarter before (April to June 2024).   The unemployment rate in Scotland was 3.3 per cent, down 1.1 percentage points over the quarter.  

12/11/2024

Will Take Away Coffee Become Expnsive With Disposable Cup Charge - Consultation Ends 14 November

Day-to-day, we see the impacts the climate emergency and nature crises has on our communities, society, economic wellbeing, and environment - both here in Scotland and globally.  Addressing these fundamental challenges is something we must all tackle together, and how we view and treat our resources is integral to tackling them.  

12/11/2024

We Need New Homes - So Where Are All The Builders?

Around 300,000 construction workers have left the industry in the last five years at a time when the housing crisis and climate change need to be tackled.   A total of 300,000 construction workers have been lost to the industry in the last five years.  

12/11/2024

Tick Tock Tick Tock - Winding Down To The Scottish Budget - Business Rates

The next Scottish budget will b on 4 December 2024.   Mairi Spowage and João Sousa For Fraser of Allender - Scotland's Budget Report Preview 1 - what might the Scottish Government do on Business Rates?.  

12/11/2024

Most Businesses Won't Pay More National Insurance. But The UKs Small Employers Still Need Support

There are nearly 5.5 million businesses in the UK.  It may come as a surprise, however, to learn that most of these (about 4.1 million) are not employers.  

12/11/2024

 
Earnings And Employment From Pay As You Earn Real Time Information Uk - November 2024

Early estimates for October 2024 indicate that the number of payrolled employees rose by 0.3% compared with October 2023, a rise of 95,000 employees.   This annual increase was largest in the health and social work sector, a rise of 161,000 employees.