News Archive

11/11/2024

 
Former Health Secretary Alan Milburn To Help Government Fix Health And Care - But Some Have Doubts

Alan Milburn joins the Department of Health and Social Care's board to support the government's ambitious plans for reform.   Alan Milburn has been appointed Lead Non-Executive Member to the board of the Department of Health and Social Care.  

11/11/2024

 
Who Are The Hybrid Workers?

Almost five years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we look at the types of workers most likely to be following a hybrid working pattern - and how they spend their time.   More than a quarter of working adults in Great Britain (28%) were hybrid working in the autumn of 2024.  

11/11/2024

Secretary Of State Pledges To Contain NHS Agency Spend

Wes Streeting will set out plans to clamp down on temporary workers in speech at NHS Providers conference.   Trusts could be banned from using agencies to cover gaps in entry level positions, and agencies could be banned from re-introducing NHS workers that leave permanent jobs.  

11/11/2024

So You Think The Government Rules Through Departments - Well Quangos Have A Lot To Say

Are quangos good for the country or a way for politicians to swerve away from difficult decisions and pass the buck.   From energy to football - the quangos being set up by Labour.  

10/11/2024

 
Digital Veteran Card To Make Accessing Support Even Easier For Ex-service Personnel

New Digital Veteran Card to make sure former service personnel can prove their veteran status as easily as possible, enabling smoother access to often essential support.   Digital Veteran Card to give heroes swifter access to help and support available to them - from help with housing to employment and rail discounts.  

10/11/2024

 
Why Are People So Good At Their Hobbies?

The question always asked about the UK economy is why are we so unproductive?.   Might it be that UK business does not seek to use the skills, talents, curiosity and drive of its employees in useful ways, which is why so many of those employees direct those talents into their hobbies instead?.  

9/11/2024 : Advisory / Counseling Services

 
Call For Young Entrepreneurs To Register For Final Support Programme

Ambitious young businesspeople in the Highlands and Islands have just one more chance to benefit from a tailored support programme.   IMPACT30 was launched by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in 2018 to help nurture and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs.  

9/11/2024

 
How Big Are The UKs Demographic Challenges?

With birth rates at record lows, we ask what the implications are for the UK and how it might impact the public finances.   At the end of October, the ONS announced that the fertility rate in England and Wales had fallen to 1.44 births per woman in 2023 - the lowest figure since records began in 1938.  

9/11/2024

Lost Track Of All Your Pension Pots? It Is Easy To Find Them Using Free Government Sites

It can be easy to lose track of your pensions but finding them again really couldn't be easier with the Pension Tracing Service.   They will find your pensions for free, you can cancel the service at any time and you are never under any obligation to act upon any financial advice that they may provide.  

9/11/2024

Wood Burning Stoves To Be Permitted In New Homes - Also Bioenergy and Peat For Heating

Wood-burning stoves, bioenergy and peat heating will now be permitted in new homes and buildings following a review of the New Build Heat Standard commissioned by ministers earlier this year.   An amendment to regulations made today permits the installation of bioenergy and peat main heating systems - and any type of secondary heating systems - in new buildings from 1 January 2025, while maintaining the prohibition on mains gas and oil boilers as a main heating system.  

9/11/2024

 
UK Will Work With International Partners To Dismantle The Cyber Criminal Ecosystem - UK Statement At The UN Security Council

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on threats posed by ransomware attacks.   Earlier this year in the General Assembly open-ended working group on information communication technologies, all states recognised that ransomware attacks "may have an impact on international peace and security." Ransomware actors have consistently attacked critical national infrastructure, local government, and hospitals for personal financial gain.  

9/11/2024

Bank Of Russia Lifts Rate To Record Of 21%

The Bank of Russia raised its key interest rate by 200bps to 21% in its October 2024 meeting, above market expectations of a 100bps increase, and signaled that it is likely to continue raising interest rates in its upcoming December meeting.   The decision lifted the key interest rate to its highest on record, surpassing the extraordinary move that lifted the rate to 20% in response to the crash of the ruble following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.  

9/11/2024

 
Trade Remedies Authority Proposes Measure On Argentinian Biodiesel Is Maintained

In a Statement of Essential Facts, the TRA has proposed that the duty payable on imports of Argentinian biodiesel is maintained until February 2029.   The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has on Friday 8 November provisionally proposed that a countervailing measure on biodiesel imported from Argentina is maintained.  

9/11/2024

Major Gaps In Childcare Support Leave Parents In Further Education With No Guaranteed Help

Spending on childcare has increased by 41 per cent over the past decade, boosting support for working parents.  But major gaps in support mean that parents in education are missing out, with a parent studying in Further Education (FE) in England receiving no guaranteed support, according to new research published today (Saturday 9 November 2024) by the Resolution Foundation.  

8/11/2024

UK Strikes At Heart Of Putin's War Machine With New Sanctions

The UK has today announced a wave of new sanctions against Russia's military industrial complex and Russian-backed mercenary groups.   the UK announces 56 new sanctions in its largest sanctions package against Russia since May 2023.  

8/11/2024

 
English Tuition Fees Rise - But It's Nowhere Near Enough Income To Solve Universities' Financial Crisis

UK education secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced that university tuition fees in England are set to rise next academic year, with the maximum fee increasing by £285 to £9,535.  This will be the first increase in university education for domestic undergraduate students since 2017, when fees were raised to £9,250.  

8/11/2024

HMRC Late Payment Interest Rates To Be Revised After Bank Of England Lowers Base Rate

HMRC interest rates for late payments will be revised following the Bank of England interest rate cut to 4.75%.   The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee announced on 7 November 2024 to reduce the Bank of England base rate to 4.75% from 5.0%.  

8/11/2024

US Interest Rates: Fed plays it safe, but there could be trouble ahead

The Fed cut interest rates to 4.50-4.75%.   0.25% rate cut is in line with expectations following a 0.5% cut in September.  

8/11/2024 : Local Authority

Highland Visitor Levy On The Agenda Of The Economy And Infrastructure Committee

On Thursday (14 November) the Economy & Infrastructure Committee will consider a report on a potential Visitor Levy for Highland.   This report sets out a proposed outline of how the scheme would operate and seeks members approval to undertake a public statutory consultation.  

8/11/2024

What Counts As National Debt And Assets Now? Here's How To Understand The Uk's Redefined Fiscal Rules

Governments set rules that we, as citizens, must follow - laws with clear consequences for non-compliance.  But they also set rules for themselves, and these can be flexible when convenient.