News Archive

24/7/2024

Lowest fixed mortgage rate drops below 4%

Rachel Springall, Finance Expert at Moneyfactscompare.co.uk, said, "Fixed mortgage rates are on the downward trend, which will be a relief to borrowers looking to refinance.  There is still much more room for improvement, but it has taken a few months for the lowest fixed mortgage rates to drop below the 4% mark.  

24/7/2024

Regulator Investigates Aid Charity Over Concerns About Links To A Terrorism-promoting News Outlet

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into World Aid Convoy.   The regulator is investigating aid charity World Aid Convoy over concerns that the charity has links to a Hamas supporting news agency.  

24/7/2024

Covid-19 Inquiry Module One - Oral Statement

The Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster's response to the Module One Report of the Covid-19 Inquiry.   With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the covid-19 inquiry.  

23/7/2024 : Local Authority

 
Suppliers Invited To Meet The Buyer Event In Inverness

The Highland Council is seeking contractors to tender for a Highland Energy Efficiency Framework (domestic and non-domestic).   Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Ken Gowans said: "It is vital that local businesses take this opportunity and attend the ‘Meet the Buyer Event' being organised for them in Inverness.  

23/7/2024

 
First Trial On British Army Vehicle For High-powered Laser Weapon - Potentially 10p Per Shot

stl, DE&S and industry have worked together to enable the development of this critical new capability and help prepare the UK's armed forces for the future.   Speed of light laser weapon trialled for first time on a British Army vehicle.  

23/7/2024

 
The Global Food System Is Owned By An Ever Smaller Number Of Companies - It's Damaging Our Health, Our Communities And The Planet

Across the world, over 800 million people spend their days hungry.  More than 2 billion have limited access to food.  

23/7/2024

 
UK Economic Outlook - July 2024 - Can The New Government Get The Economy Growing Again?

The Pwc report July 2024 looks at the economy.   The new Labour Government has placed economic growth at the heart of their plans for the next five years.  

23/7/2024

Women Match Men In Business Start-ups For First Time

Women in Scotland have reached a "landmark moment" in business, with the number of female entrepreneurs matching the number of men for the first time.   A report has found that women were starting and running new businesses at virtually the same rate as men last year.  

23/7/2024

 
Net Zeroing In On Investment - Priorities For The New Government In Delivering A Fair Transition

A new Resolution Foundation paper details some of the major challenges facing the new Government as it sets out policies to decarbonise the UK economy at the pace required by our legally binding carbon targets.   It assesses recent trends in decarbonisation and how they will need to change in the future, how this could impact the living standards of households on low- to middle-incomes, and steps that should be taken over the next five years to ensure that the burden of decarbonisation does not unduly fall on poorer families.  

23/7/2024

There Are Good Reasons To Reverse The Two-child Limit

The benefit cap has been pretty much laser-focused on increasing the measured rate of child poverty.  Paul Johnson writes for the Times.  

23/7/2024

 
What Is Labour's Economic Strategy? - IFS Zooms In

In the King's Speech last week, Labour announced 40 new bills covering areas from planning and green energy, to fiscal locks and a national wealth fund.   What can these bills tell us about Labour's economic strategy? We speak with IFS economists, Christine Farquharson and Ben Zaranko..  

23/7/2024

 
Labour Could Make Business Publish What It Pays - Richard Murphy

Big business pays a large proportion of the UK's taxes.  They should be detailing exactly how much in their accounts.  

23/7/2024

 
Let's Talk Pensions - Richard Murphy

Pensions are in the news because they very obviously are not working for people in the UK.  The trouble is, the solutions assume a bit of financial engineering, and pouring some more money into the bottomless pit of the City of London will solve the problems.  

22/7/2024

New Funding For Carbon Capture And Storage

A project that aims to capture, transport and safely store CO2 emissions from across Scotland will be granted £2 million from the Scottish Government.   The new funding will be used to explore how a pipeline could transport Carbon Dioxide from Scotland's central belt to the North East.  

22/7/2024

 
A Damning Report On The Nursing And Midwifery Council

A report on the Nursing and Midwifery council - Independent Culture Review will sound familiar in Highland.   It reveals many problems.  

22/7/2024 : Advisory / Counseling Services

 
NDA Group Establishes Innovative Partnership To Manage Asbestos Waste At Legacy Nuclear Sites

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), in collaboration with its subsidiary Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), has awarded two contracts to establish an innovative partnership for the enhanced management of asbestos waste.   The Asbestos Innovation Partnership (AIP) will work with the NDA, NWS and the supply chain, to test and develop new solutions to treat asbestos waste, helping to deliver efficiencies and enable more effective waste management.  

22/7/2024

Business And Trade Secretary Gives Lift-off To Over £100 Million For Greener Air Travel

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has announced over £100 million of funding for cutting-edge aerospace research and development projects.   £103 million government-industry funding for cutting-edge new green aerospace projects, supporting thousands of high-wage jobs across the UK.  

22/7/2024

First Minister To Visit North East

First Minister John Swinney will visit the site of an innovative carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility in Aberdeenshire where he will unveil new Scottish Government funding for the project.   The Acorn project, based in St Fergus, would take captured CO2 emissions from industrial processes across the country and store it safely under the North Sea.  

22/7/2024

 
£33 Million Boost For National Space Programme

More than 20 national space projects have been announced today by DSIT Secretary of State Peter Kyle, on the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow.   The projects, worth £33 million, come from the UK Space Agency's National Space Innovation Programme - designed to invest in high-potential technologies, drive innovation and unlock growth across the UK.  

22/7/2024

Skills England To Transform Opportunities And Drive Growth

Clearly the Labour Party has been preparing for government for a long time as shown by this latest announcement.   This latest new body did not happen in the couple of weeks since the election but is part of a wider strategy.