News Archive

15/7/2024 : Local Authority

 
Work Of Council's Storm Response Team Recognised

The action taken by the Council's roads teams across the Highlands in response to the impact of storms has been recognised.   The team were delighted to win the Team of the Year at the recent Highland Council Staff Recognition Awards.  

15/7/2024 : Local Authority

 
Early Learning And Childcare North Consultation Survey Launch

The Highland Council's Early Learning & Childcare (North) Consultation is now live, and we want to hear from those living in the Lairg, Dornoch, Golspie, Farr, Scourie, Durness, Kinlochbervie, Tongue, Wick and Thurso area.   The survey is open until Wednesday 31 July 2024.  

15/7/2024

Savers short-changed on closed easy access accounts

The average closed easy access account rate has been lower than the live equivalent over the past two years.   Moneyfactscompare.co.uk analysis reveals how savers are being short-changed as Consumer Duty rules on closed products and services come into play this month.  

15/7/2024

 
British Embassy Celebrates Record UK-Lebanon Trade Figures - £1.1 billion

British Ambassador Hamish Cowell hosted a Business and Trade reception to celebrate record-breaking bilateral trade figures between the UK and Lebanon.   In 2023, bilateral trade figures between the UK and Lebanon passed the £1bn mark for the first time ever, reaching a record high of £1.1 billion, an increase on over 45% on 2022.  

15/7/2024

 
King's Speech Puts Growth At The Heart Of Legislative Agenda

The Government will use its mandate for change to put economic growth at the heart of its legislative agenda as it prepares for The King's Speech at the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday 17 July.   New laws will prioritise growth, the Government's overarching mission for the year ahead.  

14/7/2024

 
Universal Credit - Incomes, Incentives And The Remaining Roll-out

What has been the impact of universal credit on incomes and work incentives?.   The introduction of universal credit (UC) has been the most significant reform to the working-age benefits system since the reforms following the post-war Beveridge Report.  

14/7/2024

 
Lord Chancellor Sets Out Immediate Action To Defuse Ticking Prison ‘time-bomb'

Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood has set out how the government will stop the impending collapse of the criminal justice system.   Plan to tackle the prison capacity crisis announced at a speech in HMP Five Wells Immediate action necessary to prevent paralysis in the criminal justice system More probation officers and ten-year capacity strategy to better protect public "Our prisons are on the point of collapse", new Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood said today (Friday 12 July) as she set out how the government will stop the impending collapse of the criminal justice system.  

13/7/2024 : Advisory / Counseling Services

 
Over 1,200 Jobs Supported By HIE In 2023/24

Figures compiled by HIE show that businesses and communities supported by the agency in 2023/24 are set to create or retain more than 1,200 jobs across the region.   The outturns for 2023/24 were achieved through a combination of financial and non-financial interventions by HIE.  

13/7/2024

Time To Hit The Ground Running

Mike Brewer at the Resolution Foundation looks at the challenges facing the new Labour government.   We're now a week into a seismic political shift in UK politics, with Labour returning to office for the first time in 14 years.  

13/7/2024

 
How We Protected The UK And Space In June 2024

The National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC) protects UK interests in space and on Earth and works with international partners to ensure space remains safe, sustainable and accessible to all.   Summary Overall risks to UK interests in space and on Earth from space-related threats, risks, and hazards were lower in June than in May.  

13/7/2024

 
Actuarial Valuations, Pensions And Data Insights

Actuarial valuations are one type of support we offer to pension schemes clients.  Pensions sector experts learned about Government Actuary's Department (GAD's) key skills at a recent event.  

13/7/2024

 
Water or AI? Is that the choice we face? And We Thought It Was Just Big Amounts of Electricity

Water and AI are two things that are rarely discussed together, but they should be, because in our future, our ability to use AI or artificial intelligence, is going to be severely restricted by the availability of water in the world.  And what we already know is that the availability of water in this world is decidedly restricted.  

13/7/2024

 
Economic Impact Of Forestry - Sector Brings £1.1 Billion Annually

Scotland's forestry contributes £1.1 billion to the economy each year and supports more than 34,000 jobs, a new report has found.   The independent study, commissioned by Scottish Forestry, notes that the industry directly employs 10,380 people, with a further 5,630 working across wood processing and forest activities, and 18,130 in forestry-related tourism.  

12/7/2024

 
AI Supercharges Data Center Energy Use - Straining The Grid And Slowing Sustainability Efforts

The artificial intelligence boom has had such a profound effect on big tech companies that their energy consumption, and with it their carbon emissions, have surged.   The spectacular success of large language models such as ChatGPT has helped fuel this growth in energy demand.  

12/7/2024

Almost Two-in-five Large Families Are Now Affected By The Two-child Limit - And The Majority Are Set To Fall Into Poverty When The Policy Is Fully Rolled Out

Around 38 per cent of all large families (with at least three children) were affected by the two-child limit on benefit support in April 2024, and the policy is set to push the majority of large families below the poverty line by the end of the parliament, the Resolution Foundation said on Thursday 11 July 2024 in response to new DWP data.   450,000 families were affected by the two-child limit in April 2024, up from just 70,000 in 2018.  

12/7/2024

 
New Appointments To Drive Prototype Fusion Energy Plant Delivery

UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd (UKIFS) announces the appointment of new Non-Executive Directors to its Board.   UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd (UKIFS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Kaveh Pourteymour, Julie Nerney and Dr Luc Bardin as Non-Executive Directors to its Board in support of the delivery of the UK's prototype fusion energy plant.  

12/7/2024

 
Science Minister Outlines Open-arms Approach To International Science At G7 Ministerial With Several New Agreements

Science Minister declares UK science and technology "open for business" as he was meets counterparts at the G7 Science and Technology Ministerial in Italy.   Government takes first step to reset ties with key allies at G7 Science and Technology Ministerial in Bologna, Italy.  

12/7/2024

 
Back To Work Plan Will Help Drive Economic Growth In Every Region

On a visit to Leeds Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall will (Thursday 11 July) confirm the Government's commitments to its manifesto Back to Work Plan, and say tackling economic inactivity is central to the Government's number one mission of growing the economy.   New Work and Pensions Secretary today sets out how the Government’s Back to Work Plan is critical to growing the economy.  

12/7/2024

 
Over £7 Million To Support Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

The Scottish Government is providing over £7 million across Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, The Highland Council, Moray Council and Dundee City Council to encourage greater private investment in the electric vehicle (EV) charging network.   In line with the Scottish Government's vision for the public electric vehicle charging network, significant private investment will be required to grow the network and pace and scale.  

12/7/2024

Improved Treatment Of Grocery Suppliers Despite Poor Amazon Performance

Fewer grocery suppliers are experiencing issues, the Groceries Code Adjudicator's (GCA) 2024 annual survey reveals [11 July 2024].  However, less than half of respondents directly supplying Amazon believed that it consistently or mostly complies with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (the Code).