The changes to the Alcohol Duty structure and the new reliefs took effect today, 1 August 2023. These include: • a new, simpler Alcohol Duty system: standardised Alcohol Duty bands for all types of alcoholic products.
July saw house prices fall 0.2% month on month. Annual rate of house price growth remained negative at -3.8%, down from -3.5% in June.
The Halkirk Highland Games 2023 had great day with al the usual event bathed in sunshine and no sign of rain despite some forecasts predicting it. To see all the photos - bike races, dancing, children's races and heavies and crowd scenes click the link photo gallery link above..
A new survey by Legal & General reveals the expectations and realities of retirement in the UK. L&G surveyed 2,000 retirees aged 50+ in the UK to understand the highs and lows behind the retirement journey.
Latheron Show 2023 photos finally here. Apologies for the delay.
Prime Minister commits to future oil and gas licensing rounds, as new analysis shows domestic gas production has around one-quarter the carbon footprint of imported liquified natural gas. North East Scotland and the Humber chosen as locations for two new carbon capture usage and storage clusters - building a thriving clean industry in the North Sea which could support up to 50,000 jobs.
Toughened-up good character rules will mean the criminality threshold for British citizenship is in line with the government's Immigration Rules. Tougher rules will make sure serious criminals cannot claim British citizenship regardless of when or where the crime took place.
Government to announce measures putting energy security at the heart of economic growth. Prime Minister and Energy Security Secretary to lead efforts this week to strengthen UK's energy independence.
The Government has taken a key step in making sure that drivers' interests are protected when using private car parks. Changes to parking charges and debt recovery fees are being considered under measures to better regulate the private parking industry.
Thousands of international elite cyclists, including para-athletes, will gather in Glasgow and across Scotland this week for the start of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. From Thursday 3 August, Scotland will proudly host the world's biggest ever staged cycling event, which is expected to attract around a million spectators.
The Highland Council's Environmental Health team are advising caution as blue-green algae has been found in the Wick River in Caithness at Coghill Bridge area. The blue-green algae was confirmed by SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) and was found by the footbridge at the riverside in Wick.
Proposal to create Migrants' Commissioner. An independent Migrants' Commissioner would stand up for the rights of people who have moved to an independent Scotland, under Scottish Government proposals.
Mairi Spowage writing for Fraser of Allender. This week the Scottish Government published monthly GDP statistics for the month of May.
The Games is the premiere sporting event in the North of Scotland. The prize money of over £17,600 is one the best in Scotland and attracts the country's best amateur and professional competitors.
First Minister outlines who may be eligible for Scottish citizenship. Scotland could take a fairer, and more welcoming approach to citizenship as an independent nation, according to a new paper published by First Minister Humza Yousaf.
NHS dental teams will receive increased fees under a new payment structure which will help them to provide enhanced NHS care and treatment. Developed in partnership with the dental sector and as part of the Oral Health Improvement Plan, the reforms also include an additional £10 million from the Scottish Government to support the delivery of laboratory-based treatment items, such as dentures.
The Highland Council are delighted to be part of the official opening JAM event of the trailblazing Fort William Bike Track to be held on Wednesday 2 August 2023 from 2pm. The track opens just ahead of the UCI Cycling World Championships riding into town from 3-5 August for the Downhill Mountain Biking World Championships at Nevis Range, Fort William.
Corporate insolvency numbers (liquidations and receiverships) in Scotland for Q1 2023-2024 increased by 19.7% compared with Q1 2022-2023, to a total of 292. Corporate insolvency numbers in Scotland also increased by 21.7% when compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The Resolution foundation looks at the Kickstart scheme. Three years on from the advent of the Kickstart scheme - the Government's employment programme which created jobs for young people aged 16-24 during the Covid-19 pandemic - the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published a process evaluation report looking at the effectiveness of the scheme.
More working-age people are self-reporting long-term health conditions, with 36% saying that they had at least one long-term health condition in Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2023, up from 31% in the same period in 2019 and 29% in 2016. The number of people economically inactive because of long-term sickness has risen to over 2.5 million people, an increase of over 400,000 since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
