New legislation will create the tools to tackle waste and increase reuse and recycling rates. The Circular Economy Bill will give Ministers powers to: Set local recycling targets, building on the experience of Wales, which has the best recycling rate in the UK.
New ONS figures show Scottish unemployment near record lows - but investing in jobs and skills still vital, says Alister Jack, as global economic issues persist. Responding to the latest LMS publication ( Labour market statistics time series (LMS), Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack, said, "It's encouraging to see that the unemployment rate in Scotland remains near record lows and there's resilience in the labour market.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance has welcomed the appointment of Jo Farrell as Police Scotland's first female Chief Constable. The current Chief Constable of Durham Constabulary, Ms Farrell was appointed by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) following a robust six-week assessment process and will take up the post later this year, replacing Sir Iain Livingstone QPM, who is retiring in August.
It is estimated that 90,000 fewer children will live in relative and absolute poverty this year as a result of Scottish Government policies. The Scottish Government analysis is published alongside the first annual report on its Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan ‘Best Start, Bright Futures'.
Participants in a programme designed to encourage new entrants into farming have commented on its successes. An evaluation of the Scottish Government's Starter Farm Initiative shows that it has provided opportunities to run a farm business, and valuable skills and experience to enable participants secure future tenancies and further their agricultural careers.
If you have employees who are about to become parents, they may be interested to know there is a new, easier way to claim Child Benefit online or using the HMRC app. Parents can claim as much as £1,248 a year for one child, which could add up to almost £20,000 by the time they are 16.
The June edition of the Employer Bulletin brings you all the latest HMRC updates and guidance to support employers, payroll professionals and agents. In this month's edition of the Employer Bulletin there are important updates and information on a range of important topics.
Savills is marketing Dunbeath Estate and Castle which sits in a commanding clifftop position on the Caithness coast (a favourite location of the late Queen Mother), about 21 miles south of Wick in the north of Scotland. The village of Dunbeath has a village shop, post office and doctor's surgery.
London Tech Week will see Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps announce £4.3 million government funding to develop cutting-edge technology. Leading UK universities and tech companies receive multi-million pound government investment to drive forward innovation in rapidly emerging sector.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (June 13th) sold 20 Prime Cattle. Prime Bullocks (10) averaged 305.7p per kg (+20.6p) and sold to 319.0p per kg and £1,935.00 gross.
In a speech on 12 June 2023, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt spoke about improving productivity growth across the public and private sector. It is a pleasure to be with you this evening and a privilege to deliver this speech for an organisation founded by Keith Joseph and Margaret Thatcher 49 years ago.
Total public sector employment increased in March 2023 compared with the previous quarter and the previous year; central government is the main contributor to the rise with little change to local government and public corporations. There were an estimated 5.83 million employees in the public sector in March 2023, which is 31,000 (0.5%) more than in December 2022 and 100,000 (1.7%) more than in March 2022.
Scotland's Chief Statistician today published ‘Summary statistics for follow-up leaver destinations, no. 5: 2023 edition’.
For the three months ending April 2023, the highest employment rate estimate in the UK was in the South East (78.6%) and the lowest was in Wales (71.8%). The North East saw the largest increase in the employment rate compared with the same period last year, increasing by 3.1 percentage points, with Wales seeing the largest decrease of 2.2 percentage points.
Gap narrows between most and least deprived areas. A record number of young people were in work, training or further study less than a year after the end of the school term.
Highland Council Garden Waste Permits are now available to purchase for the 2023/24 permit season. To help all customers to continue recycling their garden waste, the cost of a garden waste permit for the next season (2023/2024) has not increased and will remain at the same price as last year - £47.75 per permit.
Judges will be given greater powers to dismiss lawsuits designed purely to evade scrutiny and stifle freedom of speech through government amendments to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill. extra protections in law for free speech and investigative journalism government tables amendments to Bill to tackle abuse of legal system by the corrupt.
Early estimates for May 2023 indicate that the number of payrolled employees rose by 1.6% compared with May 2022, a rise of 460,000 employees; the number of payrolled employees was up by 3.5% since February 2020, a rise of 1,016,000. Payrolled employment increased by 23,000 employees (0.1%) in May 2023 when compared with April 2023, though this should be treated as a provisional estimate and is likely to be revised when more data are received next month.
The latest quarterly Scottish Government Workforce Information statistics have been published today by Scotland's Chief Statistician. These statistics cover the numbers of workers, staff sickness rates, and the diversity of staff up to the most recent quarter ending March 2023.
The worst drought for 70 years has hit the Panama Canal, forcing today's strict new regulations that slash the capacity of some containerships by 40%. New surcharges, rising costs and increasing bottlenecks will likely increase the price of UK-US goods, warns the international delivery expert ParcelHero.
