Productivity in the UK over the last 15 years has been described as growing at a "snail's pace". Meanwhile, wages lag way behind inflation, and numerous sectors are suffering from staff shortages.
A public call for evidence has been launched to establish the scale of ‘sex for rent' in the UK and ask if existing laws protect victims. A new law is being considered to crack down on predatory landlords exploiting vulnerable people for sex in return for free or discounted rent, the Home Secretary has announced.
Projects to support mental health and address social isolation and loneliness in adults will share a further £15 million this year. The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults, launched in 2021, has now provided around 3,300 grants to community organisations delivering mental health and wellbeing support, bringing total investment to £51 million.
The UK workforce expanded in the three months to February, driven by young people leaving full-time education and moving into work, but the longer-term problem of rising ill-health continues to worsen, the Resolution Foundation said in response to the latest ONS labour market statistics published on Tuesday. The UK workforce continued to expand in recent months, with employment up 170,000 on the quarter, and economic inactivity down 230,000.
Up to £8m of funding from the Office for Veterans' Affairs is now available to tackle veterans' homelessness head on. Up to £8m of funding from the Office for Veterans’ Affairs is now available to tackle veterans’ homelessness head on.
Legal sector reforms, including proposals to simplify the complaints process for consumers and legal professionals, have been published in a Scottish Government Bill introduced to Parliament. The Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill would for the first time, make it possible for complaints to be made against those who provide legal services to the public but who are not regulated.
The Department for Education (DfE) has announced a change to the pre-2012 income contingent (ICR) student loans interest rate. Pre-2012 income contingent (ICR) student loans ("Plan 1 loans") have an interest rate of either RPI (from the March prior to the September when the new interest rates are implemented) or the Bank Base Rate + 1%, whichever is the lower (this is known as the “low interest cap”).
There has been a steady stream of popular literature in recent years telling women to "lean in", be more confident, and not worry about "imposter syndrome". Men, on the other hand, are often seen to be overconfident compared to women.
CloudNC will supply UKAEA with components that support the manufacture of diagnostic windows used in fusion energy. It's the first time that CloudNC has manufactured components for the fusion industry.
Part of the joy of travelling comes from experiencing the unfamiliar - a different climate, culture or cuisine. But when it comes to paying for things abroad, we might feel more comfortable using the currency we are most familiar with, the one we use at home.
On 1 April 2023, Dounreay became a division of Magnox Limited. It is responsible for decommissioning and cleaning up the Dounreay site in the north of Scotland.
When disaster strikes, it's helpful to know what's going on. This is why the UK government has launched an emergency alerts service, to be used in life-threatening situations including flooding and wildfires.
This week has seen a new economic data, an update on the Deposit Return Scheme the release of a new ‘policy prospectus' by the First Minister. Whilst we were expecting an announcement on the DRS, we weren't expecting the FM to be unveiling his priorities for the next 3 years quite so soon.
For the first time in history, since 2009 the average income of pensioners has been similar to that for those under state pension age. The current generation of pensioners is doing better than any before it.
Wellbeing at work is being taken more seriously by many businesses these days. After all, recent research has shown that more than a quarter of Generation Z workers - those born between 1997 and 2012 - seek out workplace benefits that help them cope with stress.
A report from The Resolution Foundation After a decade and a half of relative economic decline, Britain needs a new economic strategy. And good work must be at its heart - an explicit goal, not a hoped-for by-product of growth.
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, has called on Highland Council to rethink the recent decision to defer the replacement of the 140 year old Naver Bridge in north Sutherland. Mrs Grant has been contacted about the concerns locally surrounding the safety of the current bridge with additional fears that if it is allowed to deteriorate further, any potential closure would adversely affect communities who would face using an alternative route which would be both time consuming and costly for local residents.
Craft drinks producers and pubs that provide off-sales are among those that will benefit from changes to Scotland's deposit return scheme. Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater has announced a range of measures to make it easier for drinks producers and retailers to prepare for the scheme, while making sure environmental benefits are still delivered, and repeated the call on the UK Government to issue an exclusion for the scheme from the Internal Market Act.
The UK government is making it necessary to produce photo ID to be able to cast a vote in elections. This is apparently to counter voter fraud even though there is little evidence of voter fraud in the UK.
The Scottish Government needs to improve its set up to deliver the country's climate change goals. The government's climate governance has improved since the former First Minister declared a climate emergency in 2019.
