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News Archive


6/10/2022
Supporting The Seafood Sector And Supply Chain In ScotlandThumbnail for article : Supporting The Seafood Sector And Supply Chain In Scotland
New measures to boost Scotland's £1 billion seafood sector, as well as the wider supply chain, have been set out by Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon.   The Scottish Government has today published its first strategy for the seafood sector, detailing how the fishing and aquaculture sectors are being supported to remain internationally competitive and attract skills and talent to some of Scotland's most rural and coastal areas - despite the challenges of the post-Brexit trading environment.  
6/10/2022
One year on, Pandora Papers continues to be anti-corruption ‘tour de force'Thumbnail for article : One year on, Pandora Papers continues to be anti-corruption ‘tour de force'
This week, we're marking one year since ICIJ launched the Pandora Papers — and taking stock of the global firestorm the landmark investigation created.   Hardly a week has gone by without us having more continued fallout to report on.  
6/10/2022
Families Urged To Talk About Social Security PaymentsThumbnail for article : Families Urged To Talk About Social Security Payments
Families and friends have a crucial role to play in ensuring Scotland's social security payments reach those who need them most.   On a visit to a Citizens Advice Bureau, as part of Challenge Poverty Week, Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson said talking about benefits would help drive take-up and reduce stigma about accessing benefits.  
6/10/2022
Making Fireworks Safer In ScotlandThumbnail for article : Making Fireworks Safer In Scotland
Criminal offence to supply fireworks and pyrotechnics to under 18s.   New powers to enforce the safe use of fireworks are to come into force.  
6/10/2022
Ocean Winds Confirms Plan For 2gw Scotwind Site, The Caledonia Offshore Wind Farm
Plan announced to maximise full opportunity of Ocean Winds' Caledonia ScotWind site, targeting 2GW.   Bolsters Ocean Winds' strong presence in Moray Firth, building on the Moray East and Moray West developments.  
6/10/2022
Homes face winter power cuts in worst-case scenario, says National Grid
A BBC article just published sets out the warnings from the National Grid.   British households could lose power for up to three hours at a time this winter if gas supplies run extremely low, National Grid has warned.  
Exploring Cairngorm's Geothermal PotentialThumbnail for article : Exploring Cairngorm's Geothermal Potential
A feasibility study is getting under way to explore the potential to use natural heat, miles below the Earth's surface, as a renewable energy source at Cairngorm Mountain.   HIE and resort operator Cairngorm Mountain (Scotland) Ltd have commissioned independent engineering consultants Arup to lead the study.  
Highlands And Islands Museums To Get Global Reach With AppThumbnail for article : Highlands And Islands Museums To Get Global Reach With App
Five museums across the region will be selected to share their collections, which can range from 100 to 1,000 objects with audiences across the world.   XpoNorth Digital has partnered with Smartify, the world's most downloaded museum app with more than 3 million history and art loving users.  
5/10/2022
Swift, Certain, Tough. New Consequences For Drug Possession In England
Letter to the chair of the ACMD inviting them to establish a working group to respond to the recent white paper on drug possession.   Professor Owen Bowden-Jones, Chair, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) 4 October 2022 Dear Professor Bowden-Jones, Swift, Certain, Tough.  
5/10/2022
Thousands More Neighbourhood Criminals In England To Be GPS Tracked In Expansion Of Tagging ProjectThumbnail for article : Thousands More Neighbourhood Criminals In England To Be GPS Tracked In Expansion Of Tagging Project
The Justice Secretary, Brandon Lewis MP, has (Tuesday 4 October 2022) announced that more thieves, burglars and robbers will be fitted with GPS electronic tags when they leave prison, helping cut crime and keep the public safe.   Under this expansion of this Government's Acquisitive Crime GPS tagging project, 2,000 more criminals will have their whereabouts monitored on leaving custody - another important step forward in the use of technology to drive down re-offending rates and protect our communities.  
Highlands And Islands Latest Business Panel Survey ResultsThumbnail for article : Highlands And Islands Latest Business Panel Survey Results
A survey carried out in June and July this year (2022), indicated that most businesses in the Highlands and Islands were operating at either the same or above their pre-pandemic levels.   However, it also showed a significant decline in exporting activity and in the level of confidence in Scotland's economic outlook.  
5/10/2022
Mortgage Rates Rise To 6 Pecent For Remortgages And New Buyers But Stress Tests Make It Harder
As the banks and building societies get to grips with the new reality of rising interest rates the cost for property buyers whether first time or re-mortgages is going up.   Making things even harder is the stress testing that is done to prove anyone can afford a mortgage and make the payments each month for the life of the mortgage.  
5/10/2022
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Calls For Applicants For Its 2023 Phd BursariesThumbnail for article : Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Calls For Applicants For Its 2023 Phd Bursaries
The NDA is looking for research proposals related to nuclear decommissioning for its 2023 PhD Bursary Call.   The £750,000 of sponsorship is part of ongoing R&D support to develop the technical skills needed for decommissioning in the future.  
5/10/2022
Funding Support Scheme Ahead of Schedule For Agri Sector
More than £300m payments made early to mitigate cost of living crisis.   Payments to support Scottish farming businesses through the current financial crisis have exceeded targets by three months.  
4/10/2022
Scottish Government Freezes Rents For Social And Private Tenants For 6 Months and No Evictions
Emergency protections for tenants.   Bill to freeze rents and safeguard against evictions.  
4/10/2022
Has Liz Truss Handed Power Over To The Extreme Neoliberal Thinktanks?
If you watched Newsnight last night you would have seen a representative from the IEA think tank who seem to have a huge impact with the present government and Liz Truss.   An article in the Guardian on 23 September 2022 by George Monbiot sets it all out.  
4/10/2022
Site Of UK's First Fusion Energy Plant SelectedThumbnail for article : Site Of UK's First Fusion Energy Plant Selected
West Burton power station site in Nottinghamshire has been selected as the home for the UK's prototype fusion energy plant.   On Monday3 October 2022 the government announced that the West Burton power station site in Nottinghamshire has been selected as the home for ‘STEP' (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production), the UK's prototype fusion energy plant which aims to be built by 2040.  
4/10/2022
Dingwall And Highland Marts Ltd - Sheep And Lamb Sales - 3 October 2022
Portree, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (October 3rd) sold 2,368 store sheep of all classes.   Lambs (1,290) sold to £91 gross for a Cheviot from 27 Stenscholl, Staffin.  
4/10/2022
Cost of Living Crisis - University Support Staff Strike Again For Pay Justice
UNISON members at three Scottish universities will walked out yesterday (Monday) and today (Tuesday 4 October 2022), taking further action to protest another imposed, below-inflation national pay award in the university sector.   In striking for pay justice, they also urge their employers, the Scottish Government and sector leaders to act to protect this workforce from the ravages of the cost-of-living crisis.  
4/10/2022
Institute for Fiscal Studies Response To U-turn On Plan To Cut 45p Income Tax Rate
"The Chancellor still has a lot of work to do if he is to display a credible commitment to fiscal sustainability." IFS Director Paul Johnson said: "The direct impact of the government's U-turn on the abolition of the additional 45p rate of income tax is of limited fiscal significance.  At a medium-run cost of around £2 billion a year, it represented only a small fraction of the Chancellor's mini-Budget announcements.