Scotland's long‑planned Air Departure Tax (ADT), due to replace the UK’s Air Passenger Duty in April 2027, is set to become one of the most significant policy shifts in the country’s aviation landscape in more than a decade. While the tax will initially mirror existing APD rates, the Scottish Government will gain the power from 2028 to adjust the levy in ways that could either stimulate growth or deepen existing challenges for regional airports.
The north of Scotland is bracing for a difficult spring as the global oil shock feeds directly into higher fuel costs, rising shop prices and renewed pressure on household finances. The region has long lived with higher pump prices than the rest of the UK, but the latest surge in crude oil driven by the Iran conflict and disruption to Gulf shipping is amplifying that gap just as inflation begins to climb again.
There is evidence that continued, high food inflation is driving consumers to change their shopping habits, with some, particularly in Europe, mentally preparing for or beginning to stockpile to mitigate future price increases. Various reports show the trends.
British manufacturers will save millions of pounds a year as the Government removes tariffs on offshore wind energy components from 1 April. The UK Government will remove tariffs on 33 industrial goods from 1 April through a new tariff measure which will save offshore wind energy manufacturers millions of pounds a year and support progress towards the UK's Clean Energy Superpower mission.
As global oil prices surge in the wake of renewed conflict in the Middle East, households across the north of Scotland are confronting a familiar but unwelcome reality - higher heating‑oil costs, rising inflation, and the growing threat of fuel theft. For rural communities from Aberdeenshire to Caithness, where off‑grid living is the norm rather than the exception, the consequences are already being felt.
The Hereditary Peers Bill has passed in the House of Lords in one of the biggest reforms to Parliament and UK democracy in a generation. Hereditary peers will no longer have the right to sit and vote in the House of Lords in one of the biggest reforms to Parliament in a generation.
Living in Caithness means living with long winters, biting winds, and homes that often lose heat faster than they should. With heating‑oil prices rising sharply and electricity still expensive, many households are rethinking how they heat their homes.
First the Press Release. Protecting families from heating oil profiteering is top of the Prime Minister's agenda as he visits Belfast As global events continue to impact the daily lives of communities across the UK, the Prime Minister is visiting Belfast today (Thursday 12 March) to highlight his relentless focus on cutting the cost of living for working people.
HM Coastguard, the RNLI and RYA are working together to launch their water safety campaign aimed at recreational boaters. Water safety organisations in the UK are sharing an important message ahead of another busy boating season.
The Scottish Government has announced £245,000 of funding to support the King's Baton Relay (KBR) in Scotland ahead of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. The funding, awarded to Commonwealth Games Scotland, will support at least 22 community events during the host nation leg from 1 to 23 July 2026, with the relay travelling to cities, rural areas and island communities.
In an unprecedented move to stabilise global energy markets, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has approved the largest release of emergency oil reserves in its history. They will be coordinating the flow of 400 million barrels into the market as the conflict involving Iran sends crude prices soaring and disrupts key shipping routes.
The world's largest‑ever release of emergency oil reserves is unlikely to bring meaningful relief to households relying on heating oil. According to industry analysts warn that the measure cannot offset the scale of disruption caused by the Iran conflict.
Oil prices jumped sharply today (12 March 2026) and briefly went above $100 per barrel for the global benchmark Brent crude. The main reason is escalating conflict in the Middle East, particularly involving Iran, Israel, and U.S.
The world's largest‑ever release of emergency oil reserves is unlikely to deliver the price relief governments hope for, according to energy analysts who say the scale of the Middle East disruption far outweighs the impact of the International Energy Agency's intervention. The IEA confirmed this week that 32 member countries have agreed to release 400 million barrels of strategic reserves in response to the Iran conflict and the severe disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
UK joins International Energy Agency members in coordinated oil stock release. The UK has on Wednesday 11 March 2026 joined International Energy Agency (IEA) partners in a coordinated release of oil stocks to the market.
Government breaks down barriers to help more women and girls enter the tech sector. Women at every stage of their careers are set to benefit from new government measures announced today, aimed at boosting female participation in tech.
No new regulation needed on salmon mortalities.   Scottish salmon farms are operating as they should and no further regulation is needed according to preliminary research on fish deaths.
The Middle East War is already pushing oil and energy prices higher, and that means UK inflation pressure will rise again. But this is not normal inflation.
Midwives and other healthcare professionals have a vital role in improving uptake of pregnancy vaccination. This is according to a new survey from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in which pregnant women and women who recently gave birth rank them as their most trusted source of information.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is launching a UK‑wide training programme to support the development of project professionals across the nuclear sector. The One NDA Project Academy is an expansion of a programme initially launched at Sellafield in 2016.