Prospective puppy and kitten owners warned of risks of being ‘Petfished' when buying a pet online following lockdown demand surge. Vets, charities and animal-loving celebrities have joined forces with a government campaign to warn against unknowingly buying puppies, kittens, cats and dogs from unscrupulous sellers amid a rise in demand for pets since lockdown.
Funding of £50 million will be ring-fenced for the recruitment of approximately 850 extra teachers and around 200 additional support staff as local authorities plan for the re-opening of schools. Addressing Parliament, Education Secretary John Swinney also pledged that £20 million will be allocated to help councils with additional costs associated with new health protection measures, school transport, enhanced cleaning and other essential logistical issues.
People who have been advised to shield because of Covid-19, will no longer have to do so from 1 August. Those affected will receive a letter from the Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith outlining updated guidance as well as the pause in shielding, which is possible due to the continuing low levels of Covid-19 infection in Scotland.
From the Office For Budget Responsibility. The budget deficit continues to rise sharply.
President Trump picked an international fight over cheap e-commerce imports into the USA last year. For some companies using the US Postal Service for final delivery, this means the cost has gone up by over 100%.
Last year the FCA announced that overdraft fee regulations would change in April 2020. Complex overdraft fees and the variance of fee structure amongst banks made it difficult for consumers to calculate the true cost of an overdraft and compare offers.
David Phillips writing for the Institute for Fiscal Studies. The UK Government is spending big on supporting public services and the economy through the COVID-19 recovery and beyond.
Among the tens and hundreds of billions of pounds the government has been spending to support the economy in the midst of the current crisis, you might have missed the odd £17 billion that it is planning to shell out to rectify a major cock-up. This particular cock-up relates to reforms to the pensions provided to public sector employees.
When it comes to electricity and gas, consumers in many countries choose between a wide range of tariffs. In the UK there are hundreds of options from scores of suppliers, varying up to 30% in price.
New helpline will provide round the clock service. All health and social care workers in Scotland will now have access to mental health support 24 hours a day, seven days a week through a new national helpline.
This report from the Fraser of Allender Institute was published on 17th July 2020. This update provides a snapshot of new data on the Scottish economy and households.
The Highland Council today announced the completion of the purchase of the South Tower of Inverness Castle, following the move of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service to the new Inverness Justice Centre in the city earlier this spring. With the entire Castle now in the ownership of The Highland Council, the project to transform the building to become a visitor attraction is ready to progress to the next stage.
We're writing to remind you about key dates for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and actions you might need to take. Key dates Submit your CJRS claim for periods ending on or before 30 June 2020 by 31 July 2020.
Following the Council's announcement that contract work valued at over £60 million for new housing development projects across the Highlands has resumed, the Chair of the Housing and Property Committee has confirmed that capital investment works for the Council's current housing stock will be re-starting shortly. Contractors have supplied The Highland Council with detailed work plans for safe working, encompassing social distancing and following all guidance relating to Covid-19.
The Highland Council can now confirm that the Bulky Uplift Service is being re-instated from today, Monday 20 July 2020. The service was suspended on the 23rd March due to the COVID-19 National Emergency and the need to prioritise staff to provide essential waste and recycling collections.
Extracts from the Report from the Office for National Statistics published today 16 July 2020. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic took hold, the labour market weakened markedly, but that rate of decline slowed into June, though this is before recent job losses were reported.
The first meeting of Highland Council's new Tourism Committee was held virtually today (16 July 2020). Cllr Maxine Smith was appointed as Chair and Cllr Gordon Adam as Vice Chair.
New figures show the extent of UK Government coronavirus support for Scottish jobs and self-employed people. Figures show, until the end of June, nearly 900,000 jobs across Scotland have been supported by the UK Government's unprecedented package of coronavirus support.
Results from the British Chambers of Commerce's Quarterly Recruitment Outlook, in partnership with Totaljobs, reveal the impact Coronavirus has had on the jobs market, with the two organisations calling for further action from government to protect businesses and jobs. 29% of businesses expect to decrease the size of their workforce in the next three months 28% decreased size of workforce in Q2 but 66% kept their workforce constant, reinforcing the success of the Job Retention Scheme The two organisations call for a cut in employer National Insurance Contributions to protect businesses and jobs.
