Caithness Map :: Links to Site Map Great value Unlimited Broadband from an award winning provider  

 

Latest

29/3/2025 :: Business
 
Rachel Reeves thinks the economy has to grow to make everyone better off. But is she right?

Rachel Reeves thinks the economy has to grow to make everyone better off. But is she right?.

Today :: Business
 
Government backs next wave of semiconductor start-ups to scale up growth

Third cohort of semiconductor start-ups backed by government to drive economic growth. A third cohort of innovative UK semiconductor businesses are chosen to join ChipStart, to continue driving economic growth and creating high-skilled jobs under the Plan for Change.

Today :: Business
 
Lunar microwave to purify water frozen in Moon's soil wins UK Space Agency's Aqualunar Challenge

A transformational technology that uses microwaves to defrost and ultrasound to break down contaminants in melted lunar ice to provide clean, drinkable water for astronauts has won the UK Space Agency-funded Aqualunar Challenge. The Aqualunar Challenge is an international prize for technologies to purify ice frozen in the Moon's soil to make human habitation on the lunar surface possible.

Today :: Business
 
Thousands of satellites are due to burn up in the atmosphere every year - damaging the ozone layer and changing the climate

The world's first artificial satellite, the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1, was launched in October 1957. Just three months later, it fell out of orbit.

Today :: Business
Poverty levels broadly stable over last decade

The latest statistics cover the period up to March 2024 and three-year averages for levels of relative and absolute poverty show a broadly stable trend over the past decade for children, working age adults and pensioners. Three-year average results show that: Working-age adults and pensioners are less likely to be in poverty compared to children: 20% of working-age adults and 15% of pensioners are in relative poverty after housing costs, compared to 23% of children.

Today :: Business
HMRC late payments interest rates to increase from 6 April 2025

HMRC interest rates for late payments will be increased by 1.5% for all taxes from 6 April 2025. The HMRC interest rates for late payments will be increased by 1.5% for all taxes from 6 April 2025 following a change in legislation.

Today :: Business
 
New bootcamp upskills Whitehall coders into AI specialists

AI Accelerator Programme will enable participants to work on projects across several government departments. This will include justice, health, and transport, to improve public services, drive efficiencies, and support the Government's broader Plan for Change.

Today :: Business
Child poverty in Scotland falls

New statistics show that child poverty in Scotland has fallen, in contrast to the rest of the UK. Annual statistics published today show that compared with the previous year's statistics, relative child poverty in 2023-24 reduced from 26% to 22% in Scotland while absolute child poverty fell from 23% to 17%.

Today :: Business
 
Rachel Reeves' figures in the Spring Statement don‘t stack up - and are very scary

Rachel Reeves' Spring Statement either doesn't add up, or it reveals a deeply dangerous economic policy, and it may do both. .

Today :: Business
 
Scottish Government GP plan failing to deliver

A Scottish Government agreement with GPs to improve general practice has failed to deliver on several of its commitments. The 2018 General Medical Service (GMS) contract aimed to address the financial pressures and growing workloads facing GPs, and to improve patients' access to care.

Today :: Business
 
The Truth Behind Rachel's Reeve's Spring Statement

The spring statement is supposed to be a boring affair. But these days fiscal events seem to carry more weight, with global events making life difficult for UK finances.

Today :: Business
 
Reform urgently needed to tackle precarious health and social care finances

Community health and social care finances are increasingly precarious. Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) must urgently work with their partners in the NHS and councils to reform how they deliver services to achieve financial sustainability.

Yesterday :: Business
 
Uphill struggle ahead for Govt's use of AI as PAC report reveals the scale of the challenge

Out of date tech and poor-quality data put public sector adoption at risk as public trust jeopardised over transparency in use of algorithms according to the Public Accounts Committee. Significant challenges lie in the way of Government's plans to support public sector adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).

Yesterday :: Business
 
Investing in Scotland's natural resources - Funding to help local authorities restore biodiversity

Local authorities will directly receive £10 million to support new, or to enhance existing, approaches to restoring biodiversity through the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF). More than £55 million has been awarded via the NRF since its launch in 2021 for projects delivering habitat and species restoration, coastal and marine initiatives and control of invasive non-native species.

Yesterday :: Business
Retail sales slump in March amid weak confidence - CBI Distributive Trades Survey

Retail sales volumes dropped sharply in the year to March, marking the sector's sixth consecutive month of decline. That’s according to the latest CBI Distributive Trades Survey.

Yesterday :: Business
Still unfinished business: BTC asks Government to ‘reflect and revise' Post Office Horizon redress plan

The Business and Trade Committee yesterday took the unusual step of asking the Government to ‘reflect and revise' its response to its January 1st report on finally achieving long-delayed justice and redress for victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal. It has been described as the greatest miscarriage of justice in UK history.

Yesterday :: Business
CMA seeks changes to the way Ticketmaster labels tickets and provides pricing information to fans

The CMA sets out its concerns over Ticketmaster's sale of Oasis tickets. CMA is concerned that Ticketmaster’s approach may have misled Oasis fans.

Yesterday :: Business
Stronger growth is not causing inflation - TUC analysis of OECD data

International evidence clears the way for the Bank of England to cut rates faster in support of higher growth, says TUC New analysis of OECD data - published today (TBC) by the TUC - finds that there is no international evidence of higher consumer spending and faster growth leading to inflation over the last three years. The analysis looks at data on consumer spending, GDP growth and inflation for 36 OECD countries across the three years from Q3 2021 to Q3 2024.

Yesterday :: Business
Scottish Monthly GDP Estimates for January

Scotland's onshore GDP grew by 0.3% in January 2025, according to statistics announced by the Chief Statistician. This follows growth of 0.5% in December 2024 (revised from 0.6%) .

Yesterday :: Business
OBR concludes planning reforms will bring housebuilding to its highest level in 40 years

OBR forecast concludes housebuilding will be at its highest level in over 40 years a result of UK government's planning reforms by 2029/30. This brings UK closer to Plan for Growth 1.5 million homes target.

Yesterday :: Business
Lower-income households are set to become £500 a year poorer over the Parliament

The combination of a weak economic outlook and benefit cuts that fall disproportionately on lower-income families means that living standards are on track to fall. This will happen over the next five years for the poorest half of households by £500 on average, according to the Resolution Foundation's overnight analysis of Spring Statement 2025.

Yesterday :: Business
 
Disability benefit reforms - implications for the Scottish Budget

Rachel Reeves provided more detail on the forecast savings from the changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility announced on 18 March. This blog updates last week's SPICe blog on the potential impact in Scotland.

Yesterday :: Business
Chancellor delivers security and national renewal in a new era of global change

Chancellor vows to bring about "new era of security and national renewal" as she delivered a Spring Statement to kickstart economic growth, protect working people and keep Britain safe. People to be on average £500 a year better off by the end of this parliament compared to under the previous government, putting more money in people's pockets.

Yesterday :: Business
 
Reform urgently needed to tackle precarious health and social care finances

Community health and social care finances are increasingly precarious. Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) must urgently work with their partners in the NHS and councils to reform how they deliver services to achieve financial sustainability.

Yesterday :: Business
Chancellor right to balance the books, but wrong to do so on backs of low-income families

A deterioration in the outlook for the public finances meant that fresh fiscal consolidation was needed in the Chancellor's Spring Statement to meet her fiscal rules. But with £4.8 billion of the savings coming from rushed welfare changes that will leave 3.2 million families £1,700 worse off on average, this unbalanced approach risks causing significant damage to many families’ living standards, the Resolution Foundation said today (Wednesday).

24/3/2025 :: Community
Improving Outdoor Play

First Minister John Swinney is set to announce £25 million of funding to local authorities to invest in the renewal of play parks across Scotland. All councils will receive a share of the funding to improve the standard of existing play parks - helping to ensure children have access to safe environments to play and socialise in.

20/3/2025 :: Sutherland
Pm: Barrow A Blueprint For Positive Impact Of Defence Spending Across The Country

Barrow is a blueprint for how defence spending can boost communities up and down the country, the Prime Minister will say while on a visit to the town today. Keir Starmer joins Vanguard Class submarine crew returning home from nuclear deterrent patrol to thank them for their silent service Comes as he visits Barrow to lay the keel of the next generation Dreadnought submarine, the next generation of the UK's nuclear deterrent.

17/3/2025 :: Coming Events
 
Sat, 29 Mar 1:00pm - Mothers Day Afternoon Tea

Entertainment from Junior members. See poster for tickets.

17/3/2025 :: Coming Events
 
Fri, 6 Jun 7:30pm - Darts Exhibition Night

Tickets from the bar from 14 March. Show starts at 7:15pm.

9/3/2025 :: Coming Events
 
Wed, 2 Apr 7:30pm - Evening concert

Venue: Mount Pleasant Primary School, Thurso Programme: Bizet - L'Arlessienne Suites 1 & 2, conducted by Susie Dingle Wagner - The Pilgrims' Chorus from Tannhauseer, conducted by James Doherty.

9/3/2025 :: Coming Events
 
Sat, 29 Mar 2:30pm - Afternoon concert

Venue: East Caithness Church of Scotland, Argyle Square, Wick. Programme: Bizet - L'Arlessienne Suites 1 & 2, conducted by Susie Dingle Wagner - The Pilgrims' Chorus from Tannhauser, conducted by James Doherty.

6/3/2025 :: Community
Celebrating World Book Day And The Importance Of Reading

Today is World Book Day, an important moment to reflect on the power of storytelling to inspire, educate and connect young people across the world. Reading is a fundamental right - one that opens doors, fuels imaginations and shapes futures.

6/3/2025 :: Sutherland
More Rights For Victims Of Crime

More crime victims will get access to a range of information about the perpetrator and have a say on decisions about their prison release under newly unveiled justice reforms. Currently victims can register with the Victim Notification Scheme (VNS) if the offender in their case has been sentenced to 18 months or more in prison, or with the Victim Information Scheme if the sentence was less than 18 months.

5/3/2025 :: Community
 
Members Of The Public Asked To Return Boots Paracetamol 500mg Tablets Due To Packaging Error

People who have purchased Boots Paracetamol 500mg Tablets 16s (Item code 81-99-922, Batch 241005, Expiry date 12/2029) are advised to stop using the product immediately and return it to a Boots store for a full refund, because of a packaging error. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a medicines recall alert due to a packaging error where the foil blister inside the carton incorrectly states ‘Aspirin 300mg Dispersible Tablets' instead of ‘Paracetamol 500mg Tablets'.

5/3/2025 :: Community
Community Organisations Invited To Submit Expressions Of Interests For Community Regeneration Funding

The Highland Council is inviting community groups and organisations to submit Expressions of Interest for Community Regeneration Funding (CRF) to finance capital projects that will respond to the needs of their local areas and deliver positive impacts. Community Regeneration Funding is an umbrella term being used to cover multiple community-led external funding programmes being administered by the Highland Council.

5/3/2025 :: Community
 
New Earlier Cancer Detection Campaign Focuses On Head And Neck Cancers

People across Scotland encouraged to get potential symptoms checked earlier. The latest phase of the Scottish Government's ‘Be the Early Bird' campaign has a new focus on head and neck cancer symptoms.

5/3/2025 :: Community
We'd Just Switch Everything Off - Six In Ten Social Housing Tenants Go Without Essentials To Pay Rent

The following article is the result of research in England but Scotland may well be similar with a higher level of social housing. As of 31st March 2022, there were 2.7 million dwellings estimated in Scotland.

28/2/2025 :: Sutherland
Successful Projects Highlighted At Harbours Management Board

When The Highland Council's Harbours Management Board met earlier today, (Friday 28 February 2025) members expressed their delight that two projects are bringing benefits to the council, the fishing industry and their local communities. The Highland Council manages approximately ninety ports, harbours and marine facilities, ten of which provide Marine Gas Oil (MGO) bunkering facilities.

28/2/2025 :: Arts
 
Boost For Gaelic Broadcasting - Supporting Gaelic Dramas

Gaelic language broadcasting is to receive an additional £1.8 million to help build on the success of BBC Alba's crime thriller An t-Eilean. The increase is contained in the Scottish Government's 2025/26 Budget and raises total funding for MG ALBA (the Gaelic Media Service) to £14.8 million in the upcoming financial year.