Residents in the two Highland Constituencies - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross and Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire are being urged to prepare ahead of the UK parliamentary general election taking place on Thursday 4 July. Anyone who wants to have their say in the UK general election must be registered to vote by Tuesday 18 June.
Data from Moneyfactscompare.co.uk shows that the big banks are continuing to offer easy access savings rates well below the average, despite their continued obligation via the Financial Conduct Authority to offer fair value to customers. The big banks all pay less than 2% on their most accessible no-notice accounts, even though over 80% of the market (292 of 364 products) currently pay 2% or higher on a £10,000 balance.
The narrow focus of the election campaign on relatively small spending pledges by the main political parties risks missing bigger economic uncertainties that the next government may need to confront, including a possible £12 billion black hole in the public finances from a productivity downgrade, higher market interest rates and infected-blood compensation, according to new Resolution Foundation research published on Wednesday 5 June 2024. With the public finances at the forefront of the 2024 General Election campaign, the Foundation's first election briefing - funded by the Nuffield Foundation - examines how we got to where we are today, and the challenges ahead for the next parliament.
On 13 June 2024 the Audit committee of highland council will give councillors a chance to examine Frauds and Whistle blowing in the ear ended 31 March 2024. The report lists the numbers of frauds and actions taken including reporting to the Procurator Fiscal for consideration of criminal proceeding in court.
The closure of the Avonlea children's home In Wick has been shrouded in secrecy since December 2022. A report to the Audit committee for the meeting on 13 June 2024 might give some clues although the home is not named.
Plans to grow Scotland's childminding workforce by 1,000 and provide more support to childminders have been announced. Backed by more than £1m Scottish Government funding, the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) will scale up their successful childminder recruitment pilot programme across the country, starting with 16 local authority areas.
The Scottish Government is estimated to have invested almost £1.4 billion to benefit children in low income households in the last financial year. Awarding almost £430 million to families through the Scottish Child Payment, supporting more than 329,000 children as of 31 March 2024.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies report looking at the economy 2010 - 2024 nails it once again - taxes are higher than ever under the Conservatives. The National Insurance cuts are outweighed by freezing allowances until 2027/28 - so called Fiscal Drag The biggest tax rise of the 2019 to 2024 parliament, though, came about through the freezing of income tax and National Insurance thresholds, initially for four years (announced by Mr Sunak as chancellor in 2021) and extended to six by Mr Hunt.
Since 2008, the UK economy has faced a series of shocks and challenges, leaving the next government with a difficult task. From low growth to falling living standards, we ask what structural problems the next government faces.
A national programme of engagement will take place over the next year to inform Scottish Government plans for health and social care reform. Through a series of direct engagements with the workforce, service leaders, royal colleges, third sector groups and the people of Scotland, the Scottish Government will collect views on how best to transform services to meet changing demands.
In late 2023, actor Brooke Shields suffered a seizure after "flooding" her body with water. Shields became dangerously low on sodium while preparing for her show by drinking loads of water.
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Tickets purchased in person from Caithness Community Facility - Wick High School Etc.
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There is a huge amount of assistance for individuals and families in Caithness. However finding the precise help may be difficult.
An obituary for Billy Manson from Halkirk has been published in the John OGroat Journal. Billy Manson was described as an ambassador for Halkirk and a central figure in the life of the village following his death this week at the age of 76.
The SSEN Transmission community fund will open for applications on 1 September 2024, with an initial £2m up for grabs. SSEN Transmission's future investment plans could see funding for the region exceed £100m.
Funding applications deadlines are different from the many sources of funding. Get dates in your diaries to make sure you do not miss the application dates.
The Scottish Government want to hear the views of the public on whether there should be a review of key aspects of charity law and, if so, what you think the purpose and parameters of this should be. You can contribute to this consultation at the Scottish Government consultation on charity law.
A number of applications were awarded Community Regeneration Funding totalling £195,872.38 in Sutherland. Community Regeneration Funding is an umbrella term for a number of funds that are available for communities and organisations to access in Highland.
Highland Council is appealing for people to consider becoming foster carers. This week 13-26 May marks the beginning of Foster Care Fortnight™ and Highland Council is appealing for more people to come forward and become foster carers.
Cat owners are today being urged to have their pets microchipped ahead of new legislation coming into force on 10 June to keep treasured pets safe. The legal deadline was previously confirmed in legislation laid in March 2023, following a Government call for evidence and consultation on the issue in December 2020, in which 99% of respondents expressed support for the measure.
Progress at Sutherland Spaceport continues at pace and we're happy to share the latest developments that have taken place over the last few months, working alongside our Principal Contractor, Dynamic Concepts. Here's a quick overview our recent achievements, some behind the scenes photos and an update about what lies ahead.
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