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Cost of employing low-wage workers to hit record high, says the Centre for Policy Studies. A new report shows rising tax costs may lead employers to cut back on hiring, with commentators arguing changes could be particularly detrimental to small businesses and start-ups.

The Government has launched a new Steel Council, made up of steel sector leaders, industry experts, trade unions, trade associations and devolved governments. Government launches new Steel Council to advise on rebuilding the industry and developing its upcoming Steel Strategy.

UKHSA urges parents and carers to take these simple steps to ensure children make the healthiest start to the New Year. The UK Health Security Agency is reminding parents and carers of the simple steps they can take to ensure their children make the healthiest start to the new school term.

Local NHS leaders are warning of huge pressure on their services in the coming days as the NHS faces up to its busiest few weeks of the year. They paint a picture of the NHS being placed in a position of "national vulnerability" as winter pressures grip the system.

The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.

Help to protect a wild flower meadow with the rangers..

Single-earner couples have seen their risk of falling into poverty rise by a third since 2000. Rising parental employment over the past two decades has switched the focus of Britain's child poverty challenge from tackling workless households to supporting working families, with many kinds of working families now facing a greater risk of poverty than at the turn of the millennium, according to research published today (Monday) by the Resolution Foundation.

Sands of Time - Donald asks the question about the sustainability of our beaches. I'm thinking of this poem whilst carrying out one of my favourite past times, beachcombing - walking on the beach and looking, and thinking - a bit.

In terms of energy efficiency and garment care, heated clothes dryers (often called heated airers) are generally considered better than tumble dryers, as they use significantly less energy, cause less damage to clothes. They can produce less wrinkles, making them a more gentle drying option; however, tumble dryers are typically faster at drying clothes, so the best choice depends on your priorities regarding drying time and garment care.

The original manuscript of a Gaelic love song written during the Battle of the Somme is to be housed at a new cultural centre. North Uist Historical Society will receive £165,000 of Scottish Government funding to convert Carinish Old School and showcase items from its collection, many of which are currently kept in storage.

The free running app has been downloaded over 7 million times since it launched in 2016, with 9.3 million NHS Couch to 5k runs started this year. Record numbers of people put on their running shoes and got fit-for-free this year with 8.7 million NHS Couch to 5k runs completed in 2024, new data revealed today (31 December 2024).

COVID emerged suddenly, spread rapidly and killed millions of people around the world. Since then, I think it's fair to say that most people have been nervous about the emergence of the next big infectious disease - be that a virus, bacterium, fungus or parasite.

Wick Voices is the oral history project of the Wick Society, a community organisation in Wick, Caithness, in the north of Scotland. The project focuses on recording and preserving the voices and stories of local residents to capture the unique heritage, culture, and personal histories of the area.

With Something Good, the arts and culture newsletter from The Conversation UK, we aim to cut through the noise and recommend the very best in new releases every fortnight. In 2024, we've been spoiled for choice when it comes to recommending fiction.

The number of non-surgical cosmetic procedures (NSCPs) being carried out across Scotland and the UK has risen considerably over the years and continues to do so[1]. Alongside the growth of this industry there has been increased concern about the safety of these procedures, especially, but not only, where they take place outwith a traditional healthcare setting.

In Scotland there are 21,606 second homes and 43,538 properties empty for more than 6 months. The latest council tax data (in September 2024) shows there were 21,606 second homes, 43,538 properties that had been empty for more than 6 months, of which, 73% (31,596) were categorised as long-term empty homes (i.e.

The Scottish Government is to stop the use of mobile messaging apps, including WhatsApp, on official devices following the publication of an externally-led review. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes welcomed the review of mobile messaging apps and non-corporate technology and confirmed that access to these apps will be removed from government devices in spring 2025.

Artists are generally thought of as either starving in a garret (La Bohème and all that) or jammy millionaires producing works valued at eye-watering sums (hello Damien Hirst). But the reality of life in the visual arts is more prosaic and a great deal more worrying, as the publication of Glasgow University's report into the pressures facing UK visual artists reveals.

Caithness largest and most influential jobs, careers, training, and recruitment event is returning to Thurso on Saturday, 8th February 2025. Interested in participating? Get in touch with Tom McGee at [email protected] or 01847 890076.