Author Archive
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£6bn package for UK science and innovation
The Government has unveiled plans to support British science and innovation with a new Science and Innovation Strategy which sets out priorities for investment and support in the years ahead. Highlights include: £3 billion to support individual capital projects and institutional capital to maintain the excellence of laboratories at universities and research institutes £2.9 billion towards large capital projects to support scientific ‘Grand Challenges’, including a £30 million UK commitment to ‘XFEL’ – an international free electron laser ...
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Solid outlook for UK manufacturers
Activity in the manufacturing sector remained steady in December and production is expected to continue rising in the next three months, according to the latest CBI Industrial Trends Survey. Output growth has been broadly steady since August, and has remained above average this month. Amongst the various sectors, growth in Motor Vehicles & Transport Equipment rose to a nine-month high. The survey of 485 manufacturers found that total order books edged up slightly, remaining strongly above average. ...
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Aldersgate Group defines “Economy that Works”
A coalition of some of the UK's biggest businesses has backed a new macro-economic roadmap for Britain by launching a campaign called "An Economy That Works". In a new report, Aldersgate warns that the UK economy risks becoming detached from the long-term needs of society because a focus on GDP growth alone won't define a path to lasting prosperity. The Group reckons that an economy that works for the UK is one that will be low carbon, ...
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SPS payments delivered in record time
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) says it has already surpassed last year’s performance on the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) by meeting its end of December targets four weeks ahead of schedule. The Agency has already paid out to 96,669 SPS customers, equating to 95% of the total and 91.4% of the estimated fund value. Environment Secretary, Elizabeth Truss, comments: "Over the last four years the Rural Payments Agency has improved beyond ...
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New tranche of Green Deal funding
More people should get help to improve the energy efficiency of their homes through a new release of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF). From 9am on Wednesday 10th December the scheme will open to new applications, with up to £5,600 available to households in England and Wales to help with the cost of installing energy saving measures such as solid wall insulation, double glazing, boilers, cavity wall and floor insulation. Up to £30 million in ...
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Met Office: 2014 warmest year on record
Figures from the Met Office show that 2014 is on course to be one of the warmest, if not the warmest, year on record both globally and for the UK. The global mean temperature for January to October is 0.57°C above the long-term (1961-1990) average and recent Met Office research also suggests the shift is likely to be due to human influence on the climate. Responding to the data, Lord Deben, chairman of the Committee on Climate ...
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Barclays launches face-to-face video banking
Barclays is launching a face-to-face video banking service. The new facility will allow customers to carry out a video call with a bank employee from their smartphone, tablet or computer. The 24/7 service will be available from the 8th December for Premier customers and will then be rolled out to business, mortgage and wealth customers, from early 2015. After that it will be made available to all retail customers, automatically matching customers to a specific member of ...
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RPA alerts farmers to SPS fraud
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is urging farmers to be mindful of fraud as the 2014 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) payments window nears. In the last two years the RPA has been made aware by banks that fraudsters, pretending to be from banks' fraud departments, may try to target farmers. So the Agency is urging farming businesses to remain vigilant and take note of a few simple steps, as follows: Remember that your bank will never request your ...
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Food allergen deadline looms
From 13th December, all food businesses including restaurants will have to provide consumers with information on the presence of 14 potential allergens in ingredients of food that is not pre-packed. In response to the new measure, The Institute of Food Safety, Integrity and Protection (IFSIP) has produced an interactive PDF aimed at helping SMEs get to grips with the regulation. It offers guidance on how to recognise the 14 major allergens, practical allergen management advice and how ...
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UK business confidence most upbeat
UK business confidence remains the most upbeat among the world’s major economies, according to Markit Economics. Research from the financial information provider shows that 41% of manufacturing firms and 39% of service sector companies expect their staffing levels to be higher this time next year, compared to just 10% and 7% respectively that expect headcounts to fall. Capital expenditure is meanwhile anticipated to rise at 38% of goods-producing firms and at 26% of service sector companies, compared with ...
