Blackpool Council has renegotiated its street lighting and traffic signals contract in a move that will save £157,000 a year. In partnership with its service provider, Community Lighting Partnership (CLP), the council has refinanced its Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract through SMBC and Nord LB Banks to achieve savings of £3m over the remaining 19 […]
Economy Minister Edwina Hart has announced £21m of new finance to help Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Wales expand and create or safeguard more than 1,800 jobs. The money will be distributed to Welsh businesses through two Finance Wales funds and the Welsh Government’s new £5m Repayable Fund for SMEs, which offers repayable finance […]
Bespoke support and a new Centre of Excellence to help Scotland’s manufacturers innovate and expand have been announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Supported by £70 million of investment, a new strategy for manufacturing – A Manufacturing Future for Scotland – outlines how government will work with industry and with higher and further education institutions […]
Port Talbot could be designated as an Enterprise Zone by Welsh Government in a step to further assist the area against the impact of the Tata Steel announcement. Economy Minister Edwina Hart said the creation of an Enterprise Zone was a proposal being considered by Welsh Government to provide further potential support and investment to […]
The Crown Commercial Service and Communications-Electronic Security Group have developed an agreement for CESG Certified Cyber Security Consultancy services. The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has worked with the Communications-Electronic Security Group (CESG) to develop a new central route to market for the public sector to buy CESG Certified Cyber Security Consultancy services. The resulting Cyber […]
New research has found that 43% of new homes built under the Help to Buy: equity loan scheme since 2013 would have not been built without introduction of the scheme. A newly published report also found that 82% of buyers under Help to Buy: equity loan would not have been able to purchase their home […]
An extra £1 billion will be invested in mental health care by 2021 and a million more people will get mental health support. The announcement follows the publication of a report by the Mental Health Taskforce, chaired by Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind. The taskforce has reviewed mental health care and has set out […]
New CBI analysis reveals that inaction on business rates, together with recent Government policy changes, including the National Living Wage and the Apprenticeship Levy, will cost businesses around £9 billion every year by 2020-21 and around £29 billion over the course of this Parliament. Businesses are committed to delivering jobs, investment, raising skills and living […]
Matt Hancock has announced that government has brought together some of the world’s biggest names in digital to advise on delivering world beating digital public services. The new GDS advisory board is made up of UK experts from retail, digital, data and technology sectors, all of which have experience in delivering digital products and services […]
Five councils from different parts of the country have agreed a ‘revolutionary’ procurement deal in a bid to save more than £50m over nine years. The joint deal will see five councils – Hart District Council, Havant Borough Council, Mendip District Council, South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse District Councils – use their […]
