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| If an independent Scotland doesn’t ‘pay up’ rUK could veto Scotland’s EU application and ‘hang on’ to North Sea Oil and tax revenues |
FM Alex Salmond has responded to the Treasury’s confirmation that it will honour all of the UK’s debt in the event of a vote for independence in the referendum. Editors Note: Readers wanting an in-depth & non-political view of the legal process & potential complications of a post ‘Yes’ vote will benefit from watching a recent 3-hour hearing of the HoC Scottish Affairs Select Committee HERE |
| No education, no chance of a job |
Almost 75% of young offenders return to crime when they are released. Currently, young offenders spend on average just 12 hours a week in education, but under new proposals this would be more than doubled to give young offenders much more time in the classroom or workshop to help them develop the skills they need to turn their back on crime. Under the plans to transform youth custody, a pioneering Secure College will be built in the East Midlands. The fortified school will ‘provide young offenders with strong discipline, while focusing squarely on rehabilitation & education’. The Secure College will have a head teacher or principal at the core of a leadership team made up of educational professionals and offender managers. |
| New offer could be a ‘fraction’ of the eventual ‘sweetener’ offered |
The PM has announced that councils can keep 100% of business rates they collect from shale gas sites – double the current 50% figure. This commitment could be worth up to £1.7m a year for a typical site. Community benefits for local people will also be strengthened. The industry has confirmed it will further consult on how this money can best be shared with the local community, with options including direct cash payments to people living near the site, plus the setting up of local funds directly managed by local communities. |
| Following the USA & Australia into more dependence on reserve forces |
A brand new Army recruitment campaign – 'More than meets the eye' – launched recently to kick-start Army recruitment in the New Year. Also, the Territorial Army has now been rebranded as the ‘Army Reserve. This is to help demonstrate its integration with its regular counterparts. The new campaign is the first fully integrated, joint recruitment drive for the Army & Army Reserve and seeks to capitalise on the New Year resolutions of those wanting to transform their lives with a more exciting and more rewarding career. January will also see the launch of a new simplified online application form, a more streamlined medical clearance process, and an Army fitness app, making it easier for potential recruits to join. Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Peter Wall, said: “The Army offers people unique opportunities for challenge and adventure, both at home and overseas, during peacetime and on operations. It develops personal qualities that are key to success in any walk of life: leadership, judgement, determination and physical stamina”. |
