The Government’s flagship school building initiative has cut the cost of school construction projects by more than a third and is delivering them faster than ever before – figures out today show.
A vital part of the Government’s long term plan for education is raising the standard of schools so that thousands of pupils and teachers benefit from high-quality, fit for purpose facilities. These improved facilities will help children learn, so they can reach their full potential and go on and succeed in life.
Thanks to the £2.4 billion investment in the Priority School Building...
Devon campaigners will take to the streets of Exeter tomorrow (Saturday 11 October) to raise awareness of the Government’s backing of a secretive trade deal, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
The day of action will be one of hundreds taking place across Europe.
David Cameron and the Coalition government are pushing hard for TTIP, which critics have described as a ‘corporate power-grab’. Concerns about the deal focus around three main areas: regulatory harmonization which threatens hard-fought-for EU regulations on the environment, workers’...
Today (October 1) sees the launch of Stoptober - the 28-day campaign to help smokers who want to stop smoking for good.
Devon County Council is encouraging smokers in the region to sign-up, and has joined forces with Smokefree South West and Public Health England to support the campaign.
Dr Virginia Pearson, Devon’s Director of Public Health, said: “Quitting smoking is as easy as searching ‘Stoptober’ online or contacting your local, council-run, Stop Smoking Service by calling 01884 836024 or emailing ndht.stopsmoking@nhs.net .
Youth charity The Prince’s Trust is urging more unemployed young people in the South West to embrace their inner entrepreneur and explore the option of self-employment thanks to financial backing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme, which helps jobless young people to start up in business, has already created more than £3.1 million in social value for the South West alone, according to research published by the charity last year .
Supported with investment from ERDF, from now until June 2015, over 1,300 more young...
Geoffrey Dicks will give a one hour lecture on “Is the recovery sustainable” looking at the general economic situation, including the forthcoming Budget. This will be followed by a Q&A session and an informal drinks reception.
Geoffrey Dicks MBE Geoffrey Dicks was chief UK economist at NatWest Markets, RBS Global Banking and Markets and worked with Sir Alan Budd at the Office for Budget Responsibility as one of the three-man committee. From 2008 until last year Geoffrey was chief economist at Novus Capital Markets. In 2011, Geoffrey was awarded an MBE for services to...
The Prime Minster, David Cameron has said he is determined to give the public “a proper alternative service and solution” to the destroyed train line in Dawlish.
The train line which was destroyed when Tuesday night’s storm breached the Dawlish Seawall is not expected to be functionally repaired until at least the 18th March despite full scale repair works.
Many of the services between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot are running limited replacement bus services until this date. However rail operators have said that the service is dependent on local road conditions....
The UK economy has had its fastest growth since 2007,with UK GDP growing by 1.9% of in 2013 according to a report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). GDP used as the primary measure of a country’s economic growth, grew by 0.7% in the last quarter of 2013, down slightly on the 0.8% growth seen in the third quarter. While growth is at the highest it has been for several years it is still below pre-recession levels. Most of the main industrial areas of the UK also saw increased output in the last quarter with only the construction industry, which accounts for less 8% of GDP,...
Libraries have a role in helping new and small businesses grow, says Dr Stephen Fear, Entrepreneur in Residence and Ambassador at The British Library.
Dr Fear was speaking in Exeter to business leaders at a briefing by Devon County Council, hosted by Ashfords, about a new resource within Exeter's Central Library that will give businesses access to high quality business and 'Intellectual Property' (IP) information.
The multi-million pound redeveloped Central Library, on track to open next summer, will include a dedicated entreprise support service, funded...
The Chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA), Sir Merrick Cockell, is to address public service leaders from across Devon tomorrow saying that economic growth is being stunted because of the way Whitehall allocates and spends taxpayers' money.
Sir Merrick Cockell will use his keynote address to local government leaders, councillors and public service leaders from across Devon to demand a radical overhaul of the way public money is distributed and spent to deliver a fair deal for English residents, boost economic growth and completely rewire a public sector which has...
A leading housebuilder is looking to increase its workforce by creating its own skilled team of tradesmen to cope with a boom in the housing industry across the South West.
Developers Persimmon Homes South West is expanding so quickly across the region that to cope with the busy demands of a building site they are looking to increase their workforce.
Bricklayers, carpenters, dry liners, decorators, plumbers, electricians and kitchen fitters are all needed as the developer expands across 16 developments throughout the South West with more openings planned for 2014.
