The latest publication of the monthly UK House Price Index (UK HPI) shows that the average price of a property in Scotland in November 2017 was £145,992 – an increase of 3.6 per cent on November in the previous year and an increase of 1.1 per cent when compared to the previous month.

This compares to a UK average of £226,071, which was an increase of 5.1 per cent on November in the previous year and an increase of 0.1 per cent when compared to the previous month.

The volume of residential sales in Scotland in September 2017. was 9,323 – a decrease of 2.5 per cent on September 2016 and a decrease of 0.5 per cent on the previous month. This compares with annual decreases in sales volumes of 14.8 per cent in England, 6.6 per cent in Wales and 8.6 per cent in Northern Ireland (Quarter 3 – 2017).

Registers of Scotland Business Development and Information Director Kenny Crawford said: “Average prices in Scotland continued their upward trend in November with an increase of 3.6 per cent when compared to November 2016. Average prices have been steadily increasing each month since March 2016, when compared with the same month of the previous year.

“Residential sales volumes decreased in September. The annual decrease of 2.5 per cent when compared with September 2016 in Scotland is in the context of greater decreases across the rest of the UK. The cumulative volume of sales. for Scotland for the financial year to date – from April to September 2017 – was 54,893. This is an increase of 9.1 per cent on the equivalent year to date position for September 2016.”

The top five local authorities in terms of September sales volumes were the City of Edinburgh (1,124 sales), Glasgow City (1,067 sales), Fife (706 sales), South Lanarkshire (595 sales) and North Lanarkshire (451 sales).

Average price increases were recorded in three quarters (24) of all local authorities in November 2017, when comparing prices with the previous year. The biggest price increases were in West Dunbartonshire, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh, where the average prices increased by 10.3 per cent to £106,216, 8.1 per cent to £217,106 and 8.0 per cent to £246,508 respectively. The biggest decreases were recorded in Aberdeen City and Argyll and Bute where prices fell by 4.2 per cent to £163,489 and 3.9 per cent to £127,373 respectively.

Across Scotland, most property types showed an increase in average price in November 2017 when compared with the same month in the previous year. Flat or maisonette properties showed the biggest increase, rising by 7.2 per cent to £108,881. The average price of detached properties showed a decrease of 3.6 per cent to £235,744.

The average price in November 2017 for a property purchased by a first time buyer was £121,574 – an increase of 6.5 per cent compared to the same month in the previous year. The average price for a property purchased by a former owner occupier was £169,670 – an increase of 0.7 per cent on the previous year.

The average price for a cash sale was £135,641 – an increase of 4.0 per cent on the previous year – while the average price for property purchased with a mortgage was £150,733 – an increase of 3.5 per cent on the previous year.

Diabetes UK is looking for people from all over Scotland to take on the swimming challenge of the year, Swim22, between 22 February and 22 May.

As a Swim22 challenger you’ll swim an incredible 22 miles – the equivalent of swimming the English Channel – in your local pool, while making a difference with each and every splash. You can take on the swim challenge alone or, better still, get your family, friends and colleagues involved. You can even split the distance between a team to make it easier for everyone.

Swimming is a fantastic way to stay fit and healthy, have fun and set yourself a challenge. Whether you’re an absolute beginner or a seasoned swimmer, our team will be on hand to offer swimming tips and fundraising advice.

When you sign up you’ll receive a Swim22 pack through the post. This includes swimming tips, how to get your fundraising started and, of course, your very own Swim22 swimming hat.   You will also receive an email giving you access to your very own Swim22 page, where you can track the distance covered, collect milestone swimming badges and share your progress with everyone.

Across Scotland over 280,000 people are living with diabetes. When diabetes is not well managed it is associated with serious complications including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease and amputations. Every length you complete and every pound you raise will get us closer to our vision of a world where diabetes can do no harm.

To sign up, just visit www.diabetes.org.uk/swim22. There is no registration fee and no minimum sponsorship.

Ahead of the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget on November 22, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is urging the government to take immediate action to halt the expected 3.9% increase in business rates valuations next year, as part of a bold Budget that seeks to boost the UK’s productivity.

The UK’s leading business group, which represents almost 75,000 companies employing almost six million people in every region and nation of the UK, calls on the Chancellor to take action now to get the UK economy ready for when the country leaves the European Union.

The BCC proposes pausing the Corporation Tax roadmap, with the tax remaining at 19% until after Brexit – with the resulting revenue ring-fenced to help ease the burden of up-front taxes and costs that hit business cash flow and undermine investment.

The BCC calls on the government to take bold action across three key areas, to help businesses deal with the challenges and opportunities that Brexit provides, kickstart a productivity surge, and ensure that the domestic economy is in the best possible position on day one of leaving the EU:

• Tackling the upfront cost of doing business – pledging not to introduce any more input taxes and other significant costs, abandoning the annual uprating of business rates for the next two years, and removing plant and machinery from business rates valuations.
• Incentivise business investment during the Brexit process – through the introduction of a ‘Brexit Special’ Annual Investment Allowance, temporarily increasing the limit to £1 million.
• Fixing the fundamentals – committing to ensuring complete voice coverage on mobiles by 2020, and kickstarting infrastructure projects vital to our economic future, from Northern Powerhouse rail and Crossrail 2, to bringing forward investment in the road network.

Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

“At a critical moment for the UK economy, the Chancellor must be bold – and deliver a big budget that prioritises economic confidence and investment.

“The best possible Brexit deal won’t be worth the paper it’s written on if conditions for growth aren’t right here at home. The Chancellor has a unique chance to move the dial on growth and productivity now, leaving the UK in a position to succeed over the long term. Action to slash the up-front costs faced by business, to incentivise investment, and to improve mobile coverage and infrastructure would lead to a real boost to productivity, wages and trade.

“A Budget that prioritises goodies and giveaways rather than future-proofing the economy would be a dereliction of duty by the government as a whole.”

On business rates:

“It would be unconscionable for the government to use September’s inflation figures to slam businesses with a huge rise in rates, particularly when they already face spiralling up-front costs. A failure to act would hit the high street, manufacturers and others hard – and undermine the sort of investment we need to boost productivity.”

On investment:

“Too many companies are playing a wait-and-see game at the moment. We need a big, bold incentive to get more firms investing – particularly ahead of the Brexit transition.”

On infrastructure:

“A sugar hit for voters would quickly fade, but the protein boost provided by increased investment in infrastructure and digital connectivity would be felt for decades. Ramping up infrastructure investment across all regions and nations of the UK, and getting long-planned projects off the drawing board, gives a huge boost to business confidence and creates both jobs and business opportunities.”

UK businesses contribute a staggering 33% of all the country’s Co2 emissions.

With small to medium sized businesses making up 70% of the UK’s total business count, it’s crucial they become more environmentally aware. And, switching to a green energy tariff is the single biggest thing a business can do to reduce their carbon footprint.

Unlike that of large corporate organisations, the switching process for energy contracts is simple and can often be done quickly for smaller businesses.

Furthermore, the prices of such renewable contracts are in line with tariffs sourced through the burning of fossil fuels – so there’s really no excuse not to go green.

At Utilitywise we’ve already taken our first steps on our green journey through agreeing renewable energy tariffs for all of our offices across the UK. We’re also now offering 100% renewable tariffs to our customers.

Why go green?
• It’s easy – Using a green energy tariff is one of the easiest ways to reduce your business’s carbon footprint. All Utilitywise green tariffs use 100% renewable energy
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• Reputation enhancing – Get green certification to display in your business and promote your carbon commitment to customers, employees and potential investors.
• Business winning – When bidding for certain contracts, you may not be eligible unless you meet certain environmentally friendly preconditions. We can help you meet them.
• Money saving – A Utilitywise green tariff could be cheaper than what you pay today, plus we’ll help you reduce your bills through energy saving.

Click here to learn more about green energy tariffs https://hubs.ly/H08R0Jv0

As the Conservative Party Conference continues today (Monday) in Manchester, the British Chambers of Commerce has called on the governing party to demonstrate competence and coherence – not division and disorganisation – in the interests of the UK’s economic well-being.

The leading business organisation – which represents tens of thousands of UK companies employing nearly six million people – has flagged on-going business concerns over the public disagreements within the Cabinet around the Brexit process, as well as an insufficient focus on supporting the domestic economy, as areas for immediate attention.

BCC Director General Adam Marshall has called on the Prime Minister and her party to shore up business confidence by ensuring that Brexit negotiations deliver a comprehensive transition period and pragmatic trade talks by the end of 2017, and by increasing attention to the many domestic issues that hold back business appetite for investment and risk.

Speaking from Manchester, BCC Director General Adam Marshall said:

“Businesspeople across Britain are growing impatient with division and disorganisation at the heart of the party of government, and have made it very clear that they expect competence and coherence from ministers as we move into a critical period for the economy.

“Public disagreements between Cabinet ministers in recent weeks have only served to undermine business confidence, not just on Brexit negotiations, but also on the many issues where firms need to see clear action from government closer to home. Action to cut the up-front cost of doing business, build key infrastructure, help firms plug increasing skills gaps, and to support investment and risk-taking must be front and centre on the government’s agenda.

“On Brexit, businesses are clear that they want a comprehensive transition period, lasting at least three years, and pragmatic discussions on the future trading relationship between the UK and the EU firmed up by the end of 2017. They will judge the government’s progress on Brexit by this yardstick – not by public speeches or pronouncements – and will take investment and hiring decisions accordingly.”

The latest publication of the monthly UK House Price Index (UK HPI) shows that the average price of a property in Scotland in July 2017 was £149,185 – an increase of 4.8 per cent on July in the previous year and an increase of 2.8 per cent when compared to the previous month.

This compares to a UK average of £226,185, which was an increase of 5.1 per cent compared to July in the previous year and an increase of 1.1 per cent when compared to the previous month.

The volume of residential sales in Scotland in May 2017 was 8,241 – an increase of 13.7 per cent on May 2016 and an increase of 3.5 per cent on the previous month.
This compares with an annual decrease in sales volumes of 3.3 per cent in England and annual increases in sales volumes of 9.0 per cent in Wales and 5.0 per cent in Northern Ireland (Quarter 2 – 2017).

Registers of Scotland business development and information director Kenny Crawford said: “Average prices in Scotland continued their upward trend in July with an increase of 4.8 per cent when compared to July 2016. This represents the biggest percentage increase year-on-year since March 2015.

“While average prices have been steadily increasing each month since March 2016, when compared with the same month of the previous year, sales volumes figures have been more changeable over the 12 months to May. May 2017 showed an increase in sales volumes in Scotland of 13.7% when compared with May 2016; however, volumes in May 2016 were lower than usual, a possible effect of the introduction of changes to the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax that came into effect on 1 April 2016.”

The top five local authorities in terms of sales volumes were the City of Edinburgh (1,094 sales), Glasgow City (899 sales), Fife (565 sales), South Lanarkshire (506 sales) and North Lanarkshire (396 sales).

Average price increases were recorded in 30 out of 32 local authorities in July 2017, when comparing prices with the previous year. The biggest price increase was in the City of Edinburgh, where the average price increased by 9.6 per cent to £243,920. The biggest decrease was again in Aberdeen City, where prices fell by 7.7 per cent to £166,836.

Across Scotland, all property types showed an increase in average price in July 2017 when compared with the same month in the previous year. Detached properties showed the biggest increase, rising by 5.6 per cent to £255,993.

The average price in July 2017 for property purchased by a first time buyer was £120,630 – an increase of 4.1 per cent compared to the same month in the previous year. The average price for a property purchased by a former owner occupier was £178,766 – an increase of 5.5 per cent on the previous year.

– ScotRail becomes the best performing large train operator in the UK
– Performance for the four weeks to 19 August 2017 the best for that period in five years
– ScotRail pledges no complacency as it builds the best railway Scotland has ever had

ScotRail is the best performing large train operator in the UK, new figures published today reveal.

The new figures reveal that the ScotRail Alliance’s moving annual average (MAA) – the average performance for the year to 19 August 2017 – is at 90.9 per cent. This is ahead of the performance improvement plan target of 90.5 per cent, and ahead of the other large operators in the UK.

For the four weeks to 19 August 2017, 92.5 per cent of trains met the industry standard public performance measure (PPM) – the best performance during this period for five years, and well ahead of the 88.9 per cent for the same period last year.

‘Large operators’ are those which ran the most services over the last year.

The recent independent National Rail Passenger Survey, carried out by Transport Focus, revealed that nine out of ten customers are satisfied with ScotRail.

ScotRail Alliance managing director Alex Hynes said:

“The fact that we are the best performing large operator in the UK is down to the hard work of our people in the ScotRail Alliance, a partnership between Abellio ScotRail and Network Rail.

“Our customers have noticed the effort we are making to help them travel about Scotland hassle-free.

“Just last month the independent National Rail Passenger Survey by Transport Focus revealed that nine out of ten passengers are satisfied with ScotRail, equalling our best ever score.

“But we aren’t complacent. We’re working hard to build the best railway Scotland’s ever had. Our new and better trains will deliver faster journeys, more seats and better services for our customers.”

The latest publication of the monthly UK House Price Index (UK HPI) shows that the average price of a property in Scotland in June 2017 was £144,253 – an increase of 2.9 per cent on June in the previous year and an increase of 0.1 per cent when compared to the previous month.

This compares to a UK average of £223,257, which was an increase of 4.9 per cent compared to June in the previous year and an increase of 0.8 per cent when compared to the previous month.

The volume of residential sales in Scotland in April 2017 was 7,908 – an increase of 16.0 per cent on April 2016 but a decrease of 14.2 per cent on the previous month. This compares with annual increases in sales volumes of 1.6 per cent in England, 9.9 per cent in Wales and 5.0 per cent in Northern Ireland (Quarter 2 2017).

Registers of Scotland business development and information director Kenny Crawford said: “Average prices in June continued their upward trend when compared with June 2016. There have been increases in every month since March 2016 when compared with the same month of the previous year.”

“Sales volumes figures for April 2017 showed an increase in Scotland of 16.0% when compared with April 2016. However, volumes in April 2016 were lower than usual, a possible effect of the introduction of changes to the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax that came into effect on 1 April 2016.”

The top five local authorities in terms of sales volumes were the City of Edinburgh (964 sales), Glasgow City (868 sales), Fife (543 sales), South Lanarkshire (511 sales) and North Lanarkshire (411 sales).

Price increases were recorded in 29 out of 32 local authorities in June 2017 compared to the previous year. The biggest price increase was in Glasgow City where the average price increased by 8.5 per cent to £123,609. The biggest decrease was again in the City of Aberdeen, where prices fell by 10.0 per cent to £163,847.

Across Scotland, all property types showed an increase in average price in June 2017 when compared with the same month in the previous year. Flatted properties showed the biggest increase, rising by 4.3 per cent to £104,289.

The average price in June 2017 for property purchased by a first time buyer was £116,315 – an increase of 2.5 per cent compared to the same month in the previous year. The average price for a property purchased by a former owner occupier was £173,088 – an increase of 3.1 per cent on the previous year.

The average price for a cash sale was £136,785 – an increase of 5.1 per cent on the previous year – while the average price for property purchased with a mortgage was £149,192 – an increase of 2.6 per cent on the previous year.

• Edinburgh residents spend £180K on socialising in a lifetime according to new research from Barclays, £30K more than Glasgow
• Almost half of Scots (48 per cent) dip into their savings to finance their social life
• Edinburgh ranked fourth in UK’s top 10 cities that spend the most on socialising

Party loving Edinburgh residents spend more on having a good time than any other city in Scotland according to new research from Barclays.

According to the statistics, the capital’s population will spend £180,119 over the course of their life time (17% more than Glasgow) on social occasions like birthdays and nights out as well as holidays with friends.

While many might assume London is the most expensive city for socialising in the UK, it’s not as pricey as Leeds or Bristol. The survey of 2,000 UK adults found that residents in Leeds spend more than any other city in the UK, with locals forking out a whopping £213K on social occasions over the course of a lifetime. Edinburgh took the fourth spot while Glasgow ranked seventh for social spending.

Top 10 cities that spend the most on socialising:

1. Leeds £213,245
2. Bristol £199,617
3. London £192,028
4. Edinburgh £180,119
5. Birmingham £170,068
6. Liverpool £161,012
7. Glasgow £150,372
8. Manchester £143,910
9. Newcastle £135,951
10. Cardiff £128,572

Proving that Scottish savers don’t always consider the long-term impact of their social spending, almost half (48 per cent) said they either often or sometimes dip into their savings to finance their packed social calendars, while two-fifths of Scots (40 per cent) admit struggling to save money due to their love of socialising.

This may come as no surprise as the survey also revealed that 45 per cent of Scots regard being popular as important to them, particularly in Edinburgh (55 per cent) compared to 44 per cent in Glasgow and 34 per cent in Aberdeen.

Peer pressure appears to the main culprit which causes Scots to overspend at social functions, with a quarter of Scots (24 per cent) splashing the cash on friends to avoid looking stingy and 16 per cent spending above their means through “Fear of Missing Out” (FOMO).

Clare Francis, Savings and Investments Director at Barclays, comments: “This research demonstrates the impact that peer pressure and FOMO can have on people’s finances, particularly during this period of high inflation. But popularity doesn’t need to come at a cost.

“For anyone feeling under pressure to overspend, take the time to consider whether you’d rather be putting that money towards your long-term financial goals. True friends will be considerate when you say you can’t afford something, and there are always cheaper alternatives when it comes to having a good time. Voicing your concerns now could make a big difference to your finances in the long term, as there is no time like the present to start saving for your future.”

Under pressure:

• The people of Edinburgh worry the most about appearing tight with money, with over a quarter (27%) thinking their friends will judge them if they attempt to be frugal.
• The research showed that Glaswegians are the least likely to talk about money with mates, with over a fifth (22%) feeling awkward about discussing budgets with friends
• The people of Newcastle feel the most pressure when it comes to spending after hours, with a fifth claiming friends often coerce them into overspending on nights out.
• The research found that the people of Cardiff believe themselves to be the most popular, with almost three quarters (73%) believing they have lots of mates. However, residents of Cardiff are also most guilty of spending money for fear of missing out, with a fifth (19 %) admitting to dishing out the dough due to FOMO.
• Bristolians are most likely to get irritated with friends that don’t consider that they have less disposable income than them when making plans, with a quarter (24%) admitting this.
• The people of Manchester are the least conscious of friends with less money than them, with a quarter (25%) not bothered if their friends can afford social occasions, so long as they themselves can.
• Londoners might be most guilty of emptying their piggy banks, with 41% of residents claiming to regular dip into their savings to afford nights out with friends. Londoners also feel the most pressure to spend money on their partners, with a tenth (11%) claiming to be under the thumb of their spouse.
• The people of Birmingham are most guilty of having a financial feud with a friend, with almost a fifth (17%) having fallen out with a mate over money

Who spends the most on:

• Nights out – Edinburgh residents spend £101K on nights out in their lifetime
• Work Nights Out – Londoners spend £52,961 on evenings out with colleagues in a lifetime
• Taxis – Londoners rack up a total fare of £38,749 in a lifetime
• Holidays – Cardiff residents splash the most cash on holidays, spending £4,447 on holidays with friends in a lifetime
• Parties – Leeds locals spend almost £5K on parties in a lifetime

TOP TIPS FOR BUDGETING FOR SOCIAL OCCASIONS – FROM CLARE FRANCIS:

A night in with friends
Social occasions can be a considerable drain on your finances and if you’re not careful, the cost can get out of control – a new outfit, drinks, food, taxi fare, it all adds up. Instead of going out, why not try staying in? This doesn’t necessarily mean it will be a dull affair. You could host a cocktail party and ask everyone to bring a bottle of spirit or mixer, or have tapas and TV party and ask each friend to bring one dish. There are lots of ways to spend quality time with friends without breaking the bank. After all, a good time indoors is still a good time.

The friends sharing economy
In a recent survey, Barclays found that a third of people living in the UK would be interested in having a monthly cap on the amount they could spend in their favourite stores. This is because we are a nation of impulse buyers, but while it might be tempting to buy a new outfit for every night out, the cost can often be too high. Instead of buying that new dress, why not swap one of yours with a friend’s? Open up the conversation and find the people in your group that are open to making an exchange and roll with it. You never know, your old ‘rag’ might be just what they’ve been looking for.

Free activities
There is a tendency among Brits to spend a lot of money when they go out with friends, but it’s not always necessary. With summer officially here, why not spend an afternoon in the park. Or for rainy days, take a trip to a free museum or an art gallery. Try going out without spending money anything – you’ll discover there are lots of ways to have fun without breaking the bank. If you’re looking for inspiration, head online and find recommendations on local websites and money saving forums.

Plan ahead and start saving early
If planning a big social event with a group of friends (say a holiday or a hen or stag do), consider setting up a standing order. You and your mates can make regular monthly payments over a period of time so that when the time comes to go away, your trip will already be paid for. And importantly, it will be paid for in a regular way that won’t leave you feeling cash-strapped. Another great way to save is by setting up a flexi-saver account or Cash ISA to run alongside your regular savings account. Putting away even £50 a month can make a real difference when it comes to paying for those big social occasions.

Set a monthly budget
Our research found that a significant number of people often spend money with friends due to fear of missing out or because of peer pressure, but there are easy ways to avoid this. Create a monthly budget (based on your incomings and out-goings) and set aside a figure that is specifically saved for social occasions. If you want to go a step further, then create a separate pot for ‘last minute invitations’. If you’re really struggling for cash though, don’t be afraid to say no. Your friends will forgive you!
Depending on your savings goal, head to Barclays finance manager to learn more on different ways to save: http://www.barclays.co.uk/savingsgoals

• More than one in five (22%) service leavers will face employment challenges, resulting in a potential loss of £1.5bn to the economy according to new research from Barclays
• Ex-military could help to plug UK skills shortage, by filling one in six predicted vacancies
• Barclays urges employers to recognise the value that veterans can bring to the UK workforce

A new study from Barclays has revealed that the UK economy could suffer losses of up to £1.5bn in the next five years if service leavers aren’t able to find employment, or are under employed upon leaving the Armed Forces.

The research calculates the direct and indirect contribution of the up to 85,000 personnel that are estimated to leave the military by 2021; a figure which is equivalent to the number of people currently employed in the UK creative, arts and entertainment sector. While many veterans make a successful transition to civilian employment, the study predicts that one in 10 veterans (10%) will experience long term unemployment, and that a further 12% will be sub-optimally employed (where their skills are being under-utilised by employers).

Those employers that overlook ex-military when recruiting are failing to recognise the valuable skills and experience this cohort of highly talented individuals possesses, as well as the billions of pounds invested by the MOD in the training of military personnel. The impact of this could prove detrimental to the future growth of UK plc, at a time when bolstering the skilled workforce is crucial to securing the country’s economic future.

Around two thirds of employers are expected to experience deficits in soft skills within the next five years, with more than 600,000 jobs left unfilled. By deploying more ex-military personnel into civilian job roles, one in six of these vacancies could be filled, resulting in a contribution of £12.6bn to the UK economy. This is approximate to the annual production of the UK Pharmaceuticals industry.

Previous research conducted by Barclays has shown that many ex-military already face a number of significant challenges when applying for civilian work, many of which stem from a lack of understanding from prospective employers and colleagues alike about what military experience can offer the workforce.

Barclays, as a founding member of the Veterans Employment Transition Support (VETS) programme, is urging employers to see hiring veterans as a business imperative. VETS is formed of a coalition of willing companies, the MOD and leading military charities, who seek to work within existing transition support efforts to maximise employment outcomes for veterans and employers alike.

Nicholas Trowell, co-chair of the Barclays Armed Forces Transition, Employment & Resettlement (AFTER) Programme in Scotland, said: “A career in the military has many similarities to that in the commercial sector, yet some employers are still underestimating the value of veterans’ skills.

“This research underlines the importance of thinking beyond experience in order to plug crucial vacancies with capable individuals – and benefit from a new perspective at the same time.

“Programmes such as VETS and AFTER are designed to help employers harness the military skills that parallel those in the workplace more effectively.” Johnny Mercer MP, Plymouth, Moor View said: “This research by Barclays demonstrates the enormous value that ex-service personnel bring to the UK workforce and to the economy as a whole. I would be delighted to see businesses across the UK utilise the unique skills and experience of our ex-military service men and women, helping them to overcome the inevitable challenges that can come with returning to civilian life.”

Victor Olet, veteran said: “The assistance that I got from VETS really helped me manage the transition from military life. When I first started applying for jobs I had a low response rate from the businesses I was contacting, but the advice I was given about improving my CV really changed that. The VETS programme also really helped build my confidence ahead of job interviews.”