Uk

Rise in numbers of civil partnerships

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics have shown a recent rise in the number of civil partnerships in the UK.

The provisional number of civil partnerships in the UK in 2012 was 7,037, an increase of 3.6% since 2011; 3,591 were female, 3,446 were male.

The figures for Plymouth also show a rise in the same period. There were 31 new civil partnerships - 18 were...

Simple suggestions to help the 80% of adults who experience back pain

When it comes to reasons for visiting the doctor, only the number one cause – the common cold – beats back pain.

It’s estimated that four out of every five adults (a whopping 80%) will experience back pain at some point in their lives. It’s a problem that is affecting industry, with studies suggesting absenteeism through back pain is costing UK companies £673 per employee per year....

Crisis looms as new study reveals extent of England's grave shortage

Experts are warning of a looming crisis across England as a new report reveals that the country is rapidly running out of space to bury people.

According to a BBC Local Radio survey, a quarter of burial authorities will run out space in 10 years or less; nearly half (44 per cent) in 20 years or less and some areas have already completely run out of space - with others set to run out in...

Police campaign highlights impact of alcohol-related disorder

Police chiefs have launched a week-long campaign highlighting the realities faced by those dealing with drunkenness and alcohol-related incidents.

The national initiative follows the vow from Devon and Cornwall's Police and Crime Commissioner, Tony Hogg to do more to tackle the problems of alcohol-related disorder, which is costing the region more than £300m.

The UK police...

RICS launch guide to help small businesses manage their property assets

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has today launched a guide to help small businesses take better control of their finances through managing their property assets differently.

Property costs – such as business rates and rent – are one of the most significant expenses incurred by SMEs and failure to take professional advice as to how to manage them could costs businesses...

Unemployment rate in the South West unchanged as UK sees an overall 0.1% fall

The South West continues to see one of the UK's highest rates of employment, despite a slight fall in employment of 0.7% to 73.9% in the period from May to July. The rate of unemployment for the region remained unchanged at 6.2%.

The Office for National Statistics has released both national and regional figures for the last financial quarter.

The overall UK unemployment rate...

Accounting red tape cut for smallest UK companies

Measures to reduce "burdensome" accounting red tape for micro-businesses have been confirmed today by Business Minister Jo Swinson. In the government response to the consultation on how best to implement the EU’s Micros Directive, published today, the UK’s 1.5 million micro-entities will now become exempt from certain financial reporting requirements.

They are currently subject to the...

UK house prices up 5.4% in year-on-year comparison

UK house prices have seen their highest annual rise since June 2010. In the three months to August 2013, prices have risen an average of 5.4% from the same period last year, according to the Halfax's latest house price survey.

Prices were also up in the three months to August from the previous three months (March/April/May), rising by 2.1%. The August figure remains unchanged from both...

New research reveals gaps in childcare for parents of disabled children

As the summer holidays end, a new survey has revealed gaps in childcare for parents of disabled children – impacting work for 90 per cent of parents.

Working Families survey of parents of disabled children this summer reveals the high costs and difficulties in finding suitable childcare which have a serious knock-on effect on parents’ work. Ninety per cent of parents responding said...

Research finds half of all UK seven-year-olds not getting enough exercise

Half of all UK seven-year-olds are sedentary for between six and seven waking hours per day and half are not doing the recommended daily minimum of one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity, according to the latest findings from the Millennium Cohort Study .

The research, led by academics at University College London (UCL) and published in the journal BMJ Open, shows that...

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