Reading Time: 5 minutes SPICe has recently received enquiries about the Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land (RCI), its history, the process for registration, who it
Month: February 2023
The Icelandic Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers – The Nordic Region: A force for peace
Reading Time: 6 minutes This blog sets out the priorities of the Icelandic Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Social Security in Six Charts – update
Reading Time: 5 minutes Scottish social security is growing fast. In December 2022, David Wallace, Chief Executive of Social Security Scotland said that: We are just past the midway
Transparency and the Scottish Budget
Reading Time: 9 minutes This blog summarises issues around the transparency of Scottish budgetary information.
Explainer: How will the Scottish Parliament nominate and select a new First Minister?
Reading Time: 3 minutes This short blog explains the parliamentary process for nominating and selecting a new First Minister when a First Minister resigns.
Wood burning stoves FAQs: updated February 2023
Reading Time: 5 minutes As the cost crisis continues and energy bills rise, SPICe has received an increasing number of enquiries and visits to our blog from 2019 on
Long COVID: where are we now?
Reading Time: 6 minutes SPICe first published a blog on long COVID, Long COVID in June 2021. Since then, the numbers of people in Scotland reporting having long COVID has increased from 79,000 to 175,000, This blog provides the answers to some frequently asked questions on long COVID.
Scotland’s rent freeze and evictions pause – what is the Scottish Government planning next?
Reading Time: 5 minutes This blog looks at the Scottish Government’s plans for the rent freeze and evictions pause in Scotland
Why is Scotland spending an additional £1 billion on social security?
Reading Time: 5 minutes In 2023-24 the amount paid out in devolved social security benefits is forecast to increase by around £1 billion – from £4.2 billion in 2022-23
New UK trade agreements – an introduction
Reading Time: 7 minutes Following the UK’s departure from the EU, the UK Government has the power to seek to negotiate and conclude its own trade deals. This blog explains what trade agreements are, how they are made, and sets out the current state of play of the UK’s trade agreement negotiations.