大象传媒

Two new reports published today indicate that the poorest people here are continuing to struggle

A Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) study uses official data to suggest about one in six workers here are classed as low paid.

On top of this, a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has examined falling incomes in the recession.

It found that the typical household saw a 9% drop in income while the poorest households saw a 16% drop.

So what can and should be done?

The Irish News has revealed that 220,000 pounds of public money has been set aside to help staff on the new councils "get to know" one another. Each of the 11 new council areas has been allocated 20,000 pounds by the Department of Environment to support employees during the transition.

The range of activities include getting to know you sessions, staff seminars on the change process, effective communication tools and site visits across clusters.

MPs will vote today on whether to set up a year long-review of the 大象传媒 licence fee. Labour has said it will support plans to de-criminalise non-payment of the licence fee -- saying offenders shouldn't be sent to prison. The 大象传媒 has warned the measure could cost it 200 million pounds a year, but said it would co-operate with a review.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who first proposed the amendment, says it's not a matter of if it will be decriminalised. It's a matter of how and when.

Tourism chiefs in Scotland have claimed the crippling lack of mobile and internet signal in rural areas is a good thing - because it is sparking 'digital detox' holidays.

The report by Visit Scotland said the 'joy of missing out' on e-mails, texts and Facebook is creating a generation of niche breaks.

Would it put you off going on holiday to somewhere that means you are without a phone or is that your idea of holiday bliss?