Points to Ponder

[SteveH]

P&O Ferries has paused its services "in preparation for a company announcement" later on Thursday.

The ferry operator said it was not going into liquidation but all ferries had been instructed to stay in port.

Union RMT urged the firm to protect jobs amid speculation that hundreds of crewmembers could "be sacked and replaced with foreign labour".

As a result some sailings scheduled for today have been cancelled, with passengers told to use other companies.

P&O services scheduled today include 14 between Dover and Calais, three between Liverpool and Dublin and seven between Larne in County Antrim and Cairnryan in Dumfries and Galloway.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told MPs in the Commons he was "concerned" about the reports and "will be taking steps later today including ensuring that my officials are having urgent discussions with P&O about the situation".

A P&O Ferries spokesperson said: "P&O Ferries is not going into liquidation. We have asked all ships to come alongside, in preparation for a company announcement. Until then, services from P&O will not be running and we are advising travellers of alternative arrangements."

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60779001

[Hugo]

The energy price increase must be frightening for most people, especially as you get older.    What irks me a bit though is when I see people in their houses getting interviewed and they are complaining about the cold yet they sit there in short sleeves and still expect to be warm.     Sadly that situation is a luxury most people can't afford to do nowadays.
I know from experience that myself and Mrs H both feel the cold more in the Winter now and when it has been very cold I've even worn my walking base layer when I've been indoors.
A chance conversation with a friend while walking our dogs made me buy something for my wife that gave me brownie points and will come in very handy again for next Winter for her.
I bought an OODIE for her It's like wearing a blanket and has a hood and sleeves.    They are unisex and come in one size only.    That's a 6XK          However they do work and I just wish that I had known about them at the start of the Winter
It's not a fashion accessory but a practical bit of clothing for wearing indoors in cold weather

[SteveH]

An exodus of over-50s who left the workforce during the Covid pandemic is fuelling wage inflation, says the boss of John Lewis.

Dame Sharon White said any government must think "really hard" about how to get more older people back into work.

The UK has seen one million people, mostly in their 50s, leave work since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak.

That "inevitably" causes wage inflation, said Dame Sharon.

The number of "economically inactive" people - those without a job and not seeking to work - is higher than before Covid struck, according to the Office for National Statistics. Retirement is the most popular reason given by people aged between 50 and 70 for not working.

Read more  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62471260

[Hugo]

Something to think about as the energy bills are rising

The worst appliances for draining electricity when you're not using them
The cost of energy is through the roof so anything that can help lower bills is worth considering


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/worst-appliances-draining-electricity-youre-25163235

[SteveH]

Three hour daily blackouts could hit UK this winter warns National Grid - who ask public to help
Households are being encouraged to help avoid blackouts, 'save money and back Britain' by using more energy during off-peak times

The first planned blackouts in decades might hit parts of the country this winter if power plants cannot get enough gas to keep running, the body that oversees Britain's electricity grid has warned. Households are being encouraged to help avoid blackouts, "save money and back Britain" by using more energy during off-peak times.

In what it called an "unlikely" scenario, the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) said that households and businesses might face planned three-hour outages to ensure that the grid does not collapse.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/three-hour-daily-blackouts-could-25195090

[SteveH]

Update on above.........

The government has decided not to launch a public information campaign on reducing energy use this winter after the prime minister's office raised objections, the BBC has been told.

A source said there was a "reasonably well-developed plan" to encourage household energy saving.

But Climate Minister Graham Stuart denied a Times report that a campaign had been blocked by Downing Street.

He said UK energy was secure despite a National Grid warning of blackouts.

Its message about possible power cuts was based on a worst-case scenario of gas shortages if the energy crisis in Europe escalates.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) was considering plans to encourage households to switch off their appliances and heating to conserve energy whenever possible during winter.

However, the BBC was told the department was stopped from taking the plan forward because of objections from the prime minister's office and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

DHSC sources said they did not believe they had played any specific role in any decision, but indicated there might be broad "concern about the elderly being afraid to turn on their heating".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63170588

[Helig]

There are legal challenges being made to the decisions by OFGEM on the increase in energy costs. This hasn't been covered in the press. There is a duty under The Equality Act 2010 and Article 14 Human Rights Act 1998. They have to consider the effect on vulnerable people and other groups who may be subject of discrimination as a result of the hike in prices.

https://goodlawproject.org/news/fuel-poverty-challenge/

https://www.current-news.co.uk/news/good-law-project-to-pursue-legal-action-on-ofgem-over-energy-price-cap-rise

You can get an idea of OFGEM's attitude by their response to a request under The Freedom of Information Act.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/increase_in_the_energy_price_cap#outgoing-1360430

The legal challenge has been made by The Good Law Project along with other participants.

[SteveH]

It does bring up the fact, we are just accepting what they say, and worrying over the costs involved, are we getting too complacent  ?

[SteveH]

It would appear people got used to sitting at home during the lock downs, lost the will to work, and to continue their education.

Unemployment: Fewer working in Wales as jobless figure falls
The number of people in Wales not available for work was 38,000 higher than in the three months to May and 52,000 higher than the previous year.

People in the is category are not available for work because they are ill, caring for someone or a full-time student. It is much higher in Wales than the average for the UK.

Only Northern Ireland and the North East of England have higher levels economic inactivity.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63212189


People not looking for work due to illness hits record high
The fall in the number looking for work has helped to push the unemployment rate to its lowest for nearly 50 years.

The jobless rate fell to 3.5% in the three months to August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

The number of job vacancies fell again, although the level still remains high with many firms struggling to recruit.

cont  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63204333


The lock downs also affecting education numbers.........

Absenteeism from school is storing up problems for young people for "decades to come", a senior MP has warned.
Education Select Committee chair Robert Halfon said more than 100,000 "ghost children" had not returned to school since the coronavirus pandemic began.

In March, the committee warned of an "epidemic" of inequality, exacerbated by the loss of learning due to Covid.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-63175472

[SteveH]

Another hint that there maybe shortages this winter..................

The UK's energy watchdog will call on the public to cut how much gas and electricity they use this winter to guard against the risk of shortages.

Ofgem is set to launch a campaign to show people how to reduce energy use.

Ofgem boss Jonathan Brearley is expected to say that a supply emergency is unlikely.

But he will also warn the coming months could be "difficult" and "we cannot at any time, particularly this winter, eliminate all risk".

The initiative, set to be launched in a speech later on Thursday, comes as the government appeared to change direction on its own public information campaign to cut energy bills.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63242050

[SteveH]

I would prefer banning them, but public displays could soon disappear due to costs.

Should fireworks be banned from public sale?
There are calls for fireworks to be banned from public sale

For some they are a source of entertainment and spectacle, however for others they are a nuisance and even in some cases a dangerous weapon. Last year, there were reports of horror stories involving fireworks such as yobs throwing fire works at riot police and with them even used against firefighters in Greater Manchester.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/should-fireworks-banned-public-sale-25293258

[Hugo]

I felt so sorry for this person when I read the link attached.    People are concerned about energy costs but try to keep warm in any way they can, but you should not put boiling water into a rubber hot water bottle.





https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63305764

[Hugo]

I just wanted to add to my posting above by saying that a few years ago we bought a SnuggleSafe microheat pad for our dog as we thought  that he felt the cold at night.
They are really good and they retain heat all night, in fact we were so pleased with the one we got for the dog that this year Mrs H  and I have bought one each

Another item I would recommend for anyone feeling the cold and wants to save on their energy bills is an Oodie.    I bought one earlier this year for Mrs H and I'm still in her good books!

https://theoodie.co.uk/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SnuggleSafe-Microwave-Wireless-Heatpad-Fleece/dp/B0014LJKUA

[SteveH]

Immigration in the UK, is a contentious subject, I usually lean towards more control, but watching, the latest series of Trawlermen hunting the catch, has me thinking, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001csmc  I noticed the crew numbers numbers were made up of approx 70% foreign workers, from memory, Africans, Sri Lankans, Romanians, Poles, Indians and Pakistanis, the other 30% seemed to be family members, we have said on here before that British people no longer seem to want to work, [or is it to easy not to have to work].

A search found this information.....  Migrants in the UK Labour Market: An Overview

https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/migrants-in-the-uk-labour-market-an-overview/

[Helig]

The immigration situation is a hot topic right now. I wonder where we shall all end up as it seems the Tories want more immigrants to be allowed in to be cheap labour for the businesses. Carlisle is full of illegal immigrants who have been shipped up from the south as it is cheaper to house them there. Most of them are being housed in hotels and this must be costing a fortune. There are at least 660 Ukrainians in Dumfries and Galloway. Many of them are housed in hotels and one large 3 star hotel in Dumfries (The Station Hotel) has been full of them for ages now. I know there has been a scheme to take them into people's homes but from what I have heard this has been problematic. The local council is currently trying to obtain temporary accommodation for many of them but this is very scarce. Other immigrants have been taken in as it is cheaper to house them in this area. The amount of housing is very limited and the locals are having difficulty getting housed.

I wonder what the position is like in North Wales? Have they sent thousands of immigrants there because they cannot afford to house them in the south of England?

The media seem to be playing it as these are desperate people who deserve our sympathy. Most of them are not genuine refugees but want to come to the UK for a better life than they have at home. We cannot house half the world because they decide they want to live here from choice. I read that 12,000 Albanians have come over the Channel. 10,000 of these were single men. They are not asylum seekers and do not qualify to live here. All of the people who come over in boats from France cannot be said to be refugees, or asylum seekers as they are in a safe country to begin with. Despite the government making noises about stopping the boats coming over, precisely nothing has been done to remedy this although they have had years to do something. I conclude it suits them for these to enter this country. We do not have the housing, or resources, to continue to take thousands of people who decide they want to live in the UK. A genuine effort to control the situation is needed as soon as possible.