REHIS News

The world’s most advanced electric taxis, designed and built in the UK, have started appearing on the streets of Edinburgh, thanks to a deal that has been signed by the city’s Union Motor Company.

The electric taxi called the TX, designed by LEVC, uses eCity technology which combines a small petrol generator (known as a “range-extender”) with a class leading battery and proven electric powertrain. The vehicle is only ever driven by its powerful electric motor, however, the small petrol engine on-board can top-up the battery, should the driver be unable to charge.

A family from Paisley have been awarded £247,000 in a ground breaking legal case after losing their mother from mesothelioma caused by second-hand exposure to asbestos.

This is the first time in Scotland in which a case has been successfully pursued on behalf of someone who suffered from secondary exposure to asbestos from their spouse’s clothes.

The Scottish Government has launched a video for  tick awareness. Top tips for fighting ticks can be accessed here.  

The Scottish Government has published their A Healthier Future: Scotland’s Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan.

My Beach, Your Beach, Keep Scotland Beautiful's latest campaign to improve bathing waters at three well known beaches has been launched.

The campaign, funded by Scottish Government, will aim to make a difference by tackling littering, dog fouling and feeding gulls by those visiting the beach.

The campaign will be focusing on three beaches in particular:

Scottish Government funding will be made available to Local Authorities and Scottish Water to ensure that emergency supplies of drinking water are provided to communities where their private water supplies have run dry.

Although the vast majority of Scotland has access to public water supplies, nearly 4% of the population rely on private water supplies. The majority of these are from springs and burns which are vulnerable to lengthy periods of dry weather.

A collaboration of East Lothian Council, Scottish Fire and Rescue and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) are to form a multi-agency Rural Crime Campaign which is due to launch soon.

The effectiveness of legislation Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 (the 2010 Act) is to be examined by a Holyrood committee.

The aim of the 2010 Act was to ensure that dogs which are out of control are brought and kept under control by tackling irresponsible dog ownership and by shifting the focus from “breed” to “deed”.

To do so the Act makes provision for local authorities to impose measures on an owner, or person in charge of a dog, who fails to keep their dog under control.

The Sheriff Court Judgement of South Lanarkshire Council against Errington Cheese Limited has been published. 

The case is regarding cheese made by Errington cheese which was seized by South Lanarkshire Council in 2017.

The cheese was seized following an outbreak of E.coli O157 in 2016 in which Dunsyre Blue cheese made by Errington Cheese was the named the most likely source of the outbreak. 

Air pollution has been clearly linked to spikes in breathing problem-related admissions to hospitals and visits to GPs in a research project conducted at the University of Dundee.

Researchers studied nearly 15 years of data for air pollution levels in Dundee, Perth and the surrounding area and matched it to medical records of 450 patients who suffer from bronchiectasis, a long-term chronic condition similar to COPD which can cause a persistent cough and breathlessness as well as frequent chest infections.