NEWS
The Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has hailed NHS Scotland’s bestperformance yet against the 62 day cancer waiting times target. Nine of the fourteen Health Boards met the target over the last quarter. Ninety four point one percent of cases were treated within the given timeframe across Lanarkshire.
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A Lanarkshire-based company that makes sausage skins and other food casingshas reported a rise in pre-tax profit of 21%. Devro said it was confident of its prospects in 2009 as consumers becomeincreasingly cost conscious and swap their steak for bangers. The firm employs more than 450 people at its two UK sites in Moodiesburn and
Bellshill.
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A local politician has written to the Chief Executive of North LanarkshireCouncil pressing for the commencement of the council house-buildingprogramme. The county ceased construction of council houses nine years ago but GavinWhitefield has announced additional funding to build two hundred homes overthe next few years. Now Central Scotland MSP Jamie Hepburn has asked Mr Whitefield to clarifyhis claim.
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Photographic chain Jessops has confirmed that it’s to close 12 Scottishstores, including its branch in East Kilbride. A spokeswoman said the stores were no longer "financially viable" and aconsultation was under way with staff. Its believed around seventy jobs will be lost as a result.
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The Lanarkshire Chamber of Commerce is insisting the area is riding theeconomic downturn. Despite waves of closures and redundancies across the region over the lastfew months, the area’s small businesses are continuing to do well.
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St. Andrew’s Hospice netted over twelve hundred pounds from a half-timepenalty shootout between two local firms of solicitors during Saturday’sLanarkshire derby. Bonnar & Company and Pomphreys took part in front of a packed Fir Park. The shoot out is the first in a series of events to be staged at all fivesenior grounds across the county to raise funds for the Hospice.
