Here are the stories making the headlines locally and across the country this morning.
Minor injury unit overnight closures approved
The night-time closure of three minor injury units in the North-east of Scotland has been voted through.
The 24-hour clinics in Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Huntly will be reduced, to save money.
They treat injuries including cuts, small burns, sprains and suspected broken bones.
Aberdeenshire's Integration Joint Board (IJB) said the move was part of budget setting which required £20m in savings.
Bank of England expected to hold interest rates
The Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates at 5.25% for the fifth time in a row on Thursday.
It is also expected to be cautious about signalling when future rate cuts will be, despite lower-than-expected February inflation figures.
The Bank has been trying to reduce inflation without harming the economy.
Inflation, the rate at which prices rise over time, has been gradually falling since it hit 11.1% in October 2022, its highest rate for 40 years.
HMRC halts plan to close tax helpline for six months a year
HM Revenue and Customs has been forced into a swift U-turn after an outcry over its plans to close a key helpline for six months a year and scale back other phone services.
Hours after HMRC announced the plans, the head of the tax office said that “following feedback from concerned stakeholders”, the changes to the self-assessment, VAT and PAYE helplines would be halted to allow more discussions to take place.
Orders to abandon the plans for the time being came from the very top of government, with the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, intervening over fears that not all taxpayer needs would be met – a move first reported by the Telegraph.
On Tuesday, HMRC had said that starting from this year, its self-assessment helpline would be shut from early April until 30 September. During the rest of the year, the helpline would have dealt with “priority queries” only.
Growing demand for space at Thainstone Business Park
Farmer-owned co-operative ANM Group has reported a surge in demand for space at its Thainstone Business Park near Inverurie.
New tenants there include local, national and international businesses.
One of these, non-destructive testing inspection services firm Matrix Inspection Services has just taken on a new five-year lease for a 2,500sq ft. new-build unit.
The facility is expected to help consolidate the company’s operational footprint and underpin future growth.