Neil Lands In Culloden

Hastings Hotels has appointed Neil Devlin (pictured) as Deputy General Manager of the Culloden Estate & Spa. Before his new appointment, 30-year-old Neil Devlin, who graduated in Hospitality Management from the University of Ulster, was experiencing the industry stateside in Palm Desert, California where he spent seven years working across the Food & Beverage (F&B) Department in the Desert Springs JW Mariott Resort & Spa where he became F&B Manager. He is nevertheless pleased to be coming back home and taking on such an exciting new position: "The Culloden Estate is arguably Northern Ireland's top hotel and it is a pleasure to be involved with Hastings Hotels' focus on providing the finest in local produce in all of the restaurants, bars and lounges."

Corporation Tax Time?

News that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne is visiting in Belfast for the first time since he took on the role today is further evidence of an imminent move to devolve corporation tax to the Assembly. His visit comes as the UK Government consults on proposals to grant the Assembly the power to lower business tax in Northern Ireland. The Chancellor arrived in Northern Ireland on Thursday evening and spent the night at Hillsborough Castle. He is due to meet the First and Deputy First Ministers at Stormont later. See: Corporation Tax Review Extended By NIO

Ulster Waiting Times Slammed

The Alliance Health spokesperson Kieran McCarthy has called on the Ulster Hospital to do more to cut waiting times as it emerged that around 50 people had to wait over 12 hours on Monday and Tuesday in the accident and emergency department. The Government target for seeing patients is within four hours. "To have to wait over 12 hours in accident and emergency is an unacceptable length of time. And the fact that this is triple the supposed maximum waiting time just shows how much the Ulster Hospital failed in its duty to patients," he said last night.

Pat's For Demolition

The Planning Service has recommended that a scheme to demolish two well-known dockside pubs, Pat's Bar and The Rotterdam, in north Belfast and replace them with an apartment block should go ahead. They would be replaced with "The Olympic" - 112 apartments built over two ground floor bar/restaurants. There have been plans to replace the bars since 2007, but progress has been slow due to the property crash.

(BMcC/GK)