The PCC's role is to hold the local police force to account.

It added it does not expect as many as 135 staff to leave due to redeployment opportunities.A consultation on the changes will run until 20 December.

RGU said in a statement: "Robert Gordon University has today informed all staff of the latest developments of its Finance Transformation Project."This includes a proposed business case, subject to collective consultation, that contains the potential of 135 roles being made redundant as part of further restructuring proposals across areas of the university."This is to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the institution against significant external challenges."

Prof Steve Olivier, RGU's principal and vice-chancellor, said: “Like many universities across the UK, Robert Gordon University continues to face significant financial challenges due to a steep drop in international student enrolments, a sustained decline in public funding, and inflationary cost pressures."The proposed changes will future-proof RGU as an institution and ensure that we maintain our provision of an excellent student experience while delivering vital social, economic and cultural contributions to the north east and wider nation."

After the collective consultation ends, individual consultation will begin in the New Year.

Industrial waste is turning into rock in "decades", much faster than the millions of years it is thought to take for it to form naturally, according to research carried out along the Cumbrian coast.In principle, it could mean either tax rises or spending restraint.

In practice, given the announcement of a significant increase in employers' National Insurance rates in October, the government's view is that it would have to mean spending restraint - Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, practically said as much in the Commons today.To be clear, spending restraint would not necessarily mean spending cuts, just much lower spending increases than would otherwise happen.

This is where economics could collide with politics fast.It's all very well for the Treasury to take measures to soothe the bond markets, where government debt is traded.