GOV.UK blogs

Misleading reporting on Employment Rights Bill

Coverage in a Sunday paper today suggests our Employment Rights Bill will see private firms being pressured into hiring diversity officers and will impose a ban on ‘offensive banter’ in the workplace. This is not the case. No business would …

How does science support sustainable places and pathways to net zero?  

By Dr Gina Cavan, Lead Scientist for Land Research  Achieving net zero by 2050, the UK’s legally binding target, will be a national effort. All parts of the country will contribute in different ways. Areas rich in natural resources will …

Our initial advice on disability benefit reform

Few challenges facing the country are more significant than ensuring our social security system provides the right support for people with disabilities and severe or chronic health conditions, supporting them to live independently and, for those who are able, to …

The 10 Year Health Plan and the role for social care

The social care sector welcomes the publication of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan for the health and care system, shaped in part by the ideas, concerns and lived experience of social cae colleagues.

They have unique insights into community-based care and how it can help ease pressure on an overstretched system.

Capital Grants now open for applications 

The Capital Grants offer is now open for new applications. This new round will make £150 million of funding available to farmers, land managers and rural businesses for practical environmental improvements across England.

Join our webinars to learn about vet visit funding for multiple herds and flocks 

Farmers in England can now get funding for vet visits for each of their herds or flocks of the same species. This includes Animal Health and Welfare Reviews and follow-up visits for endemic diseases, available through the Get Funding to Improve Animal Health and Welfare service. Join our July webinars to find out what the offer includes, how to apply and how it can support your farm.

Price transparency is important, it affects everyone 

It is vital that shoppers can access clear and timely pricing information.

Supporting Wellbeing and Nature’s Recovery – learning from the 7th Nature Connections Conference

Human health and nature are deeply interconnected.  However, many people do not feel a strong connection to nature in their day-to-day lives. Strengthening our connection to nature can address shared challenges such as health and wellbeing, drive nature’s recovery and …

Using research crits to improve our work

A research crit is a place for researchers to come together and provide each other advice and feedback on their work.  The benefits of a crit are they: How they started In the Children & Families Digital portfolio at DfE, …

Do I have to use a certified component in my service? 

The gamma (0.4) publication of the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework introduces certification for "component services". You don't have to use certified components – but you'll probably want to.

RISE teams: everything you need to know

RISE teams are currently working with over 200 schools – helping the department tackle underperformance so every parent can rely on a great education for their child.

Share your views on biodiversity net gain, plus more funding for local planning authorities

There are two live public consultations on biodiversity net gain: one on nationally significant infrastructure projects, and one on how we can help smaller developers to deliver the policy. Find out how to share your views.

Enabling sustainable growth — Natural England supporting nature-positive development 

By James Seymour, Natural England Area Manager for Kent and Sussex  At Natural England, we help facilitate housing developments by enabling developers to deliver vital environmental benefits through our strategic licensing tools. These include District Level Licensing for great crested …

Government confirms plans for a social rent revolution

Today the government has set out ambitions to deliver around 300,000 social and affordable homes through the new £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme, with at least 60% for social rent. This significant package includes a long-term plan – …

The 2 Terabyte Challenge: Information transfer for an AI tool

DBT’s service management team successfully transferred 2TB of data to help train an AI tool that helps reviewing digital records.

Improving our Environmental Permitting Service

Effective regulation is essential to the country’s growth, providing a level playing field where businesses can operate, innovate and thrive.With the accelerating impacts of climate change and rising global tensions, the need for energy security and sustainable growth has never …

The essential travel checklist to keep you and your family healthy on holiday

Planning a holiday abroad? This guide provides essential information to help you travel safely and minimise health risks. Whether you're planning a beach break, visiting family overseas, or embarking on a backpacking adventure, it’s worth thinking ahead so that you …

Improving Court Buildings: Making Justice Work Better for Everyone

We’re investing £148m to upgrade court buildings, making them safer, more efficient, and welcoming for all. From urgent repairs to new, modern sites, we’re building a justice system fit for the future.

Landmark review launched into parental leave and pay

The government has launched a review into the parental leave and pay system – the first of its kind in Britain – to help working families and give children a better start in life. There is widespread positive coverage of …

Libraries sector in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025

DCMS is the largest contributor of honours nominations across Whitehall and an incredible 248 people from across DCMS sectors were recognised in The King’s official Birthday Honours List (20% of the total 1,215 awards).  Here on the Libraries blog, we’re …

NATO first: Supporting our allies on Exercise Catamaran 

Braunton Burrows Training Area is one of our most unique and complex areas to train owing to its coastal location and extensive sand dune system.   As DIO’s Head of Overseas and Training region, I recently had the privilege of visiting …

Why bother to baseline? 

For any public sector organisation with a net zero commitment, establishing a carbon emissions baseline is the first meaningful step.

Increasing incentives for business to invest in nature: new call for evidence

Getting more private sector investment into nature recovery is vital. Here's an update on how we're encouraging that, including a new call for evidence.

Launching Shuttle: Driving new UK business growth in the space sector 

The UK space industry is experiencing dynamic growth, offering exciting opportunities not only for traditional space businesses but also for businesses in adjacent industries such as defence, energy, advanced manufacturing and automotive. 

How our digital teams supported innovation in flood risk services

Helen Eden, Programme Delivery Manager for Flood at Defra, celebrates the success of our Flood Digital Team, who have been recognised for their innovative work in delivering crucial flood risk information to help protect communities across the UK and plan for the future.

Support That Empowers: My Journey Through Care and Why the DfE Care Leavers Resource Website Matters

Lawrence shares his story as a care leaver and talks about the Department for Education's recently launched Support for Care Leavers resource website.

Celebrating the Year of Engineering Biology at UKRI

Exploring the transformative potential of engineering biology  Engineering biology is a transformative technology predicted to add up to $4 trillion per annum to the global economy over the next decade. Since 2007, UKRI has invested over £800m in engineering biology, …

Photos of Vehicles at MOT – sharing the results from our first trial with garages

DVSA has completed the first Images in Garages trial – one of the building blocks that will help us tackle errors at MOT and fraudulent “Ghost” MOTs.  In March, we asked a group of garages to take a photo of …

What you need to know about UV (ultraviolet) radiation

Ultraviolet, or UV, radiation, comes to earth from the sun. The ozone layer protects those of us on the ground from most of it, but some does reach the surface. Here’s a quick briefing on UV. How to protect yourself When …

How we are supporting the farming community to manage the impacts of dry weather

Current situation Spring 2025 across England was the driest since 1893 with all areas receiving well below average rainfall. The dry spring has seen exceptionally low river flows experienced across northern and central England. Recent rainfall at the start of …

Supporting Cadets: How DIO provides infrastructure for tomorrow's leaders 

As Colonel Cadets, I serve as the Army Cadet advisor to the Commander South West. The Commander commands the Army Cadets, while I provide the crucial interface between the Chain of Command of the Army Cadet Forces (ACF) Counties, the …

A year of growth: tree planting rates hit their highest level in over 20 years

Richard Chapman, Deputy Director of Defra’s Nature for Climate Fund Tree Programme, highlights the latest annual statistics, what has been achieved over the past year and what is to come. Yesterday, the Forestry Commission published their latest set of Provisional …

Common Tools: building a performance dashboard that meets user needs  

Performance dashboards are a key tool to support leaders when assessing departmental performance. Read about the work the Common Tools as a Service team in MHCLG has been doing to make performance reports more fit for purpose, including the research they've done with their users, and the benefits of their approach.

Why your registration application may be taking longer than usual

We want to address some concerns in the sector about registrations for children’s homes and supported accommodation taking longer than normal. First, I want to thank you for applying to register (whether you already have or are intending to) and …

Norwegian lung cancer screening delegation visit

A team of clinicians and experts from Norway visited England to learn about the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme.

Space businesses react as UK government unveils Industrial Strategy

Space business leaders say the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy ‘sets the stage for timely and meaningful discussion at next month’s UK Space Conference’.

300-plus stakeholders attend UK NSC seminar on breast screening and breast density

The recent UK NSC online seminar on breast screening and breast density attracted more than 300 attendees.

Who’s eligible for the 2025 COVID-19 vaccine, or ‘Autumn Booster’?

When autumn comes, protection from any earlier COVID-19 vaccination you may have had will be starting to wane. For those who are more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19, the NHS offers a free vaccine in the autumn, previously …

Animal Health and Welfare Pathway: multiple herds and flocks now eligible for vet visit funding  

From today, farmers in England can get a funded vet visit for each of their herds or flocks of the same species. This helps those with multiple groups of cattle, pigs or sheep to access tailored animal health and welfare support across their business. 

The road to modern digital government? We are already walking it. 

Find out how ICS Digital are preparing for the modern digital government roadmap.