GOV.UK blogs

UK digital identity legislation passes another important milestone

On 19 June, the Data (Use and Access) Act received Royal Assent. This is a major milestone for the government’s work to make sure individuals and businesses across the UK have access to trusted digital identity services when they want to use them

What Royal Assent Means for the National Underground Asset Register 

We are thrilled to announce that the Data (Use and Access) Bill (“the Act”) has received Royal Assent, marking a significant milestone for the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR). This legislation is a testament to the importance of NUAR in …

Landmark ruling reinforces that those responsible must pay for building defects 

A landmark ruling from the UK’s highest court has made clear that those responsible for unsafe buildings should be held account.  On 21 May, Supreme Court judges unanimously ruled that the developer BDW could seek to recover the costs of fixing major …

Regulating the water industry: legal powers and duties 

The water industry is fundamental to the health of our country - supporting people, wildlife, economic growth and the environment. That’s why it’s critical that water companies deliver on their environmental commitments, that they are fully funded to comply with, …

Protecting our marine environment - MPA consultation

On 9 June 2025, we launched our consultation on proposed fisheries management measures for Stage 3 marine protected areas (MPAs). In England, we're fortunate to have a diverse array of marine habitats in our seas. These habitats serve as refuges …

Police Emerging Science and Technology Trends

By Annie Estlin, OPCSA The Office of the Police Chief Scientific Adviser (OPCSA), through GO-Science's co-funding opportunity, commissioned a report to explore emerging science and technology trends for UK policing. The pace of technological change continues to accelerate. Previously, technologies …

Road work ahead: driving economic growth in UK markets

How the CMA’s new market study will apply our pro-growth and pro-investment approach to markets work.

Help us to build the evidence we need for the fisheries we want

Identifying and addressing gaps in evidence is important to achieve FMP goals. Defra funds some research but now is the perfect time to get involved as FaSS funding applications have reopened.

Greater access to social housing for vulnerable people

Today the government has laid regulations to exempt care leavers under 25 and victims of domestic abuse from local connection rules so they can have better access to social housing. Under the new rules these groups will no longer be …

What the evidence says about interventions to reduce pollution and improve lives

Breathing in polluted air affects our health, reduces our life expectancy, and costs our society billions of pounds each year. It is estimated that 2 million healthy life years are lost in Europe due to the impacts of poor air …

DfE launches School Estate Management Standards to support all schools to manage their estates effectively

The new School Estate Management Standards provide a clear framework to help school leaders and estates management professionals manage their school estates well. In this blog David Fugurally, Head of School Estate Management Standards, Competencies & Skills, explains how they …

How to avoid rabies and what to do if you’re exposed while travelling

Rabies is a rare but deadly viral infection that affects the brain and nervous system. Human cases of rabies are extremely rare in the UK but the infection poses a risk to travellers visiting regions where the disease remains prevalent.

Nellie Technologies: from sushi to carbon dioxide removal 

Meet the innovative team at Nellie Technologies who are combating air pollution with protected IP that actively removes carbon dioxide from our atmosphere.

Delivering Transformation at Scale: What we have learned from Evolve

At Justice Digital, we are working to make sure every colleague across the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has the technology they need to do their job, whether they are in a prison, probation site, courtroom, contact centre or working from …

Creating a reusable Svelte component library to help developers build data-rich digital products faster 

Developers across government often face the challenge of building hundreds of data-rich web pages that are both accessible and easy to understand. Without a standardised solution, this can lead to duplicated effort and inconsistent results. A team in MHCLG is tackling this by developing a flexible toolkit that combines GOV.UK design standards with powerful data visualisation tools, helping teams build engaging digital products faster and more consistently.

Consultation opens on population screening for dementia

The UK NSC has opened a consultation on the latest evidence relating to population screening for dementia.

The accidental teacher: how teaching changed my life’s direction

Kieran Anderson, English teacher at The Grangefield Academy, talks about how teaching wasn't his original plan, but became his passion and purpose.

Improving public sector spending with the cloud cost data solution

Learn about how the new cloud cost data solution from the GDS Cloud and Platforms team has been designed to enable greater transparency of public sector cloud spend and reduce costs of future cloud services.

The Importance of Ethics in User Research

This blog addresses the importance of ethics in user research within government settings. It focuses on the requirement for informed consent and ethical practices when engaging with users.

Creating an inclusive workplace: Companies House as a Disability Confident employer

Companies House is a Disability Confident employer. Learn more about our commitment to creating an inclusive workplace for all.

Drowning Prevention Week: what children learn about water safety at school

Swimming and water safety is a compulsory part of the National Curriculum at primary school to make sure that children are well equipped to enjoy swimming and know how to keep safe in and around water.   As we head into …

Spending Review 2025: a commitment to farming 

Standfirst: Following the Spending Review, Defra has secured a multi-year funding commitment from HM Treasury. More than £2.7 billion a year will be invested in sustainable farming and nature recovery from 2026 to 2029. Funding for the Environmental Land Management Schemes paid to farmers will increase by 150% over this time period.

Stakeholder update: June 2025's FSA Board Meeting

Cymraeg The next FSA Board meeting is being held in Birmingham on 18 June 2025 and it’s another busy agenda with lots to discuss. We have an update on the review of the discount we currently offer to meat plants …

Protected Site Strategies – Problems Shared

By David Burton, Principal Officer, Protected Site Strategies “Whatever lies on the horizon, these reserves might just offer a simple vision of how good things could be.” Professor John Wedgwood Clarke, Wild Westcountry Odyssey 2025 So reflected academic and poet …

Hot weather and heatwaves: guidance for schools and other education settings

There are several ways that schools can make changes to keep children safe in hot weather, especially as children are more at risk of becoming ill with heat-related issues than adults.  The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published updated guidance …

Former Space Exploration Head Sue Horne awarded OBE in King's Birthday Honours

Sue Horne, former Head of Space Exploration at the UK Space Agency, has been recognised with an OBE in the King's Birthday Honours list for her contributions to space exploration and Mars science.

The Partnership Between Salford Libraries and Salford Jobcentres

Public library partnerships with other organisations can be hugely rewarding - for both sides. Last week, we celebrated the role libraries play in sustaining economic growth as this year’s theme for Libraries Week. This is evident in the partnership between Salford …

Lancashire charities making a difference

This week, Mark Simms OBE, spent time in Lancashire, meeting with trustees, volunteers and staff from a wide range of local charities.

Raising the standard for water efficiency in the east of England 

Water is essential for people, businesses and the environment. Unless it is carefully managed, England will run out of this precious resource at the times we most need it. As demand for water increases in response to population growth, the …

Carers Week (9-15 June 2025)

Introduction by Rebecca Sudworth of the Food Standards Agency, Deputy Carers Champion for the Civil Service. Today marks the start of Carers Week 2025 - In the Civil Service, around a fifth of our colleagues are carers. They combine work …

What does the Spending Review 2025 mean for education? 

On Wednesday 11 June, the Chancellor delivered the next steps of the government’s Spending Review.  A Spending Review is the process the government uses to set all departments’ budgets for future years. This covers both the services the public uses …

A parent’s guide to summer infections and health hazards

As summer arrives, you’re likely to spend more time outdoors with your children. Lots of us love this time of year and it’s great to enjoy the longer days and warmer weather.

It’s worth being aware, however, of some common seasonal infections and hazards to help you spot illness more easily and take action if you need to

Spending Review Council Tax reporting

There has been reporting that councils will increase council tax by 5% in coming years as a result of the Spending Review. To safeguard residents against excessive hikes, the Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain the referendum threshold …

Why do we have hosepipe bans during a drought?  

Whenever we get a period of dry weather, the inevitable question is ‘Will there be a hosepipe ban?’  For most years it rains and the answer is no. However, after the driest spring in 132 years in England, and the …

Call for evidence: expanding the role of the private sector in nature recovery

We've launched a call for evidence to better understand how we can support and incentivise business to invest in nature recovery.

Getting water wise – Shared Standards in Water Efficiency for Local Plans in East Anglia 

By Dr. Louise Bardsley, Principal Adviser Strategic Solutions, Natural England The East of England is the fastest growing region in England. It’s also the driest. Communities, businesses, farming and nature all need enough water to thrive. But without a fundamental …

This opportunity is helping me grow personally and professionally every day

Hello Friends of GFiE This month the UK celebrates Social Mobility Day on 12th June. GFiE is all about breaking down barriers to opportunity and this month we celebrate our ongoing commitment to social mobility through our Life Chance Recruitment …

Supporting Ecological and Economic Resilience in the Maldives’ Marine Ecosystems - Ocean Country Partnership Programme

By Sarah Allison The Ocean Country Partnership Programme is a bilateral technical assistance and capacity building programme that provides tailored support to countries to manage the marine environment more sustainably, including by strengthening marine science expertise, developing science-based policy and …

A greener future: how tree planting initiatives are transforming England's landscape

Richard Chapman, Deputy Director of Defra’s Nature for Climate Fund Tree Programme, highlights some of the tree planting initiatives happening from organisations across England, showing how we can work together for a greener future.

Extract: Using AI to unlock historic planning data 

This week, the Prime Minister officially launched Extract, the AI tool which the Digital Planning programme in MHCLG and the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence are developing to transform decades of planning information trapped in paper maps and PDFs into usable digital data.
This technology will significantly reduce the time required to digitise documents from hours to minutes, freeing planning officers up to focus on applications rather than data management.