GOV.UK blogs

MOD’s Universal Soldier

Move over Van Damme, the MOD looks at the realities of Human Augmentation in a new paper. It’s all very 2000 AD At the start of the millennium, the year 2000, a video game company called Edios Interactive released an …

The Blue Belt Programme: looking back on 2020/2021

Kylie Bamford, Head of Marine Conservation for the UK Overseas Territories, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: The Blue Belt Programme supports delivery of the UK government’s commitment to provide long term protection and sustainable management of marine environments across the …

Public urged to Plant For Our Planet and £8m announced for international conservation projects

In today's blog we look at media coverage of the new campaign ‘Plant For Our Planet’ and announcement of over £8 million for international conservation projects.

Brucella canis in imported rescue dogs

In today’s blog, we look at coverage on cases of brucella canis in imported rescue dogs.

In conversation with a soil health pioneer

Gabe Brown is this month's podcast guest. The American soil health pioneer and agricultural influencer talks to Janet Hughes about education in farming, shortening supply chains and the six principles of soil health.

Conversations we're having

We are invited to join a number of panel discussions, Q&A sessions and webinars, hosted by external organisations. This post contains links to some recent discussions.

Your views on our plans for sustainable use of pesticides

We want to know what you think about our revised national action plan for the sustainable use of pesticides. The draft plan covers the next 5 years and aims to minimise the risks and impacts of pesticides to human health and the environment, while ensuring pests and pesticide resistance are managed effectively.

Whitehall and beyond: find a job at MHCLG Digital

Join our team and help make things better for the people living in your community.

Freehold management companies: making decisions and managing disputes

Practical guidance for management companies on how to make decisions, manage disputes and deal with common problems.

Going beyond a Lived Experience.

This edition focuses on how Going Forward into Employment have extended their scheme to provide life-chance opportunities to a greater reach of the community.

MHCLG looking for DDaT professionals for a new Birmingham HQ

The Digital Directorate in MHCLG is still less than three years old but things are going from strength to strength. As Chief Digital Officer, I am particularly proud of what we’ve achieved in this time: we are the highest rated …

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in the food chain

In our latest Food for Thought seminar, Dr Edward Haynes (Fera) and Dr Erin Lewis (Food Standards Agency) explore the impact of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in the agrifood chain.

The Food Allergy and Intolerance Research Programme - Dr Paul Turner

A seminar by Dr Paul Turner on food allergy in the UK and the impact of the FSA's Food Allergy and Intolerance Research programme over the past 10 years.

Coronavirus: recovering in our courts and tribunals

Susan sets out the steps being taken by HMCTS in shifting focus from the emergency response to one of operational recovery in our courts and tribunals.

Scottish business, SnapDragon win Queen's Award for Innovation

SnapDragon Monitoring fights fakes online. We identify and remove infringing products from online marketplaces, social media sites, and websites. We use intellectual property (IP) to remove the fakes and the fakers - which is cheap, quick and efficient. Gone are …

Introducing the GOV.UK Data Labs

The digital world is rapidly changing, and with it, GOV.UK users' expectations of how they should be interacting with our services and information. Data Labs is a newly formed multi-disciplinary team, passionate about using data in innovative ways to fulfil our users' needs and expectations.

New health and wellbeing guidance reminds us all to take care

Over a month ago, our Joint Chief Social Workers for Adults, Fran Leddra and Mark Harvey, used their Social Work With Adults blog to highlight the importance of maintaining human connections during the coronavirus pandemic.

It remains important for the care and support workforce - as well as NHS colleagues and our communities - to foster resilience in the midst of these challenges. The publication of new health and wellbeing guidance for care and support professionals is therefore hugely welcome at this time, as they explain...

Fighting ash dieback and protecting the future of our woodlands

We have at least 3 million ash trees across the MOD estate, so managing the tree disease ash dieback is a significant objective of our sustainable woodland management and long-term forest planning. Read on to find out more.

New online booking system for training facilities will make life easier for our Armed Forces

A Bidding and Allocation Management System (BAMS Online) went live across the Defence Training Estate this summer. It is a new online booking service for our Armed Forces.

Home Office in the media: Thursday 5 September

Today's leading stories include the launch of a national campaign to recruit 20,000 police officers, an announcement on future immigration and a High Court ruling on facial recognition. Police recruitment The launch of the campaign to recruit 20,000 additional police …

Telegraph: The Environment Secretary on government reforms to boost recycling

A look into The Telegraph's ‘Zero Waste’ campaign.

What is understood by 'deletion of a non-significant parameter'?

The Variation Classification guidelines list approximately 350 different types of variation change codes and classification sub-categories. These variations fall under three possible procedure types: TIA, TIB or TII and cover the active substance and finished product, devices and safety, efficacy, …

Defining policy outcomes for event fees

Sheldon Ferguson writes about the Leasehold Reform team's discovery into event fees. Read how a user-centred design approach influenced outcomes, and view the publicly available report delivered to ministers.

Health Matters: What you need to know about statins

Statins are vital in the UK effort to save many thousands of preventable deaths every year caused by cardiovascular disease. With extensive research confirming that statin treatment is very effective, safe and affordable, it is important that the myths and inaccuracies around them are dispelled. Read this blog to find out what you need to know about statins.

Ageing and health expenditure

Does an ageing population lead to higher costs for the NHS and social care? Find out why this is not necessarily a foregone conclusion.

Help us start a data revolution for government

We want to start a data revolution focusing on service delivery and improving human experience. Find out what we think government needs to do and how you can help.

Biodiversity net gain matters

Guest blog from Nicola Thomas, Partnership Manager at Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Natural Environment Partnership writes a guest blog on net biodiversity gain.

The Commission on incivility and extremism

Since the Commission for Countering Extremism came into existence in March this year, we have visited 13 towns and cities across England and Wales. Many of our meetings have been with frontline counter-extremists, community groups and local politicians. Almost all …

Health Product People: designing and delivering better health and care digital services

The Health Product People community was started in January 2018 to bring together people working on digital services across the health and care space to share ideas, collaborate and work together to solve problems. The Health Product People community builds …

It can be difficult to make data from information

The Digital Land services team recently ran a discovery in which we researched the barriers our users encounter when trying to find and use housing data. This is the first in a series of posts about those barriers, or what …

A professionals' perspective on the deputy online reporting service

Amy Feetham, accounts paralegal at law firm Irwin Mitchell, discusses her experience of using our online deputy reporting service. Irwin Mitchell was the first professional organisation to use the deputy online reporting service which launched in spring 2018.

Teaching computers to read

...put HALF a Mini car at top of the 'Nuneaton nipple' - but why?” Coventry Live “Drivers are angry at queues of 'more than two hours' to get out of...

Managing the Overseas Estate: the importance of local staff

Hi, I’m Brigadier Simon Stockley and I’m responsible for the provision of infrastructure to support our personnel in their bases overseas, while simultaneously providing Defence training facilities in the UK and around the world. Today I wanted to take the …

Nouveau Lashes: winning a Queen's Award was a team effort

Bridgette Softley, Director of Nouveau Lashes, shares her thoughts on why they have applied and what it has meant to win.

Queen’s Award like rocket fuel for Twinkl

Everything we do at Twinkl is to help those who teach. We’re an online educational publisher - with over 500,000 resources on our website from worksheets and flashcards to interactive presentations, videos and display materials.

Friends in high places: Ringing peregrine falcon chicks at York Minster

...the roof of York Minster for rather impressive (peregrine eye) views of York. The four chicks were colour-ringed with orange rings with three black letters – allowing them to be...

NDA logs in to preserve digital data down the centuries

The NDA has joined an international coalition dedicated to ensuring that the legacy of today's digital world will still make sense to future generations.

High digital ambitions for our policy department

Things are changing over here in the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government. Chief Digital Officer Paul Maltby introduces MHCLG Digital and his priorities for the new programme.

Promoting LGBT equality globally

...Prime Minister said in her recent speech, she “deeply regret[s] both the fact that such laws were introduced, and the legacy of discrimination, violence and even death that persists today”....

Monday 16 April: Commonwealth unites to end scourge of plastic

...Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which kicks off in London today. Global leaders from the Commonwealth’s 53 member states will gather together this week to promote prosperity, democracy and...