8598posts
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UK Space Frontiers 2035: a strategic vision for the future of UK space science
The Frontiers programme, led by the UK Space Agency’s Chief Scientist Professor Adam Amara, sets out to define the UK’s long-term vision for space science, positioning the nation as a global leader in the field.
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Sale of allotment spaces
Recent media reporting has criticised the government for allowing councils to sell allotment spaces. Allotments are a valuable and important community resource, and there are strict criteria in place to protect them. These rules on sales of assets have been in …
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Standardising the planning application process: Kicking off work on decisions
Crucial planning decisions data is stored inconsistently across different local authority systems. We're now expanding our data specification work to standardise planning application decisions, creating consistent data flow throughout the system. Help shape this work to ensure it helps local authorities, central government, developers, and communities better understand how our places are changing.
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Building Bridges Between Prison and Civil Service Employment
In honour of National Opportunity Day on 7 August, we are celebrating efforts to create genuine, inclusive pathways to employment for all. Recently, we visited a prison and young offender institute to connect with women in custody and showcase the …
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When is results day 2025? GCSEs, A levels, T Levels and VTQs
In August, pupils in England will find out their results for GCSEs, A levels, T Levels and VTQ (vocational technical qualifications) exams. Ahead of results day, schools, colleges and assessment centres should contact pupils directly to tell them how and …
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Furthering collaboration on UK subsea infrastructure data
Calling UK government, Crown Dependency, Overseas Territory and private sector colleague participation A clear understanding of our Subsea National Infrastructure (SNI) is crucial to the UK, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories. Location-based data depicting SNI is important to a range …
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Call for views on trust services: we want to hear from you
Today we’ve published a call for views on the adoption of trust services. You can respond to the call for views on GOV.UK until the 20th of September 2025. What are trust services? Trust services are digital tools, such as …
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Reflections on Civil Service Live 2025
Suzy Robinson, Head of Delivery Management (interim), shares her experiences at Civil Service Live 2025 and what she's learned from attending Civil Service Live over the past few years.
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Beyond inspections: a vet student's insights into the VMD
A group of veterinary students recently completed an Extramural Studies placement at the VMD. One of the students, Mev, shared her experience of the placement.
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What our new Light Goods Vehicle strategy means for you
Over the next year, we will be using a new approach to improve compliance around light goods vehicles (LGVs) and their trailers. This means we’ll heavily concentrate on particular higher-risk sectors – working with them and focusing our roadside enforcement …
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At the Heart of Global Decisions: My WOAH General Session Experience
The end of May marked the 92nd WOAH General Session, and I had the pleasure of being invited as part of the UK delegation. It was my first time attending, and even for those who go every year, this one …
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Capital Grants offer now closed for new applications
This is a short post to let you know that we’ve now fully allocated all available funding for the 2025 round of Capital Grants. The next round of funding will be available in 2026.
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How does the benefits system influence young people’s choices?
The Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) exists to provide impartial advice to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the wider ministerial team on the social security system. As part of our independent work programme we have just …
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Beyond the clinic & out of the lab. A vet’s route to life ‘behind the scenes’ at the VMD
Jon Haycock is a Senior Veterinary Assessor at the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and shares his career path since graduation. Whilst writing this piece, I’ve come to realise that I clearly enjoy the immense variety that the veterinary profession has …
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Celebrating Women in Tech: A Powerful Collaboration Between DWP Digital and AWS
DWP Digital and AWS came together to host an empowering Women in Tech event in Manchester. The event paid tribute to the transformative role women have played in shaping society, the ongoing impact in the tech industry today, and their vital role in driving future innovation and change.
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Sustainable Farming Incentive Expanded Offer for 2024 (SFI 2024): understanding the annual declaration
This blog explains the annual declaration process for SFI 2024. For details of the annual declaration process for SFI 2023, please read the blog published on 13 August 2024. What is the annual declaration? The annual declaration is how you, …
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Happy holidays for you and your dog
By Steve Jenkinson, Access and Countryside Advisor to the Kennel Club I travel all over England with my dog Teal, working for the Kennel Club and Natural England to make great places for people and nature – and that includes …
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Dragons Den IP Blog - Series 22 Episode 9
As a new episode of Dragons’ Den graced our TV screens this evening, I was excited to see what intellectual property (IP) was in store for us. Thankfully it didn’t disappoint! The episode was absolutely packed with innovative businesses and creative entrepreneurs, but it was one pitch in particular that really caught my attention and …
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Help shape the future of brown crab fishing in the South West
Crab fishers—have your say. Survey opens on new size rules for brown crab in the South West. Closes 17 August.
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How do we use AI as a partner in our work?
From text-based models to generative platforms, AI is infiltrating all areas of work. Here, we explore different models and uses, and talk about how we use them at Design102, including the new GCS Assist tool.
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The launch of the Digital Business Growth Service and business.gov.uk: helping businesses start and scale
How DDaT built 2 new personalised services for UK businesses and how they meet government ambitions.
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Building a shared understanding of services
Lucy Hartley, Head of Service Strategy, Ownership and Performance, and Lisa Jeffery, Design Manager, reflect on the work being done to build a shared understanding of services within Defra’s Digital, Data, Technology and Security teams.
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Justice Connected: Inside Common Platform
Discover how Common Platform is joining the dots in criminal justice. In this podcast, we explore how this unified digital system is making information more accessible, improving collaboration, and modernising the court process for everyone involved in a case.
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King scallop FMP explained: goals, benefits and updates
Learn about the King scallop FMP, its goals, and latest updates through new infographics and video from the MMO and RFGs.
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Why we haven’t provided a gap analysis for beta to gamma uplifts
We’ve been asked variously for some kind of document with a gap analysis or assimilation matrix. We don't have one. This is why.
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Restraint and restrictive practices: positive environments for children
In this blog, I want to talk to providers of children’s homes, residential special schools and boarding schools about what we’re currently seeing on inspection when it comes to restraint and restrictive practices. I want to emphasise how important it …
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Slurry storage: sort it in the summer, be winter ready
As we launch this year’s farm winter ready campaign, with a very dry spring passed and many areas of the country in drought, a wet winter may not be at the forefront of our minds. But time never stands still, …
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NKT Photonics fibre lasers enable ground-breaking deep-space communication
ESA has successfully established Europe’s first deep-space optical communication link using a high-power fibre laser system from NKT Photonics, who have a UK base.
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Crayfish clawing their way back in Nottinghamshire: A conservation success story in the making
By Danielle Greaves, Higher Officer - Species Reintroduction and Recovery, Natural England Hidden beneath the surface of Nottinghamshire's rivers and streams lives an increasingly rare species – the white-clawed crayfish. As the UK's only native freshwater crayfish, these creatures play …
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User-Centred Infrastructure: Bringing Agile Thinking to the Backbone of Justice Services
Here at Justice Digital, we design and deliver products that make a meaningful difference in the lives of citizens, often at some of their most challenging moments. Whether it's applying for compensation after a criminal injury or securing lasting power …
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Partnership power: the future of drought research in the UK
By Stuart Allen (Environment Agency Principal Scientist) with Dr Gemma Coxon (University of Bristol) and Dr Glenn Watts (UKCEH) England has just emerged from its driest spring in 132 years. Summer has seen little relief, with back-to-back heatwaves and drought …
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Coverage of our transformative funding to communities across South Tyneside
On Monday 28th July, the Minister for Local Growth, Alex Norris, visited projects in South Shields and Hebburn set to benefit from the transformative £20 million Community Regeneration Partnership developed with residents, community groups, local businesses and leaders. People across …
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Supporting our line managers for a Civil Service that delivers
The Line Management Capability programme aims to develop people who can manage with confidence and empathy, enabling staff to perform at their best. Learn more about the line management development and capability products that support civil servants across government.
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Update on progress against Departments' evaluation commitments
In April, our Blog on departments’ performance in undertaking regulatory evaluation noted that there was a backlog of 85 outstanding Post Implementation Reviews (PIRs), of which over 40% related to Department for Transport measures. The Blog also included commitments to …
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The Communications Challenge
Holmer Green shares what it's like to be a trusted MOT provider and reflects on their BIG Awards 2024 win
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Introducing UCD Ops at MHCLG: Bringing ResearchOps and DesignOps together
User-centred design (UCD) is integral to building and delivering more efficient and effective policy and services for the public we serve. Yana and Cathryn, UCD Operations (Ops) Managers within MHCLG, share insights on the unique role of UCD Ops and how it supports scaling up UCD practices and impact across the organisation.
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ECSAT celebrates its 10th anniversary
The European Centre for Space Applications and Communications (ECSAT) celebrates a decade of boosting UK prosperity, understanding the universe, and protecting both the planet and outer space.
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The Unsung Heroes of Water Monitoring: A Chief Scientist's Perspective
When I first stepped into the Chief Scientist role at the Environment Agency, one of my earliest visits was to observe how our teams monitor England's rivers. What I witnessed was nothing short of remarkable—a complex network of skilled professionals …
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From Promise to Reality: Our School Nursery Journey
Jessica Crawley and Jasmine Hussain joined the DfE because they believed in its power to change lives — and now they’re seeing that in action, helping to build and expand 3,000 nurseries across England's schools. Let them tell you how …
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Transforming our approach to market interventions
How we’ll use our markets tools to unlock economic growth and build consumer confidence.