GOV.UK blogs

Natural England’s habitat management and monitoring plan templates - Guest Natural England Blog (Mike Burke, Head of Sustainable Development)

Mike Burke, Head of Sustainable Development, Natural England, writes about two new templates developed by Natural England specifically for use with biodiversity net gain (BNG).

Bathing Waters Annual Classifications 2023

2. Between May and September, millions of people head to bathing waters to swim, which is why the Environment Agency monitors the quality of the water during this period. Today we have published the annual results for 2023 season.

Charity Commission and Electoral Commission chairs share advice for charities engaging in public debate

A general election is on the horizon and we understand that many of you, as charity leaders and trustees, will see this as a critical moment to speak up for your beneficiaries and highlight your causes. Charities have a proud …

Dealing with my invisible illness

Ahead of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, Gabriella Debens reflects on how undiagnosed invisible illness can leave a person with anxiety about their work life, and that making even just a few simple workplace adjustments can make a …

Satellites – the power behind our modern world

Minimising the impact of space debris is crucial to preserve infrastructure that supports day-to-day activities and life on Earth and in space.

Lessons from the field: an ethnographic approach to understand people’s lived experience

How doing ethnographic research with farmers and advisers helped to build trust and reframe a policy challenge.

Feritech Global’s Export Success

The team at Cornwall-based Feritech Global have been celebrating after receiving the 2023 King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade, announced on 21st April. Managing Director Rob Ferris said: “From our Innovation Centre in Cornwall, we design and build advanced …

King's Awards recipient GaraDry® welcomes HRH The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO

HRH The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO paid a special visit to GaraDry® in Ormskirk on Friday (24th November 2023) for a special tour of the company and to present staff with an award from His Majesty the King. The …

Looking ahead to COP28

By Mike Morecroft, Deputy Director, Climate Change Science As we look ahead to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) starting this week in Dubai, it’s worth reflecting on how climate and nature are inextricably linked. Much of our work at …

We Are Strategic Command with Col Tony Maddison

Col Tony Maddison speaks about the role of Chief of Staff for Directorate Overseas Bases and the importance of their strategic locations and operations. Interviewer: Can you introduce yourself and describe your role as the Chief of Staff of the …

Natural England to publish updated nutrient budget calculators, and Tees Round 4 rescheduled

Image: Natural England The government passed the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill into law on 26th October 2023, making it the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act. This creates a legal requirement for certain wastewater treatment works designated by the Defra Secretary of …

Too hot to handle? Marine climate change risks and opportunities for adaptation in the Gulf

As world leaders meet at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai this week, Cefas Middle East Programme Director Will Le Quesne, discusses the challenge of climate change facing the …

Debunking the myths of food hygiene rating inspections

We spoke to Jason Austin, Food and Health Protection Manager from Torfaen County Borough Council. This case study is part of our celebration campaign marking 10 years of the mandatory display of Food Hygiene Ratings in Wales.

Is coppicing right for my woodland?

Tom Pattinson, Woodland Officer for the Forestry Commission, explains the fundamentals of coppicing and the opportunities for its use within our native woodlands.

Seven tips to protect your data this festive season

On Computer Security Day, Laurie Doyle from Defra group Security explains the steps we can all take to protect our data. This is particularly important during the upcoming festive season, when many of us are likely to be shopping for gifts online.

Biodiversity net gain guidance – what you need to know

We are pleased to announce the publication of step-by-step guidance taking you through the biodiversity net gain process.

The Biodiversity Net Gain Statutory Instruments - explained

Today, we published the draft secondary legislation which provides the detail for the new biodiversity net gain (BNG) framework. There are six statutory instruments which will become law when BNG goes live in January 2024.

New measures to boost access to nature announced

The start of a search for a new National Park is amongst new nature projects announced today.

Government Digital and Data workforce growing at record rate

Every six months we collect workforce data from digital and data functions across government. In this blog post we share core insights from the last return.

Landscape Recovery: sharing the successful second round projects

In this post, I'm pleased to share the 34 successful projects in the second round of Landscape Recovery. This £25 million round will fund 12 more projects than the previous round, demonstrating our commitment to funding that delivers environmental benefits in harmony with food production. 

How GPs help us monitor the spread of flu and the effectiveness of vaccines

Established in 1957, the Royal College of GPs Research and Surveillance Centre is one of Europe's oldest general practice sentinel networks. It is an active research and surveillance unit that collects and monitors data from over 2000 practices across England and Wales.

The RCGP collaborates with the University of Oxford, and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in the running of the RSC, and in this blog we will explore the importance of surveillance data how it underpins our understanding of our health across the nation.

Charities must not become forums for hate speech over Gaza

This comment piece was first published in the Sunday Telegraph on 26 November 2023.  As aid lorries enter Gaza during the current pause in hostilities, we are reminded once again of the vital role charities play in meeting humanitarian needs. …

March Muses – diversifying celebrations one decoration at a time

From Santa and fairies to ballerinas and angels, Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Alison Burton of March Muses spoke to us about how she and her co-founder partner, Natalie Duvall, found success with their Christmas decorations of colour.

NCASC 2023: back to Bournemouth for big conversations

The National Children and Adults Services Conference (#NCASC23) returns to the Jurassic Coast and the Bournemouth International Conference Centre (BIC) this week (29 November – 1 December). Find out who, what and where in our conference preview...

GSE Awareness Courses in Action

We asked two of our GSE members, Olivia and Mick about their experiences with the GSE Awareness Level Courses – here is what they said. Mick, what role do you have, and what course have you completed? I’m Head of …

Improving accessibility in our courts and tribunals

Mike Williams, Deputy Director of Service Excellence at HMCTS, writes about how we are improving court accessibility and supporting people who have disabilities or require reasonable adjustments.

Farming in Protected Landscapes: interim evaluation findings

Through the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme (FiPL), farmers and land managers can get funding to deliver projects that support and improve National Landscapes (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty), National Parks and the Broads. In this post, I'll share an overview of the programme and findings from the recently published Farming in Protected Landscapes evaluation. The findings give a sense of how popular the scheme has been and the reasons behind it.  

OFSI successfully defends first Court Review

On 26 October 2023, the High Court of Justice, Administrative Court, delivered its judgment rejecting a legal challenge by Mikhail Fridman against OFSI’s decision to refuse to grant certain licence requests. OFSI has been at the front and centre of …

Exploring the science of droughts

The Environment Agency has undertaken its largest ever consultation of drought experts in England. The project pulled together the latest knowledge on drought, identifying what is known and what is not yet known about the topic.

How we’re harnessing the power of IoT to safeguard our trees

In National Tree Week, Defra technology innovation consultant Jon Griffiths shares his insight on how a collaborative project has been investigating where Narrowband-Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technology could help monitor tree growth, and support research into the role trees play in tackling climate change.

Data and the pensions administration journey

When it comes to pension schemes, how do we achieve operational sustainability, solve the administration dilemma and make the journey easier? In this blog we reflect on the steps schemes can take to lighten the load imposed by poor data, leading to increased automation levels and more engaging digital offerings.

Internships with the Regulated Industry team – Sankari’s story.

In the third of our series, we hear from Sankari, a master’s student at Sheffield Hallam University about their experience as an intern with the East Midlands Regulated Industry team.

LIFE in the Ravines: planting for the future

It is no easy feat, hefting heavy gear across rugged terrain, with young, tender saplings in tow. But that’s exactly the task of our amazing woodland restoration teams as they set about tree planting in the autumn and winter seasons. …

Let’s give social work with older people the recognition it deserves

I am delighted to host this blog from Gerry Nosowska, founder and Director of Effective Practice, which supported the Social Work with Older People research project. For too long, this vital area of practice has been largely unseen. Hopefully, as we build a stronger evidence base, more social workers will be deployed to work with older people and their carers.

APHA Science Advisory Board Vacancies

APHA are seeking two external board members to join their APHA Science Advisory Board (SAB). This is an exciting opportunity to work with, challenge and support senior scientists within the APHA Science Directorate in delivering new research to inform strategy, …

Get involved with the launch of early access to GOV.UK Forms

Find out how we’re making digital forms simple to set up and quick to process and how you can create a trial account to start building your own new forms.

Melin Llynon - Not your run of the mill food business

We spoke to Richard from Melin Llynon, a pastry chef and chocolatier bringing new life to the last surviving windmill in Wales. He told us all about his relationship with his Environmental Health Officer from Isle of Anglesey County Council and how it’s helped him to achieve and maintain a top food hygiene rating.

Instagram café’s food hygiene rating shows they have both substance and style

We spoke to Ryan Rowe from Cardiff café, LetThemSeeCake. This blog is part of our celebration campaign marking 10 years of mandatory display of Food Hygiene Ratings in Wales.

RPA grants and rural payments

RPA offers a wide range of grants and rural payments to farmers, businesses and local authorities. In this blog, and an upcoming series, we will be looking at the grants available in more detail, using case studies to showcase those …

VMD’s PATH-SAFE project – an update on AMR surveillance

The Pathogen Surveillance in Agriculture, Food and Environment (PATH-SAFE) programme uses the latest DNA-sequencing technology and environmental sampling to improve the detection and tracking of foodborne disease and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The programme which is being led by the Food …