GOV.UK blogs

Prison, fines and disqualification for these waste criminals

We are delighted with the court sentencing of three men found guilty of illegally dumping more than 26,000 tonnes of waste – the equivalent weight of around 2,170 double-decker buses - at 17 sites across the country.  They are estimated …

Celebrating Diversity: award-nominated Black History Month initiatives led by a trainee probation officer and case administrators  

We sat down with three Probation Service team members: trainee probation officer Chenaii, and case administrators Mai and Erin, to discuss their experiences working for HM Prison and Probation Service and their contributions to the celebration of Black History Month …

Ignite Space 2025 is set to launch UK businesses into the space sector

Ignite Space returns for its fourth year to fuel the next wave of collaboration and innovation in the UK space industry.

Navigating the future of pensions administration

Here we explore the trends in pensions administration as we enter 2025. The industry faces transformations driven by evolving regulations, tech advancements, and workforce changes. Our insights reveal complexities and opportunities, equipping you with strategies to navigate this dynamic landscape.

Nature and farming friendly solutions drive agricultural transformation in the Peak District

In this post, Catchment Sensitive Farming Adviser Ben Rodgers shares an example of nature and farming-friendly solutions driving agricultural transformation in the Peak District.

Secondment opportunities for competition and consumer lawyers

We are launching a new round of secondment opportunities for lawyers, to start on 7 April 2025. Since its launch in June 2018, almost 60 secondees from over 20 law firms have taken part in the programme and we are now …

Solving problems, sharing knowledge: Defra's content community resources

Ayesha Tinsley explains how her team improved the content community's resources board, in the last in our series on Defra content community projects.

The Scottish Government's FMPs: update on timelines and engagement

The Marine Directorate of the Scottish Government has provided an update on the 21 FMPs they are leading on. Find out more and how to get involved in this blog post.

5 tips for Environmental Land Management in-field agroforestry applications

Agroforestry Advisor James Ramskir-Gardiner shares tips for getting the most from your Environmental Land Management (ELM) In-Field Agroforestry application.

Accessibility audit of the Met Office app: outcomes and learnings

We explore how the Met Office responded to an accessibility report. We also trialled tandem testing and highlighted the lessons we learnt in understanding mobile apps.

Life on the Range

I am the Training Safety Marshal for East Anglia Training Areas which includes Barton Road Rifle Range. Barton Road Rifle Range is about 1,200 yards long and one of only three bracketed ranges in the UK, meaning that there are several …

Forests beneath the waves: celebrating our magnificent kelp 

Marina Rees, Marine Higher Officer at Natural England When I joined the Thames Solent team as a marine lead adviser, I jumped at the opportunity to work on a project which delved into the world of kelp. I have long …

What AI means for jobs and how we’re preparing the workforce 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how we work, making tasks more efficient and creating new opportunities. To adapt to these changes, people need training and skills to do well in a world shaped by AI.  Giving people the skills they …

Coverage following the Secretary of State’s speech to the Oxford Farming Conference 2025.

The Secretary of State Steve Reed addressed the Oxford Farming Conference on Wednesday (9 January) to outline the Government’s long-term vision to make farming more profitable and put more money back in the pockets of British farmers. The speech was …

MHRA Good Clinical and Laboratory Practice Symposia (11 and 12 February 2025)

Come and join the next MHRA Symposia in February 2025 and hear the latest on Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) in the UK from MHRA inspectors and regulators. Registration is available on the dedicated symposia website for in-person …

Deputy Prime Minister promises to Make Work Pay in Scotland  

Scottish media outlets including The Scotsman, The National, the Daily Record and Glasgow Times have all positively reported on the Deputy Prime Minister’s visit to Glasgow yesterday (09/01/25), where she pledged her commitment to making work pay in Scotland through …

Maximising the miracle and minimising the disaster – putting Nature at the heart of food security

I was invited to speak at a historic event this week – the first major joint gathering of attendees at the two Oxford farming conferences: the Oxford Farming Conference and the Oxford Real Farming Conference. After more than a decade …

Dragons’ Den IP Blog- Series 22 Episode 1

Happy new year everyone! Can you believe we are onto series 22 of Dragons’ Den! As a new band of entrepreneurs face the dragons we are here, as always, ready and waiting to spot and discuss the different types of intellectual property in the pitches.

Updating the User Researcher role in the Capability Framework

Those of you with eagle eyes will have noticed the ’user researcher’ role in the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework, published by the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), has recently been updated. This blog post shares some of the background and thinking behind the changes, and highlights some of the things it means for user researchers working in government.

Celebrating 50 years of MOD conservation groups

The importance of the MOD estate for supporting wildlife and heritage has long been recognised. In 1971-73, the Nugent Committee examined the necessity and management of Defence land holdings. It noted the importance of the estate, and highlighted the need …

Sir Jim Harra: Why small changes matter at HMRC

Sir Jim Harra, the Permanent Secretary at HM Revenue and Customs, tells us about the innovative small changes happening in his department.

Reporting on Local Elections 

There has been widespread reporting, including in The Times and on BBC News that in some areas, local elections scheduled for May 2025 may be postponed. Some outlets have speculated about the number of areas, and which ones, will be …

Green shoots but plenty more still to do

Chris Howes shares his thoughts on the latest Government ICT sustainability report, acknowledging the progress made and the work still to be done.

Navigating FMP consultations: Q&A videos to answer your questions

MMO’s Regional Fisheries Group team dive into the FMP consultations to answer your questions on the cockle FMP, Southern North Sea demersal non-quota FMP, skates and rays FMP and the sprat FMP.

GOV.UK One Login: Advancing digital sustainability in government

Find out how GOV.UK One Login is leading the way in reducing emissions while supporting greener government operations.

4 things I've learnt as a policy professional working in digital

Policy professionals can learn a lot from the world of digital. In this blog post, Reuben, Policy Design Lead in MHCLG’s Funding Service team, shares insights he’s gained on user-centred design, agile working and cross-team collaboration.

Fostering innovation and collaboration: Insights from DBT's first AI conference

Cross government AI professionals met to share ideas from their different AI initiatives.

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: saving parents money on school uniform costs 

Families shouldn’t have to be out of pocket when it comes to setting their child up for school.   That’s why our new Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will introduce measures to help with school uniform costs and introduce free breakfast …

Meningitis: I underwent multiple surgeries, including the amputation of several fingers

In this blog post, Becca shares her story of how meningitis changed her life and disrupted her plans just weeks into her starting her degree.

Unlocking Accessibility: User researchers share their approach to digital accessibility and recruiting people with disabilities

We asked user researchers about their role in making digital services accessible, recruiting people with access needs, and sharing best practices for integrating accessibility into the user research process.

Recruitment - independent member of ARAC (finance expert) 

The Trade Remedies Authority  (TRA) is an arm’s length body of the Department for Business and Trade. Since 2021  we’ve had responsibility for guarding the UK against economic harm caused by unfair trading practices. We undertake investigations into imports to the UK which may be unfair due to …

Otherwise they’d be stationaries - a few thoughts on innovation

New year reflections on what innovation is, as we focus more on innovating within the civil service.

Are schools closed because of snow? Everything parents need to know

On snowy days schools make every effort to stay open but sometimes they must close or partially close if it’s unsafe for pupils and teachers to attend. When there is a cold weather warning in place, many parents will be …

Certification: independent assurance that the rules are being followed

How can we be confident that the trust framework rules are being followed? That’s the role of “conformity assessment”.

Historic rights of way saved

Wishing you a very happy New Year from the Defra Environment blog team. It’s a time of year when many of us enjoy a brisk winter’s walk with our families. On Boxing Day, a favourite day for rambling, the government …

The King’s New Year Honours list 2025: honours for contributions to education, skills and children’s social care

Over 100 Brits who have made outstanding contributions to education, skills and children’s social care in the UK have been recognised by the King in his New Year Honours. The nominees in the King’s New Year’s Honours List 2025 represent …

Coverage following Government crackdown on waste incinerators with stricter standards for new builds

Today we are looking at coverage of our announcement that new waste incinerators will only receive planning approval if they meet strict new local and environmental conditions.

Health and science: A guide to our most popular blog posts of 2024 

Around a million people read our blog in 2024, and we were the most read blog across government in December.

Read this blog post and subscribe for the latest advice and insights.

NSIP funding is catalysing investment and creating jobs 

The UK Space Agency's National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP) provides an opportunity for the UK space sector to develop innovations with vast social and economic benefits.

Coverage following announcement of new £15 million food waste fund

There has been widespread coverage of the Government announcement that a new £15 million fund will help charities collect food waste from farms and distribute it to those who need it most. The new scheme will see grants starting from …