GOV.UK blogs

Who’s eligible for the 2024 COVID-19 vaccine, or ‘Autumn Booster’?

A summary of who is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or autumn booster in 2024. Current vaccines provide good protection against severe disease and hospitalisation, with protection lasting for around 4 months.

A first step towards evaluating the impacts of the UK’s trade remedies

Today we have published a research report prepared by Grant Thornton UK LLP (Grant Thornton) for the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA). This report explores the toolkit of methodology options that we could use in our evaluation to measure the impacts of …

Selling woodland or peatland carbon: could it be right for you?

Did you know that if you plant a new woodland or restore peatland, you could sell the carbon benefits? When it comes to carbon, UK buyers are leading the way – so the time to get involved is now.

Revitalising the Hamble Brook: A new wetland haven in Buckinghamshire

New life has been breathed into Buckinghamshire’s Hamble Brook by a substantial wetland site spanning 2,500 square metres. This work, led by the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project, further extends the largest scheme of its kind involving the Environment Agency, and …

Working with the Zambia Workers' Compensation Fund

GAD supports the Zambia Workers' Compensation Fund through its actuarial valuation of the Fund every 3 years. In this blog we look at what this involves - such as a valuation of liabilities and assets, and an assessment of contribution rates employers pay.

Debunking 5 product management myths

Megha Jain, Head of Product, applies her superpowers to bust 5 myths surrounding the product-centric approach in IT infrastructure and operations.

Expert taskforce to be at the forefront of new towns vision

This week the Deputy Prime Minister set out the Government’s plans for New Towns. There has been extensive national and regional coverage about this, including The Guardian, Sky News, The Independent, Manchester Evening News, and Yorkshire Post. The Housing Minister …

Bringing new life to Hull’s urban waters

Hull is a city that has long been defined by its relationship with water. Environment Programme Project Manager, Dan Jagucki, talks about an innovative project to bring new life into Hull’s urban waterways. Hundreds of years ago the city and …

Celebrating Marine Protected Areas Awareness Day

As we celebrate Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Awareness Day, it's fitting that we reflect on the importance of MPAs, the role we play in manging those in English waters and the support we provide internationally to the UK Overseas Territories …

Exploring the use of artificial intelligence to streamline the planning process

Planning documents often contain vast amounts of valuable information, but accessing and using this data can be challenging. Artificial intelligence offers a potentially promising solution to extract key information and insights, and this post talks about how the Digital Planning Programme is exploring the use of artificial intelligence to streamline the planning process.

More than you think - how we organise Design System Day

Design System Day 2024 will showcase the breadth of design systems work across our community. Join us as we explore the unsung heroes of the design system.

Ensuring nuclear reactor designs meet high standards of environmental protection

The Environment Agency’s New Reactors Assessment Team is carrying out assessments of three small modular reactor nuclear power station designs. Andrew Pynn, Senior Advisor for the project, summarises what we have been doing on two of the projects and why. …

The #PowerofPossibility

On Earth Overshoot Day Matt Bradley explores how we must consider not only the carbon impact of our solutions, products, and services, but also their true planetary effects. Balancing the books: Earth Overshoot Day unpacked Governments and societies worldwide aspire …

Our plan to get Britain Building again

Yesterday the Deputy Prime Minister launched the new National Planning Policy Framework which will increase housing targets to get Britain building again. We will also begin work today on a generation of new towns. The Deputy Prime Minister has appointed …

Roundup of OPSS Vacancies

We’re undergoing an exciting period at the OPSS, and there’s never been a better time to join us.

Do you care about the safety of products and want to protect people and places? Can we use your skills, knowledge and experience to enable UK business to thrive? If the answer is yes, then we would like to hear from you!

We are the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), part of the Department for Business, and Trade. We are here for the purpose of making regulation work to deliver real world impact. Regulation is a powerful Government tool to address market failures, influence behaviour and promote positive action. Crafted and delivered well, regulation can be an enabler of growth, innovation and efficiency.

Defence Developer Services (D2S): Launching new offerings for our users

D2S is part of the Defence Digital Foundry and provides products and services that enable the software development community and accelerate the delivery of software and applications. You can find out more information on the D2S Portal. It has been …

Coverage of rapid review to meet Environment Act targets

Today we’re looking at coverage of the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan announcement.

How we’re bringing change to water industry performance

The water industry is underperforming, and it needs to change. We know that people want and deserve more for their water environment. We are meeting this challenge head on.  We want to be a modern, confident and efficient regulator. To enable …

Getting ready for the consumer protection changes in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024

New powers for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Today we are publishing our draft rules and procedural guidance covering an important aspect of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act) – the new direct consumer enforcement …

What is a chemistry sample and why does the Environment Agency do them?

My name is Lucy, and I am a Field Monitoring Officer in the National Monitoring Field Team. My role involves collecting water samples from bathing waters and rivers. I take several types of samples but today I am going to …

Transforming tax: millions now using the HMRC app

If you’re checking your pay, changing jobs, viewing your state pension forecast or claiming Child Benefit, where do you go for the right information? Rather than wading through paperwork or picking up the phone, the HMRC app is becoming a …

Significant progress made with SMA screening in-service evaluation planning

The latest meeting of the SMA Screening In-service evaluation Partnership Board heard that significant progress had been made with the planning of the newborn screening ISE for spinal muscular atrophy.

Combatting crime in rural communities

Sgt Dan Goss from Merseyside Police Rural, Wildlife & Heritage Team shares how working collaboratively with the Environment Agency and others is helping to stop waste crime across Merseyside’s rural areas. Merseyside Police is one of the newest forces to …

How Heat-Health Alerts contribute to keeping the vulnerable safe this summer

This week’s higher temperatures have triggered a yellow Heat-Health Alert, issued for England by the Met Office and UKHSA. While some may question the necessity of such warnings, it's crucial to understand the significant health implications that accompany changes in temperature. In this blog we look at the importance of taking action to protect the most vulnerable in periods of hot weather, even when yellow alerts are issued.

GSE Profession at Civil Service Live 2024

Civil Service Live is an annual staff-learning conference, designed to allow civil servants to network, listen to thought-provoking sessions and share experiences and expertise. It is also an opportunity for civil servants to demonstrate leadership, learn new skills and improve …

Lord-Lieutenant for West Yorkshire Visits Accu to Present The King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade

Accu, a leading precision engineering components supplier, was honoured with The King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade last Friday (19/07). The prestigious award was presented by the Lord-Lieutenant for West Yorkshire, Ed Anderson, in recognition of Accu’s outstanding achievements …

Innovative solutions unveiled at the Deepfake Detection Challenge Showcase 

On July 17, the iconic Ministry of Sound in London became the hub of groundbreaking tech innovation as it hosted the Home Office led Deepfake Detection Challenge Showcase. This event marked the culmination of many months of hard work and …

We Are Strategic Command with Lilly Lotay

Discover how Lilly ensures compliance with critical procedures, adapts to diverse locations, and promotes UK Defence through Strategic Command's support and leadership. Interviewer: Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your background? Lilly: I'm Lilly Lotay, and I've been …

National conversation needed on how to turbo-charge Nature recovery while building the homes the country needs

England doesn’t have enough houses, and also doesn’t have enough Nature. If we are to succeed in meeting our national needs, we require more of both. For too long we’ve been told that the only way to build more homes …

Surpassing 4 million interactions: how we made collecting data a doddle

How we followed the GDS Service Standard to enable 4 million interactions with businesses.

Steve from the Grants Service team tells us about his work as an RPA Ambassador

RPA offers a range of grants and rural payments to farmers and businesses. In this blog, Steve France from the Grants Service team writes about his work attending shows as an RPA Ambassador. The Ambassadors represent RPA by engaging with …

What are bamboo plastic composites and why they shouldn’t be used for food or drink

Food products made from this mix of bamboo and plastic can leak substances including formaldehyde and melamine into food or drink, especially if the product is heated up or comes into contact with acidic foods. Usually harmless, when consumed at high levels or over a long period of time they can be potentially harmful to health.

Enhertu: Everything you need to know

You may have seen recent reports about the decision to not recommend a life-extending drug called Enhertu (Trastuzumab Deruxtecan) for the treatment of breast cancer on the NHS. Following ongoing commercial discussions between NICE, the NHS and the drug manufacturer, …

Generative AI in subsurface science and policy

Policy Lab has experimented with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in policy development with teams across government, and beyond, for a number of years. In 2019 we worked with the Department for Transport’s data science team to consider the role that AI …

Teacher pay: everything you need to know about the 2024 pay award

The Education Secretary has accepted the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) and confirmed the teacher pay award for 2024-25, setting out what school teachers in England can expect to be paid next academic year. The STRB is …

Futures on the Fast-Stream: how futures training and resources influenced my work

Licence: Creative Commons Attribution Tatiana Sirikova, free use from Pexels By Jack Thirlwell, Migration Strategy Team Leader, Population and Migration Division, Directorate for Culture and External Affairs, Scottish Government In this blog, Jack shares how learning about futures has supported …

The vital role of hydrography for maritime safety, efficiency and sustainability

Rear Admiral Angus Essenhigh OBE, the National Hydrographer and Director of Data Acquisition and Defence at the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO), shares his insights to mark World Hydrography Day, which took place on 21 June, celebrating the vital role of …

Holme Fen National Nature Reserve peatland restoration project

By Catherine Weightman, Natural England’s Senior Project Manager for Peatland Restoration in the Fens - West Anglia Team   I’ve been working for Natural England and its predecessors for more than twenty years. I’m currently working on peatland restoration in the …

How you can help us resist the tiger mosquito’s conquest of Europe

As our world becomes increasingly interconnected and the climate changes, the UK faces challenges that we might associate with more exotic destinations. One such challenge is the potential introduction of invasive mosquito species, particularly the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus). This …

Free Speech Act: what you need to know

In 2023, the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act became law. Due to concerns from vulnerable groups about how the rules might harm student welfare, we are stopping the implementation of the Act.  This means that although the Act received …