7063posts
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NHS England starts detailed implementation planning for tyrosinaemia screening
Detailed planning work under way for implementation of newborn screening for tyrosinaemia in England.
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Defra response to OEP investigation into regulation of network combined sewer overflows
Government takes swift action to strengthen regulation to tackle sewage discharges, as the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) announces next steps in their investigation into the regulation of network combined sewer overflows.
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English Devolution White Paper launch
Following the publication of the English Devolution White Paper there has been speculative media coverage that proposals around local government reorganisation including that this could potentially delay local elections in some areas with smaller district councils being replaced by larger …
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One word, endless opportunities: Discover our Graduate Scheme
Unlock your potential: Graduates describe our program in one word
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What GDS has found from public sector accessibility monitoring
Find out what our team found from the last 3 years of monitoring the accessibility of public sector websites and mobile apps.
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Coverage following announcement that water companies must double compensation for service failures
There has been widespread coverage of the Government announcement that water companies will be forced to double the compensation paid to customers for service failures. The Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) will see new, improved, and compulsory payments in the event …
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Shark Plan: Conserving Sri Lankan sharks, rays and chimaeras through the Ocean Country Partnership Programme
The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) collaboration with Sri Lanka on shark, ray and chimaera conservation through the Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) was furthered in mid-November with a UK visit from the Sri Lankan Director General and …
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Transforming our understanding of flood and coastal erosion risk in England
Julie Foley, Director of Flood Risk Strategy and Adaptation Understanding of flood and coastal erosion risk is vital to ensuring that policy makers, practitioners and communities are ready to adapt to a changing climate. The Environment Agency is required to …
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The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: what parents need to know
The new Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - sometimes referred to as the Children's Wellbeing Bill - introduces a wide variety of measures to help children and families, from school reform and home education to safeguarding. But how will this …
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Permitted development rights
There has been some press coverage over the weekend relating to permitted development rights. There is a suggestion in an article that PDRs could have been banned in the recent update to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) last week. …
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75th Anniversary of the National Parks Act: New legislation to ensure Protected Landscapes are fit for the future
Today is the 75th anniversary of the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. Read how the government is marking the occasion by empowering our Protected Landscapes.
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Seascapes project: New Year 1 reports published as part of Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme
By Frances Mynott and Clement Garcia, Cefas leads for the mNCEA programme. Our understanding of the benefits that our marine and coastal environments provide are improving through the Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) programme. Started in 2022, mNCEA is …
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Take part in a consultation on guidance used by the water companies when they draft their new drought plans
Our changing climate means we could see more frequent and severe weather events, including droughts, in the coming years. We cannot predict when, or how severe, the next drought will be, but we can ensure we learn from previous drought …
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Homes for Ukraine: applying digital principles and innovation to respond to a crisis rapidly at scale
Find out how MHCLG has applied digital ways of working, collaboration and innovation to enable Ukrainians to enter the UK to find suitable accommodation and support through the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.
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Big data, tiny microbes: environmental DNA in action
All living things, from bacteria to blue whales, have DNA in their cells. DNA provides the blueprint for life, directing how organisms grow, reproduce, and live. Since DNA gives a unique genetic code for every species on Earth, we can …
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New fisheries management measures come into force today
Measures are coming into effect to implement actions in the first published fisheries management plans. Find out details of the measures in our new blog post.
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Start your school day right - the benefits of breakfast clubs
Headteacher Mrs Ash McGann shares Burton Green Primary School’s experience of being part of the Healthy Breakfast club pilot scheme and the benefits it’s brought to the whole school.
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Explaining more about the top 10 driving test faults: our webinar recap
Amanda Lane and Graham O'Brien recap our recent webinar about the top 10 driving test faults and answer questions that were not covered during the live webinar.
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Early Career Ocean Professionals at the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA)
Written by Parvathi Vallivattathillam, National Oceanography Centre (NOC), Lianne Harrison, Cefas and Francesca D'Enno, Defra. The All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA) is a science diplomacy effort which unites twelve countries across the Atlantic to strengthen and foster collaborative …
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More projects improving the environment through nature market initiatives
More projects improving the environment through nature market initiatives Today we hosted our Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF) Round 3 grantees at the University of Warwick for a dedicated networking and learning day. This fund is one of the …
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The ILACS framework – what’s changing and why?
In December 2024, we updated the inspecting local authority children's services (ILACS) framework. This blog will discuss why we’re making these changes, the reviews that informed them, and how we are responding to your feedback. Why we updated the framework …
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Sustainable festivities: how you can reduce your waste this Christmas
The festive period is a time to celebrate and enjoy decorating trees, giving gifts and eating lots of delicious food. But all of this can have an impact on the environment. In this post, the Environment blog team will share actions you can take to enjoy festivities sustainably.
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Celebrating 75 years of the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act
By Marian Spain, Chief Executive, Natural England We know now that access to nature is vital for our health and wellbeing, and when we feel a connection with nature, we’re more likely to care for it and help its recovery. …
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Making it quicker and easier to search on GOV.UK
We’ve made some changes to the interface of site search on GOV.UK to create a simpler, more user-friendly experience.
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Portsmouth’s New Emergency Department Opens with support from Defence Medical Services personnel
The transition to a state-of-the-art Emergency Department (ED) at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth was successfully completed on 26 November 2024, thanks to an innovative collaboration between Defence Medical Services (DMS) personnel and NHS staff. The seamless move was …
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Magic Maps: change to service platform
What is MAGIC? The ‘Multi-Agency Geographic Information for the Countryside’ (MAGIC) service has been around since 2002. The MAGIC website provides geographic information about the natural environment from across government. The information covers rural, urban, coastal and marine environments across …
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Ambitious and future-thinking: advising on digital government
Baroness Martha Lane Fox discusses her role in shaping the government’s new digital centre.
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Farewell to Ipsum
After thirteen years we’re preparing to say goodbye to Ipsum, our online patent search tool. Emma Sharman, Senior Transformation Product Manager, reflects back on the role Ipsum has played... and explains what’s next. As 2024 draws to a close it’s …
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Strengthening actuarial practice through collaboration
We work with Bayes Business School, which celebrates 50 years of actuarial teaching and research. Professor Kyriakou blogs about our successful collaboration.
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Celebrating one year of Projects for Nature
It has been one year since Projects for Nature was launched. In this post, Justin Francis, the nature lead for The Council for Sustainable Business, shares his reflections.
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Our consultation events are over but there’s still time to share your thoughts
Our consultation events have ended but you can still have your say on the draft plans until 19 January- don’t miss your chance to share your opinions. Find our factsheets and a summary video on this blog post.
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5 tips for managing your woodland this winter
MacBradan Bones, Nature Recovery Advisor for the Forestry Commission, shares his tips on managing your woodland this winter.
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Transforming Defra together: the journey from paper to online forms
It’s been a busy year for Defra Forms. Lead Product Manager Jenny Taylor and Senior Content Designer Anna Scott reflect on the story so far, lessons learnt and reaching the exciting step of rolling out forms guidance and tools access …
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Guidance now available for improved Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier offer
Ahead of the improved Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) scheme opening for applications, we’ve published the new scheme guidance on GOV.UK. In this post, we share a summary and a recording of a webinar held on 8 January.
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Getting ready to apply for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will open applications for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier from summer 2025. Find out how you can get ready to apply.
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Puberty blockers: what you need to know
*Updated 12 December* The government has confirmed that the existing emergency measures restricting the sale and supply of puberty-suppressing hormones will be made indefinite. This decision follows independent expert advice from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) that there is …
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Sharing our AI expertise
As a data analytics specialist working for the Government Internal Audit Agency, I think my experience of attending the Chartered IIA (Institute of Internal Auditors) conference back in September is probably the nearest I’ve got to feeling like a rock …
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Our review of the area SEND inspection framework
Through the Big Listen, children, parents, carers and professionals told us that the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system is ‘broken’. Families shared heartbreaking stories of their fight to get the right support. Frustrated professionals told us that they …
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Why we are experimenting with ethnography in the metaverse
Over the past decade Policy Lab has established a foundational practice in film ethnography. Throughout this time, we have continued to push the boundaries of how this method can support policymakers to ground policy in lived experience. This year we …
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Improving and evolving: Defra's content community projects
I’m Graeme Claridge, and I’ve been head of content design at Defra since April 2024. We’re a large community, with around 70 content designers. There's a lot to celebrate about our community: we’re incredibly supportive of each other, we’re highly …