GOV.UK blogs

New UK NSC guidance explains how conflicts of interest can be mitigated

New UK NSC guidance explains how the committee decides if action is required to mitigate declared conflicts of interest by stakeholders and members.

Cabinet Office's Women In Digital Network - Be The Change You Want to See!

Cabinet Office's Women In Digital Network - Be The Change You Want to See!

British Science Week: Q&A with MHRA’s Deputy Director of Innovative Medicines, Shirley Hopper

To celebrate British Science Week, we spoke to the MHRA’s Deputy Director of Innovative Medicines, Shirley Hopper, to see how new medicines are approved. Q: What is your role at the MHRA?   I’m Shirley Hopper, a medical doctor by …

Meet the Modern Civil Service: Sarah Munby

Hello! Welcome to another interview in the Meet the Modern Civil Service series. The aim of this series is to showcase the people in the civil service who are driving innovation, whether that be through being a learning champion, embracing …

How we value: pubs

In this instalment of our How We Value series, we explain how we value pubs across England and Wales.

Next phase of TB eradication strategy

We look at coverage on the launch of a consultation setting out next steps for the Government’s TB eradication strategy.

Protecting our freshwater fish species – why the close season is so important

Between March and June every year, many coarse (freshwater) fish will be preparing to spawn (breed and lay eggs), spawning, or recovering from spawning. This can be both stressful and exhausting and if they are disturbed, they may well decide …

Time for Action as NPL Outreach does British Science Week

Andrew Hanson and Louise Gibbons, NPL The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is the UK's National Metrology Institute, developing and maintaining the national primary measurement standards, as well as collaborating with international partners to maintain a global system of measurement. As …

Over £25 million to preserve wildlife-rich habitats in England

In this blog, Zelda Baveystock tells us about the 20 successful projects that will receive funding through the Species Survival Fund.

Dragons' Den the IP Blog - Series 21 Episode 11

We saw an IP-savvy bunch of entrepreneurs in the Den this episode, with every one of them having applied for, or obtained, at least one type of intellectual property right to protect their sparkly, snackable, medical or electrical innovation. Read on to find out how they fared.

Inspiring a new generation of scientists

This week we are celebrating British Science Week, where all over the country, schools are finding new and innovative ways to ignite curiosity and passion for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). Find out about what APHA’s STEM ambassadors have been doing recently to bring our biological science to life for students.

Yes, political think tanks deserve their charitable status

Think tanks are critical to our political ecosystem. It is because of the important role of think tanks in informing debate and educating the public that many of them hold charitable status in England and Wales. Yet the nature of these charities is too often called into question.

Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship revenue claims are open for 2024

You can now submit your 2024 revenue claim for Countryside Stewardship (CS) or Environmental Stewardship (ES). You have until 11.59pm on 15 May 2024 to submit your claim without reduction. Countryside Stewardship Last year we simplified the process for submitting …

Inside Britain’s Deadly Fungus Collection

Housed near Bristol, UKHSA’s National Collection of Pathogenic Fungi (NCPF) is home to more than 4,500 isolates of potentially deadly fungi isolates, gathered over the last century.

In this blog post, we’ll cover the history of the NCPF: why it was set up, what it houses and how it continues to play an important role in protecting our health.

Developing a service to assess and understand cyber resilience in local government

The DLUHC Local Digital team is supporting councils in England to build their cyber resilience. Through our work to date, we know that one of the challenges councils face is having a clear baseline standard to assess their cyber security. To address this, DLUHC will be introducing the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) for Local Government in 2024.

From application to agreement: making the process to join SFI simple

When you apply for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), we want your experience to be smooth and we want to offer you as much flexibility as possible. In this post, we’ll set out what you can do and what we’re doing to make the process of applying as straightforward as it can be, so you can join the 14,000 other farmers, growers and land managers who've already applied.

A user-centred approach to the spending review process

What is a spending review? It’s no secret that in 2024 there will be a General Election, and after that a spending review. A spending review is how HM Treasury decides how to distribute the total amount of money the …

The science of Natural England: now and then

By Dr Tim Hill, Chief Scientist at Natural England Science, evidence and evaluation sit at the heart of Natural England. Our teams work across a range of ecological, earth, economic and social sciences. With a strong focus on collaboration with …

English government endorses recommendation to screen newborns for tyrosinaemia

The English government has endorsed the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation to add hereditary tyrosinaemia type 1 to the conditions screened for by the NHS Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme.

How we’re supporting university students with their mental health

Going to university is a fun and exciting time for most students – but it comes with unique challenges and stresses. We believe that all students’ mental health and wellbeing should be properly supported during their time at university. There …

British Science Week – Career conversations with FSA scientists

With activity well underway for British Science Week, we wanted to shine a light on our scientists and help others connect to the interesting and varied work they do.

STIs through the centuries

In this blog post we will explore the rising tide of STIs across the eons, how ancient Greeks feared the killer “scorpions and serpents” in semen, and how goat's milk was thought to be a curative for sexual ailments.

Come and talk to RPA about FETF and FTF grants at shows during 2024

RPA’s Grants Service team will be attending shows across the country this year and are encouraging farmers and businesses to meet them on the stand to get advice on the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) and Farming Technology Fund …

Chief executive's stakeholder message - Addressing the vet workforce challenges

This week I gave evidence to the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) about the implications of vet shortages in the UK.

SMA ISE clinical pathway expert sub-group meets for first time

SMA screening in-service evaluation clinical pathway group holds its first meeting.

Funding Service: using content design to reduce the burden on applicants

Read about how content design was used in the Funding Service team to create question protocols, a more efficient way to get content signed off, and to reduce the burden on fund teams and applicants.

Ensuring the safe and effective use of AI in the Department for Business and Trade

How the Data team set up a framework to govern DBT's potential use of Artificial Intelligence.

Launching the Lived Experience in Policymaking Guide: Reflections on the principles, behaviours, and mindsets that underpin lived experience work

Lived experience refers to knowledge acquired through direct, first-hand and personal experience. In policymaking this usually involves people who experience a particular policy or issue in their daily lives.    Today, we are launching a short 'Lived Experience in Policymaking Guide’. …

STEM outreach: Intellectual Property Office

It’s British Science Week so we wanted to tell you about some of the great science outreach work we are doing at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and share details for our exciting new video going live this week. The IPO …

Young Carers’ Action Day

Young Carers’ Action Day – 13 March 2024 Rebecca Sudworth, Deputy Civil Service Carers’ Lead, talks about the experiences of Civil Service young carers. 13 March 2024 is Young Carers Action Day and this year's theme is fair futures for …

WCAG 2.2 Detective Skills

Super clues to help teams crack the case wide open: improving accessibility for websites and services with the help of new WCAG 2.2 criteria.

The fascinating realm of Defence Science and Technology

Louise Davies shares how her role helps enhance capabilities across Defence.   Interviewer: Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your role? Louise: I am Louise Davies, currently serving as the Deputy Head Scientific Advisor within Strategic Command.   …

Coverage of fairer labelling consultation launch

Today we are looking at coverage following the launch of our fairer food labelling consultation.

Boosting private finance for nature and sustainable farming: an update on progress

In this blog, Helen Edmundson, head of the Green Finance team at Defra, tells us how Defra are scaling up private investment into nature recovery.

Senior Scientific Officer (SSO) roles in Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

We are recruiting 3 SSO roles in the Chemicals, Pesticides and Hazardous Waste team in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Effective management of chemicals and pesticides is required to ensure that society understands the benefits of these …

Royal Gibraltar Regiment soldiers return from Op Cabrit

On Monday 11th March 2024, the Royal Gibraltar Regiment proudly welcomed back 17 of its soldiers who successfully completed their deployment on Operation Cabrit in Estonia. During their deployment in Estonia, the soldiers were attached to the First Battalion of …

Autonomous vehicles and IP: how one UK business is driving change

UK-based business, Oxa was the first company in the UK to test self-driving cars on public roads as part of Project Endeavour, an Innovate UK-funded trial. We caught up with Oxa’s Head of Licencing and IP Management Alex Tame to find out how owning IP has played a role in the research, production and scaling of their innovative AV technology. 

Blending private and public finance 

We want farmers and land managers in England to confidently and securely access payments from both the public and private sector for the environmental benefits and food they produce. In this post, we'll give a summary of our work and the initiatives supporting our ambitions in this space.  

Grants available in 2024

In this post, we’ll give you a summary of the grants to look out for this year.

How bacteria-munching viruses could offer an alternative to antibiotics

They look like something out of nightmare, but these so-called ‘spider viruses’ occur naturally, and could be a powerful new weapon in tackling the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. Bacteriophages, or phages for short, have a remarkable and currently untapped …