6577posts
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The Strategy Series: Innovating to reduce, reuse and recycle
We’re onto the third instalment of our Strategy Series where we dissect our 2030 Corporate Strategy with the help of our Nuclear Waste Service (NWS) experts! Our Corporate Strategy will help us to move forward in new, innovative ways with …
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Times article on Environment Agency inspections
An article published in The Times today covering Environment Agency inspections has said checks on water companies and individuals are drawing too much water from English rivers and aquifers have fallen over the last four years. At the same time, …
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Join the DLUHC Digital Recruitment Days in the West Midlands
Are you looking for a career that combines social impact, innovation and purpose? Join our Digital Recruitment Days on 1, 2, 8 and 9 November in Wolverhampton. This event is a gateway to great career opportunities at DLUHC Digital.
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Thriving for the Future: Seizing the moment for trees, woods and forests
We've published our new corporate strategy setting out how we will deliver, for the environment, for the economy and for society, Richard Stanford, Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, explains more.
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What DVSA’s strategy and vision looks like for vehicle testing
In our latest Moving On blog post, Gordon Thomson explains what our strategic plan to 2025 and vision to 2030 looks like for vehicle testing. He shares some of the proposed positive changes around going paperless, making our data more accessible, and more.
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Chief Executive’s message to stakeholders - New consumer advice on CBD
Emily Miles, Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency, shares news of our new cannabidiol (CBD) advice for consumers - that healthy adults should limit their consumption to 10mg of CBD per day.
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Working as a lead technical architect at Companies House
Mike works as a lead technical architect at Companies House. Read on to find out what he likes most about the role.
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Social care and cyber-crime
Digital technology can improve care and efficiency – but a cyber attack can devastate a care provider. This National Cyber Security Awareness Month, Mel Judd, South West Regional Coordinator for Better Security, Better Care, outlines some essential issues care providers should consider.
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What are the latest rules around COVID-19 in schools, colleges, nurseries and other education settings?
This article was first published on 14 December 2022 and continues to reflect the latest guidance. Respiratory infections, including the common cold and COVID-19, are common in children and young people, particularly during the winter months. For most children and …
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Watch: a test and trial update from Aqualate Mere
In this film, we return to Aqualate Mere in Staffordshire to learn more about the tests and trials experience of Aqualate Castle Holdings. Farmers in the catchment share what they learned about blending public and private finance for greater environmental good. They focused on commercial agreements between private organisations and local farmers.
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Applications are now open for the Science and Engineering Fast Stream
Society faces many challenges which science can help solve. The Covid-19 crisis in particular highlighted the essential role of scientists and engineers in improving the quality of government decisions, to ensure scientific evidence underpins policy and that it is effectively communicated. …
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What a content designer does in discovery: Part One
In the first post of a two-part blog, content designers Ruth Fryer and Sandeep Dhaliwal explain what the discovery phase is for, and why some teams need to think about content design from the start.
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How the Environment Agency uses data to protect our water resources in a changing climate
After spending almost 20 years collecting data in the West Midlands to respond to climate change challenges, like flooding and drought, I still love the job I do as much as when I first got called to interview for the Environment Agency.
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‘Behind the Scenes’ at the Forestry Commission: Managing Ips typographus….. five years on
Ips typographus was first identified in the UK in 2018. Since then multiple teams at the Forestry Commission, Forest Research and Defra have been working together to manage this invasive pest. Here's how.
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A new home for National Infrastructure Planning
Oliver Blower is leading the improvements to the Inspectorate’s Applications Service. In this post he explains the developments being made to the online service for nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs).
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DIAG presents Biology Week
The 16 to 20 October marks the Royal Society of Biology’s (RSB) Biology Week, which aims to celebrate and raise the profile of the innovative work that bio-scientists across the world are doing every day to overcome some of our …
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Supporting mental health and wellbeing at our school
As the senior mental health lead at St Vincent’s Primary School in London, Emma Scelsi tells us about her schools’ approach to supporting pupils with their mental health and wellbeing.
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Engineering the future
Meet Daniel Gilmore, a chartered engineer at Sellafield. who tells us why the nuclear industry is the perfect choice for those looking for a career in engineering.
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Off-site BNG: what can you do after 30 years?
If you’re planning to sell off-site biodiversity units for mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) you will need to commit to managing the habitat for 30 years. The habitat works will need to be legally secured through either a s106 agreement …
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Transformation II: spotlight on trade marks, designs and tribunals
It’s been more than two years since we launched our five-year ‘One IPO Transformation’ programme. Following the launch of our second consultation, Transformation II, we asked IPO Transformation lead, Natasha Chick, for an update.
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How we’re helping look after the mental health of children and young people
Schools and colleges play an important role in promoting and supporting the positive mental health and wellbeing of pupils and students. To help those working with children understand the bigger picture when it comes to children’s wellbeing, we’ve published our …
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Choice and control in the adult social care sector
In the last ten years, landmark legislation and policy frameworks have sought to create social care systems which are more person-centred and support individuals to have greater choice and control. Find out about IMPACT's work turning the evidence of this into action.
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Black History Month 2023: Saluting Our Sisters
October is Black History Month, and across the Defra Group we are celebrating the twin themes of ‘Eliminating prejudice is everyone’s business’ and ‘Saluting Our Sisters’- honouring the achievements of Black women. Black History Month is a time to celebrate …
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Our friends in the north: UK NSC hosts annual Nordic Screening Network meeting
The UK NSC hosted the annual meeting of the Nordic Screening Network, sharing learning with screening colleagues from Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
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Chief Executive’s message to stakeholders - Food Fraud Working Group
Emily Miles, Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency shares the latest from the Food Fraud Working Group, including a new freephone number to report food crime - 0800 028 11 80.
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Ken's career journey
Throughout October we will be covering Black History Month, sharing stories from those inside the HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). We spoke to HMP Whitemoor’s Kenneth 'Ken' Tangie about his career journey with HMPPS. Ken taught French and English …
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The value of international collaboration: my reflections on meeting fellow Chief Veterinary Officers in Asia
As the United Kingdom’s Chief Veterinary Officer, I recently had the pleasure of representing the UK overseas and collaborating with our international partners, including fellow CVOs from across the G7 group of nations (pictured). On this trip I was joined …
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Maximising safe public access on Salisbury Plain Training Area
Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) is the UK’s largest military training area, covering 11% of Wiltshire and a small part of Hampshire. Ensuring the fine balance between providing a place for our Armed Forces to train safely and maintaining public …
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Companies selected for next stage of nuclear energy competition
Great British Nuclear has announced that six organisations have had their Small Modular Reactor designs selected to progress to the next stage of a nuclear energy competition. In our latest blog post, we will explore the designs that have been proposed.
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New Entrant Support Scheme pilots: our initial findings
Earlier this year, I shared an update on the New Entrant Support scheme pilots. In the post, I included portraits of our participants. Since the pilots finished in May, we have been busy evaluating them using participant surveys, interviews and reports from the pilot leaders. With close to 200 pilot participants, there was a lot of valuable feedback to analyse, and we continue to learn from it. In this post, I’d like to share our initial findings so far.
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Celebrating 25 years of BCMS with Terry Gadd
Terry Gadd, RPA lead for livestock and trader scheme related services, is responsible for the operation of the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS), the RPA’s specialised cattle tracing organisation, which is celebrating 25 years of operation. In this blog he …
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5 reasons to vaccinate your under-5s against flu
Flu season is just around the corner, and now is the time to get protected. If you are a parent of eligible pre-schoolers, make sure that you book your child in with their GP practice for the nasal spray that …
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Taking stock of INSPIRE's achievements – reflecting on a report by the Open Data Institute
Data Policy Lead, John Dixon, shares his thinking on the independent review of INSPIRE by the Open Data Institute.
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Guardian article on road runoff
An article published in the Guardian today covering road pollution has said there is no monitoring by regulators of thousands of outfalls and soakaways on the country’s road network, and that the scale of the impact for the wildlife the …
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Transforming for a Digital Future - one year update (part 2)
A year on from the launch of the Transforming for a Digital Future strategy, Sam Lawler, Deputy Director, Strategy, Analysis and Reform at CDDO shares a second blog on how government is undertaking digital transformation and the progress made so far.
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Celebrating 25 years of the British Cattle Movement Service
It’s 25 years since the formation of the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS), which is responsible for maintaining the central online database of all bovine animals in Great Britain. This is the Cattle Tracing System, which animal keepers use to …
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Geodiversity is for everyone – International Geodiversity Day 2023
Jonathan Larwood, Natural England Principal Geodiversity Adviser, celebrates the second ever International Geodiversity Day and its theme of ‘Geodiversity is for everyone’. International Geodiversity Day is an annual global celebration, supported by UNESCO, of all aspects of geodiversity. This year’s …
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Irreplaceable habitats and BNG: what you need to know
Ahead of mandatory BNG, we are confirming that the initial list of irreplaceable habitats for biodiversity net gain (BNG) purposes will broadly mirror the list of examples already within the National Planning Policy Framework. This will be followed by a …
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A month of meteors and a lunar eclipse: the night sky in October
October’s night skies feature a partial lunar eclipse, two meteor showers and a great opportunity to see the gas giant planets of our Solar System, Jupiter and Saturn.
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Navigating Microsoft 365 guidance for UK government digital, data and technology professionals
In an unprecedented age where secure and efficient collaboration is paramount, the Central Digital and Data Office has taken a significant stride forward by collaborating with Microsoft and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to develop comprehensive guidance for the …