GOV.UK blogs

Top tips to avoid delays to Countryside Stewardship Capital Claims

  When you are submitting a Countryside Stewardship (CS) capital claim, there are a number of things that you need to remember to avoid any delays to receiving your payment.   We have put together some top tips of things that …

Restoring Britain’s pine martens: a position from Natural England, NatureScot and Natural Resources Wales

John Holmes, Strategy Director, Natural England  I confess I have never seen a pine marten, but I hope to one day. For now though, knowing they are out there, and that they are spreading gives me real hope for nature …

Windrush Schemes Factsheet – April 2023

We are determined to put right the terrible injustices faced by some people from the Windrush generation and the wider Commonwealth, which happened under successive governments. The Windrush Scheme ensures members of the Windrush generation can get the documentation they need to …

Nowt so queer as design

Policy designer Andrew Knight writes about why governments need more queer designers.

Meet the land registration lawyers

Land registration lawyers play a vital role in ensuring applications are completed correctly and our practice and procedures are being followed accurately. Jonathan, Andrea and Kate tell us about their day-to-day roles and why they decided to join HM Land Registry.

Successful shortlisting at the Digital Leaders 100 Awards

DWP Digital is proud to announce the shortlisting of 6 projects and individuals at this year's Digital Leader 100 Awards (DL100). The DL100 list, in its 11th year, celebrates the teams and individuals who are working hard behind the scenes …

Roundup of OPSS Vacancies

We’re undergoing an exciting period at OPSS, and there’s never been a better time to join us. Read our post to see our current vacancies.

Benefits of international collaboration on modernising justice systems

Last week’s attendance at United Nations (UN) and Council of Europe events provided a global platform for HMCTS to share knowledge, challenges and learning from countries with shared ambitions for modernising justice systems.

Progress on practical projects to support the UK NSC in making newborn blood spot screening recommendations

A summary note has been published of the latest meeting of the UK National Screening Committee's Blood Spot Task Group when members were updated on progress on 4 of its 5 core projects.

Come rain or shine, adverse weather matters for our health

Adverse weather matters for our health. There is a strong evidence base showing us that periods of very hot or cold weather or flooding present a wide range of direct and indirect health risks.

The Digital Leaders’ Download

Last week saw the launch of Digital Leaders’ Download, a new interview series in collaboration with PublicTechnology and CDDO's Chief Executive Megan Lee Devlin. Find out more about the series and where you can find it.

Celebrating Pride Month at HMRC: Steph’s story

Psst, can I let you into a secret? I don’t really like having a lot of attention. By preference, I’m quiet and like things very low-key. If there’s a party, I either don’t go or you can find me in the kitchen …

Invitation to present at DataConnect23

Sue Bateman, Chief Data Officer at Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) discusses DataConnect23 following its launch event on 23 May 2023.

Coverage of River Wye roundtable meeting

There has been coverage of a roundtable meeting hosted by the Environment Secretary, which discussed actions to restore the River Wye, as well as an update to the river’s status by Natural England.

Cutting edge farming projects to get share of £30 million of government funding

Today (31st May), the government announced that up to £30 million has been awarded to more than 50 cutting-edge farming projects that will help boost food production, move towards net zero, and create a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector.

A likely story: the ins and outs of likelihood analysis

The UK TRA is a new kid on the block among Trade Remedies Authorities around the world. Over the last two years since we were set up, the TRA has been reviewing measures put in place by the European Union and …

Coverage on recycling collections

Today we are looking at recent coverage around household recycling.

A council view of the fly tipping curse

Fly tipping is more than a nuisance. It isn’t just ‘a bit of dumped waste’ for the local council to clear. It’s an Environmental Health Officer sent to investigate. It’s a Waste Operative (or two) the council can ill-afford to …

Creating psychological safety in our ways of working

The original 'It's okay to' poster was created by GDS to communicate the 'unofficial' ways of working and to help create a safe psychological environment for new team members. At Justice Digital (the digital arm of the Ministry of Justice), …

Iterating the GOV.UK Design System contribution model

Read about how the GOV.UK Design System team updated their contribution model to help the community get more involved.

Everything you need to know about duckweed on the River Witham

Periods of hot and dry weather can be busy times for the Environment Agency as we work to protect not just our water resources; but our precious environment and the wildlife that depends on it.

During these conditions we receive a lot of calls about duckweed in Lincolnshire, particularly on the River Witham. This blog explains what duckweed is, why it is a problem in dry weather and the challenges of managing it.

Assessing the health of the River Wye and its catchment

By Emma Johnson, Area Manager - West Midlands Team The Wye Valley is an iconic landscape, hugely important for biodiversity due to the wide range of rare river wildlife, loved by people and important for farming. It’s because it’s so …

Trust Services Sanctions – 5 months on

The trust services sanctions came into effect on 16 December 2022. These are financial sanctions, for which the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) is responsible, while the Department for Business and Trade is responsible for professional and business services …

Secure by Design – a new way to manage cyber risk in capabilities

Here’s what you need to know Secure by Design is a key component of how cyber security will be improved within the MOD. The culture and approach to how cyber security is addressed in capability programmes across MOD is changing.  …

How HM Land Registry data benefits the UK

Who among us hasn’t wanted to know how much a property has sold for at one time or another? Find out about how HM Land Registry data creates reliable house price information as well as other benefits our data provides to the UK.

Delivering on Animal Welfare

There has been widespread online coverage following the Government’s update in the House yesterday on the status of the Kept Animals Bill. 

ICH E6 (R3) Good Clinical Practice

As a Lead Senior GCP Inspector at the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), I thought it would be useful to write about the changes to the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) E6 Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Guideline …

How to organise an accessibility scavenger hunt

Even if you don’t know it yet, accessibility matters to you personally. In this post Marian Avery explains why, and talks about how to organise an accessibility scavenger hunt to help build empathy.

Improving and extending our offer for upland farmers

It is our mission to create an offer that is workable for every farmer and farm type in England. Upland farmers are a crucial part of our rural communities, economies and landscapes – they are central to the production of high-quality food and other goods. In this post, we set out the offer for upland farmers and share the work we are doing to make sure that it is accessible, broad and rewarding, and that it helps us to achieve our ambitions for food production, productivity and the environment.

The NLW and protected characteristics: differences in employment and minimum wage coverage by ethnicity, disability, and gender

As set out in our previous blog, we recently published two research projects which we commissioned for our 2021 Report, and which use innovative approaches and data sources to shed further light on the impact of higher minimum wages on …

NHS workforce stats for May 2023: Record numbers of doctors and nurses in NHS

For the second consecutive month, there are record numbers of doctors and nurses working in the NHS helping to deliver extra appointments, speed up diagnoses and tackle the Covid backlog. At the same time, additional data shows there are more …

Patients given more choice to help cut NHS waiting times - what you need to know

We have announced plans to offer patients more choice over where they receive their NHS treatment after they are referred by their GP. Further information is available here. What are the new measures? Patients will now have greater control over …

From lumberjack to lumberjill: Why forestry isn't just for men.

Kate Hawley Area Operations Manager for Yorkshire and the North East reflects on her experience of being a women in forestry and the significance of the new exhibition that has opened in Grizedale.

Natural England chair Tony Juniper responds to criticism of nutrient neutrality

Natural England chair Tony Juniper responds to criticism of nutrient neutrality

New Hospital Programme – media fact sheet

*Updated 8 November* This fact sheet sets out the latest on the government’s New Hospital Programme, following the announcement that five hospitals constructed mostly using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) will be rebuilt by 2030 as part of the New …

Coverage on government support for tenant farmers in response to the Rock Review

Yesterday (24 May), the government published a range of measures to support tenant farmers and help provide long-term sustainability for the tenant farming sector in its response to the independent Rock Review.

How can digital technologies support care?

Most of us now use digital technology in some way in our day to day lives. It’s no different in the adult social care sector and often the same technologies and gadgets we use at home can be used to support how we care for people.  But when this everyday tech is packaged up as “care technology” it can feel a bit technical...

Coverage on the marine and coastal wildlife code

Today there has been coverage on BBC Breakfast on the launch of England’s first ever national Marine and Coastal Wildlife Code.

A beginners’ guide to using frameworks for school buying

Emily Wignall, Digital Engagement and Information Manager in the DfE’s Schools Commercial Team explains what a framework is and how using one can help your school navigate a legally compliant buying process, whilst saving time and money. 

My learning journey in the Defra Cloud Academy

Associate Cloud Engineer Darcie Ingram reflects on her experiences being part of the first cohort of ‘cadets’ to join our new Cloud Academy.