GOV.UK blogs

Shared parental leave at HMRC: Sam's story

About me  I’m Sam and I work in HR at HMRC. My role is in our employment policy team working with a fantastic set of colleagues to ensure our employment framework is up to date so the department can do …

Celebrating success at DDaT Fest

A chance to meet new colleagues and learn something new at our first in-person away day

Tree Health Pilot: improvements and progress on the ash dieback offer

The Tree Health Pilot tests different ways of slowing the spread of tree pests and diseases as well as building the resilience of trees across England. In this post, I’ll update you on the work to improve the Pilot’s ash dieback grant offer. Changes have been made to eligibility, guidance and the application process. 

Taking a place-based approach to tackling hepatitis in prisons

Prisons are complex settings in which to deliver healthcare, and people in prisons and under probation service supervision have higher levels of health and social care needs than others in the community.

This is due to multiple overlapping factors such as adverse childhood experiences, a history of poor housing and a lack of engagement with healthcare.

Climate change, plants and plant pests

Learn more about how climate change is responsible for changes in nature’s calendar, the rise of plant pathogens and pests and what APHA are doing to protect the UK border, from one of Defra’s Plant Health Scientists, Dominic Eyre.

Six Months of Delivery

From our landmark plans to deliver a cleaner, greener country, to the billions of pounds made available to improve nature and support communities, businesses and food producers across the country – we’ve been busy delivering on our commitment to leave …

Coverage on the Public Accounts Committee report on Defra IT

Today, we are looking at coverage following the publication of the House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee report on Defra’s IT infrastructure.

Flooding in Devon and Somerset

An update from the Environment Agency on flooding in Devon and Somerset.

We’ve removed 98% of gsi-family domains from the public sector

An important update on work to remove gsi-family domains from the public sector including what to do if you believe you still have an active domain.

The role of research in adult social work

Those of you who are regular readers of my blogs will know one of my priorities continues to be the importance and value of social care research in social work. So, I am delighted to host this guest blog from social workers who have fellowships with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). It’s so inspiring to have their contribution.

Part II: One Year On, Changing the Conversation

Last time I talked about progress against our strategy through the eyes of users. This is obviously very, very important - we exist to serve our users. Today I’m going to talk about a number of things that will seem …

Nursing Times Awards: we're so glad we entered last year

Entering the Nursing Times Awards social care category last year was a motivating experience for Oakleaf Group care colleagues. If your team or service is doing great things in the social care sector, nominate them for the Nursing Times ‘nursing in social care’ award today. Entry closes Friday 12 May!

Summer exams are starting

As we emerge from the Coronation celebrations and a welcome extra Bank Holiday, all those involved in exams – students, parents, teachers and exams officers, as well as all of us here at Ofqual – are looking ahead to the …

Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme – media fact sheet

All vaccines being used in the UK have undergone robust clinical trials and have met the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) strict standards of safety, effectiveness and quality. As of 30 April, more than 146 million Covid vaccines …

From personal trainer to PE instructor

What makes a great prison officer? It might not be what you think. Our prison officers come from a wide range of backgrounds. But the one thing they have in common is wanting to make a difference. Officer Worrall decided …

Addressing the need for seed: How we’re tackling the demand for quality trees

Seed sourcing is an essential part of tree production and a secure, diverse supply of tree seed is key to creating healthy, resilient woodlands. The Seed Sourcing Grant will be reopening later this spring to support production of tree seeds.

Lancet article defines road map for UK lung cancer screening programme

The Lancet has published an article setting out the priorities for the effective implementation of targeted lung cancer screening in the UK.

Have your say on marine plans in your area

The Marine Management Organisation's (MMO) Marine Planning team would like your support in collecting data to inform the monitoring and reporting of England’s marine plans. Surveys are one way we can understand the use and impact of marine plans. Information …

What happens during a food business inspection? We asked an Environmental Health Practitioner

Food hygiene inspections are an important part of owning a food business. In our latest blog, Jo, an Environmental Health Practitioner from South Derbyshire, talks about her role, what to expect from an inspection if you are a food business owner, and why she loves her job so much.

Transport and logistics: from apprentice to mentor

The transport and logistics route review report was published on 2 May. Koli Begum completed an apprenticeship with the Go Ahead Group in June 2021, before going on to become a driver and apprentice mentor in the organisation. Hear from …

How we're making it easier to get an NHS GP appointment

The Health and Social Care Secretary is committed to making it easier to get a GP appointment and he has today set out how we will improve access to this vital front door to the NHS under a new plan. …

Intellectual property for King and country

The Coronation is not only a historic event, it means big business for some, with flags, bunting and souvenirs flooding the shops. But exactly what are the rules around Royal-related intellectual property?

Cambridge beats Weatherfield to Coronation Street top spot

More than 1,000 streets in England and Wales have Coronation in their name. So where do you pay the most for the royal appellation? And where might Ken Barlow's street rank?

Welcoming the Muscat Manifesto - Putting Antimicrobial Resistance at the Top of Global Agendas

Today I want to reflect on the Muscat Manifesto and how it showcases international commitments to accelerate One Health Actions on antimicrobial resistance. It was presented at the Third High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) hosted by the Sultanate …

Welcome to the cross-Government Secure by Design approach

Learn more about Secure by Design which has been cemented as a necessity in both the Government Cyber Security Strategy and the Transforming for a Digital Future: 2022 to 2025 roadmap for digital and data. Both strategies reinforce the need of embedding cyber security into the delivery of digital services - at every stage.

Supporting Families working in partnership: A family journey

Family Details  Mum Jo (21) and Dad Mike (22) have a daughter Leah (10 months) and a son Stuart, who was born several months after the work started.  There is a large extended maternal family who supported the parents and …

Celebrating the Coronation with libraries and archives

How libraries and archives are joining the Coronation celebrations

Egg-shaped stars and Wolf-359: The UK night sky in May

May brings a meteor shower, a conjunction of the Moon with Mars and Venus, and a chance to see the core of our Milky Way Galaxy. 

The companies register: the coronation years

As the nation celebrates the coronation of King Charles III, we take a look at how the Companies House register looked in past coronation years of our 179-year history. From the Edwardian era to Queen Elizabeth II, find out how the company register has changed over time

The death of Free, a Natural England tagged hen harrier

Stephanie Bird-Halton, Director, National Delivery, Natural England Hen harriers are currently extremely rare in England due to illegal persecution and nest disturbance, primarily in areas associated with grouse shooting. Natural England satellite-tracks hen harriers in order to investigate patterns of …

NHS dentists: How we're helping more patients to get appointments

**Updated 29 September 2023** This government is committed to improving access to dentistry. We have already introduced a range of measures to improve access to NHS dentistry in England and we will soon publish a plan to boost access and …

Mental health and Deaf Awareness Week

This week is Deaf Awareness Week and the experts from Cygnet Hospital Bury, who provide specialist mental health support to deaf people, have shed light on why members of the deaf community are more prone to mental health conditions and how treatment can be adapted.

Windrush Schemes Factsheet – March 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 …

Getting an industry perspective on frontline policing

Alex has jumped from neighbourhood policing in Hackney to a placement supporting innovation designed to help solve some of the challenges facing frontline officers.

Coronation 2023: 6 green apprenticeships and how to apply

Six green apprenticeships have been hand-picked by industry experts and marked with the Coronation emblem to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. These apprenticeships have been selected because they contribute to a low carbon economy and help …

“How do we want to be remembered by the next generation?”   

The Transforming Infrastructure Performance (TIP) Live conference, which took place on Wednesday 19 April at the Vox in Birmingham, successfully brought together leaders from across government and industry, who discussed how we can accelerate change through prioritising the TIP principles. …

Dragons’ Den: the entrepreneur’s view

Last week, entrepreneur Hannah Saunders told us how IP helped protect and grow her business, Toddle Born Wild. Here she talks more about her business and her experience since her successful Dragons’ Den pitch in March 2022.

Accessibility matters at the Intellectual Property Office UK (IPO)

Amy Price reflects on how the Intellectual Property Office UK (IPO) has made accessibility a priority by setting up a champions network and creating a supportive accessible environment.

‘Front-loaded’ support for complex applications

Our new hub brings five key specialist support services together in one place on GOV.UK and on the portal, including Ask for Guidance.

The Little Korean – The Northeast’s Korean food stall that went from pastime to full time

We spoke to Matthew who runs a Korean food business, The Little Korean, selling hot food, meals to cook at home, and ready-to-eat cold food in the north-east of England.