9084posts
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One year of AI Accelerator: building Government tech talent
It is one year since the AI Accelerator programme launched in March 2025, transforming how government professionals build confidence, technical skills and practical capabilities in applying AI. The Accelerator programmes support departments to grow their own data and AI talent …
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Holtec small modular reactor completes nuclear regulators’ design assessment
As regulators of the nuclear industry, the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) are working together to make sure that any new nuclear power stations built in the UK meet high standards of safety, security, environmental protection and waste management.
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When AI answers the question, what happens to the user journey?
How is AI changing the way people engage with public services online? The DfE team are reflecting on the changes in how people access their services, and thinking about what this means for our practices and ways of working.
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Protecting our Planet – 1 year on
Learn more about how we’re helping protect the Earth and space from contamination.
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Best Start Family Hubs: what parents need to know
Getting the best start in life shouldn't depend on postcode. That's why we are rolling out Best Start Family Hubs across the country. These hubs are part of a wider Best Start in Life strategy, backed by over £900 million over the next …
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CustomerFirst: how we’re transforming services together
CustomerFirst is a new unit in GDS, set up to explore fresh ways of working in government and modernise public services. The unit launched in January 2026. This blog post shares insight into the work so far and plans for the 2 years ahead.
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Not all years lived are equal: understanding measures of health
HLE and QALYs both measure quality of health - but they're built differently, used differently, and answer different policy questions. Find out more in this blog from GAD actuary Natasha Hill.
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Smarter Planning and Licensing Systems: Delivering Better Results for Bats and People
By Mike Smith – Deputy Director, Wildlife Licensing and Reform This blog outlines how Natural England is modernising the bat licensing system. It explores how we are building evidence to strengthen the planning system to deliver better outcomes for bat …
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Nature market benefits: lessons from the Evenlode project
In March 2025, we introduced new standards for fair and transparent nature markets. This post explains what they mean in practice for farmers, using the Evenlode Landscape Recovery project as an example.
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Bass Management Group: meeting updates and discard reporting
Updates on bass management work, including authorisations, netting, negotiations and why discard reporting matters.
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The lifecycle of catkins
Emily Robinson, Content Officer at the Forestry Commission, explains how there is more to catkins than meets the eye when it comes to tree reproduction and the ecological value they provide to our woodlands.
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OPSS Invites Researchers: New Areas of Research Interest
Are you passionate about advancing product safety and driving innovation? At the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), we are excited to introduce our Areas of Research Interest (ARIs): an open call to academic and industry researchers to engage …
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Brought to life through film: the role of Historic Environment Records for National Parks
Wonder how we care for the ancient sites and historical places within our National Parks? These places are some of the most iconic and precious elements of these special landscapes. These special sites continue to inspire and awe visitors from around the world, but these showstoppers are just a small part of the amazing heritage sites protected within National Parks, all …
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New advice for parents on screen time for young children
Screens are part of everyday life for young families. With 98% of two-year-olds watching screens daily, avoiding them altogether isn't realistic — but managing them well can make a difference to how young children grow and develop. Here's what you need to know about the government's new free guidance for parents.
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Investment backs six pioneering projects to grow the UK's climate services sector
The UK Space Agency has concluded its latest Climate Services Call, supporting six pioneering projects with a combined investment of £380,000 to accelerate the growth of the UK’s climate services sector.
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ADOPT Fund: upcoming application deadlines
If you’re considering applying for support through the latest rounds of the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) Fund, this is a reminder that application deadlines are approaching.
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Misleading reporting of Spectrum Building resident payouts
There has been inaccurate media reporting suggesting former residents of Spectrum Building in Dagenham are being made to pay for the building’s fire safety works. This is not true. Since the fire in August 2024, the building’s freeholder has gone …
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Exploring a common architecture platform for local government
GDS Local’s sourcing the stack initiative is part of our commitment to co-create a vision for local government technology. We’ve been looking closely at how councils describe their technology to gain a better understanding of technical architecture across local government, and one of our findings …
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Coverage of Government response to Rycroft Review
This week we published our response to the independent Rycroft Review, commissioned to look into foreign financial influence and interference in UK democracy. We’re bringing in the recommendations to cap political donations of overseas electors at £100,000 a year and …
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What is Shigella? How do you catch it and how can it be avoided?
Shigella is a bacterial infection that can cause severe diarrhoea and stomach cramps. It's more common than many people realise and understanding how it spreads is key to protecting yourself and others. Here, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions relating to it.
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Why we are taking action on ‘less healthy’ food and drink
What is already in place What we are proposing The evidence
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A survey for the milk sector
The Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator is inviting people across the milk sector to complete a short survey on milk pricing and supply chain relationships. This will help to understand how the regulations are working and how the sector is responding to current conditions.
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NHS Pay Awards for 2026 and resident doctor strikes: everything you need to know
The Health and Social Care Secretary has accepted the recommendations of The Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) to confirm pay awards for 2026-27 for doctors and dentists. Recommendations were accepted in February for nurses, midwives and other NHS staff on the Agenda for Change contract. Here, we confirm what …
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Top ten tips for the launch of the IPO patent service
With the new IPO digital patents service due to launch soon, we want to make sure that your transition to the new live service goes as smoothly as possible. Here are our top ten tips for using the service.
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Bringing justice stakeholders together to improve services for court users
Over 75 stakeholders from our Public Engagement Groups recently came together for a day of collaboration and presentations, sharing invaluable feedback to help us improve services and ensure court users can access justice when they need it.
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The first meeting of the Farming and Food Partnership Board
The Farming and Food Partnership Board met for the first time yesterday, bringing together leaders from farming, food and retail.
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The new ILAP TDP: De-risking development by bringing early insights, predictability and improved coordination for developers
The refreshed Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP) is setting a new global benchmark for accelerating patient access to transformative medicines in the UK. More than just a regulatory pathway, the ILAP is the first end-to-end access pathway that brings …
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Our biggest digital sustainability moment yet
Lydia Tabbron reflects on a recent event which marked a key milestone in our digital sustainability journey.
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A Rare Fungi Discovery at Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve: The First UK Sighting of the Blue-Based Earthtongue
By Liz Frost, frequent visitor and fungi specialist, with Rachel Guy, Kingley Vale NNR Reserve Manager In mid-December 2025, amateur fungi enthusiast Liz Frost made an extraordinary discovery at Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve in West Sussex — spotting a …
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Unlocking hidden value: how one school turns its spaces into £110,000 a year
Cressex Community School in High Wycombe has significant experience in hiring out its facilities, something it has been doing for more than 13 years, and it has gone from strength to strength. The school brings in around £110,000* each year …
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What’s changing on data.gov.uk and why
We have made some changes to data.gov.uk. We are genuinely excited to share what we have built, learning from how you use data.gov.uk and listening to how you want us to improve it. This is a beginning, not a finished …
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The First Five‑Year Evaluations of Strategic Licensing for Great Crested Newts
The first ever five-year evaluations of strategic licensing for great crested newts have just been published. This blog, written with NatureSpace Partnership, explores the successes so far and shows that the schemes are creating high‑quality habitat for great crested newts, …
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Consultation opens on nephrops fisheries management plans
The Scottish Government is consulting on two joint UK fisheries management plans for North Sea and West Coast nephrops. Have your say by 17 June 2026.
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Council Tax Levels Publication
Today, the government has published the council tax levels set by local authorities in England for 2026-27. This showed that the increase in the national average council tax will be less than the last three years. The average Band D …
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Take Stock and Unlock - the CPD programme that helped transform my literacy strategy
Stephanie Welsford, Senior Deputy Headteacher at Villiers High School, explains how Unlocking Reading allowed for a re-set in literacy strategy
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Unlocking England’s nature markets: a step forward for investment in the environment
Today, the Secretary of State brought together leading investors and major businesses for a roundtable to discuss three key publications that will help set the right conditions for investment to flow. Read this post to find out more.
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Using AI to analyse foreign-language audio: sharing our work at the GORS conference
Every year, large volumes of operational audio are reviewed across government systems. Some recordings are in foreign languages, making them difficult to analyse quickly and accurately. Last month, we shared our work exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) could help transcribe …
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Progress of the Cattle TB Vaccine Field Trials in GB - one step closer towards TB eradication
On World TB Day, APHA highlights progress in Phase 3 cattle TB vaccine trials, underscoring ongoing efforts to tackle bovine tuberculosis.
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Making home buying and selling faster with upfront data
Home Sale Pack joined the Geovation Accelerator Programme in 2024. The programme, backed by HM Land Registry and Ordnance Survey, provides start-ups with grant funding and 12 months of support, encouraging the innovative use of our data to benefit the property market, society and the economy.
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How we’re making strategic decisions based on the needs of businesses
Find out what we have learned as we take a more strategic view of user research insights to improve decision making and support businesses more meaningfully.