9518posts
-
What is the impact of climate change and adverse weather on summers in the UK?
Climate change is often talked about in terms of emissions targets and future scenarios, but most people experience it far more directly: through overheated homes, disrupted travel, worsening air quality, rising food costs, and strained health services.
-
Wild Again: Restoring England's Wildlife
Wild Again is the UK Government's umbrella campaign coordinating species reintroductions, conservation projects, and habitat restoration across England under one shared identity. The campaign spans the full breadth of nature recovery: large-scale reintroductions of beavers, pine martens and golden eagles; conservation work …
-
Coverage of expanded remediation funding
There has been significant national and trade coverage of the government’s announcement of new action to deliver safer homes and ensure leaseholders are not left facing high costs to fix the building safety mistakes made by others. It includes new …
-
Higher Tier Capital Grants: agroforestry and woodland update
From today, you can apply for agroforestry and woodland assessment items through the Higher Tier Capital Grants offer. This means these items will be available to apply for year-round, rather than only through the Capital Grants 2026 offer.
-
Secure and scalable checks against the digital verification services register
The Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA) is introducing machine-readable technology to the digital verification services register. This will allow businesses and public authorities to check the register securely and at scale. The current register The current digital verification services (DVS) register is a GOV.UK list of …
-
What is the School Support Staff Negotiating Body, and what does it mean for schools and staff?
Teaching assistants, school administrators, pastoral support staff, technicians, catering staff – these are the people who keep schools running every day. They support children with special educational needs and disabilities, manage school finances, help pupils who are struggling, and make sure …
-
Helping you choose where and when to swim in open water
Open water swimming can be an invigorating experience, but it carries real risks. Before you head out, it's worth knowing a little about how water quality is monitored in England and where that monitoring does and doesn't apply. In this blog, we explain where you can …
-
Food Fact Check: What are food additives and are they safe?
Food Fact Check: Adam Hardgrave, Head of Food Additives, Flavourings and Contact Materials answers questions about Food Additives.
-
Driving skills: what's changed on the Ready to Pass? website and why
We've updated the Ready to Pass? campaign website so it focuses on the broader skills of driving, not just focusing on passing a driving test.
-
From coat hangers to hazardous chemicals, no two days are the same for the Cargoes, Safety and Pollution Prevention team
To mark National Dangerous Goods Awareness Day, which falls during Maritime Safety Week, we're shining a light on the team working to ensure the safe and legal carriage of cargo, including dangerous goods, to and from the UK.
-
CVO - Defra's vision for a thriving veterinary sector
As Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss discusses the release of Defra's White Paper Today, the government has published its White Paper, Our vision for a thriving veterinary sector, setting out proposals for the most significant reform of veterinary regulation in …
-
How ARB Covers turned a studio frustration into a protected business
ARB Covers designs bespoke quilted covers for professional audio equipment, recording studios and high-end hi-fi systems. What started as a personal need has grown into a specialist business built on innovation, quality and intellectual property.
-
Shaping the future of open data: the new Open Data Communities service
Open data plays a vital role in supporting transparency, accountability and innovation across the public sector. Find out about the recent changes we have made to our Open Data Communities platform, which helps inform better decision-making, support the development of new services and helps users better understand their areas.
-
Putting the wiggle back into the River Kemp
By Denise Latham, Senior Officer, Catchment Sensitive Farming, Natural England What happens when a routine farm visit grows into something far more ambitious? Senior Officer Denise Latham shares the story of the Walcot Wiggle, how a conversation on a Shropshire …
-
A maturing market: digital identity sectoral analysis 2026
Today we published our second annual sectoral analysis of the UK digital identity market...
-
Lowland Peat Water Implementation Grant – applications now open
We are now receiving applications for the Lowland Peat Water Implementation Grant as announced in New funding boost to protect England's iconic peatlands - GOV.UK Up to £36 million is available to install infrastructure that will allow applicants to better manage water for lowland peat areas. Follow this link for more details and how to …
-
A new cyber profession for government
Chief Information Security Officer, Greg Dakin, explores the impact that the new Cyber profession will have on DBT and its users.
-
Plan technology for your school: get help using the right digital and technology infrastructure
Hattie Barham-Colwell, of the Department for Education's Safe and Reliable Technology team, explains how the plan technology for your school service can help you meet government digital and technology standards. In today’s fast-changing education landscape, technology plays a vital role …
-
Every day, everyone: Making maritime safety second nature
Delegates met in Bermuda for the annual Red Ensign Group (REG) Conference.
-
Opening Doors for Young People
As we celebrate 'Youth Employment Week', it’s a great opportunity to show how GFiE is helping young people take their first steps into meaningful careers. Across the Civil Service, a variety of tailored GFiE pathways from 'Supported Internships' for young …
-
Marine Licensing Top Tips: Improving Clarity, Communication and Efficiency
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO), working alongside the ports sector, has launched new Marine Licensing Top Tips, as well as practical tools to make the licensing process clearer and more efficient. Developed under the Ports Sandbox initiative with the UK …
-
Opportunities to join the UK National Screening Committee
The UK NSC is looking to appoint 4 new members to support its work advising ministers and the NHS in the 4 UK countries about all aspects of screening.
-
Innovation in action: how funding is supporting farmers
Listen to the latest Defra Farming Podcast to hear how innovation funding is helping farmers turn new ideas into practical solutions. Two guests share how research, collaboration and on-farm trials are helping them improve productivity, reduce costs and build more resilient businesses.
-
New driving test booking service: progress report and getting ready for a trial
Read the latest updates on the new driving test booking system and find out more about our trial to put it to the test.
-
Assessing the Health of the River Wye Catchment: An Update
By Emma Johnson, Midlands Deputy Director, Natural England Natural England has completed a detailed condition assessment of the River Lugg SSSI, part of the nationally protected River Wye catchment. This blog sets out the findings of that assessment, explaining the …
-
Introducing the Cloud Challenge Book 2026
We've published the Cloud Challenge Book 2026 - setting out five national-scale challenges and inviting industry to innovate and invest with us.
-
Standing together for inclusive, anti-racist social care leadership
Last Autumn, together with Deborah Sturdy, Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, we restated the values that underpin social care - Reaffirming Our Values in Adult Social Care – Social care. Those values persist and remain fundamental. But in the …
-
Fit for purpose: qualification design needs to start with 'why?'
When we think about qualifications it’s tempting to focus on what they contain: the subjects, the assessments, the grades. But before that, do we really understand what the qualification is for? New research from Ofqual examines this question and sets out a detailed framework for what we call 'purpose analysis'.
-
Celebrating the Nature and Archaeology Near You
By Ian Marshman, Senior Officer - Historic Environment National Delivery at Natural England. In this blog, Ian Marshman reflects on An Evening With Natural England’s Archaeologists held on 24th June and looks forward to this summer’s Festival of Archaeology. This year …
-
Yeomadon Farm: a growing success from livestock to trees
Jo Garlick, Regional Promotion and Engagement Manager at the Forestry Commission, shares how Woodland Ambassadors Rob and Catherine Moore successfully diversified their farm business through woodland creation at Yeomadon Farm.
-
Why senior service ownership matters at Defra... and why now
Senior service ownership could help Defra become more service-led, efficient and user-focused. Laura Churchill shares what her team learned while testing the concept, why plans had to change, and how they’re building the right conditions for more joined-up, accountable services.
-
Coverage of tough new rules to crack down on foreign money in UK elections
There has been widespread national coverage of the government’s announcement of new measures to strengthen political finance rules, protect British democracy and prevent foreign money influencing UK elections. The package, announced as part of the government’s response to the Rycroft …
-
From apartheid to aspiration: Jess’s journey of purpose and leadership
Jess Pather talks about how lived experience, strong role models, and a commitment to service shaped her leadership.
-
Watch: how to apply for vet visit funding
Together with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), we've created a series of step-by-step guides to help livestock keepers apply for the Annual Health and Welfare Review, a funded annual vet visit, and the endemic disease follow-up visit.
-
Campylobacter: a silent risk in our farm animals, wildlife and the wider environment
Campylobacter lurks across farms, linking animals, environment, and people; APHA’s science and surveillance reveal risks, guiding hygiene and biosecurity to prevent its silent spread effectively.
-
Updating the UK Standard Skills Classification: a simpler, shared system for describing skills needs, by Frank Bowley
Skills England recently launched an updated first full version of a ground-breaking tool to help everyone speak the same language about skills. Developed in partnership with the Warwick Institute for Employment Research (IER), the University of Sheffield, and Omnifolio, the …
-
Family trusts and your home: what you need to know
Thinking of setting up a family trust? Read our guide to understand the potential impact on land registration before making any decisions.
-
Strategic Renewables Unit Update: Supporting Sustainable Offshore Wind Development
The Strategic Renewables Unit (SRU) has been progressing work on a range of cross-cutting offshore wind issues, including underwater noise management, environmental compensation, and decommissioning. The SRU also presented at the East Marine Ecosystems Conference in Lincoln and will be …
-
The Paludiculture and Wetter Farming Fund – strengthening the case for farming on wetter peat soils
Kim Owen and Steph Britton - Climate change, Environmental Improvement Plan, Farming, Food, Land use, Land Use Framework, Peat, Water Lowland Peat soils are vital to England’s food system, producing roughly 40% of all domestically grown vegetables, yet drainage-based agriculture …
-
UK NSC and NHS England seminar on evaluating the impacts of newborn screening for SCID
The UK NSC's most recent online seminar presented research on the impacts of newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID).