9966posts
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Sharing the current performance of our ADI services and what we're doing about it
Marian Kitson, DVSA Director of Enforcement, outlines how ADI services are performing.
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The MHCLG AI gateway: enabling more effective and safer adoption of AI in our digital services
AI is becoming an important part of how we design and deliver digital services. To help product and delivery teams across MHCLG adopt AI more safely and effectively, our Technical Architecture team developed the AI Gateway, a single shared departmental platform that gives teams a secure, consistent and faster way to access approved AI technologies.
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Understand the value of your manure with the Nutrient Management Planning Tool
Defra’s Nutrient Management Planning Tool is designed to help make nutrient planning simpler. The online tool has been updated to include a calculator that estimates the nutrients supplied by organic materials and their financial value.
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Sentinel-3C and FLEX launch into orbit
From forecasting ocean conditions to understanding how crops respond to drought, two European satellites with key UK contributions have launched together and will expand our view of the Earth in unprecedented ways.
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Get ready to meet the new School Food Standards
The Department for Education (DfE) has announced a major update to the School Food Standards . This is the first change to the standards since their introduction more than a decade ago. These standards cover food across the school day including …
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New school food standards: what parents need to know
Eating well at school plays an important role in children’s health, wellbeing and ability to learn. That’s why the government has updated the School Food Standards for the first time in over a decade, with a focus on making meals …
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BTV testing and diagnosis – Thursday 17 September 18:00 to 19:00
You are invited to a briefing call hosted by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to introduce additional measures relating to bluetongue (BTV) policy and diagnostic processes. The change to this process will make it quicker and easier for vets …
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From curious to confident: how one school transformed its procurement capability
Professional curiosity about procurement has been transformed into applicable knowledge and skills for Briarwood School finance and business development assistant Sannah Mundy - thanks to the Department for Education (DfE) and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS). Sannah had already been asking about the school’s buying activity when an …
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Enabling the safe and sustainable growth of the fusion industry
Yasmin is an advisor in our Advanced Technologies and Fusion Strategy team. Here she highlights the benefits of our new early engagement process and the Environment Agency’s role regulating the fusion industry. The Environment Agency, working alongside the Health and Safety Executive, is the regulator of fusion research sites and will jointly regulate future commercial …
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The Power of Opportunity and Support
National Inclusion Week returns from 14th to 20th September 2026 and it’s a valuable opportunity for us to recognise the difference that access to the right opportunity and the right support can make to the start of someone’s career. For …
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From bare field to thriving woodland: the next chapter at Breach Park Farm
Sarah Dixon, Forestry Commission Woodland Ambassador and landowner of Breach Park Farm in Oxfordshire, shares her woodland creation journey and her plans to open the woodland to enrich her local community.
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DHSC Abortion Notification Service Alpha Assessment Service
Read about the alpha assessment Abortion Notification Service alpha assessment from DHSC.
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Five insights from our D102 brand refresh
For over a decade, D102 has helped government organisations create impactful brands. Here are five insights from our own brand refresh and what they taught us about applying the principles we regularly advise our clients on.
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What is RSV and who is eligible for the vaccine?
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major respiratory virus that is most common over the winter period, typically November to February. Most cases are mild, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults.
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Dragons' Den IP Blog - Series 23 Episode 11
Golf played on fingers and fashion that's sustainable - 'design' is the word of the day in this Dragons’ Den episode.
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Watch: how a White Peak beef farmer uses herbal leys
In the latest film in our White Peak herbal leys series, beef farmer James Frost shares how he establishes and manages herbal leys to support forage quality, soil health and biodiversity.
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Leading the way in Greater Manchester – bringing people, nature, connectivity and growth together
Lucy Abram, Deputy Director of the Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside Team CyanLines is a bold plan to link and transform Greater Manchester’s green and blue spaces - and it's just celebrated its first birthday. This blog explores how Greater Manchester is putting nature at the heart of its …
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How Southwark Council used Get help buying for schools to transform catering procurement
An innovative collaboration with the Department for Education’s (DfE) Get help buying for schools (GHBS) service helped Southwark Council to set up its own bespoke school catering services framework — one that is already attracting wider interest across London. The …
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An Online Hub for Local Wildlife Sites: New Resources for a Vital 5% of England
By Sofía Muñoz and Scott Mitchell, Senior Specialists for Data Engagement and Analysis, Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme This blog explains what Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) are, why they matter, and the importance of the new online hub where …
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Changes to the BTV testing approach in England – webinar invite for veterinary colleagues for Thursday 10 September 2026 at 6pm
You are invited to a briefing call hosted by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to introduce additional measures relating to bluetongue (BTV) policy and diagnostic processes. The change to this process will make it quicker and easier for vets …
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Speaking up about mental health in forestry and arboriculture
Jen Turner, Development Manager at the Royal Forestry Society (RFS), discusses the findings of a recent Breaking Points survey on forestry workers’ mental health, and how the Wellbeing in Forestry group looks to support the sector.
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Giving the River Rib room to breathe: restoring a Hertfordshire chalk stream
Chalk streams are among the rarest freshwater habitats on Earth, with around 85% of the world's 280 chalk streams found in England.
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Who’s eligible for the 2026 COVID-19 vaccine, or ‘Autumn Booster’?
When autumn comes, protection from any earlier COVID-19 vaccination you may have had will be starting to wane. For those who are more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19, the NHS offers a free vaccine in the autumn, previously known as the 'Autumn Booster'.
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Making graph databases more accessible with AI
What if analysts could query graph databases using plain English? This experiment tested AI-assisted querying, uncovering practical benefits, challenges and considerations for future adoption across government.
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What is an accelerator?
In Autumn 2025 we started our accelerator projects: small, multidisciplinary teams working alongside places to design, test and scale solutions to complex public service challenges. This blog takes you through what an accelerator is, who is involved, the ways of working that underpin them, and what they aim to achieve.
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Every sighting matters! Why your report matters in the fight against the yellow-legged hornet
See it - Snap it - Send it. Public sightings are crucial to stopping yellow-legged hornets becoming established in the United Kingdom. Learn how your report can help.
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Copilot and me: What’s made a difference
In the third part of our series looking at the ways Defra colleagues are using AI, Zoe Wilson reflects on how Copilot empowers her as a form of assistive technology.
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Rigged bids, real costs - the case for tackling bid rigging in public procurement
In 2023, the CMA fined 10 construction firms £60 million for colluding to rig the bidding processes for demolition and asbestos removal contracts worth £150 million. The evidence in the case included emails, text messages and handwritten notes - even …
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Why beauty still matters: reflections on a career spent fighting for our finest landscapes
By Marian Spain, Chief Executive, Natural England As she nears the end of her career at Natural England, Chief Executive Marian Spain reflects on 40 years working with Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from their early days as planning tools …
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Why we're discussing meat inspection charges at our next Board meeting
Meat inspection charges will be discussed at the next FSA Board meeting after engagement with the industry.
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Interest in Higher Tier single-focus agreements
Interest in Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) single-focus agreements continues to grow, with 650 expressions of interest (EOIs) received since the offer opened at the end of July. This post covers the current areas of interest and how to submit an EOI.
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Share your expertise and join our Scientific Advisory Committees
Hear from current Scientific Advisory Committee members about their experiences about working with the FSA.
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From sustainability champions to sustainability by design – Part Two
In Part Two of his blog exploring how Sustainable ICT is no longer something that just a few people are interested in, Christopher Gale explains the benefits of thinking about sustainability earlier, and the opportunities this presents.
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The countryside that shaped me – and why it matters to us all
This post has been written by one of the members of the Environment Blog team. We wish to share some of our own experiences with nature to encourage you to get outside and explore your local environment. Please feel free …
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'Slick and easy' cleaning services procurement with Get help buying for schools
Nicola Wells is the school business manager at Amery Hill Secondary School – a single academy trust in Hampshire with approximately 1,000 students. Here she shares her experience of using Get help buying for schools to procure cleaning services for …
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Dragons' Den IP Blog - Series 23 Episode 10
It's time for BBC Dragons' Den. and as always, we'll be taking a closer look at the IP behind tonight's pitches, exploring the designs, patents and trade marks that help protect the innovations of tonight's hopeful entrepreneurs.
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Updating the supplementary codes for right to work and right to rent to version 1.1
We have published new, 1.1 versions of the supplementary codes for digital right to work and right to rent checks, to align the rules with the upcoming changes to the right to work and rent regulations. These 1.1 supplementary codes immediately replace the 1.0 supplementary codes published on …
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Commencing transition from 0.4 to 1.0
The transition period from the 0.4 and versions of the trust framework and supplementary codes has started One of the conformity assessment bodies that are approved to certify against the UK digital verification services trust framework and the supplementary codes …
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Tony and Marian make the case for nature to Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee
This blog is a summary of Marian Spain and Tony Juniper's appearance in front of the Environmental Audit Committee, and reflections on their time in office. Natural England's Chair Tony Juniper and Chief Executive Marian Spain appeared before Parliament's Environmental …
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Shaping the future under uncertainty: the challenge of transformation
Deep uncertainty is a defining feature of transformational policy challenges. This blog explores how actuarial thinking can support appraisal and decision-making where future outcomes are difficult to predict.