WIREDGOV

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has today published the government’s response to the Committee’s report Housing Conditions in the Social Rented Sector.

Parents of teenagers starting qualifying further education or training courses must extend their Child Benefit claim by 31 August

Information for consumers not covered by the energy price cap on how the situation in the Middle East might affect their energy costs.

Statement given yesterday by Steven Doughty MP, Minister of State for Europe, North America, and the Overseas Territories, at the UN General Assembly meeting on the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

The Chief Statistician has released figures on Community Payback Orders (CPOs) unpaid work or other activity requirements today.

The common law partner of a man, suspected to have been involved in Swedish organised crime and who was assassinated on his doorstep in Battersea, has agreed to pay a six-figure sum after civil recovery proceedings were brought by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The war in the Middle East has boosted oil profits for Russia and Iran and neutered the price cap. It is time to revisit the past.

Statement given yesterday by Steven Doughty MP, Minister of State for Europe, North America, and the Overseas Territories, at the UN Security Council Meeting on the safety and protection of waterways in the maritime domain.

The UK Government must inject renewed impetus into AUKUS – a landmark defence partnership with Australia and the United States – if it is to deliver on its potential, a report by the Defence Committee has found.

Incidents off Kent coastline and others inland – company released sewage into water weeks after getting record £90 million for almost 7,000 illegal discharges

A 16-year-old boy has been sentenced after encouraging other internet users to self-harm, as well as downloading indecent images of children.

Viveca Mellegard explains how she used scientific analysis to investigate textile samples seized from a ship sailing from Suriname in 1795.

The government has confirmed it will bring forward further reforms to Right to Buy.

The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee has today published its report, ‘Fortifying the fiscal framework’.

The FCA is seeking views on proposals to change rules that govern the publication of research during the initial public offering (IPO) process.

The US-Israel attacks on Iran have triggered a global energy supply shock more severe than those of 1973, 1979 and 2022 put together, according to the head of the International Energy Agency. 

The Official Receiver has completed the sale of the Lindsey Oil Refinery to Phillips 66 Limited.

Looked After Children Statistics were published on 28 April 2026. 

In a landmark speech, the Technology Secretary said there must be a “decisive move” towards backing more British tech companies as AI reshapes global power, security and prosperity.

Following reports in The Guardian suggesting that the Chancellor of the Exechequer may be about to introduce a one-year rent freeze over the coming weeks, the NRLA has issued its response to this speculation.

Across the homelessness sector, providing food is often one of the first ways we open the door to support. 

Retail sales volumes were judged to be below seasonal norms in April, to a greater extent than in March, according to the latest CBI Distributive Trades Survey. Separately, sales volumes declined at a sharp pace in the year to April.

Joint Statement given recently (25 April 2026) between UK Foreign Secretary The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H.H Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The Prime Minister's speech given yesterday at USDAW conference 2026.

The TUC and unions are supporting the workplace day of action for Palestine on 14 May. We continue to speak about against the ongoing genocide in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, as we also call for peace in the wider Middle East.

The UK government’s Sovereign AI is backing Ineffable Intelligence, co-investing with the British Business Bank to scale a UK-built, self-learning AI that can generate new knowledge and drive breakthroughs.

The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz has shaken oil and gas prices, and for Europe, can only stir a greater drive for energy independence.

 Providing access to talent and skills through the most cost-effective solution.

Minister for Development Jenny Chapman recently (24 April 2026) gave a speech at the high-level ceremony to launch the 2026 Global Report on Food Crises in London.

The UK will see a mix of spring warmth and increasingly changeable conditions this week, with temperatures above average for most, before a growing chance of some heavy and potentially thundery showers towards the end of the week.

A woman who was stalked by her former partner has spoken out for the first time during National Stalking Awareness Week, urging others to recognise the signs of stalking and report it.

Today, we have launched our new digital service in private beta: Comply with Heat Networks Consumer Protection Regulations.

Waste criminals get prison sentences following major Environment Agency investigation.

The Committee for Communities has published a report highlighting mounting pressures on homelessness services and the Supporting People Programme, warning that urgent action is required to prevent further escalation of the crisis.

Deputy Ambassador James Ford marked the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, honouring those affected and stressing the enduring human and environmental consequences, while warning that Russia’s war against Ukraine has revived acute nuclear safety risks across the OSCE region (24 April 2026).

A new CBI survey of nearly 700 businesses across the UK has revealed stark evidence that the current business rates system is acting as a major brake on investment, productivity and economic growth.

Voters without ID have just one day left to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate to use at the upcoming May local elections in England.

The current crisis shows that Europe must transition to renewables to reduce its dependency on volatile fossil fuels. This week’s AccelerateEU plan rightly reaffirms that goal.

Do you keep a close eye on the weather, or do you just enjoy talking about it? Either way, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test with this week’s Met Office weather quiz.

The FDA has condemned the Prime Minister’s dismissal of Sir Olly Robbins, former FCDO Permanent Secretary, over the vetting of Lord Mandelson for his appointment as Ambassador to the United States.

Learning pathways provide structured, flexible routes that help people build capability over time, aligning skills, knowledge, and experience with real-world roles and responsibilities.

Statement given recently (23 April 2026) by Ambassador Archie Young, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Haiti.

Dame Vera Baird KC, Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), recently [Thursday 23 April] welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision to quash the indeterminate sentences of six IPP/DPP prisoners, three of them following CCRC referrals.

This report was issued in April 2026 and covers the time period 1 March 2026 to 31 March 2026 inclusive.

Middle powers can, through cooperation, retain the rules and institutions they still value.

Sibsey Trader Windmill in Lincolnshire, one of England’s last remaining six-sailed mills, is reopening to the public next month following a five-year conservation project by English Heritage.

This is a summary report which describes the process under taken to develop the Scottish Learning and Improvement Framework for Adult Social Care Support and Community Health (SLIF) Digital Tool.

UK and others call for action to uphold safety of journalists and media freedom against a deteriorating background within some OSCE countries (23 April 2026).

Welsh businesses and employees are urged to get behind efforts to remove barriers to women’s careers and improve workplace gender equity, by taking part in a new CBI-University of South Wales survey.

Industrial Chemicals Limited (ICL), a chemical manufacturing company based in Essex, has been fined £3.8 million after two employees at two separate sites suffered serious chemical burns as a result of exposure to sodium hydroxide, known as caustic soda

Lord Robertson, former NATO Secretary-General, was speaking at a Chatham House event to launch a House of Lords report on UK–US relations.

The 2024 General Election in Scotland was a one-sided affair. Scottish Labour won 35.3% of the vote in Scotland and 64.9% of the available seats. While the SNP came a narrow second place on 30% of the vote and won 15.8% of the seats. The polls may have shifted since then, but can we expect to see a similar result in the Holyrood election this May?

The Big Catch-Up (BCU), a historic multi-year, multi-country effort to address vaccination declines driven largely by the COVID-19 pandemic, has reached an estimated 18.3 million children aged 1 to 5 across 36 countries with more than 100 million doses of life-saving vaccines, helping to narrow critical immunity gaps, announced Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), WHO, and UNICEF at the start of World Immunization Week.

A former teacher at Junior King’s School in Kent has been found guilty of sexually abusing a school pupil more than 40 years ago.

Extreme weather, supply‑chain shocks and rising inequalities are affecting public services. Chris Naylor explores five implications of climate change for health care and other public services. 

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has referred another man’s IPP sentence to the Crown Court after the Court of Appeal recently quashed indeterminate sentences that had been imposed on other men at a similarly young age.

More than half (52 per cent) of adult social workers experience increased severity and complexity of need in their caseloads, while capacity and resources do not keep pace with the demand, a new survey by the Local Government Association (LGA) reveals. 

The deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy joined over 300 business leaders and other senior politicians at Queen’s University Belfast’s Whitla Hall for the CBI Northern Ireland Annual Lunch on Friday April 24.

UK airlines say that they are not currently seeing a shortage of jet fuel. The government is working with industry and international partners to keep passengers moving.

Members of the Armed Forces will soon have expanded access to media and entertainment, from top-flight sports like football and rugby to podcasts, gaming, and the latest and Defence news.  

A man has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 13-and-a-half years for the religiously aggravated rape and assault of a Sikh woman in her home in Walsall.

The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has today, Friday 24 April, launched the Engagement for Change Fund

As China ramps up its pressure on Taiwan, the Strait of Hormuz closure must serve as a wake-up call for European policymakers.

Ambassador Neil Holland recalls the vital contribution of media freedom to security in the OSCE region, and calls on Russia, Belarus and others to live up to their OSCE commitments (23 April 2026).

Pollen levels across the UK are forecast to vary over the next five days, with a gradual increase across parts of England as tree pollen becomes more prevalent before reducing slightly towards the start of next week.

Automated passenger services permitting scheme: government response (23 April 2026).

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has published a report calling for the government to go further and faster in its efforts to consolidate small government bodies into larger organisations and overhaul reporting requirements for low-risk bodies.

New agreement between the UK and France to step up patrols and intelligence operations in France to reduce illegal crossings.

New digital waste tracking service to be introduced.

Five men have been sentenced following a National Crime Agency investigation after £1.4 million of ketamine was smuggled via a fishing boat from Amsterdam to Suffolk.

The FCA has led international action to stop illegal finfluencers putting consumers' money at risk.

The EFRA Committee today publishes its report, ‘Resetting the relationship with fishing communities’, outlining how the Government can help the UK fishing industry thrive after a number of unforced errors.

The Devon waste carrier was fined £1,466 and told to pay back the economic benefit he realised by his illegal activity of £12,300.

We yesterday announced Round 24 of Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP), our funding programme that supports individual creative and cultural practitioners to focus on their career development. 

Lieutenant (Lt) George Kenneth Steinberg MC, from Hampstead, London, has been given a named grave after he was killed near Arras during the Great War in 1918.

Ian Murray's statement on the use of UK Biobank data (23 April 2026).

This data provides information about the number and types of applications that HM Land Registry completed in March 2026.

A charity has honoured two Health Innovation North West Coast colleagues for their contribution to the improved treatment of people with heart failure.

A Washington man who raped and deliberately transmitted HIV to other men was yesterday sentenced to life imprisonment at Newcastle Crown Court.

The clock is ticking with just over a week to go until the first phase of the Renters’ Rights Act goes live. As the deadline nears, we have added yet more new documents to our exclusive – and free – ​landlord starter pack for new Assured Periodic Tenancies (APTs). 

Ambassador Holland condemned Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, denounced recent Russian threats and intimidation at the OSCE, reaffirmed the UK’s continued military support for Ukraine, and called for the immediate and unconditional release of unlawfully detained OSCE Special Monitoring Mission members (23 April 2026).

This POSTnote summarises the challenges and opportunities for developing the evidence base required to ensure the effectiveness of nature recovery actions.

Every maternity service in England will need to meet new clinical standards, set out by the NHS, to significantly reduce the number of women who die each year during or after pregnancy.   

Sapia has agreed to make a voluntary payment of £19,637,950 to WealthTek clients and the FCA has censured the firm.

Two Derbyshire Constabulary call handlers have been charged with misconduct in public office, following an investigation directed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), over allegations they passed confidential information to criminals.

Another two men have been convicted – and one jailed for more than 20 years - following the collection of cocaine worth £26.5 million which was dropped off at sea off the Somerset coast.

This week, the Telegraph has published an article debating the merits of compulsory voting. Partly inspired by the approaching first anniversary of the launch of the Campaign for Compulsory Voting, the Telegraph’s research shows that “at least half of UK adults support compulsory voting a range of public votes and elections”.

New advisory highlights how to defend against attacker tactics believed to be used by the majority of China-linked actors to hide malicious cyber activity.

Every child should be safer after an interaction with the police. But for thousands of children – especially Black children – who have been strip searched as part of the police’s stop and search powers, this isn’t the case.  

Julian Jessop, Economics Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs commented on the latest inflation figures

BBSRC-funded scientists have identified an East African bat coronavirus that can enter human cells, a discovery that could help prepare for future outbreaks.

Dr Layla McCay responds to the Public Accounts Committee's report on the New Hospital Programme.

Passkeys are the more secure and user-friendly login method and should be the default authentication option for consumers.

We are consulting on potential new rules which will require all solicitors to keep a record of how they are reviewing and addressing their learning and development needs. We are also proposing that all solicitors take part in mandatory ethical discussions on an annual basis.

The Work Foundation at Lancaster University responded to the labour market figures for April 2026 released by the Office for National Statistics.

An international team of physicists, including scientists from STFC’s Laser Facility (CLF), has achieved a landmark advance in laser science.

Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, responded to a report by the National Audit Office on changing demand for school places

More than 120 military families in Woolwich will live in newly refurbished properties, as part of an overhaul that is already benefitting families returning from deployment to Cyprus.

Three men have been found guilty of raping a woman on Brighton beach, including one man who did not participate in the attack, but filmed it.

Clearance is underway on a West Yorkshire illegal waste site following court action by the Environment Agency.

On Tuesday, the Government revealed its plan to cut energy bills, in the context of rising wholesale prices triggered by conflict in the Middle East. 

Young people across the United Kingdom are set to benefit after McDonald’s becomes the latest major employer to support the Government’s Youth Guarantee and launches the biggest work experience programme in the country.

New data released by the Crown Prosecution Service today shows levels of victim attrition are falling and that prosecutors completed more rape prosecutions than at any point in the last decade.

Latest Active Lives data shows continued progress as focus remains on tackling inequalities and supporting those facing the greatest barriers

Government boosts efforts to help young people find their Child Trust Funds

Partnership aims to boost tip-offs about banned directors still operating in the shadows.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has referred a man’s robbery conviction to the Court of Appeal because new forensic evidence identifying a potential alternative suspect raises a real possibility of the conviction being overturned.

Disruption to the supply of oil, on the present scale, is teaching new lessons about the vulnerability of modern economies.

The Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) will mark an important moment in its 25th year on Tuesday 9 June at the Royal Institution, with the launch of the next iteration of its National Delivery and Advocacy Plan (NDAP) and the publication of its 25th Anniversary Impact Report.

An award-winning partnership empowering young people to become “changemakers” in their communities across the North of England is entering its second year.

Sentiment among UK manufacturers has deteriorated sharply, with optimism about both the business situation and export prospects falling at their fastest rates since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest quarterly CBI Industrial Trends Survey. Both output and orders declined, as competitiveness in UK markets deteriorated at a record pace.  

Most Israelis support continued conflict with Iran and Hezbollah. But polls show fewer believe in the government’s ability to deliver victory.

The educational charity NCFE recently (21 April) announced finalists across six categories for its upcoming Aspiration Awards.

Statement given yesterday by Ambassador Archie Young, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Libya.

The risk landscape of the UK is constantly evolving, with more diverse risks than ever before.

Statement given yesterday by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Syria.

Almost a third of searches are of children who have been subjected to a strip search by police before, despite an overall drop in the practice – raising serious concerns about the impact of being repeatedly strip searched and missed opportunities to safeguard vulnerable children.

Private (Pte) Reginald Joesph Blake, from Tendring, Essex, was buried in France today nearly 110 years after he went missing in action.

The UK is accelerating growth by developing six frontier technologies that strengthen digital capabilities and boost long-term competitiveness.

The UK, when presiding over the Financial Action Task Force, should update the mandate to focus on reducing criminal activity.

Statement given recently (21 April 2026) by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Colombia.

The Northern Ireland Digitisation Project is making material related to the Troubles free to view online.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis MBE yesterday used a speech given at CYBERUK to say AI companies should work with government in a “generational endeavour”.

Public sector procurement leaders YPO and Pagabo have formed a 10-year strategic delivery partnership that will see resources, reputation and expertise combined to establish a new benchmark for construction procurement. 

CYBERUK kicked off in Glasgow yesterday with opening keynote speeches from Richard Horne, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre and Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Minster for Security.

The UK defence industry stands to benefit as the Government considers new ways to unlock private investment to drive military readiness, create jobs and deliver economic growth across the UK.

UKEF announces collaboration to ensure veteran-led firms are matched with the right support to export and grow.

A new approach to national leadership and accountability

techUK is pleased to announce a new strategic partnership with TelecomTV, one of the telecoms industry's most authoritative and widely-read media platforms. The agreement will see techUK's Telecoms Programme join forces with TelecomTV to collaborate on key events, thought leadership and industry debate - deepening the connections that drive our sector forward. 

Defence tech start-ups and small businesses in Northern Ireland will benefit from a £50 million investment boost launched by the UK government yesterday, creating highly-skilled jobs and strengthening UK national security.

Two men have been arrested following a series of raids by the National Crime Agency in Kent and the East Midlands, as part of an investigation into a criminal network suspected of smuggling people into the UK in boats.

Despite primary school pupil numbers falling since 2018/19, DfE has provided the school sector with limited support to manage the risks to educational performance and value for money caused by a drop in pupil demand, a new National Audit Office (NAO) report has found.

The Prime Minister welcomed the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, to Downing Street yesterday.

A company and its director have been given a month to clear an illegal waste site or risk further court action.

Rachel Reeves yesterday brought together the CEOs of Barclays UK, Lloyds Banking Group, Santander UK, NatWest Group, Nationwide Building Society and HSBC UK.

The Charity Commission has concluded its statutory inquiries into the Kantor Foundation and Kantor Charitable Foundation, finding neither charity remained viable after the designation of the charities’ founder, Dr Vitacheslav Kantor.

Families face financial penalties when young people take up apprenticeships.