WIREDGOV

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has secured an 30-month prison sentence and a £123,000 confiscation order for Jeffrey Cook, a former Ministry of Defence (MoD) official.

G7 Leaders joined a call on Sunday following Iran's attack the previous evening.

A plumber who converted blank firing guns into lethal weapons has been jailed for seven years and two months following a National Crime Agency investigation.

Israel’s attack signalled a shift in its strategy towards Iran. Tehran’s response and the US promise of ‘ironclad’ support for Israel risks escalation of this transnational conflict.

This POSTnote summarises wildfire threats and management in the UK, and outlines options for increasing the resilience of UK landscapes and habitats to wildfire.

In March 2022, Nick Fewings, MD of Ngagementworks, published Team Lead Succeed, based on his 30+years of both leading operational and project teams, and subsequently facilitating team development around the world.

In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks.

Over £3.8 billion of taxpayer money has been saved by the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) in the last year alone, as the agency celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

More than £9 million is being made available over the next three years to give people who access social care more choice and control over decisions relating to their care.

Tehran’s dilemma is finding a response that maintains its position in the ‘axis of resistance’ but does not precipitate an escalation which it would likely lose.

As a training provider, understanding the Adult Education Budget (AEB) is crucial for effectively serving adult learners in England.

A spokesperson for the Equality and Human Rights Commission recently (12 April 2024) gave a statement on the final report of the Cass Review.

The strategic partnership announced recently (12 April 2024), bolsters the UK Government's ambition to be world leader in AI.

Today we’re publishing our online safety research agenda, which sets out the areas of research that will help to inform and underpin our long-term work as the UK’s online safety regulator.

New analysis has shown that ‘no fault’ Section 21 evictions have led to households being threatened* with homelessness over 80,000 times since the Conservative Government first announced it would ban the practice.

A numerical ocean model is a computer programme representing the equations of motion (momentum, conservation of mass and thermodynamics) for the ocean. 

CCW has responded to Thames Water’s decision to make a £30 goodwill payment to around 26,000 customers across the Guildford and Godalming area, who were left without water during interruptions to their supply in November 2023.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today calls for the establishment of a new select committee, to consider sound financial practice and value for money in sensitive areas which are outside the remit of the statutory Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.

A North Wales Police officer will appear in court following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation into the use of force on a teenager.  

Words from the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, on the Iranian regime’s reckless attack against Israel.

CBI recently (12 April 2024) responded to latest GDP figures.

Reforms to occupational health services will be shaped through a £1.5m innovation fund, as the government continues its drive to tackle in work sickness and boost economic activity using new technology and artificial intelligence.

Noting that the Prime Minister did not agree to his call to end the license of arms exports to Israel, the First Minister has written to Lord Ahmad to warn that the UK Government is in danger of being complicit in the killing of innocent civilians.

Prime Minister Kishida’s state visit to Washington focused on security, but that alone will not be enough to influence the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

HMS Lancaster seizes almost £33 million worth of drugs in the Middle East.

The recent (12 April 2024) action brings the world’s two largest metal exchanges into the scope of existing bans.

Iran's failed attack on Israel highlights the danger of miscalculation and escalation in the Middle East. With the risk of further conflict and the looming threat of a nuclear Iran, the region faces a dangerous crossroads.

Recently announced plans for a Sino-Russo lunar nuclear plant signal Russia’s eastward realignment in space cooperation and hint at China’s renewed willingness to publicly cooperate with Russia.

Julian Jessop, Economics Fellow at the free market think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs, commented on former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s review of forecasting and communications at the Bank of England 

Tough action taken against directors to tackle Covid loan misconduct

The National Crime Agency has arrested a senior staff member of a scam company, joining law enforcement across the continent to crack down on “JuicyFields” – a notorious and elaborate Ponzi scheme.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has launched its 2024/25 Sector Support programme.

A licence to fish for the day would have cost the angler £7.10. His fine for not getting one? £220!

A masked thug who took part in a violent burglary has had his sentence doubled after it was referred to the Court of Appeal.

Victoria Harrison will become UK ambassador to Slovenia in August 2024, accompanied by her guide dog Otto.

With the public sector in Wales continuing to face significant financial, demand and workforce pressures, the plan outlines the vital role of Audit Wales in supporting good governance, financial management, ensuring value for money and identifying early warnings of problems arising.

The UK and the Republic of Korea announced today, they are pressing forward with plans for the upcoming wave of global discussions on the safe development of Artificial Intelligence technologies, with the AI Seoul Summit scheduled for May 21st and 22nd, which will take place partially virtually.

A police officer who engaged in sexual activities with a woman whilst on duty has suspended sentence quashed and sent to jail after it was referred to the Court of Appeal.

Fund will support farmers who suffered uninsurable damage to their land due to flooding earlier this year with grants of between £500 and £25,000

The Prime Minister has appointed Anna Eavis and Roisha Hughes as Trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

WWF and the Blue Carbon Research Centre (BCRC), based at the University of St Andrews, are thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership aimed at expanding expertise and capacity in blue carbon science. 

As Sponsor of the Royal Navy’s newest frigate, The Princess Royal has visited HMS Venturer in Rosyth.

River Wye Action Plan launched to preserve the long-term health of the river

Scientists working across government should be allowed and encouraged to take on a wider public facing role in the media to combat the spread of misinformation, a report from MPs says today.

This is the ninth in a series of articles analysing the top 10 serious and organised crime threats to the UK and how they have evolved over a decade.

The rollout of Laser weapons systems far quicker than expected, following defence procurement reforms, with DragonFire to be on Royal Navy warships from 2027.

A drug supplier who tried to hide his criminal activity by using the Encrochat encrypted messaging service has been jailed for 20 years after the National Crime Agency uncovered his true identity.

Blog posted by: Oliver Quinlan, Senior User Researcher, GDS, 12 January 2024 – Categories: GOV.UK Forms.

Health Secretary Eluned Morgan has today announced Welsh hospices will receive £4m in government funding to continue their vital work.

Richmond perfume firm in fees fault – but Surrey wildlife the winner.

The Prime Minister will meet veterans, businesses and charities today to announce dedicated employment support service.

Detecting and disabling sea mines will be critical to ensuring the security of the Black Sea in the long-term.

As Modi heads towards a third term, concerns about India’s imperfect democracy will matter less to the West than its potential as a bulwark against China.

New results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) include the largest 3D map ever made of the Universe.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched the latest instalment in its consultation series examining how data protection law applies to the development and use of generative AI.

Family is central to all of our lives, particularly children. The concept of family comes in many forms. For nearly every child we’ve spoken to it includes people outside of our traditional ‘immediate family’.

CBI GDP Response April 2024.

Four people have been arrested in connection with an investigation into waste offences, fraud and money laundering after raids at three homes in Yorkshire.

Alex McMahon’s decision brings to an end a ‘distinguished career’.

Why have India and Indonesia yet to sign up to global governance mechanisms on commercial cyber intrusion capabilities – and how can proponents of the Pall Mall Process persuade them to do so?

UK and Republic of Korea forging ahead with plans for the AI Seoul Summit on 21 and 22 May.

The NHS national booking system will open for spring Covid-19 vaccination bookings on Monday (15 April), with those eligible able to book appointments from the following week.

Blog posted by: Nathan, GCHQ, 10 April 2024.

An Explorer Scout from Rhondda Cynon Taf, who saved a young man about to take his own life, was among the winners at this year’s St David Awards, which recognise people who have done extraordinary things.

Jo Turner, National Practice Development Project Manager at Homeless Link, reflects on our recent Rough Sleeping Conference and outlines the free resources which have been developed to support rough sleeping outreach teams.

Leicester business Unimed Procurement Services secured government-backed financing to help it deliver life-saving medical equipment around the world.

The year is 2035. Wages have outpaced house prices and rents for an unprecedented 10th year following housing reforms.

Regular measles statistics updates issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

The NHS is still facing record demand following a very tough winter for services.

Link Fund Solutions (LFS) failed to act with due skill, care and diligence in its management of the Woodford Equity Income Fund (WEIF), according to findings published by the FCA.

The Design Museum is the first independent museum to receive independent research organisation (IRO) status due to its role leading and supporting research.

Maya Singer Hobbs, IPPR senior research fellow, reacted to Labour’s announcement of a plan to extend and speed up bus franchising, and other changes it says are aimed at improving local bus services

Weekly national influenza and COVID-19 report, COVID-19 activity, seasonal flu and other seasonal respiratory illnesses.

Rory Deighton welcomed the NHS meeting its ambition to roll out same-day emergency care to every hospital in England.

The CMA has outlined 3 key risks to effective competition on AI Foundation Models and has set out plans for further action in the market.

Public sector organisations are reminded to ensure accounts will be IFRS 17 when accounting for insurance contracts, from this financial year onwards.

Danielle Jefferies, Senior Analyst at The King’s Fund, commented on the latest monthly NHS performance data

UKHSA urges overseas travellers, including Hajj pilgrims, to check well in advance to ensure they are up to date and have all necessary vaccinations

In final draft guidance published today NICE has recommended atogepant, the first of a new type of oral treatment option for preventing both chronic and episodic migraines, opening the way for up to 170,000 people to choose it on the NHS in England

There were a total of 869 school exclusions as a result of alcohol or drugs amongst school aged children in 2022-23. That’s an increase of 119 per cent from 2020-21 and up 16.5 per cent from 2018-19.

A Staffordshire care provider has refused to refund a man’s estate after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found it put too restrictive care in place for the last nine months of his life.

The UK’s commitment to international collaboration in the Arctic will be the focus for Americas Minister David Rutley on his first visit to Alaska

The NHS exceeded its faster diagnosis cancer target for the first time in February amid record demand, according to new figures. 

Innovative CAR-T therapy recommended to treat an aggressive form of leukaemia

Proposals could improve job opportunities for people aged 18 to 20, ease driver shortages and provide more reliable bus and coach services across England.

Industry Minister Alan Mak celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) and a landmark £3.6 billion funding milestone.

Today, the NRLA welcomes our new partner GetGround, the all-in-one property investment platform for buy-to-let landlords looking to find, structure, and manage their UK limited companies.

IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, is Number 1 place to study Education for the eleventh year running in the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject.

Explaining the process for challenging your Council Tax band and answering some common questions.

Income required to bring family to the UK increased as final measure of package to reduce legal migration comes into force.

A landlady who was jailed for keeping a vulnerable woman in domestic servitude has had to sell a property to pay the victim back almost £200,000. 

The trilateral exercises will build on previous operations between the three countries – underlining the UK’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific.

The Court of Appeal has fully dismissed a legal challenge from Cérélia, and upheld the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s finding that the CMA was ‘rational and fair’ in its merger review.

The Digital and Quantum Business Incubation Centres are helping start-ups to bridge the gap between science and business.

The UK Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency have signed an enhanced MoU to further areas of cooperation and information sharing on space.

In the heart of Nottinghamshire, Inspire – a charitable society owned by its community members – is transforming lives through learning.

Community Diagnostic Centre sites have already delivered over 7 million tests, checks and scans to patients across England.

UCL remains ranked in the top 10 globally in 10 subject areas in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024, the world’s most consulted university ranking, including two first-place rankings.

Scottish Pubs Code will empower tenants of tied pubs.

Sean Duggan comments on the Centre for Mental Health briefing on building a mental health workforce for the future

Concerns have been raised about some of the DPDI Bill’s provisions, some of which stem from misunderstandings of the Bill’s approach and its legislative intent. techUK addresses these misconceptions.

An expansion of same day emergency care services across the country has seen thousands more people every week get the rapid tests and treatment they need to avoid an overnight stay in hospital – with the total up by more than a tenth in just a year.

Business and community leaders based across Northern Ireland are being urged to apply for roles that run the UK’s public institutions. 

Announced in September 2021, AUKUS is a trilateral Defence and Security agreement between the United Kingdom, United States and Australia.

We have completed our criminal investigation into allegations that the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire, Nick Adderley, has misrepresented his military service, and have referred a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). 

Total fishing opportunities worth over £970 million secured for the UK fishing industry for 2024

Customer research published yesterday by Ofwat and consumer watchdog CCW reveals that the vast majority of people do not trust water companies to do what’s right for the environment.

GAD developed a pension benefit modeller to support the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority as it undertook a pension reform programme.

The Environment Agency in the East Midlands is continuing to work alongside partners in helping communities impacted by the flooding from Storms Babet and Henk.

Innovate UK and ESRC will invest up to £8m in five projects to develop responsible data access methods in the professional and financial services sectors.

Cabinet Office Minister Esther McVey has written to Councils that have high levels of spending on staff who work on trade union duties during working hours. 

Twelve immigration offenders have been arrested following a Home Office raid on a bedding and mattress factory in the West Midlands.

Compensation will provide support for fishers to remain in the industry and diversify

Environmental bodies in England and Wales seek views on the future of the Upper Severn Valley,

Parents on Universal Credit can now receive up to £1,311 more a year in childcare support following a 6.7% boost coming into effect, as the government’s expansion of free childcare for working parents delivers 150,000 places in a week.

The government has published its response to the Independent Review of Protected Site Management on Dartmoor.

Fifty more asylum hotels are due to be closed, building on the closure of the first 100 at the end of March.

The FCA has put forward plans for a new way to pay for investment research. 

All anglers were prosecuted for fishing without a licence and two received penalties for additional fishing offences.

Five members of an organised criminal gang, which falsely claimed more than £50 million in Universal Credit in the largest benefit fraud in England and Wales, have been convicted.

Department publishes terms of reference for statutory inquiry following deaths of NHS mental health inpatients in Essex

The latest wave of the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) Food and You 2 survey, conducted between April and July 2023, shows that respondents’ concerns over food affordability continued to rise to the highest level since the survey began

New First Parliamentary Counsel appointed to lead the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel

Thousands of remote homes and businesses to benefit from lightning-fast broadband as new figures show a record £714 million invested in the broadband rollout so far this year.

A group who stole over £50 million of taxpayers’ money has been brought to justice in the largest ever benefit fraud case in England and Wales.

The UK and Ukraine sign a new defence agreement to encourage cooperation on defence and industrial issues. 

There have been two turning points in trends in life expectancy in England this century. From 2011, increases in life expectancy slowed after decades of steady improvement, prompting much debate about the causes. Then, in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic was a more significant turning point, causing a sharp fall in life expectancy, the magnitude of which has not been seen since World War II. 

An NHS spokesperson said: “NHS England is very grateful to Dr Cass and her team for their comprehensive work on this important review over the past four years.

Six RAF fighter jets commenced a four-month mission in Romania yesterday, flying air policing missions alongside the Romanian Air Force

Licensing reform will maximise the economic and environmental potential of the crop.

Many successful musicians, actors, writers and visual artists are struggling to make a living due to gaps in copyright protection, a lack of support for freelancers and unpredictable returns from music streaming, MPs warn today.

Eighth auction confirmed for 23-29 September 2024 to support woodland creation and help tackle climate change and biodiversity loss.

‘Extra Time’ partnership providing vital support.

Hundreds of thousands more people a month will have the option to refer themselves for key services such as help with incontinence, podiatry, or hearing tests without needing to see a GP, as part of the NHS primary care access recovery plan.

A group of islands in Orkney has received £530,136 for two community purchase projects in the latest round of grants from the Scottish Land Fund. The grants are amongst 11 totalling £1,833,622 that have been given to communities across the country in the latest round of awards by the Scottish Land Fund.

Victims of serious crimes committed by those with mental disorders will be able to explain in their own words the impact the offence has had on them.

Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation Darren Hughes responds to news from BMA Cymru Wales of progress in ongoing disputes.

New research from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has found that while many are struggling to meet financial commitments, the picture has improved over the last year.

The Royal Air Force participated in a large-scale international aid airdrop into Gaza on Tuesday (9 April 2024) to coincide with Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan.

An additional £8.3 billion has been allocated to 102 more authorities across England for local road improvements.

Assaulting a retail worker to be made a standalone criminal offence.

The Charity Commission has concluded that a former trustee of the Charr Yarr Welfare Foundation Limited was involved in extremist activity

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has authorised significant enhancements at Dore & Totley railway station in Sheffield.

The State Pension is increasing by 8.5 percent as part of the Government’s commitment to support pensioners in retirement.

As the Mayoral election is approaching, techUK asked the Centre for the New Midlands for their ‘asks’ of the winning candidate.

Eddie Smithwick and Harry Palmer-Randle from the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) write about the role of Police and Crime Commissioners in supporting people who are rough sleeping.

Half a million people claiming old benefits will be invited to claim Universal Credit, unlocking all the work support it offers.

Public Health Wales is working with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board to investigate two further cases of measles which have been confirmed in the Gwent area, bringing the overall total to four cases. 

An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has found that Northamptonshire Police officers acted appropriately in responding to welfare concerns for a man who died in a road traffic collision soon after. 

Ahead of Windrush Day 2024, 28 community groups have been awarded funding for a range of arts, educational and sporting events across England.