WIREDGOV

Smartphones are ubiquitous. Around five billion people out of a global population of just over eight billion have access to a one.

In her first public speech, the new Chief of MI6 Blaise Metreweli will set out how MI6 is tackling new and emerging threats to the UK and its allies.

The Bank of England successfully navigated complex risks and interdependencies to deliver its Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) renewal programme, incorporating innovation and best practice in managing this digital transformation, says the NAO.

Record £9.5 billion early years investment next year to help families access affordable childcare and boost growth by supporting parents back into work.

Business organisations are clear that there remain concerns about many of the powers contained in the Employment Rights Bill. 

Before we step into a new year, we want to take a moment to celebrate everything we have achieved together through the 2025 Justice and Emergency Services Programme.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has referred a man’s sexual offence conviction to the Court of Appeal, after it was determined that police did not follow all reasonable lines of enquiry into possible alternative suspects. 

This week marks 20 years since the Buncefield explosion in Hertfordshire – one of the largest industrial incidents in Europe and the UK’s largest peacetime explosion.

Ofcom has today launched investigations into BT and Three following outages in the summer that resulted in UK-wide disruption to mobile call services, including to emergency services. 

The third UK-EU Cyber Dialogue took place on 9-10 December. Both sides agreed to hold the next UK-EU Cyber Dialogue in London in 2026.

First Minister John Swinney has raised his concerns about reports of intended large-scale cuts by the UK Government to its development assistance budget to Malawi.

Northern Ireland continues to experience the highest levels of digital poverty in the UK. 

The UK’s intelligence community must adapt to stay ahead of intensifying hybrid threats that blur the line between war and peace.

A major breakthrough, delivered through Project SIREN, directly supports the UK’s future integrated air sensing capability and provides a clear operational advantage.

As of friday, visitors to The National Archives can request access to records from Parliament’s Archive which are now housed at Kew.

FSCS has confirmed that the 13 firms below were declared in default in the last four months – which means they have gone out of business and are unable to meet any claims themselves.

An improved train timetable across Wales started friday.

The UK-funded Climate Finance Accelerator South Africa has opened its fourth call for proposals, offering tailored support to low-carbon projects.

English artists, creators and music businesses will benefit from expert guidance as Arts Council England launches a new Music Growth Package Advisory Group. 

Blog posted by: Marc Bowie, 11 December 2025 – delivering value, Evolve, Justice Digital Strategy.

Around 50,000 specialist places to be created nationwide – making sure more children with SEND can thrive alongside their friends at their local school.

Scotland's first summit on neurodevelopmental support will take place today, Monday 15 December.

Delivered recently (12 December 2025) by Kumar Iyer, Ambassador and Permanent Representative for the UK Mission to the WTO and UN in Geneva.

CQC’s 2026 national maternity survey is happening soon.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak recently (12 December 2025) commented on ONS figures showing GDP falling by 0.1% in the three months to October 2025.

A 56-year old man has been arrested during a day of action to tackle waste crime in Lancashire.

Julian Jessop, Economics Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs responded to the latest growth figures

New Technology Services 4 framework helps public sector organisations modernise digital systems and adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation technologies.

More than £41m extra will be invested into general practice this year as part of a deal struck between the Welsh Government and GPs.

Synthetic phonics, where children are taught to pronounce sounds in isolation before putting them together to form words, isn’t working for many struggling young readers, a study led by UCL has found.

NHS leaders welcome General Medical Services Contract Reform for 2025-26, with measures key to supporting the shift to providing care closer to home.

Revealed: The 14 Scottish most in need communities each to benefit from up to £20 million UK Government Pride in Place Programme funding.

We study four reforms that cut non-health-related benefit provision and find each reform led to increased disability benefit claims. 

The new strategy aims to lift 550,000 children across the UK out of poverty by 2030

For months, there was a pattern with Layla and her ideas. It would start with her working on the same problem for weeks.

New unified organisation to speed up how Defence gathers and shares intelligence.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak commented on ONS figures showing GDP falling by 0.1% in the three months to October 2025 

Technology Minister Ian Murray returns from the latest G7 Ministerial gathering in Canada with strengthened tech ties and new agreements in key areas.

The Homelessness Strategy makes a welcome pivot towards prevention, but must go further to restore control, order, and hope to British streets, says the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ)

The Government’s plans to fund energy efficiency improvements in the private rented sector are financially unviable for most landlords, according to new research published by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA).

Sandra Ferreira is CEO Designate of Homeless Link member, the Ferry Project in Wisbech. She is keen to share her learning about language and trauma informed care with homelessness practitioners:

The latest CBI Economic Forecast finds businesses swimming against the powerful tides of weak demand, elevated labour and energy costs, and ongoing domestic and global uncertainty.

Take the bus for a festive day out this Christmas.

Demand for specialist places has rocketed over the last decade.

No one should get behind the wheel under the influence of drink or drugs.

The governments of Canada, Japan, Norway and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement on the anniversary of the Algiers Agreement.

Cumbernauld Theatre Trust receives £150,000.

The first six months of Network North Wales has seen new train and bus services introduced, along with improvements to station infrastructure with more exciting developments to come.

Funding ensures young people from all backgrounds can learn about the varied, highly skilled jobs and future opportunities in aviation across the UK.

The UK has sanctioned individuals suspected of atrocities including mass killings, sexual violence, and deliberate attacks on civilians in El Fasher, Sudan.

Commissioned by South Africa's G20 Presidency, RUSI delivered high-level analysis on the need to position environmental crime at the heart of the global agenda, leading to the G20 Cape Town Ministerial Declaration on Crimes that Affect the Environment – hailed as a historic first.

The FCA has fined Nationwide Building Society £44m for inadequate anti-financial crime systems and controls between October 2016 to July 2021.

The Office of Rail and Road has today published its first annual benchmarking report on train and station operators’ delivery of passenger assistance. 

An update following the third round of negotiations on an Enhanced Free Trade Agreement with Turkey.

The future medical workforce phase 1 report follows an extensive exploratory process to understand the challenges and opportunities for Scotland’s medical workforce as we look ahead to the next 15 to 20 years.

President Trump’s new corollary to the Monroe doctrine will provide more triggers for forceful action in the Western Hemisphere, but the focus on Latin America could motivate the US toward more cooperation.

The Colorado beetle, a major threat to potato crops, was found in Kent in 2023.

A national patient safety alert has been issued by the NHS England National Patient Safety team – in collaboration with the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine – about the risk of harm from incorrectly assembled breathing circuits lacking a proper exhalation route for patients receiving invasive or non-invasive ventilatory support.

The UK reaffirms our thanks to Special Representative Dr Kari Johnstone for the work of her Office (11 December 2025).

Japanese Ambassador joined First Minister at Conwy Castle to sing Welsh national anthem, to mark end of the year of Wales and Japan.

GDA process enables regulators to assess new nuclear power station designs at an early stage of the regulatory process and to provide confidence that these new designs can be constructed, operated and decommissioned in England and Wales.

A violent drug dealer who terrorised his neighbour and driver had his sentence increased after the Solicitor General intervened.

Excalibur is a 12-metre experimental vessel. At a displacement of 19 tonnes, it’s the largest uncrewed underwater vessel ever trialled by the Royal Navy.

The National Plan to End Homelessness was launched yesterday, and will support the most vulnerable people in our society.

Hospital admissions rise as cases continue to increase.

Our new series of work in partnership with Limbic to demystify the use of AI in mental health services.

A Derby businessman who used Covid support scheme funds on online trading platforms has been jailed.

A widespread, but misleading, assumption holds that Moscow’s current weakness signals its inevitable retreat from the region. In reality, Russia has deepened its entrenchment.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is delighted to announce the return of the CBI Cumbria Business Dinner, taking place on Thursday 30 April 2026 at the outstanding Low Wood Bay Resort and Spa on Lake Windermere in a new strategic partnership with Armstrong Watson.

The tool scores places in England and Wales on how well connected they are to health services, education, shopping, leisure and workplaces (11 December 2025).

Border Force seizes over 250 endangered species and illegal wildlife products as part of an intensive international operation to target criminal networks.

Deputy Ambassador James Ford highlights Ukraine’s constructive approach, condemns Russia’s ongoing aggression, and affirms the UK’s commitment to defending international law and supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Energy Secretary and Minister for Industry attended first Clean Energy Jobs Fair at the Port of Tyne in North East England.

As part of our ongoing review of consumer protection arrangements in the legal sector, we are consulting on further proposals to strengthen protections for the money consumers deposit with law firms.

If next week’s resident doctor strikes go ahead, it will cause huge disruption for patients and staff.

The latest data indicate our role as a statutory consultee saw 94% of all concluded planning applications involving playing fields result in the protection or improvement of facilities

Over the next decade at least 18 million people could be offered extra help with their investments and pensions with the introduction of targeted support by the FCA.

In-dock charging set to be introduced in summer 2026 as Serco extends their operating contract of TfL's flagship cycle hire scheme until 2031

A Food Standards Agency's (FSA) National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) operation involving illegal frozen bushmeat has resulted in one arrest.

Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, responded to a report from Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission looking at how children with SEND who are not in school full-time are supported 

Access to essentials like water and sewerage services should never be a struggle, especially for those who need extra support. That’s why, in June this year, water companies published their final vulnerability strategies, setting out how they plan to help customers who need additional assistance. But how well are these strategies working in practice?

Around 800,000 people reported losing money to investments or pensions‑related scams in the 12 months to May 2024, according to FCA research.

We are delighted to announce £2.5 million in repayable grants for 15 dance and theatre productions to tour across the UK and Ireland through the pilot Incentivising Touring scheme. 

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) Board has agreed to a public consultation in 2026 on proposals for a revised discount system for abattoirs, to offer more targeted financial support to smaller abattoirs.

It is essential the metrics which underpin league tables are carefully chosen to provide a rounded and accurate picture of performance.

Former Humberside Chief Constable Paul Anderson will face no further action following an Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation into a series of allegations raised by whistleblowers.

We have fined password manager provider LastPass UK Ltd £1.2 million following a 2022 data breach that compromised the personal information of up to 1.6 million of its UK users.

A callous man who punched the air in celebration after fatally attacking a man outside a Wetherspoons in London has been sentenced to 10 and a half years in jail today – highlighting the dangers associated with excessive alcohol consumption.

Combatting people smuggling was the focus of Development Minister Baroness Jenny Chapman’s visit to Pakistan this week.

Ofwat has published its final determinations for the blind-year adjustment.

The Environment Agency has already begun preparations to ensure the site is cleared as soon as possible

Over 440 firms now committed to improving female representation at the top of the industry.

Report sets out views on how the profession could change over next two decades.

A man who saved over 43,000 indecent images of children, including AI-generated abuse material and self-written paedophile manuals, has been sentenced to three and a half years, following a National Crime Agency investigation.

It is important for your customers to receive timely and relevant information to support decisions about their finances, while having their direct marketing preferences and data protection rights respected. This is crucial in order for customers to trust the information they receive, helping them to make informed decisions and pursue their financial goals.

The Education Committee has published the Government’s response to its report ‘Solving the SEND crisis’. 

Plans for a new Child Protection Authority unveiled as part of government strategy to protect children from predators and abuse.

Supporting future Grangemouth industries

Flu hospitalisations have surged by more than half in just one week, plunging the NHS into a “worst case scenario” situation for December, new figures reveal today. 

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak commented on the House of Lords yet again rejecting the Employment Rights Bill 

The tool scores places in England and Wales on how well connected they are to health services, education, shopping, leisure and workplaces.

The National Plan to End Homelessness has been launched today, and will support the most vulnerable people in our society.

Grangemouth workers and the community will benefit from jobs and investment as UK government backs a new biotech project on the site.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has issued a warning that human rights in Wales are being compromised because of gaps in the Welsh Government’s action.

For years, short-term, reactive measures have shifted pressures within the asylum system, creating new backlogs and leaving many claims unresolved for extended periods. This has led to inefficiencies, wasted public funds, and harm to both asylum seekers’ life chances and the government’s ability to meet its obligations to them and UK citizens, says the NAO.

Accessibility must become a major priority for the House of Commons and be woven into the fabric of what it does, according to a landmark report from the cross-party Modernisation Committee.  

Small businesses across the UK will benefit from new Government funding and support to help them invest in sustainability, to cut their operating costs and boost their business.

Published today, the Sentencing Council’s December 2025 roundup summarises some of the latest analysis and research work carried out or commissioned by the Council to inform the development and evaluation of sentencing guidelines.

APCC Chair Emily Spurrell responded to reports that the Home Secretary is considering significantly reducing the number of police forces in England and Wales as part of the police reform programme, 

Schools and other public buildings across Wales will receive solar panels as part of £9 million funding to reduce energy bills and decarbonise public buildings.

Additional first-time offenders bring recent hearing payments to £27,541. More to come as summer patrols serve 68 notices.

Government's first steer to the Trade Remedies Authority to make trade defence system simpler and faster for UK producers and manufacturers

A new partnership with Google DeepMind will help to turn cutting-edge AI into real benefits for working people.

Universal Primary Free School Meals across Wales are to benefit from an estimated additional £8 million investment over the coming two years, with the price spent per meal to rise from £3.20 to £3.40.

Yorkshire is moving into recovery status following drought as of 10 December 2025.

Combat Stress funded to provide mental health support.

A report by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) finds that support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who do not attend school full-time is too inconsistent.

The government will prioritise UK medical graduates for training places from 2026 as part of efforts to bring an end to industrial action by resident doctors.

Faster, more convenient hearing care will be available closer to people’s home, as part of a radical reform of audiology services.

The Environment Agency wants to hear your views as South West Water seeks permission to process more sewage waste in St Mabyn, Cornwall.

Ofqual is today launching a 12-week public consultation on its proposed approach to regulating on-screen exams in GCSEs, AS and A levels.

The Defence Secretary met with his US and Australian counterparts in the United States to discuss the progress on AUKUS.

Agreements between the UK, EU, Norway and other coastal states secure access to over 80 stocks for British fishing industry

A jealous ex-boyfriend who plotted a deadly house fire that killed a mother and her three young children has been convicted of murder, following a successful CPS prosecution.

Customers and staff will benefit from major improvements, including extra capacity on the Mildmay and Windrush lines

A Bill to reform bus services in Wales was yesterday (Tuesday 9 December) been passed by the Senedd, putting Wales at the forefront of improving bus services in the UK..

The FCA has set out ambitious new growth measures for 2026 including supporting UK-issued stablecoins to provide faster and more convenient payments.

Progress also highlighted in educational attainment.

NHS leaders urge consideration of the root causes of 'corridor care' ahead of Senedd debate.

TfL and the London Marathon Foundation funding 61 new and 119 existing community groups, supporting every London borough, providing opportunities for people from all backgrounds to walk and cycle

Senedd Members yesterday supported a historic Bill, which will create Wales' first smoke-free generation.

HM Treasury’s passive approach to how fees and charges are set for public services has resulted in large and unfair surpluses and deficits for the taxpayer.

Supporting communities to generate their own power.

Two finalists announced as part of HMRC's data competition.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP, has responded to the Operation Kenova Final Report.

Great British Energy backs renewable schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Builder failed to disclose bankrupt status

Further support provided for innovative medicines as the rebate rate falls by more than third for 2026

Councils can be the catalyst to unlocking the UK’s economic potential, but need the right powers and funding from government to deliver on this possibility, according to a new report. 

Defence Minister Lord Vernon Coaker visits Armenia and Azerbaijan, boosting defence ties.

Consultation launched to review contract practices in the combinable crops sector, building on Fair Dealing reforms in dairy, pigs, eggs and fresh produce sectors.

The regulator is investigating Blackpool’s Voice over financial and governance concerns.

Baroness Anne Longfield CBE will lead a 3-year statutory independent inquiry, focusing on grooming gangs and looking at ethnicity, religion and culture.

Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children, Young People, and Families Committee responds to the Government’s 10-year youth plan

The UK has joined a defence exports treaty with European allies which will make it easier for UK defence businesses to export

Government plans will offer young people somewhere to go, something meaningful to do, and someone who cares about their wellbeing in moves to strengthen their connections in real life

Free support to get people online is rolling out in communities in every region of the country.

The outbreak involved 293 cases between May and November 2024.

The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) has won the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) Business Hero Award at the CTSI Hero Awards, held on 2 December in the House of Lords.

Ofcom yesterday imposed a total financial penalty of £375,000 on religious channel, The Word Network, for breaching our broadcasting rules on multiple occasions.

Taxpayers lost £10.9 billion to fraud and error as the previous government’s pandemic response left the front door open to fraud, an independent report yesterday (9 December 2025) revealed.

The number of pupils reaching expected levels of literacy and numeracy in Scotland’s schools is at the highest level on record, officials statistics show.

The UK will host a key peacebuilding conference next year to help establish an International Peace Fund for Israel and Palestine.

Association for Project Management (APM) has announced a major pilot that will take place in 2026 to trial a new assessment that, if successful, all future Chartered Project Professionals will complete when launched in 2027.

A prison building boom is underway across the country as the Government presses ahead with the biggest jail expansion programme since the Victorian era.

Network members representing major global economies have committed to re-double their shared focus on the science of AI measurement and evaluations following their latest round of talks in San Diego last week.

The number of teachers in Scotland in 2025 increased to 53,475 full-time equivalents (FTE), a rise of 63 FTE compared to last year. Pupil numbers also decreased compared to last year, dropping by 6,505 to 695,923. 

The vote pits left- and right-wing approaches to tackling crime and redefining the country’s alignment with global partners.

China’s surging high-tech competitiveness, weak appetite for imports and undervalued renminbi have fuelled the huge surplus – but the trend is unsustainable.

Two hundred and fifty years after her birth on 16 December 1775, Jane Austen fans will have a rare chance to see her will in The National Archives’ Love Letters exhibition, opening on 24 January.

We have called for urgent improvements across UK local authorities and Health and Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland after warning that people trying to access their own care records are being let down.

Results published yesterday in the Funded Early Learning and Childcare Statistics 2025 report show that there were 90,264 child registrations for funded provision in September 2025. This is similar to registrations in September 2024.