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The Commission yesterday updated the EU Industrial Strategy to ensure that its industrial ambition takes full account of the new circumstances following the COVID-19 crisis and helps to drive the transformation to a more sustainable, digital, resilient and globally competitive economy.

Guest blog: Kate Lindley, Service Lead for Digital and Data at Socitm Advisory as part of our #DigitalPlace week.

Blog posted by: Natalie Marguet, 05 May 2021.

Blog posted by: Lily Lowe, former GCS apprentice at BEIS, 5 May 2021.

SME manufacturing output held flat in the three months to April but is expected to improve markedly in the coming quarter, according to the CBI’s quarterly SME Trends Survey.  

The European Commission yesterday proposed a new instrument to address potential distortive effects of foreign subsidies in the Single Market.

This blog comes from Samantha Chadburn, a DWP employee who shares her emotional battle with medical issues and how she didn’t let this stop her from excelling in her career.

Changing plans show how naval deployments can undermine rather than help both the upholding of international law and a strategy of deterrence against China.

New figures reveal the dire state of England's social care sector before the pandemic, with more people requesting support but fewer getting the help they needed. The data puts further pressure on the government to commit to reform of social care in next week’s Queen’s Speech.  

The Council's and the European Parliament's negotiators reached a provisional political agreement setting into law the objective of a climate-neutral EU by 2050, and a collective, net greenhouse gas emissions reduction target (emissions after deduction of removals) of at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990.

Russia’s supply of cutting-edge military technology to Armenia is sharpening Azeri mistrust of Moscow.

Indro Mukerjee appointed as new CEO of Innovate UK to help develop the UK's innovation capability and drive investment in research and development.

As Marshall Bailey has been confirmed by HM Treasury and the Bank of England for a second term as FSCS Chair, he shares with us the achievements he's most proud of from his first three years with FSCS. 

CBI recently (04 May 2021) responded to the new UK-India trade deal.

President von der Leyen yesterday addressed the High Level Scientific Panel for the Global Health Summit.

Blog posted by: Dr David Sweeney, CIO – Texas A&M University, 04 May 2021.

A £40 million innovation competition – the Water Breakthrough Challenge – launches today to spark ambitious innovation and new ways of working in the water sector.

1 in 8 people listen to podcasts each week according to research by the Office of Communications (Ofcom). The research also found that half of the listeners have joined the podcast wave in the last 2 years.

Guest blog: Natalie Record, Housing Lead at Connected Places Catapult on the critical role of systems thinking and digital tools to deliver net zero places.

Speech given yesterday by President von der Leyen at the State of the Union conference of the European University Institute.

The Chancellor recently (04 May 2021) confirmed that Finance Ministers from across the G7 nations will meet at Lancaster House in London on 4-5 June.

Blog posted by: Matthew Rycroft, 04 May 2021 – Categories: A Brilliant Civil Service, A great place to work, Diversity and inclusion, Faith & Belief.

The Wales TUC is calling for voters to elect a new Welsh Government that will prioritise greater workplace equality and fight to make Wales a Fair Work nation.

G7 leaders meet to identify common goals and principles that will help develop globally recognised standards for when international travel reopens.

Pakistan has had a long and complicated relationship with terrorism, but the recent Aman-21 naval exercise hosted by Pakistan is evidence of its military multilateralism.

The Government Communication Service (GCS) has launched a new initiative to recognise the achievements of government communicators in the area of learning and development. 

A new alliance between Egypt, Iraq and Jordan could bring Iraq back into the Arab fold. But Iran is hardly going to look the other way and let this happen.

Dr Ruth Hussey CB OBE DL has been appointed as interim Chair of the Food Standards Agency for a further two months from 1 May 2021 until 30 June 2021, to allow time for the Chair recruitment to conclude.

Unions representing musicians, theatre workers and actors, in Birmingham have, in an open letter to Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, pressed for a one year delay in the introduction of Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone and for a support scheme for the cultural sector.

COP26 President Alok Sharma at the launch of the Adaptation Action Coalition's water tracker, at a satellite event of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue 2021 (04 May 2021).

Guest blog: Simon Freeman, Managing Director for Capita Local Public Services, and Chris Melia, Capita’s Customer Experience Director for Local Public Services, discuss the challenges that local government has faced during the Coronavirus pandemic. As part of our #DigitalPlace week.

Bringing communities together to tackle long-term risks about climate change.

New tender opportunity from the Defra floods and water programme.

A National Statistics Publication for Scotland.

Our category experts set out how we can support you with office space solutions with our framework.

CYBERUK is a key date for cyber security professionals, where thought leaders and technical professionals come together and exchange ideas.

An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation found that a Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer had no case to answer over his use of force on a man who was stopped and searched in London after making off on a bike.

techUK welcomes the announcement of a new Enhanced Trade Partnership -with digital being one of its key priorities – intending to begin work towards a UK-India Free Trade Agreement and enhanced collaboration in our industry.

UNICEF has sent additional critical lifesaving supplies to India, including 2 million face shields and 200,000 surgical masks.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The Police Digital Service (PDS) has launched a Social Media Management & Engagement Framework for policing, blue light services and local authorities, paving the way for increased consistency in service delivery to the public, with potential for a central triage point for all public interaction.

The FDA has published its evidence to the National Crime Agency's Pay Review Body, calling for a pay rise for NCA staff and for a quicker pace of pay reform.

A readout of International Trade Secretary Liz Truss's call with the New Zealand Minister for Trade and Export Growth, Damien O'Connor.

The physical and mental wellbeing of female health and care staff in England significantly worsened as a result of working through the COVID-19 pandemic with a marked deterioration since last summer, the results of a new survey show.

The United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) published its third edition of 'Future trends in geospatial information: the five to ten year vision' during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The government will publish a landmark Levelling Up White Paper later this year.

China’s Q1 Data shows economic recovery

Elizabeth Denham’s speech at the Data Protection Practitioners’ Conference on 5 May 2021

COP26 President Alok Sharma opened the 54th Annual Asian Development Bank meeting in a session called, "Raising the Bar on Climate Ambition - Road to COP 26".

Streamlined route to work and live in the UK opens for prize winners from across science, humanities, engineering, the arts and digital technology.

The CIPD urges employers to take more action to ensure people who can’t work from home can benefit from other flexible working options

The UK is at the forefront of the electric revolution as nearly 1 in 7 new car sales so far in 2021 have a plug.

Ofcom recently confirmed changes to licence-exemption regulations for short range devices (SRDs).

Statement of progress shows improved understanding of threat and how the government is investing in the law enforcement response to economic crime.

Today the NHS Confederation’s Health & Care Women Leaders Network launches an important new report, COVID-19 and the female health and care workforce survey update.

IEA Fellow and Competere CEO Shanker Singham responded to the Prime Minister’s announcement of new trade and investment deals with India

New state-of-the-art labs will test the effectiveness of vaccines against new variants.

The Digital Regulatory Cooperation Forum (DRCF) has submitted its response to the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the future of the digital regulatory landscape and how to achieve coherence in regulatory approaches across digital services.

Landmark agreement will allow young British and Indian nationals to work and live in each other’s countries and accelerate the removal of illegal migrants

The Joint Committee on Human Rights has prepared a draft statutory instrument to lay before Parliament to secure legal protection for care home residents deprived of family visits, and therefore, their human rights.

Hundreds of thousands of people struggling with debt problems will be supported through a new debt respite scheme that was launched yesterday (4 May 2021).

As part of the UK’s 2021 G7 Presidency, the CBI is – from 10-12 May – chairing the B7 group of leading business associations, in partnership with Deloitte.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) yesterday proposed new rules to require pension providers to ‘nudge’ consumers to Pension Wise in order to benefit from guidance before they access their defined contribution pension savings.

Blog posted by: Caspar Bartington, 04 May 2021.

The report highlights the key areas where AI applications can support decarbonisation and help achieve net-zero.

We’re inviting you to join us at an exciting webinar event in May, where we provide you the opportunity to hear from our HR framework suppliers.

The Commission has received an official recovery and resilience plan from Poland. This plan sets out the reforms and public investment projects that Poland plans to implement with the support of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

UK and India agree urgent action to tackle climate change during leader-level call.

The NHS is rolling out revolutionary technology to diagnose and treat around 100,000 patients with suspected heart disease, five times faster than normal.

A Sussex Police officer will appear at court charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Private sector activity is expected to grow strongly in the next three months (balance of +32% from +24% last month) marking the strongest predictions for growth since June 2015, according to the CBI’s latest monthly Growth Indicator.

Guest blog: Peter Dewsbury, director at Arcus Global as part of our #DigitalPlace week.

Are you currently looking for volunteering opportunities to play an important role within APM by creating and disseminating new knowledge to the project management community?

NEPO has issued an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for a new solution covering the provision of the UK public sector’s furniture requirements.

Round 4 of the Schools Infection Survey (SIS) shows a significant drop in the number of secondary school pupils and staff testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).

The UK government is today (Tuesday) being urged to use its presidency of the G7 to help speed up the supply of vaccines to Covid-stricken countries. 

Boris Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Modi have agreed ambitious plans for the next decade of the UK-India relationship.

The Commission yesterday proposed that Member States ease the current restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU to take into account the progress of vaccination campaigns and developments in the epidemiological situation worldwide.

New electronic system to modernise the way marriages are registered.

UK F-35B fighter jets operating from HMS Queen Elizabeth will join Operation Shader in the fight against Daesh.

COP26 President Alok Sharma at 'Breakthroughs in the Race to Zero Emissions Vehicles' - a Petersberg Climate Dialogue satellite event, hosted by High Action Climate Champion Nigel Topping.

In the latest stage of its Technological Innovation and Climate Change inquiry, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) announces that it is to look at the supply chain for battery electric vehicles.

New commercial trade and investment deals will create more than 6,500 UK jobs.

Turkey’s relations with the US have suffered a blow, but the US needs to understand that in a changing world, regional stability cannot be achieved without Turkish cooperation.

The UK's Permanent Representative to the WTO in Geneva, Simon Manley, yesterday addressed WTO Heads of Delegation for the first time during the Trade Negotiations Committee.

NICE has today (4 May 2021) announced that more people with the rare genetic disorder spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) are to benefit from nusinersen (also called Spinraza and made by Biogen) following a review of data collected as part of the Managed Access Agreement (MAA).

The Government has reduced the Gender Recognition Certificate fee to £5.

Current social distancing guidelines mean only two-thirds (68%) of staff can physically work on premises & firms are operating at 81% of pre-pandemic capacity – CBI survey.

Guest blog: Stewart Wilson, Partner PwC UK as part of our #DigitalPlace week.

The Commission has received official recovery and resilience plans from Belgium, Italy, Austria, and Slovenia. 

Blog posted by: Alice Negbenose – Project Editor, AXELOS, 30 April 2021.

In the UK, current social distancing guidelines mean only two-thirds (68%) of staff can physically work on premises & UK firms are operating at 81% of pre-pandemic capacity – CBI survey.

Unsure about the difference between artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, and how they could benefit your organisation? Maija Banks explains all in her latest blog.

We’ve all heard the expression “above sea-level” to describe the height of a place or feature on land. But how is the exact height of sea level worked out when allowing for high and low tide?

The Commission yesterday published an open public consultation on the European Health Data Space (EHDS) – an important building block of the European Health Union. 

Blog posted by: Suzanne Edmond, Group Communications Director, Department for Transport, 4 May 2021.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has been made aware of a postal scam mimicking the Institute, which informs the victim that they have been exposed to a company that CTSI has allegedly investigated.

April 2021 had the lowest average minimum temperatures for April in the UK since 1922, as air frost and clear conditions combined for a frost-laden, chilly month, despite long hours of sunshine.

More than 34 million people have had at least one jab while 15 million have had both doses of the vaccine.

The United Kingdom has reached an important stage for the development of Open Data initiatives, with the Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) into the final roadmap for the implementation of Open Banking and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) having completed a consultation on the future governance model for Open Banking. 

The fourth round of Free Trade Agreement negotiations with New Zealand took place virtually between 12-27 April 2021.

 truck driver from Luton has been jailed for attempting to smuggle a group of migrants out of the UK.

India’s fight against a surge in coronavirus cases will be reinforced by new UK Government support.

The TUC recently (Saturday) wrote to all West Yorkshire mayoral candidates calling on them to take immediate action on our failing bus system, social housing, and the crisis in employment and skills in our region.

New IEA research paper ‘UK Debt in Perspective’, authored by Professors Forrest Capie and Geoffrey Wood, gives historical context to the current UK debt figures, which currently stand at around 100 per cent of national income.

New warning from UK Finance as lockdown restrictions start to ease.

Discover how our Multifunctional Devices and Records Management agreement helped them save on print costs and reduce waste.

Women from under-represented groups urged to respond to call for evidence to shape the future of women’s healthcare.

The Charity Commission has welcomed the 20-month custodial sentence handed down to Colin Nesbitt for fraud and theft from a children’s cancer charity.

“The UK Government has informed us that it intends to reduce UNICEF’s core funding by approximately 60 per cent. We are deeply concerned by this decision.”

In the UK, around 78,000 people die every year as a consequence of smoking with and many more live with the misery of debilitating smoking-related diseases. While the number of smokers has fallen in recent years the Government is not on track to meet its target of being ‘smoke-free by 2030’, which means having an adult smoking prevalence of 5% or less.

A Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer has been dismissed without notice after a police disciplinary panel concluded he used excessive force on a vulnerable 17-year-old girl in East London.

Dozens of babies with spina bifida have been spared paralysis and other life-limiting conditions after undergoing surgery in the womb in a cutting-edge procedure made available on the NHS.

Sales of coal and wet wood for household burning are being phased out to cut harmful pollution to human health

New study to offer daily rapid testing to contacts of positive COVID-19 cases.

Families and friends will shortly be able to pay their respects to loved ones in greater numbers, with numerical limits on funerals to be removed.

Residents will be able to leave care homes for low-risk visits without needing to self-isolate on their return.

The Committee of Privileges publishes a key report on select committee powers, setting out preliminary proposals to ensure the committee powers to call for persons, papers and records can be enforced and that witnesses before committees are treated fairly.

A computing student who had almost 500 child sexual abuse images including two horrific videos of very young victims being assaulted has been sentenced to 12 months in prison suspended for two years

Baroness Blake responds to a new law which received Royal Assent, requiring schools to follow new statutory guidance on uniform costs, which will ensure prices are kept down.

Jonathan Cordwell, Principal Analyst at GlobalData, highlights why now is the time for Intelligent Automation to step up and support the already strained NHS workforce.

Teletext Holidays will face legal action unless it repays over £7 million to customers whose package holidays were cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Adapting the NHS app to allow UK travellers abroad to prove their COVID status is the right decision by government, IT industry experts say. The app currently used to book GP appointments and access medical records can be effectively upgraded because it is open source and supported by NHS staff, according to BCS The Chartered Institute for IT.

Professor Len Shackleton, Editorial and Research Fellow at free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, responded to the TUC’s demands for the government to ban zero-hours contracts 

Local government plays a critical role in delivering sport and fitness activities and maintaining the UK’s leisure infrastructure. It is fantastic to see so many places reopening and welcoming back their communities.