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HMRC has revealed that 11.7 million customers filed their tax return for the 2021 to 2022 tax year by 31 January.

Higher Education and Skills Minister Robert Halfon's speech to University UK's conference on degree apprenticeships

At its most recent meeting, the Shadow Monetary Policy Committee has recommended that interest rates be held at 3.5 per cent at upcoming next MPC meeting. Five members voted for a hold, with two preferring a 25 basis points rise (0.25%) and two preferring 50 basis points (0.5%).

Additional features to make Common Platform easier for defence professionals to use.

Historic veterans charity Haig Housing has been praised by Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer at a visit to the group's site in Morden, south-west London.

UK benefit reforms in recent decades have followed a consistent pattern of resulting in higher employment than the system they replaced – but usually in part-time, low-paid work which rarely leads to career progression.

The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, are inviting groups from across London to apply for funding to bring communities together this summer for London’s first-ever Mayor’s Community Weekend.

New grants to be awarded to UK regulators and industry bodies to help them develop agreements with their international counterparts.

Free–range egg marketing derogation comes to an end following Avian Influenza housing order introduced in October

Delivered by Ian Stubbs (UK delegation to the OSCE) at the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation.

As inflationary pressures bite, new research finds excessive taxation and intolerable administrative barriers across European countries are disproportionately hitting the poorest households.

The Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund will help to get young people from all backgrounds into aviation.

The Welsh Government has today set out its plans to address the challenges of staffing the Welsh NHS.

An experimental statistics publication for Scotland.

Early education, screening by frontline services and continued support through post-recovery are among the actions needed if Wales wants to reduce the devastating harms caused by gambling, says a new report from Public Health Wales.

This week, the Children’s Commissioner published new research into the links between pornography, sexual violence and mental health.

The Welsh Government is encouraging people in need of legal advice to come forward and see what support is available to them.

The plans will provide clarity to consumers and businesses.

Cllr David Renard, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association responded to the Climate Change Committee report “Investment for a well-adapted UK” 

Latest figures show there were an estimated 2.6 million visits a day to the health website last year, with chickenpox and monkeypox among those seeing big increases

Cllr David Renard, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association responds to the annual fly-tipping statistics for England for 2021/22

The NHS will be able to prescribe cannabidiol to patients with a rare, seizure-causing genetic disorder in England from yesterday after the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued final guidance recommending its use.

Overseas organisations owning UK land must have publicly declared their true owners, under world leading UK laws to crack down on dirty money.

A joint statement from 22 Foreign Ministers and the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs on the two year anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar.

Mayor Marvin Rees, Chair of the Local Government Association’s City Regions Board responds to the Centre for Cities’ Outlook 2023 report, which suggests that UK unemployment rates could be three times higher than official figures due to economic inactivity

Children are generally making progress to recover the learning they lost during the COVID-19 pandemic following action taken by the Department for Education (DfE), but disadvantaged1 pupils remain further behind the expected level of attainment than other pupils, according to a new report by the National Audit Office (NAO).

Passengers will be boarding the world’s first fully sized, self-driving bus service in Edinburgh from the Spring, after it was awarded a share of £81 million in joint UK government and industry support for self-driving transport technology.

Foreign and Defence Secretaries to host Australian counterparts for talks in London and Portsmouth

The opportunities, impact, and the next steps for the Procurement Bill. 

The TUC has recently (Monday) accused the government of trying to “keep MPs in the dark” over the scope of its new anti-strikes legislation. 

Trade Minister Greg Hands heads to Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore for high level trade talks and to promote UK's accession to CPTPP.

Vulnerable victims in up to 4,600 cases involving crimes including sexual abuse and rape will be able to avoid giving their evidence in a full courtroom every year according to new estimates from the Ministry of Justice.

Applications are now open for a data and digital training pilot for GGP members from underrepresented backgrounds.

Rishi Sunak’s government has launched a “full-frontal assault” on the right to strike, the TUC has today said – as the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill was “steamrollered” through the Commons without proper scrutiny or consultation.  

CCS has awarded a new agreement for offsite construction, which aims to support the public sector to innovate, drive efficiency and continue to work towards their carbon net

Julian Jessop, Economics Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs commented on the International Monetary Fund’s forecast that the UK economy will shrink by 0.6 per cent in 2023

Views sought on mobility element of disability benefit.

Speech to launch the Environment Improvement Plan, a blueprint to charge nature recovery.

The Secretary of State has appointed Dame Jane Francis to the Board of the Natural History Museum for 4 years.

To help mark the NHS’s 75th anniversary, The Repair Shop is looking for unique NHS items to restore.

An estimated 136,000 violent offences have been prevented in areas of England and Wales delivering government-funded programmes to reduce serious violence.

Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and Deputy Mayors have gained new responsibilities from today, Tuesday 31 January, in a bid to tackle and prevent serious violence in communities. 

It's been 18 months since UK Sport and home nations sports councils published the findings and recommendations following a review of racism and racial inequality in sport - this is our third update on progress.

The Secretary of State has reappointed Gail Boyle as a Member of the Treasure Valuation Committee from 30 March 2023 until 29 March 2026.

Consultation on Community Wealth Building.

Girls prepare to go head-to-head at the finals of the 2023 CyberFirst Girls Competition, run by GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre.

Commemorative activities will mark the milestone anniversary of the tragic event which saw 307 lives lost in England and more than 2,500 across Europe

The body that investigates complaints about MSPs and councillors has made improvements to address serious failings at the organisation. However there remain significant challenges.

Report sets out recommendations to get England back on track with its environmental targets

A National Statistics Publication for Scotland

Community led groups across Scotland are today (TUESDAY 31 January) sharing in over £1.5 million of National Lottery funding to distribute to individuals most vulnerable to the cost-of-living pressures. 

Funding from NavyX and Dstl will back PhD programmes researching new methods of underwater propulsion and design, taking cues from the natural world.

As Ofcom prepares to take on new powers to protect online users from harm, Anna-Sophie Harling, Declan Henesy and Eleanor Simmance from our online safety team discuss the power of transparency reporting.

We have issued a letter to North Ayrshire Council (NAC) following their use of Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) to manage ‘cashless catering’ in school canteens. 

A National Statistics Publication for Scotland.

Ten years since its launch, Business Wales has supported more than 390,000 entrepreneurs and businesses, assisted the creation of over 19,000 new start-ups and directly helped to create nearly 47,000 jobs in the Welsh economy.

The CMA is today starting a programme of work looking into unit pricing practices online and instore in the groceries sector. Unit pricing shows how much a particular product costs by weight or volume, which helps people identify best value for money.

The Small Boats Operational Command (SBOC) will bring together the government’s response to small boats with 730 additional staff.

Thousands of people asked each year could be missing out on brief interventions to help curb problem drinking, or a potential referral to specialist alcohol services.

How political turmoil has contributed to record levels of staff turnover and declining morale in the civil service.

Fishing without a licence last summer has cost 3 men total penalties of £1,275.

Five-year delivery plan to restore nature and improve the environmental quality of the air, our waters and our land 

Airport take-off slots to return to pre-pandemic levels.

Cllr David Baines, Vice-Chair of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board responds to data from the Office for National Statistics showing that around a quarter of adults were struggling to stay warm in the last month

In addition to [requesting the repeal of] the ban [on female humanitarian workers at national and international NGOs from working across Afghanistan] we have requested and advocated for the full inclusion of girls and women in public life, and especially in public secondary education and tertiary education.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is conducting a criminal investigation into the actions of a Greater Manchester Police officer in connection with the death of Heather Smedley in Oldham.

Data analytics experts Quantexa have been awarded a new contract to help the government recover fraud against the public purse.

Government launches competition for businesses to bid for share of £1m to stimulate innovation in Occupational Health.

A 29-year-old man whose lorry was used to dump illegal mixed waste at a Kent industrial estate has been jailed.

Carys Roberts, executive director of IPPR responds to the BBC’s review assessing whether due impartiality is being achieved across its coverage of taxation and public spending, and whether a breadth of voices and viewpoints are being reflected

Members of the public in Wales are being advised to look out for women and girls who may be at risk from – or may have already been subjected to – virginity testing and hymenoplasty.

The NHS has this week launched a major drive to reduce hundreds of thousands of missed hospital appointments every month, to help boost the recovery of elective services.

A Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer and a former officer have recently had gross misconduct proven against them linked to a photo of a non-crime sudden death scene and cheating during a driving exam. 

Environment Agency funding sees eels, bullheads and brook lamprey back in England's rainforest.

A specialist ship to support Royal Navy operations – a mother ship to launch drones to find and destroy undersea threats – has arrived in Plymouth today.

The Charity Commission has launched an inquiry into Effective Ventures Foundation.

The new network of researchers aims to improve equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the research and innovation sector, which is vital to UK economic growth.

Helping more people progress into higher paid jobs will support the UK’s labour market and economic growth

We're delighted to welcome Impact Initiatives as a new member of Homeless Link!

Minister Julie James has today (Monday, January 30) announced a new £50m scheme to bring more empty homes back to life.

The TUC has today (Monday) welcomed an open letter penned by 50 civil liberties organisations and rights groups slamming the government’s new anti-strikes bill as an attack on the fundamental right to strike.

A review into Synlab Laboratory Services Limited’s (Synlab) analysis of drug driving samples, specifically Section 5A Road Traffic Act toxicology testing for controlled drugs, has now concluded. 

The search is on for the region’s most successful researchers and innovators, with the launch of the North West Coast Research and Innovation Awards 2023.

This is the first episode of the second series of Going Beyond, a podcast for people working in the homelessness sector.

Patients are set to receive an enhanced NHS 111 offer including increased access to specialist paediatric advice for children and direct access to urgent mental health support, as part of a blueprint set out today to help recover urgent and emergency care services.

“UNICEF is alarmed by the latest escalation of violence that has left many children dead and injured in the State of Palestine and Israel. All children are entitled to special protection under international human rights law, and all their rights including the right to life and protection must be upheld at all times.

The early 1980s were not a good time to be coming out of school or college. Nor was the period between 2008 and 2010. These were deep recessions and in recessions it is hard for young people to get good jobs.

Minister for Pensions Laura Trott announces shake-up of private pensions to create fairer, more predictable, and better-run pensions.

A man has been ordered to pay £421 for fishing illegally with a gill net. The Environment Agency fisheries enforcement team witnessed Paul Common pulling in the net at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.

Tens of thousands of elderly and vulnerable people will receive tailored support at home as part of a new NHS plan to improve waiting times for emergency care.

Matthew Taylor responds to the publication of the Department of Health and Social Care's urgent and emergency care recovery plan.

Nottingham University Hospitals Trust has been fined £800,000 after pleading guilty to two offences of failing to provide safe care and treatment to a mother and her baby, exposing them to a significant risk of avoidable harm, following a sentencing hearing at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court.

The NHS and the government will publish a new blueprint today to help recover urgent and emergency care services, reduce waiting times, and improve patient experience.

Measures to protect female prisoners.

How to apply for compensation if you were a victim of the terrorist attack in Mogadishu, Somalia on 27 November 2022.

33,351 people experiencing financial hardship accessed £2.36 million cash payments from the Welsh Government’s Discretionary Assistance Fund in December alone, according to new figures released by the Welsh Government.

Dstl will host the 25th CWD Conference, bringing together international experts and promoting collaboration to achieve a future free from chemical weapons.

We are inviting techUK members to apply for a position to sit on the Local Digital Capital Index Working Group and get involved in the creation of the third edition of the Index which we will publish later in this year.

Rt Hon Chris Skidmore has been appointed to help accelerate the development and deployment of emerging technologies in key UK growth sectors.

Jamie Moreno was previously sentenced to 3 years and 2 months’ imprisonment for sexual assault

Works to reopen the Menai Suspension Bridge to a limited weight restriction of 7.5 tonnes are set to be completed on schedule.

Public Health Wales and Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) have welcomed the publication of the independent review into the longstanding Llwynhendy tuberculosis (TB) outbreak, and have committed to learning lessons to build on the improvements that have already been made and acknowledged by the report. 

Tech sector firms including Capita, Northrop Grumman, Atos, Leonardo UK, Fujitsu and Leidos are supporting the 15,000 Futures initiative created by WithYouWithMe to support veterans into tech sector jobs

Carbon-dioxide will continue to build up in the atmosphere in 2023 due to ongoing emissions.

Plans for a £1million project to restore wetland habitat, open up the river for fish and improve access at a Teesside country park will be on display next week.

Dr George Dibb, head of the Centre for Economic Justice at IPPR, responded to the latest Sunday Times Tax List

Fourth meeting to discuss pressure on healthcare services.

New report from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirms Assad’s regime responsible for 2018 Douma attack.

A landmark devolution deal has been signed in North East England today by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and eight local leaders in the region.

Matthew Lesh, Head of Public Policy at the Institute of Economic Affairs, commented on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s speech outlining the government’s economic priorities 

The King and The Queen Consort held an Audience at Buckingham Palace this morning to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, on the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.  

City pay including bonuses (pay in the financial services and insurance sector), has risen more than three times faster than nurses' pay (3.2 times) since 2008, according to new TUC analysis published today (Friday).

Grants of up to £40,000 on offer through £100m UK Seafood Fund to trial greener engine technology, helping to create a safe and sustainable fishing sector whilst tackling rising fuel costs

Supporting perinatal and infant mental health.

New analysis by IFS researchers shows the stark funding challenges facing the Scottish Government, and the public services it is responsible for, over the next five years and beyond.

Transparency rules are having a positive impact on the price of funeral services – a CMA report has found.

The Finance Minister Rebecca Evans visited the ASK Centre in Rhyl yesterday and is urging people in North Wales to take advantage of the support available to them during the cost of living crisis.

Nick Price, Head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “The CPS has authorised Counter Terrorism Police North East to charge a man with a terrorism offence after he was arrested outside St James's Hospital in Leeds last Friday (January 20).

In today's speech, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt set out his vision for long-term prosperity in the UK.

With some of us still receiving festive cards well into the New Year, Citizens Advice reveals that an estimated 31 million people (60% of UK adults) were hit by letter delays this Christmas.

Deputy Ambassador Deirdre Brown joins others at the OSCE in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Belarus.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan has today announced more than £86 million for new cancer treatment facilities, equipment, and software.

An international operation involving the National Crime Agency has taken down a ransomware service used by cyber criminals to attack and extort businesses across the globe.

Some adults receiving social care in Scotland are unsure of how to challenge decisions about their care, according to new research published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) yesterday.

The government’s emergency measures to support the NHS will likely be too little and too late to solve this winter’s crisis, warns a new Institute for Government paper.

Survey reveals only half are ‘comfortable’ with the state of their household finances.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has made progress in presenting a coherent UK offer to investors, but needs better coordination across central government, devolved nations and other local bodies, according to a new National Audit Office (NAO) report.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council Open Debate on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace

The future prosperity of Scottish military shipbuilding is at risk through the lack of a clear drumbeat of orders exacerbated by opening procurement up for international competition, the Scottish Affairs Committee warns today as it publishes its report, Defence in Scotland: Military shipbuilding.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt today set out his vision for long-term prosperity in the UK, calling on businesses in key growth areas to invest in the UK and expressing his desire to make the UK an attractive site for innovators and entrepreneurs.

Councils are being urged to check they have adequate information sharing agreements with their service providers, after one council was not able to comply with an agreed Ombudsman remedy because it could not get hold of the data needed.

Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths has officially opened a new production facility at the Pudding Compartment in Flint, which has benefited from Welsh Government funding.

Activity against targeted organisations and individuals in the UK and other areas of interest.

The Work and Pensions Committee has published the Government, Financial Conduct Authority and the Money and Pension Service Responses to its Report on saving for later life.

LGBT+ History Month celebrates LGBTQ+ people in all their diversity, raises awareness and combats prejudice with education.

550 disabled people supported to access Scottish social security benefits.

Gareth Davies, the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) and head of the National Audit Office (NAO), yesterday issued a qualified audit opinion on the 2021-22 accounts of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). A lack of sufficient, appropriate audit evidence and significant shortcomings in financial control and governance meant he was unable to provide an audit opinion on the accounts of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Advisory highlights techniques used by attackers in spear-phishing campaigns.

The owner of a closed down waste site which went up in flames has received a suspended jail sentence after a successful prosecution by the Environment Agency.

At ESPO, we aim to make procurement as simple as possible for our customers. Our market-leading frameworks ensure a quick and compliant route to sourcing products and services that meet the ever changing needs of the public sector.

The Welsh Food Advisory Committee of the Food Standards Agency will hold its next open meeting in Cardiff on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. This will be a hybrid meeting themed around Food Standards Agency Meat Hygiene Operations.

This campaign day will be focusing on the opportunities for quantum computing applications in the energy and utilities sector. We will uncover its potential, viability, and challenges.

Julie Morgan, the Deputy Minister for Social Services has made a personal apology for the suffering of those affected by the historical practice of forced adoption in the 1950, 60s and 70s.

Science Minister George Freeman yesterday announces the formal establishment of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) as an independent body.

The Environment Agency is working together with partners at Groundwork North East & Cumbria and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust on the pilot project.