WIREDGOV

The Government's ambitious plans to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into public services face substantial obstacles, as highlighted in the recent Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report. 

HMICFRS yesterday published a new national report following an inspection into how effectively the police investigate crime.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, established by the UK Government to decommission the UK’s earliest nuclear sites.

The government sets out the scope and ambition of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill for the first time today.

Up to 160,000 workers in Wales will receive a pay rise as the new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect. 

Israel is pursuing the illusion of total victory and likely plans to reoccupy Gaza. Arab countries must persuade President Trump that an alternative is better.

Nearly £1 million in government funding will support Iraq in its fight to take down the kingpins of organised immigration crime.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) says Eurostar’s London depot would be able if required to accommodate additional trains, following its receipt of an independent report it commissioned to investigate the matter.

We want the UK to have an advanced aviation ecosystem where everyone can benefit from new technology while tackling emissions.

Encouraging small businesses to thrive and foster collaboration amongst producers and food groups to promote local produce.

The proliferation of commercial cyber-intrusion has elevated concerns among states and non-governmental entities alike, and a second meeting of stakeholders is due to discuss the issue in early April in Paris, as a part of the Pall Mall Process.

Shops encouraged to sell all remaining stock before 1 June 2025 deadline

Our chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Benger, explains the crucial role the HST programme plays in encouraging innovation in the treatment of ultra-rare diseases. He also highlights why effective routing is essential to getting the best care to patients across the NHS.

Health Innovation North West Coast’s Patient Safety Collaborative has supported the testing and implementation of a major patient safety initiative in our region.

The Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA) has today (01 April) published its Corporate Plan 2025 to 2028, having raised more than £2 billion to support public services in Wales since it became fully operational in 2018.   

Schemes supported as part of record £2.65 billion two-year investment to protect communities from flooding.

The Prime Minister yesterday (Monday 31 March) announced the government has returned more than 24,000 individuals with no right to be in the UK since the General Election – the highest returns rate for eight years.

The UK’s commitment to NATO and ability to respond at pace and at scale strengthened as the British Army successfully returns from Exercise Steadfast Dart.

Government delivers on manifesto commitment to reduce red tape – merging existing bodies to get a grip on delays to infrastructure delivery.

Health Secretary Neil Gray has set out how the Scottish Government plans to improve access to treatment, reduce waiting times and shift the balance of care from hospitals to primary care through the publication of the Operational Improvement Plan.

Blog posted by: Deborah Clark, 31 March 2025.

Yesterday’s interim monitoring report sets out the Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) observations on developments in the road fuel retail market since the previous update in November 2024.

The first spring Covid-19 vaccines are being delivered by NHS staff from today (Tuesday 1 April) with more than half a million appointments booked in the last week.

The new rates come into effect from today (Tuesday, 1 April).

This interim report explores the use of a Minimum Digital Living Standard (MDLS) for Scotland and builds upon earlier UK-wide and Welsh MDLS studies, which delved into what households with children require to fully participate in today’s digital world.

On the second session of the Interoperability in Justice and Public Safety we were joined by David Boyle, National JESIP lead for Strategy and Transformation, and Scot Dunn, Chief Information Officer at Humberside Police.

Additional funding for internal drainage boards (IDBs) to boost farm and rural flood resilience, bringing total IDB Fund to £91 million.

The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) has reduced the level of support it offers to Universal Credit (UC) claimants due to a shortage of available work coaches at jobcentres, amid government plans to get more people into work and progressing in their careers, according to a new National Audit Office (NAO) report.

The government is launching adverts for the first time on Zalo, as it expands its campaign warning people about the dangers of trusting people smuggling gangs.

An ambitious new drive to create a more compassionate approach to understanding the causes of and responding to suicide and self-harm will help to save lives.

UK Government announces a package of up to £10 million support to help the people of Myanmar following recent earthquake

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Project Delivery has launched its inaugural inquiry, aiming to enhance the delivery of major national infrastructure projects in the UK.

Geovation, an Ordnance Survey (OS) initiative, in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) Digital Planning Programme is excited to announce the launch of a new £1.2 million PropTech Innovation Challenge.

A UK aerospace company is set to land the first European rover on the red planet, as it wins £150 million to complete the touchdown system delivering the rover safely to Mars.

Work underway to move the benefits of over 66,000 people by end of year.

Managing expectations will be just as crucial as making physical investments for Europe’s Middle Corridor, the Trans-Caspian International Trade Route.

The Charity Commission has given its formal permission for the most valuable object donation in British museum history to go ahead.

Talking recently to a group of students studying for a childcare qualification, I was disappointed in my own reaction when one student recalled how she had been questioned about her choice of career.  

Blog posted by: Clement Yeung, Applied Data and Insight Team, 27 March 2025.

The Welsh Government yesterday published the independently chaired review of the Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021, led by Dr Susannah Bolton, alongside its response committing to implement all recommendations in full.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on Haiti with the participation of the Independent Expert. Delivered by the UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders (28 March 2025).

The UK has mobilised over 40 countries and organisations to launch an unprecedented global fight against ruthless people smuggling gangs.

Two radically different archives, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and The Tank Museum at Bovington, have won accredited status for the first time for their archive services.

Extension to ban of burning on deep peat proposed by Government, so that an extra 146,000 hectares are protected.

A transformational technology that uses microwaves to defrost and ultrasound to break down contaminants in melted lunar ice to provide clean, drinkable water for astronauts has won the UK Space Agency-funded Aqualunar Challenge.

Vehicle Rental (Self-Drive) (271) provides a simple, flexible and EU compliant solution for the rental of a comprehensive range of generic vehicles on a short-to-medium-term basis.

The joint SORP-making body recently launched a public consultation on the next version of the charities accounting and reporting framework.

In the latest move to restore order to the asylum and immigration system, the government will introduce tough new laws to clamp down on illegal working.

he first week of April will see clear skies and warm sunshine for many, though a breeze and cold seas will make coastal areas slightly cooler.m

Patients to benefit from new services thanks to funding deal agreed between the government and Community Pharmacy England (CPE).

New measures have come into force to give Scotland’s tied pub tenants more rights and greater protection.

Against a background of increased military spending that could see Japan attain the third largest military in the world within a few years, the nation’s relationships with Europe and the US are being defined by mutual threats.

The heirs and great-grandchildren of Jewish Belgian art collector Samuel Hartveld are set to receive a painting by Henry Gibbs currently in the collection of the Tate.

Two brothers who raped vulnerable girls 18 years ago have been jailed for 31 years, following a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation.

Extra detail on the UK’s international development budget up to March 2030 was recently set out in the Spring Statement.

Proposals to transform the way local bus services are planned and delivered across Wales have been published today. (Monday 31 March). They will benefit passengers, communities and encourage more bus travel.

The Environment Agency’s Fisheries Enforcement Officers have started patrols along the coast to help protect the endangered European eel from illegal poaching.

Prosecutors from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have taken first prize for both the individual and team categories at the Prosecuting Team and Prosecutor of the Year Awards.

The new information will enhance an already comprehensive buildings dataset.

New regulations requiring businesses to separate recycling from waste come into effect.

The Scottish Government's procurement strategy describes how we plan to carry out our regulated procurements for the next three years.

Blog posted by: Abby Wade, Kiran Chahal and Marcus Melton, Applied Data and Insight team, Government Communication Service, 26 February 2025.

The more the US dithers in its response, the more the strategic balance shifts in China’s favour.

Hundreds of business leaders, politicians and policymakers gathered for CBI Northern Ireland’s Annual Lunch at Titanic Belfast on 28 March.

The government will publish a third cycling and walking investment strategy setting out its long-term vision for active travel.

Business links, trade, and investment is “at the heart” of Scotland’s long-standing relationship with the USA, First Minister John Swinney said ahead of his first stateside visit.

On Monday 17 March, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) held an oral evidence review session, inquiring the Government's efforts to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG).

PAC report warns of worryingly high consumer energy debt as nation’s electricity prices highest of countries providing comparable data.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published its 2025 Annual Science Review, showcasing the work it has delivered in support of the five strategic objectives outlined in the HSE’s 10-year strategy Protecting People and Places.

The Committee on Standards and Privileges has published its report on two complaints made in October 2024 against First Minister Michelle O’Neill alleging that she has breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct by failing to uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life, including openness and honesty.

Third cohort of semiconductor start-ups backed by government to drive economic growth.

Ofsted has published a letter with findings from a joint targeted area inspection of the multi-agency response to unborn children and those aged 0 to 7 who are victims of domestic abuse in North Yorkshire.

Innovate UK has announced £30 million of extension funding to a highly successful pilot programme that is shaping the future of UK industrial strategy.

New evidence from the Children’s Commissioner has revealed for the first time the stark relationship between frequent home moves and children’s GCSE results.  

The Welsh Government’s Help to Buy Wales scheme is helping people who might otherwise not be able to afford a home to become homeowners.

£3.27 million to boost mental health provision in the local community and help steelworkers into work.

The government has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD).

The proposed SL12 route would run between Rainham, Ferry Lane and Gants Hill extending the Superloop network even further into outer London

IPPR North has responded to the prime minister’s announcement of transport funding for the north of England.

A new inspection ratings system for care services in Wales comes into force on 1 April to help ensure people receive the best possible care.

The LGA has launched a new Empty Homes Officers Toolkit, designed to provide practical, on-the-ground support for councils tackling long-term empty homes.

Five airlines have offered commitments to resolve the CMA’s competition concerns over their agreement to cooperate on passenger routes between the UK and US.

Ofcom has today published its plan of work for 2025/26 alongside a blueprint for how we will deliver against our mission to make communications work for everyone over the next three years.

Scottish Secretary welcomes Chancellor's £2.2billion defence budget boost to create more jobs and opportunities in the sector as part of Plan for Change

Ofgem sets out new rules to boost smart meter standards and compensation

The Prime Minister has announced more funding to deliver the largest rail investment in the North in decades.

The Department for Education (DfE) must address issues surrounding student take-up, awareness and industry placement numbers to cement T Levels as the main technical education qualification for 16 to 19-year-olds, despite making progress since their introduction, according to a new National Audit Office (NAO) report.

“Public safety must never be put at risk again by the failure to have enough prison places”, Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood said as she opened a new nearly 1,500-place prison in Yorkshire.

Final part of Ronan’s Law introduced in Parliament thanks to campaigning of Kanda family.

Tourism and hospitality have been praised as the "lifeblood of the Welsh economy" that create jobs and drive growth.

We are now accepting proposals for presentations at the 2025 Annual Conference which will be held in person at RUSI’s headquarters in London on 16 September.

AI Accelerator Programme will enable participants to work on projects across several government departments, including justice, health, and transport, to improve public services, drive efficiencies, and support the Government's broader Plan for Change.

Ambassador Holland commends Ukraine’s agreement to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and urges Russia to show that it is serious about peace by agreeing to one without further delay (27 March 2025).

The first meeting of the Irish Sea Resilience Taskforce took place in Anglesey yesterday, bringing together representatives from across Wales, Ireland and beyond to strengthen vital sea connections between the nations.

Private sector firms once again expect activity to fall over the next three months (weighted balance of -18%), according to the CBI's latest Growth Indicator. Expectations are broadly unchanged relative to last month.

A violent robber who was caught wearing a jacket he had stolen has had his suspended sentence quashed and been sent to jail after the Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby KC MP intervened.

Family members involved in deaths in custody Fatal Accident Inquiries (FAI) are to have immediate, free access to legal aid support and advice.

A new project to install three floating islands in the River Tees Estuary is complete, creating new habitat and bringing a boost for wildlife.

Thirteen projects across Wales have secured more than £10m to protect nature across land and sea.

A Greater Manchester Police officer is due to appear in court this week charged with two offences, following a directed Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation.

Every child should have a loving, secure home, but when it comes to housing, children get a raw deal.  

Searches for NHS advice on norovirus topped one million this winter as NHS staff managed a quad-demic of viruses, according to new NHS data.

Speech given yesterday by Environment Secretary Steve Reed at the Dock Shed in London, setting out his vision for a circular economy.

A community in Ceredigion has benefited from £8,500 to develop housing in their local area.

HMRC interest rates for late payments will be increased by 1.5% for all taxes from 6 April 2025.

Norovirus cases in hospitals are the highest they’ve ever been at the start of spring, according to new NHS data.

Councils in England have been urged to get on with mending potholed roads – or risk missing out on millions of pounds in funding.

Researchers have developed a tiny magnetic robot which can take 3D scans from deep within the body and could revolutionise early cancer detection.

London's licensed taxi and private hire services play a crucial and valued role in the capital's transport network

Ofcom has fined the provider of OnlyFans, Fenix International Limited, £1.05 million for failing to accurately respond to formal requests for information about its age assurance measures on the platform.

Public Health Wales has launched a new Primary Care Clusters profiling tool to help stakeholders better understand and utilise primary care cluster data.

Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, responding to the chancellor's Spring Statement

The sixth annual gender pay gap report highlights the percentage difference between the average hourly earnings for males and females across the organisation.

New child poverty figures released by the Scottish government yesterday reveal a dispiriting reality that 22 per cent of children are still trapped in poverty. While far below the UK rate of 31 per cent, this is a significant miss against the Scottish government's target. 

Ineffective police investigation processes are not always putting the victim first, the police inspectorate has said, with forces often focusing on quantity rather than quality when measuring support for victims.

As part of the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO)’s mission to promote a pro-innovation regulatory system, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has awarded the Food Standards Agency (FSA) £1.4 million to support a new innovation hub.

A Scottish Government agreement with GPs to improve general practice has failed to deliver on several of its commitments.

Mimicking ants’ hairy jaws could make robotic systems much more effective at picking objects up and moving them around.

Policing and prisons have been a mainstay of the news cycle for the Labour government, with the Southport riots, early prison releases, and (more recently) neighbourhood policing all making the headlines. While discussions around police and prisons continue to hit the headlines, pundits and policymakers too often neglect a crucial part of our justice system – probation services. 

CTSI has welcomed the findings from the Consumer Detriment Survey published by the Department of Business and Trade on the behalf of the Consumer Protection Partnership and has urged that the Government must translate the findings into an action plan so that the UK can “get to grips” with the continued increase in UK shoppers being ripped off.  CTSI has offered its support in working with the Government and partners to address this.

New police powers to protect worshippers from intimidating protests and the new National Holocaust Memorial to be added to list of protected sites.

Wales to see new £250m investment into UK’s largest semiconductor facility, supporting hundreds of highly-skilled jobs in Newport and supporting the government's Plan for Change.

Ambitious 2025 to 2026 CMA programme will prioritise action to drive growth and investment whilst fulfilling its core purpose to promote competition and protect consumers.

The Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board met on 27th March 2025.

We have fined Advanced Computer Software Group Ltd (Advanced) £3.07m for security failings that put the personal information of 79,404 people at risk.  

UK Government decisions ‘hold back further progress’.

New taskforce to unlock thousands of homes across England as government takes on the blockers to release surplus public land for housing.

In an era where learning is evolving at an unprecedented pace, assessment must keep up.

Back in December 2020, a 15-year-old schoolgirl was strip-searched by police officers at her school in Hackney while on her period. 

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak has commented on official figures on UK poverty published today (Thursday).

As part of Labour’s Plan for Change the UK government has added technology to its global science and innovation network.

New sewage data shows small drop in the number of sewage spills in 2024, but duration has increased.

The Chancellor’s Spring Statement has failed to address the urgent challenges facing the private rented sector.

Deputy Ambassador Deirdre Brown congratulates Armenia and Azerbaijan on the conclusion of negotiations on a peace agreement and urges both sides to sign it as soon as possible.

A new taskforce focused on improving the resilience of Irish Sea transport connections will hold its first meeting this Thursday.

Spill count and duration remains unacceptably high across England. Data analysis and stricter rules to reduce pollution going forward.

The Prime Minister will co-host the next meeting of the Coalition of the Willing alongside President Macron in Paris today (Thursday 27 March). 

Sir Martyn Oliver, Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, yesterday spoke to Parentkind on the role of parents in education.

New SEND places to create more inclusive classrooms in mainstream schools, delivering on Plan for Change to break down barriers to opportunity.

CBI yesterday responded to the OBR's Spring Forecast and the Chancellor’s statement to Parliament – March 2025.

Health Innovation North West Coast is proud to be a partner in a successful SBRI Health Care grant competition: Competition 26: Urgent and Emergency Care for point-of-care testing in three paediatric emergency departments in England, including Alder Hey.

Central Asia is adept at hedging between Moscow and the West. Much of its success lies in adhering to a single maxim: tell each side what it wants to hear.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak yesterday responded to yesterday’s (Wednesday) Spring Statement

In front of industry titans, Environment Secretary Steve Reed to outline plan to cut waste across industry as part of Government’s Plan for Change.

Latest Accredited Official Statistics and Official Statistics published.

First Minister Eluned Morgan has responded to the Chancellor’s statement.

Spring Statement 2025 speech as delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves (26 March 2025).

The Prime Minister will co-host the next meeting of the Coalition of the Willing alongside President Macron in Paris today (Thursday 27 March). 

The Health and Care Act 2022 gives us new responsibilities to assess whether integrated care systems (ICSs) are meeting the needs of their local populations. The methodology we will use to carry out our ICS assessments is subject to government approval under the Health and Care Act 2022.  

Tom Clougherty, Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs responds to the Spring Statement

After a larger than expected Budget in October 2024, which included £40 billion in tax rises, many across industry were waiting to see the particulars of the “hard choices” that the Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer have referenced in recent weeks.  

The International Agreements Committee publishes its report on the UK-Ukraine One Hundred Year Partnership Agreement to the House of Lords for special attention.

A series of Data Insights reports have been published by Public Health Wales (PHW) as part of the Better Outcomes Through Linked Data (BOLD) programme.  The BOLD programme aimed to link administrative datasets to bring new insights to inform policy and transform services for vulnerable individuals and people with complex needs. 

An independent review of the technology that supported our transformation has found that the primary cause of our technology failure was a failed organisational transformation. It adds that the technology used for our regulatory platform and provider portal are salvageable but require substantial development and rebuilding work.

APCC joint lead for Victims, PCC Clare Moody responds to a report published on 25 March by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the Domestic Homicide Project into deaths as a result of domestic abuse in the past year

A new hub to enable new tech to progress from 'idea to the front line’ was amongst the announcements by the Chancellor in this year’s Spring Statement.

Finance Secretary responds to Spring Statement.

The UK Chancellor delivered the Spring Statement yesterday (Wednesday 26 March 2025)

Meeting emergency responders at a counter-terrorism training exercise in Wales, the Security Minister praised their collaboration to keep the public safe.