UK government ramps up its Plan for Change as new AI Growth Zone bidding opens Development hotbeds for AI set to revitalise local communities, attract fresh investment and deliver new opportunities Interest is already building for high-potential sites in Scotland, Wales, the North East and North West – with others now poised to come forward Thousands of new jobs are set to be created as the government opens bidding for its AI Growth Zones in a major drive to revitalise local communities as part of the government’s Plan for Change. Local and regional authorities across the UK are being encouraged…
Author: HM Government
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Millions of people are set to benefit from improvements to the way homes are bought and sold, saving them both time and money by helping stop property transactions from falling through. Under major new plans, the government has announced today [February 9] it will modernise the way the process works to bring down current delays of almost five months. One of the key reasons the buying and selling process can be long and frustrating is a lack of digitalisation and join up in the sector, which is why the government is opening up key property information, ensuring this data can…
The SPIRIT programme (Social Protection for Inclusion, Resilience, Innovation and Transformation) will support Ukraine to strengthen more inclusive and efficient social protection systems and revitalise community and family-based services. SPIRIT will support the Foreign Secretary’s priority to ensure a safe and loving family for every child, improving social care services for 10,000 families across 10 regions The programme will help Ukraine lay foundations for a recovery that meets the needs of citizens in all their diversity including people with disabilities, veterans and other war-impacted groups. The UK will invest £25 million to strengthen Ukraine’s social protection system and services to…
We have supplied advice and recommendations to the Scottish Government, as it looks to develop a climate scenario decision tool for the public sector. The tool will provide guidance and support around the implementation of climate scenario analysis. This will enable consistent analysis of future climate-related risks across the public sector in Scotland. Research and engagement Our report, Using future climate scenarios to support today’s decision making (PDF, 890 KB) forms the basis for the guidance. It was commissioned on behalf of the Scottish Government by ClimateXChange, Scotland’s centre of expertise on climate change. After extensive research and stakeholder engagement,…
On 6 February 2025, with the support of the Department for Business and Trade, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a virtual seminar for UK women entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners seeking to increase trade and investment with Japan. This continues an ongoing series of collaborative activities between the UK and Japan to uphold the commitments set out in the Women’s Economic Empowerment chapter of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). It supports the delivery of the joint commitment to enhancing women’s ability to fully access and benefit from the opportunities created by this Agreement, and to reduce…
Funds will drive key health services, from smoking cessation to addiction recovery and children’s health Public Health Grant, which funds health services and other interventions via local authorities, expands to £3.858 billion, an uplift of 5.4% Part of the government’s Plan for Change to help build an NHS fit for the future. Local communities up and down the country will receive funding for family and school nurses, sexual health clinics and other public health services in their areas, thanks to a nearly £200 million boost in funding announced today (Friday 7 February). As part of government plans to improve health…
Prime Minister puts Britain back in the global race for nuclear energy. Changes will allow for Small Modular Reactors for the first time. Latest step in Government’s determination to grow the economy and deliver cleaner, more affordable energy. More nuclear power plants will be approved across England and Wales as the Prime Minister slashes red tape to get Britain building – as part of his Plan for Change. Reforms to planning rules will clear a path for smaller, and easier to build nuclear reactors – known as Small Modular Reactors –to be built for the first time ever in the…
The true extent of the 29 October floods on the Spanish regions of Valencia and Andalucia did not become immediately apparent, but the flood waters caused the death of over 230 people and was one of the deadliest natural disasters in Spanish history. On what became one of the most devastating weeks in history for Valencia and Andalucia, 4 CoRWM members travelled to Andalucia to visit the El Cabril low and intermediate level nuclear waste disposal facility. These sobering statistics added a pertinence to our visit. Flooding events and ‘extreme’ weather – the torrential rain in Spain on 29 October…
The Prime Minister hosted the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, at Downing Street this evening. The leaders reflected on the EU Council dinner last night, and the Prime Minister said he was pleased to have been able to set out his vision for a closer UK and EU relationship that would benefit all sides through greater growth and enhanced defence and security cooperation. Both agreed on the need to strengthen European defence capabilities, including through NATO. Turning to security in the High North and Arctic region, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the important role Denmark was playing and welcomed their recent announcement of a…
A group of diverse and inspirational Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs representing eight businesses are set to lead a trade mission to the United Kingdom in February 2025, with support from the UK Government SheTrades Programme. During the visit, they will be showcasing their businesses, meeting investors and exploring new opportunities. Their visit will involve high-level discussions with investors, legislators and corporate executives in the UK and promote cross-border trade between the two countries including under the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). The DCTS is the UK’s generous preferential trading scheme which provides duty-free, quota-free trade to Bangladesh on everything but arms. The DCTS…