LONDON, Aug. 4 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: We are inviting tenders for contracts to deliver work in the inquests category of law under the 2024 Standard Civil Contract. This supports the Public Office (Accountability) Bill. This is one of the biggest expansions of legal aid provision in over a decade. It will create new opportunities for providers to support bereaved families through the inquest process. We are launching this procurement before Royal Ass...
LONDON, Aug. 4 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Officers from the local authority and the NFCU worked with West Midlands Police, HMRC and representatives from the Home Officeto attend an address in Dudley. During the joint operation, which targeted an unapproved meat cutting plant, four men were arrested and approximately four and a quarter metric tonnes of illegal meat were removed from the market. Enforcement action was taken by the local authority to addre...
LONDON, Aug. 4 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Four men have been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into large-scale, illegal dumping of waste at the notorious Bolton House Road waste site in Wigan, the Environment Agency announced today (Tuesday 4 August 2026). The site has caused misery for local residents with reports of horrid smells - while a week-long fire caused nearby schools to shut last summer. Site at Bolton House Road in Wigan. Credit:...
LONDON, Aug. 4 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Investigations by the Environment Agency into water pollution incidents in the West Midlands has seen Severn Trent Water Limited contribute £2,277,424 million to countryside charities. This money is now supporting a number of projects in the region after two Enforcement Undertakings (EU) were completed by the Environment Agency. Severn Trent have contributed over £1.8 million to Gloucestershire Wildlif...
LONDON, Aug. 4 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: * Gatwick Airport's second runway can now be brought into full use after the Court of Appeal dismissed a legal challenge against the expansion project, bringing years of uncertainty to an end * expansion will create 14,000 new jobs across the region and deliver an additional £1 billion in economic benefits every year (PDF), helping to drive growth across the South East and beyond through Gatwick's national su...
LONDON, Aug. 4 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: The Government Actuary's Department (GAD) has supported the Office of the Accountant General (OAG) with a review of the Strategic Investment Board (SIB) Framework. The Framework provides the structure for managing funds invested by the Court Funds Office (CFO) on behalf of children and protected beneficiaries who have received court awards. The SIB, supported by the OAG, provides strategic direction on the invest...
LONDON, Aug. 4 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Ms Rebecca Fabrizi has been appointed His Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan in succession to Mr David Ashley. Ms Fabrizi will take up her appointment during October 2026. Curriculumvitae Full name: Rebecca Jane Fabrizi Dates Role 2025 to present FCDO, Deputy Director, Africa Directorate 2025 Lilongwe, Acting British High Commissioner 2022 to 2025 FCDO, Special Envoy for Small Island Develop...
LONDON, Aug. 4 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Twonewmedicinesin development that could become effective therapies for patients in the future havebeen granted Innovation Passports (IP) through the UK'sInnovative Licensing and Access Pathway(ILAP). Innovation Passport designation is awarded to products thatcouldaddress unmet clinical need and show potential to deliver significant benefits for patients.TheILAPis delivered through a partnership between theMedici...
LONDON, Aug. 4 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: From 1 September 2026, the law about regulated activity with children is changing. The current rule about the supervision of paid staff and volunteers carrying out specific activities with children will be removed from the legal definition. This means some people will be in regulated activity with children from 1 September 2026 when they were not before, because they were sufficiently supervised by someone else. ...
LONDON, Aug. 4 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Ofqual has fined Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited (EAL) £150,000 for serious and repeated failures in the delivery of apprenticeship qualifications. As a result, apprentices were assessed against the wrong standards. In some cases, this involved skills relevant to workplace safety. EAL also failed to manage incorrect results properly. EAL admitted a series of failures across its assessment deliver...