The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, today announced that he has appointed Sir David Cooksey to lead a review to build agreement on the best institutional arrangements for the new single fund for health...

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, today set out details of the new office of Charity and Third Sector Finance, to be based in the Treasury and foreshadowed in the Budget last week.

26 specific grants to be included from 07/08 -

GPs encouraged to tackle more long-term conditions, including dementia, depression, kidney disease and obesity -

Analysis of responses to the Best Value in Public Services consultation

The responsibility for railway health and safety regulation is transferring from the Health and Safety Commission and Executive (HSC/E) to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) on 1 April 2006.

New, independent research published by the Government today shows the benefits mums and dads are experiencing as a result of family friendly legislation introduced since the last survey in 2002.

This week the PM has been in Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. We have full details on what he's been up to, with news stories, transcripts and pictures.

Provides information and contact details for ongoing, forthcoming and recently published social research projects relevant to social justice in the various SE departments and Communities Scotland.

Fifty-nine Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) that were previously poor performers on planning have turned the corner by meeting their development control targets.

Guidance on how the planning system can help preserve and enhance England's most valuable habitats was launched today by Planning Minister, Baroness Kay Andrews.

The Council Tax (New Valuation Lists For England) Bill has received Royal Assent.

Business growth in areas which have a long-standing dearth of inward investment and high levels of unemployment shortage was today boosted by the announcement of the second round of the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative...

More than half a million people, including victims of crime and those facing difficulties over employment, benefits, special educational needs, and immigration matters will benefit under the new Tribunals Service...

The Government laid proposals before Parliament today which will amend the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 and the Agriculture Tenancies Act 1995 in order to provide a more flexible framework for agricultural lettings...

Announcement by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Margaret Beckett, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, today announced her intention to appoint Poul Christensen as the Deputy Chair of Natural England, the new statutory body with responsibility...

The NHS Appointments Commission has announced the re-appointment of Professor Gordon Duff to the post of Chair of the National Biological Standards Board (NBSB). This appointment is from 1 January 2006 until 31 ...

Mr Fraser Wheeler has been appointed to be British High Commissioner to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana in succession to Mr Stephen Hiscock. Mr Wheeler will take up his new appointment during the middle of 2006...

The Foreign Secretary today said:

A guidance pack for practitioners on the Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004 and the use of special measures for vulnerable witnesses giving evidence.

Firework injuries in Scotland, 2005

Community Planning Advice Note on Children and Young People - Consultation responses

The OFT has rejected an application for a credit licence for Romford based car retailer Multilink Trade Limited.

A mobile phone company based in Bexley has had its application for a consumer credit licence refused by the OFT.

Inspirational projects that are making a real difference to people's lives are being invited to enter the Deputy Prime Minister's Award for Sustainable Communities 2006.

OFFICE OF PUBLIC SECTOR INFORMATION

Regulations made today apply waste management controls to agricultural waste for the first time in England and Wales.

Companies working at the cutting edge of nanotechnology are being invited to share their knowledge with the Government through a voluntary reporting scheme.

Statistical Release

Offenders going through two community justice courts in northern England could have their community penalty assessed as they carry out their sentence.

Main Points This Month

The NHS is still delivering fast access to hospital care and making significant reductions to waiting lists despite winter pressures, new figures released today by the Department of Health show.

Link to NHS Information Services prescribing statistics website

The document sets out for consultation Scottish Ministers’ policies for gardens and designed landscapes in respect of their identification and protection, the management of change, and how Historic Scotland will...

Scottish Historic Environment Policy (SHEP) is a new series of policy documents that sets out Scottish Ministers' strategic policies for the historic environment and the operational policies that Historic Scotland...

The first operational Typhoon squadron, No. 3(Fighter) Squadron, forms today at RAF Cottesmore, in Rutland a day before the Royal Air Force marks its 88th Anniversary. This marks a key milestone in the transition...

As part of a review being conducted by Sir Gus O'Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, into the role and functions of the Cabinet Office, I can announce our intention to establish the National School of Government as ...

I am today publishing a report on Departments' and Agencies' performanceon handling Members' and Peers' correspondence for 2005. Details are set out in the attached table. Departmental figures are based on substantive...

HM Revenue and Customs will be publishing tomorrow on their website draft Finance Bill provisions that clarify how inheritance tax rules will apply to members of registered pension schemes on and after 6 April 2006...

I have today set the following key performance indicators for the Valuation Office Agency for 2006–07:CUSTOMER SATISFACTIONTo achieve overall customer satisfaction of 88 per cent.OperationsEnable prompt issue of...

The key targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency (AFPAA) for the financial year 2006–07. The Targets build upon progress made by the Agency since it formed...

I am pleased to announce that a contract will be signed today with BAE Systems Insyte for the first increment of the Falcon Secure Trunk Communication System. Falcon will provide a modern, secure communications ...

I am pleased to inform the House that today we will be establishing a new executive non-departmental public body in England—FiReBuy Limited.In November 2005 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published the ...

Following a detailed evaluation of the bids from EADS Defence and Security Systems Ltd and O2 Airwave Ltd, I am announcing today that the Firelink contract has been let to O2 Airwave Ltd. This contracts ODPM to ...

In December I announced the first provisional allocations for the 2006–07 round of planning delivery grant in England, the majority of which is a performance-related grant paid to local authorities in recognition...

My statement to the House of Commons on 28 March re-affirmed our commitment to secure the continued affordability and viability of the Local Government Pension Scheme and to provide secure, equality-proofed pensions...

I am pleased to announce that, following consideration of the responses to public consultation, I have today laid before Parliament the Waste Management (England and Wales) regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006 No. 937), ...

I represented the United Kingdom at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels on 20 March 2006.The Council adopted two regulations on the protection of geographical indications (GIs) and designations...

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) will shortly be publishing a revised Guide to the European Union (EU). At the same time the FCO will launch an updated Britain in the EU section of its website. The EU Guide...

I am responding on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the Twenty-first Report of the Review Body for Nursing and Other Health Professions (NOHPRB) and the Thirty-fifth Report of the Review Body...

I am announcing today statistics relating to antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs).An ASBO is a civil order that protects the community from behaviour that has caused or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress...

Today the Government have published statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System. The statistics, published under section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, are one of the main sources of information available...

Today we are publishing the Government's response to the consultation paper, "Restructuring Probation to Reduce Reoffending", published on 20 October 2005.On 9 February 2006 we set out our five-year strategy for...

The Fifth Report of the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) on the pay of in-charge governors and operational managers, prison officers and related grades in England and Wales in 2006 has been published today...

The Parliamentary and Other Pensions Act 1987 requires the Government Actuary to make triennial reports on the financial position of the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund. His latest report, dealing with the...

I have placed in the Libraries of both Houses a copy of a DFID report, "The UK and the World Bank 2005".This report explains the UK's work with the World Bank from the start of the bank's financial year 2005 (known...

I have placed copies of the Northern Ireland Prison Service's Corporate and Business Plan for 2006–09 in the Libraries of both Houses.The Corporate and Business Plan contains key performance targets I have set for...

The fourth report of the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) on the pay of governor and officer grades in the Northern Ireland Prison Service has been published today.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State...

In answer to questions in the House of Commons on 17 November 1966, the then Prime Minister, the right hon. Harold Wilson MP, said that he had given instructions that there was to be no tapping of the telephones...

The 28th report of the Review Body on Senior Salaries, which makes recommendations about the pay of the senior civil service, senior military personnel and the judiciary, is being published today. Copies are in ...

I have this week written to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, to confirm that I have approved its first strategy. Full details will be provided by the NDA when it publishes the strategy later today.After carefully...

I am making today a statement to the House to announce the Government's decision on the high level regulatory regime to be put in place to regulate offshore electricity transmission.This is a key step in the delivery...

I have set Companies House the following targets for the year 2006–07:To ensure that the following services: Companies House Direct, WebCheck, and Web-Filing, are available for 99 per cent. of the time between the...

The Government are publishing today our strategy to protect vulnerable workers and support good employers. The document sets out the Government's commitments on employment relations policy.The Government have combined...

The Government are aware of the concerns that have been expressed by the London borough of Tower Hamlets and others in the borough about the impacts of Crossrail in Tower Hamlets. Many of those concerns centre on...

I am announcing today the Secretary of State's targets for 2006–07 in respect of the Driver, Vehicle and Operator Group.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport (Alistair Darling), has set a range...

I attended the Transport Council in Brussels on 27 March.The Council's main item was a debate on the draft Public Service Obligation (PSO) regulation which would provide new rules for public funding of rail and ...

The Highways Agency's 2006–07 business plan is published today and contains eight key indicators for the agency to deliver by 31 March 2007. These are: Indicator 06–07 Target Deliver the PSA target to make journeys...

I am pleased to announce the Secretary of State for Transport's targets for 2006–07 in respect of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA). The Secretary of State has set a range of high-level targets for the...

Today the Department for Transport has published the North East Regional Planning Assessment for the railways (RPA), the second in a series of 11 RPAs covering England and Wales. The north-east RPA covers the north...

I have today approved the operational cases submitted by the 38 safety camera partnerships in England and Wales to enable them to continue as part of the national safety camera programme in 2006–07.As my right hon...

I reported on 14 February 2006 that my Department has been considering its future relationship with London and Continental Railways (LCR) who are responsible for the construction and operation of Channel Tunnel ...

The approval of the Department for Work and Pensions spring supplementary estimate via the Consolidated Fund (Appropriation) (No 2) Bill will not occur until the end of the month. Parliamentary approval for additional...

I am pleased to announce changes to the discretionary loans scheme from 3 April 2006.We have greatly simplified the rules for determining the size of the maximum budgeting loan amount that can be offered to eligible...

I am today able to announce the annual performance targets in 2006–07 for each of the executive agencies of the Department for Work and Pensions. The targets I have agreed are set out below.Further information on...

I am pleased to announce that the gross discretionary social fund budget for 2006–07 will be £842 million.This includes an increase in net treasury funding of £120 million. The increase is the...

More than 12,000 UK reservists have made a "very valuable contribution" to operations in Iraq since 2003, receiving particular praise for their adaptability and high skill levels, according to a National Audit Office...