HLAS

The government has revealed a wide-ranging agreement that will see industry contribute £5 billion to address the building safety scandal. Under the new agreement, which will become legally enforceable, over 35 of the UK’s biggest homebuilders have pledged to fix all buildings 11 metres and higher that they have played a role in developing in the last 30 years. For the companies yet to make the pledge, the Secretary of State has also confirmed that there is little time left for them to sign up, and that those who continue to refuse will face consequences if they fail to do [...]

Businesses and charities are being urged to strengthen their cyber security practices  as new figures show the frequency of cyber-attacks is increasing. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued a note declaring it is not aware of any current specific cyber threats to UK organisations in relation to events around Ukraine, but is encouraging organisations to follow simple steps in its guidance to reduce the risk of falling victim to an attack. Small businesses should adopt the Cyber Essentials scheme to protect against the most common cyber threats such as phishing attacks and use the Small Business Guide to improve cyber security practices. Larger organisations should use [...]

People are being urged not to leave their application for a British passport to the last minute, with demand at an all-time high. Since April 2021, HM Passport Office has been advising people to allow up to ten weeks when applying for their passport. This remains the case. Due to COVID-19, HM Passport Office saw a significant drop in the number of people applying for passports, with over 5 million people delaying their applications throughout 2020 and 2021. But with international travel returning to normal, more and more people are applying for a new passport. While there are urgent services [...]

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is writing to businesses to tell them about a change to the UK’s customs systems. The letter includes information about the work under way to move to a single UK customs platform - the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) - and outlines what businesses need to do to prepare for the change, and what help and guidance is available to support them through the process. The CDS will become the UK’s single customs platform after 31 March 2023, replacing the Customs Handling Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system. Ahead of the complete closure, the import declaration [...]

The first in a network of new satellites to support military operations will be designed and built under a new three-year, £22 million contract with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL). Helping to improve the UK’s ability to collect and process data from UK and allied space assets, the washing-machine-sized satellite is the first to be designed and built under MINERVA - a £127 million science, technology and innovation programme focussed on integrating space with land, air, sea and cyber technologies. Supporting 100 high-skilled roles at the Guildford-based company, the contract covers the design and build of the 150-kilogram satellite. It [...]

England’s largest ever seagrass restoration project has reached a new milestone by planting around 70,000 seed bags spanning 3.5 hectares of seabed, which will provide vital habitat for marine life. The £2.5 million LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES partnership to ‘Save Our Seabed’ led by Natural England and funded by the EU LIFE Programme, was launched in July 2019. It is seeking to protect and restore sensitive seabed habitats which are at risk. Habitats such as seagrass meadows, mangroves and tidal marshes, are increasingly being recognised for their essential carbon capture abilities - seagrass can be as effective at absorbing and storing carbon as [...]

The government has stated that thirty-one counties, city regions and unitary authorities have been chosen for funding to level up their local bus services in the latest awards from the government’s bus transformation programme. Including earlier awards, just under two-thirds of England’s population outside London will benefit from new investment to make their buses more frequent, more reliable, easier to understand and use, cheaper, or greener. Improvements will also include integrated ticketing and more bus lanes to speed up journeys. The successful areas have been chosen because of their ambition to repeat the success achieved in London – which drove [...]

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published updated guidance to support the next stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. As set out in the government’s living with COVID-19 plan, the focus of this new phase is on protecting those who are most at risk from the virus. A new set of guidance from UKHSA provides important public health advice for people with symptoms of respiratory infections, such as COVID-19; people with a positive COVID-19 test and their contacts; and advice on safer behaviours for everyone. UKHSA has also published a set of public health principles for businesses, organisations and employers to consider in managing the [...]

Kickstart Scheme applications closed at midday on 17 December 2021. Employers who applied for a Kickstart Scheme grant before midday on 17 December 2021 should have received a decision on their application. It is recommended that employers contact their local or national Kickstart Scheme contact if they have not received a decision. Those with successful applications should have signed and returned their grant agreement by 7 January 2022, submitted their vacancies to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) by 31 January 2022 and started the young person in the job on or before 31 March 2022. To help DWP process the [...]

The government announced last week moves that will see ‘stablecoins’ recognised as a valid form of payment as part of wider plans to make Britain a global hub for cryptoasset technology and investment. In brief: Stablecoins are to be brought within regulation, paving their way for use in the UK as a recognised form of payment. This is part of a series of measures to make the UK a global hub for cryptoasset technology and investment. Measures include legislating for a ‘financial market infrastructure sandbox’ to help firms innovate, an FCA-led ‘CryptoSprint’, working with the Royal Mint on a non-fungible [...]