Councils will receive £1.1 million to improve recycling services for residents. The funding is intended to offer local residents more streamlined recycling collections which can ensure more household waste is recycled.

It will also go towards building new infrastructure or covering the costs of upgrading facilities where councils send household waste.

Another key aspect of the changes includes a new Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging Scheme will mean that businesses who produced packaging will have to pay their fair share of recycling costs.

The scheme works by charging fees to the businesses that use packaging to meet the costs of collecting and recycling it. The costs will be higher for materials that are harder to recycle and less where packaging can be reused or refilled.

It is hoped the scheme will encourage companies to reduce the amount of packaging they use, whilst reducing costs for consumers.

Circular Econonomy Minister Mary Creagh, who made the announcement, said: “This government is cleaning up Britain and ending the throwaway society.  

“This will revolutionise how we deal with our waste and ensure more of today’s rubbish is recycled into tomorrow’s packaging.”

Cllr Adam Hug, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association, also reacted to the news by saying: “It’s positive to see the costs of managing packaging waste shift to the industry creating this waste. 

“Councils are proud to run some of the best recycling services in the world, with high levels of public satisfaction despite significant financial pressures. 

“This success is built on council’s local knowledge and strong links with communities, and we hope the new scheme will support that work and help reduce the amount of packaging ending up in household bins.”

The announcement comes within the context of further reforms by the government to waste collection. The government is introducing, for example, a Deposit Return Scheme in 2027, which will provide a financial incentive to return empty drinks containers to a collection point.

Additionally, Simpler Recycling for workplaces was introduced in March 2025 and will launch for households in March 2026. This will boost recycling rates and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

Finally, the government’s Circular Economy Taskforce is working with sectors to create a series of specific roadmaps to improve and reform the approach to using materials, underpinned by a Circular Economy Strategy which will be published in autumn. 

The new government funding and packaging reforms were also welcomed by a wide range of other figures, including Jim McMahon OBE (Minister of state for Local Government and English Devolution), Gavin Graveson (CEO of waste management company Veolia UK), Jacob Hayler (Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association), Jim Bligh (Director of Corporate Affairs and Packaging at The Food and Drink Federation) and Libby Peake (head of resource policy at Green Alliance).

The Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging scheme is a crucial part of the government’s packaging reforms, which industry estimates will support 25,000 new jobs and underpin £10 billion of investment in new sorting and processing facilities over the next decade.  

Alongside the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging, the government is introducing a Deposit Return Scheme in 2027. This will provide a financial incentive to return empty drinks containers to a collection point, such as at their local supermarket, so that bottles or cans will be recycled.  

A sensible and pragmatic approach to the collection of materials from households and workplaces is also being introduced. Simpler Recycling for workplaces went live in March 2025 and launches for households in March 2026. It will boost recycling rates and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. 

The action to clean up Britain doesn’t end there – with the Circular Economy Taskforce working with sectors to create a series of specific roadmaps to improve and reform the approach to using materials, underpinned by a Circular Economy Strategy which will be published in autumn. 

Featured image via Alex Yeung / Shutterstock.

The new safety warning system will rapidly analyse healthcare data and identity emerging safety issues.

This development is part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which was initially announced in October 2024, and is part of Labour’s larger ambitions of shifting NHS services from analogue to digital.

The system’s implementation has already started, with a new Maternity Outcomes Signal System launching across NHS trusts from November, using real near-time data to flag higher than expected rates of stillbirth, neonatal death and brain injury.

It is hoped that the system could be used to identify abuse, injuries, deaths, and other incidents that could otherwise slip through the net.

Rt Hon Andrew Stephenson CBE, former Minister of State, Department of Health and Social Care, Chair Curia’s Health, Care, and Life Sciences Research Group commented: “While the development of a world-first AI early warning system marks a significant step forward in enhancing patient safety, we must carefully consider the practicalities of its implementation.

“Our previous research has highlighted the potential of AI in healthcare, yet the challenges of integration into existing NHS systems remain challenging.

“It is essential that we address these hurdles meticulously to ensure that our ambition of safeguarding patient care translates into reality.

“Quick wins are necessary, but a sustainable solution requires thorough planning and collaboration among all stakeholders involved in this transformative journey.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “While most treatments in the NHS are safe, even a single lapse that puts a patient at risk is one too many. Behind every safety breach is a person – a life altered, a family devastated, sometimes by heartbreaking loss.

“Patient safety and power are at the heart of our 10 Year Health Plan. By embracing AI and introducing world-first early warning systems, we’ll spot dangerous signs sooner and launch rapid inspections before harm occurs.

“This technology will save lives – catching unsafe care before it becomes a tragedy. It’s a vital part of our commitment to move the NHS from analogue to digital, delivering better, safer care for everyone.”

Professor Meghana Pandit, Co-National Medical Director – Secondary Care, added: “The NHS in England will be the first country in the world to trial an AI-enabled warning system to flag patient safety issues which will rapidly analyse routine hospital data and reports submitted by healthcare staff from community settings.

“The move will turbo-charge the speed and efficiency with which we identify patient safety concerns and enable us to respond rapidly to improve patient care.”

Sir Julian Hartley, Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission, also commented: “We will develop a stronger focus on all dimensions of quality, using data which we and partners hold on inequalities in access, experience, and outcomes to spot and act on risk earlier. 

“We are already developing our new clearer, simpler, assessment approach, and in the future our experienced teams of inspectors, led by our newly appointed Chief Inspectors, will be able to conduct more inspections and share feedback on the findings more quickly – so that providers can make faster improvements, and the public have timely information about care.”

The news follows the government’s commitment to adopting AI more broadly in the health service, with AI tech already being implemented to improve stroke care in the West Midlands.

Earlier this month the government announced it would invest £2 billion in its AI action plan, with hopes to throw “the full weight of Whitehall behind this industry” by implementing 50 recommendations to grow the UK’s AI sector, encourage the adoption of AI across the economy to boost growth, and improve products and services.

The development of AI skills throughout schools and the workforce is also a central pillar of Labour’s plans, with investment in the TechFirst programme also announced earlier this month.

Featured image via Fred Duval / Shutterstock.

This “Clean Energy Superpower Mission”, underlines the government’s commitment to make the UK a global leader in clean energy.

Clean energy is one of 8 sectors, known as the IS-8, which the Industrial Strategy prioritises. These sectors are considered by the government to have the most potential for economic growth.

Emphasising clean energy as a government priority

Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, wrote that “the global transition to net zero calls for huge investment” in a variety of “frontier industries” within the sector.

These industries include: Wind (onshore, offshore and floating offshore), Nuclear Fission, Fusion Energy, Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) including Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGRs), Hydrogen, and Heat Pumps.

Miliband continued that each of these “frontier industries” within the sector will benefit from “a doubling of current investment levels”, which will hopefully reach £30 billion overall by 2035.

The clean energy industry has already benefitted from over £40 billion in private investment since the Labour government was elected in July.

The plan notes that other industries within the clean energy sector, including “solar, bioenergy, storage including Long Duration Energy Storage, heat networks, and smart technologies”, are “vital”, but still not considered as part of these frontier industries.

Recent analysis from the Energy Transitions Commission and consultants Systemiq has found that 40 per cent of the solutions needed to move the economy to net zero are already cheaper than fossil fuels, or would be by 2030.

Key aspects of Clean Energy Plan

One major investment is a £700 billion increase in funding for Great British Energy Company, a new public company, which will “develop, invest in, build and operate clean energy projects and supply chains”.

This additional funding brings the government’s total public and private funding in clean energy supply chains to £1.7 billion.

Another major part of the plan is a new Workforce Strategy, which will be published by the Office for Clean Energy Jobs later this year. This will seek to transfer the UK’s existing energy workforce into the clean energy sector.

The government will also establish a new £1 billion Clean Energy Supply Chain Fund, overseen by GB Energy, which will be particularly focused on offshore wind supply chains.

The plans also included a £544 million Clean Industry Bonus for offshore wind developers aimed at supporting coastal industrial areas.

£13.2 billion for its Warm Homes Plan, to support the roll-out of heat pumps in British homes. The government will also soon launch its Heat Pump Accelerator Competition, which will give £30 million in grants to manufacturers investing in new heat pump capacity.

How have the Clean Energy plans been received?

The plans have been well-received by many within the energy industry, in key unions, and in think tanks.

Martin Pibworth, Chief Executive designate at SSE, welcomed the focus on clean energy, claiming: “It’s exactly the kind of commitment that gives industry the confidence to deliver at pace and scale”

Jon Butterworth, CEO of National Gas, also backed the plan, saying it “will position Britain as a world leader in technologies like hydrogen and carbon capture.”

The bosses of other major organisations also welcomed the news. These include E.ON UK, the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, the Trades Union Congress, GMB and Schneider Electric.

The Energy Transitions Commission’s chair Adair Turner responded to the announcements, saying: “We now need the right policies to enable other sectors of the economy to reach that tipping point, and to enable all countries to share in the economic opportunities created.”

Laith Whitwam, Senior Policy Adviser at the think tank E3G, also said: “This strategy cuts the sky-high electricity prices driven by gas dependency and gives British industry the shot in the arm it needs to lead the charge to a clean economy.”

Featured image via Michael Kobiela / Shutterstock.

£1.7 million has been earmarked to create “lending librarires” of assistive devices like dictation software, communication tablets and reading pens. Local schools will be able to borrow from the “library”, sharing the devices with other schools in the area to trial a range of devices that could meet their pupils needs.

The libraries will be set up in 32 local authorities and implement a “try before you buy” model for schools to test out which methods work best for their pupils’ needs before dedicating a large upfront sum for them.

The devices, including reading pens which can scan text and read it aloud, dictation tools which convert spoken word into text, and tablets which leverage images to help non-verbal pupils communicate, will help to support students with a wide range of SEND’s, including dyslexia, autism and ADHD.

The government claims that schools which have introduced some form of assistive technology and increased staff training for additional needs have seen major improvements, with 86 per cent of school staff believing that they had a positive impact on behaviour and 89 per cent witnessing greater confidence among pupils.

Speaking on the investment, Minister for School Standards, Catherine McKinnell said: “We’re committed to reforming the SEND system to break down barriers to learning and achieve excellence everywhere for every child.  

“Assistive technology can play a key role in this and unlocks learning for so many children – so that attention difficulties, communication issues or struggles with literacy don’t stand in the way of children learning with their friends at their local school. 

“We’re committed to driving inclusivity across all schools and this pilot is a brilliant step towards making that happen, supporting teachers and giving all children the tools they need to achieve and thrive.” 

The implementation of assistive technology is also intended to free up teacher and support staff to allow them to “focus on what they do best”, face-to-face-teaching.

The news comes after the government announced on 20th June, as part of the Fair Funding Review, that it will keep local councils’ extensive £5 billion SEND deficits off their books for a further two years.

It forms a wider range of investments aimed at improving education infrastructure, including £25 million to upgrade wireless networks and £20 million to deliver fibre connection upgrades to support online teaching and provisions.

The local authorities involved in the trial will be announced prior to the start of the next school year.

Featured image via Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.

On Monday, the government released plans for the long-awaited 10-year Industrial Strategy, which marks a “turning point for Britain’s economy” and seeks to increase investment in eight priority sectors, create 1.1 million jobs, and ensure long-term economic growth.

Notable aspects of the new Industrial Strategy include a £275 million investment to train British workers, exemptions for thousands of businesses from green levies, spending an extra £1.2 billion on skills by 2028/29, increasing research and development spending to £22.6 billion annually by 2029/30, and a £380 million investment in the creative industries, among a range of other new policies to support economic growth.

The eight sectors prioritised by the government, referred to as the IS-8, are advanced manufacturing, clean energy industries, creative industries, defence, digital and technologies, financial services, life sciences, and professional and business services.

On Sunday, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told PoliticsUK that the Industrial Strategy is about “a stronger economy, better jobs […] more economic activity, more businesses succeeding.”

Sir Keir Starmer said: “This Industrial Strategy marks a turning point for Britain’s economy and a clear break from the short-termism and sticking plasters of the past.”

The government is focusing on the IS-8 since they are already the UK’s most “productive, innovative, exporting sectors”, according to the government. The government explained that the IS-8 are, on average, 27.1 per cent more productive than the national average.

Investment in UK workers

A key aspect of the new Industrial Strategy is a £275 million investment from the government in technical training and apprenticeships.

The package includes funding worth £200 billion for new technical excellence colleges and other facilities, which will train individuals in local industries. Funding will also cover short courses in artificial intelligence and digital manufacturing and major capital upgrades to training providers across England.

The Industrial Strategy seeks to provide a solution to the fact that 1 in 7 young people in the UK are neither in education nor employment, being categorised as NEETs. The number of people on an apprenticeships has also dropped by nearly a fifth between 2016/17 and 2023/24.

Reynolds said these plans aimed to “end the over-reliance on foreign labour and ensure British workers can secure good, well-paid jobs in the industries of tomorrow and drive growth and investment right across the country.” 

He vowed that the Industrial Strategy “will be powered by investing in British people”. This could be seen as a response to Reform UK’s efforts to target voters in post-industrial seats who feel at risk from immigration reducing the number of jobs available.

Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith showed his support for the government’s prioritisation of skills but also claimed that “the Government are stepping on the accelerator and the brake at the same time.”

Reduction in energy costs

Another important part of the Industrial Strategy is the government’s plans to reduce energy costs for over 7,000 businesses by exempting them from various levies, including the Renewable Obligation which mandates that a certain percentage of energy purchased comes from renewable sources.

From 2027, the government will introduce a new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme. This will reduce costs by up to £40 per megawatt-hour for thousands of manufacturing businesses, ultimately equating to a reduction of 15 per cent in energy bill costs, which will be worth an estimated £500 million per year.

This will be done through exempting eligible businesses “from paying the costs of the Renewable Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs, and the Capacity Market”, according to the government. British businesses pay some of the highest electricity costs in Europe, and so the aim is to bring UK businesses more in line with other European businesses. This policy will be reviewed in 2030.

The specific businesses that will benefit from the plan will be decided after a consultation ending in 2027.

500 of the UK’s most energy-intensive companies will also have network charges cut. They currently have a 60 per cent discount through the British Industry Supercharger scheme, but this will be raised to 90 per cent from 2026.

This policy could be seen as the government acknowledging that taxes which seek to promote the UK’s vision of moving towards renewable energy conflict with ensuring British businesses remain competitive, potentially signalling a move away from Labour’s net-zero pledges.

The Conservatives highlighted this claim, with acting shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie suggesting that Labour was “finally admitting that the costs of net zero are so high that they’re having to spend billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money subsidising businesses’ energy bills to stop them going bust.” He argued that the government’s plans did not seek to tackle the core reasons behind high energy prices.

However, the government has pledged to ensure that these discounts will not mean higher costs will be passed on to other businesses or customers.

Reynolds told Sky News that “You can do both things together; you can have ambition on climate and be competitive. These changes mean no one is going to have a higher bill to pay for this; no one will have to pay higher taxes to pay for this, but how those costs are represented in the system will change over time to make sure we have competitive industries.”

How has this been received?

Reception to the Industrial Strategy has been mixed, largely relating to the industries that are either included or neglected by the plans.

Representatives of the manufacturing industries have reported their satisfaction with the Industrial Strategy. A joint statement released on the UK government’s website and on behalf of various business groups, including the bosses of the British Chambers of Commerce, Confederation of British Industry, Enterprise Nation, Federation of Small Businesses, Make UK, Small Business Britain, and Startup Coalition, welcomed the strategy.

They said, “The Industrial Strategy launched today marks a significant step forward and a valuable opportunity for the business community to rally behind a new vision for the UK – boosting confidence, sentiment, and enthusiasm for investment.

“From start-ups and small businesses to large corporates, businesses need a more attractive, stable environment that enables faster, easier, and more certain investment decisions.”

A number of people involved in industries which are not represented within the IS-8, particularly those working in hospitality, have reported disappointment as a result of the plans.

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “This is not an Industrial Strategy that will deliver growth equally across the UK. In fact, by ignoring 70 per cent of the economy, it is at odds with the government’s ambition to create jobs and help people into work.

Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith also echoed these concerns, writing on X that “all business sectors – such as retail and hospitality – also need lower energy costs – not just some.”

Harry Quilter-Pinner, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy Research, commented that “the UK has had 11 economic strategies in 13 years.

“That chop-and-change approach wasn’t fit for purpose. Today’s Industrial Strategy finally turns a page, offering much-needed consistency, clarity, and certainty for business

“The test now is whether this 10-year strategy moves from PDF to process.”

The UK’s last Industrial Strategy was in 2017, when the Conservative government published a four-year plan ending in 2021. 

Today’s Industrial Strategy announcement will be followed later this week by a new Trade Strategy, which seeks to help the UK become one of the most well-connected countries to do business with.