Northern Ireland/Technology

Relaxing strike laws risks disruption and higher taxes, warns new IEA book

Increasing union power could burden taxpayers with higher public sector wage bills and more disruption to railways, schools and the NHS.

Updated: Mon Sep 09 2024

Demystifying Digital Interoperability in Policing

techUK's Interoperability in policing working group (IPWG) has launched a report calling for the need to unlock the potential of digital interoperability in policing.

Updated: Fri Sep 06 2024

IPPR - Revealed: School exclusions and suspensions rise by a fifth last year, finds new report

Suspensions and exclusions across all schools and all year groups in England are predicted to have risen by over 20 per cent last year compared to the previous year, according to a new report from IPPR and The Difference

Updated: Fri Sep 06 2024

Ground-breaking cancer and Parkinsons research team given 5 year funding boost

Researchers at the University of Dundee are receiving a government funding boost to continue their vital work for a further 5 years.

Updated: Thu Sep 05 2024

The Kings Fund - Primary care networks PCNs explained

Primary care networks (PCNs) are groups of GP practices that work together, and with other health and care providers, to deliver a wider range of services to the local population than might be possible within an individual practice.

Updated: Thu Sep 05 2024

The night sky in September

September is an exciting month for UK stargazers!

Updated: Thu Sep 05 2024

IFS - Street scene Comment Devolution may be sexier, but updating the local government finance system is vital

Any plans for devolution need to be accompanied by updates to English councils' hideously outdated funding allocations.

Updated: Wed Sep 04 2024

Nominations are now OPEN: Growth Council

Nominations are now open for techUK members to join our Growth Council. The Growth Council is a group of representatives from companies in techUK's membership who will work together contribute to the strategic leadership and direction of techUK's economic policy, including policy positioning, events and engagements, aimed at promoting the tech sector's role in enabling economic growth in the UK.  

Updated: Wed Sep 04 2024

The Kings Fund - GP contract 2024/25 explained: funding, incentives and the workforce

In January 2019, a five-year GP contract framework was agreed. This was intended to stabilise general practice, enabling it to become a key delivery vehicle for many of the commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan and to provide a wider range of services to patients.

Updated: Wed Sep 04 2024

Setting the foundations for effective data use in local government

In this blog post, we share the insights behind our approach to scaling data standards and an update on how we are addressing the challenge of unconnected systems in councils. Over 300 councils and sector organisations have committed to the ...

Updated: Tue Sep 03 2024

STFC funds projects to improve understanding of climate change

STFC has announced seven projects to support rapid development of Earth observation instruments monitoring the climate and marine environment.

Updated: Tue Sep 03 2024

IEA - Outdoor smoking ban another nail in the coffin for pubs

Reem Ibrahim, Acting Director of Communications at the free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, commented on reports that the Government intends to ban smoking from pub gardens and other outdoor spaces

Updated: Fri Aug 30 2024

IFS - Home Office budgeting and asylum overspends

The Home Office has repeatedly spent far more than budgeted for asylum, border, visa and passport operations in recent years.

Updated: Thu Aug 29 2024

The UKs tax system is a significant barrier to ending regional wealth inequality, new research argues

The UK's tax system is holding back efforts to level up the country, with the under-taxing of income from wealth exacerbating harmful inequalities for poorer areas of the country.

Updated: Thu Aug 29 2024

IEA - Tax hikes are bound to hit working people

Tom Clougherty, Executive Director at the free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs Comments on reports that the Government intends to raise taxes following Sir Keir Starmer's speech this morning

Updated: Wed Aug 28 2024

IPPR - Stats reveal stark mobility divide: Wealthiest in England travel far more than poorest amid rising car dependence

Today's National Travel Survey statistics from the Department for Transport reveal stark m obility divide

Updated: Wed Aug 28 2024

IPPR - Urgent government action needed to tackle UKs biodiversity crisis, says new IPPR report

The government must halt and reverse the UK's unprecedented environmental crisis and depleting natural environment, or risk missing key climate targets, says IPPR.

Updated: Wed Aug 28 2024

To Mars and beyond

Funded by the UK Space Agency, a team from the University of Southampton is developing nuclear electric propulsion technology to push humanity further.

Updated: Wed Aug 28 2024

Ammar: complex military terrain autonomy

Recognising the transformative potential of AI and autonomy, Dstl has funded a PhD student in the USA to conduct cutting-edge research in this field.

Updated: Tue Aug 27 2024

Cyber escape room

What the escape room was like As part of the Vulnerable Children and Families portfolio away day, I took part in the Cyber Security Awareness team's escape room. This was a chance to look at cybersecurity in a different and ...

Updated: Tue Aug 27 2024