Press Releases

New right for fathers and partners to attend antenatal appointments

Fathers and partners now have the right to take unpaid time off work to accompany expectant mothers to up to 2 antenatal appointments.

Natural England welcomes conviction for illegal poisoning of birds of prey

Natural England welcomes the conviction of a Norfolk gamekeeper for illegally poisoning 11 birds of prey on an estate in 2013.

New rules shed light on companies breaking equal pay law

Regulations to ensure employers meet equal pay legislation requirements.

New whiplash and PPI claim rules

The latest stages of the government’s work on compensation claims take effect today (Wednesday 1 October 2014) with new measures around whiplash and PPI claims.

Overnight closures for M62 junction 30 to 32 technology upgrade

Overnight closures will begin next week on the M62 between junction 30 and 32 to install new technology, helping to reduce congestion along this section of the motorway.

Work begins on Boston flood bank

Work starts tomorrow (1 Oct) on a £500,000 scheme to improve the flood bank at Slippery Gowt on the Boston Haven.

M180 carriageway reconstruction work resumes

Work to carry out major carriageway reconstruction of the M180 between junctions 1 and 4 will begin again next week.

Essex coastal community benefit from seawall repairs

A seawall in Hullbridge which was damaged by the storm surge last December is being brought back up to standard.

A64 weekend closure for resurfacing work

Work to improve the A64 between Rillington Fields and Rillington, providing a safer and smoother road surface for drivers, will start next week.

‘Don’t become a statistic’ – tyre safety advice for drivers

More than 11,000 tyre-related incidents took place on England’s motorways and major roads last winter, statistics released today reveal.

Euro exchange rate set for 2014 Single Payment Scheme payments

The new Euro exchange rate has been set for calculating 2014 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) payments.

Flood defence repair work completed on Chesil Beach

Emergency flood defence repair work to damage caused this year by a succession of winters storms on Chesil Beach in Portland, Dorset, will be completed on 2 October 2014 by the Environment Agency and Weymouth & Portland Borough Council.

Older People’s Day: 1 million in work over 65: 3 years since end of default retirement age

Three years on from an historic government move to outlaw enforced retirement, more than 1 million over 65s now choose to stay in work.

Overnight closures on A34 near Oxford due to essential maintenance work

Sections of the A34 near Oxford will be closed for four nights next week, as work is carried out to improve road user safety.

Lincolnshire flag flies in the heart of government

Lincolnshire flag flies outside the Department for Communities and Local Government's London headquarters.

Above inflation rise for National Minimum Wage

More than 100,000 of Wales’s lowest paid workers are set to benefit as new National Minimum Wage rates come into force across Britain.

Kennedy Memorial Trust appointments

The Prime Minister has appointed Stephanie Flanders and Professor Fiona Macpherson as Trustees of the Kennedy Memorial Trust.