Tag: News Story

STORY

The accumulation of microplastics in agricultural soil represents an emerging threat to UK food security, according to a report produced with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Microplastics. The report says British agricultural soils are among the most contaminated in Europe.

One source of contamination is the repeated use of treated sewage sludge as fertiliser. Microplastics can also originate from synthetic clothing, packaging, paint, cosmetics and vehicle tyres before entering waterways, wastewater systems and agricultural land.

Researchers said the particles could alter soil structure, water capacity, microorganisms and wildlife including earthworms. The report recommends legally binding pollution reduction targets, stronger regulation of major sources, improved protections for wastewater and sewage sludge and a national monitoring system.

STORY

Safeguarding rules governing people who regularly work with children have changed from 1 September. The supervision exemption has been removed from the legal definition of regulated activity with children in England and Wales, with corresponding changes also being introduced in Northern Ireland.

People who regularly teach, train, instruct, care for or supervise children may now be considered to undertake regulated activity even when another suitable adult supervises them. This can include school reading volunteers, assistant sports coaches and instructors at outdoor activity centres.

The change applies where the relevant work takes place on more than three days in a 30 day period or once overnight between 2am and 6am. Organisations can seek an Enhanced DBS check containing Children’s Barred List information for eligible roles, although the change does not mean that every occasional volunteer automatically requires a new check.

STORY

The BBC has discontinued its weekly Women’s Football Show ahead of the new Women’s Super League season. The programme had previously provided a studio based round up of matches on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Highlights from every Women’s Super League match will instead be made available through BBC iPlayer, YouTube and the BBC Sport website and app. The broadcaster is also reported to be planning a YouTube discussion programme about women’s football presented by Alex Scott.

The BBC said it remained fully committed to covering women’s football and would broadcast 25 live Women’s Super League matches alongside Women’s Champions League coverage. The broadcaster and Sky Sports are entering the second season of a five year domestic rights agreement running until 2030.

STORY

The number of mortgages approved for house purchases fell to its lowest level since January 2024 during July, according to figures released by the Bank of England. Lenders approved 56,053 mortgages, below the 59,500 expected by economists.

June’s total was revised slightly upwards to 58,215, meaning approvals fell by more than 2,000 during the following month. Separate figures from Nationwide showed that house prices increased by 1.6 per cent in the year to August, below the current rate of consumer price inflation.

The Bank of England figures also showed that net unsecured lending to consumers increased by just over £2 billion during July. This was the largest monthly rise since November 2025 and exceeded economists’ forecast of a £1.8 billion increase.

STORY

The cost of long term Government borrowing has risen to its highest level in 28 years amid a wider sell off in global bond markets. The yield on 30 year UK Government bonds climbed to 5.89 per cent on Tuesday, its highest level since February 1998.

The yield on ten year Government bonds also rose to 5.246 per cent, reaching a level last recorded in June 2008. Bond yields increase when prices fall and determine the rate that governments must offer investors when raising new money.

The movement followed renewed increases in global oil prices, which contributed to concerns about inflation and future interest rates. Higher borrowing costs could place additional pressure on the Government’s finances because more public money must be used to service newly issued debt.

STORY

The Government has temporarily prevented a Rembrandt portrait valued at more than £71 million from leaving the UK, giving a British gallery or institution an opportunity to acquire it. Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet, painted in 1657, has been displayed in the UK since the middle of the eighteenth century.

The work depicts an affluent member of Amsterdam’s Mennonite community who lived separately from her husband. The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art said the portrait was important for understanding Rembrandt’s work, Dutch social relations and the history of portrait painting and art collecting in Britain. It is the most valuable object to have been given national treasure status under the export bar system.

A decision on the export licence has been deferred until 26 December 2026, allowing potential purchasers time to raise the recommended price of £71,696,324.90, plus VAT of £754,698.15. Arts Minister Ruth Mackenzie called upon cultural organisations, funders and philanthropists to help retain the painting in the UK and keep it on public display.

STORY

Parents are being urged to ensure their children receive vaccinations at the recommended time after new figures showed that uptake in England remains below the World Health Organization target. The UK Health Security Agency said vaccination levels among children reaching primary school age appear to be stabilising following a decade of gradual decline.

Among five-year-olds, 83.8 per cent had received two doses of the MMR vaccine in 2025/26, compared with 83.7 per cent during the previous year. Coverage for the six-in-one vaccine stood at 92.9 per cent, while uptake of the four-in-one preschool booster increased from 81.3 per cent to 81.9 per cent. None of the vaccinations measured currently meets the WHO target of 95 per cent.

UKHSA warned that uptake among children measured at one and two years old had fallen again for every vaccine. Vaccinations are available free through the NHS, with catch-up appointments offered by GP practices and school programmes. Dr Mary Ramsay, UKHSA’s Director of Immunisation, said parents whose children had missed vaccinations should contact their GP practice, adding that it was not too late to catch up with most childhood vaccines

STORY

The Government plans to give the Bank of England a new responsibility to support innovation in payment systems and emerging forms of digital money. The secondary objective will require the Bank to encourage technological development while retaining financial stability as its primary consideration.

The reforms will extend the Bank’s existing innovation responsibilities to systemic payment systems, including those using digital settlement assets such as stablecoins. The Government said developments including tokenisation and distributed ledger technology could transform financial markets, but stressed that the Bank would not be required to support innovations which threatened financial stability.

The Bank will report annually to Parliament on its progress against the new objective. Ministers expect to introduce the change through amendments to the Financial Services and Markets Bill, which is due to be debated in the House of Lords on 7 and 9 September. City Minister Lucy Rigby said the measure would help the UK remain a global leader in financial services.

STORY

Members of the House of Lords are preparing to debate legislation which would impose a legal duty of candour on public servants and public authorities. The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, widely known as the Hillsborough Law, will receive its second reading on Tuesday 1 September.

The proposed law is intended to prevent public bodies and officials from concealing information or failing to cooperate honestly following disasters and state related deaths. It would also provide legal aid for victims and their families, addressing concerns about the disparity between publicly funded representation for state organisations and the resources available to bereaved relatives.

Justice minister Lord Lemos will introduce the debate and respond for the Government. Other scheduled speakers include former Prime Minister Baroness May, former Home Secretaries Lord Blunkett and Lord Howard and Lord Arbuthnot, who campaigned on behalf of subpostmasters affected by the Post Office Horizon scandal. The second reading will allow members to debate the bill’s principles before detailed amendments are considered at later stages.

STORY

Frasers Group founder Mike Ashley has described the Government’s plans to reform business rates as “delusional”, arguing that the proposals could place further pressure on larger retailers. In a letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Ashley accused the Government of relying upon media announcements instead of addressing the costs affecting businesses and employment.

The Prime Minister has announced that pubs, clubs and live music venues in England will receive a 20 per cent reduction in business rates from April. The Government intends to fund the measure partly by reviewing reliefs for businesses it believes do not contribute positively to local communities and by increasing enforcement against online marketplaces that fail to meet their tax obligations.

Burnham has also suggested raising business rates on large warehouses used by online retailers while reducing the burden on high street businesses. Ashley said increasing taxes on larger retailers to support pubs and clubs was the wrong approach. Downing Street defended the plans, saying the Government wanted to build an economy which supported British businesses and made essential costs more affordable.