Home Office · Original source
eGates at UK airports will gradually switch to contactless technology from 6 October, letting eligible arrivals pass through without placing their passport on a reader, the Home Office said. The system checks a live photo against verified immigration, travel and passport information, and testing shows it is up to 25% faster. The rollout starts at East Midlands Airport for British citizens, with every eGate due to be upgraded by early 2027.
Trade Remedies Authority · Original source
The Trade Remedies Authority has found that boom lifts imported from China are being dumped in the UK market and injuring UK industry, and intends to recommend anti-dumping duties of up to 82.89%. Its Statement of Essential Facts, published on 5 October, says Chinese import prices undercut UK producers by more than 25%. Affected businesses can comment by 20 October 2026 before a final recommendation to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · Original source
Professor Sergio Cavalaro of Loughborough University has been appointed independent Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser on a three-year term, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said. The role, among the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations being implemented, will give independent advice on the safety, quality and resilience of buildings. The announcement comes as the Building Safety Levy, in force since 1 October, is expected to raise around £3.4 billion over ten years.
Mining Remediation Authority · Original source
A mine water heat network at Seaham Garden Village on the Durham coast is now fully operational, supplying around 750 homes with low-carbon heat from the Mining Remediation Authority’s Dawdon mine water treatment scheme. The project, delivered with Karbon Homes, Esh Construction, Vital Energi and Durham County Council, is estimated to save 2,600 tonnes of CO2 a year. It received funding through the government’s Heat Networks Investment Project.
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs · Original source
Iain Coucher has been reappointed as Chair of the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) for a second term starting on 1 October 2026, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said. The appointment runs until a new integrated water regulator is established, and no later than 30 June 2029. Ofwat, the economic regulator of water and sewerage in England and Wales, will keep its existing legal powers during the transition.
Natural England · Original source
Construction has begun on Natural England’s £1.95 million Beach School and Work Base at Earnse Bay in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, with contractor Integra Buildings on site from 5 October. Funded by Defra, the building will be the headquarters for managing North Walney National Nature Reserve and a community hub for outdoor learning, volunteering and wellbeing activities. It is the final phase of the wider Earnse Bay development with Westmorland and Furness Council.
HM Treasury · Original source
HM Treasury has appointed Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Morgan Stanley, NatWest and RBC Capital Markets as Joint Lead Managers for the pilot issuance of DIGIT, the UK’s first digitally native government bond. Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby KC MP announced the appointments at Digital Assets Week, completing procurement so investor engagement can begin. The pilot, expected by Q1 2027, will test distributed ledger technology across the bond’s issuance and lifecycle.
Regulator of Social Housing · Original source
Social housing landlords in England plan to invest record amounts in repairs while also building new homes, according to the Regulator of Social Housing’s 2026 financial forecasts of private registered providers, published on 6 October 2026. The plans require £54.7bn of new borrowing and £16.3bn of additional grant over their first five years. The regulator said aggregate interest cover was comparable to the previous forecasts, but landlords still face significant financial pressures.
UK Health Security Agency · Original source
The UK Health Security Agency has appointed Dr Gail Carson as its new Chief Medical Advisor, with her role starting in January 2027. Dr Carson, Director of Network Development at the international clinical research network ISARIC at the University of Oxford, has worked with the WHO on diseases including Ebola, SARS and H5N1. UKHSA also confirmed Professor Robin May, interim Chief Scientific Officer since September 2025, in the post permanently.
Ministry of Justice · Original source
Mrs Justice Morgan DBE, the Family Presiding Judge for Wales, will serve as a Judicial Commissioner of the Judicial Appointments Commission for three years from 1 October 2026, the Ministry of Justice said. His Majesty The King approved the appointment on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. The JAC selects candidates for judicial office in courts and tribunals in England and Wales and for some UK-wide tribunals.
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency · Original source
The UK government has accepted all 44 recommendations of the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare, a doctors-led independent body whose report was published on 10 September 2026. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will issue draft guidance on changes to AI-enabled medical devices by December 2026, with a full implementation roadmap due by spring 2027. Applications have also opened for phase three of the MHRA’s AI Airlock regulatory sandbox, focused on post-market surveillance.
Department for Work and Pensions · Original source
Free careers support is now available through Jobcentres across the country, the Department for Work and Pensions says. Claimants and jobseekers can access guidance on skills, training and job matching from careers advisers. The offer is intended to help more people find sustainable work and progress in their careers.
