Cabinet Office · Original source
UK AI Minister Kanishka Narayan and Norwegian Digitalisation Minister Torgeir Micaelsen signed a joint statement of intent on artificial intelligence at the Atlantic Future Forum on 12 November. The two countries will explore cooperation on compute infrastructure and AI hardware, links between the UK's Taskforce RAID and Norway's Defence Centre for Data and AI, and closer work between UK AISI and AI Norway on AI security testing and evaluation.
Ministry of Justice · Original source
The Ministry of Justice has opened a consultation on reforming how criminal records for offences committed as children are disclosed. Proposals include ending lifelong disclosure for some convictions, removing disclosure of out-of-court resolutions, and reducing or removing disclosure of convictions that resulted in a fine. Serious violent and sexual offences would be excluded. Youth justice minister Jake Richards said people who have turned their lives around should not be held back from jobs and education.
Ministry of Defence · Original source
The UK will buy three Offshore Support Vessels to serve as motherships for uncrewed mine-hunting systems by joining Norway's naval programme, with the first due in 2031 and an option for three more. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Norway's Tore O. Sandvik confirmed the commitment in Oslo, backed by £90 million in the Defence Investment Plan. The deal forms part of the Type 26 frigate export agreement with Norway, which supports 4,000 UK jobs.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero · Original source
At COP31 in Antalya, the UK endorsed Türkiye's '35 by 35' pledge to raise electricity's share of global energy use from under a quarter to 35% by 2035. The UK also published a clean electrification roadmap for homes, transport and business. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said the aim is to cut bills and reduce dependence on volatile fossil fuel markets, citing more than £110 billion of clean energy investment announced since July 2024.
Ministry of Defence; National Wealth Fund; HM Treasury · Original source
The National Wealth Fund is investing £113 million in UFORCE, a Ukrainian-founded, UK-headquartered maker of uncrewed and autonomous defence systems, as part of its $700 million Series A round. UFORCE plans to expand UK engineering, training and production, with more than 70% of each UK-built boat sourced from British suppliers. The government says hundreds of high-skilled jobs will follow and the UK will be a base for supporting Joint Expeditionary Force allies in northern seas.
Department of Health and Social Care · Original source
The Department of Health and Social Care will encourage councils to commission home care by neighbourhood, with one or two main providers serving each smaller area. The aim is for people to see the same carers more often and for care workers to travel less between visits. Guidance and toolkits are due in the spring. Research in Bristol cited by the department suggested zoning could need 35% less staff time and 65% less driving.
