Stay up to date with the latest government news, announcements and developments that may be relevant to businesses across the home, gift and retail sectors.

This latest roundup covers updates across business, digital services, intellectual property, energy and regulation, alongside wider government announcements.

Explore the latest updates and follow the links below to find out more.

Announcements

Thousands more young people to access help with life's biggest challenges - GOV.UK

42 new Young Futures Hubs to open across England, reversing a decade of decline in local youth services.

UK and Indian industry join forces to combat digital fraud - GOV.UK

Telecommunications industry leaders in the UK and India will harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to tackle online fraud, scams and harms.

New rules pave the way for businesses to adopt digital proof of age for alcohol sales - GOV.UK

Licensed premises across England and Wales will now have the option to accept digital proof of age when selling alcohol.

UK steps up support for global efforts to prepare for El Niño following devastating extreme weather - GOV.UK

Hundreds of thousands of people around the world will be helped to prepare for extreme weather conditions next year. 

Almost 7 million adults in the dark about their State Pension - GOV.UK

HMRC is encouraging people to check their State Pension forecast using the HMRC app during Pension Awareness Week.

Millions of people to benefit from simpler, more secure way to sign in to government services - GOV.UK

Passkeys are being rolled out across GOV.UK One Login, giving more than 23 million users a faster and more secure way to access government services. 

Crime

Government expands crackdown on knife crime - GOV.UK

Targeted crackdown has reduced knife robberies by almost a quarter in 7 forces since June 2024.

Ministers bring together leaders to rewire youth crime prevention - GOV.UK

Youth Justice Minister Jake Richards convened local leaders and experts in Manchester to tackle youth crime.

DESNZ

‘People’s Power’ projects to give more control over local energy - GOV.UK

Communities across the country will be able to build and control their own clean energy supply.

FSA

FSA Board supports new plans to strengthen the food safety system - GOV.UK

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) Board has agreed to move forward with designing plans to build a modern system that protects the public, supports businesses and keeps food safe now and in the future.

IPO

IPO patents service roadmap - GOV.UK

We are sharing our roadmap of planned changes, improvements and enhancements over the coming months to the new patents service.