UK Defence Secretary John Reid has re-affirmed the central importance of the historic security and defence relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States on his first visit to Washington DC as Secretary...

Tony Blair has hosted a reception in Downing Street to say thank you to emergency service workers who responded to the terrorist bombings in London.

The European Union strongly condemns the killing of Orlando Valencia of the Consejo Comunitario del Jiguamiando. Senor Valencia, who had campaigned for the resolution of difficulties facing the communities of Curvarado...

Guidance notes for completion of Croft House Grant Scheme Applications

The Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive strongly condemn any form of harassment or bullying at work and are supporters of Ban Bullying At Work Day (7 November 2005).

With spells of very heavy rain and occasionally windy conditions forecast by the Met Office expected to affect much of England and Wales over the next two days, the Highways Agency reminds drivers to take care on...

The arrangements for the observance of Remembrance Sunday, 13 November, have now been completed and have been approved by Her Majesty The Queen.

Defra today published a summary of responses on its consultation into sugar reform. The results show strong support for reform, though there were a wide range of opinions on how this should be taken forward.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions John Hutton on first Ministerial visit to Manchester

The Government has today published for consultation its proposed council housing subsidy allocations for individual housing authorities for 2006-07. As far as possible the same formulae will also apply for 2007...

Good progress is being made in implementing recommendations from the Bichard Inquiry Report, the Home Secretary said today.

Minister for Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity Jim Knight today announced three appointments to the Council of English Nature.

Sir Martin Doughty has been appointed as Chair Designate of Natural England, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Margaret Beckett, announced today.

Information Bulletin

The Thirteenth Annual Report of the National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit was published today. The report looks back over the period from May 1990 when the Unit was set up to 31 December 2004. The...

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt today set out new financial diagnostic checks and the next steps for NHS trusts wanting to apply for foundation status.

Thousands of children across England have been issued with pedometers as action to tackle childhood obesity took another step forward today with the official launch of the Schools on the Move pilot scheme.

Dr Kim Howells will attend the annual conference of the member states of the Chemical Weapons Convention on 7 November. He will urge member states to put in place key measures under the Convention, which would ...

Tony Blair answered questions from national and international journalists today during his monthly press conference at Number 10.

Tony Blair has said again that he hopes the plan to detain terror suspects without charge for 90 days will be approved by MPs.

This research has been carried out to find out why there is such a large variation in the casualty reductions being achieved by Local Authorities and to identify good practice which may be more widely adopted to...

Issued by the Payment Systems Task Force, chaired by the Office of Fair Trading

Proposals to make it easier for magistrates who are in employment to take time off from work to sit in court were unveiled today, as part of a series of measures aimed at making magistrates' courts more effective...

From today the rule which has stopped older cattle from entering the human food chain since March 1996 has been lifted and replaced with a BSE testing regime.

Provides advice on the design of better quality residential streets. It focuses on some key factors which can create successful street design. It also clarifies the roles and responsibilities of those involved...

Research to investigate the road construction process.

Helen Ghosh, Defra's new permanent secretary, starts work today. Helen joins the department from HM Revenue and Customs, where she was Director General of Corporate Services.

Manufacturing: 0.4% quarterly rise

Tony Blair will answer questions from national and international journalists today during his monthly press conference at Number 10. It starts at 1200 GMT.

Consultation on bringing adult placement services into regulation

Shoppers in Northern Ireland are being targeted by the OFT with hot shopping tips and advice as part of a major consumer awareness campaign.

TV's Amanda Holden launches codes logo scheme

Simon Pritchard has been appointed Director of Mergers at the OFT on promotion from his current position as a Deputy Director in the mergers branch.

The OFT today referred the anticipated acquisition of Exeter and Devon Airport Ltd by Macquarie Airports Ltd and Ferrovial SA to the Competition Commission (CC).

The Consumer and Trading Standards Agency (CTSA) should be placed within the OFT say the new OFT Chairman and Chief Executive.

The OFT today welcomes the help of Western Union, the largest money transfer business, in the fight against scams.

The OFT has decided to revoke the consumer credit licence of Harkanwaljit Singh Khabra, trading as Town & Country Window Systems, and refused a licence application by a related business St James Financial Services...

New forms for businesses applying for, renewing, varying or notifying changes to their consumer credit licences have been launched today by the OFT.

The OFT has today issued a statement of objections against Visa and its members, which includes most major banks, regarding an agreement on its domestic multilateral interchange fee (MIF) applicable to consumer ...

The OFT today referred the anticipated acquisition by Robert Wiseman Dairies plc of the fresh milk business of Scottish Milk Dairies Limited to the Competition Commission (CC).

The OFT has refused applications for consumer credit licences from Lester John Stacey of Stafford and Tracey-Anne Elizabeth Henney of Shropshire.

London accountant and mortgage broker, Twaleeb Ali Mohunger, has had his application for a credit licence turned down by the OFT.

The OFT has today announced that the anticipated acquisition by Cable & Wireless plc of Chelys Ltd (owner of the Energis Group) will not be referred to the Competition Commission.

The OFT has decided to make a prohibition order against Smethwick estate agent, Marios Antoniou, banning him from engaging in estate agency work. The order will not come into effect until the end of an appeals process...

Customers buying items from a number of mail order catalogues will not in future receive demands for payment for unsolicited membership of the World For Less Ltd discount marketing scheme, following action by the...

The OFT today referred the completed acquisition by Heinz of the HP Foods Group to the Competition Commission (CC).

A Downpatrick estate agent has been required to change his conduct and be more transparent in his dealings with consumers following action by the OFT and the Trading Standards Service of the Department of Enterprise...

Shoppers in Dundee are being targeted by the OFT with hot shopping tips and advice as part of a major consumer awareness campaign.

The Public Transport Ticketing Schemes Block Exemption provides significant benefits to consumers and should be extended for another five years, the OFT today recommended to the Secretary of State for Trade and ...

Consumers buying goods and services in their homes or on their doorstep are being reminded of their rights by the OFT.

Launch of Come Clean on Cartels Month

318 licensing actions carried out by OFT

OFT and EU host international spam summit

OFT hosts first consumer education Alliance event

The OFT and its law enforcement partners in Nigeria are warning consumers to be wary of unsolicited e-mails asking for help in moving large sums of money in exchange for a share of the spoils.

Smelly petrol fumes which escape while you top up the tank could be a thing of the past.