John Fingleton, OFT Chief Executive, today welcomed the publication of the preliminary report of the European Commission's Energy Sector Inquiry.

New rules to help reduce the risk of spreading bovine TB through movements of cattle in England will now be introduced on 27 March to give industry more time to prepare for the measure, Defra announced today.

A powerful new body to put equality at the heart of modern Britain got the go-ahead today as the Equality Act gained Royal Assent.

Asked for further clarification about Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), and why was it discussed at Cabinet, the PMOS said that we had a fundamental review coming up, and therefore, it was setting the parameters...

Asked for further details about the reasons for the Prime Minister's visit to Germany tonight, as they had spoken quite a few times on the phone, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that Chancellor...

Press briefing from the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman on: Prime Minister's visit to Germany and CSR

Window and conservatory supplier St Helens Glass Limited (SHG) has given undertakings concerning the goods and services it will provide, following action by the OFT.

The director of a kitchen design company, Dream Interiors UK Ltd with showrooms in Leeds and Bradford, has been banned from acting as a director for seven years after leaving customers out of pocket. The disqualification...

Asked if Cabinet had discussed the issue of Lords reform today, the PMOS said no. Questioned about Baroness Amos's opinions, the PMOS said that Baroness Amos had expressed her views. That was a matter for her. Asked...

Asked if there were any proposals on what to do next to deal with the situation in Darfur, the PMOS said that the Foreign Secretary had made a speech about Darfur earlier this week in Nigeria in which he had...

Asked when the Prime Minister was expecting a smoking ban to be introduced, the PMOS said that the Bill had yet to complete its journey through Parliament. As he had said yesterday, once that had been done there...

Asked if the Prime Minister was intending to proscribe radical Islamic organisations which were currently allowed to exist, the PMOS pointed out that the Bill had not yet completed its passage through Parliament...

Asked why no medal was being awarded to DC Stephen Oake, who had been murdered during a police raid on a flat in Manchester in 2003, the PMOS said that it would be wrong of him to comment on individual...

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) advised journalists that the Prime Minister and Patricia Hewitt had met with NHS Independent Sector Treatment (ISTC) Providers this morning. The purpose of the meeting...

Press briefing from the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman on: ISTC Meeting, DC Oake, Terrorism Bill, Smoking, Sudan-Darfur and Lords Reform

Communities across London and the wider South East received a major boost today after being allocated a share of a cash pot worth almost £300m for more than 85 vital infrastructure schemes that will support...

An above inflation pay rise for every member of the Armed Forces was announced by Defence Secretary John Reid today.

A new contract that will transform the way in which logistics support is provided to the Armed Forces' largest helicopter has been awarded to the Boeing Company by the Ministry of Defence.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) yesterday served two summonses on Corus UK Ltd for breaches of health and safety law, following the conclusion of its investigation into the explosion at Blast Furnace 5 at ...

New figures show that an estimated 60,000 London Muslims have no right to vote.

New report shows impact of programme as PM and Health Secretary welcome new network representing the sector

Mr Tom Kennedy LVO has been appointed Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica and non resident Ambassador to the Republic of Nicaragua in succession to Mrs Georgina Butler who will be transferring...

Tony Blair has praised the "work and commitment" of private firms brought in to treat NHS patients.

Social Work - a 21st Century Profession

The year 2004 had the lowest number of fire related deaths in the UK for 45 years according to Government statistics published today.

The Government today confirmed the allocation of £525 million Neighbourhood Renewal Funds for the majority of the areas who are serving their communities well and making a difference.

Comments and suggestions on improving the Government's method for assessing evidence of forest management were invited today by Environment Minister Elliot Morley.

The scaleback rate of the Single Payment Scheme National Reserve for farmers in England is being set at 4.2 per cent for the 2005 Scheme year, Farming Minister Lord Bach announced today.

Asked what the situation was in regard to 10 Downing Street, the PMOS said that there was a smoking room at the moment but that would obviously be covered by the legislation. In terms of implementation of the bill...

Asked how the Prime Minister's day was looking tomorrow now that he had all these votes out of the way, the PMOS said that events did not move that fast and he was not anticipating that sort of busy day....

Asked what would be discussed with Chancellor Merkel, the PMOS said the Prime Minister had met Chancellor Merkel in London and again at the EU Council where the Prime Minister had been impressed with the German ...

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) told journalists that the Prime Minister had wanted Parliament to send a clear signal of its determination to counter terrorism and send a clear signal not only to ...

Press briefing from the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman on: Glorification of Terror, Berlin, Reshuffle and Smoking

Statistics on fires in Scotland, including comparisons with rest of UK

Statistical Release This statistical release presents figures on new house building starts and completions in England and its regions up to the quarter ending December 2005. House building figures are also provided...

AMENDED VERSION

Defra has today launched a 'better regulation' review of the local authority pollution, prevention and control regime.

DEPARTMENT FOR WORK AND PENSIONS FAMILY POVERTY AND WORK DIVISION

Slower underlying growth rate

Consultation Paper on the Review of Pollution Prevention and Control Part B Activities

The UK and Japan announced today - on the first anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol coming into force - a joint research project, which will investigate how to achieve a low carbon society by 2050..

Subject to Parliamentary approval of any necessary Supplementary Estimate, the Government Actuary's Departmental Expenditure Limit will be decreased by £199,000 from £1,365,000 to £...

My noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Baroness Ashton, has made the following written ministerial statement:"Land Registry has carried out extensive further consultation with stakeholders ...

This statement concerns a consultation on the transfer of certain powers from existing planning authorities to the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). The ODA is to be established, subject to parliamentary approval...

I am today notifying National Health Service Trusts, Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities of their 2006–07 capital allocations. The total value of these allocations is £2,041 million. Details...

I am pleased to say that Lord Carlile of Berriew QC has completed the report on the operation of Part VII of the Act in 2005, which will be laid before the House today.

I am today launching a consultation about the criteria we should use in drawing up the map of areas in the UK within which it will be possible to pay state aid for investment (economic funding to help to boost competitiveness...

I am pleased to announce that there will be no increase in either the Pensions Regulator General Levy rates or the Pension Protection Fund Administration Levy rates for 2006–07. Rates will remain at the 2005–06 ...

Tony Blair has said "the argument has been won" on fighting terrorism after MPs backed a new "glorification" law.

The Committee on Standards in Public Life is today publishing a consultation paper setting out the key issues and questions on which it intends to focus during its Eleventh Inquiry into the mandate, governance and...

Younger, more affluent consumers are just as likely as older consumer to be targeted by scammers, new research by the OFT has revealed.