Hereditary Peers Bill passes Lords

11 March 2026
Hereditary Peers Bill passes Lords
The Hereditary Peers Bill has passed in the House of Lords, meaning hereditary peers will no longer have the right to sit and vote in the House of Lords.
The House of Lords is one of only two legislative bodies in the world that still contains a hereditary element. While over 600 hereditary peers were removed from the Lords in the House of Lords Act 1999, 92 were retained as an interim measure.
The Bill will come into effect at the end of this Parliament.
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Government launches Civil Society Council

11 March 2026
Government launches Civil Society Council
The prime minister has launched a new Civil Society Council bringing together leading voices from across the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector.
The goal is to bring civil society to the heart of government decision-making.
The Council will oversea the implementation of the Civil Society Covenant at national and local level, and builds on last summer’s Civil Society Summit and the launch of the Office for the Impact Economy.
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Government launches plan to build stronger communities

10 March 2026
Government launches plan to build stronger communities
The government has launched an action plan to build stronger communities and stamp out extremism, hate and division.
Described as a 'rallying call for action', the plan includes the first steps towards a more connected, cohesive and resilient United Kingdom.
The government said that the announcement comes after decades of rapid change including technological advancements, demographic change, the increasing cost of living and the decline of vital public services - all of this putting a strain on social cohesion. 
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£5.8 million to fight child poverty in Scotland

10 March 2026
£5.8 million to fight child poverty in Scotland
The Scottish Government has announced £5.8 million to prevent child poverty.
Seven projects working in communities will share the funding to drive transformation in whole family support.
The recipients will provide support for families, scale up efforts to tackle child poverty, and improve early child development.
The money comes from the £50 million Whole Family Wellbeing Funding allocation for 2026-27.
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No profit for children homes and fostering accommodation in Wales

10 March 2026
No profit for children homes and fostering accommodation in Wales
From 1 April, new providers of children's homes, fostering services and secure accommodation will no longer be able to make a profit in Wales.
At the moment, some some children's care homes and fostering services are run by companies that make a profit. This profit comes from public money.
The Welsh Government has committed to phasing out the extraction of profit from children’s social care services, specifically children’s homes, fostering services, and secure accommodation, as part of wider reforms under the Health and Social Care (Wales) Act 2025.
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Jonathan Brearley appointed permanent secretary at DESNZ

9 March 2026
Jonathan Brearley appointed permanent secretary at DESNZ
Jonathan Brearley has been appointed Permanent Secretary at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. 
The appointment was made by the cabinet secretary with approval from the prime minister.
Brearley is currently CEO of Ofgem and has previous experience in government and the energy sector.
Brearley will replace Clive Maxwell who was serving as Interim Permanent Secretary while a full external recruitment process was run.
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Reduced water bills for 300,000 households

6 March 2026
Reduced water bills for 300,000 households
Around 300,000 low-income households are set to have their water bills reduced thanks to a reform of WaterSure.
WaterSure enables low-income households who use high amounts of water to have their water bills capped. To qualify, they must have a water meter and either a specific medical condition or three or more children living at home.
260,000 households are already part of the scheme, which is estimated to save around £325 per household.
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£5 million for greener homes in Wales

5 March 2026
£5 million for greener homes in Wales
The Welsh Government has invested more than £5 million in new funding for the Green Homes Wales scheme in 2026-27.
A Welsh Government initiative, Green Homes Wales is managed by the Development Bank of Wales. It is designed to support eligible homeowners in making energy-efficiency and low carbon heat improvements to their homes.
Almost £12 million have been invested into the scheme since its launch in October 2024.
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100 schools benefitting from Great British Energy solar panels

5 March 2026
100 schools benefitting from Great British Energy solar panels
100 schools and colleges have now installed their Great British Energy-funded solar panels. 250 schools will have completed their installations by summer.
Schools and colleges clustered in areas of deprivation in the North East, West Midlands and North West were prioritised.
Around 250 schools and colleges are set to save up to a combined £220 million over the lifetime of the solar panels.
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