Councils in Scotland have published plans for closing the poverty-related attainment gap. This includes "stretch aims" for children and young peoples’ progress in literacy and numeracy levels, for senior phase qualifications achieved, and for the number of young people participating in education, training, or employment.

Wales will become the first part of the UK to legislate against single-use plastics.
The legislation will ban selling unnecessary, disposable products to consumers and will come into effect in autumn next year.
Local authorities will have the power to enforce the offence of supplying or offering to supply the items.
The bill will also enable the Welsh Government to revise the list of banned items in the future.

A devolution deal is to be signed today for Norfolk and Suffolk, guaranteeing the two counties over £1 billion.
Levelling up secretary Michael Gove will sign the devolution deals in Bury St Edmunds and Norwich.
The deals mean that Norfolk and Suffolk will be devolved power over their Adult Education budget.
The promised £1 billion is intended to give the counties the ability to drive growth and plan for the long-term with certainty whilst levelling up and unlocking their economic potential.

Matt Hancock has announced he will not stand for the Conservatives at the next General Election.
In a letter to the prime minister published on his Twitter account, Hancock said: "I am writing to tell you that I do not intend to stand for the Conservatives at the next General Election. I am very grateful for my conversation with the Chief Whip last week, in which he made clear he would restore the whip in due course, but that is now not necessary."
Hancock was suspended as a Conservative MP after it was announced he would be taking part in I'm A Celebrity.

Tŷ William Morgan, the UK government hub in Cardiff has been officially opened by David TC Davies MP, secretary of state for Wales.
HMRC has managed the creation of the new hub as part of their estates and transformation hub across the UK.
The 11th new regional centre to be opened as part of HMRC's estate programme, the hub is spread across 12 floors and is one of 14 new government hubs across the UK.

The Freeports in Teesside, Plymouth and South Devon and Solent are now fully operational after receiving the final government sign off.
The Freeports will receive up to £25 million seed funding and potentially tens of millions of pounds in locally retained business rates in an attempt upgrade local infrastructure and stimulate regeneration as part of the government's levelling up plans.
Businesses that operate in Freeports will be able to take advantage of tax incentives. It is hoped business will bring jobs to the area.

The government has announced £50 million of funding to protect families from homelessness over the winter.
Councils will be able to target the funding to those who need it the most and it can be used to help households at risk of eviction pay rent arrears or secure a new place to live.
The funding is part of a £2 billion package to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the next three years.

The government has outlined new measures in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, with the intention of putting local communities at the heart of the planning system.
According to the government, "The measures strengthen the government’s commitment to building enough of the right homes in the right places with the right infrastructure, ensuring the environment is protected and giving local people a greater say on where and where not to place new development."

The Mayor of London has awarded £2 million for tree planting and green space projects around London, as part of the third round of the Grow Back Greener Fund.
The Grow Back Greener Fund prioritises projects in areas with tree canopy cover, where Londoners live more than a 10-minute walk from a green space, or that are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
The fund aims to increase tree planting in improve access high-quality green spaces for Londoners.

Business and energy secretary Grant Shapps has written to the CEOs of energy suppliers, in the wake of concerns about the delivery of support to customers with prepayment meters.
It has been reported that some prepayment meter customers have not been receiving their vouchers under the Energy Bills Support Scheme and Shapps has written to CEOs to ask how they plan to improve the situation.