The most recent round of the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund has opened for applications.
The fund aims to enable landowners and farmers to work together to protect and enhance their local environment.
The fund is part of the Rural Payments Agency’s aim to support agricultural and rural communities and the government's aim to improve the environment.

The Environment Agency is urging communities to prepare to flooding over the winter, by launching an awareness campaign.

A bank holiday has been announced for the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III next year.
Monday 8 May will be a bank holiday following the coronation on Saturday 6 May.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “The Coronation of a new monarch is a unique moment for our country. In recognition of this historic occasion, I am pleased to announce an additional bank holiday for the whole United Kingdom next year.”

UK politicians including prime minister Rishi Sunak, foreign secretary James Cleverly and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon have arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh for COP27.

A report by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee has called for urgent financial support for theatres, museums and leisure centres in light of the cost-of-living crisis.
The committee claims that action is needed to tackle geographical funding imbalances for arts and culture.
The report follows an inquiry that investigated whether funding for cultural initiatives has reached areas that have historically missed out.

Ahead of the UK Government’s Procurement Bill and the Welsh Government’s Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill, the Welsh Government has released a pre-implementation checklist.
The checklist is designed to help contracting authorities prepare for the new rules and sets out potential areas that contracting authorities should consider now, so they are prepared for the new rules.
The two-page checklist is available of the Sell2Wales website and identifies four areas for consideration: people; processes and policies; systems and transition.

The Planning Inspectorate has announced that 69 additional local planning authority (LPA) areas will be able to use the new service to submit appeals.
Last month, it was announced that the process would change for 30 LPA areas and this has now been extended to an addition 60 LPA areas.
The new service aims to be easier, faster and more cost effective, with the first changes to the appeal submission form and a new form for submitting full planning (s78) and householder appeals in some local authority areas of England.

The Scottish government has announced measures intended to help those struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

A 91,000 target for job cuts in the civil service introduced during Boris Johnson's tenure has been scrapped by Rishi Sunak.
Departments have been ordered to find efficient savings instead.
The government is trying to fill a finance gap of around £50 billion and has warned of spending cuts and tax rises.
The government has said job cuts were needed, but has not said how many.

An internal investigation has found no evidence of bullying during last month's vote on fracking.