UK at ‘front of the pack’ for breakthrough Covid vaccine, says prime minister
10 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
UK at ‘front of the pack’ for breakthrough Covid vaccine, says prime minister
Progress positive but job not yet a slamdunk, says Johnson
Vaccine task force signs £670,000 deal for PR consultants who 'duplicate' BEIS press officers
09 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Vaccine task force signs £670,000 deal for PR consultants who 'duplicate' BEIS press officers
Chair Kate Bingham under pressure after reports she 'insisted' on boutique team to aid task force
Be more transparent about Covid stats to win public trust, government told
06 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Be more transparent about Covid stats to win public trust, government told
Watchdog says data used in press conferences has “not consistently been supported by transparent information provided in a timely manner”
PM ducks questions on whether lockdown will end on 2 December if R-rate is rising
05 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
PM ducks questions on whether lockdown will end on 2 December if R-rate is rising
Boris Johnson says it will be for MPs to decide what happens after coronavirus measures expire
Unions raise 'extreme concern' about social distancing at BEIS HQ
05 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Unions raise 'extreme concern' about social distancing at BEIS HQ
Letter to perm sec Sarah Munby was written before it emerged business secretary Alok Sharma had travelled internationally after a colleague contracted coronavirus
Don't overburden NHS Test and Trace, chief medic warns
04 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Don't overburden NHS Test and Trace, chief medic warns
Speed of test turnarounds is critical, Chris Whitty says, as he also warns it would be "stupid" for scientists to interfere in minutiae of policy decisions
MPs call on Sunak to reveal economic impact assessment of Covid-19 measures
03 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
MPs call on Sunak to reveal economic impact assessment of Covid-19 measures
Treasury Select Committee seeks data briefed to SAGE as Labour demands end to last-minute policy scrambles
NHS ‘improves accuracy’ of contact-tracing app as downloads near 20 million
03 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
NHS ‘improves accuracy’ of contact-tracing app as downloads near 20 million
Update will end ‘ghost notifications’, government claims
England’s second lockdown could go beyond 2 December, says Michael Gove
02 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
England’s second lockdown could go beyond 2 December, says Michael Gove
Explaining move into a second national lockdown, the Cabinet Office minister says ‘the situation has been worse than any of us expected’
BEIS defends vaccine task force chair who named targets for government investment at $200-a-head event
02 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
BEIS defends vaccine task force chair who named targets for government investment at $200-a-head event
Department says officials signed off on Kate Bingham's presentation, which contained names of companies developing Covid-19 vaccines
Sunak urged to find cash to make pandemic-driven innovations permanent
02 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Sunak urged to find cash to make pandemic-driven innovations permanent
Spending Review should also stump up funding to deal with “huge” service backlogs, report says
DWP hits recruitment target for 4,500 extra work coaches
02 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
DWP hits recruitment target for 4,500 extra work coaches
Milestone will turn around department’s shrinking headcount as new hiring drive is set to launch
Government facing calls to tighten Covid restrictions as deaths hit their highest level since May
28 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
Government facing calls to tighten Covid restrictions as deaths hit their highest level since May
Latest figures from government scientific advisers are ‘utterly bleak’, according to reports
Sunak sets out ‘significantly’ boosted job-support package as local lockdowns spread
22 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
Sunak sets out ‘significantly’ boosted job-support package as local lockdowns spread
Chancellor’s £4.1bn pandemic aid proposals come one week after HM Treasury said existing measures “covered all bases”
Joint Biosecurity Centre partners with stats and machine-learning experts to inform Covid response
22 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
Joint Biosecurity Centre partners with stats and machine-learning experts to inform Covid response
The Alan Turing Institute and Royal Statistical Society to set up virtual lab
Cummings lockdown trip 'undermined' government's Covid messages, Sedwill says
21 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
Cummings lockdown trip 'undermined' government's Covid messages, Sedwill says
Sedwill says spad's trip to Durham was a "mistake"
Treasury perm sec Scholar tight-lipped on impact analysis for Covid-19 tiers
21 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
Treasury perm sec Scholar tight-lipped on impact analysis for Covid-19 tiers
Treasury perm sec grilled by MPs demanding figures for effect on businesses of new localised restrictions
HMRC ‘may never catch up’ with tax compliance work ditched because of Covid-19
16 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
HMRC ‘may never catch up’ with tax compliance work ditched because of Covid-19
MPs flag £7.5bn shortfall in first-quarter compliance income on top of £3.5bn estimated fraud from furlough scheme
Agencies flag honours for civil servants' work to combat Covid-19
16 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
Agencies flag honours for civil servants' work to combat Covid-19
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Sellafield and Network Rail bosses praise recognition of employees' pandemic work
DWP Covid recruitment ‘will reverse nearly a decade of staff cuts’
15 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
DWP Covid recruitment ‘will reverse nearly a decade of staff cuts’
But National Audit Office report warns department to brace for “significant increase” in fraud and error despite 2019-20’s record high
‘We have covered all bases’: Treasury rejects request for extra cash from areas in high Covid restrictions
15 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
‘We have covered all bases’: Treasury rejects request for extra cash from areas in high Covid restrictions
Statement comes as it is announced London and Essex will move into tier 2 restrictions this weekend
Coronavirus restrictions: Labour calls for ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown as local leaders demand Treasury support
14 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
Coronavirus restrictions: Labour calls for ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown as local leaders demand Treasury support
New three-tier restrictions coming into effect today amid calls for further tightening of rules
PM unveils three-tiered Covid lockdown system, with Liverpool under tightest restrictions
13 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
PM unveils three-tiered Covid lockdown system, with Liverpool under tightest restrictions
Boris Johnson says new system will “simplify and standardise” the rules after positive tests in the North of England continue to rise.
Ministers accused of 'ignoring own advisers' after rejecting SAGE call for 'circuit breaker' lockdown
13 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
Ministers accused of 'ignoring own advisers' after rejecting SAGE call for 'circuit breaker' lockdown
Scientific advisers called for "immediate action" on 21 September, minutes show