The Government Construction Strategy sets out the government’s plan to develop its capability as a construction client, including several objectives to improve efficiency.

ARCHIVED: This Practice Note has been archived and is not maintained. Last updated April 2016 The Government Construction Strategy (the ‘Strategy’) was launched in May 2011. It was designed to reform public sector procurement of construction by promoting efficiency, innovation and growth in the construction sector. The overall aim of the Strategy was to reduce the cost of government construction projects by 15–20% by the end of the parliamentary term, and it complemented the three year Infrastructure Cost Review programme being led by Infrastructure UK. The government’s ‘One Year On’ report, published in July 2012, outlined that application of the principles of the Strategy had already led to in-year cost reductions and whole life project cost reductions. On 23 March 2016 the Infrastructure and Projects Authority published the Government Construction Strategy 2016–2020, which was stated to build on the success of the Government Construction Strategy 2011-2015. It reported that the Strategy had delivered £3 billion of efficiency savings between 2011 and 2015. For more information on the 2016–2020 Strategy, see Practice Note: Government

ARCHIVED: This Practice Note has been archived and is not maintained. The Government Construction Strategy 2016–2020 (the ‘Strategy’) was launched on 23 March 2016 by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (the 'IPA'), reporting to HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office. It set out the government’s plan to develop its capability as a construction client. This Practice Note looks at some of the key information set out in the Strategy as published on 23 March 2016. It does not refer to developments that have occurred after this date. Readers of the Strategy should be aware that the Government Construction Pipeline and the National Infrastructure Pipeline (referred to below) were updated and consolidated by the

Law360: Proposals from the government to consolidate defined contribution (DC) pensions schemes to drum up more investment in the UK 'need far more detail' if they are to be effective, Broadstone has said.

The Government Office for Science has published a notice on the Foresight Project which examines the future of global supply chains, on 15 July 2024. This aims to aid decision-makers across the government build resilient supply chains and safeguard critical imports, based on the Future of Global Supply Chains in the UK.

The Government Office for Science has published a case study on the UK’s science-led response to the growing deepfake threat. The initiative is designed to help police, industry and online platforms identify fraudulent and harmful content and protect the public from criminal exploitation. As part of this effort, the Home Office in collaboration with Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, HMRC, the Accelerated Capability Environment and the Alan Turing Institute has developed a deepfake detection evaluation framework to assess how effectively current tools identify harmful deepfakes across different use cases. Tools are evaluated against real-world challenges such as impersonation, fraud and non-consensual image abuse, highlighting both their strengths and areas for improvement.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) announced on 27 November 2025 that after a series of 'constructive conversations' between trade unions and business representatives, the outcome of the discussions concluded that reducing the qualifying period for unfair dismissal from 24 months to six months, while maintaining existing day-one protection against discrimination and automatically unfair grounds for dismissal, is a 'workable package'. To further strengthen these protections, the government has committed to ensure that the unfair dismissal qualifying period can only be varied by primary legislation and that the compensation cap will be lifted.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk, has confirmed that the government will not proceed with the Bill of rights Bill. The Bill was introduced in June 2022 by (then) Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, but progress then stalled due to various changes in government personnel and priorities. An announcement on the Bill has been anticipated for some time. During Justice Questions in Parliament on 27 June 2023, Chalk was asked to confirm that the government still intends to ‘update and modernise’ UK human rights law, whilst also continuing to adhere to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). In response, Chalk confirmed the decision to abandon the Bill, but reiterated the government’s commitment to a human rights framework that is ‘up to date’ and ‘fit for purpose’, as well as ongoing efforts to ‘recalibrate and rebalance’ the UK constitution. The decision to scrap the ill-fated Bill is said to have been taken having reflected on the government’s broader legislative programme. The government’s present focus is on addressing various ‘specific issues’ with the ECHR and Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA 1998) on a piecemeal basis via legislation such as the Illegal Migration Bill, which itself has been the subject of criticism and concern over its incompatibility with UK human rights obligations.

The government has published its response to the House of Lords Constitution Committee’s report ‘The Rule of Law: Holding the Line Against Tyranny and Anarchy’, reaffirming its commitment to judicial independence, legislative standards and access to justice, following concerns raised in the report about the erosion of respect for constitutional norms, declining trust in public institutions and increased criticism of the judiciary. In its response, the government states that judicial independence occupies a central position in the UK constitutional order and confirms that ministers will continue to defend the judiciary against personal attacks, while in a letter to the Chair of the Constitution Committee the Lord Chancellor, Rt Hon David Lammy MP, describes the protection of judicial independence as a shared responsibility of government, Parliament and the courts. The response recognises judicial review as an essential safeguard enabling challenges to executive decision-making, while defending recent procedural reforms, including changes affecting Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), as measures intended to reduce delay without preventing legitimate claims. It also accepts that legislation should be clear, accessible and consistent, refers to existing drafting and scrutiny safeguards, and maintains that delegated powers are appropriate where flexibility is required, while further highlighting legal aid fee uplifts, investment in digital reform and measures to address civil justice delays, alongside the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) tools accompanied by appropriate safeguards, and committing to steps aimed at improving public confidence in policing and strengthening citizenship education.

Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London (RAMFEL) has reported that the government has admitted that its No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) Policy is unlawful due to the way that it treats people with disabilities who may require public funds. This follows two cases of legal action from applicants who needed public funds to supplement their income because of their or their family members’ disabilities, but were prevented from doing so becuase the government imposed an NRPF condition and failed to adequately consider their disability-related needs. Before the hearing, the government conceded that its guidance, and the Immigration Rules themselves, are unlawful, as they do not comply with the Equality Act 2010 (EqA 2010), and fail to make it clear that disabled people can be allowed access to public funds even if they are not destitute or imminently destitute. The Immigration Rules and guidance will therefore be amended, following a High Court order issued on 15th February 2023.

Law360: The government must extend the safety net of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) if it wants defined benefit (DB) schemes to release up to £160bn in surpluses to the wider economy, the Social Market Foundation (SMF) warned in a briefing paper on 2 April 2025.

The government has agreed to amend the Ministerial Code to clarify provisions relating to ministers' accountability to Parliament. This is in response to recommendations made by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee in its report on Ministerial statements and the Ministerial Code. While reaffirming the expectation that major policy announcements should be made to Parliament before the media, the government rejected a recommendation to make this a mandatory requirement, citing practical considerations and the need for flexibility. The response also supports greater use of written ministerial statements and reiterates the government's commitment to ensuring that Parliament is informed and able to scrutinise government decisions.