The Cabinet Office has published the notes from the ninth meeting of the Interministerial Standing Committee (IMSC), held on 26 June 2025, via video conference. The meeting was co-chaired by the Scottish Government Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, Kate Forbes MSP, and attended by ministers from the UK government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive responsible for intergovernmental relations. Discussions focused on the ongoing statutory review of the UK Internal Market Act 2020 and its interaction with Common Frameworks. The IMSC also reviewed recent experiences with UK legislation and the UK government’s plans to strengthen the Sewel Convention. The next IMSC meeting is scheduled for autumn 2025 and will be chaired by the Welsh Government.

The Cabinet Office has published the meeting notes from the Interministerial Standing Committee's (IMSC) seventh meeting, which took place on 3 December 2024 via video conference. The meeting, chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, Pat McFadden, was attended by ministers from the four governments of the UK with responsibility for intergovernmental relations. They discussed resilience and responses to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, the Common Frameworks Programme, and the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 (UKIMA 2020). Ministers emphasised joint efforts for future resilience and reviewed the UK's approach to managing UKIMA 2020, noting a statutory review in 2025. Due to time constraints, a planned discussion on the Sewel Convention and UK legislation was deferred. The next IMSC meeting is scheduled for February 2025.

The Cabinet Office has published its response to the consultation on the National Security and Investment Act 2021 (Notifiable Acquisition) (Specification of Qualifying Entities) Regulations 2021 (NSIA 2021), SI 2021/1264. The response summarises feedback received during the consultation period and outlines the changes the government will implement for each schedule of the Notifiable Acquisition Regulations. The document specifically addresses proposed modifications to NSIA 2021.

The Cabinet Office has published an evaluation of Common Frameworks, examining how UK Government and devolved administrations work together post-Brexit. The study, covering 28 frameworks through proforma data and six case studies, found that while frameworks enable effective intergovernmental working, improvements are needed in areas including cross-framework coordination, stakeholder engagement and central guidance. The evaluation identified that many framework processes remain untested, with few instances of formal disputes or divergence management, recommending further assessment as frameworks mature.

The Cabinet Office has published the explanatory memorandum on UK/EU TCA Partnership Council decision (COM(2024)297.The proposal concerns the EU's position in the Partnership Council on modifying Annex 3 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the EU and UK. Annex 3 pertains to product-specific rules of origin.

Cabinet Office has published an explanatory memorandum concerning Decision No 1/2025 of the Partnership Council, adopted on 18 June 2025, and Decision No 1/2025 of the Specialised Committee on Fisheries, adopted on 19 June 2025, under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The Partnership Council decision issues an interpretation of Article 508(2)(d) of the TCA, clarifying that the Specialised Committee may adopt decisions providing for multiannual access to waters to fish. The Specialised Committee decision sets out the arrangements on the level and conditions of access granted by each Party to vessels of the other Party to fish in its waters from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2038. The memorandum was submitted by the Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office (Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations).

The Cabinet Office has published its final response to the Infected Blood Inquiry's May 2024 report, accepting all 12 recommendations either in full or in principle. The response also outlines progress made by the UK and devolved governments in implementing the Inquiry’s recommendations. Through the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA), the government has already distributed £96.6m in compensation and over £1.2bn in interim payments, including £100,000 payments to both infected beneficiaries and bereaved partners. Key initiatives outlined in the response include plans to establish permanent memorials across the UK, implement enhanced liver monitoring for hepatitis patients, and allocate £500,000 to patient advocacy charities. The response also confirms that Sir Robert Francis KC will continue as the IBCA Interim Chair for the next 18 months. In total, the government has set aside £11.8bn to deliver the compensation scheme, which offers both lump sum and periodic payment options.

The Cabinet Office has published the first suite of guidance documents in relation to the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023). The guidance documents are intended to provide technical guidance and help with interpretation and understanding of PA 2023 and are aimed at procurement practitioners and commercial policy leads in contracting authorities. All guidance documents should be read in conjunction with PA 2023 and its associated regulations. The Cabinet Office has stated that it will publish PA 2023 guidance documents in batches, with the aim to publish the full suite of documents by June 2024. The Procurement Regulations 2024 have also been published in their final form for debate in Parliament. These draft regulations incorporate the changes highlighted in the government’s response to the consultation published on 22 March 2024. The Welsh Government will publish its own guidance separately for devolved Welsh authorities in due course.

The Cabinet Office has published its fourth annual report covering the implementation of the UK-European Union (EU) Withdrawal Agreement during 2024. The report, issued under Article 164(6) of the Withdrawal Agreement, provides an overview of treaty-related activities between 1 January and 31 December 2024. This continues the formal monitoring and reporting requirements established under the Agreement following the UK's exit from the EU.

The Cabinet Office has published guidance for civil servants on conduct in the pre-election period, ahead of the general election, to be held on 4 July 2024. In general, the guidance asks for civil servants to observe discretion in commencing any new long-term action, or any activity that could suggest use of public resources for political party purposes. It asks for departmental and Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) to not be seen competing with the election campaign for public attention. Lastly, it reminds ministers to not use government resources for political party purposes and to uphold impartiality of the Civil Service. The guidance applies to all UK civil servants, and the board members and staff of NDPBs and other arms’ length bodies. The Prime Minister (PM) will write separately to ministers advising them of the need to adhere to this guidance and to uphold the impartiality of the Civil Service. This guidance takes effect from 00:01 on 25 May 2024 at which point the pre-election period of sensitivity, formerly known as ‘purdah’, begins.

The Cabinet Office has released guidance on the covered procurement objectives introduced by section 12 of the Procurement Act 2023. This new legislation replaces previous EU-derived principles with objectives tailored to UK needs. Key changes include explicit recognition of value for money, a requirement to consider maximising public benefit, emphasis on information sharing and integrity, and consideration of barriers faced by SMEs. The guidance provides detailed interpretation on how contracting authorities should apply these objectives throughout the procurement process, balancing factors such as equal treatment, proportionality, and transparency. This represents a significant shift in the legal framework governing public procurement in the UK.

The Cabinet has published guidance for departments on the declaration and management of outside interests in the Civil Service. The guidance sets out the details and requirements for declaring outside interests in the Civil Service, the process for declaring outside interests, resolving conflicts of interest, the roles and responsibilities for ensuring interests are dealt with as and when they arise, and failure to make a declaration.