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Workplace charging grants have supported nearly seventy thousand sockets nationwide. Almost £34m has been distributed since 2016, although regional differences and the scheme’s March 2027 closure create new planning pressure.
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School solar funding is moving from pilot projects towards scale. A further £40m and private-sector partnership aim to lower electricity costs across an estate expected to save up to £220m.
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Climate technology funding rebounded as energy demand reshaped investor priorities. Data-centre power requirements drove a concentrated recovery, with fewer deals and more capital flowing to a small number of large transactions.
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PwC faces fresh sanctions over repeated weaknesses in Babcock audits. The regulator identified serious failures across the 2019 and 2020 engagements, extending concerns previously raised over two earlier financial years.
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Pension investment ambitions are colliding with charges, liquidity, and regulation. Aegon has warned that existing rules could restrict schemes seeking greater exposure to private companies, infrastructure, and other long-term assets.
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AI chatbots are supplying false information about British retailers online. Research covering 72,000 questions found location, contact, and brand errors that could divert customers before they reach company-controlled channels.
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UK marketing budgets expanded again despite weak economic confidence overall. Events, direct activity, and video led growth as companies concentrated spending on channels offering engagement, adaptability, and measurable commercial results.
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Care pay bargaining will reshape employment costs across England’s sector. A new national body will negotiate minimum terms, backed by £500m, but providers and councils require clarity over long-term funding.
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Employers face a revised timetable for sweeping workplace law changes. Unfair-dismissal protection, tribunal deadlines, guaranteed hours, and stronger enforcement will require extensive changes to policies, systems, and management practices.
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Britain’s economy returned to growth, but sector performance remained uneven. Services expanded in May while production and construction contracted, leaving the wider recovery dependent on a comparatively narrow group of industries.