Working parents will have their lives made easier as the government is opening 300 new or expanded nurseries on school grounds, helping to cut down on the school run and giving children a seamless start to their education.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Stephen Morgan, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Portsmouth South MP, said: “The measures I have set out today reflect this Government’s deep commitment to ensuring that every family can access high-quality childcare and early education, and that all children can reach a good level of development and start school ready to learn.”

A new £338 million investment into the Connect to Work programme will deliver localised, tailored support to over 85,000 people who are sick, disabled or face complex barriers to work in 15 areas across England. In our region, this includes £11.5m to support 3600 people in Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight.

The scheme will provide intensive, personalised support to find good, secure jobs.

More than 1,700 new jobs are being created as the UK’s defence sector drives unprecedented growth across the country, following at least £1.4 billion foreign direct investment being announced since July 2024.

The increase in annual foreign direct investment from international companies demonstrates the confidence that companies feel to invest in the UK, alongside the Government’s historic uplift in defence spending, providing a significant boost to the UK economy and showing more countries are choosing to invest in facilities in Britain, including recent investment in Hampshire.

The UK is launching a campaign in Spain and Germany to show the benefits of working together through Horizon Europe, the world’s largest programme of research collaboration, worth over £82 billion. It gives UK researchers and innovators access to funding and the opportunity to work alongside colleagues from across Europe and beyond to tackle some of the biggest issues facing societies worldwide, from breakthroughs in healthcare, to putting AI to work across the economy. At the same time, a record £2.9 billion was invested in British AI companies last year, setting the stage for further investment and new opportunities for both AI companies and financial backers alike. This record investment is unlocking new growth which will benefit communities – helping fuel further development and putting more money in people’s pockets

Children will be protected from the harm caused by high-caffeine energy drinks under new proposals to ban their sale to under-16s. Plans set out this week will help boost kids’ health by stopping retailers from selling the drinks to children in a move that could prevent obesity in up to 40,000 children and deliver health benefits worth tens of millions of pounds.

Research highlights that up to one-third of children aged 13 to 16 years, and nearly a quarter of children aged 11 to 12 years, consume one or more of these drinks each week, so early intervention is crucial if we are to deliver on our pledge to create the healthiest generation of children ever.