Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss come out on top of poll to be the next Conservative leader.

The cross-party Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee has published a report saying the condition of some social housing in England has deteriorated so badly that it is unfit for human habitation, and social housing providers must significantly improve their complaint handling process.

The High Court has ruled that the Government’s net zero strategy breaches the Climate Change Act, and needs to be strengthened.
The Climate Change Act legally binds the Government to carbon budgets setting limits on greenhouse gas emissions over five-year periods. This includes a target to be over three quarters of the way to net zero in the next 13 years. As well as this, under the Paris Agreement, the UK has committed to reduce its emissions by at least 68% by 2030 from 1990 levels.

A report from the House of Lords looking at the best way to fund the BBC in the future has argued that a universal household levy linked to council tax bills could be a better option than the BBC's existing licence fee.

The government has announced a £273m funding package to advance low-carbon aerospace innovation, boost economic growth and create jobs. The funding aims to help develop new technologies, such as NHS-treatment-carrying drones and solar-powered aircraft.

The finance ministers of the UK's devolved governments have written to the new chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, to highlight what they believe are areas that should receive attention ahead of the next budget.

Councils are now able to bid for a share of £4.8 billion of levelling up funding to spend on projects to improve everyday life for residents. Applications for the second round of bidding are open until 2 August.
A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities press release said:"The fund empowers communities by putting money directly into the hands of councils, and in Northern Ireland to a range of public and private organisations, to invest in projects which give people pride in the places where they live."

Government plans to enforce the Building Safety Act have become slightly clearer as the current Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark announced that contracts to turn the Building Safety Pledge into legally binding requirements have been sent to major housebuilders

Economic and societal changes, including the UK’s exit from the EU, has reduced the supply of workers from member states and potentially increased the need for the country to train its own workers.

The government has announced £1bn of funding for 61 projects in the latest round of the School Rebuilding Programme.
Eleven schools in the North West, ten in the North East and six in Yorkshire and the Humber will be built. See the full list of projects here.