The new gov.uk mobile app was launched as a public beta on Apple App Store and Google Play on 1 July 2025. The app makes interactions with government more personalised and proactive, enabling you to save relevant topics to your home page, quickly search and find services and information and get notifications. 

So why are we so excited about this?

We recognised some time ago that mobile apps open up a whole new level of convenience for people. TSO’s app platform supports some of the most-used government information in mobile app format. For example, more than 4.5 million people have used the Official DVSA Theory Test Kit app to prepare for their car theory test. Another 187,000 have used the Official Life in the UK citizenship app published by TSO and the new Roadcraft app enables Police drivers to study on an app for the first time. 

The new gov.uk app makes it easier for people to find the information they need, wherever they are. We were delighted to see the Learn to Drive feature, including links to further resources, including the Official DVSA Theory Test Kit app. Learner drivers can use the app to book their theory test, find a driving instructor and practise theory test questions all from one app. 

TSO’s app platform, used for the DVSA, Life in the UK citizenship test, Health & Safety Executive, Maritime & Coastguard Agency and Roadcraft apps, makes it fast and cost-effective to create interactive, fully branded apps across Android, iOS and iPadOS, Windows and macOS. Core functionality which can be switched on or off includes publications for information and guidance; teach yourself and test-yourself; interactive videos; notifications; faceted search; in-app purchases; help centre, feedback and analytics to help you understand how people are using the app. Apps built on the platform also benefit from a roadmap of new features and functionality which are applied. 

Another feature of apps built on the TSO platform is that they are not reliant on the internet to work, reducing carbon footprint as well as making them suitable for use in areas with limited signal. The apps are accessible and highly secure as well, designed to meet WCAG 2.2 AA, CyberEssentials Plus, and ISO 27001. 

We’re sure we will all be using the gov.uk app more and more and look forward to further information being added.

Want to find out more about TSO’s mobile app platform? Contact us. 

At the 2025 Global RegTech Summit, TSO hosted a closed-door roundtable with leaders from across the financial regulatory sector. The discussion focused on how supervision must evolve to keep pace with data volumes, cross-border complexity, and emerging technologies. 

While regulators face varied pressures in different jurisdictions, four consistent themes emerged: a shift toward data-led models, practical experimentation with AI, ongoing reporting challenges, and a clear appetite for smarter infrastructure. 

The shift to data-led supervision 

Supervision models are evolving from periodic reporting to real-time oversight. Many regulators are moving toward frameworks where firms push structured data directly to the authority - reducing delays and enabling faster, evidence-led decision-making. Artificial intelligence is seen as a key enabler, both for regulators and the firms they oversee. From analysing incoming data to interpreting rules in context, AI offers a route to more proactive and efficient supervision. However, delivering on this vision depends on the quality and structure of underlying regulatory content. Without a digital foundation, supervisory systems remain limited in scope and usability. 

Early adoption of AI tools by financial regulators

Regulators are increasingly testing AI-driven tools to enhance access to complex rulebooks. One example raised during the roundtable was the use of natural language chatbots that allow users to query regulations in plain English. These tools do more than improve user experience. They generate valuable insight into how regulation is understood in practice - identifying common misunderstandings, frequent queries, and areas where further guidance is needed. To function effectively, these tools require structured, machine-readable regulatory content - a core capability TSO provides for clients across the central government and regulatory sectors. 

Practical challenges remain 

Despite progress, regulators continue to face persistent operational challenges. These include: 

Poor data quality in firm submissions 

Inconsistent compliance and reporting standards 

Fragmented taxonomies and limited cross-border harmonisation 

These factors limit scalability and reduce confidence in oversight. As one participant noted, “You can’t build smart systems on unstructured inputs.” Addressing these blockers is essential for enabling the next generation of supervision tools and methods. 

A clear direction of travel 

When asked what would most improve their supervisory capabilities, regulators identified a consistent set of priorities: 

Industry-wide data utilities 

Faster, tech-enabled licensing 

Quality-led, data-first compliance monitoring 

Regulatory sandboxes and structured innovation environments 

Gen AI tools, underpinned by trusted, structured content 

All of these require a reliable content infrastructure - one that supports interoperability, usability, and automation. 

Supporting smarter supervision 

TSO works with regulators to unlock the full value of their content - transforming static documents (often in the form of locked PDFs) into structured, digital-ready formats that power next-generation supervision, compliance, and public access. From AI-ready rulebooks to taxonomy-driven guidance and improved standards in policy-making, TSO enables the shift toward intelligent, scalable, and user-focused regulation. 

To learn more about how structured content can enhance supervision and support regulatory transformation, get in touch. 

Backed by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, Cyber Essentials Plus is the highest level of assurance in the Cyber Essentials scheme. It involves rigorous, independent testing to verify that an organisation’s systems are well protected against the most common cyber threats. For TSO, maintaining this certification year after year is a clear reflection of our commitment to resilience, integrity and trust.

Built-in security for the services that matter

We work with government bodies, regulators and standards organisations to make complex information easier to find, use and understand - for people, and for machines. The services we support are often vital, public-facing and high-trust. Whether it’s publishing legislation or enabling access to health and safety guidance, security must be a constant - not an afterthought.

Achieving Cyber Essentials Plus means our digital platforms, IT systems and working practices are continuously tested and improved to defend against potential threats. We back this with a full suite of accreditations, including ISO/IEC 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus, and PCI DSS, and maintain a proactive approach to security monitoring, risk detection and incident prevention.

What it means for our clients

For the organisations we work with, confidence in how we manage data, digital content and technology is essential. Retaining Cyber Essentials Plus helps our clients demonstrate they are partnering with a supplier that meets government-backed security standards, protects sensitive and mission-critical content, delivers secure digital services at scale and has resilience built into every layer of delivery

It’s also a key part of enabling innovation. From AI-readiness to accessibility compliance, security supports the trusted platforms that public sector users and citizens can depend on.

Securing trust and maintaining it

Security isn't a one-time achievement - it’s a mindset that shapes how we work every day. For TSO, this means embedding best practice across our teams and systems, and being externally tested to prove it.

In a world where digital trust is more important than ever, we’re proud to offer our clients the peace of mind that comes with knowing their services are in safe hands.

The government's recent policy paper New approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth sets out three strategic actions to make regulation more effective, efficient, and growth-friendly. This agenda presents an opportunity for regulators to enhance their frameworks and make rules easier to find, use and understand. 

TSO is committed to supporting the government's vision. Our expertise in regulatory publishing positions us as a valuable partner in this transformative journey. 

So how can the way that regulation is published help regulators to achieve the actions set out in the paper? 

Action 1: Tackle complexity and the burden of regulation

Regulators will need to balance the goals of economic growth with the protection of public interests, ensuring that regulations are both effective and conducive to growth. 

Publishing regulations in ways that makes it easier to find, use and understand makes it easier for new entrants to join markets and for regulated organisations to keep up to date with changes. As techUK highlighted in their new report Evolving Digital Regulation for Growth and Innovation, this is particularly important for the millions of small and medium-sized businesses who may not have the resources to navigate complex regulations. 

Regulation is made more flexible by unlocking it from static formats, like PDF, into structured data. It is then easier to deliver policy updates and publish in multiple formats such as websites, apps, e-learning, print and data services. It also enables regulations to be presented in more user-friendly ways, for example through more effective search and timelines of changes. 

Regulated organisations often need to consult a range of regulations for their business. If these regulations are unlocked and published in a consistent way, it will be easier to combine and cross-reference regulation and to reduce duplication. 

Action 2: Reduce uncertainty across the regulatory system 

Efficient publishing processes enable regulators to publish updated regulation faster, improve version control, track changes and communicate updates with clarity and accuracy. 

Regulators can provide more user-friendly guidance and tools to help organisations understand how well they are complying with the regulations and identify where they need to improve.  

Publishing regulation as code will improve policy making by understanding the impact of change before it is implemented and so avoiding those unintended consequences we so often see. 

Action 3: Challenge and shift excessive risk aversion 

There will be a greater emphasis on supporting innovative firms, particularly in emerging sectors like technology and clean energy. By adopting innovative processes themselves, regulators can play a crucial role in fostering an environment that supports innovation.

Our Regulator’s Innovation Pathway sets out five steps to state-of-the-art regulation publishing that will support rule drafting, consulting, publishing, consumption and adoption, ultimately streamlining regulation for both regulators and regulated organisations to boost productivity. 

Artificial intelligence can help to accelerate that journey, firstly by extracting structured data from regulatory content faster, more accurately and in larger volumes, and secondly by making regulation more consumable to provide a better user experience. 

TSO has decades of experience helping regulators publish and manage authoritative information. If you're working to modernise how your organisation delivers regulation, we’re here to help make your content easier to find, use, understand and apply. 

Contact us at: tsobd@tso.co.uk

The challenge: navigating complex regulations 

Regulation plays a critical role in ensuring safety, fairness and compliance across industries. However, businesses and regulators alike face a growing challenge: navigating a changing regulatory landscape. With more than 100 regulators in the UK, organisations must comply with multiple layers of rules spanning HR, health and safety, environmental protection, and digital technology. The challenge is compounded by outdated formats - many regulations remain locked in PDFs making them difficult to search, interpret, and integrate into business operations. 

While the newly released HM Treasury Policy Paper seeks to streamline regulations to support economic growth, the key isn't necessarily reducing regulation, but rather making it more accessible, understandable and usable. Unlocking regulation can foster innovation, ensuring businesses can comply efficiently while regulators maintain high standards of consumer protection. 

The solution: unlocking regulation

Unlocking regulation means transforming static, text-heavy documents into structured dynamic data. This shift enhances accessibility, making regulations easier to find, understand and apply. Structured data formats such as XML and JSON allow regulatory content to be updated faster, reducing confusion over outdated versions and ensuring businesses always have access to the latest requirements.

By managing regulation as structured data, also known as regulation as code, regulators can improve accuracy and version control; publish updates faster and across multiple formats; provide better guidance and compliance tools; and enhance searchability and usability. For businesses and people, unlocked regulation means easier integration of regulatory requirements into internal systems; the ability to receive updates and alerts; improved search and navigation functionality; and reduced administration burden in regulatory compliance. 

The role of AI in unlocking regulation

Artificial Intelligence is set to play a transformative role in regulatory innovation. AI-powered tools can structure and enrich content faster and at higher volumes than before. By leveraging AI, regulators can also enable conversational queries for a better search experience, synthesize large volumes of information and make data more consumable. 

However, AI in regulation must be handled with care. Accuracy is paramount and Large Language Models (LLMs) can sometimes generate misleading or outdated information. Solutions such as Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and fine-tuned AI models trained on authoritative datasets can improve the reliability of AI-driven regulatory tools. 

Driving growth through better regulation

Unlocking regulation is not about deregulation; it is about smarter, more efficient regulation. Making regulations easier to access and apply supports businesses, encourages innovation and ensures that compliance does not become an unnecessary burden. Regulators who embrace structured data and AI-powered tools will be better positioned to support both economic growth and consumer protection. 

At TSO we specialise in transforming regulatory content to enhance usability. Our publishing platform and structured data solutions help regulators and businesses navigate the complex regulatory environment with confidence. By unlocking regulation, we help you unlock innovation.

Find out more

TSO's CEO and Business Development Director spoke on this topic at Digital Leaders Public Sector AI Week. You can watch the recording of Digitising Regulations and Standards - The essentials for innovation. 

To receive a copy of our white paper on this topic, email tsobd@tso.co.uk

Alan Blanchard considers whether reducing the number of regulators is the solution to driving growth and highlights the need for innovation in publishing regulation.

A recent article by Andy Haldane  (former Chief Economist at the Bank of England) in the Financial Times raised some very interesting points about the need to deregulate.

The article's title "How to dismantle the UK's regulatory Tower of Babel" gives away the ending somewhat. In the course of his argument, Mr Haldane made a couple of points that I think are worthy of further discussion.

The article decries the "more than 90 distinct regulators" here in the UK as being way too many.

In 2024 the Institute for Government counted the number as 116. The Smarter Regulation Directorate within the Department for Business and Trade has the number at 130.

I myself would have the widest possible definition, which then encompasses areas such as governing bodies in sport and industry associations that set standards, putting the number closer to 200.

Andy Haldane proposes halving his figure of 90 as a starting point. In fact the starting point should be understanding the regulators in scope, quite a task as the new government will be creating new regulators during this term and may well take further action with regulators in its drive for unlocking growth (see recent changes at CMA and FOS). 

The rationale behind reducing regulation is to stimulate growth. However, a recent article in Civil Service World questioned how some regulators (such as Ofsted) can do that and reinforced that innovation and efficiency are the key drivers. In fact, many regulators already have a focus on supporting growth. 

Which brings us on to the possible approaches that could support regulating for growth. Making it easier for businesses to find, understand and use regulation should be the key focus. Somewhat inevitably AI is given as the solution to streamline rule books and automate compliance. However, while the "millions of pages" of rules are locked away in PDFs, no AI will be good enough to assure a user that they have the right answer.

Only when we have regulatory content as enriched data will we unlock the full potential of AI assistance both for regulated and regulator; and the clamour for deregulation will be replaced by the notion of better regulation.

For more information on unlocking regulation, see our recent webinar with the Institute of Regulation. We will be discussing this topic further at Digital Leaders Public Sector AI Week in early March. 

Alan Blanchard is TSO's Business Development Director and has more than 26 years of experience in the publishing, regulatory, and fintech world. 

A new e-learning course from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) could help the millions of drivers who feel nervous about driving in wintry conditions. 

Recent research commissioned by Isuzu revealed that almost three-quarters (73%) of drivers feel worried or anxious about driving in wintry, icy or cold conditions. The risk of ice, reduced visibility, fog and getting stuck in the snow were reasons given that make driving during winter challenging.

The Official DVSA Guide to Winter Driving e-learning course, published by TSO, helps drivers feel more confident, maintain their vehicles for winter conditions and drive safely in wet, snowy, windy, foggy and icy conditions. 

The course is already getting 5-star reviews: “Very easy, informative e-learning experience with lots of great tips/advice for ALL drivers. Drivers are too guilty of becoming complacent after years of driving and adapt poor driving habits. Constant reminders need to be given to reinforce the dangers of driving in poor weather conditions.”

£3.60 gives you access to the course for 30 days on your laptop, mobile phone or tablet. The course takes around 30 minutes to complete and includes interactive exercises, videos and a voiceover feature. 

Alongside the Guide to Winter Driving, DVSA has also released the Official DVSA Guide to Better Driving. Available as a book and an e-learning course, Better Driving helps drivers to understand the effects of mood and attitude on their driving and learn practical strategies for dealing with stressful situations. It’s particularly useful for nervous drivers or for people who drive a lot for work. 

Everyone will benefit from using this eLearning course. It is suitable for drivers of all abilities, from learner car drivers and their driving instructors to professional drivers of vans, large goods vehicles, buses and coaches.

The Official DVSA Guide to Winter Driving and the Official DVSA Guide to Better Driving are published on behalf of DVSA by TSO. Both are available from the Safe Driving for Life website, www.safedrivingforlife.info, a hub of free and paid resources, advice and guidance to help people be safer on the roads. The Official DVSA Guide to Winter Driving e-learning course is priced at £3.60 per user which gives access for 30 days. The Official DVSA Guide to Better Driving is available as a book priced at £14.99 and e-learning course priced at £24.00 for 365 days of access. 

G-Cloud 14 is now live, providing a straightforward and compliant way for public sector organisations to buy cloud based services. 

TSO services available through the framework include:

Regulatory Publishing Platform - A managed publishing platform developed to meet the needs of regulators and best practice standards and guidance. The platform includes intuitive tools and automated workflows to enable streamlined processes. Complex content is managed in an open and accessible format, enabling seamless publishing across multiple channels with increased flexibility and accuracy and a better user experience. 

Mobile App Platform - Making it easy to add portable and highly usable apps to your portfolio of information products. TSO's mobile app platform enables fast and cost-effective delivery of published content and test yourself functionality. 

Bespoke e-Learning Platform - An online platform to deliver self-paced e-learning courses. Combined with TSO's learning resources capability, the platform enables content to be turned into online courses. 

Cloud Migration and Application Support - TSO's experienced, security-vetted IT professionals provide enterprise-scale cloud transition services. 

MarkLogic Migration and Application Support - TSO is an official MarkLogic partner, offering hosting and support for MarkLogic, the leading ACID-compliant, Enterprise-class, NoSQL database.

Online Tools Suite - Using surveys, assessments and compliance tests, TSO can build new online tools or digitise existing tools to support competency and compliance frameworks. 

To find out more about our services, contact us at tsobd@tso.co.uk

Many regulators publish their regulations, Handbooks or Codes of Practice as PDFs on their websites, not realising that this makes them hard to use, understand and apply. Unlocking information from PDF and publishing in both human and machine-readable formats makes that information more accessible and flexible, enabling it to be published in different formats, updated faster and enabling interoperability with other systems. 

TSO’s RegTech for Regulators publishing technology manages the complex process of authoring, updating and publishing regulatory information. Developed specifically to meet the needs of regulators, it includes intuitive tools and automated workflows to enable streamlined processes and improved productivity. Using our technology expertise and regulatory publishing heritage, the platform ingests and transforms content from multiple sources into configurable templates; manages content for accurate editing and updating and enables seamless publishing into human and machine-readable formats. 

The results include improved accuracy, increased accessibility, increased usability, enhanced collaboration and faster delivery.

Find out more about our Publishing Platform.

View our short films:

What is RegTech for Regulators?

How do regulators benefit from unlocking regulation? 

Watch our recent Digital Leaders webinar on regulatory publishing:

Closing the gap between regulators, business and citizens

As the experts in regulatory publishing, we're delighted to join Digital Leaders and the Institute of Regulation in webinars on the topic this autumn. 

In our Digital Leaders Week webinar Closing the gap between regulators, business and citizens, we talked out the importance of making regulations easier to find, understand and use. 

Regulations are often published as PDF on websites, which limits their usability. Regulated organisations value more support to navigate and use the content, whether that is definitions displayed in pop up boxes, a facetted search or being able to compare current with previous versions of regulatory content. 

Unlocking information from PDF and making sure it is both machine readable and human readable enables greater usability. It also makes the updating process faster, improves accuracy, enables interoperability with other regulations and standards and makes it easier for RegTech to use.  

In the webinar we outlined a pathway to innovative regulatory publishing, moving from drafting in Word and publishing in PDF to unlocking information into XML to enable single source publishing and finally to AI being part of the process, enabling synergy across regulators and the ability to create digital twins for regulation consulting. 

If you missed the webinar, you can catch up with the recording here: 

Closing the gap between regulators, business and citizens (digileaders.com) 

Join us at these upcoming webinars:

How regulators can use e-learning to drive compliance – webinar with Digital Leaders

Thursday 17 October, 4pm (BST)

Compliance relies on individuals understanding the rules. With remote and hybrid work, e-learning now allows employees to access training whenever and wherever it suits them. This webinar will cover how e-learning can improve regulatory understanding and what regulators should consider when creating it. Our speaker, Lucy DeBest, TSO’s Publishing Director, leads e-learning product development and is dedicated to using engaging content and formats to meet user needs.

Register here: How regulators can use elearning to drive compliance (digileaders.com)

Unlocking regulation – webinar with Institute of Regulation

Thursday 14 November, 1pm (GMT)

Regulatory information is often trapped in inaccessible PDFs, hindering compliance. Tech tools can bridge this gap by simplifying access and automation. In this webinar, our Business Development Director, Alan Blanchard, will be joined by Charles Oakley, Head of Strategic Partnerships at HSE, who has led initiatives to create new business processes, revenue streams, and software tools for HSE.

Register here: Unlocking Regulation (IoR)

If you are not already a member of the Institute of Regulation you can find out more on their website.

To find out more about TSO's solutions contact Alan Blanchard alan.blanchard@tso.co.uk