Local government minister Nick Raynsford this week announced the latest batch of councils to be awarded Beacon status for their excellence in delivering public services.
The government took the unusual step of publishing an implementation plan for the local government white paper this week but failed to commit itself to a legislative timetable for reforms.
Senior local government officials are uniting to persuade ministers to guarantee 'adequate consultation' on their plans to reform the system of grant distribution, Public Finance has learned.
New powers to make it easier for social landlords to evict unruly tenants have been proposed by the government in a new attempt to tackle antisocial behaviour.
Private sector firms could be discouraged from bidding for future detention centre contracts in the wake of this week's Yarl's Wood insurance debacle, according to the underwriter involved.
Audit Scotland this week raised serious concerns over a string of poorly managed borrowing, purchasing and outsourcing arrangements by councils north of the border.
Local authorities in Wales have a poor record on employing senior female staff and people from ethnic minorities, while service standards still show huge disparities, according to a compendium of...
Debts of up to £500m inherited by English primary care trusts should be written off by the government, an influential group of NHS professionals has said.
Thirty-three finalists have now been chosen by the judges of the Public Servants of the Year Awards to go forward to the final ceremony in London next month.
A severe backlog at the new Criminal Records Bureau is adding to the recruitment crisis in local government, with crucial social services and education appointments reportedly held up in an '...
Councils that set up more than one new registered social landlord to accommodate large stock transfers have been warned against creating over-complex group structures.
Stephen Byers has intervened to end six months of stalemate in the Best Value review he initiated, imposing his own solution to the two-tier workforce problem.
London's primary care trusts must forge effective partnerships with their local authorities if they are to improve public health in the capital, the King's Fund said.
Nick Raynsford this week warned local councils that they could expect further government guidance on local strategic partnerships, despite previous claims that Labour is committed to granting greater...
Politicians must 'be brave' and admit that decentralisation of decision-making in the NHS could lead to further accusations of a postcode lottery of care, health minister Hazel Blears was warned.
A white paper supposed to point the way forward for Scottish local government has failed to resolve one of the most contentious issues whether or not to introduce proportional representation for...
Labour is no closer to ending homelessness after new figures showed another rise in the number of people being housed by English councils in emergency accommodation.
More than a million extra homes must be built in the next 20 years if Britain is to avoid a major shortage of affordable housing, according to a report published this week.
Almost six months to the day since Stephen Byers announced his review of Best Value to assuage union concerns about workers' rights in outsourcing deals, progress has ground to a halt.
