MPs from across the political divide have called for cross-party agreement on a policy of early intervention with children to tackle the 'inter-generational nature' of social problems
London's £16bn Crossrail project seemed finally to have left its troubled past behind when Gordon Brown approved it last year. But as the economic crisis worsens, doubts are growing and the scheme...
Thousands of long-term jobseekers will be 'parked' on benefits under the government's £2bn Flexible New Deal employment policy, the Social Market Foundation has warned
More and more civil servants now operate at arm's length from Whitehall as part of agencies. But there are suggestions that a Tory government might reverse this trend and attempt a 'radical...
The troubled Social Fund, which provides grants and loans to benefit claimants, has had its accounts qualified for the second year running after auditors identified £85m worth of errors in...
Targets get a bad press. When the subject comes up on the Today programme, John Humphrys can barely suppress a snarl. Hardly a day goes by without some professional body or senior public official...
MPs have called for a shake-up of the 'outdated' system of benefits for the millions of carers who look after elderly or disabled relatives or friends.
As councils congratulate themselves on increasing household recycling rates, a House of Lords committee has highlighted a problem that could wreck the drive to cut down on landfill. Of Britain's...
Voluntary organisations can get to people and places that other service providers struggle to reach. Or can they? The government thinks so but the public administration select committee is not so...
Citizen empowerment is intended to complement local democracy, but the growth in partnerships can mean less involvement. Chris Skelcher and Eric-Hans Klijn explain how this circle could be squared
The Labour government has been keen to use legislation to push through its public sector reform agenda. However, there are unintended consequences when powers are not thought through, say Stephen...
You might be fighting fit and at the top of your game, but if you're 65 you can be forced out of your job. This could all change after a spate of age discrimination claims and a European Court...
The Darzi report signals a move away from NHS targets to patient-satisfaction outcomes. It means a big shake-up for health funding, explains Noel Plumridge
The Labour Party has signalled encouragement for councils to build more homes and a central role for directly employed staff in public service delivery.
Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell this week unveiled what he claimed would be radical reforms to the welfare system, which will see claimants supported more to find work in return for them...
