Computer glitches have been blamed for a substantial drop in council tax collection in 23 local authorities, leading to a loss of more than £26m from town hall budgets last year, Public Finance has...
The government has given way to union demands to delay retirement age increases for long-serving members of the Local Government Pension Scheme until 2020, local government minister Phil Woolas...
Investing in the skills of disabled people could net the economy an extra £35bn over the next three decades as well as helping to tackle child poverty, according to research.
The Treasury has attempted to reassure investors that it remains committed to the Private Finance Initiative, despite accountancy rule changes that could add an extra £23bn of debt to public sector...
The UK is one of just two 'rich' nations that have promised to increase average state pension payments over the next few years, with most countries seeking to cut contributions by over 20%,...
Ministers were this week accused of trying to sneak 'through the back door' a controversial decision over their child maintenance reforms after omitting it from a new Bill.
Four out of nine Private Finance Initiative schemes fail to achieve good value for taxpayers with their facility services, the National Audit Office has found.
The incoming CIPFA president intends to apply the same drive and determination to his institute role as he has to his career and to his passion for orienteering
Is New Labour's modernisation agenda for public services anywhere near endgame? Tony Travers surveys the progress so far and asks whether a Brown government should slow down or speed up the pace of...
A major rethink is needed on the government's reform programme. Central to that is the concept of 'public value' and new ways of getting public sector workers on board. Brendan Barber outlines a...
Pre-school intervention programmes reap huge rewards for society. But the government needs to use the next Comprehensive Spending Review to do some joined-up funding of local initiatives, argues...
Consumer interest groups are pushing for a key decision-making role over the way that cash in the state-run Personal Accounts pensions scheme will be invested.
Public sector housing bodies have responded positively to the Disability Discrimination Act and routinely upgrade homes to suit the needs of disabled people in contrast to private sector landlords...
Local authorities will soon be asked to help Whitehall meet its strict child poverty targets as part of the government's ambitious plan to eradicate the problem by 2020.
Gordon Brown has said he is not opposed to electoral reform if it keeps the constituency link. One idea is the alternative vote system, which is supported by ministers Gareth Thomas and James...
Chancellor Gordon Brown must extend payment by results systems across the public services if he is to effectively re-engage staff in the reform agenda, a senior minister has claimed.
Premier-in-waiting Gordon Brown has promised a big shift in 'the way we govern'. So what will this mean in practice for the public sector? James Blitz predicts less spin and more focus on domestic...
The Lyons report suggested a number of ways forward for local government finance. From abolishing capping to localising the business rate, councils must be prepared to seize the initiative and the...
It's the public services, stupid. As Ireland's voters prepare for a general election, the focus is on problems in the country's huge state sector. The rival parties all have their own solutions,...
Rationing of NHS services is 'inevitable' and with us now, but in future it must be done in a more systematic, transparent and equitable way, the BMA declared this week.
