The civil service does need urgent reform to bring it into line with other parts of the public sector, argues Sir Michael Bichard. But legislation is not the answer
Sir Gus O'Donnell is soon to take over the Whitehall hot seat newly vacated by Sir Andrew Turnbull. Will he follow in his reforming steps or take a different path? Mark Conrad finds out
Nearly a quarter of the initial bids received for social housing grant over the next two years are from private developers and other non-registered social landlords.
The number of staff employed by the Scottish Executive has increased by 32% since the devolved Parliament was set up in 1999, latest figures have disclosed.
Sir Andrew Turnbull this week delivered his final speech as Cabinet secretary, calling for further Whitehall reforms and attacking critics who questioned civil service values under his stewardship.
Gordon Brown might mean what he says, but does he say what he means? The government's Alice in Wonderland approach to its Spending Review timings has a lot more to do with politics than economics
Pensions policy is in a mess. The Pensions Commission is due to report in a matter of months, but there seems to be little agreement on how to proceed. If the deadlock remains, we're back to square...
The Child Support Agency's backlog of unresolved cases has continued to grow despite all the efforts to cut it, benefits minister James Plaskitt has revealed.
The Department of Health has abandoned plans to publish a white paper on adult social care, opting instead to incorporate it into broader proposals on integrated health and social care services...
Government plans to slash the number of people claiming incapacity benefit have suffered a blow after a detailed statistical exercise revealed there were 135,000 more recipients than estimated.
The management of Private Finance Initiative contracts is to come under intense scrutiny by Partnerships UK amid concerns that civil servants lack the expertise necessary to oversee them, Public...
Senior mandarins fear that the government's secretive change to the legal status of special advisers, which came to light this week, will give spin doctors new powers over civil servants.
London won the right to stage the 2012 Olympics on the strength of the legacy that it will leave behind for deprived areas such as east London. So will transport, housing and other facilities be...
The Local Authority Business Growth Incentive scheme is a good idea on paper rewarding councils for increasing their business tax base. But they would get the benefits faster through the annual...
I think I feel a primary care shake-up coming on. The government is finally turning its attention from hospitals to family doctor services, says Noel Plumridge. Its mission? To bring back patient-...
Wellbeing rather than narrow concerns about efficiency looks set to be the next big thing for policy makers. Phil Swann explores the meaning of public value
David Blunkett has signalled his scepticism over claims by a number of organisations that the bedrock of a reformed pensions system should be more generous and non-means tested state provision.
The director of the Centre for Cities is using skills honed at the Treasury to focus on the economic and commercial drivers of urban development. Will Hatchett reports
The government must legislate as soon as possible to protect the impartiality of civil servants as the pressures they endure are 'greater than ever', the first civil service commissioner has warned.
The UK is unusual in having virtually no legislative control over central government reorganisations. Proponents of this state of affairs point to its flexibility, but it can also lead to flawed...
The new benefits minister is intent on reforms that will raise the employment rate, overhaul housing allowances and fix the DWP's IT systems. Mark Conrad reports
