Ministerial directions and a 'powerful' board: Think tank's 'draft bill' sets out vision for statutory civil service
13 May Civil Service Reform

Ministerial directions and a 'powerful' board: Think tank's 'draft bill' sets out vision for statutory civil service

Cab sec would have responsibility for appointment and performance management of perm secs under IfG proposals
by Tevye Markson
Departments have underestimated threat posed by cyberattacks, MPs warn
13 May Security & Defence
Departments have underestimated threat posed by cyberattacks, MPs warn
Fact checker defends ex-perm sec over pension-reform claims
13 May Communications
Fact checker defends ex-perm sec over pension-reform claims
Call for 'bold investment decisions' to address prison crisis
12 May Justice & Home Affairs
Call for 'bold investment decisions' to address prison crisis
'Disgust and outrage' as huge MoD headcount reduction plan is announced to MPs before staff
22 Nov 2024 Security & Defence
'Disgust and outrage' as huge MoD headcount reduction plan is announced to MPs before staff
Unions demand urgent meeting with perm sec and defence secretary over 5,000-plus headcount reduction trailed at select committee
No current plans for departments to join Bluesky – Starmer
22 Nov 2024 Communications
No current plans for departments to join Bluesky – Starmer
PM says "reaching as many people as possible" is the "sole test" for whether to join a social media channel
Civil service 'has more work to do' on managing conflicts of interest, NAO warns
22 Nov 2024 HR
Civil service 'has more work to do' on managing conflicts of interest, NAO warns
Watchdog complains that rollout of post-Greensill and pandemic-procurement guidance has not been managed centrally
MoD looking to cut thousands of civil service jobs
21 Nov 2024 Security & Defence
MoD looking to cut thousands of civil service jobs
Perm sec tells MPs department is facing a 10% reduction in headcount over the course of the current parliament
Treasury director to become Resolution Foundation chief
21 Nov 2024 HR
Treasury director to become Resolution Foundation chief
Fiscal policy director Ruth Curtice says she has witnessed the impact of the think tank's "excellent" analysis first hand
'No religion' becomes largest faith group in the civil service
21 Nov 2024 HR
'No religion' becomes largest faith group in the civil service
Around 15% of civil servants now report that they have no religion, up from 10% five years ago
Appointments row: Civil Service Commission 'satisfied' with how departments are using exceptions
20 Nov 2024 HR
Appointments row: Civil Service Commission 'satisfied' with how departments are using exceptions
Review follows "cronyism" accusations after a handful of appointments of senior civil servants with links to the Labour Party
Disclosure and Barring Service staff vote to strike
20 Nov 2024 HR
Disclosure and Barring Service staff vote to strike
Members of the PCS union oppose new "customer contact" model set to be introduced at background-checks body
Winter fuel payment cut will push 50,000 pensioners into poverty, DWP admits
20 Nov 2024 Analysis
Winter fuel payment cut will push 50,000 pensioners into poverty, DWP admits
Kendall meanwhile snubs call for "more detailed assessment" of poverty impacts, including on different protected groups
FCDO was too ambitious in first year of merger, perm sec says
20 Nov 2024 Foreign Affairs
FCDO was too ambitious in first year of merger, perm sec says
Philip Barton also says the department has improved how it responds to crises by making its workforce more agile
Barton: FCDO needs new funding model
19 Nov 2024 Economics
Barton: FCDO needs new funding model
Department will require hundreds of millions of pounds more after 2026-27, perm sec says
Cabinet Office scraps 'ambitious and expensive' vetting transformation programme
19 Nov 2024 Security & Defence
Cabinet Office scraps 'ambitious and expensive' vetting transformation programme
Perm sec Cat Little says strategy to modernise and improve vetting services has moved away from previous "big bang" approach
Office attendance row: Land Registry officials to vote on strikes over 60% rule
19 Nov 2024 HR
Office attendance row: Land Registry officials to vote on strikes over 60% rule
PCS to ballot more than 3,800 members at HM Land Registry over in-office mandate and other concerns
DWP flags 15,000 carer's allowance overpayments in six months
19 Nov 2024 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
DWP flags 15,000 carer's allowance overpayments in six months
Internal DWP stats show 50 carer's allowance debts of more than £10,000 have been logged in the first half of the year
MoD to investigate potential for AI to improve productivity
18 Nov 2024 Security & Defence
MoD to investigate potential for AI to improve productivity
Department will develop 'productivity portfolio' to identify possible uses of emerging technology
Boosting pay and tackling poor performance should be on Office for Value for Money's agenda – report
18 Nov 2024 Finance
Boosting pay and tackling poor performance should be on Office for Value for Money's agenda – report
New unit should assess cost-benefit analysis of retaining poor performers versus managing them out, Reform think tank says
Home Office to create unit to track policing performance
18 Nov 2024 Justice & Home Affairs
Home Office to create unit to track policing performance
Unit's work will enable home secretary to take “more hands-on approach" to driving improvements in policing
PM rules out four-day week for civil servants
15 Nov 2024 Civil Service Reform
PM rules out four-day week for civil servants
Civil service union PCS accuses government of ignoring "real gains" that a shorter working week can offer
Home Office under fire for another botched asylum centre deal
15 Nov 2024 Finance
Home Office under fire for another botched asylum centre deal
Department spent £15.4m on East Sussex prison site deemed unfit to use because of contamination
Cabinet Office seeks new PPS for Starmer, weeks after Pandit 'appointment'
15 Nov 2024 HR
Cabinet Office seeks new PPS for Starmer, weeks after Pandit 'appointment'
Recruitment campaign offers up to £149k a year for permanent successor to Elizabeth Perelman
DBT second perm sec departing and won’t be replaced
15 Nov 2024 Foreign Affairs
DBT second perm sec departing and won’t be replaced
Crawford Falconer’s responsibilities to be shared by several civil servants
Ministers drop hostilities against four-day week council
14 Nov 2024 HR
Ministers drop hostilities against four-day week council
MHCLG acknowledges authority is an "independent employer" but refuses to support shorter working hours for full pay
MHCLG to close six offices
14 Nov 2024 HR
MHCLG to close six offices
Office for Place will also be wound down, minister announces
'It's not the 1970s': Minister rejects call for civil servants to get four-day week
14 Nov 2024 HR
'It's not the 1970s': Minister rejects call for civil servants to get four-day week
Emma Reynolds says she doesn't believe PCS union's evidence on benefits of four-day week