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 ‘struggling to keep pace’ with reducing violence against women and girls
16 May Justice & Home Affairs
Departments ‘struggling to keep pace’ with reducing violence against women and girls
DWP reverses ban on ChatGPT and other generative AI tools
16 May Digital, Data & Technology
DWP reverses ban on ChatGPT and other generative AI tools
CMA told to prioritise economic growth in priority 'reset'
16 May Economy
CMA told to prioritise economic growth in priority 'reset'
Public spending watchdog names eight ‘departments of concern’
26 May 2022 Finance
Public spending watchdog names eight ‘departments of concern’
PPE stockpile and backlog woes help DHSC top PAC chair's problem list
Perm sec admits 'room for improvement' over Scottish Government correspondence delays
26 May 2022 Commercial
Perm sec admits 'room for improvement' over Scottish Government correspondence delays
A quarter of ministerial correspondence replies missed their deadline, as did one in six FoI responses
Civil servants told to remain 'fully focused' on services after Partygate report
25 May 2022 Coronavirus
Civil servants told to remain 'fully focused' on services after Partygate report
Case and Chisholm write to staff as PM says he hopes to "move on and focus on the priorities of the British people"
Covid perm sec signed off on taskforce head's leaving do, Gray finds
25 May 2022 Coronavirus
Covid perm sec signed off on taskforce head's leaving do, Gray finds
James Bowler, now DIT perm sec, said Kate Josephs' send-off could happen as long as it was socially distanced
Government leaders 'must bear responsibility' for Partygate culture: Gray report published
25 May 2022 Coronavirus
Government leaders 'must bear responsibility' for Partygate culture: Gray report published
Report says senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, "must bear responsibility" for culture which allowed events to go ahead
MPs lambast departments' 'unacceptable' widespread non-compliance with tax-dodge rules
25 May 2022 Commercial
MPs lambast departments' 'unacceptable' widespread non-compliance with tax-dodge rules
Government bodies “should be best placed” to understand IR35 rules, but HMRC partly to blame for "rushed" and poor implementation
Civil servants gear up for strike vote on pay and job cuts
25 May 2022 HR
Civil servants gear up for strike vote on pay and job cuts
"Government has left us no alternative," union says ahead of planned ballot later this year
Minister insists Boris Johnson believed lockdown drinks in leaked photo was a work event
24 May 2022 Coronavirus
Minister insists Boris Johnson believed lockdown drinks in leaked photo was a work event
Transport secretary Grant Shapps defends as photos increase pressure over Partygate scandal
Foreign Office perm sec urged to resign over Afghanistan evacuation ‘disaster’
24 May 2022 Foreign Affairs
Foreign Office perm sec urged to resign over Afghanistan evacuation ‘disaster’
Philip Barton and Dominic Raab slammed for “deep failures of leadership” and failure to record decisions
'Ideologically incoherent': ex-minister savages proposals to slash civil service jobs
24 May 2022 HR
'Ideologically incoherent': ex-minister savages proposals to slash civil service jobs
David Gauke calls 20% cuts plan “unrealistically optimistic, politically motivated and ideologically incoherent”
Cabinet Office hires external firm to investigate bullying case Exclusive
23 May 2022 HR
Cabinet Office hires external firm to investigate bullying case
Unions say independent investigators will bring “impartiality, experience and authority to the table"
Latest civil service & public affairs moves – May 23
23 May 2022 HR
Latest civil service & public affairs moves – May 23
New appointments in the civil service, UK politics, and public affairs, via our colleagues at Dods People
BEIS offers £160k for second perm sec to oversee 'high-stakes' programmes
23 May 2022 Energy & Environment
BEIS offers £160k for second perm sec to oversee 'high-stakes' programmes
Role has been created to "increase the scope and capacity of senior leadership", perm sec says
Case ‘blocked’ from MPs’ grilling on Partygate and civil service reform as Gray report nears
23 May 2022 HR
Case ‘blocked’ from MPs’ grilling on Partygate and civil service reform as Gray report nears
Ministers accused of attempting to dodge “timely scrutiny” of job-cuts plans with select-committee veto
Cabinet Office to split as No.10 takes on domestic policy and national security
20 May 2022 Civil Service Reform
Cabinet Office to split as No.10 takes on domestic policy and national security
Samantha Jones will oversee beefed-up PM's department while Cabinet Office will be civil service's “corporate headquarters”
Job cuts without vision could lead to all-round poorer public service, ex-DExEU perm sec warns
20 May 2022 Civil Service Reform
Job cuts without vision could lead to all-round poorer public service, ex-DExEU perm sec warns
Philip Rycroft highlights enduring need for post-Brexit roles as he questions if plan is “well thought through”
'Difficult decisions' ahead, warn civil service chiefs as Rees-Mogg insists job cuts are 'not an attack' Exclusive
20 May 2022 HR
'Difficult decisions' ahead, warn civil service chiefs as Rees-Mogg insists job cuts are 'not an attack'
Decision to cut civil service numbers by 91,000 was “not taken lightly”, Simon Case and Alex Chisholm say
Redundancies as part of 91,000 job cuts plan ‘will be on 2010 terms’
19 May 2022 Civil Service Reform
Redundancies as part of 91,000 job cuts plan ‘will be on 2010 terms’
Union says Cabinet Office officials confirmed voluntary exit schemes will be needed to hit PM’s target
Disbelief as advisers voice ‘alarm’ over Cabinet Office HR headcount
19 May 2022 HR
Disbelief as advisers voice ‘alarm’ over Cabinet Office HR headcount
Attempt to frame Maude-era reforms as wasteful bureaucracy astonishes civil service unions
Met ends Partygate investigation with 83 people fined and 126 FPNs in total
19 May 2022 Coronavirus
Met ends Partygate investigation with 83 people fined and 126 FPNs in total
Sue Gray report expected next week as No.10 confirms Boris Johnson will not receive another fine
BEIS 'offered open goal to fraudsters’ with Covid loan schemes
19 May 2022 Coronavirus
BEIS 'offered open goal to fraudsters’ with Covid loan schemes
Public Accounts Committee says the department officials failed to properly warn ministers of how severe potential fraud levels might be
Jacob Rees-Mogg accused of 'blind ideology' after previously backing civil service flexible working
18 May 2022 HR
Jacob Rees-Mogg accused of 'blind ideology' after previously backing civil service flexible working
Union chief says minister's support of plan to reduce government estate shows "how poorly thought through his comments on hybrid working are"
Comms staff strategy shifts focus to 'sustainable' headcount reductions and regional rebalancing
18 May 2022 Communications
Comms staff strategy shifts focus to 'sustainable' headcount reductions and regional rebalancing
Government Communication Service pledges central team at Cabinet Office will shrink as part of three-year vision
Unions demand urgent meeting with Barclay over 'crass' announcement of 91,000 job cuts Exclusive
17 May 2022 HR
Unions demand urgent meeting with Barclay over 'crass' announcement of 91,000 job cuts
Cabinet Office minister has yet to comment on plans to cut 91,000 jobs – a figure unions say has been “plucked from the air"