News

After a shaky start, the Crown Commercial Service is changing the way it works with departments in a bid to improve the government’s buying habits. But chief executive Malcolm Harrison tells Richard Johnstone that its success shouldn’t be measured by savings alone, as he sets out the frustrations – and fun – of cross-government working

Appointments expected in first half of 2018 will fulfil Conservative party manifesto promise

Polly Payne and Ruth Hannant named directors general for Rail Group in move hailed by perm sec as progress in "overwhelmingly male" industry

Flagship government document identifies four "grand challenges" that UK must address to take advantage of global economic trends

DExEU minister reveals department has 32 trained mental health champions in wellbeing drive

But peer review finds HR qualms and suggests the organisation needs louder voice on air quality

New appointments in the civil service, UK politics, and public affairs, via our colleagues at Dods People

A court ruling this month means a Scottish Government plan to introduce a minimum price for alcohol will finally go ahead. Its introduction is a nothing short of a thing of beauty in policymaking

Action pre-empts driving examiner strike expected to start in early December

Crown Prosecution Service, Department for International Development and HM Revenue & Customs initiatives recognised at Lancaster House event

Office for Statistics Regulation tells perm sec department must tighten pre-release access procedures 

Government claims better use of location data produced by public bodies could grow the economy by £11bn a year

Association of Revenue and Customs warns government not rely on “goodwill” to deliver £155m recovery package with no progress on pay

The plans announced in the 2017 Budget may help to tackle Britain’s housing shortage in the long term. But in the short term, the extension of Help to Buy and the abolition of stamp duty for first-time buyers is good politics but poor policy.

Dave Penman condemns “cowardly move” of politicians criticising DWP official instead of ministers 

Philip Hammond’s decision to not set out plans to lift the pay cap for civil servants has placed the government on a collision course with its own staff

Trade unions blast chancellor for failing to alleviate pressure on the civil service as it delivers Brexit

New commitments to move powers out of Westminster were the bright spots in a Budget speech that didn’t address some of the key challenges faced at the frontline of much public service delivery

New measures will reduce lag on claimants' receipt of benefits payments from six weeks to five

Departmental allocations from new tranche of Brexit cash to be agreed “in early 2018”

Pilots to develop new public value frameworks will be taken forward next year

Additional powers for the new Homes England among raft of housing policies announced in 2017 Budget

Live coverage and reaction as chancellor sets out the 2017 Budget, provided by our colleagues on PoliticsHome.com. CSW will be have the key Whitehall stories and reaction throughout the afternoon

Report by MPs concluded that departments did not show ministers risks of different possible funding schemes for Hinckley Point C nuclear scheme