News

New report by the National Audit Office spending watchdog finds that while departmental spending on consultants and temporary staff has plummeted over last five years, latest figures indicate a “short-term reduction rather than a sustainable strategy”

Exclusive: Civil Service Learning director tells CSW that redesigned training scheme will be "much, much better" to use, involving courses that are "co-created with civil servants" – and sheds light on the new leadership academy set to launch this year

Work and Pensions Committee says central government must provide more guidance to local authorities following welfare handover – and warns of the "human and financial costs" of failure

Government Digital Service prepares to roll out text, email and letter notification service for citizens in bid to cut inbound calls

Sir Philip Dilley to step down, citing media intrusion and requirement to be "available at short notice throughout the year"

Prime minister says it would not be  "appropriate or permissible for the civil service or individual civil servants" to support ministers who diverge from the official government line on European Union membership

HM Revenue and Customs boss is leaving the civil service later this year – and vows to carefully consider "appropriateness of potential roles and organisations" for life after Whitehall

The public services watchdog seeks help from civil servants in drawing up a new service charter

Former head of the civil service speaks out against plans to toughen union laws in latest high-profile intervention

The MoD is set to bring its civilian HR, finance, information and security vetting corporate services back in house from April

Simon Case heading back to Number 10 from GCHQ

Watchdog seeks additional information on commercial sector links

Proposals to allow changes to pay and terms for specialists being finalised for the new financial year, it is understood, amid claims salaries could top £300,000

Institute for Government analysis of People Survey data shows "strong and improving" trajectory for fostering an ideas culture

Justice secretary confirms Peter Clarke and Dame Glenys Stacy to head up respective prisons and probation watchdogs 

Dieter Helm, chair of the advisory Natural Capital Committee, urges creation of a new "smaller, more tightly focussed Environment Protection agency"

National Audit Office raises concerns over the number of transformation projects government is undertaking, as report notes that over a third of major projects due to be delivered this Parliament may be unachievable

Emergency services will be encouraged to share back office functions under plans outlined by the Home Office

Labour’s new commission – led by the former head of the civil service – can learn a host of lessons from previous bids to wrest power from the chancellor, says our columnist Sue Cameron

Chancellor George Osborne pays tribute to "one of the outstanding public servants of his generation" as Macpherson announces his departure from the civil service

Police and the FCO may have got off more lightly than feared at November’s Spending Review, but many other departments face a substantial real-terms squeeze over the next four years

Special report: The civil service is getting happier, according to its most recent People Survey. Suzannah Brecknell explores what else the survey tells us about change and engagement across government

Chief executive of the tax authority awarded in New Year's Honours list - while DWP perm sec Robert Devereux is knighted

With the end of 2015 in sight, we asked Whitehall's top officials to look back at the year, set out their priorities for 2016 – and shed some light on their festive plans...