News

Public officials should be free to try new approaches without fear of being “hauled in front of ministers, the Public Accounts Committee or being investigated by the National Audit Office”, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) says in a report published today.

The National Audit Office (NAO) today reported that only 62 out of 129 underperforming maintained schools improved their rating following formal intervention.

The Department for Education (DfE) has failed to consistently tackle underperforming maintained schools and academies despite investing at least £382m annually, said a National Audit Office (NAO) report today. 

HM Revenue and Customs will gain greater ability to clamp down on tax evaders following the signing of an international agreement on tax evasion at the Global Forum in Berlin today. 

John Manzoni, the new CEO of the civil service, has waived his £100,000 salary from his second job with a major drinks company, after the Cabinet Office said he could continue in the role “in his own time and on an unpaid basis”.

Peter Lauener has today been announced as the new permanent chief executive of the Skills Funding Agency (SFA).

Poor delivery explains some risk management failures, but there’s a bigger problem: the model has a fatal blind spot

It's easier to sidestep 'wicked problems' than to fix them - but stepping sidewalks brings us no closer to our goals

Lisa Nandy MP today expressed concern that the civil service fast stream programme was not accessible to a diverse talent pool.

The think tank The Centre for London has called for greater fiscal power and power over services to be transferred from Whitehall to City Hall.

Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People wants to speed things up

Call for power to classify protected characteristics to be devolved to Scotland

A six week government consultation published this week aims to strengthen the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) capacity to better deal with companies breaking the law over nuisance calls and texts. 

The Defence Select Committee chair has criticised the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) prioritising management skills over local expertise in its overseas staff, and expressed scepticism over the UK’s approach to developing strategy. 

Crown steps up efforts to tackle historical sexual abuse

Defra have confirmed that the 5p plastic bag charge will be introduced in England in October 2015.

Mark Serwotka was re-elected for a fourth term as general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union on 23 October. 

Atam Verdi, Director at the property regeneration consultancy, gives and outside perspective of the civil service

Almost two thirds (65%) of civil servants have suffered from ill health as a result of stress at work, one fifth (19%) of which have taken more than 40 days off within a 12 month period as a result of stress-related ill health, new surveys from the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union reveal. 

National Crime Agency considering use of pop-up warnings for websites

Chief of the Met police Bernard Hogan-Howe has said he “welcomes” Home Secretary Theresa May’s pause on the review of whether counter-terrorism should stay a policing function.

Phil Gormley, deputy director-general of the National Crime Agency (NCA), outlined the key crimes the UK recognise as falling under the tier two threat of ‘serious and organised crime’. 

The Department of Work and Pensions’ (DWP) decision to close the Independent Living Fund (ILF) for disabled people was challenged by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on 22 October.