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'
MHCLG ‘jeopardised civil service impartiality’ with £3.6bn Towns Fund, say MPs
11 Nov 2020 Economy
MHCLG ‘jeopardised civil service impartiality’ with £3.6bn Towns Fund, say MPs
MPs say lack of transparency raises concerns choice of places invited to bid was “politically motivated”
FDA calls on Sunak to deal with CPS ‘workload crisis’ in Spending Review
11 Nov 2020 Finance
FDA calls on Sunak to deal with CPS ‘workload crisis’ in Spending Review
Union sends petition to chancellor calling for resources to deal with backlog of 45,000 cases
Civil servants ‘under investigation’ in probe into leak of latest lockdown plans
10 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Civil servants ‘under investigation’ in probe into leak of latest lockdown plans
Up to 70 staff set to be interviewed as Downing Street rejects suggestion its own comms team was responsible
Immigration watchdog's term extended again, six months into recruitment for successor
10 Nov 2020 HR
Immigration watchdog's term extended again, six months into recruitment for successor
Home secretary Priti Patel says move will "prevent a gap" in scrutiny of her department's work
UK at ‘front of the pack’ for breakthrough Covid vaccine, says prime minister
10 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
UK at ‘front of the pack’ for breakthrough Covid vaccine, says prime minister
Progress positive but job not yet a slamdunk, says Johnson
Companies House bins paper reminder letters
10 Nov 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
Companies House bins paper reminder letters
Ending service will save £1.2m as organisation moves to end paper communications by 2025
Vaccine task force signs £670,000 deal for PR consultants who 'duplicate' BEIS press officers
09 Nov 2020 Commercial
Vaccine task force signs £670,000 deal for PR consultants who 'duplicate' BEIS press officers
Chair Kate Bingham under pressure after reports she 'insisted' on boutique team to aid task force
Cabinet Office ‘needs enhancing’ to properly support PM says George Osborne
09 Nov 2020 Civil Service Reform
Cabinet Office ‘needs enhancing’ to properly support PM says George Osborne
Former chancellor also floats boosted powers for departmental boards to sack perm secs
Government mulls in-house ‘Crown Consultancy’ to cut use of private firms
09 Nov 2020 HR
Government mulls in-house ‘Crown Consultancy’ to cut use of private firms
Report reveals plans after Lord Agnew says overuse of consultants "infantilises" officials
Latest civil service & public affairs moves — November 9
09 Nov 2020 HR
Latest civil service & public affairs moves — November 9
New appointments in the civil service, UK politics, and public affairs, via our colleagues at Dods People
NAO predicts ‘widespread disruption’ despite departments’ Brexit work
06 Nov 2020 Brexit
NAO predicts ‘widespread disruption’ despite departments’ Brexit work
Watchdog says Covid-19 has hampered preparations for end of transition period and ‘significant risks’ remain
Be more transparent about Covid stats to win public trust, government told
06 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Be more transparent about Covid stats to win public trust, government told
Watchdog says data used in press conferences has “not consistently been supported by transparent information provided in a timely manner”
George Osborne says civil servants should take more blame for Windrush scandal
06 Nov 2020 HR
George Osborne says civil servants should take more blame for Windrush scandal
Former chancellor admits cabinet got policy wrong but says accountability needs to be shared with officials
Watchdog sounds alarm over rising political bias in public appointments
05 Nov 2020 HR
Watchdog sounds alarm over rising political bias in public appointments
Commissioner Peter Riddell also says ministerial churn damaged recruitment processes for top departmental jobs
PM ducks questions on whether lockdown will end on 2 December if R-rate is rising
05 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
PM ducks questions on whether lockdown will end on 2 December if R-rate is rising
Boris Johnson says it will be for MPs to decide what happens after coronavirus measures expire
Unions raise 'extreme concern' about social distancing at BEIS HQ
05 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Unions raise 'extreme concern' about social distancing at BEIS HQ
Letter to perm sec Sarah Munby was written before it emerged business secretary Alok Sharma had travelled internationally after a colleague contracted coronavirus
Government brings nuclear warheads in house to enable investment in technology
04 Nov 2020 Security & Defence
Government brings nuclear warheads in house to enable investment in technology
AWE will become an arm’s-length body
Don't overburden NHS Test and Trace, chief medic warns
04 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Don't overburden NHS Test and Trace, chief medic warns
Speed of test turnarounds is critical, Chris Whitty says, as he also warns it would be "stupid" for scientists to interfere in minutiae of policy decisions
‘No longer world class’: Commission calls for civil service overhaul
04 Nov 2020 Civil Service Reform
‘No longer world class’: Commission calls for civil service overhaul
Report claims Whitehall skill gaps and “running policy sores” illustrate need for improvement
Chisholm pledges to curb use of consultants with plan to bolster in-house skills
03 Nov 2020 Civil Service Reform
Chisholm pledges to curb use of consultants with plan to bolster in-house skills
Lord Agnew "makes a really good point" about the need to increase specialist skills in the civil service and rely less on consultants, COO says
Move 50,000 civil servants to northern 'clusters' to break London 'stranglehold' on policymaking, think tank says
03 Nov 2020 Civil Service Reform
Move 50,000 civil servants to northern 'clusters' to break London 'stranglehold' on policymaking, think tank says
Manchester, Warrington and Liverpool among most promising locations for hubs of similar public organisations, says report on levelling-up agenda
MPs call on Sunak to reveal economic impact assessment of Covid-19 measures
03 Nov 2020 Analysis
MPs call on Sunak to reveal economic impact assessment of Covid-19 measures
Treasury Select Committee seeks data briefed to SAGE as Labour demands end to last-minute policy scrambles
NHS ‘improves accuracy’ of contact-tracing app as downloads near 20 million
03 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
NHS ‘improves accuracy’ of contact-tracing app as downloads near 20 million
Update will end ‘ghost notifications’, government claims
Latest civil service & public affairs moves — November 2
02 Nov 2020 HR
Latest civil service & public affairs moves — November 2
New appointments in the civil service, UK politics, and public affairs, via our colleagues at Dods People