MPs to forcibly publish report on benefits system after ‘repeated obstruction’ from DWP
17 Jan Operational Delivery

MPs to forcibly publish report on benefits system after ‘repeated obstruction’ from DWP

Work and pensions secretary Thérèse Coffey has repeatedly refused to publish the research
by Tevye Markson
Latest civil service & public affairs moves – January 17
17 Jan HR
Latest civil service & public affairs moves – January 17
Cabinet Office offers £118k for ‘exceptionally talented’ news chief
17 Jan Communications
Cabinet Office offers £118k for ‘exceptionally talented’ news chief
Former Covid task force head apologises for leaving drinks during lockdown
14 Jan Coronavirus
Former Covid task force head apologises for leaving drinks during lockdown
Perm secs push back at proposals for government chief risk officer
14 Jan Civil Service Reform
Perm secs push back at proposals for government chief risk officer
Cabinet Office chief Chisholm warns move could dilute accounting officer responsibility; DHSC boss Wormald says remit would be too big
Data watchdog warns civil servants not to delete messages amid party probe
14 Jan Digital, Data & Technology
Data watchdog warns civil servants not to delete messages amid party probe
ICO says “erasing, destroying or concealing” relevant information is a criminal offence
Places with high homelessness rates not receiving enough levelling up funding, think tank warns
14 Jan Economy
Places with high homelessness rates not receiving enough levelling up funding, think tank warns
Fund places too much emphasis on physical infrastructure and too little on social issues, report argues
Jonathan Van-Tam to step down as deputy chief medical officer
13 Jan Health & Social Care
Jonathan Van-Tam to step down as deputy chief medical officer
Job has been "most challenging of my professional career", JVT says
MPs voice concerns over Javid’s £1bn private hospitals ministerial direction
13 Jan Coronavirus
MPs voice concerns over Javid’s £1bn private hospitals ministerial direction
Health secretary signs off on £90m-a-month plans to put sector on standby to provide backup for NHS services
DCMS perm sec pledges to learn from other departments after Charity Commission ‘shambles’
13 Jan Culture
DCMS perm sec pledges to learn from other departments after Charity Commission ‘shambles’
Surprise as MPs hear department has policy of not asking prospective public appointment candidates for references
Government ‘careless’ in upholding standards, watchdog warns
12 Jan Civil Service Reform
Government ‘careless’ in upholding standards, watchdog warns
Lord Evans said the government system for ensuring compliance with standards is “very weak” and needs overhauling
Boris Johnson admits going to 'BYOB' Downing Street garden party
12 Jan Coronavirus
Boris Johnson admits going to 'BYOB' Downing Street garden party
PM accused of "deceit and deception" after claiming he thought May 2020 party "was a work event"
High Court rules 'VIP lane' for PPE procurement unlawful
12 Jan Commercial
High Court rules 'VIP lane' for PPE procurement unlawful
Some firms marked as high priority for contracts with "no objectively justifiable grounds for expediting the offer", court finds
PM’s standards adviser pushes for ‘considerably greater authority’ after flat refurb row
12 Jan Civil Service Reform
PM’s standards adviser pushes for ‘considerably greater authority’ after flat refurb row
Lord Geidt also says Cabinet Office’s approach to his investigation “shook his confidence” in the system
Defra accused of 'blind optimism' over post-Brexit farming plans
11 Jan Energy & Environment
Defra accused of 'blind optimism' over post-Brexit farming plans
Department has given "no detail" on how payment schemes will work, PAC says
DLUHC budget is ‘backstop’ for Gove’s £4bn cladding package
11 Jan Finance
DLUHC budget is ‘backstop’ for Gove’s £4bn cladding package
Perm sec seeks ministerial direction over £27m funding request for post-Grenfell fire alarms
Police 'in contact with Cabinet Office' over Downing Street garden party
11 Jan Coronavirus
Police 'in contact with Cabinet Office' over Downing Street garden party
Leaked email shows Boris Johnson's PPS inviting more than 100 people to May 2020 get-together
Poor evaluation means government ‘not learning from failure’, NAO head warns
10 Jan Internal Audit
Poor evaluation means government ‘not learning from failure’, NAO head warns
“Limited consequences” for failing to evaluate projects means too few public bodies are doing so, Gareth Davies says
CMA chief exec announces plan to step down
10 Jan Economy
CMA chief exec announces plan to step down
Andrea Coscelli will leave regulator at the end of July after six years as CEO
Latest civil service & public affairs moves – January 10
10 Jan HR
Latest civil service & public affairs moves – January 10
New appointments in the civil service, UK politics, and public affairs, via our colleagues at Dods People
Home Office appoints panel to advise on 'scientific' ways to verify age of asylum seekers
07 Jan Digital, Data & Technology
Home Office appoints panel to advise on 'scientific' ways to verify age of asylum seekers
Ethical concerns have been raised over the plans for medical age assessment
'Jury out’ on whether Geidt should have quit over PM's flat refurb probe, says union chief
07 Jan Culture
'Jury out’ on whether Geidt should have quit over PM's flat refurb probe, says union chief
Latest Downing Street flat refurb revelations prompt renewed calls for ethics adviser to have freedom to launch investigations without PM’s go-ahead
Tory peer ‘secretly involved’ with firm that won £200m in PPE contracts after she referred it to ‘VIP lane’
07 Jan Commercial
Tory peer ‘secretly involved’ with firm that won £200m in PPE contracts after she referred it to ‘VIP lane’
Companies in the fast-track lane were 14 times more likely to win contracts than other suppliers, according to the NAO
Downing Street flat probe: ‘Grave concern’ over Cabinet Office failings
07 Jan HR
Downing Street flat probe: ‘Grave concern’ over Cabinet Office failings
Johnson pledges independent standards adviser will get better support and more powers after debacle over undisclosed messages
HMRC ‘doesn't understand’ problems with new border IT
06 Jan Brexit
HMRC ‘doesn't understand’ problems with new border IT
Lorries unable to enter UK as department acknowledges “error issues” with Goods Vehicles Movement System
Cabinet Office rejects claim 6,000 civil service jobs were axed in Scotland
06 Jan HR
Cabinet Office rejects claim 6,000 civil service jobs were axed in Scotland
UK government describes SNP figures as “misleading” and says proportion of headcount reductions has been lower than in other home nations
Don’t ignore other areas of care when tackling Covid backlog, DHSC told
06 Jan Coronavirus
Don’t ignore other areas of care when tackling Covid backlog, DHSC told
MPs also warn against a "targets culture" of focusing solely on reducing numbers
Blair feared ‘regulation nightmare’ from Home Office race equality drive
05 Jan HR
Blair feared ‘regulation nightmare’ from Home Office race equality drive
Shelved white paper would have called on departments to put race equality “at the heart” of departmental policymaking