Government sets out tougher coronavirus tiers for England ahead of lifting lockdown
24 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Government sets out tougher coronavirus tiers for England ahead of lifting lockdown
Prime minister Boris Johnson warns that Christmas won't be normal this year but urges a ‘push to spring’
Civil service braces for new pay woe in Spending Review
24 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Civil service braces for new pay woe in Spending Review
Downing Street briefs that prime minister opposes planned £3k rise for MPs in light of mooted public-sector freeze
Hancock defends £44,000 takeaway bill for staff working '18-hour days'
24 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Hancock defends £44,000 takeaway bill for staff working '18-hour days'
"When people are working 18 hours a day, of course I’m going to feed them," health secretary says
Cabinet Office plans for civil service Covid tests spark ‘serious concerns’
23 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Cabinet Office plans for civil service Covid tests spark ‘serious concerns’
Union seeks assurances departmental officials will not be compelled to test each other
Civil servants face renewed pay freeze as Treasury signals restraint
20 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Civil servants face renewed pay freeze as Treasury signals restraint
"Clap for carers" rhetoric would ring hollow if followed by new restrictions, says unions
Four-year MoD settlement ‘not decided in a vacuum’, insists Treasury perm sec
20 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Four-year MoD settlement ‘not decided in a vacuum’, insists Treasury perm sec
Tom Scholar tells MPs preparation work for delayed integrated review of defence, security and foreign affairs fed into multi-year funding boost
PPE suppliers referred by ministers and civil servants marked 'high priority' in pandemic
18 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
PPE suppliers referred by ministers and civil servants marked 'high priority' in pandemic
Businesses in high-priority lane 14 times more likely to win contracts, NAO finds
BEIS urged to limit staff working in London HQ over Covid safety concerns
18 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
BEIS urged to limit staff working in London HQ over Covid safety concerns
Department insists it is working with unions to ensure offices meet Covid secure guidelines
Sedwill sets out thinking on public inquiry into Covid-19 response
18 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Sedwill sets out thinking on public inquiry into Covid-19 response
Former cabinet secretary tells MPs decision makers don’t have to wait to learn lessons on pandemic handling
Outsourced contract is ‘double slap in face’ for comms staff, says union
16 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Outsourced contract is ‘double slap in face’ for comms staff, says union
PCS calls £670k spent on PR for Vaccine Taskforce “outrageous” as departmental comms professionals face uncertain future
UK was not as prepared for Covid as it could have been, ex-chief medic says
13 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
UK was not as prepared for Covid as it could have been, ex-chief medic says
UK has been "found wanting", Dame Sally Davies says, with the government responding too slowly to the pandemic
'You need to pull on all the talents': test and trace head defends use of consultants
11 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
'You need to pull on all the talents': test and trace head defends use of consultants
Harding also defended the reliance on outsourcers in the "team of teams" that is NHS Test and Trace
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
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
Vaccine task force signs £670,000 deal for PR consultants who 'duplicate' BEIS press officers
09 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
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
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”
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
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
MPs call on Sunak to reveal economic impact assessment of Covid-19 measures
03 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
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
England’s second lockdown could go beyond 2 December, says Michael Gove
02 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
England’s second lockdown could go beyond 2 December, says Michael Gove
Explaining move into a second national lockdown, the Cabinet Office minister says ‘the situation has been worse than any of us expected’
BEIS defends vaccine task force chair who named targets for government investment at $200-a-head event
02 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
BEIS defends vaccine task force chair who named targets for government investment at $200-a-head event
Department says officials signed off on Kate Bingham's presentation, which contained names of companies developing Covid-19 vaccines
Sunak urged to find cash to make pandemic-driven innovations permanent
02 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Sunak urged to find cash to make pandemic-driven innovations permanent
Spending Review should also stump up funding to deal with “huge” service backlogs, report says