Cabinet Office ‘must make working from home default’ for civil servants
08 Dec 2021 Coronavirus
Cabinet Office ‘must make working from home default’ for civil servants
Union says emergence of Omicron Covid variant should be point where departments stop lurching from crisis to crisis in pandemic response
On the Case: PM orders civil service head to investigate No.10 Christmas party claims
08 Dec 2021 Coronavirus
On the Case: PM orders civil service head to investigate No.10 Christmas party claims
Boris Johnson also apologised "unreservedly" for a video in which officials joke about a party during Covid lockdown
Civil servants ‘hosted Downing Street party’ during Covid lockdown
07 Dec 2021 Coronavirus
Civil servants ‘hosted Downing Street party’ during Covid lockdown
Majority of people attending Christmas party at No.10 last year were officials, according to report
Anti-fraud checks on Covid loans 'inadequate', watchdog finds
03 Dec 2021 Coronavirus
Anti-fraud checks on Covid loans 'inadequate', watchdog finds
Most measures were introduced "too late" to stop fraud, with focus on prevention
BEIS slammed by MPs for ‘pointlessly rushed’ green homes scheme
01 Dec 2021 Coronavirus
BEIS slammed by MPs for ‘pointlessly rushed’ green homes scheme
Public Accounts Committee chair says scheme’s flaws "should have been blindingly obvious to the department"
Bingham fires broadside at civil service ‘foot dragging’
23 Nov 2021 Coronavirus
Bingham fires broadside at civil service ‘foot dragging’
Former Vaccine Taskforce boss bemoans lack of science skills in government and says obstacles to decision-making must be overcome
HMRC struggles to recover billions in overpaid Covid-19 support and tax debts
22 Nov 2021 Coronavirus
HMRC struggles to recover billions in overpaid Covid-19 support and tax debts
Taskforce likely to recover minority of support paid in error and fraud as NAO says department needs to increase its debt recovery capacity
Government was not prepared enough for Covid pandemic, NAO finds
19 Nov 2021 Coronavirus
Government was not prepared enough for Covid pandemic, NAO finds
Lessons from previous simulation exercises "not fully implemented", watchdog says
Drop social distancing to get more civil servants back to offices, departments told
18 Nov 2021 Coronavirus
Drop social distancing to get more civil servants back to offices, departments told
Guidance update "should support you to remove some or all of the measures associated with social distancing", Chisholm says
Billions lost to fraudsters amid pandemic 'simply unacceptable', DWP told
17 Nov 2021 Coronavirus
Billions lost to fraudsters amid pandemic 'simply unacceptable', DWP told
MPs say department’s £8.3bn overpayment of benefits is ‘simply unacceptable’
DHSC sets up NHS Delivery Unit to 'tackle waiting lists and recover services'
15 Nov 2021 Coronavirus
DHSC sets up NHS Delivery Unit to 'tackle waiting lists and recover services'
Sir Michael Barber will advise health secretary on new unit after calling for ‘war room’ to support underperforming NHS trusts
Risk management profession could take 18 months to set up, ministers say
11 Nov 2021 Coronavirus
Risk management profession could take 18 months to set up, ministers say
Boardman Review recommendation could take more than a year to progress, MPs are told
Pandemic-driven flexible working progress saves hundreds of HMRC jobs
05 Nov 2021 Coronavirus
Pandemic-driven flexible working progress saves hundreds of HMRC jobs
But department’s annual report estimates fraud in Covid support schemes topped £6bn in 2020-21
Top scientist Jeremy Farrar quits SAGE, warning Covid is 'far from over'
03 Nov 2021 Coronavirus
Top scientist Jeremy Farrar quits SAGE, warning Covid is 'far from over'
Wellcome Trust director says experts have provided 'vital advice' under 'huge pressure'
'Unfair' to criticise sky-high spending on Covid schemes, Sunak says
02 Nov 2021 Coronavirus
'Unfair' to criticise sky-high spending on Covid schemes, Sunak says
Chancellor defends £37bn spent on test and trace scheme and cost of furlough fraud
Test and trace: shortage of digital and data skills cited as reliance on consultants persists
29 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
Test and trace: shortage of digital and data skills cited as reliance on consultants persists
MPs claim scheme has proven "eye-wateringly expensive" and has not achieved its main objective
Contact tracing: ‘Not possible’ to know how many have enabled NHS Covid-19 app
28 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
Contact tracing: ‘Not possible’ to know how many have enabled NHS Covid-19 app
Senior officials say they cannot ‘make a reliable and consistent calculation’
SAGE urges government to prepare for rapid deployment of Covid ‘Plan B’
25 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
SAGE urges government to prepare for rapid deployment of Covid ‘Plan B’
Scientific advisers urged ministers to undertake work needed for restrictions last week, according to documents
13% of civil servants absent because of Covid at crisis peak, stats show
22 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
13% of civil servants absent because of Covid at crisis peak, stats show
57,230 officials were absent either directly or indirectly because of coronavirus in late March 2020
MoJ needs extra £2.2bn to cover cost of Covid recovery, report says
22 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
MoJ needs extra £2.2bn to cover cost of Covid recovery, report says
National Audit Office warns crown court backlogs will continue for “several years”
Forget return to ‘normal times’, BEIS perm sec warns
22 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
Forget return to ‘normal times’, BEIS perm sec warns
Sarah Munby flags positive developments that have emerged from government’s response to Covid-19 adversity
No.10 rejects NHS call to trigger Covid Plan B despite highest deaths since March
21 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
No.10 rejects NHS call to trigger Covid Plan B despite highest deaths since March
Government "sticking to autumn and winter plan", spokesperson says
DHSC signs £3.75m one-year deal to bring Test and Trace data platform in house
20 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
DHSC signs £3.75m one-year deal to bring Test and Trace data platform in house
Information will be moved from BAE-developed platform to be managed by new public health agency
Use Spending Review to address costly Covid backlogs, chancellor urged
19 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
Use Spending Review to address costly Covid backlogs, chancellor urged
IfG identifies backlogs in five major public services post-pandemic