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
Civil servants are working from home to save on lunch costs, claims minister
13 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
Civil servants are working from home to save on lunch costs, claims minister
Latest salvo comes despite No.10 confirming “steady return” of officials to workplaces
Covid exposed ‘major deficiencies in the machinery of government’, inquiry finds
12 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
Covid exposed ‘major deficiencies in the machinery of government’, inquiry finds
Initial pandemic response 'one of the UK's most important public health failures', MPs say
IDS slammed for 'ahistorical drivel' after saying home-working officials fall short of 'wartime generation'
11 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
IDS slammed for 'ahistorical drivel' after saying home-working officials fall short of 'wartime generation'
Ex-work and pensions secretary compared to "old man on a park bench screaming into the wind"
Stats regulator urges ministers and officials to implement Covid lessons
08 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
Stats regulator urges ministers and officials to implement Covid lessons
Pandemic sparked “unprecedented public engagement" with health data but highlighted challenges, OSR says
Meg Hillier: Covid isn’t a licence for departments to act fast and loose on procurement
06 Oct 2021 Coronavirus
Meg Hillier: Covid isn’t a licence for departments to act fast and loose on procurement
Public Accounts Committee will continue to challenge government on its award of contracts, says chair
Labour would claw back money spent on failing Covid contracts, Reeves pledges
28 Sep 2021 Coronavirus
Labour would claw back money spent on failing Covid contracts, Reeves pledges
Shadow chancellor also promises “biggest wave of insourcing in a generation” if party wins next general election