Articles

The Home Office has been urged to make "significant improvements" to its strategy for handling immigrants who stay beyond their visas’ expiry date

Staff shortages in the UK Border Force (UKBF) are putting increasing pressure on staff and causing concern that they’re no longer able to effectively protect the UK borders, a survey revealed on the 4 December. 

The UK is committed to open contracting despite not adopting the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) yet, Open Data Institute (ODI) technical director and Open Contracting Partnership Advisory Board member Jeni Tennison told CSW. 

 Britain has refused to participate in the Frontex Mediterranean refugee operation, claiming it is "encouraging more migrants to attempt the dangerous sea crossing".

Tax evasion is the biggest cause of the UK tax gap, not big-business tax avoidance, and it needs to be tackled, director of Tax Research UK Richard Murphy said yesterday at a conference on taxation.

HM Revenue and Customs will gain greater ability to clamp down on tax evaders following the signing of an international agreement on tax evasion at the Global Forum in Berlin today. 

The Defence Select Committee chair has criticised the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) prioritising management skills over local expertise in its overseas staff, and expressed scepticism over the UK’s approach to developing strategy. 

A National Audit Office (NAO) report reveals the number of foreign national offenders (FNOs) deported from the UK remains broadly unchanged whilst the number of FNOs in prison has increased by 4% since 2006 despite a tenfold increase in Home Office staff working on FNO cases. 

Admiral Lord West predicts that more emergency legislation over monitoring communications is likely to be needed if the Communications Data Bill does not go forward.

Developments in public service reform from around the world

FCO historian Richard Smith explains his department’s response to the Great War

Jaime Perez-Renovales, subsecretary to the Presidency, Spanish Government, tells Civil Service World about the strengths and weaknesses of his home civil service

Mark Lowcock

Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Development