Commercial

Union criticises government’s £46.9m spent with supplier in 2018

It took departments 119 days on average to publish details of contracts

Troubled background-checking agency appoints local authority boss to top job

CCS issues contract notice for £380m online system

DfID in the firing line as candidates seek to win support for leadership bids

Figures show that spending on outside firms has risen to £1.5bn in 2017-18, up from a low of £346m in 2011-12

Plan addresses the "oft cited issue of pay disparity between internally and externally recruited senior civil servants"

Union says members have reported pay errors since ISS World took over support services contract in March

NAO report also reveals the department considered it was unlikely to be able defend any action against it for breaching procurement rules

Companies are being paid between up to £6m each for services relating to IT, accounting and auditing work

Move comes as government at winds down emergency no-deal Brexit planning

Stagecoach says that leak of its plans for East Midlands franchise requires further investigation