Communications

Bankers Fields Wicker-Miurin and Neil Mendoza set to join department

With the end of 2015 in sight, we asked Whitehall's top officials to look back at the year, set out their priorities for 2016 – and shed some light on their festive plans...

With the end of 2015 in sight, we asked Whitehall's top officials to review the year, set out their priorities for 2016 – and shed some light on their festive plans. Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer for England, takes part in our biggest-ever perm secs' round-up series...

Former head of the civil service tells Labour's own FoI review that intentional leaks to the press show "double standard" in Whitehall over the transparency law

Former head of the civil service says "public will draw their own conclusions" about any attempt to curb the transparency law

Furious online reaction to Spending Review blog prompts response by cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood and civil service chief executive John Manzoni – with the pair emphasising areas where civil service is more flexible than the private sector

Live: Rolling coverage of the Comprehensive Spending Review and Autumn Statement provided by CSW's sister title PoliticsHome

National Cyber Centre to open in Cheltenham, George Osborne announces, amid flurry of security spending announcements in the wake of the Paris terror attacks

Special report: Extensive cross-government survey finds broad range of views on the FOI act – with calls for more central support in dealing with requests and just over 50% of officials in favour of introducing charges

Many of the world’s most famous government officials never actually existed. As the legendary crown servant James Bond returns to our screens in Spectre, we profile some more made-up mandarins – and invite you to vote for your favourite. Illustrations by John Levers

Home secretary says it is right that cabinet ministers are "not making comments" on Heathrow's third runway until final government decision

Civil servants urged to give honest feedback on their working lives