Departments need ‘significant’ productivity improvements, OBR chair warns
28 Nov Finance

Departments need ‘significant’ productivity improvements, OBR chair warns

Watchdog “doesn’t know” whether the government’s spending plans are plausible or not
by Jim Dunton
Treasury gets departments to meet evaluation commitments without sanctions
05 Dec Finance
Treasury gets departments to meet evaluation commitments without sanctions
'The chief exec called me his plumber because I fixed things': Reflections on 45 years in the civil service
28 Nov Finance
'The chief exec called me his plumber because I fixed things': Reflections on 45 years in the civil service
Autumn Statement: Unprotected departments face real-terms cuts of 3.4%, IFS warns
23 Nov Finance
Autumn Statement: Unprotected departments face real-terms cuts of 3.4%, IFS warns
HMRC gets £163m ‘capacity boost’ in Autumn Statement
23 Nov Finance
HMRC gets £163m ‘capacity boost’ in Autumn Statement
Treasury says funding will be focused on debt-management capability
OBR: Autumn Statement measures will cause £19bn fall in public spending power
22 Nov Finance
OBR: Autumn Statement measures will cause £19bn fall in public spending power
Fiscal watchdog warns of growing risk that public spending plans will not be met
Autumn Statement warns of crackdown on external diversity spending
22 Nov Finance
Autumn Statement warns of crackdown on external diversity spending
"Presumption against external EDI spending" is being considered alongside extra ministerial scrutiny
DLUHC urged to do more to help councils with levelling-up funding delays
20 Nov Finance
DLUHC urged to do more to help councils with levelling-up funding delays
Less than 10% of £10.6bn in announced funding had been spent as of March, NAO report says
Departments urged to ensure data programmes are backed in next spending review
15 Nov Finance
Departments urged to ensure data programmes are backed in next spending review
ONS data chief flags up importance of building support for initiatives into funding bids
Maude: Appoint chief functional officers to tackle 'diluted authority and mandate'
14 Nov Finance
Maude: Appoint chief functional officers to tackle 'diluted authority and mandate'
Perm sec-level officials should lead push to streamline and strengthen digital, HR, commercial and other functions, review finds
Northern Ireland heading for £1bn overspend
10 Nov Finance
Northern Ireland heading for £1bn overspend
'Fair' public sector pay awards set to add £590m to overspend, Department of Finance perm sec says
Science adviser sounded alarm over Treasury modelling, Covid Inquiry told
07 Nov Finance
Science adviser sounded alarm over Treasury modelling, Covid Inquiry told
Former economic adviser insists Treasury was not "tactical" about its economic analysis but "shared freely"
Sinking companies: how should government navigate troubled waters?
07 Nov Finance
Sinking companies: how should government navigate troubled waters?
Intervening in distressed companies can be complex, costly and require skills not widely held across government. The National Audit Office's new report and guide aim to help government maximise its resilience against the risks of company failure and be better prepared when confronted with these situations
Departments facing 16% real-terms budget cuts, think tank predicts
06 Nov Finance
Departments facing 16% real-terms budget cuts, think tank predicts
Such a big five-year drop in spending "looks completely undeliverable", Resolution Foundation research director says
DWP 'too slow to fix mistakes' as it pays out £74m in disability-benefit arrears
01 Nov Finance
DWP 'too slow to fix mistakes' as it pays out £74m in disability-benefit arrears
Department has reviewed just under a quarter of cases affected by a court judgment since 2021
A stronger civil service head and more ministerial appointments: Maude shares highlights of his review
27 Oct Finance
A stronger civil service head and more ministerial appointments: Maude shares highlights of his review
Francis Maude says his civil service governance review will also recommend splitting the Treasury
Insolvency Service ‘£8m out of pocket’ over Carillion proceedings
26 Oct Finance
Insolvency Service ‘£8m out of pocket’ over Carillion proceedings
Disqualification case against former non-execs of failed outsourcer was dropped this month
Fast Stream hits 50% STEM grads recruitment target
26 Oct Finance
Fast Stream hits 50% STEM grads recruitment target
Jeremy Quin says target is part of plan to "put innovation at the very core of policy making"
NAO flags ‘weaknesses’ in £7.8bn Cabinet Office savings figures
25 Oct Finance
NAO flags ‘weaknesses’ in £7.8bn Cabinet Office savings figures
Public-spending watchdog says some efficiencies attributed to the work of functions could be “overstated”
Efficiency is a moral imperative – but there are few incentives in Whitehall to really do more for less
20 Oct Finance
Efficiency is a moral imperative – but there are few incentives in Whitehall to really do more for less
Every pound that is wasted is a pound that could have been used to improve people’s lives, but little is done to recognise those who identify specific risks to spending, or operational bottlenecks to greater efficiency
Cash boost and ambition needed to improve UK infrastructure, advisers say
18 Oct Finance
Cash boost and ambition needed to improve UK infrastructure, advisers say
UK is at a “pivotal moment... to make a major difference to this country’s future", but must “get on with it”, commission says
Auditor KPMG hit with ‘record’ £21m fine for Carillion failings
13 Oct Finance
Auditor KPMG hit with ‘record’ £21m fine for Carillion failings
Scrutiny of collapsed outsourcer’s finances was “very bad, over an extended period”, boss admits
DfE apologises over £270m schools-funding error
09 Oct Finance
DfE apologises over £270m schools-funding error
Education secretary orders review of assurance process as schools forced to recalculate budgets
Deleted transport schemes ‘just examples’ of how HS2 savings can be used, minister claims
09 Oct Finance
Deleted transport schemes ‘just examples’ of how HS2 savings can be used, minister claims
Mark Harper says swiftly deleted announcements for Network North projects showed "the sorts of things" HS2 savings could be spent on
DfT perm sec admits HS2 now represents ‘poor value for money’
06 Oct Finance
DfT perm sec admits HS2 now represents ‘poor value for money’
Stripped-back plans for high-speed rail are now costed at £54bn to connect London with the West Midlands
DLUHC names full intervention team for Birmingham City Council
06 Oct Finance
DLUHC names full intervention team for Birmingham City Council
Cabinet Office’s crown representative for top tech firms is one of six specialists being parachuted in to help “bankrupt” authority
Think tank calls for accounting shakeup to boost preventative spending
05 Oct Finance
Think tank calls for accounting shakeup to boost preventative spending
Creation of “PDEL” category for departmental budgets would ring-fence allocations and drive innovation, Demos says
HS2 and A-levels scrapped: All of Sunak's Conservative conference announcements
05 Oct Finance
HS2 and A-levels scrapped: All of Sunak's Conservative conference announcements
PM promises "better transport connections in the north" as he scraps Manchester leg of HS2 rail link