Jeremy Hunt: I had to earn civil servants’ trust after Tom Scholar sacking
17 Jul Finance

Jeremy Hunt: I had to earn civil servants’ trust after Tom Scholar sacking

Jeremy Hunt also speaks about the advice he gave to Wes Streeting and why he's not a fan of "mission-driven" government
by Tevye Markson
NAO: Simple cost-cutting won’t cut it – departments must develop more detailed understanding of costs
12 Sep Finance
NAO: Simple cost-cutting won’t cut it – departments must develop more detailed understanding of costs
Reeves announces late-November Autumn Budget
03 Sep Finance
Reeves announces late-November Autumn Budget
Spending Review 2025 recap: Here's everything you need to know
04 Aug Finance
Spending Review 2025 recap: Here's everything you need to know
BEIS recovered just 1% of £1.1bn fraud in Covid support loans to small firms
24 Mar 2023 Finance
BEIS recovered just 1% of £1.1bn fraud in Covid support loans to small firms
Losses come on top of multi-billion-pound Bounce Back Loans hit, National Audit Office says
Spring Budget defence and childcare boosts 'mean spending cuts elsewhere'
16 Mar 2023 Finance
Spring Budget defence and childcare boosts 'mean spending cuts elsewhere'
Departments may have to cut £18bn following Hunt's announcements yesterday, IFS says
DLUHC’s local-audit backlog issues ‘could get worse’, watchdog warns
16 Mar 2023 Finance
DLUHC’s local-audit backlog issues ‘could get worse’, watchdog warns
MPs are told that dealing with delayed local-council accounts could be hampered by NHS changes
Spring Budget: Government launches new savings tracker amid departmental spending squeeze
15 Mar 2023 Finance
Spring Budget: Government launches new savings tracker amid departmental spending squeeze
IFS warns defence and childcare boosts could mean “very tough time for other spending areas”
High Court rejects challenge to Civil Service Pension Scheme costs
15 Mar 2023 Finance
High Court rejects challenge to Civil Service Pension Scheme costs
Judge sides with ministers over failure to reduce member contributions because of botched reforms
Integrated Review ‘refresh’ finds extra £5bn for MoD
14 Mar 2023 Finance
Integrated Review ‘refresh’ finds extra £5bn for MoD
Sunak sets new ‘aspiration’ for UK to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence amid concerns over Russia and China
Hunt urged to 'think twice' about closing Office of Tax Simplification
14 Mar 2023 Finance
Hunt urged to 'think twice' about closing Office of Tax Simplification
MPs says closure is "unnecessary", pointing to OTS claim that it "achieves far more than it costs"
HS2 pause will just ramp up costs, warns Infrastructure Commission chair
13 Mar 2023 Finance
HS2 pause will just ramp up costs, warns Infrastructure Commission chair
John Armitt’s comments come as Department for Transport announces delivery of section of high-speed line will be pushed back by two years
Stalemate as DfE refuses to negotiate with teachers' unions unless strikes called off
09 Mar 2023 Finance
Stalemate as DfE refuses to negotiate with teachers' unions unless strikes called off
But perm sec Susan Acland-Hood said the department is willing to renegotiate this year's pay offer
Cabinet Office targets £1bn-a-year savings through new efficiency pilot
07 Mar 2023 Finance
Cabinet Office targets £1bn-a-year savings through new efficiency pilot
Department will trial project which aims to modernise, automate and digitise government processes
Ben Wallace: MoD 'needs real money not fantasy efficiency savings'
16 Feb 2023 Finance
Ben Wallace: MoD 'needs real money not fantasy efficiency savings'
Defence secretary says defence budget has been "effectively raided" over three decades
Levelling up 'begging bowl culture' comments not a civil service rebuke, West Midlands mayor says
14 Feb 2023 Finance
Levelling up 'begging bowl culture' comments not a civil service rebuke, West Midlands mayor says
Andy Street says civil servants he has worked with "have been committed to making people’s lives better"
Dossier reveals errors and gaps in government 'debit card' spend data
13 Feb 2023 Finance
Dossier reveals errors and gaps in government 'debit card' spend data
MoD figures so “riddled with anomalies” they could not be included in database of government procurement card spend, Labour says
Treasury tightens reins on DLUHC spending decisions
10 Feb 2023 Finance
Treasury tightens reins on DLUHC spending decisions
Minister says new regime is a “delegation approach” that gives HMT sign-off on capital spend
'Stark' drop in real-terms civil service pay at all grades since 2010, analysis reveals
31 Jan 2023 Finance
'Stark' drop in real-terms civil service pay at all grades since 2010, analysis reveals
Value of senior civil servants' wages down by nearly a quarter but pay squeeze is not achieving expected savings, IfG warns
DIT urged to boost knowledge of UK’s regional strengths
31 Jan 2023 Finance
DIT urged to boost knowledge of UK’s regional strengths
Department must work with BEIS and DLUHC to better drive inward investment, NAO says
HMRC boss: Cabinet Office could demand information on would-be ministers’ tax affairs
26 Jan 2023 Finance
HMRC boss: Cabinet Office could demand information on would-be ministers’ tax affairs
As Zahawi row rumbles on, Jim Harra tells MPs of "frustration" over misleading briefings that department cannot challenge
DLUHC takes flak over Levelling Up Fund after councils 'wasted time and money' on bids
25 Jan 2023 Finance
DLUHC takes flak over Levelling Up Fund after councils 'wasted time and money' on bids
MPs tell top civil servants that lack of clarity over bidding criteria wasted local authorities’ cash
Treasury launches hunt for next chief economic adviser
23 Jan 2023 Finance
Treasury launches hunt for next chief economic adviser
Department offers up to £125k a year for Clare Lombardelli’s successor
DLUHC perm sec faces further grilling on levelling up funding decisions
19 Jan 2023 Finance
DLUHC perm sec faces further grilling on levelling up funding decisions
Watchdog MPs “disappointed” with Jeremy Pocklington’s stance as £2.1bn in new cash allocations creates fresh controversy
Treasury’s top economic adviser to leave for OECD
13 Jan 2023 Finance
Treasury’s top economic adviser to leave for OECD
Clare Lombardelli will become OECD chief economist in spring, after 18 years in the civil service
HMRC not deploying enough staff to tackle £42bn tax gap, MPs say
12 Jan 2023 Finance
HMRC not deploying enough staff to tackle £42bn tax gap, MPs say
"Eye-watering" sum owed in unpaid taxes could have helped fill "public spending black hole", PAC says
Northern Ireland civil servants could join strikes over 'offensive' sub-2% pay offer
09 Jan 2023 Finance
Northern Ireland civil servants could join strikes over 'offensive' sub-2% pay offer
Union urges members to reject "derisory" offer of £552 pay rise and vote on industrial action
'Some of the Treasury's hardest decisions are yet to come': Cat Little looks ahead
04 Jan 2023 Finance
'Some of the Treasury's hardest decisions are yet to come': Cat Little looks ahead
The Treasury second perm sec says resilience is needed after "what feels like concurrent crises over an extended period"