Treasury seeks technical efficiencies of ‘at least 1% a year’ from departments
28 Apr Finance

Treasury seeks technical efficiencies of ‘at least 1% a year’ from departments

Perm sec tells MPs “stretching and realistic” Spending Review targets are being worked up with the Office for Value for Money
by Jim Dunton
Treasury working with departments to build integrated finance system
24 Jun Finance
Treasury working with departments to build integrated finance system
SR25: HMRC gets £1.7bn for big increase in compliance and debt management staff
12 Jun Finance
SR25: HMRC gets £1.7bn for big increase in compliance and debt management staff
‘Radically’ shorter Green Book will support place-based budgeting and transformational change
11 Jun Finance
‘Radically’ shorter Green Book will support place-based budgeting and transformational change
Sunak sets date for Spending Review – and issues pay warning
07 Sep 2021 Finance
Sunak sets date for Spending Review – and issues pay warning
Three-year settlement for departments and agencies will come alongside Autumn Budget
Economic bounce-back ‘won’t shield departments in Spending Review’
31 Aug 2021 Finance
Economic bounce-back ‘won’t shield departments in Spending Review’
Institute for Government says Sunak will need to find additional funding to protect public services
Employment tribunal decision could cost MoD £1.5m, says union
31 Aug 2021 Finance
Employment tribunal decision could cost MoD £1.5m, says union
Hundreds of former staff at Babcock-owned dockyard could get boosted exit payments after Rosyth case
Departments ‘told to plan for staff cuts’ in Spending Review
12 Aug 2021 Finance
Departments ‘told to plan for staff cuts’ in Spending Review
Treasury eyes reversal of 70,000 increase in civil service headcount since 2016, according to report
Cabinet Office procurement plans ‘could do more harm than good’
30 Jul 2021 Finance
Cabinet Office procurement plans ‘could do more harm than good’
Peers warn prioritisation of competition over collaboration in public service commissioning risks compromising expertise and innovation
Cost estimate for new ‘national flagship’ rises to £250m
29 Jul 2021 Finance
Cost estimate for new ‘national flagship’ rises to £250m
Defence secretary says MoD taskforce will ensure project 'comes in on time and on budget'
Legacy tech: Half of government’s £5bn annual IT spend dedicated to ‘keeping the lights on’
28 Jul 2021 Finance
Legacy tech: Half of government’s £5bn annual IT spend dedicated to ‘keeping the lights on’
Report identifies continued prevalence of ageing tech as one of the major challenges facing the civil service’s digital ambitions
'Financial risk for years to come' as Covid costs hit £372bn, MPs warn
26 Jul 2021 Finance
'Financial risk for years to come' as Covid costs hit £372bn, MPs warn
Some departments cannot provide "robust assessment of their Covid-related activity"
‘Perm secs are remarkably immune from accountability for spending’: Maude calls for stronger functions to boost oversight
23 Jul 2021 Finance
‘Perm secs are remarkably immune from accountability for spending’: Maude calls for stronger functions to boost oversight
Delivering the benefits of spend controls requires "strong and capable central leadership" of functions, ex-minister's review finds
NAO sounds alarm over DWP’s ‘record high’ fraud and error rates
20 Jul 2021 Finance
NAO sounds alarm over DWP’s ‘record high’ fraud and error rates
Watchdog says department accepts pandemic response means overpayments will “remain significantly higher than normal for some time”
End short-term focus to unlock Spending Review efficiencies, Treasury told
14 Jul 2021 Finance
End short-term focus to unlock Spending Review efficiencies, Treasury told
NAO highlights areas where efficiencies have fallen short, including shared services, automation and outsourcing
Fraud and error in Covid support schemes 'will cost taxpayer tens of billions'
30 Jun 2021 Finance
Fraud and error in Covid support schemes 'will cost taxpayer tens of billions'
Departments' efforts to detect fraud 'hindered by a lack of real-time data sharing and weak transparency arrangements', MPs say
Centre of government ‘lacks proper data’ to monitor arm’s length bodies
23 Jun 2021 Finance
Centre of government ‘lacks proper data’ to monitor arm’s length bodies
National Audit Office warns department-level information deficit could impact Cabinet Office’s ability to drive efficiency and reform
Treasury urged to reform cost-control system for civil service pensions
18 Jun 2021 Finance
Treasury urged to reform cost-control system for civil service pensions
Current mechanism was on course for “perverse” recommendation to reduce contributions and increase benefits before it was paused, says government actuary
Treasury blasted for botched public sector pensions reform
11 Jun 2021 Finance
Treasury blasted for botched public sector pensions reform
MPs say £17bn cost of McCloud judgment could be “just a ripple” compared to looming “tsunami”
Treasury plans pandemic-driven update of spending control bible
28 May 2021 Finance
Treasury plans pandemic-driven update of spending control bible
Managing Public Money refresh will add guidance on emergency-related risk and more case studies
Cost of Covid rises to £372bn, National Audit Office finds
18 May 2021 Finance
Cost of Covid rises to £372bn, National Audit Office finds
HMRC has highest pandemic spending level of any government department, according to watchdog
Treasury threatened with court challenge over civil service pensions ‘theft’
04 May 2021 Finance
Treasury threatened with court challenge over civil service pensions ‘theft’
Unions preparing judicial review plans over department’s “diabolical” proposals to pay for McCloud case costs
Independent commission calls for Spending Reviews to be dumped
12 Apr 2021 Finance
Independent commission calls for Spending Reviews to be dumped
Panel also calls for departmental boards to get greater powers to scrutinise top officials’ performance
Treasury publishes Rishi Sunak’s text messages to David Cameron in Greensill lobbying row
09 Apr 2021 Finance
Treasury publishes Rishi Sunak’s text messages to David Cameron in Greensill lobbying row
Chancellor ‘pushed officials to explore options’ messages reveal, but no support was agreed
PM urged to rule out 40% funding cut at Office for Veterans Affairs
25 Mar 2021 Finance
PM urged to rule out 40% funding cut at Office for Veterans Affairs
Boris Johnson tells MPs no final decision has been made on £2m budget reduction for Cabinet Office unit
Dominic Cummings rails against Treasury for ‘horrific’ impact on science funding
19 Mar 2021 Finance
Dominic Cummings rails against Treasury for ‘horrific’ impact on science funding
Advanced Research and Invention Agency needs “extreme freedom” from civil service bureaucracy, procurement rules, business cases and pay scales says PM’s former chief spad
Public services 'face second dose of austerity' to meet Sunak's spending cuts
18 Mar 2021 Finance
Public services 'face second dose of austerity' to meet Sunak's spending cuts
Chancellor’s spending plans "even tighter than they first appeared”, IFS warns
In the spotlight: Treasury’s public spending chief Cat Little on how Covid changed the finance ministry – and ministerial red boxes
23 Feb 2021 Finance
In the spotlight: Treasury’s public spending chief Cat Little on how Covid changed the finance ministry – and ministerial red boxes
After an extraordinary year, Cat Little reflects on how the Treasury and government finance function met the pressures of a pandemic with innovation