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
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
In conversation with… former Treasury perm sec Lord Terry Burns
30 Jul Finance
In conversation with… former Treasury perm sec Lord Terry Burns
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
HMRC offers £100k for new Fraud Investigation Service post
10 Feb 2021 Finance
HMRC offers £100k for new Fraud Investigation Service post
Head of operations will oversee modernisation of capabilities to tackle serious fraud
Ministers confirm fix for unlawful Civil Service Pension Scheme discrimination
05 Feb 2021 Finance
Ministers confirm fix for unlawful Civil Service Pension Scheme discrimination
Unions welcome decision to give scheme members deferred-choice option but seek action on reduced contributions
DfE 'unconcerned' about free school meal voucher scheme profit
05 Feb 2021 Finance
DfE 'unconcerned' about free school meal voucher scheme profit
Department did not ask to see voucher provider Edenred's books or renegotiate contract
Northern Ireland crackdown on special advisers set to become law
03 Feb 2021 Finance
Northern Ireland crackdown on special advisers set to become law
Executive Office spad numbers will be cut to six, salaries capped at £90k and advisers subject to the same disciplinary rules as civil servants
Ministerial directions shot up amid pandemic, analysis finds
28 Jan 2021 Finance
Ministerial directions shot up amid pandemic, analysis finds
Think tank warns threefold increase in decisions to overrule officials' advice on spending must still be properly scrutinised
Raab confirms aid cut and pledges a 'more integrated approach' to ODA
27 Jan 2021 Finance
Raab confirms aid cut and pledges a 'more integrated approach' to ODA
Departmental split will ensure aid "has greater coherence and delivers most value for money", foreign secretary claims
22 Jan 2021 Finance
WATCH: Planning for the year ahead: What you need to know now for the 2021 Spending Review
After the government implemented a one-year spending review due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Treasury and departments are already turning their sights to a full three-year review in 2021. This webinar with Oracle examines how the government will be making major spending decisions.
Pandemic could make HMRC’s hubs plan ‘woefully out of date’, MPs warn
21 Jan 2021 Finance
Pandemic could make HMRC’s hubs plan ‘woefully out of date’, MPs warn
Report also says department has spent too much of its IT budget patching up legacy systems rather than modernising them
Spending watchdog warns of pressures piling up for 'already stretched' MoJ
08 Jan 2021 Finance
Spending watchdog warns of pressures piling up for 'already stretched' MoJ
Snapshot report contrasts shortage of prison places with boosted sentencing projections and delayed court hearings
‘There was exceptional teamwork and rigour’: Head of the government finance function Cat Little reflects on her first Spending Review in 2020
23 Dec 2020 Finance
‘There was exceptional teamwork and rigour’: Head of the government finance function Cat Little reflects on her first Spending Review in 2020
2020 was a year unlike any other, with the coronavirus pandemic upending the work of government and changing how we live our daily lives. Senior figures from across the civil service tell us how the unprecedented 12 months affected them, and look ahead to 2021
Cabinet Office ‘doesn’t have the data’ to fix civil service skills gaps
11 Dec 2020 Finance
Cabinet Office ‘doesn’t have the data’ to fix civil service skills gaps
MPs say crisis has been exacerbated by short-termism, pay restrictions and significant salary disparities between departments
Cabinet Office ‘scales back’ Crown Consultancy vision post-Cummings
10 Dec 2020 Finance
Cabinet Office ‘scales back’ Crown Consultancy vision post-Cummings
Service now expected to focus on giving advice about consultancy spending, following departure of PM’s chief adviser
HMRC and Home Office the big winners as spending review commits £600m to ‘fix outdated government IT’
30 Nov 2020 Finance
HMRC and Home Office the big winners as spending review commits £600m to ‘fix outdated government IT’
Document also outlines projection of extra £700m revenue from digital taxation regime