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
Ignoring whistleblowers costs government hundreds of millions of pounds, analysis finds
04 Feb Finance
Ignoring whistleblowers costs government hundreds of millions of pounds, analysis finds
Whistleblowing charity Protect calls for urgent reform after examining Carillion, Horizon and Lucy Letby scandals
New fiscal framework becomes law as MPs back Charter for Budget Responsibility
30 Jan Finance
New fiscal framework becomes law as MPs back Charter for Budget Responsibility
MPs approve charter designed to create a "stable and predictable fiscal policy environment"
Reeves: Green book refresh will ‘deliver fair hearing' for all regions
29 Jan Finance
Reeves: Green book refresh will ‘deliver fair hearing' for all regions
Green Book update to report back in June Spending review
Treasury sets out scope of new loan charge review
28 Jan Finance
Treasury sets out scope of new loan charge review
Terms of reference for second review of HMRC's loan charge scheme published
Treasury perm sec predicts NAO will reject next Whole of Government Accounts
24 Jan Finance
Treasury perm sec predicts NAO will reject next Whole of Government Accounts
Missing data likely to mean 2023-24 figures will fail to achieve sign-off, just like 2022-23 accounts
Office for Value for Money 'understaffed, poorly defined' and at risk of duplicating work, MPs say
21 Jan Finance
Office for Value for Money 'understaffed, poorly defined' and at risk of duplicating work, MPs say
Treasury Committee says OVfM must publish more information on its plans and how it will interact with other government organisations
MPs question HMRC's status as a non-ministerial department
20 Jan Finance
MPs question HMRC's status as a non-ministerial department
Minister James Murray insists he wants tax agency to "take more risks" and get out of its "comfort zone"
FCDO granted permission to recruit 200 extra development staff
08 Jan Finance
FCDO granted permission to recruit 200 extra development staff
Recruitment will need to be funded through ODA, perm sec says
Healey updates MPs on MoD's £6bn housing buyback
07 Jan Finance
Healey updates MPs on MoD's £6bn housing buyback
Plans will reverse "notorious" 1990s privatisation of homes for armed services personnel
Reeves rapped for failing to show working behind 0.5% aid target
06 Jan Finance
Reeves rapped for failing to show working behind 0.5% aid target
International Development Committee says chancellor's response to its questions “raises more questions than it answers”
Treasury recruiting for new second perm sec
18 Dec 2024 Finance
Treasury recruiting for new second perm sec
Treasury is looking for candidates with "deep financial, business, commercial and analytical experience"
Cabinet Office accounts qualified over GPA shortcomings
16 Dec 2024 Finance
Cabinet Office accounts qualified over GPA shortcomings
Just-published annual report also details cab sec Simon Case's 2023-24 pay rise
NAO refuses to sign off Whole of Government Accounts due to missing data
26 Nov 2024 Finance
NAO refuses to sign off Whole of Government Accounts due to missing data
PAC chair says impact of local authority auditing crisis on cross-government snapshot is "deeply unsatisfactory"
Scottish Government faces 'tough' spending choices despite Budget boost, IFS warns
26 Nov 2024 Finance
Scottish Government faces 'tough' spending choices despite Budget boost, IFS warns
Think tank says ministers should consider banking – rather than spending – some of the uplift that will come from Rachel Reeves' October announcements
The price of everything and value of nothing
21 Nov 2024 Finance
The price of everything and value of nothing
New teams, units and quangos come and go in government, often at the whim of ministers. How do we make sure the Office for Value for Money is effective?
Winter fuel payment cut will push 50,000 pensioners into poverty, DWP admits
20 Nov 2024 Finance
Winter fuel payment cut will push 50,000 pensioners into poverty, DWP admits
Kendall meanwhile snubs call for "more detailed assessment" of poverty impacts, including on different protected groups
Barton: FCDO needs new funding model
19 Nov 2024 Finance
Barton: FCDO needs new funding model
Department will require hundreds of millions of pounds more after 2026-27, perm sec says
Boosting pay and tackling poor performance should be on Office for Value for Money's agenda – report
18 Nov 2024 Finance
Boosting pay and tackling poor performance should be on Office for Value for Money's agenda – report
New unit should assess cost-benefit analysis of retaining poor performers versus managing them out, Reform think tank says
Public services facing financial uncertainty despite Budget spending boost – IfG
12 Nov 2024 Finance
Public services facing financial uncertainty despite Budget spending boost – IfG
It is “unlikely” that public services will see a notable improvement in performance next year, think tank warns
DVLA told to find 5% efficiency savings
12 Nov 2024 Finance
DVLA told to find 5% efficiency savings
Review finds the agency is “critically important” but asks it to cut 5% from its spending over three years
'The Treasury acted within the law’: Bowler defends officials over Spring Budget preparations
07 Nov 2024 Finance
'The Treasury acted within the law’: Bowler defends officials over Spring Budget preparations
Perm sec says previous budget framework put more onus on OBR to ask questions than HMT to provide information on its own initiative
OBR chair predicts 'challenging' 2025 Spending Review for departments
05 Nov 2024 Finance
OBR chair predicts 'challenging' 2025 Spending Review for departments
Richard Hughes tells MPs that unprotected departments will be facing real-terms cuts of 1% towards the end of the decade
Budget: Unprotected departments facing 1.4% cuts from 2026, IFS warns
31 Oct 2024 Finance
Budget: Unprotected departments facing 1.4% cuts from 2026, IFS warns
OBR chair says frontloading of departmental spending allocations is "remarkable"
Budget: Above-inflation public sector pay awards ‘will require improved productivity’
31 Oct 2024 Finance
Budget: Above-inflation public sector pay awards ‘will require improved productivity’
Departments will need to “carefully consider the trade-offs required to afford pay awards”