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
Budget: Capital budget rules change as Treasury unveils new fiscal framework
30 Oct 2024 Finance
Budget: Capital budget rules change as Treasury unveils new fiscal framework
Departments will get five-year capital budgets, extended every two years at regular spending reviews
Budget: Departments' day-to-day spending to rise 1.5% in real terms
30 Oct 2024 Finance
Budget: Departments' day-to-day spending to rise 1.5% in real terms
Total departmental spending will rise by an average of 1.5% a year over the next five years, chancellor announces, with higher rises in the next two years
Office for Value for Money to play key role in SR25 as first-year saving plans confirmed
30 Oct 2024 Finance
Office for Value for Money to play key role in SR25 as first-year saving plans confirmed
Chancellor confirms David Goldstone as first chair of new body which will carry out value for money assessments of high risk spending
Hunt goes on attack ahead of OBR report on last government's spending plans
29 Oct 2024 Finance
Hunt goes on attack ahead of OBR report on last government's spending plans
Ex-chancellor says watchdog's impartiality – and that of the civil service – is at risk in letter to cabinet secretary
Reinstate outcome delivery plans to improve spending decisions, NAO says
28 Oct 2024 Finance
Reinstate outcome delivery plans to improve spending decisions, NAO says
Spending watchdog calls for changes to “incentives and behaviours” around planning and spending ahead of SR2025
Reeves slashes budget for National Wealth Fund
15 Oct 2024 Finance
Reeves slashes budget for National Wealth Fund
UK Infrastructure Bank will be rebranded as NWF, but will come with less new money
Budget: No.10 says it will stick with fiscal rules
08 Oct 2024 Finance
Budget: No.10 says it will stick with fiscal rules
Confirmation of commitment to rules comes as IPPR report suggests reforming them could unlock £57bn of spending
Chancellor pledges real-terms increase to government spending
23 Sep 2024 Finance
Chancellor pledges real-terms increase to government spending
But Reeves does not rule out cuts to individual departments' budgets over the course of this parliament
Government could save billions on procurement – IfG
20 Sep 2024 Finance
Government could save billions on procurement – IfG
Report calls for end to automatic renewal of management consultancy contracts and increased transparency over spending
Darzi review: Underfunding and raids on capital budget have 'left NHS estate crumbling'
12 Sep 2024 Finance
Darzi review: Underfunding and raids on capital budget have 'left NHS estate crumbling'
Report that will inform NHS 10-year plan highlights "desperate" shortage of capital funding and “dysfunctional” state of regime
Hillier to chair Treasury committee
11 Sep 2024 Finance
Hillier to chair Treasury committee
Former PAC chair is among eight new select committee chairs who have been elected this week
Cab sec criticises Conservatives' handling of budget pressures
03 Sep 2024 Finance
Cab sec criticises Conservatives' handling of budget pressures
Simon Case says last government's failure to update 2021 Spending Review has contributed to financial uncertainty
Consultancy spending yet to drop to pre-pandemic levels
02 Sep 2024 Finance
Consultancy spending yet to drop to pre-pandemic levels
DESNZ was biggest central-government spender last year as cross-public sector spending on consultants hit £3.4bn
Home Office under fire for 'deeply unsatisfactory' asylum budgeting
29 Aug 2024 Finance
Home Office under fire for 'deeply unsatisfactory' asylum budgeting
Think tank says pattern of multi-billion-pound annual overspends looks like a breach of Treasury rules
Reeves tells departments to find billions of pounds in savings ahead of Budget
29 Aug 2024 Finance
Reeves tells departments to find billions of pounds in savings ahead of Budget
Health and Education departments among those asked to make big savings ahead of October budget, according to reports
Autumn Budget will be 'painful', Starmer warns
28 Aug 2024 Finance
Autumn Budget will be 'painful', Starmer warns
"I won't shy away from making unpopular decisions," PM says
Public sector pay rises 'putting significant pressure' on Scottish budget
28 Aug 2024 Finance
Public sector pay rises 'putting significant pressure' on Scottish budget
Scottish Fiscal Commission suggests lower pay rises than in England would reduce pressure on Scottish Government's budget
ONS data shows 'unprecedented' pressure on departmental budgets
22 Aug 2024 Finance
ONS data shows 'unprecedented' pressure on departmental budgets
Think tank warns £4.7bn overspend in first four months of financial year signals "particularly difficult" 2025-26 Spending Review
Scrap £4bn jail-building scheme, former prisons inspector tells ministers
15 Aug 2024 Finance
Scrap £4bn jail-building scheme, former prisons inspector tells ministers
Expansion of prison places not a "good way to spend money", Nick Hardwick says
Scottish finance secretary orders emergency spending controls
14 Aug 2024 Finance
Scottish finance secretary orders emergency spending controls
New spending will only be permitted if it is “truly essential or unavoidable”, Shona Robison says
Treasury fines Home Office £500,000 over salary rule breach
14 Aug 2024 Finance
Treasury fines Home Office £500,000 over salary rule breach
Department failed to seek ministerial approval for senior civil servant's pay package of more than £150,000
Treasury formally launches Spending Review process
13 Aug 2024 Finance
Treasury formally launches Spending Review process
Darren Jones tells secretaries of state their departments will need to find cash-saving efficiencies
Minister sets timeline for clearing council audit backlog
02 Aug 2024 Finance
Minister sets timeline for clearing council audit backlog
Jim McMahon admits 'uncomfortable' aspects of plan, with some authorities set to lack complete audits for years
Hunt says £22bn black hole claims 'risk bringing civil service into disrepute'
30 Jul 2024 Finance
Hunt says £22bn black hole claims 'risk bringing civil service into disrepute'
Ex-chancellor asks cabinet secretary whether perm secs who signed off on main estimates will be sanctioned if figures are wrong