Finance

Public Accounts Committee to question tax officials today while union calls for halt of office closures plan 

Reform think tank argues for greater devolution of powers to buy healthcare, employment, skills and offender management services

Union warns of strike potential over Courts and Tribunal Service’s hubs proposals

Foreign Office insists higher wage bill reflects an increase in staff numbers as well as the impact of currency fluctuation

Sir Chris Wormald told by PAC chair to provide examples of best practice to inform Treasury’s decision to link pay cap rises to productivity 

Bernadette Kelly asked by MPs to look into “possibility of fraud” over £1.7m made in unauthorised redundancy payments

Tax collection agency says that work to tackle avoidance and evasion is paying off to tune of £12bn a year

Political climate makes further departmental spending cuts or higher taxes unlikely, report argues

National Audit Office warns shortage of key commercial and cost assurance experts could jeopardise £1.7bn savings target from non-competitive contracts

Steve Allen to leave government-owned company building new rail link after auditors slam unauthorised redundancy payments

Tax authority announces recruitment for top tax post will be limited to existing civil servants

GMB union accuses Treasury of “cover up” after data was not released until threat to refer department to Information Commissioner’s Office 

Protest set to cover Sheffield branch’s final three weeks

Sinn Féin and DUP given two weeks to agree new power-sharing deal or face Westminster intervention on budget

Geoffrey Lyons reviews two books on debt by men who had key roles following the financial crisis

Institute for Government report says universal pay hike could exacerbate Tories’ political woes amid £10bn spending hole

David Williams tells MPs that Department of Health cannot calculate impact of delays to repairs and maintenance spending

As inflation rate hits 3%, TUC warns higher cap on civil service pay increases in line with offer to police officers would still mean a real-terms pay cut

Union says Nuclear Decommissioning Authority cannot be held solely responsible for failings detailed by National Audit Office

The Home Office, environment department and HMRC are among those given new money to fund preparations for Brexit

PCS launches nationwide ballot on sentiment and readiness for industrial action

Deputy governor Sam Woods says slow progress in negotiations risks banks triggering contingency plans

Boost comes after Nicola Sturgeon promised to lift public sector pay cap in Scotland from April 2018