Finance

Current government reporting of public spending does not allow public to properly assess value for money of policies, according to report

Wash-up period sees government compromise to rush crucial tax legislation through House of Commons

Review suggests priorities and spending decisions should be “more explicitly informed” by the return they provide on investment

Commons Procedure Committee demands beefed-up model for examining government's Main Supply Estimates

Government Legal Department director targets multi-million pound efficiencies

Senior figure in Manchester devolution deal says Brexit shows centralised UK has not served country well

Changes to be judged on how funding can promote sustainability of services and reduce worklessness

MPs highlight that workforce planning in Whitehall only gives “high-level view” of staffing requirements

Cridland Review dubs guaranteed 2.5% annual rise unaffordable and calls for acceleration of retirement age to 68 sooner than scheduled

Government will be in listening mode once new city region mayors are in place, says growth unit boss

Auditor general says he has support for plan from Whitehall permanent secretaries

Think tank argues chancellor’s bungled budget fundraiser makes case for better policymaking

National Audit Office says department’s attempts to address delays have compressed its Carrier Strike delivery schedule and “added risk with limited contingency”

Leigh Lewis says the time has come to consider more effective ways to set spending levels

Treasury and Cabinet Office vow to better align much-criticised SDPs with Brexit planning and Whitehall's ongoing £3.5bn efficiency review. But they reject calls to bring the public documents in line with the more detailed internal versions

Hammond avoids big tweaks to Whitehall budgets, but targets extra funding for social care and business rate relief

Treasury trails Hammond's first Budget, as OECD upgrades UK growth forecast

After decades of reviews aimed at driving down the civil service's running costs, Sir Michael Barber, former chief of Blair's delivery unit, is hailed by one Whitehall-watcher as "much less celebrity and much more focused on getting the job done"

Chancellor will not use improved growth forecasts to borrow more money, it is reported

IfG and CIPFA data reveals growing pressure on key public services, as the Treasury asks departments to crack on with pre-announced £3.5bn in efficiency savings by 2019/20

Education department comes in for criticism as audit office report flags increasing free school costs as old buildings fall into disrepair

Tax collection agency beats target by 400,000 users months ahead of self-imposed deadline

Departmental data release breaks down £583m spend on foreign outposts during 2015-16