Finance

Government efficiency targets have only made the financial position of NHS bodies worse, warns the National Audit Office

Public Accounts Committee move follows National Audit Office concerns over £434m “private sector support” and other costs in annual accounts

Public Accounts Committee says Concentrix debacle highlights potential for error as Universal Credit rollout continues

Financial services director moves upwards in the Treasury, and faces in-tray set to be dominated by the UK's decision to quit the European Union

FT reports that the chancellor wants a tighter focus on the spring Budget to avoid policy gimmicks

Justice permanent secretary tells MPs that “bearing down on the gap” between spending review targets and actual spending is the largest challenge for his officials, as he stands by the decision to implement spending controls that caused friction between department and prisons inspectorate

Think-tank raises eyebrow at PM’s capacity to turn her Conservative Party Conference pledges into reality against backdrop of further belt-tightening and Brexit uncertainty

The Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Institute for Government, and the Chartered Institute of Taxation say the UK's tax system suffers from "too little sense of direction, consultation or evaluation"

IfG says civil service is responding quickly to prepare for Brexit — but warns that ministerial conflict and uncertainty over the process could undermine this work

Former chair of the Public Accounts Committee wants to “tear away the shroud of secrecy” around corporate tax settlements, calling for scrutiny along similar lines to the Intelligence and Security Committee

Institute for Government says that while Brexit will bring many new challenges, the public finances will face increasing pressures

Labour Party-commissioned proposals demand more money for tax collection and new tier of governance for HM Revenue & Customs