Finance

Ministers reportedly seeking vote on the self-imposed welfare cap after tax credits rethink

Healthcare Financial Management Association urges the government to go beyond £8bn pledge – and sounds the alarm on NHS deficits

Sale price £280m more than the “book value”, George Osborne announces

Stinging report by the Public Accounts Committee says government funding to the collapsed charity was “never seriously questioned, let alone stopped”

Combined central and local government outsourcing spend highest since early 2012, according to new research

Public Accounts Committee criticises HMRC over customer service, compliance and tackling aggressive tax planning – while HMRC says MPs have "overlooked" its achievements

Report by the National Audit Office spending watchdog finds that charity received £46m of public funding over 15 years

Official who raised value for money concerns over further funding for the charity to face questions from the Public Accounts Committee

Business secretary tells MPs that axing Department for Business, Innovation and Skills would be a "step backwards". But he asks: "Do we need 80 locations?"

Institute for Fiscal Studies gives its assessment ahead of the Spending Review – and warns easier efficiency savings have already been "identified and delivered"

Management consultants looking at "operating costs across the department and partner organisations", says business secretary, but none "working directly" on its response to the Spending Review

Robert Chote – reappointed as chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility watchdog – says he is "relaxed" about Treasury suggesting changes to its independent forecasts

Select committee to question OBR's Robert Chote after e-mails show Treasury seeks changes to wording of draft forecast

Lin Homer tells MPs on the Public Accounts Committee that HMRC's "most basic" jobs will continue to be cut as department reduces number of sites across UK

Chief operating officer at Standard Chartered Bank to succeed David Godfrey as new chief executive of UK Export Finance 

Exclusive: Tax authority says it will aim to "avoid the need for compulsory redundancies" when 90-day process opens next week

Unionised civil servants to lose right to automatic payroll deduction of fees - known as “check-off” - under plans set out by Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock

Charity has reportedly told the government it will close in spite of latest £3m Cabinet Office grant

Civil service chief executive talks up Single Departmental Plans, saying they will offer "single, clear roadmap" for managing resources ahead of the Spending Review

Treasury says spending review - set for November 25 - will be a chance to "review the role of government"

Push for £20bn of departmental cuts begins today - with spending review conclusions to be set out on November 25

BIS and DfE urged to take "strategic" action over struggling colleges, while separate report confirms that the Skills Funding Agency's accounts have been qualified

Department for Work and Pensions accounts qualified again as NAO says fraud and error in the benefits system "remains unacceptably high"

Waheed Nazir – director of planning and regeneration and chief planning officer at Birmingham City Council​ – gives an outside perspective of the civil service, and says Whitehall is improving the way it works with local partners