'Scrape the barnacles from the hull': Ex-chief of defence staff makes 'last throw of the dice' for radical change in MoD
16 Sep Finance

'Scrape the barnacles from the hull': Ex-chief of defence staff makes 'last throw of the dice' for radical change in MoD

MoD must be prepared to “risk public money so as to be more effective and go faster", Admiral Radakin says
by Suzannah Brecknell
NAO: Simple cost-cutting won’t cut it – departments must develop more detailed understanding of costs
15 Sep Finance
NAO: Simple cost-cutting won’t cut it – departments must develop more detailed understanding of costs
Reeves announces late-November Autumn Budget
03 Sep Finance
Reeves announces late-November Autumn Budget
Spending Review 2025 recap: Here's everything you need to know
04 Aug Finance
Spending Review 2025 recap: Here's everything you need to know
Cabinet Office accounts qualified over GPA shortcomings
16 Dec 2024 Finance
Cabinet Office accounts qualified over GPA shortcomings
Just-published annual report also details cab sec Simon Case's 2023-24 pay rise
NAO refuses to sign off Whole of Government Accounts due to missing data
26 Nov 2024 Finance
NAO refuses to sign off Whole of Government Accounts due to missing data
PAC chair says impact of local authority auditing crisis on cross-government snapshot is "deeply unsatisfactory"
Scottish Government faces 'tough' spending choices despite Budget boost, IFS warns
26 Nov 2024 Finance
Scottish Government faces 'tough' spending choices despite Budget boost, IFS warns
Think tank says ministers should consider banking – rather than spending – some of the uplift that will come from Rachel Reeves' October announcements
The price of everything and value of nothing
21 Nov 2024 Finance
The price of everything and value of nothing
New teams, units and quangos come and go in government, often at the whim of ministers. How do we make sure the Office for Value for Money is effective?
Winter fuel payment cut will push 50,000 pensioners into poverty, DWP admits
20 Nov 2024 Finance
Winter fuel payment cut will push 50,000 pensioners into poverty, DWP admits
Kendall meanwhile snubs call for "more detailed assessment" of poverty impacts, including on different protected groups
Barton: FCDO needs new funding model
19 Nov 2024 Finance
Barton: FCDO needs new funding model
Department will require hundreds of millions of pounds more after 2026-27, perm sec says
Boosting pay and tackling poor performance should be on Office for Value for Money's agenda – report
18 Nov 2024 Finance
Boosting pay and tackling poor performance should be on Office for Value for Money's agenda – report
New unit should assess cost-benefit analysis of retaining poor performers versus managing them out, Reform think tank says
Public services facing financial uncertainty despite Budget spending boost – IfG
12 Nov 2024 Finance
Public services facing financial uncertainty despite Budget spending boost – IfG
It is “unlikely” that public services will see a notable improvement in performance next year, think tank warns
DVLA told to find 5% efficiency savings
12 Nov 2024 Finance
DVLA told to find 5% efficiency savings
Review finds the agency is “critically important” but asks it to cut 5% from its spending over three years
'The Treasury acted within the law’: Bowler defends officials over Spring Budget preparations
07 Nov 2024 Finance
'The Treasury acted within the law’: Bowler defends officials over Spring Budget preparations
Perm sec says previous budget framework put more onus on OBR to ask questions than HMT to provide information on its own initiative
OBR chair predicts 'challenging' 2025 Spending Review for departments
05 Nov 2024 Finance
OBR chair predicts 'challenging' 2025 Spending Review for departments
Richard Hughes tells MPs that unprotected departments will be facing real-terms cuts of 1% towards the end of the decade
Budget: Unprotected departments facing 1.4% cuts from 2026, IFS warns
31 Oct 2024 Finance
Budget: Unprotected departments facing 1.4% cuts from 2026, IFS warns
OBR chair says frontloading of departmental spending allocations is "remarkable"
Budget: Above-inflation public sector pay awards ‘will require improved productivity’
31 Oct 2024 Finance
Budget: Above-inflation public sector pay awards ‘will require improved productivity’
Departments will need to “carefully consider the trade-offs required to afford pay awards”
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