Government Tax Profession

Former Treasury perm sec Lord Burns to review Freedom of Information laws and consider "safe space" argument, while Cabinet Office takes over responsibility for FOI from the Ministry of Justice

Letters published on Thursday night show that Cabinet Office perm sec sought rare ministerial direction over fresh grant to the charity, but Matt Hancock and Oliver Letwin say they had agreed "clear conditions" for the funding

Sir Michael Partridge given honorary degree from Middlesex University

Report by the spending watchdog says stronger central and local leadership "urgently required" to improve support for vulnerable young people

MoJ consults on plan to close 91 courts and tribunals and merge 31 more

Sir Simon Fraser expresses regret over lack of women on shortlist to succeed him as Foreign Office permanent secretary

Prime minister urges Whitehall officials to make communications "brief, simple, human and jargon-free"

Outgoing Foreign Office permanent secretary stresses the need for “balance” between the centre of government and individual departments ahead of further reforms

Justice secretary stresses that departmental non-execs – designed to sharpen outside scrutiny of Whitehall – are ministerial appointments, after overseeing shake-up of MoJ board

Scathing report on prisons estate from Nick Hardwick blames deterioration on staff shortages, over-crowding and "misguided policies"

Former health secretary says top civil servant's judgement "open to question" as MPs launch inquiry into "purdah" rule change ahead of EU vote

Minister for the Cabinet Office calls for "more collaboration on policy design" in spirit of the online encyclopedia

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

Throughout his premiership, David Cameron’s inner circle has remained remarkably consistent. Historian and author Anthony Seldon runs through the men and women who make 10 Downing Street tick

Cabinet secretary stresses that spending review will allow departments to make "considered decisions" on "size and shape of their workforces"

Union calls on Scots finance minister John Swinney to reject Chancellor's one per cent public sector payrise cap north of the border

What do David Cameron’s changes at the centre tell us about his government? Jill Rutter from the Institute for Government analyses the new team around the PM

Lowell Goddard orders civil servants not to destroy documents relating to the sexual abuse of children.

Chancellor uses first Conservative-only Budget to announce four more years of public sector pay restraint

Follow all the action as chancellor George Osborne delivers his latest Budget

UK’s representative to the UN Sir Mark Lyall-Grant will succeed Sir Kim Darroch as David Cameron’s national security adviser

Welfare cuts plan will reportedly be spread out over three years

"Robespierre terror" of Public Accounts Committee under former chair Margaret Hodge will be copied by more MPs, former health secretary warns officials

Sir David Normington eyes candidates with private sector experience as body overseeing civil service appointments seeks new commissioners