VOA: 125-year-old agency to be absorbed into HMRC
29 Apr Government Tax Profession

VOA: 125-year-old agency to be absorbed into HMRC

Union calls decision to move ALB's functions into HMRC a “slap in the face to hard-working civil servants”
by Tevye Markson
HMRC labelled 'lumbering dinosaur' and urged to modernise systems
30 Apr Government Tax Profession
HMRC labelled 'lumbering dinosaur' and urged to modernise systems
HMRC rejects recommendations to improve customer service performance
07 Apr Government Tax Profession
HMRC rejects recommendations to improve customer service performance
Spring Statement: HMRC gets £180m to help close tax gap
26 Mar Government Tax Profession
Spring Statement: HMRC gets £180m to help close tax gap
'Our country is stronger for your service': Sedwill confirms McDonald to retire as FCO perm sec
19 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
'Our country is stronger for your service': Sedwill confirms McDonald to retire as FCO perm sec

Departure comes as PM seeks new leadership for merged  Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Coronavirus alert level should finally move down from Level 4 to Level 3, say UK’s chief medical officers
19 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Coronavirus alert level should finally move down from Level 4 to Level 3, say UK’s chief medical officers

Health secretary Matt Hancock says update shows "the government's plan is working"
Coronavirus has slowed removal of deadly Grenfell-style cladding even further, watchdog warns
19 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Coronavirus has slowed removal of deadly Grenfell-style cladding even further, watchdog warns

MHCLG “had not assessed how its timeframe for completing remediation would be affected” by Covid-19
Case study: How academic ‘policy entrepreneurs’ can help the civil service
19 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Case study: How academic ‘policy entrepreneurs’ can help the civil service

From the impact of Covid-19 to dealing with the impact of climate change, government has never faced greater policy challenges. But, as recent work on developing policy strategies for carbon capture and storage shows, civil servants can get help from academics to find the right solutions. Professor Karen Turner, the director from the Centre for Energy Policy at the University of Strathclyde, explains

DWP gets ministerial direction to breach spending limits in 'extraordinary circumstances' of Covid-19
19 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
DWP gets ministerial direction to breach spending limits in 'extraordinary circumstances' of Covid-19

Perm sec Peter Schofield asked sought approval for spending that might breach Treasury guidance on "regularity and propriety grounds"
Renationalising outsourced services could improve quality and reliability, think tank says
19 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Renationalising outsourced services could improve quality and reliability, think tank says

IfG report encouraging government to re-examine contracts comes as MoJ plans to bring probation services back in house
Coronavirus: NHS contact tracing app ‘not a priority’ and may not be ready until winter, minister says
18 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Coronavirus: NHS contact tracing app ‘not a priority’ and may not be ready until winter, minister says

Health minister says there is a of "alienating or freaking out people" using test, track and trace system
Foreign Office head Simon McDonald to step down early next year – reports
18 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Foreign Office head Simon McDonald to step down early next year – reports

Diplomat will oversee merger with DfID but will not lead FCDO long term, sources say
Defra offers £135k for COO who will 'challenge status quo'
18 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Defra offers £135k for COO who will 'challenge status quo'

Candidate sought to deliver "significant and real step change in performance and outcomes"
'Wrong and regressive': three former prime ministers condemn DfID-FCO merger
17 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
'Wrong and regressive': three former prime ministers condemn DfID-FCO merger

Union warns of "huge uncertainty and unease for DfID staff" as David Cameron calls the move a "mistake"
DfID and Foreign Office to merge, PM announces
16 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
DfID and Foreign Office to merge, PM announces

Scrapping of aid department follows appointment of joint ministers in February, widely seen as a soft merger
More than 600,000 workers have lost jobs amid coronavirus lockdown, new figures suggest
16 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
More than 600,000 workers have lost jobs amid coronavirus lockdown, new figures suggest

Experimental ONS and HMRC data reveals indicative employment impact of Covid-19
More than 100 furloughed workers join civil service as volunteers to tackle Covid-19
16 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
More than 100 furloughed workers join civil service as volunteers to tackle Covid-19

Volunteers are ‘using their skills for the greater good’, chief people officer says
Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen hold talks in bid to break Brexit deadlock
15 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen hold talks in bid to break Brexit deadlock

The PM will be joined on the call by Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and UK’s chief negotiator David Frost.
Latest civil service & public affairs moves — June 15
15 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Latest civil service & public affairs moves — June 15

New appointments in the civil service, UK politics, and public affairs, via our colleagues at Dods People
Equalities watchdog to probe Home Office ‘hostile environment’ policy in wake of Windrush scandal
15 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Equalities watchdog to probe Home Office ‘hostile environment’ policy in wake of Windrush scandal

EHRC legal action will review whether immigration measures complied with equality law
Coronavirus: 25,000 people discharged from hospitals to care homes without tests at height of pandemic, NAO confirms
12 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Coronavirus: 25,000 people discharged from hospitals to care homes without tests at height of pandemic, NAO confirms

Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt says report reveals 'no one appeared to consider the clinical risk to care homes'
Britain suffers record 20% hit to GDP as coronavirus economic crisis takes hold
12 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Britain suffers record 20% hit to GDP as coronavirus economic crisis takes hold

Figures reveal the largest monthly fall since records began in 1997
UK ‘ditches plan’ for full post-Brexit border checks on EU goods
12 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
UK ‘ditches plan’ for full post-Brexit border checks on EU goods

Government reveals prime minister will hold talks with the leaders of EU institutions on the UK's future relationship with the bloc later this month
MoJ to renationalise probation services as Transforming Rehabilitation U-turn continues
12 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
MoJ to renationalise probation services as Transforming Rehabilitation U-turn continues

Private companies cut out of unpaid work and behavioural programmes in further reversal of Grayling reforms
Brexit: Border Delivery Group moves to Cabinet Office
12 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Brexit: Border Delivery Group moves to Cabinet Office

MOG change happens as government abandons plans for full customs checks immediately post-transition amid coronavirus crisis
Coronavirus: No.10 vows ‘strong and swift’ economic recovery as OECD warns Britain will be worst-hit
11 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Coronavirus: No.10 vows ‘strong and swift’ economic recovery as OECD warns Britain will be worst-hit

OECD predicts UK unemployment rate could rise as high as 14.8% post pandemic
Business secretary overrules value-for-money concerns with ministerial directions for coronavirus schemes
11 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Business secretary overrules value-for-money concerns with ministerial directions for coronavirus schemes

"Not possible" to determine business-support schemes demonstrate value for money
Disabled people being 'failed' by criminal justice system, equality watchdog warns
11 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Disabled people being 'failed' by criminal justice system, equality watchdog warns

Government "need to make it a priority to understand the needs of disabled people in the system"