HR

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

Tech industry group says some initiatives designed to open up markets are poorly understood, but Crown Commercial Service chief Sally Collier insists Whitehall is "changing the way it does business" with smaller firms

New appointments this week in the civil service, UK politics, and public affairs, via our colleagues on Dods People

Report by Business in the Community says Social Value Act has had some impact in improving lot of low-paid staff – but backs tougher approach with agencies

Special report: Extensive cross-government survey finds broad range of views on the FOI act – with calls for more central support in dealing with requests and just over 50% of officials in favour of introducing charges

Civil service chief executive John Manzoni says move will help Whitehall become "more talented, diverse and effective"

New appointments this week in the civil service, UK politics, and public affairs, via our colleagues on Dods People

Four ex-Government Digital Service staff join their old boss at the Co-op

Exclusive: Committee chair tells CSW inclusion of the word "instructions" gives "new potential for conflict" between Spads and permanent officials – but minister says changes will help departments become more "orderly and organised"

Chief inspector says some apprenticeships have been "devalued" by push to make them more widely available

DCMS perm sec Sue Owen says failure to meet new diversity objectives will be made "very public"

Foreign secretary tells the House of Commons that some cleaners contracted to FCO were made redundant because of estate downsizing – and not because they sent him a letter about their pay

General secretaries of the PCS and FDA unions renew their call for a rethink on civil service pay after cabinet secretary tells CSW officials are "realistic" about the need to cut the deficit

Civil servants not facing "doom and gloom" cabinet secretary tells CSW, as he hails "fantastic results” in spite of austerity

New appointments this week in the civil service, UK politics, and public affairs, via our colleagues on Dods Monitoring

Rupert McNeil appointed to new role taking charge of Whitehall's 3,000-strong HR profession

AXELOS is a joint venture officially launched in 2014 by Cabinet Office and Capita, to develop, manage and operate qualifications in best practice. Chief executive Peter Hepworth tells us about its work

The official view: former transport minister Stephen Hammond rates the civil service

Civil servants urged to give honest feedback on their working lives

Beyond the comfort zone: Andrew Rogoyski, head of cyber security services at global IT supplier CGI, tells Civil Service World about an eye-opening secondment working on cyber security in the Cabinet Office

Exclusive: HMRC staff to find out about new network of more specialised regional centres in November as tax authority seeks cut in its number of offices

Find out which civil servants and departmental teams are in the running for an award

Cabinet Office director of open data and government innovation Paul Maltby named as new director of data

Regulator overseeing civil service recruitment makes four appointments – with strong emphasis on private sector backgrounds