Operational Delivery

Former special adviser to universities minister David Willetts says moving higher education policy to the Department for Education creates an "extra layer of uncertainty" at a time when institutional memory is needed

Ex-Cabinet Office minister defends lack of contingency planning – but acknowledges dearth of trade deal expertise

Hancock replaced by ex-junior health minister Ben Gummer in key job determining civil service policy

Former FCO chief insists old department will be "absolutely at the heart of" new prime minister's task of quitting the European Union

Exclusive: Civil service workforce plan launches with promise to increase specialisation, improve training – and review the civil service "reward offer"

Institute for Government warns of "time, cost and distraction that would inevitably come from creating an entirely new organisation"

Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy says lack of Brexit planning "indicated the prioritisation of political interests above national security,"

National Audit Office issues another qualification of department’s accounts and says fraud and error levels remain “unacceptably high”

Watchdog suggests Home Office and NHS England tighten joint-working arrangements in future outsourcing deals

Foreign secretary tells MPs that government wanted to avoid making "an unwarranted intervention in the course of the campaign" over Britain's place in the European Union

Oliver Letwin tells Foreign Affairs committee that the Brexit unit has no budgetary constraints so far, though it currently only exists in “virtual” form

Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) 85,000 staff will be encouraged to save with member-owned financial institutions