Operational Delivery

Union's deputy general secretary says 1% average pay rise cap is "not sustainable", after government gives departments more freedom to reward "outstanding" senior officials

Standards and Testing Agency chief executive Jennifer Coupland blames "failure to follow appropriate clearance processes" and apologises to parents and teachers

Department points out that shift to include spending on war pensions and intelligence gathering falls within Nato guidelines

Mismatch between school year used by academies and DfE's own accounting period means parliament cannot properly hold the department to account, says the NAO

Current head of the Economic and Domestic Affairs Secretariat Jonathan Slater heading to the DfE when Chris Wormald moves to Health

Cabinet Office minister Lord Bridges confirms government rethink on plans to end automatic payroll deduction of union fees from public servants

Two new data and statistics centres to be created at the Office for National Statistics HQ in Newport, while an “increased London presence” is planned to improve its the organisations relationship with users

Home Office permanent secretary Mark Sedwill to face second Public Accounts Committee hearing after PAC chair Meg Hillier brands department's disagreement with the National Audit Office a "farce"

Criminal Justice Joint Inspection report highlights "significant progress" needed on digital overhaul of the justice system – with continued manual entry and lack of join-up

Civil service union PCS argues latest proposals do not take account of Land Registry's digital progress and could lead to a reduced capacity for statutory work

National Audit Office (NAO) report finds that each loan given out under the Department of Energy and Climate Change's Green Deal cost government £17,000, and flags poor use of evidence and testing when the scheme was designed 

Home Affairs Committee chair Keith Vaz repeatedly questions Robbins on Border Force funding

John Manthorpe accuses government of wanting to "sell the Land Registry for a quick price to reduce the deficit"

Director general Mary Calam to leave civil service after more than two decades, with Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism's Paul Lincoln taking on the job

Cyber Security Operations Centre to focus on protecting the Ministry of Defence's own networks from attack

Communities and Local Government Committee says local authorities "must be able to have confidence in the effective operation" of the framework drawn up by central government to guide development decisions

Department must to more to challenge contractors, say MPs, as too many health and disability assessments do not meet acceptable standards despite an increase in the cost per assessment

Infrastructure and Projects Authority says strong public sector involvement coupled with move away from traditional government structures has been a important factor in the success of capital projects like London 2012 and Crossrail

Latest batch of MoD land disposals will "make the defence estate more efficient and better suited to the needs of our armed forces", says minister Mark Lancaster

Consultation says moving 4,500 civil servants to the private sector will "bring new knowledge and investment" into the Land Registry – but PCS union says plans are driven by "short-term political choice, not economic necessity"

Government Outcomes Lab being set up in partnership with Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government​ in a bid to assess the impact of outcome-based commissioning ​schemes

PAC says "encouraging signs of change" on the commercial front – but urges Cabinet Office to do more to chase up departments who are failing to make progress

International Development Committee gives broad backing to UK's new aid strategy – but warns DfID not to lose sight of poverty focus as other departments take on responsibility for spending development assistance funds

Prime minister attempts to get back on the political front foot after departure of long-serving work and pensions secretary highlights gap between Treasury and the DWP