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Central government news

Public service reforms 'inconsistent'The government should be 'unflinching' in pushing through its public service reforms, Reform said today. 10 February 2012
PFI investors over-charging for risk, says NAOThe public sector is paying more than it should for equity investment because investors tend to overstate the risk they are bearing, the National Audit Office said today in its latest report on privately financed projects. 10 February 2012
MoD cutting staff without planning for future, says NAOThe Ministry of Defence risks losing valuable military skills by laying off more than 54,000 staff, the National Audit Office warned today. 09 February 2012
GPs will control £65bn of NHS funding if health Bill is passedDoctors and other health professionals will be given control of almost £65bn of English NHS spending from next year if the government's controversial reforms go ahead, according to Department for Health figures. 08 February 2012
Government Accounts 'must include all spending'Whole of Government Accounts need to include all bodies that affect the financial position of the government, according to the Public Accounts Committee. 07 February 2012
More than half of government projects behind scheduleFewer than half of the government's 206 major infrastructure schemes are on track to be delivered on time and on budget, according to the Major Projects Authority, which oversees the work. 07 February 2012
Councils' weekly waste collection fund launchedThe £250m fund to help councils maintain or return to weekly waste collections is now open for business, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has announced. 03 February 2012
Huhne resigns after speeding chargeEnergy Secretary Chris Huhne has resigned from the government after being charged with perverting the course of justice over a 2003 speeding case. 03 February 2012
Miliband calls for national investment bank for businessThe Treasury scheme to increase lending to small businesses has failed and should be replaced with a government-backed national investment bank, Ed Miliband said today. 03 February 2012
Government losing up to £8bn on unpaid debtsUncollected debt costs the government between £7bn and £8bn every year, the Cabinet Office revealed today. 03 February 2012
DCLG announces HRA buyout paymentsThe government has finalised the amount that councils will have to pay to take control of council house rents in their area, with payments lower than originally planned. 02 February 2012
Whitehall cuts £7.9bn but will struggle to find moreGovernment departments exceeded their savings targets last year but will have difficulty making all the reductions needed by 2015, the National Audit Office has said. 02 February 2012
Whitehall finds surplus land for 80,000 homesThe government has so far identified enough spare public land to accommodate 80,000 homes, housing minister Grant Shapps has said. 02 February 2012
Government spending to be lower than planned, IFS findsThe government is set to underspend by £3bn this year in addition to its planned cuts, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said today. 01 February 2012
Adult apprenticeships good value for money, says NAOAdult apprenticeships provide a good return for the public money invested in them, but not as good as the government claims, auditors have said. 01 February 2012