Prevention is the government's big idea for the NHS in 2008, with an ambitious screening programme, personal health and social care budgets and a push against obesity and binge-drinking. Noel...
Even the most well-meaning and innocent of decisions can fall foul of the law, as the government found when it sent schools copies of An inconvenient truth , Al Gore's film about global warming
The 'use of resources' element of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment has led to a dramatic improvement in council services. But it won't be stopping there. In fact, it's set to play an even...
Trade union Unison has warned Birmingham City Council to 'pull back from the brink' as more than 20,000 staff ballot for strike action over the imposition of new contracts.
The Liberal Democrats' new leader, Nick Clegg, has advocated a new type of publicly funded school, in his first speech on public services since being elected to the top job.
Trades unions have backed the call by Trevor Phillips, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, for the 1970 Equal Pay Act to be replaced with new legislation to get women a fairer and...
All Cabinet ministers responsible for Public Service Agreements should be required to provide an annual report to Parliament outlining the progress in meeting the targets, according to the New Local...
The Parliamentary commissioner for standards, John Lyon, has confirmed that he is to launch an investigation into the funding row involving Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain following a...
Healthcare Commission chair Sir Ian Kennedy has hit out at plans to merge his organisation with two other regulatory bodies, warning MPs that the move could 'set back development of a culture of...
The former head of communications watchdog Ofcom, Stephen Carter, has been appointed chief of strategy and principal adviser to Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Carter, currently chief executive of...
Councils in Scotland are to be required to establish registers of assets held under the Common Good, an ancient system of safeguarding property and land that was administered by the former burghs on...
The government's Children's Plan sets out an ambitious vision for raising educational standards. Here, schools minister Jim Knight explains how a new approach to commissioning can help local...
Business process outsourcing is growing rapidly in local government, as cash-strapped councils agree huge deals with private firms to provide a range of back-office services. Anat Arkin examines the...
Plans to compel local authorities to respond to any petition signed by 250 residents could be 'hijacked' by extremist groups such as the British National Party, the Local Government Association has...
We received an impressive tally of high-scoring entries to our annual sprint through the year's public sector events. So very well done to our winner, Karen Franklin of Spalding in Lincolnshire, who...
Local authorities have attacked the Audit Commission's 'unacceptable' plan to hike its audit fees by up to a third by 2011 and are fighting a last-ditch battle to kill off the proposals.
All local authorities will be expected to prepare their annual accounts in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards from April 2010, CIPFA has announced.
The CBI has hit out at government mismanagement of public procurement, which it warns is threatening ministers' ambitious plans for reforming frontline services.
Local government minister John Healey has urged councils to look beyond the 'here and now' and face up to some of the long-term, deep-rooted problems that affect their communities.
