The Local Government Association has published a 'prospectus' outlining what every high-performing council should be doing and detailing areas where more work is needed.
The Welsh Local Government Association has welcomed First Minister Rhodri Morgan's commitment to consider reallocating some business rates to councils.
The Scottish National Party has added to its success in becoming the minority government at Holyrood by winning influential positions of power locally.
Some London councils are failing to support housing associations' development schemes, relying on neighbouring boroughs to house families on their waiting lists, a report claimed this week.
Scotland's auditor general, Bob Black, is to review the cost projections of controversial airport rail link and tram plans for Edinburgh before a final decision is made on whether the projects should...
Spending on temporary nurses in the NHS is continuing to rise in spite of an increase in permanent staff coming onstream, the Commons Public Accounts Committee says.
Whitehall departments and government agencies are failing to implement measures to combat climate change, according to a survey of civil servants published this week.
Whitehall departments could have their contributions to cross-government policies reviewed under Gordon Brown's plans to broaden responsibility for crucial public services, Public Finance has...
Ministers were this week accused of trying to sneak 'through the back door' a controversial decision over their child maintenance reforms after omitting it from a new Bill.
The NHS will report an official net surplus of around £510m for 2006/07, the Department of Health confirmed on June 6. But the apparent turnaround was created by withholding £1.28bn until balance...
Cost-consciousness in the English NHS has led to a 29% rise in emergency readmission rates for all age groups, Public Finance has been told. Ministers pledged to examine the figures.
Britain's energy policies are an 'incoherent hotchpotch' that could fail to secure crucial supplies, tackle climate change and combat global poverty, independent experts have warned.
Four out of nine Private Finance Initiative schemes fail to achieve good value for taxpayers with their facility services, the National Audit Office has found.
Public service reform will grind to a halt under Gordon Brown's premiership as the Labour party lurches to the Left, shadow chancellor George Osborne argued in a speech this week.
Public sector housing bodies have responded positively to the Disability Discrimination Act and routinely upgrade homes to suit the needs of disabled people in contrast to private sector landlords...
Trade unions have hailed as 'long overdue' the government's announcement that it is to draw up a consistent pay and conditions framework for the support staff working in England's schools.
Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney has told council leaders he wants to freeze council tax bills from 2008 prior to introducing a local income tax.
A review of accounting procedures for housing associations looks set to drag on to the end of the year after landlords failed to agree on how to deal with shared ownership sales.
Department of Health officials have indicated that they will enforce their contract with a key IT supplier, despite news that the £13bn NHS computer upgrade could be delayed yet again by a stalled...
A leading teaching union has called for a 10% pay rise for teachers so the profession can compete with the private sector to recruit the brightest graduates.
Health professionals have reacted angrily to news that the NHS 'underspent' by around £500m last year as it attempted to recover its £547m deficit, claiming patients and staff have suffered as a...