Local authorities are struggling to provide appropriate housing for vulnerable adults because of cuts in the Supporting People grant, the Commission for Social Care Inspection has found.
Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett this week pledged that the government would play its part in helping to transform the nation's lifestyle habits into more environmentally friendly ones.
A Scottish council and its partners are seeking a power that could pave the way for a legally backed authority to co-ordinate services, including those administered by other public agencies.
A catalogue of central government failures strengthens the case for devolving more powers to local government. So why despite decades of official rhetoric and numerous inquiries is Whitehall so...
The past four decades have produced major technological, medical and engineering advances but have failed dismally to reform local government finance. Sarah Wood says this time there must be change...
The Commons Treasury select committee has called on the government to consider raising air passenger duty to enhance its efforts to meet environmental targets.
The environment dominated the local elections campaign this week as the political parties vied to demonstrate their green credentials in the run-up to polling day on May 4.
A tool for local economic regeneration or an antisocial licence to print money? As competition hots up in the bidding war for the UK's first 'super-casino', Peter Hetherington talks to the councils...
The next Conservative government will not run public services 'from a desk in Whitehall' and will give frontline organisations the freedom to make decisions in response to local circumstances, Oliver...
Flooding, terrorism and an oil depot explosion have all wreaked havoc in the past few years. So how can public bodies use continuity planning to prepare for such disasters in the future? Ronan Ball...
The latest guidance issued to councils on 'efficiency gains' is clearer and acknowledges the importance of quality. But there are still gaps, not least how all these savings should be measured....
The Treasury and the National School of Government are to launch an e-learning training programme to boost financial management skills across Whitehall.
Government attempts to speed up planning decisions must not overlook the need for house building to keep pace with economic growth, social landlords said this week.
Town halls will need more money if they are to help the government achieve their ambitious carbon emission targets, local government leaders warned this week.
Whitehall's scientists this week called on the government to stop its 'schizophrenic and dangerously complacent' approach to science allowing public sites to close while investing £10bn in...
Self-governing trust schools are New Labour's latest big idea for education. But confusion still reigns over their structure and how they will be governed in practice. Tash Shifrin investigates
Chancellor Gordon Brown this week injected further momentum into the government's devolution agenda but the tone emerging from Number 11 points towards a regionalist approach at the expense of...
The Treasury's public sector pay committee has created a 'tension' between ministers' policy of local pay flexibility and the chancellor's requirement that all major remuneration decisions must pass...
Up to 80 cottage hospitals in England are threatened with closure and yet NHS community hospitals are meant to be the next big thing. Tash Shifrin investigates
