The near-revolt over the 10p tax band reveals how Parliament is beginning to exercise its powers to scrutinise government's tax and spending plans a development vital to democracy, argues Colin...
Fire minister Parmjit Dhanda has announced a new equality and diversity strategy for the fire service, which includes what he described as 'the toughest ever recruitment targets for women and people...
A public sector anti-fraud initiative that has detected millions of pounds in benefits overpayments and some 'blatant and shocking' fraud is to be expanded to Whitehall departments this year.
Children's minister Beverley Hughes has announced a £35m pilot scheme to improve access to childcare for parents with disabled children. Part of the Department for Children, Schools and Families'...
The Wales Audit Office has heralded the latest results of the Welsh National Fraud Initiative as the most successful since the inception of the scheme in 1996.
The government pushed ahead with its plans for unitary councils, legalising its actions only after the event and accepting blatantly optimistic savings estimates. This has serious implications for...
Not so long ago, ministers were wild about independent sector treatment centres and their success in bringing down waiting lists. But plans for more seem to have slowed, if not stalled. So is the...
Council house waiting lists could soar to more than 2 million households unless local authorities take a lead in tackling the housing crisis, ministers are being warned.
Landlords and developers should not use the downturn in the housing market as an excuse for building substandard homes, the head of the government's regeneration agency has said.
The public finances will be left in increasing disarray next year as a result of Chancellor Alistair Darling's May 13 decision to borrow £2.7bn to fund a tax cut for low- and middle-income households...
Gordon Brown has set out a draft legislative programme combining a new wave of public service reforms with measures aimed at reassuring the public that they will be shielded from the worst of the...
Ministers have seriously underestimated the cost of giving council and housing association tenants more choice over where they live, says a new report.
An initiative aimed at cracking down on fraud and error affecting benefit, pension and other payments in Scotland has resulted in potential savings of £37m, a watchdog survey has disclosed.
The Housing Corporation is to spend up to £200m purchasing homes on the open market as part of a major expansion of a government scheme for first-time buyers.
The Welsh Assembly Government has launched a new strategy to help the estimated 12,000 young people in Wales not in training, education or employment. It is expected to include legislation to provide...
Northern Ireland's public sector is too big and too well paid, according to Sir David Varney's review of competitiveness in Northern Ireland, carried out on behalf of the Treasury. The review could...
The May 1 election results gave Labour a bloody nose and shook up the political landscape. It also reflected voters' feeling that local authorities have precious little power.
Parliamentary debates on Whitehall ministries' performance need to be overhauled to take account of the new cross-departmental Public Service Agreements, senior backbench MPs have said.
Government departments pushing for 'personalised' public services need to set up rigorous systems to assess the so far unproven cost-effectiveness of a 'user-driven' approach, MPs have warned.
