Scotland's groundbreaking policy of providing free personal and nursing care for elderly people was introduced without sufficient clarity about whether it was a universal entitlement or one dependent...
The government will find itself under pressure to top up public sector spending if it is to meet its policy commitments, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has predicted in its annual 'green budget'.
The government has ordered a review of the eligibility criteria for adult social care services, after a report by the Commission for Social Care Inspection warned that hundreds of thousands of...
As Peter Hain reflects on the end of his ministerial career, he can at least console himself that he oversaw the re-establishment of devolved government in Northern Ireland.
Staff in Northern Ireland councils are 50% more likely to take sick leave than those who work for English local authorities, the Northern Ireland Audit Office has found.
A council strongly criticised for its performance has been told to speed up improvement by the Accounts Commission, the local government watchdog for Scotland.
Councils should give more thought to how the revenue they collect from charging contributes to their overall financial strategy, the Audit Commission said this week.
The Scottish government has asked the Accounts Commission to co-ordinate the scrutiny of council functions until longer-term changes are made to the regulatory regime.
Public sector agencies are bearing the brunt of 'round-the-clock drinking and gambling'. But Gordon Brown seems to have lost his earlier resolve to reverse the newly liberalised laws. Peter...
The IDA showed it was taking equality issues seriously when it hired big hitter Angela Mason as adviser to local government. She tells Joseph McHugh her plans
Local authorities' health overview and scrutiny committees' powers should be strengthened but councillors and MPs should not decide which treatments are funded by the health service, the NHS...
A Department of Health survey has revealed widespread doubts among GPs that the government's flagship practice-based commissioning policy is making any difference to the way they work.
Housing associations must work more closely with local authorities to speed up the construction of new homes, the head of a new government agency has said.
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...
Millions of pounds raised in council rents are set to be snatched from the housing subsidy system by the Treasury and used for general public expenditure.
The Trades Union Congress has stressed the need to maintain a united front as public sector pay negotiations go forward in a potentially hostile climate.
Council leaders in Wales have condemned the budget presented to the Welsh Assembly on January 15 as 'the worst local government settlement since devolution'.
