Six towns have been named as growth areas in a wide-ranging blueprint for planning across Wales announced by Finance and Local Government Minister Sue Essex.
More than two-thirds of social services departments in England are performing well but a minority are either failing to provide adequate services or lack the ambition to improve, the chief inspector...
Ministers must face down fierce opposition to their pension proposals from public service unions before the general election, including calls for a national strike over plans to raise retirement ages.
Local authorities and primary care trusts will be in the vanguard of government plans to transform the NHS from a national sickness service to one that promotes health and wellbeing.
Local authorities will have to submit efficiency statements next April, outlining how they will reach the £6.45bn savings target, which will be measured under the Comprehensive Performance...
Local authorities can overcome cuts in funding for vulnerable people by persuading providers of support services to accept smaller surpluses, housing professionals have been told.
The speeches, rallies and debates are over. Months of speculation have come to an end. There were shouts of jubilation and tears of despondency, but the people have spoken: there is to be no elected...
Policing in England will have a 'slimmed-down landscape' from next year with just three core bodies: the Police Standards Unit, an improvement agency and the Home Office.
The announcement of the provisional revenue support grant settlement has been postponed, leading to suggestions that councils could be in line for a funding increase.
The forthcoming green paper on adult social care will tackle older people's reluctance to take responsibility for their own provision, senior ministers said this week.
Local authorities and registered social landlords must find housing efficiency savings of £835m per year by 2008 under the government's strict Gershon targets.
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has angered councils and trade unions by ruling out a review of how local authorities raise money to meet the decent homes target.
Welsh local authorities have been given a one-off minimum funding guarantee of 3.5% for 2005/06. But, despite the disruption of the council tax revaluation and funding formula changes, they have been...
Councils have been warned not to rush into court action over housing benefit arrears, after research suggested it could be more effective to refer problem tenants for independent debt advice.
Ministers have called for better co-operation between Local Strategic Partnerships and community groups after government auditors identified tensions that were impeding progress.
Home Secretary David Blunkett continued his law and order crackdown this week, setting out plans to tackle antisocial behaviour across 50 areas blighted by louts and thugs.
The Local Government Association is preparing to slash funding to its central bodies by 4.1% next year in advance of what is expected to be a tight finance settlement in November.
Problems with care services for elderly people will continue until policy conflicts over funding levels and models of service provision have been resolved, a leading health care think tank has...
MPs are to conduct a major inquiry into every aspect of the civil service amid fears that Sir Peter Gershon's reforms could decimate Whitehall expertise and leave departments at the mercy of...
