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4 Feb 22
The public sector would be justified in wondering if it has been given the scale of resources to match the lofty ambitions laid out in the government’s ‘levelling up’ white paper, says Ben Zaranko.
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27 Jan 22
Continuing weaknesses with financial modelling within Whitehall is putting public value for money at risk, according to the National Audit Office.
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27 Jan 22
Measures announced in chancellor Rishi Sunak's October Budget are likely to boost inflation, MPs have warned.
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25 Jan 22
Central government interest payments were up by 200% in December from a year earlier due to inflation reaching a three-decade high.
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24 Jan 22
The government’s forthcoming Levelling Up White Paper needs to dispel the impression that the government sees it mainly as a means of channelling investment in physical infrastructure, says Leah...
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21 Jan 22
In December, MP Margaret Hodge announced that she will not stand for parliament at the next general election. The former Public Accounts Committee chair speaks to PF about her worry that the UK is in...
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21 Jan 22
The UK government seems to have decided it is easier to recoup money paid out in error to the poorest in society than from Covid-19 support scheme fraudsters, says George Turner.
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20 Jan 22
The UK government’s lack of engagement with devolved administrations over the £2.6bn fund aimed at replacing regional European Union funding has strained relationships across the union,...
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14 Jan 22
The government has told NHS England to give private hospitals up to £270m before the end of March as part of an arrangement that does not necessarily mean they will treat any NHS patients.
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4 Jan 22
The UK chancellor touted his low tax credentials while raising taxes to their highest level since the 1950s in his Autumn Budget.
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22 Dec 21
English councils which have distributed highest amounts to businesses through the Covid-19 Additional Restrictions Grant scheme will get the largest allocations from a £100m top-up ...
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16 Dec 21
2021 has been another testing year for public finance professionals. But how well can you remember the events of the past 12 months? Take our annual Christmas festive quiz to find out.
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15 Dec 21
A Birmingham gang alleged to have made millions by defrauding the universal credit system has been raided by police.
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15 Dec 21
As 2022 draws nearer, PF rounds up the best-read stories of the current year.
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14 Dec 21
The UK’s “rapid” economic recovery after lockdowns and the government’s efforts to cut the deficit following the large Covid-19 support schemes have led to rating agency Fitch affirming its judgement...
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7 Dec 21
The Cabinet Office has dropped proposals for some changes to post-Brexit procurement processes, after councils complained that they need the ability to tailor contracts for health and...
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6 Dec 21
The Department for Levelling-up Housing and Communities has confirmed its 'levelling-up' white paper will be published in January.
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6 Dec 21
Public bodies are sitting on assets worth billions of pounds, much of which is not accounted for in balance sheets.
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2 Dec 21
The government’s long-awaited social care white paper has failed to meet the hopes of many in the sector, with several organisations saying the billions of pounds pledged is not enough to solve...
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2 Dec 21
Large amounts of government spending are either evaluated poorly or not evaluated at all, according to a critical report from the National Audit Office.
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30 Nov 21
Fraud and error in pandemic support programmes have led to head of the National Audit Office Gareth Davies qualifying his opinion on the 2020-21 accounts of the Department for Business, Energy and...
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26 Nov 21
The government has been criticised for lacking information about its pandemic scheme set up to fight youth unemployment, meaning it does not know whether it is having the positive impact it was hoped...
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22 Nov 21
HMRC is expected to recoup less than half of the forecast £5.8bn lost through fraud and error on Covid-19 support schemes, according to the department's top civil servant.
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17 Nov 21
The Department for Work and Pensions has been slammed by MPs for a lack of control over fraud and overpayments of Universal Credit, which soared to record levels last year.
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8 Nov 21
Extra cash from the new health and social care levy is welcome, but does not solve the acute issues facing the UK’s health system, says Amelia Chong.