Local government leaders are to urge ministers to review the entire regulatory framework for councils, while broadly endorsing the Audit Commission's planned reforms to the Comprehensive Performance...
The Treasury is committing more than £4bn to its 'untried' baby savings scheme which may only benefit the children of affluent families, MPs warned this week.
Pharmaceutical companies must undergo a radical change in the way they choose, research and develop new drugs and treatments, the King's Fund said this week.
Teaching unions have hit back at the chief inspector of schools after he blamed inadequate teaching for the lack of progress towards targets for literacy and numeracy among primary school children.
Council chief executives this week criticised the government's proposed overhaul of child care across Britain, claiming it was 'too limited' and 'overly focused on local government structures'.
Local authorities, refugee groups and social workers have condemned controversial plans put forward by the government in this year's Queen's Speech to take the children of failed asylum seekers into...
The government will not impose a single capping threshold on local authorities whose council tax increases are deemed to be excessive, Public Finance has learned, but councils will be expected to...
Public services viewed by Labour as key 'battlegrounds' in the run-up to the next election received 'below average' reviews in a strategy document released by the Prime Minister's office this week.
NHS Direct must expand its capacity if it is to meet demand from patients and achieve the targets set by the government, the Commission for Health Improvement said this week.
A shadow was cast over plans to introduce a database for children this week after the British Medical Association said it would breach data protection law, while local authorities were also revealed...
Town hall leaders fear the government is pressing ahead too quickly with its reforms to children's services, after Education Secretary Charles Clarke revealed he wanted a Bill in next month's Queen's...
Social care is to get its own voice in Whitehall with the creation of a national director of social care, Health Secretary John Reid told social services chiefs this week.
The government has rejected independent research commissioned by the National Union of Teachers suggesting that this year's schools' funding crisis has resulted in the loss of almost 9,000 teaching...
The Liberal Democrats go into their conference at Brighton next week hoping for a boost from having either won or taken second place in the Brent East by-election, which was due to take place on 18...
Health, education and local authorities gave the 'biggest shake-up in children's services in 30 years' a muted welcome this week as they questioned the government's commitment to providing adequate...
A Conservative government would dismantle the 'command state' constructed by the Labour party and radically decentralise public services, according to a policy document setting out the party's reform...
Accusations that England's schools are not doing enough to promote foreign languages were countered by the government this week, with the publication of new figures showing that almost three-quarters...
