CIPFA has praised Slough Borough Council’s finance director on the decision to publish a section 114, freezing all non-essential spending as the authority attempts to balance its budget.
CIPFA is proposing to boost the information it provides on proposed borrowing restrictions on borrowing for yield in its update to the Prudential Code.
The government's preference for providing grants through competitive bidding creates a vicious cycle that hurts authorities most in need of the money, says CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman.
Proposed changes to governance for police and fire services present risks but also an opportunity for greater economies of scale, says CIPFA police adviser Alison Dewhirst.
The procurement challenges ushered in by Covid-19 will not go away even if lower infection rates allow society to get back to some degree of normality, says Mohamed Hans.
The government's recent procurement green paper can help authorities become more energy efficient, says Richard Hallewell, chief executive of CIPFA's Technology Procurement Association.
Valuing pensions and property, plant and equipment has emerged as one of the biggest issues for local authorities in a CIPFA survey of the impact of Covid-19 on council workloads.
A permanent drop in council income streams mean the government’s pre-Covid-19 strategy for reforming local government funding is a “busted flush”, according to Rob Whiteman, CIPFA chief executive.
The first year of full compliance with the Financial Management Code is upon us – but authorities have flexibility to interpret it to fit their circumstances
Ahead of the first full year of compliance with the Financial Management Code, Joanna Pitt, local government policy manager at CIPFA, gives a run down of the new guidance.
Despite some significant gaps, the 2021 Budget provides a good balance between growth and resilience – and crucially allows leeway for further fiscal intervention later this year, says Jeffrey Matsu.
Closer working between external and internal auditors can help achieve better value for money, according to CIPFA advisers Diana Melville and Ellen Millington.
Help is at hand for local authorities looking to increase their anti-fraud capabilities, says Heidi Loren de Sousa, manager of CIPFA's Counter Fraud Apprenticeship programme.
Richard Lloyd-Bithell, senior technical manager at CIPFA, runs through the new proposals for the Prudential Code in response to increased local authority investment in commercial property.
The government must allocate resources as soon as possible to enable councils and auditors to implement the findings of the Redmond review, says Rob Whiteman.
