Local councils could be forced to delve deep into their reserves to shore up their employees' pension funds despite the government's insistence that an actuarial review of the market will uncover few...
The Local Government Association has demanded assurances that the government's shake-up of the asylum system will include funding for services provided by councils.
The government's review of Best Value could escalate the costs of delivering council services, raising the spectre of future cuts in vulnerable areas, it has emerged.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has insisted it is not being marginalised despite a government decision to launch a large-scale clinical trial of multiple sclerosis drugs that Nice had...
Children placed in bed and breakfast accommodation because their family is homeless are missing out on important health checks, the government told local authorities this week.
Local authorities need to address the failings rampant in the administration of housing benefit as poor management is causing hardship for claimants, according to the Audit Commission.
The political future of Scottish First Minister Henry McLeish was under threat this week as a police investigation began into what he called an 'error' over income received from a tenant for space...
Pressure is mounting on the Treasury to come clean on how public spending is officially defined in the wake of the Railtrack collapse and allegations that it disguised projected spending increases as...
Councils in Northern Ireland are threatening to take legal action against the soon-to-be-appointed first minister and deputy first minister if they are not consulted over nominations to Europe's...
Central government must invest in the voluntary sector if it wants to see more not-for-profit organisations involved in the delivery of public services, according to one of the sector's leaders.
A new 'star ratings' system is to be introduced for England's 150 social services departments, with rewards for the best performers and punishments for the worst.
Ministers are preparing to force mayoral referendums in more than half a dozen councils next month as the momentum to get more London-style, directly elected leaders in place gathers pace.
Anecdotal stories of accident victims having to wait hours for treatment were effectively confirmed this week by an Audit Commission report that showed waiting times in hospital accident and...
Local authority trade unions have rejected outright employers' demands to give up their right to unilateral arbitration to resolve pay talks, raising the spectre of another bitter dispute this year.
Two London boroughs are considering creating neighbourhood-level service commissioning bodies, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research which is advising them.
Local government minister Nick Raynsford has dashed local authorities' hopes of early legislation giving them the freedom to borrow money for capital projects.
Councils' ability to respond to emergencies in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the US is being undermined by a lack of government funding, officials claim.
English local authorities are demanding a substantial increase in next year's finance settlement if they are to avert major service cuts and huge hikes in council tax.
The outgoing chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority, Sir Alastair Morton, has told MPs that the government should seize on the demise of Railtrack as an opportunity to restructure fundamentally...
Public services were firmly back at the top of the political agenda this week as the Commons Public Administration Select Committee announced a full inquiry into the government's reform programme.
