The lack of government transparency around councils in financial distress makes scrutiny impossible and leaves authorities and service users vulnerable in the wake of Covid-19, MPs have said.
Thanet District Council’s cabinet is being asked to approve £733,000 for legal costs relating to ongoing disciplinary and grievance proceedings in the face of low reserves.
A “prevalent, negative culture” at Nottingham City Council in which officers regularly fail to comply with processes and rules has drawn criticism from its internal auditors.
A new mechanism is needed to provide the government and public with an early warning system prior to the publishing of section 114 notices, Public Accounts Committee chair Meg Hillier told PF.
Government support will not cover the half-billion-pound scale of lost council tax receipts in the year following the outbreak of Covid-19 – leaving councils facing service cuts – according to sector...
The proposed merging of the Pensions Regulator’s Code of Practice needs further clarity around the role of public pension committees and boards, an advisor told PF.
The London Borough of Croydon is set to drop plans to transfer homes built by subsidiaries into its pension fund to help reduce employer contributions.
A senior MP has questioned whether the new 'system leader' for local audit proposed by the government will possess the expertise to deal with the complexities of the sector.
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.
Reduced net migration to the UK due to Covid-19 and Brexit could create further pressure on local government finances, according to ratings agency Moody’s.
The government has proposed making the replacement to the Financial Reporting Council the new system leader for local audit, following the Redmond Review.
The health service and local government both need long-term financial sustainability if the government is to successfully respond to the next national emergency, the National Audit Office has...
Around half of Local Government Pensions Scheme assets have been transferred to investment pools, despite a dip due to Covid-19, a senior civil servant said.
A combination of pressures from Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic could squeeze city council revenues and put more pressure on budgets, according to ratings agency Standard and Poor’s.
Changes proposed under the government’s Health and Social Care White Paper could be “destabilised” without fully funded reforms of the social care sector, MPs have warned.
The Supreme Court has allowed a group of local authorities to pursue a claim for business rates against landlords who transferred properties to special purpose vehicles, in a case which could result...
Legislation aimed at flagging up financial issues in UK local authorities is outdated and needs an overhaul, according to London Borough of Croydon's interim finance chief.
