Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has flatly denied to Public Finance that he warned the prime minister that a £500 cap on Housing Benefit would increase homelessness.
MPs today asked the government to help the Audit Commission’s audit practice establish itself as a stand-alone company and compete in the public sector audit market.
Local authority spending in England has fallen for the first time since the introduction of the council tax in the early 1990s, according to figures published by the government and CIPFA today.
The London Borough of Barnet’s deputy chief executive has told PF his authority will tackle the bad procurement practices highlighted embarrassingly on the day the council issued one of the largest...
Audit fees are likely to increase and public confidence in the management of public money could be shaken following the abolition of the Audit Commission, the commission itself has warned
The project to replace England’s 46 local fire and rescue service control rooms with nine regional inter-linked centres was branded a 'comprehensive failure' by auditors today.
Plans for local authorities to retain business rates will be 'fair from the beginning and fair over time', ministers have told Public Finance, but some council leaders are already warning of a '...
Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has defended his decision to abolish the Audit Commission to Public Finance and pledged that fees will not rise under the new auditing regime.
The government today announced that Community Budgets for helping ‘problem families’ are to be rolled out across 110 new areas over the next two years.
Loved and loathed in equal measure, Eric Pickles has made his mark on councils. But he has no regrets, he tells PF in an exclusive interview, as his cuts and changes are in the interests of local...
A new emphasis on early intervention and preventative spending is expected to feature prominently in the recommendations of a major review into Scottish public services, due to be published tomorrow
The government will press ahead with its public sector pension reforms even if its fails to reach agreement with the Trades Union Congress, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has told Public...
An Equality and Human Rights Commission probe has found serious failings in the standards of home care for older people, according to a report published today.
Only half of public sector finance directors played a lead role in preparing their organisation for the impact of the Spending Review, according to a survey published today.
Local government leaders are warning that councils could lose their access to a vital source of regeneration funding because of European Union plans to limit the scope of its structural funds.
