Abolishing the Audit Commission will save less than £10m a year, a fifth of the amount claimed by government, the spending watchdog's chiefs have told MPs
The chair of the Commons local government select committee has accused ministers of ‘making it up as they go along’ in their drive to prescribe council funding to the voluntary sector.
Today's Hutton report has failed to address widespread concern that the imminent rise in employee pension contributions will lead to a mass opt-out from the Local Government Pension Scheme
Private Finance Initiative costs are putting increasing pressure on Scottish councils, raising the spectre of ‘steep’ council tax rises in the future, according to economists.
Concerns among local authorities that the 2001 census under-counted migrant communities have led to the deployment of 41 community advisers in this month’s £480m exercise
Final salary pension schemes in the public sector should end and a cap be put on the amount taxpayers contribute, according to Lord Hutton’s review of pensions, published today.
The head of the Local Government Futures Unit at Linstock Communications talks to Public Finance about council budget cuts; communities secretary Eric Pickles; the forthcoming local government...
Almost all local authorities in England will freeze council tax in April after taking advantage of the government’s £650m incentive fund, according to CIPFA's annual survey
Private firms that provide public services in Scotland should be subject to Freedom of Information laws, according to the watchdog that oversees rules on disclosure
The Audit Commission overstretched its remit and placed too much burden on local authorities, which are now ready to take on elements of inspection themselves, MPs were told last night
The chancellor's plans for a new generation of enterprise zones have been criticised by an economic think-tank, which warned against an artificial confrontation between the public and private sectors
Spiralling petrol prices have forced local authorities to take £20m from their reserves to meet extra costs, the Local Government Association has said.
Local government will remain at the mercy of Whitehall’s ‘boom and bust’ approach to spending as long as it lacks powers to raise the bulk of its own finance.
The Welsh Government is consulting on the future of libraries. It suggests libraries work together more to review their services and help improve national literacy rates
