Peter Housden, the outgoing permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government, has been appointed Scotland’s top civil servant.
Councils and the Audit Commission are holding ‘constructive talks’ to set up a peer review system to replace the Comprehensive Area Assessment inspection regime, Public Finance can reveal
The formula which allocates public funding per head to people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should be extended to regions in the north of England, according to a think-tank
Peter Housden, the senior civil servant at the heart of the row over local government reorganisation, has been appointed to the top job at the Scottish Executive
Comprehensive Area Assessments for local government will be scrapped according to the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition’s programme for government, published today
Local government finance directors will play an increasingly important role in the harsh financial times ahead – but they will need different skills, argues Rob Whiteman
The new coalition government this week pushed forward with its ‘Big Society’ approach to reforming public services, but critics claim the ideas are a smokescreen for cuts
The Department for Communities and Local Government has a political powerhouse as its new chief, but can he usher in a new era of autonomy for councils, asks David Williams
A High Court ruling that has given a grandmother the right to be paid the same amount as a foster carer for looking after her 15-year-old granddaughter could have wide-ranging implications for carers...
It is not surprising the electoral system has been a big issue this week, but few would have guessed reforms would have to incorporate the polling stations themselves. David Williams reports on a bad...
A higher turnout than normal gave Labour gains in last week’s local elections, but councils of all political shades face unpopular decisions on spending cuts, experts have warned
Polling stations across the country were thrown into disarray last night after high turn-outs, thinly spread resources and large volumes of postal votes stretched the UK’s antiquated electoral system...
Green issues took a back seat in the general election but that’s no reason for town halls and NHS trusts to ignore them. Installing wind and solar power in public buildings will cut both costs and...
In the election campaign, all the parties promised the public a starring role in running and vetting public services. But where’s the evidence that people want to be actors on this bigger stage?...
Fresh thinking about the design and provision of services will be needed if councils are to cope with the difficult times ahead, the chief of Scotland’s local government spending watchdog has warned
