Local government minister John Healey has announced a change in the budgeting rules for councils' capital projects, which he says will encourage self-regulation.
he Local Government Association renewed its calls for an immigration contingency fund this week, as a Lords committee questioned the economic benefit of current migration levels.
A green neighbourhoods initiative launched by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has been criticised as a 'piecemeal' attempt to tackle climate change from a department with little clout.
The Housing and Regeneration Bill has been amended to ensure that the new social housing regulator will have to consult the Charity Commission before it imposes compulsory standards on charities that...
Apprenticeships used to be seen as old hat. But now they've had a ministerial makeover and are viewed as vital in helping to rejuvenate an increasingly ageing public sector workforce. Vivienne...
The idea of 'lifetime homes' designed to meet the needs of older or disabled residents is fast catching on. But how about the costs to developers and first-time buyers? Neil Merrick investigates
Children's centres and extended schools are improving the lives of children and their families - but local authorities have little evidence that they provide value for money, education inspectorate...
Many large councils will soon be involved in carbon trading schemes as part of efforts to combat climate change. But they will need to raise awareness and improve communications if the initiative is...
A Lords ruling has relaxed the strict time limits on damages claims for sexual abuse, allowing many adults who were assaulted as children to go to court. And that has important implications for local...
Twenty-five years on from the birth of the Audit Commission, is it time for a radical rethink on public sector inspection and regulation, asks David Walker
The finances of Aberdeen City Council are 'precarious', according to the public spending watchdog responsible for the audit of Scottish local authorities.
The legal framework for flood risk management is 'a mess', with gaps that make it hard to establish who is responsible for what, Sir Michael Pitt, who is carrying out a review of last summer's floods...
Town hall leaders have hit back angrily after ministers pledged this week to 'bust red tape' and 'weed out bureaucracy' to speed up the sluggish planning regime.
Leading public finance officials have told the Scottish government that it has failed to provide any information showing that its plans to replace Private Finance Initiative funding will be less...
Despite the billions of pounds spent on low-income neighbourhoods, inequality continues to rise, according to a report by the New Economics Foundation.
Households living in new eco-towns will be subject to strict transport rules with no more than half permitted to own a car, the government confirmed this week.
The fire and rescue service must improve on its response to 999 calls, according to the country's most senior fire and rescue service expert, Sir Ken Knight.
The government wants us to have a big conversation about Britishness. But its proposals for probationary citizenship and symbolic ceremonies are deeply controversial with major implications for...
