The Conservatives would demand £4.43bn in efficiency savings from local authorities, with Whitehall cuts yielding a further £2.3bn, they announced this week.
The government should take great care in linking expenditure with outcomes as there is little evidence that its extra cash has led to educational improvements, MPs warned this week.
Social landlords are being urged to play a greater role in housing asylum seekers and refugees, despite doubts about the future of contracts issued by the National Asylum Support Service.
Ministers are considering a reorganisation of local government in England but no firm decision has yet been taken to introduce unitary authorities, it was confirmed this week.
Ministers are likely to plough ahead with plans to overhaul fire emergency call centres, despite a leaked Whitehall report stating the project runs the risk of 'total failure'.
Education ministers will consider extending the use of private companies to rescue failing councils' education services after inspectors gave an upbeat report on a flagship scheme in the West...
Northern Ireland's district councils should be given a general power of competence, according to a report on the public health function in the province. The study was commissioned by the Department...
Labour faces the embarrassment of going into next year's general election defending a record of rising homelessness after ministers admitted that numbers will continue increasing for another three...
The government awarded a contract for five more private sector treatment centres this week, despite anecdotal evidence that patients are unhappy with the initiative.
Council leaders in Scotland have warned that the Executive's funding settlement for local government will not be enough to prevent substantial council tax rises over the next three years.
Two-thirds of councils are now 'excellent' or 'good' after 52 surged up the rankings when the Audit Commission published its Comprehensive Performance Assessments on December 16.
Bradford's foundation trust was considering a legal challenge against the removal of its chair this week as relations with its regulator reached crisis point.
Plans to make severance payments to Scottish councillors who stand down at the next local government election will cost the taxpayer £6m, the Executive has revealed.
Councils were given an early Christmas present this week, when they were told they would no longer be responsible for finding £3bn in schools' and police authority savings called for in the Gershon...
Comprehensive Performance Assessments will scrutinise councils' financial management much more rigorously from 2005 but the number of inspections will be slashed by two-thirds.
Local government pension deficits have tripled to around £30bn over the past three years, but council scheme managers have been urged not to panic as they strive to meet the escalating cost of...
Town hall leaders are warning that the £1bn cash injection promised by Gordon Brown does nothing to tackle the underlying pressures on council tax bills, which could still soar in future years.
All children's services, from playgroups to prisons, are to be subject to a radical joint inspection regime under proposals announced by Ofsted this week.
The Gershon efficiency review will contribute to growth of almost 50% in the UK public sector outsourcing market over the next three years, it was predicted this week.
The CBI has attacked the 'confusing and vague' plans drawn up by Whitehall departments to meet the £21.5bn Gershon efficiency drive and warned of 'serious concerns' that it may fail.
