The Audit Commission has quashed speculation that it will include councils' response to freedom of information legislation in Comprehensive Performance Assessments.
The inspection regime for councils and primary care trusts needs to start addressing how well they work with the voluntary sector, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Paul Boateng said this week.
Ministers should undertake a thorough financial analysis of all new responsibilities handed to schools and guarantee funding for indirect costs such as new buildings, the National Union of Teachers...
The number of staff employed by Scottish local authorities has broken through the 250,000 barrier, provoking predictable claims of bureaucracy overload.
Six towns have been named as growth areas in a wide-ranging blueprint for planning across Wales announced by Finance and Local Government Minister Sue Essex.
More than two-thirds of social services departments in England are performing well but a minority are either failing to provide adequate services or lack the ambition to improve, the chief inspector...
Local authorities will have to submit efficiency statements next April, outlining how they will reach the £6.45bn savings target, which will be measured under the Comprehensive Performance...
Local authorities can overcome cuts in funding for vulnerable people by persuading providers of support services to accept smaller surpluses, housing professionals have been told.
The speeches, rallies and debates are over. Months of speculation have come to an end. There were shouts of jubilation and tears of despondency, but the people have spoken: there is to be no elected...
Policing in England will have a 'slimmed-down landscape' from next year with just three core bodies: the Police Standards Unit, an improvement agency and the Home Office.
The announcement of the provisional revenue support grant settlement has been postponed, leading to suggestions that councils could be in line for a funding increase.
Councils have been warned not to rush into court action over housing benefit arrears, after research suggested it could be more effective to refer problem tenants for independent debt advice.
The forthcoming green paper on adult social care will tackle older people's reluctance to take responsibility for their own provision, senior ministers said this week.
Local authorities and registered social landlords must find housing efficiency savings of £835m per year by 2008 under the government's strict Gershon targets.
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has angered councils and trade unions by ruling out a review of how local authorities raise money to meet the decent homes target.
Welsh local authorities have been given a one-off minimum funding guarantee of 3.5% for 2005/06. But, despite the disruption of the council tax revaluation and funding formula changes, they have been...
MPs are to conduct a major inquiry into every aspect of the civil service amid fears that Sir Peter Gershon's reforms could decimate Whitehall expertise and leave departments at the mercy of...
Government plans to slash £21.5bn from annual public sector costs by 2008 could be undermined by the private sector's inability to deliver outsourced services, a senior CBI official has warned.
