Joseph Holmes, executive director of resources at West Berkshire Council, explains his authority’s plans to save £200,000 a year by closing two of its offices and encouraging hybrid working.
Prime minister Boris Johnson today hinted the government could allow more county devolution deals and extend agreements to towns – but warned powers would be decided on a case-by-case basis by...
Two important new documents provide the basis for stronger and more efficient public sector procurement as we emerge from Covid-19, says Crown Commercial Service chief executive Simon Tse.
A unitary authority has unveiled plans to spend more than £100m on slashing its office space by three quarters, enabled by a rise in home working following Covid-19.
Whitehall's oversight of local government audit has become “increasingly complacent” and the proposed solution involves treating public audit as “an afterthought”, MPs have said.
A Scottish local authority has adopted a checklist for assessing prospective loans to other councils after receiving negative publicity over lending to the struggling London Borough of Croydon.
A London council says that it could face a shortfall of up to £50m between its Covid-19 spending and the money from central government to pay for the pandemic response
Members at some larger local authorities are keen for staff to return to office working to help mitigate losses to regional economies, CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman told delegates to his...
Proposed health and social care integration in the Health and Care Bill will not improve people’s lives unless structural issues including underfunding are addressed, according to a...
Councils need to stop waiting for rules from central government and start working innovatively to transform their services and adapt to the future, a Public Finance Live 2021 panel heard.
More auditor interventions through statutory recommendations and public interest reports to local authorities are likely to occur in coming years, an audit expert has warned.
The government is set to reduce the amount of funding pots allocated to councils through competitive bidding, communities secretary Robert Jenrick has promised.
Local authority net zero objectives are being hampered by a lack of funding, relevant skills and supportive government framework, delegates to the opening session of Public Finance Live 2021 heard...
The government’s Health and Care Bill will give more power for the health secretary to intervene in the running of health services in England and less local oversight, according...
Fundamental reform of UK local authority finances is likely to be delayed further by up to two years, to assess Covid-19’s impact on local taxation, according to CIPFA chief executive Rob...
Brighton and Hove City Council has deferred a £1.2m loan payment from Brighton i360, a 530ft viewing tower, to help with its cash flow – over fears the attraction’s failure would cost more in the...
The Municipal Bonds Agency – aimed at providing cheap borrowing to local authorities – faces doubts over its future after racking up pre-tax losses of £650,000 last year.
Government departments lack urgency in their efforts to measure fraud and error relating to Covid-19 spending, according to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.
The government has proposed a three-year valuation period for business rates, alongside changes to the appeals process, in a bid to make the system more effective.
