The chief executive of the Criminal Records Bureau defended its second hike in fees in nine months this week, claiming the 17% increase would more accurately reflect the costs of the service.
Eric Pickles, the shadow local government secretary, has described this year's council finance settlement as a 'dog's breakfast' and warned that 'serious funding problems' would hamper new education...
Research conducted by Northern Ireland's Review of Public Administration reveals that the population wants its public services to be improved and for providers to become more accountable to their...
Council chief executives this week criticised the government's proposed overhaul of child care across Britain, claiming it was 'too limited' and 'overly focused on local government structures'.
Stronger performance indicators on cutting obesity and smoking, a national strategy on obesity and more resources for public health services are likely to result from the second Wanless Review.
The Audit Commission waded into the bitter council tax row this week with research laying the blame for England's 12.9% average rise in the tax on the government's poor funding system and its...
Audit Scotland is to appoint a managing director of audit services, a new post that has been created as part of a major reorganisation, it was disclosed this week.
The first joint public-private partnership between local authorities has ended after 18 months of negotiations, with Northamptonshire County Council walking away citing an 'unbridgeable funding gap'...
Local authorities, refugee groups and social workers have condemned controversial plans put forward by the government in this year's Queen's Speech to take the children of failed asylum seekers into...
Chancellor Gordon Brown this week set in motion the roll-out of regional wage settlements across the public services but insisted that changes must be made within existing national pay frameworks.
The government will not impose a single capping threshold on local authorities whose council tax increases are deemed to be excessive, Public Finance has learned, but councils will be expected to...
As the Lords finally bowed to the will of MPs last week and allowed foundation trusts on to the statute book, any cries of joy from the health service would have been muted.
The Scottish Executive is to press ahead with controversial plans to reform the voting system for council elections, bringing the threat of a Labour rebellion and strong opposition from local...
Honours committees are out of step with modern society and dominated by an elderly, white male elite, according to government policy papers released by an influential committee of MPs.
There will be a major review of the impact of the first foundation trusts, the government announced this week in a further package of concessions on the controversial initiative.
Councils in Scotland will each undergo a new in-depth audit to determine whether they are meeting their Best Value duties, Audit Scotland has announced.
London and the West Midlands could each gain an extra £150m over three years under plans to let councils keep some of the business rates raised locally, new Treasury figures show.
The proportion of funding raised through council tax should be decreased and other regimes such as local income tax considered to run alongside it, CIPFA said this week.
District councils cried foul and other local authorities renewed threats of council tax rises and service cuts in spite of the proposed 4.7% increase in revenue support grant announced by the...