Flooding, terrorism and an oil depot explosion have all wreaked havoc in the past few years. So how can public bodies use continuity planning to prepare for such disasters in the future? Ronan Ball...
The latest guidance issued to councils on 'efficiency gains' is clearer and acknowledges the importance of quality. But there are still gaps, not least how all these savings should be measured....
Local authorities could start issuing more capital bonds as an alternative to central government borrowing or the Private Finance Initiative, according to credit rating agency Standard & Poor's.
Police forces reacted with a mixture of delight and dismay after Home Secretary Charles Clarke set out merger plans for three more English regions this week.
In 2003, angry pensioners were taking to the streets as council tax soared, unchecked by government. This year, ministers cracked the whip and councils meekly complied. Tony Travers explains what's...
Scottish Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm has given assurances that plans to transfer control of Glasgow's public housing stock to community ownership will go ahead despite a reported £300m...
Most local authorities want to make the most of their community powers and include social and environmental benefits in the contracts they award. But procurement law can be problematic
When the National Audit Office investigated Whitehall's efficiency savings it found that they weren't all they seemed. Some were aspirational, some weren't efficient and others couldn't be proved....
Critics of local government's structure need look no further than Durham to support their case against two-tier councils. Would a unitary approach across England produce less confusion, while...
Britain's graffiti and vandalism-scarred railway stations are in a 'deplorable state' and the Department for Transport must take urgent action, senior backbench MPs are demanding.
Local government minister and political wunderkind David Miliband has been tipped as a potential Labour prime minister. Vivienne Russell meets a minister who is very much on the move
Not so long ago, light rail or tram schemes were the favourite solutions to transport problems in English cities. But one by one the planned projects have collapsed and Transport Secretary Alistair...
Opposition MPs have called for an 'urgent and independent' investigation into the alleged failure of the tax credits system to deal adequately with fraud.
Over a million new homes are projected for the over-crowded Southeast. A planning and design abomination or a sensible way to provide pleasant, affordable homes for ordinary people? Will Hatchett...
The trail being blazed by Local Area Agreements will be crucial to the contents of the forthcoming white paper on councils, the local government minister revealed this week.
Scotland's new national transport agency will be responsible for a £3bn programme of investment including new rail and road links, Transport Minister Tavish Scott announced this week.
Funny, isn't it? For ages, there are no transport crises. Then they all come along at once. Christian Wolmar explains the issues that are now putting the pressure on Transport Secretary Alistair...
Well, the Licensing Act has finally come into effect, and half the nation is still waiting in fear for the other half to go on a drunken rampage. Philip Johnston considers the consequences of the law...
All local authorities must share the spoils of the proposed Planning Gain Supplement or the gap between areas of economic success and deprivation will widen, Gordon Brown is being warned.
Anna Simons loves a challenge, whether it is belting out songs in a Japanese karaoke bar or joining the City. That's why the NAO is perfect for her, she tells Vivienne Russell
