Local government pensions are in a mess. A £30bn shortfall in retirement assets across town halls in England and Wales, revealed in a CIPFA study last week, is bad news enough.
As the 2005 election's battle of the budgets hots up with accusations of tax and spend black holes flying to and fro Tony Travers asks whether it's still the economy that will determine the...
A fight has broken out in schools but the pupils are not to blame. Heads claim that they can't afford both the workload agreement and pay reforms. Teachers say this is just an excuse. Conor Ryan...
The new Wales Audit Office carries huge audit and regulatory responsibilities, but its first auditor general is more than ready for this wider role, he tells Joseph McHugh
Fines, controls, ever more parking zones. Are these sensible ways to cut traffic and pollution, and raise much-needed revenue? Or just an excuse to rip off beleaguered motorists? David Meilton...
Last week's Budget announced more support for university-based research. But will it be enough to save the science departments that are closing across Britain? Stephen Court reports on the parlous...
The Freedom of Information Act brings greater transparency about public sector spending and decision-making. But there are some grey areas, such as internal audit and fraud investigations, where...
Directly elected mayors were once ministerial flavour of the month but the policy was resoundingly rejected by voters. Now, even John Prescott has converted to the idea. David Harding reports
The three accountancy bodies involved in merger discussions have proposed a two-stage integration process following their council meetings in February.
Despite the government's insistence that all public sector organisations should introduce regional wage variations, 'very little concrete action has been taken', a new report on pay indicates.
Scottish patients have the UK's shortest waiting times for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary heart disease, according to the latest government statistics.
Nightmare neighbours who hold communities to ransom with threatening and intimidating behaviour are to be offered a last chance to change their ways before being evicted from their homes.
Welsh confidence has been dented. The young Assembly government was determined to be different and remodel the NHS around the principle of health promotion rather than the target-driven regime...
Discussions are continuing over a possible merger of three of the six main accounting institutes, although one of the bodies has asked for more work to be undertaken on the proposals.
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.
Chancellor Gordon Brown was accused this week of using accounting tricks to inflate his civil service relocation figures by including posts moved before Sir Michael Lyons' proposals for Whitehall...
Ministers must develop an effective strategy to deal with international prisoners after a new study showed record numbers are detained in UK jails, an influential pressure group has warned.
