Councils in England could receive grants to offset landfill tax costs when redeveloping brownfield and contaminated land, in a move the government hopes could help transform underused and derelict...
Tax cuts proposed by Conservative leadership candidate Liz Truss could cost more than £30bn and break the government's fiscal rules, economists at the Institute for Fiscal Studies have warned.
More than £4m of public money was prevented from being wrongly paid out in Northern Ireland following a “data matching” exercise, according to a report from the Northern Ireland Audit Office.
A coastal council in the south of England has paused its plans to sell valuable beach huts amid discussions with the government over £54m of financing flexibilities, it has emerged.
Debt-ridden Slough Borough Council has decided to sell three pieces of land owned by a joint-venture company because it believes developing them would add too much to its already-high borrowing.
Increased service demand and soaring inflation have created a “perfect storm”, according to the finance director of an English county council forecasting a medium-term funding gap of up to £200m a...
The government’s reluctance to fully fund pay rises for NHS staff this year could leave trusts with a funding gap of £1.8bn, a leading health service figure has warned.
The cost-of-living crisis is set to exacerbate existing funding constraints for councils and the social care market, and more central government funding will be necessary to avoid a winter crisis,...
Conservative leadership candidates have spent much of the past two weeks talking about their ideas of tax cuts, but a senior International Monetary Fund official has warned it could be economically...
More populated areas in Wales will receive less money from the UK’s post-Brexit development fund per person than sparsely populated areas due to an allocation formula a leading figure at the...
External auditors for a council in north-east England have threatened to issue statutory recommendations because “deep-rooted” relationship issues between officers and councillors are undermining...
The lack of good data on the location and occupancy of government properties is hindering Whitehall’s ability to manage its portfolio, the National Audit Office has said.
Councils in England need long-term, non-competitive funding and a clear strategy for the local delivery of net zero to help achieve emissions goals, a local authority organisation has said.
The role of managers is key to creating an inclusive and understanding work environment for women in finance roles, experts told delegates at Public Finance Live.
Culture is the “biggest thing” that needs to change to empower internal auditors in the public sector to make positive contributions to their organisations, according to speakers at Public Finance...
The current level of information held by central government on local authority owned subsidiaries is weak, according to an expert who also suggested departments could be requesting additional data.
Work to improve diversity and inclusion needs to be proactive and tackle the organisation’s culture rather than simply increase participation rates, Public Finance Live delegates were told.
Genuine collaboration between local government, the voluntary and community sector and commercial sectors is key to ensure the successful delivery of integrated care – and ensuring better outcomes...
The portal to submit bids for part two of the Levelling up Fund will go live in the coming days following a month-long delay, a senior civil servant has said.
Panellists at Public Finance Live agreed something needs to change to speed up audit opinions being issued on council accounts, but were unsure whether giving auditors a statutory deadline is the...
Using data more effectively can enable public bodies to better assess the shared outcomes of projects and reduce the cost of service delivery, delegates at Public Finance Live were told.
A lack of taxes on wealth means young people are left paying a disproportionate share of the tax burden, despite older people generally being wealthier, an expert has said.
Public sector organisations – as well as businesses in general – must continually strive for greater inclusion if they are to better serve their communities and service-users.
