A new code of practice will require local authorities to minimise tender costs for contract bidders and settle invoices promptly so small local firms can compete for their business.
Housing associations must fight off further bureaucracy while continuing to influence policymaking, according to the new chief executive of the National Housing Federation.
Pathfinder programmes set up to boost demand for housing in the North and Midlands have struggled to spend money on worthwhile projects, says the Audit Commission.
Edinburgh has sounded the death knell for city congestion charging schemes outside London by voting three-to-one against the council's proposed two-zone scheme.
The way public services are contracted and delivered could be transformed if an innovative funding model is rolled out across the country, charities minister Fiona Mactaggart said this week.
The government is making significant progress in meeting its targets on reducing homelessness, according to National Audit Office figures published this week.
Ministers should relinquish their 'final say' powers over appointments to key public bodies to restore diminishing trust in the process, an influential committee has warned.