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14 Mar 02
Ministers have again deferred a decision to impose a referendum about directly elected mayors on Birmingham, the country's largest local authority, even though they admit they are likely to force a...
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14 Mar 02
Charles Kennedy is attempting to forge closer ties with the trade unions and exploit widespread disenchantment with the government's management of public services.
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14 Mar 02
Mayor Ken Livingstone has backed away from taking London Underground managers to court, for the time being.
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14 Mar 02
Poorly performing housing departments have been warned by the government that they will not be let off the hook.
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14 Mar 02
Open government inched a step closer this week when the government finally accepted the recommendations of the Sharman report on audit and accountability in central government.
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14 Mar 02
It was all going so well for Estelle Morris. The education secretary had spent the first nine months of her job basking in the warm glow of good relations with the teaching unions, her relaxed...
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14 Mar 02
Health Secretary Alan Milburn has signalled a significant increase in social services spending in this summer's Spending Review but insisted it will be allied to 'radical' reforms, including the de...
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14 Mar 02
In the wake of increasing concerns over ministerial patronage, the public administration select committee this week launched a wide-ranging inquiry into public appointments.
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14 Mar 02
Council tax bills are to soar by an inflation-busting 8.1% on average, reflecting widespread fears among authorities that their budgets are being stretched to the limit.
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14 Mar 02
Prospective homeowners could be offered a guarantee that they will not lose money if they buy homes in areas of low demand.
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14 Mar 02
The criminal justice system is losing millions of pounds through unpaid fines, according to the National Audit Office.
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14 Mar 02
The Association of Police Authorities fears that the Home Office's latest initiative to reduce crime in deprived areas could be undermined by elevating national police priorities at the expense of...
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14 Mar 02
Housing associations are struggling to meet Tony Blair's targets for electronic government, says a new report.
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14 Mar 02
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council has urged Home Secretary David Blunkett to launch an independent inquiry into the financial administration of the Cleveland Police Service, after it was revealed that...
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7 Mar 02
Northern Ireland could be given income tax-raising powers under proposals floated by the province's finance minister, Sean Farren.
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7 Mar 02
Guidelines that could add significantly to the demand for and cost of diabetes services in England and Wales were issued this week by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
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7 Mar 02
The long-running argument over the Area Cost Adjustment (ACA) is threatening to divide local government along north versus south lines, following high-level discussions with Whitehall officials this...
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7 Mar 02
The government's drive for greater public involvement in the NHS is being hampered by primary care reorganisation and lack of funding, the King's Fund said this week.
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7 Mar 02
The government's plans to overhaul the Best Value regime and introduce comprehensive performance assessments (CPA) have been lambasted by an influential local government policy organisation.
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7 Mar 02
The Liberal Democrats have declared their support for elected regional assemblies in England as a way of ending the 'quango culture' that has taken over public life.
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7 Mar 02
The spectre of further legal action hung over the London Tube public-private partnership saga this week as Mayor Ken Livingstone complained he was still being fobbed off on his demand for crucial...
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7 Mar 02
Local government is facing the prospect of strike action following the breakdown of pay talks between employers and unions.
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7 Mar 02
Prime Minister Tony Blair has taken his argument for a radical reshaping of the public services direct to frontline staff.
A 30-page pamphlet setting out Labour's vision for a more efficient public...
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7 Mar 02
The Ministry of Defence should consider the risk of 'friendly fire' incidents when buying new equipment, according to the National Audit Office.
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7 Mar 02
European Union regulations to standardise leeks across the continent sent the Welsh into spasms of indignation on St David's Day.