Town hall leaders are demanding urgent reform of the 'out of date and failing' council tax benefit regime, which they say penalises the very people it is supposed to help.
Hopes that the new education secretary would water down controversial government policies were dashed last week when Ruth Kelly nailed her reformist colours firmly to the mast.
Reform of public sector pensions looks set to destroy any hopes the government had of an easy ride up to the general election, with unions agreeing on a national day of campaigning next month.
Serious storms that battered Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England, leaving thousands of people without power, prompted an emergency statement from ministers this week.
The Department of Health has denied that ministers are postponing a key element of the NHS payment by results system because it could have put trusts' financial problems under the general election...
All public bodies should adopt the new code of governance for Britain's public services to clear up confusion over responsibilities, independent experts have said.
The Conservatives would demand £4.43bn in efficiency savings from local authorities, with Whitehall cuts yielding a further £2.3bn, they announced this week.
The Department for Work and Pensions is set to overhaul councils' benefits fraud targets following concerns that they are unachievable and could drag down authorities' Comprehensive Performance...
Northern Ireland's district councils should be given a general power of competence, according to a report on the public health function in the province. The study was commissioned by the Department...
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.
The troubled Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust has withdrawn its threat of legal action after a plea from the chair ousted by the regulator, Monitor.
The government should take great care in linking expenditure with outcomes as there is little evidence that its extra cash has led to educational improvements, MPs warned this week.
Social landlords are being urged to play a greater role in housing asylum seekers and refugees, despite doubts about the future of contracts issued by the National Asylum Support Service.
Ministers are considering a reorganisation of local government in England but no firm decision has yet been taken to introduce unitary authorities, it was confirmed this week.
A US-style model of care that aims to help asthma and arthritis sufferers stay out of hospital is to be rolled out across the health service this year.
Ministers are likely to plough ahead with plans to overhaul fire emergency call centres, despite a leaked Whitehall report stating the project runs the risk of 'total failure'.
Government policy decisions could become subject to greater public debate as this week's Freedom of Information Act opens up new areas of the Whitehall machine, an FoI commissioner has predicted.
Council tenants in Preston have become the first to back a stock transfer to a new-style housing association that gives them greater management control.
Education ministers will consider extending the use of private companies to rescue failing councils' education services after inspectors gave an upbeat report on a flagship scheme in the West...
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.
Two-thirds of councils are now 'excellent' or 'good' after 52 surged up the rankings when the Audit Commission published its Comprehensive Performance Assessments on December 16.
Public service trade unions this week outlined a plan of action to defeat government proposals to reform staff pensions, but Chancellor Gordon Brown has warned he will not back down.
