Home Office perm sec sets out plans to tackle compliance ‘weaknesses’
08 May Policy

Home Office perm sec sets out plans to tackle compliance ‘weaknesses’

Antonia Romeo tells MPs multi-million-pound asylum-accommodation failings exposed need for “incentivised culture-change”
by CSW staff
Government needs to give more clarity on 'missions', MPs told
21 May Policy
Government needs to give more clarity on 'missions', MPs told
Should we be worried about the decline of parliamentary scrutiny?
09 May Policy
Should we be worried about the decline of parliamentary scrutiny?
Dinosaurs, data and digital policy: What are the woolly mammoths in the room?
08 May Policy
Dinosaurs, data and digital policy: What are the woolly mammoths in the room?
High Court hears civil service union's Rwanda scheme concerns
06 Jun 2024 Policy
High Court hears civil service union's Rwanda scheme concerns
Judicial review set to determine whether officials will be breaking the civil service code if they ignore ECHR requests to stop deportation flights
Preventative policy is a good idea, but politically tricky. What's needed to make it work?
05 Jun 2024 Policy
Preventative policy is a good idea, but politically tricky. What's needed to make it work?
Prevention is an attractive and perennial theme in public policy, but good intentions rarely translate into successful action. In the run-up to the election, a new consensus around prevention is emerging. Could it be different this time?
Public sector productivity drive 'unlikely to ease spending pressures', IFS warns
04 Jun 2024 Policy
Public sector productivity drive 'unlikely to ease spending pressures', IFS warns
Institute for Fiscal Studies predicts reduced waiting lists and courts backlogs will come before budget savings
Home Office under fire for lack of transparency on Rwanda plans
30 May 2024 Policy
Home Office under fire for lack of transparency on Rwanda plans
MPs have "little confidence" in department's ability to implement controversial asylum partnership "given its track record"
MPs urge reform to boost cross-departmental data sharing
28 May 2024 Policy
MPs urge reform to boost cross-departmental data sharing
Treasury urged to incentivise progress as current Cabinet Office initiatives are dubbed "self-evidently insufficient"
Whistleblowing: Civil service 'needs culture change' to create a 'speak-up environment'
28 May 2024 Policy
Whistleblowing: Civil service 'needs culture change' to create a 'speak-up environment'
MPs bemoan continued "lack of cross-government leadership" and the varying approaches of departments
How should civil servants be preparing for the general election?
24 May 2024 Policy
How should civil servants be preparing for the general election?
The upcoming general election will be different from any other. Even if there are parallels, it's your role as civil servants to assume nothing, plan for different possible outcomes and think about ways of building trust with ministers from day one
Infected blood scandal: Report blasts 'defensive' civil service spin
21 May 2024 Policy
Infected blood scandal: Report blasts 'defensive' civil service spin
Call for senior civil servants to face new statutory duties over advice to perm secs and ministers
Despite ministers' promises to tackle churn, the civil service whirligig keeps on spinning
20 May 2024 Policy
Despite ministers' promises to tackle churn, the civil service whirligig keeps on spinning
IfG research has found a third of top officials have spent less than a year in their current post
NI power vacuum 'didn't affect Covid response', Sue Gray tells inquiry
20 May 2024 Policy
NI power vacuum 'didn't affect Covid response', Sue Gray tells inquiry
Former perm sec doubts presence of ministers would have improved on civil service efforts to prepare for "unprecedented" crisis
'The time is ripe for change': How to strengthen the UK’s energy resilience and security
08 May 2024 Policy
'The time is ripe for change': How to strengthen the UK’s energy resilience and security
Technological advances in the past 200 years have relied on a plentiful supply of cheap energy, something we can no longer depend on. Energy resilience requires an integrated and joined-up cross-departmental strategy
Guidance telling civil servants to ignore ECHR rulings on Rwanda flights comes into force
30 Apr 2024 Policy
Guidance telling civil servants to ignore ECHR rulings on Rwanda flights comes into force
"Parliament has legislated" to give ministers discretion on whether to comply with Rule 39 rulings, ethics chief says
Ethics is an enabler, not a barrier to effective policymaking
29 Apr 2024 Policy
Ethics is an enabler, not a barrier to effective policymaking
The ethical and regulatory challenges associated with developments in biomedicine, health and AI are set to intensify, writes the director of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics
MPs accuse DWP of 'cherry-picking' evidence on Universal Credit impact
29 Apr 2024 Policy
MPs accuse DWP of 'cherry-picking' evidence on Universal Credit impact
Report says department has based its assessment of the impact UC to the labour market on "the most positive scenario"
Treasury faces 'even tighter' spending window, figures suggest
23 Apr 2024 Policy
Treasury faces 'even tighter' spending window, figures suggest
ONS says public sector borrowing fell more slowly than predicted in 2023-24
Starmer’s mission-led government is a noble aim, but needs a moonshot approach to governance
23 Apr 2024 Policy
Starmer’s mission-led government is a noble aim, but needs a moonshot approach to governance
To succeed, Labour should plan for its missions to be led by CEOs unencumbered by the usual Whitehall bureaucracy
'A lot of it is trying to spot unintended consequences': Meet DESNZ's award-winning net-zero systems team
08 Apr 2024 Policy
'A lot of it is trying to spot unintended consequences': Meet DESNZ's award-winning net-zero systems team
A tech team supporting the cross-government push to make the UK a net-zero carbon economy by 2050 has won a prestigious award for its work
FCDO 'neglecting disabled people' in international development work
08 Apr 2024 Policy
FCDO 'neglecting disabled people' in international development work
MPs say gender-equality spending is monitored in a way that that disability inclusion work is not
Free childcare expansion 'feasible', DfE says amid concern over provision of places
05 Apr 2024 Policy
Free childcare expansion 'feasible', DfE says amid concern over provision of places
But a potential shortfall of childcare places is a risk to the reforms, according to perm sec Susan Acland-Hood
Productivity puzzle corner: The Efficiency Wars redux
28 Mar 2024 Policy
Productivity puzzle corner: The Efficiency Wars redux
In a new series of articles, Professor Colin Talbot will explore public sector productivity in the UK. This issue is increasingly on the agenda of both main contenders as they vie to form the next government and is something that will likely occupy civil servants whoever wins
Departments 'face months of funding uncertainty', OBR chair says
13 Mar 2024 Policy
Departments 'face months of funding uncertainty', OBR chair says
MPs are warned that lack of detail on spending beyond March 2025 will hamper leaders' abilty to plan
Perm secs get flak over action to combat fraud and corruption
12 Mar 2024 Policy
Perm secs get flak over action to combat fraud and corruption
Public Accounts Committee chair questions commitments to transparency and flags "vagueness" on investment for recovery work
MPs voice value-for-money fears over ballooning government borrowing
05 Mar 2024 Policy
MPs voice value-for-money fears over ballooning government borrowing
Public Accounts Committee also flags concerns over loss of institutional knowledge at Debt Management Office
Civil service spending on temporary staff hit £7.4bn last year
01 Mar 2024 Policy
Civil service spending on temporary staff hit £7.4bn last year
Contingent-labour costs increased by 4.5% across government but Cabinet Office's bill soared by 20%