Latest Public Sector News

Big rise in complaints to Home Office, DWP and MoJ

20.05.13: New data published by the Parliamentary Ombudsman highlights the variation in complaints to different Government departments. The move aims to encourage public sector organisations to use complaints to improve the services they offer. The r... more >

Ipsa may recommend salary increase for MPs

20.05.13: MPs could receive a £10,000 pay rise, if reports suggesting that the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) thinks that salaries are lagging behind civil service pay are true. The current salary for MPs is £65,738... more >

New standards published to improve legislation

20.05.13: The Government must comply with new standards for good legislation, the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee has urged. The committee considered criticisms of the quality and quantity of legislation, and has publis... more >

Gay marriage ‘wrecking’ amendment could cost £4bn

20.05.13: Amendments to the Gay Marriage Bill could delay its introduction by 18-24 months and cost the taxpayer an extra £4bn, Downing Street has warned. Tory opponents are widely seen to be seeking to wreck the Bill through an amendment to gr... more >

Renewable subsidies harming green growth – Civitas

17.05.13: Green energy projects to meet EU directives by 2020 will cost every home £600 a year, Civitas has warned. A new paper, Are Green Times Just Around the Corner? Criticises “unprofitable renewables” and warns that subsidies are di... more >

IPCC investigation made ‘fundamental errors’

17.05.13: The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has been criticised for making “fundamental errors” and for clearing police officers of any blame for the death of a man in custody. A review by criminologist Dr Sylvia Casale... more >

A single fire service for England? – Knight review

17.05.13: The fire and rescue service must be “transformed”, a Government-commissioned review has urged. Sir Ken Knight, who has had a 40-year career in firefighting, including as a chief fire officer, found that significant change must be mad... more >

UK ‘failing’ vulnerable children – BMA

16.05.13: Austerity policies of cutting welfare benefits and social care could “set the country back even further”, a report by the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned. The report highlights recent international data that ranked... more >

£3.3bn funding gap for HS2 – NAO

16.05.13: The NAO has identified an estimated £3.3bn funding gap in the costs for HS2 over four years from 2017/18 – 2020/21. The Government has yet to decide how to fill this gap, a new review warns. The Department for Transport said the... more >

LGA calls for Government to lift housing cap

16.05.13: Removing the cap on the amount of funding that councils can borrow to invest in housing could allow 60,000 new homes to be built over the next five years, the LGA has stated. The association is calling for a commitment in the next spending... more >

‘Hidden’ food waste should be audited – TiR

15.05.13: The food industry should be required to audit its supply chains to cut down on waste, campaigners have urged. This is Rubbish (TiR) has published a new report calling for more transparency in the system, to shift part of the blame from indi... more >

Reducing welfare system ‘danger’ – OECD

15.05.13: Income inequality in the UK increased by more in the first three years of the economic crisis than in the previous 12 years, new data from the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OECD) shows. The report covered 34 developed nat... more >

Welsh government reviews advice services

15.05.13: The Welsh government has published a review into services providing free advice for the public, as they manage reduced funding and rising demand. Organisations such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Shelter Cymru have been analysed t... more >

£10m to tackle ‘revolving door’ of care for homeless people

14.05.13: Homeless people are more likely to be admitted to hospital or A&E, and are often discharged without their health and housing problems effectively addressed. The Government is providing £10m funding to help address this, by support... more >

Electoral Commission sets out proposals to cut fraud

14.05.13: Postal voting should be restricted to minimise the opportunity for electoral fraud, the Electoral Commission has suggested. A new consultation has been published seeking views on possible changes to arrangements for voting in person at polling s... more >