News

The UK’s system of training and skills provision is growing increasingly out of step with the needs of the modern economy and that change is needed if the UK workforce is to remain competitively skilled, according to new research.

Francis Maude’s tweaks to a core facet of our democracy have the support of key players. But what about everybody else?

Portcullis House was evacuated this morning after a “suspicious” looking item was found.  Police have since told CSW this was a “false alarm” and people have been allowed back into the building.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) (pictured) has won the British Quality Foundation’s 2014 Lean Six Sigma Award for its project on improving the processes for dealing with long-term sick leave amongst ONS field staff. 

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has become a sponsor for TechHub Swansea. Mike Bracken (pictured), head of the Government Digital Service, launched the initiative in Swansea today. 

Outsourcing group Serco is selling off the majority of its private sector business process outsourcing (BPO) companies to raise funds and focus on supplying for governments, according to a stock exchange announcement by the firm earlier this week.

Kevin Hyland was appointed as the UK’s first independent anti-slavery commissioner by Home Secretary Theresa May yesterday. 

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) should “marginalise” the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) if disputes cannot “be ended by agreement”, recommends a strategy paper on employee and industrial relations leaked yesterday. 

NHS chief executive Simon Stevens has made ambitious promises to the Health Select Committee. 

Hilary Spencer became the new director of Civil Service Learning (CSL) at the end of October, taking over from Jerry Arnott, who retired from the civil service.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has appointed Professor John Loughhead as its new chief scientific adviser. Loughhead, who took his post on 22 October, was previously executive director at the UK Energy Research Centre – a publicly-funded institute – and will keep this role on a part-time basis until December.

The UK Space Agency and UK scientists are celebrating the landmark touchdown of Rosetta’s Philae lander — the first ever landing on a comet yesterday. 

Dame Fiona Caldicott has been appointed as the first national data guardian for health and social care, secretary of state for health Jeremy Hunt will announce today.

The civil service must foster “a more vibrant, competitive marketplace” of government contractors and rebuild its skills in contract management, the government’s outgoing chief operating officer Stephen Kelly has told CSW.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) have now moved their digital Vehicle Management service to private beta.

The first national UK shale college was announced by Business, Enterprise & Energy minister Matthew Hancock today. 

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is calling on businesses of all sizes and in all sectors in the UK to invest in workforce training as a key driver for economic success and improved productivity performance.

The Home Office have backed a proposal to prevent 17-year-olds being detained in police custody overnight after being charged, it was announced yesterday.

The Department of Health (DH) and Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) did not adequately prepare for the delivery of the Better Care Fund, said the National Audit Office’s (NAO) Planning for Better Care Fund report published today. 

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has announced plans to centralise TB testing on farms to ensure greater efficiency from April 2015. 

Referrals from Scottish police to crime agency have risen rapidly

The government should introduce five-year spending plans and independent assessments of its infrastructure plans, former cabinet secretary Lord O’Donnell told an audience at the Royal Statistical Society last month.