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The Department for Culture, Media and Sport last week appointed members of a steering group to oversee the government’s review of the Public Sector Equality Duty, which requires all public sector bodies to ensure that their policy delivery and internal processes do not discriminate against any groups.

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A gathering of civil service chiefs from around the world has identified a need for western governments to strengthen their horizon-scanning and strategic planning capabilities, with former cabinet secretary Lord O’Donnell calling for the UK to commission think tanks to develop policy on some of the long-term issues that it’s “difficult” for governments to tackle.

Failure to properly communicate the increase in university tuition fees to £9,000 a year has already caused a large drop in student numbers and may also affect applications this year, Professor Les Ebdon, director of the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) has told Civil Service World.

Arriving at Stockholm’s Cityterminalen bus station in November, the visitor’s initial impressions are that it seems a quiet, grey sort of a place, but that perhaps it holds a few hidden treasures.

A special educational needs teacher considers realistic ambitions, unfair criticisms, and how the EBacc might affect non-academic children.

To encourage poorer and ethnic minority youngsters to consider a career in the civil service, the government has introduced new internships. Tim Fish reports on efforts to ensure Whitehall’s high-flyers are less uniformly white.

Breaking the cycle of welfare dependence is a complex task. Approaching the issue in a more scientific manner can pay dividends, the Department for Work and Pensions’ social justice director explains to Joshua Chambers

The Big Lottery Fund gives away millions of pounds to boost good causes in the UK. Chief executive Peter Wanless tells Tim Fish why he wants to work more closely with Whitehall, and how the fund can help the public sector

The head of HMRC has got a hell of a journey to make with this vast and complex organisation. Matt Ross meets Lin Homer, whose inbox bulges with thorny questions around Universal Credit, child benefit reforms and staff morale.

In a bid to improve the operation of the NHS, the Department of Health is publishing reams of medical performance data and anonymised patient information. Tim Fish reports on a trailblazer in the government’s open data agenda.

The seven departments with the biggest online services must start redesigning their transaction systems by April 2013 – improving service quality, and ensuring that websites meet a new set of standards – while all other departments must publish a basic plan by the end of December to move their services to a “digital by default basis”, the government announced in its digital strategy last week. It also said that departments must ensure that people without access to the internet can continue to use public services.

A further £22bn in spending cuts or tax rises will be required in the period of the next spending review to 2017-18 if the government is to achieve its goal of eradicating the structural deficit, new analysis says.

The UK’s postcode address database should be released for free use by private companies, the chief executive of the new Open Data Institute (ODI) has told CSW.

Parliament’s Human Rights Committee (HRC) has criticised the government’s Justice and Security Bill over plans to extend the use of secret evidence in civil court cases.

The proportion of women taking new public appointments is “not good enough”, public appointments commissioner Sir David Normington has said.

The Department of Health has agreed a settlement with its former commercial director, Ken Anderson, after taking him to court.

Helping charities deliver public services can be challenging work, says one professional at the public-voluntary sector interface.

The Ministry of Defence’s procurement arm – Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) – can only continue to offer current levels of service for the department if some jobs are outsourced, its boss Bernard Gray, chief of defence materiel, told the Commons’ Defence Committee yesterday.

Digital technology offers tremendous opportunities for people of all ages. Being able to buy groceries or access a huge amount of information at the click of a button is fantastic, as is the ability to keep in touch with loved ones via email, video link and social media. However, although the opportunities offered online are immense, there are real challenges for some when it comes to getting digitally connected in the first place.

A further £22bn in spending cuts or tax rises will be required in the period of the next spending review to 2017-18 if the government is to achieve its goal of eradicating the structural deficit, new analysis says.

Local authorities could have planning powers taken away if they perform poorly, Bob Kerslake, the permanent secretary of the Department for Communities and Local Government and head of the civil service, confirmed on Monday.

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