News

After years of shrinking departmental budgets, how can civil servants rise to the further challenge of the 2015 Spending Review? Jess Wilkins reports from a CSW round table which sought to address that very question

Significant victory for NHS chief executive Simon Stevens as chancellor George Osborne brings forward promised NHS investment

The Department for Transport has addressed the causes of the failed West Coast rail franchise, the NAO spending watchdog finds – but risks remain to future competitions as work on HS2 delays the new West Coast franchise by six months

Strategic Defence and Security Review sets out aim of reducing MoD civilian staff numbers to 41,000 – with unions warning that the scale of cuts could have frontline ramifications

Civilian MoD workforce reportedly in line for staffing reductions as David Cameron prepares to unveil Strategic Defence and Security Review

Research from Sopra Steria and Dods shows how far government's digital agenda has come, and where the challenges remain

No employer in the private sector would see a five year pay freeze – followed by a 1% cap – as the route to success, argues the deputy general secretary of the Prospect union

Private sector providers can play an important role in realising the government’s One HMG Overseas approach to conflict stabilisation

David Cameron to outline cross government defence and security review in the Commons later – as George Osborne confirms all departments have settled with the Treasury ahead of Wednesday's Spending Review

Political intrigue mixes with personal tragedy in this haunting Edwardian play

Opinion: A private business of comparable size would give as much data as possible to its leaders, to enable them to assess competing priorities

Tim Loughton says DfE officials questioned making a “special case” of the Kids Company charity – while Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin is quizzed on where the “buck stops” for its final round of public funding

As the Spending Review looms, Stian Westlake of Nesta argues that reducing the influence of the Treasury could replace the essay-crisis drama of Budgets and Autumn Statements with a more thoughtful budgetary process

Latest Whitehall Monitor from the Institute for Government says government must not take quality of open data for granted – and says new chief data officer will need "sufficient political and institutional clout" to make the issue a priority

Healthcare Financial Management Association urges the government to go beyond £8bn pledge – and sounds the alarm on NHS deficits

The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills may be facing a tough Spending Review settlement, but permanent secretary Martin Donnelly tells Matt Foster that the “honest and open” culture at BIS will endure – whatever the chancellor decides

Exclusive: Business department's top official Martin Donnelly tells CSW he will have "failed" if diversity agenda falls by the wayside – and sheds light on what the BIS 2020 review means for the organisation's regional presence

Civil service People Survey results show engagement steady, but fewer civil servants believe they have the right tools to do their job

National Cyber Centre to open in Cheltenham, George Osborne announces, amid flurry of security spending announcements in the wake of the Paris terror attacks

Cyber security apprentices from government to join apprentices from BT at networking and training event later this month

DWP, Decc, HMRC and Cabinet Office among those agreeing to George Osborne's cuts call

The Official View: Fiona Mactaggart – a Home Office minister in Tony Blair's government – tells us about gossiping perm secs and why she believes politicians should have a greater say in choosing their officials

A look back at Margaret Thatcher's time in office shows the real story of balance and partnership between ministers and civil servants

Additional intelligence officers to be announced in Strategic Defence and Security Review