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To cure the lobbying industry of all its scandals, the government has prescribed a bill. But as Winnie Agbonlahor finds, the bill as it stands will have little impact on most lobbyists – and is thus unlikely to heal the patient

Permanent secretaries have declined in status over the last 50 years, according to the Lib Dem peer Baroness Margaret Sharp of Guildford, a former civil servant.

Some civil servants do not understand how to properly use evidence to formulate policy, a senior Liberal Democrat MP has said.

Sir Bob Kerslake, the head of the civil service, has rejected claims that structures within Whitehall are preventing open debates about government policy, and emphasised the need for senior leaders to encourage an “open culture in their department where people feel able to raise issues and concerns about progress”.

The split between delivery of health and social care is “crazy” according to care and support minister Norman Lamb, who said that an ageing population is forcing government to re-think the way care is delivered.

The separation between British health and social care has survived far longer than the iron curtain that divided Europe for 44 years. Winnie Agbonlahor looks at the government’s latest efforts to marry the two core services.

Robert Devereux, permanent secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), has said that a good news reporting culture among civil servants delivering Universal Credit (UC), was down to a  “let’s push through and get stuff done mentality” by managers.

The government’s lobbying bill should be extended to include senior civil servants and special advisers, according to the Commons’ Political and Constitutional Reform Committee (PCRC).

Michelle Cracknell, currently group commercial director at chartered financial planners LIFT Financial, has been appointed as chief executive of the Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) today.

An independent national infrastructure commission should be set up to evaluate the UK’s long-term infrastructure needs, according to a report published today by Sir John Armitt, former chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority and ex-chief executive of Network Rail.

Sue Owen, currently director general of strategy at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), has been appointed the new permanent secretary of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The government should ditch paper altogether and rely on digital technology - unless face-to-face interaction is absolutely necessary for public service delivery - a report by think-tank Policy Exchange argues today.

The government must improve “basic housekeeping” of its published data to ensure that the public can assess its overall effectiveness, a report by the Institute for Government (IfG) says today.

The civil service needs to “raise its game” and improve its understanding of Parliament and parliamentary process if it’s to give ministers the right level of support, the clerk of the House of Commons, Sir Robert Rogers, has warned.

This year the House of Commons is celebrating the passage of 650 years since it appointed its first clerk. Winnie Agbonlahor speaks to the incumbent, Sir Robert Rogers, about combining the ancient and the contemporary

The Ministry of Defence is to sell off the Old War Office, built on Whitehall in 1902, it was announced today.

Sometimes, a struggle persists from one generation to the next. Picking through newly-released National Archives files dating back 30 years, Winnie Agbonlahor finds that many of Thatcher’s battles still hold resonance today.

Two thirds of civil servants believe that culture is the biggest obstacle to introducing flexible working in the civil service, a CSW survey has found.

The National Archives are today releasing official records dating back 30 years. Winnie Agbonlahor looks at how civil service reform has evolved over the years - and finds much that is familiar

A pledge to lift all children out of poverty by 2020 faces headwinds in public perceptions, Winnie Agbonlahor finds out more

HM Revenue & Customs has been given £200m to improve customer service. Winnie Agbonlahor reports on the progress so far.

The civil service isn't able to build its contract management skills quickly enough to keep up with the pace of outsourcing, a report published today warns.

The government is facing growing problems recruiting into key posts because civil service pay levels are too low, the Civil Service Commission (CSC), has warned.

This week the House of Commons is celebrating the passage of 650 years since it appointed its first clerk. Winnie Agbonlahor speaks to the incumbent, Sir Robert Rogers.

The civil service’s separation of policy and delivery professionals is “artificial” and “crackers”, the government’s digital director Mike Bracken told an audience at Civil Service Live earlier this month, and IT policies should be produced by “multi-disciplinary teams” bringing together the two sets of specialists.

The government’s Fast Stream programme, which welcomes around 600 graduates into the civil service every year, has scooped a national award.

Officials leading major projects can now benefit from a ‘pivotal role allowance’ (PRA) introduced to encourage senior responsible owners (SROs) to stay in their job for the full length of a project, Sir Bob Kerslake, the head of the civil service, told Civil Service Live last week.

Though their origins lie in military applications, drones are increasingly being used in a civilian context. Winnie Agbonlahor reports on how the public sector might capitalise on the opportunities around unmanned aircraft.

The head of the Major Project Authority (MPA), David Pitchford, today announced that he is stepping down. He will leave in September to return to his home in Australia.

The number of civil servants taking courses with the government's new training provider, Civil Service Learning (CSL), has increased from 40,000 to 400,000 in the past year, it was revealed today.

The Land Registry is making a data set that previously was paid-for available for free, as part of its open data programme, it has been announced today.

Appointing permanent secretaries for four-year periods could increase continuity in the senior civil service, the minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude has claimed.

In pursuit of the IPPR’s findings on perm sec appointments, Winnie Agbonlahor tracks down report author Guy Lodge.

The delivery of “crucial” infrastructure projects is to be coordinated by "commercial experts" - not civil servants - Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury announced today, when setting out  the government’s £100bn infrastructure plan.

The government must move faster in developing policy measures to help meet its greenhouse gas emission targets, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has warned in a report published today.

The coalition’s Green Investment Bank has been tasked with boosting private investment in the green economy – a high-potential sector constrained by limited finance. Winnie Agbonlahor meets chief executive Shaun Kingsbury.