Civil Service Reform

"We take all allegations of impropriety extremely seriously," says justice minister Andrew Selous

Former chief executive of hygiene services firm PHS Group brought in to lead civil service commercial profession

RPA boss says failings over scheme to pay EU farmers "will live with me for many years" – but says "almost all" outstanding 2015 payments will be made by the end of this month

GOV.UK product lead Neil Williams sets out refreshed "vision" for the single government web domain

Lovegrove to leave DECC after three years at the top, taking over from Jon Thompson at the MoD "shortly"

Spending watchdog questions the government’s claims on SME spending, and urges departments to make sure that initiatives to improve commercial capability do not undermine attempts to support small companies

DCMS permanent secretary Sue Owen says department is "just about" at the minimum levels of staffing it needs to do its job –  but says department is in a "much, much more fortunate place" than expected before the Spending Review

CCS sets out thinking behind replacement of Payroll, Human Resources (HR) and Finance Managed Services (PHRF) framework

Shadow cabinet office minister says lack of senior Communities and Local Government officials outside the capital shows "utter contempt" for the rest of the country – but department points out that senior officials "account for less than 5% of the department’s workforce"

Department for Work and Pensions' Mayank Prakash tells Public Sector ICT Summit: “Before I can talk to a person they tell me what grade they are – and I struggle with it"

Tom Walker – who heads cross-government cities and local growth team – hails "ever closer integration" and close support of the Treasury as ministers press ahead with devolution drive

Education secretary Nicky Morgan says consultation marks “biggest step towards fairer funding in over a decade”

All Atos contracts worth more than £10m now under review after public accounts committee said the outsourcing firm had "acted solely with its own short term best interests in mind" on GP data service

Public Accounts Committee points the finger at frequent leadership changes in its report on the Home Office's long-running border data troubles

Former PAC chair Margaret Hodge questions whether ministerial accountability system is fit for purpose and warns MPs are more interested in new policies than scrutinising spending. But her warnings over civil service capability are challenged by a senior Ministry of Defence offficial

“Where we’re developing premium data, we’re trying to release some elements of open data at the same time," says OS’s public sector director John Kimmance

This week the British Airline Pilots Association renewed warnings over the threat posed to aircraft by drones. Cranfield University expert Dr Monica Rivas Casaldo says a failure to regulate against the risks posed by unmanned aircraft shouldn’t overshadow their positive uses

Treasury committee chair Andrew Tryie warns of "lack of detailed explanation" of how HMRC's Making Tax Digital plans will play out

Iconic Whitehall building sold as part of MoD plans to make estate savings. Department says it will be "sympathetically restored, redeveloped and re-imagined as a high quality hotel and residential apartments"

“We're at the start of the government platform,” GDS executive director tells the Public Sector ICT Summit 

MPs urge the Government Digital Service to provide more support if it wants departments to embrace digital innovation, after report finds that focus on 'digital by default' hindered delivery of new rural payments scheme

Public pending watchdog finds delays in the justice system because of “basic avoidable mistakes” and says reform alone will not tackle all “causes of inefficiency"