Security & Defence

Cressida Dick set to leave Foreign Office director general role to return to policing

Westminster City Council approves proposals for Whitehall landmark despite heritage concerns

Government rejects think tank's calculations which suggest the UK missed target to spend 2% of GDP on defence thanks to unexpectedly strong economic growth

Whitehall insider-turned-academic Richard Mottram says EU referendum and its aftermath underscores the uphill struggle of speaking truth to power

Single Source Regulations Office seeks greater oversight of contracts for non-competitive military goods

Appointments watchdog gives Air Marshal Sir Simon Bollom green light to set up consultancy and accept commissions – one of which involves MoD project

Ministry of Defence perm sec Stephen Lovegrove offers "expertise" to DExEU as Whitehall readies for Brexit – but downplays impact of European Union departure on the MoD's own work

The map of Whitehall has changed considerably in the months since Stephen Lovegrove left the Department of Energy and Climate Change to become Ministry of Defence perm sec. He tells Colin Marrs about the Brexit help his department can offer, the MoD’s role in boosting Britain’s industry and the staffing cuts he’s tasked with making. Photos by Paul Heartfield

Cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood praises outgoing intelligence chief – who tells ministers he is resigning for personal reasons – for his decades of "dedicated public service"

With the end of 2016 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2017 – and shed some light on their festive favourites. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) chief executive Oliver Morley takes part in our annual perm secs round-up​

With the end of 2016 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2017 – and shed some light on their festive favourites. Stephen Lovegrove, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Defence, kicks off our annual perm secs round-up​

National Audit Office flags "fundamental weaknesses" in Defence Infrastructure Organisation deal with Capita and says the Ministry of Defence faces a "huge challenge" in funding its estate programme

Public Accounts Committee move follows National Audit Office concerns over £434m “private sector support” and other costs in annual accounts

Iraq inquiry chair tells MPs that senior officials must "insist on their right to be heard and to record what their advice is" if they are to learn the lessons of the Iraq invasion

Confirmed: MoD's chief information officer Mike Stone to leave in March next year

Foreign secretary Boris Johnson’s first select committee grilling provides laughs and helpful sketches of flags, but little policy insight

Former Highways England boss Graham Dalton joins Ministry of Defence’s property division

Annual resource bulletin claims fall down to “bedding in” of Levene Reforms

Stats show Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice, and Home Office hit by double-digit rises as overall number of demands declines

The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments says it is not willing to give "retrospective" approval to Sir Andrew Gregory's new job as chief of the armed forces charity SSAFA

Cabinet secretary says call from senior officials to let top civil servants go public with concerns would introduce a "degree of antagonism between the cabinet secretary and the prime minister"

As cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood prepares to face MPs' questions on the Iraq Inquiry, the Better Government Initiative – whose members include former departmental chiefs – calls for new way to let senior officials raise their concerns

Foreign Affairs Committee lays into decision not to let departments plan for a vote to leave the European Union – and warns that the new Brexit department must not deprive the Foreign Office of resources

Theresa May arrives at Number 10 with years of experience on the government's key decision-making body on security. Dr Joe Devanny of the International Centre for Security Analysis takes a look at what the new government will mean for the way departments support prime ministers on national security issues