Security & Defence

Simon McDonald, UK ambassador to Germany since 2010, to take up post as FCO's most senior official from September

Justice department to run policy fellowships to expand “pool of people” delivering extensive reform programme

When Foreign Office letters on a plan to move the entire population of  Hong Kong to Northern Ireland turned up at the National Archives, many media outlets failed to spot the hoax. Former FCO official David Snoxell shares the story behind the correspondence, and warns against humour-free diplomacy

Philip Hammond tells MPs that while Treasury's 25% and 40% cuts call likely to be "aspirational", FCO must make "strategic" savings

UK’s representative to the UN Sir Mark Lyall-Grant will succeed Sir Kim Darroch as David Cameron’s national security adviser

Future Reserves 2020 moves from "Amber/Red" to "Red" rating in Major Projects Authority's latest assessment, but Ministry of Defence says scheme "on schedule to realise its benefits"

Permanent secretary Sir Simon Fraser tells CSW the FCO must have “a comparable offer” with other departments

Does the government’s National Cyber Security Programme have what it takes to face up to a threat that keeps on evolving? Tim Gibson examines this ambitious major project

National Audit Office finds £3.2bn training programme will "not be running at full capacity until 2019"

Security review calls for “comprehensive and comprehensible new law” to govern security agencies’ surveillance powers

Independent review into intelligence agencies' powers expected at 11am

Tom Karsten – a Royal Navy real admiral – is named as the new CEO of Cefas

SNP leader and Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon sets out party's plans to 'change the direction' of next government, as David Cameron pledges yearly Treasury and Cabinet Office review of impact of devolved decisions

Foreign Office announces that its permanent secretary Simon Fraser is to leave Whitehall at the end of July

Lord Kerslake tells the Financial Times pressure on other budgets could be made "more acute" by protection of defence spending

Four years on, has the Aerospace Growth Partnership given the aviation industry an uplift? Colin Marrs investigates

Report by MPs on the Defence Committee says UK must be prepared to deal with both 'unconventional and conventional threats'

Former environment secretary set to pressure government over Ministry of Defence budget, while defence secretary Michael Fallon says he will be 'fighting' against MoD cuts

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee warn commercial skills gap at Defence Equipment and Support will undermine MoD efforts to reduce costs if not addressed

With the defence budget becoming ever more contentious, the MoD’s permanent secretary Jon Thompson must continue to balance spending decisions with national security. It’s a tough job – but one he’s privileged to do, he tells Jess Bowie. Photos by Paul Heartfield

Former Royal Mail managing director Mark Thomson to become director general of Passport Office for three-year term

Former head of MI6 intelligence agency Sir Richard Dearlove says 'lack of trust' in politicians means new regulator needed

Advance sight of a Cabinet Office review into the civil service's LGBT record, another SNP-Whitehall fracas, and feverish Budget speculation make our regular round-up of Whitehall in the headlines