Economy

With the end of 2015 in sight, we asked Whitehall's top officials to review the year, set out their priorities for 2016 – and shed some light on their festive plans. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) chief executive Lin Homer takes part in our biggest-ever perm secs' round-up series...

Senior Department for Transport official – who has served as deputy director for high speed rail strategy – will head up George Osborne's Commission

Ministers keep talking about hammering down public sector terms to private sector levels, while dreaming up new exemptions in order to compete

Furious online reaction to Spending Review blog prompts response by cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood and civil service chief executive John Manzoni – with the pair emphasising areas where civil service is more flexible than the private sector

Civil service chief executive John Manzoni says government "making good" on promise to open up public sector procurement to smaller firms

Report by former deputy governor of the Bank of England says 90% of ONS staff were “unwilling to move” out of London, leading to a “loss of knowledge and experience”

Amid reports chancellor looking to cut voluntary civil service redundancy payouts by a further six months – a move first floated in 2010 – unions warn of "war by the government against its own staff"

Former head of the civil service drafts in TUC chief Frances O'Grady and ex-KPMG deputy Alan Buckle to assess whether the Treasury is "fit for purpose"

Institute for Fiscal Studies says talk of "end to austerity" is premature

Chancellor eyes more austerity in first interview since yesterday’s cuts announcements – while the IFS says departmental settlement is "very, very tight"

Ministers reportedly seeking vote on the self-imposed welfare cap after tax credits rethink

CSW rounds up the big Spending Review stories and analysis ahead of the chancellor's statement to the Commons at 12:30pm

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

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

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

Sale price £280m more than the “book value”, George Osborne announces

HM Revenue & Customs briefs staff on major downsizing of its estate – CSW has the key details and reaction from unions

Chancellor George Osborne confirms that environment, communities and transport departments have struck a deal with the Treasury — as he hints at further changes to public sector pay and terms

Public Accounts Committee criticises HMRC over customer service, compliance and tackling aggressive tax planning – while HMRC says MPs have "overlooked" its achievements

Top official at the business department says plan to subsidise apprenticeship wages could set an "unhelpful precedent" – and seeks the fourth ministerial direction of the parliament

BT's Ian Dalton shares his insights on the role that SMEs can play in transforming public services

Major projects in focus: As HMRC calls time on Aspire, the government’s largest IT contract, Matt Foster finds that the tax authority is opting for evolution over revolution – and trying to sharpen its own digital skills

Work and pensions committee report calls for simplified payment structure and better categorisation of participants

Sir Jeremy Heywood has been at the centre of power in Britain for longer than any prime minister. In a wide-ranging interview, Jess Bowie asks the cabinet secretary and head of the civil service about budget cuts, Whitehall pay, the Chilcot Inquiry – and whether he ever feels like throwing it all in