Commercial

Meg Hillier also slams lack of accountability for Whitehall chiefs after policy failures

Ministerial direction was required by DfT perm sec to provide funds for project

Review suggests priorities and spending decisions should be “more explicitly informed” by the return they provide on investment

Pre-election period to commence after MPs back poll

Move will free the institution from public sector ownership, says minister

Rail Group DG takes up post at the Department for Transport, increasing number of female departmental chiefs to five

Government Legal Department director targets multi-million pound efficiencies

Outgoing civil service commissioners highlight concerns that pay restrictions are limiting the attractiveness of some posts, while slow recruitment processes stop departments hiring top candidates

Former Cabinet Office minister says his perception of the civil service went “downhill a lot” during the coalition government

Public Accounts Committee report on outsourced tax credits debacle says agency lacked the commercial capacity for the payment-by-results deal

Changes to be judged on how funding can promote sustainability of services and reduce worklessness

Public Accounts Committee calls for forensic audit of spending at UK Trade & Investment after concluding contractor took advantage of arm’s-length body

Rise in spending through aid outsourcing has turned DfID into a commissioning department, say MPs

DfE-owned LocatED will be “Britain’s biggest property start-up”, while the Education Funding Agency and the Skills Funding Agency will be merged

Compensation to firms hits nearly £100m due to botched deal, says business secretary Greg Clark

Centralised purchasing body still needs to develop full business case, according to committee

Justice secretary confirms move as planning permission sought for four new jails

MPs warn that contract with Capita-led consortium has "failed to transform" Defence Infrastructure Organisation, and continued uncertainty will exacerbate ongoing recruitment challenges at the body set up to manage £31bn defence estate 

Auditor general says he has support for plan from Whitehall permanent secretaries

Davinder Mann promoted to lead operations at business-aiding agency

National Audit Office says department’s attempts to address delays have compressed its Carrier Strike delivery schedule and “added risk with limited contingency”