Finance

Tax authority's chief executive Dame Lin Homer is grilled on plans to cut HMRC's office network from 170 smaller offices to 13 regional centres

New report by the National Audit Office spending watchdog finds that while departmental spending on consultants and temporary staff has plummeted over last five years, latest figures indicate a “short-term reduction rather than a sustainable strategy”

Treasury says "one-off" factors to blame for higher-than-forecast public borrowing

Deal confirms Spending Review's projected average cut of 6.7% for councils as they move towards full localised funding

National Audit Office finds trust deficits becoming “normal practice” 

In the latest Ministry of Justice U-turn, the justice secretary reverses another of his predecessor Chris Grayling's policies

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

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

Healthcare Financial Management Association urges the government to go beyond £8bn pledge – and sounds the alarm on NHS deficits

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

Stinging report by the Public Accounts Committee says government funding to the collapsed charity was “never seriously questioned, let alone stopped”

Combined central and local government outsourcing spend highest since early 2012, according to new research

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

Report by the National Audit Office spending watchdog finds that charity received £46m of public funding over 15 years

Official who raised value for money concerns over further funding for the charity to face questions from the Public Accounts Committee

Business secretary tells MPs that axing Department for Business, Innovation and Skills would be a "step backwards". But he asks: "Do we need 80 locations?"

Institute for Fiscal Studies gives its assessment ahead of the Spending Review – and warns easier efficiency savings have already been "identified and delivered"

Management consultants looking at "operating costs across the department and partner organisations", says business secretary, but none "working directly" on its response to the Spending Review

Robert Chote – reappointed as chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility watchdog – says he is "relaxed" about Treasury suggesting changes to its independent forecasts

Select committee to question OBR's Robert Chote after e-mails show Treasury seeks changes to wording of draft forecast

Lin Homer tells MPs on the Public Accounts Committee that HMRC's "most basic" jobs will continue to be cut as department reduces number of sites across UK

Chief operating officer at Standard Chartered Bank to succeed David Godfrey as new chief executive of UK Export Finance