Tag: News Story

STORY

The Public Accounts Committee has said the Government wrote off close to £7 billion of public money in losses during 2024-25, describing the figure as an example of poor value for the taxpayer.

The committee’s report, drawing on National Audit Office work, said £6.6 billion represented spending that had not achieved its intended objectives or created value. It also raised wider concerns about the quality and timeliness of Government financial reporting.

The report adds to pressure on ministers over public sector efficiency and Whitehall accountability. The committee said Government spends around £1.1 trillion a year, making accurate and timely reporting essential for parliamentary and public scrutiny.

STORY

The European Parliament has called on the European Commission to assess whether there could be a clear risk of a serious breach of EU values by Slovakia’s Government.

In a resolution adopted by 347 votes to 165, with 25 abstentions, MEPs said they were deeply concerned about the deterioration of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Slovakia. They also warned that systemic deficiencies could endanger the protection of the EU’s financial interests.

MEPs reiterated their call for the Commission to use the tools available to it, including infringement procedures and the rule of law conditionality mechanism. The resolution referred to concerns over criminal law reforms, judicial independence, anti-corruption safeguards, whistleblower protection and the use of EU funds.

STORY

Shropshire Council has said its newly agreed Corporate Plan will support a long-term programme to rebuild the authority’s finances, organisational capacity and local services.

The council said the Liberal Democrat administration’s first year in office had focused on restoring stability after a difficult period financially and organisationally. It said adult and children’s social care accounted for around three quarters of the council’s budget, making financial sustainability a central priority.

The authority said key measures had included declaring a financial emergency in September 2025, introducing a council-wide improvement plan, securing exceptional financial support from Government and strengthening financial management. It said budget monitoring returns submitted on time had improved from around 40% to more than 95%.

STORY

Essex County Council has promised to challenge the Government’s decision to cancel a new primary school planned for Witham.

The Lodge Farm Free School had been expected to provide 420 primary school places for children on the 750-home Lodge Farm development in the north of the town, along with a 56-place nursery. The council said the Government notified it in December that it planned to cancel the long-awaited project, before confirming that decision on 21 May.

Councillor Peter Harris, the council’s leader-elect, described the decision as disappointing and short-sighted, saying it would affect a rapidly growing community already under pressure for school places. Essex County Council said it would write directly to the Government to challenge the decision and continue making the case for local investment.

STORY

Councillor Graham Harrison has been confirmed as the new leader of Hartlepool Borough Council following the authority’s annual council meeting.

The Reform UK councillor, who was elected earlier this month for the Burn Valley ward, said his first priority would be to understand the council’s financial position. He said residents expected public money to be managed responsibly and that he wanted a clear and transparent review of the authority’s finances.

Councillor Harrison said the new administration would look for opportunities to deliver services more efficiently, while acknowledging that many councillors were newly elected and still learning how the council operates. He said the council would focus on serving all parts of Hartlepool fairly and treating residents with respect.

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Suffolk County Council has elected Councillor Michael Hadwen as its new leader, with the authority saying he has become the youngest leader in its history.

Councillor Hadwen used his first speech at the council’s annual general meeting to pledge that communities would be at the centre of the new administration’s work. He said the council would focus on better services, living within its means, less bureaucracy, greater accountability and leadership that prioritises the people of Suffolk.

The new Cabinet includes portfolios for adult social care, finance and economic development, children’s services, education and SEND, transport and highways, planning and devolution, public health, coastal affairs, waste and rural affairs. Councillor Hadwen said difficult decisions lay ahead, but promised to protect frontline services, support sustainable growth and reform the way the council operates.

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Hampshire County Council has confirmed its new administration and Cabinet team after the 7 May local elections left the authority under no overall control.

Councillor Nick Adams-King was elected as leader at the council’s annual general meeting on 21 May, continuing in the role after discussions between political groups on how the county authority would be governed. The council said the administration would oversee services affecting around 1.4 million residents, including schools, roads, social care, countryside access, waste sites and libraries.

The new Cabinet includes executive roles covering universal services, children’s services, adult social care and public health, highways and passenger transport, education, finance, people and local government reorganisation. Councillor Adams-King said the administration would be collegiate, cooperative and transparent, while also pursuing a judicial review of the local government reorganisation outcome.

STORY

A national pilot testing the use of restorative justice in youth justice services is being expanded across England and Wales after securing multi-year funding. The project will test a shared practice model across 10 youth justice services, covering Cambridgeshire, Cardiff, Buckinghamshire, the Isle of Wight, Lambeth, Leeds, Northamptonshire, Salford, West Mercia and Southwark. It is being led by Restorative Justice for All, supported by the Youth Justice Board and funded by the Youth Endowment Fund.

The model is intended to help youth justice practitioners deliver restorative approaches consistently for children aged 10 to 17. It sets out 10 practical steps, from referral to follow-up, and supports both direct and indirect restorative justice work. The Government said the approach is grounded in the Child First evidence base, centred on victims and designed to allow flexibility for local needs

The pilot follows a 2025 co-design phase involving frontline practitioners, a dedicated Restorative Justice Practitioners Board and insights from 15 children with lived experience. Coram will independently evaluate the programme through a randomised control trial, with the aim of building stronger evidence on what works for children, victims and communities.

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The Competition and Markets Authority has called for an overhaul of public road and rail procurement after warning that fragmented and short-term approaches are increasing costs, slowing delivery and limiting innovation in major infrastructure projects.

The regulator’s market study into public road and rail civil engineering said around £19 billion of taxpayers’ money was spent on public road and railway infrastructure in 2023/24, excluding High Speed 2. It said long-standing problems in the market included funding uncertainty, short-term decision-making, complex regulation and gaps in public-sector procurement capability.

The CMA said external research highlighted in its report suggested that UK and devolved Governments could potentially save up to £5 billion a year by addressing weaknesses in the sector. It recommended that the Treasury take strategic ownership of system-wide reform, with a clear sector plan, more credible long-term project pipelines, multi-year funding and procurement designed around long-term value rather than short-term cost.

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The Government has laid the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s updated draft Code of Practice before Parliament, setting out guidance on the Equality Act following the Supreme Court ruling on the legal meaning of sex. The draft guidance is intended to help organisations understand how to apply equality law in services, public functions and associations.

The code addresses the provision of single-sex spaces such as toilets, changing rooms and wards, and has already prompted strong reactions from campaigners, service providers and unions. Ministers have said the aim is to give clear and accessible guidance, while critics have warned that implementation may be legally, practically and socially difficult.

The issue remains one of the most sensitive in British politics, sitting at the intersection of women’s rights, trans rights, workplace policy and public services. Parliament will now consider the draft code, with the Government facing pressure both to ensure legal clarity and to avoid creating new uncertainty for organisations expected to apply the rules.