Reports
Settling in
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at the lessons from the Darlington Economic Campus for civil service relocation. The relocation of parts of the civil service to Darlington is proving beneficial for government – but ministers shouldn’t see civil service relocation as a primary tool for reducing regional economic inequality....
Pot luck: What government needs to do to streamline local government funding
This report from UK think tank the Centre for Cities looks at persistent issues with the current grant system for local government. Local government relies heavily on central grants to deliver economic policies, and the current system hinders its ability to respond effectively to economic change. The Levelling Up White Paper committed to streamlining the...
Home truths: Cultural and institutional problems at the Home Office
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at the deep-rooted institutional and cultural problems that undermine the Home Office’s performance. Deep-rooted institutional and cultural problems undermine the Home Office’s performance and approach to crime, immigration, and asylum seekers – and are neglected by ministers at their peril. This report says Suella...
Appointed on merit: the value of an impartial civil service
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at the concept of impartiality within the context of the UK civil service. The importance of an impartial civil service is part of the conventional wisdom of government in the UK. Often discussed, sometimes challenged, debate on the subject is not new but often...
Strengthening private office
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at how the civil service should improve support for ministers. Strengthening civil service support for ministers is essential to reset the strained relationship between Whitehall and government – and this should begin with reform of ministers' private offices. Recent events in government, including the...
Getting things done in government
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at their interview archive and pulls out their advice for those taking on the role. The Institute for Government’s Ministers Reflect archive comprises close to 150 interviews with ministers from UK and devolved governments of the last 30 years, from all parties, departments and...
Building a resilient social care system in England
This report from UK think tank the Nuffield Trust highlights progress and identifies where action is needed to create a more resilient social care system. Social care in England entered the pandemic in a fragile state. With much already written about the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the social care sector, our new...
Preparing a shadow ministerial team for office
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at lessons that can be learnt from 1997 and 2010 in preparing the shadow Cabinet. In the UK the main party of government has changed only twice in three decades. In 1997, Labour took over after 18 years of Conservative rule; in 2010, after...
The Treasury during Covid
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at lessons that can be learned for HM Treasury from the pandemic. This report examines the Treasury’s impressive role in designing and delivering economic support schemes – as well as the problems that undermined government decision making. It draws on over a year of...
Managing it better
This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at whether leadership and management can improve public service performance. This briefing from the Social Market Foundation think-tank highlights some of the key ways in which the existing research suggests that leadership and management in the public sector can play an important role in...
Public satisfaction with the NHS and social care in 2022: Results from the British Social Attitudes survey
This report from UK think tank the Nuffield Trust examines results from the British Social Attitudes survey. The Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund have joined forces again to publish the gold-standard measure of public attitudes and opinions towards the NHS and social care, as surveyed by NatCen during 2022. Public satisfaction with the health...
Data and statistical gaps in criminal justice
This report from UK think tank the Centre for Public Data provides technical recommendations on how to address justice system data gaps. Our criminal justice system is rife with data gaps that obscure genuine scrutiny of justice in the UK. This report maps these data gaps and provides the Ministry of Justice with technical recommendations...
Reducing the burden of government regulation
This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation reviews the effectiveness of previous efforts to reduce government red tape. This report published by Social Market Foundation think-tank reviews the effectiveness of previous efforts to reduce government red tape – and his authored by Regulatory Policy Committee Chair, Stephen Gibson and associates. Government regulations...
Scotland’s Land Information System – what is it and why does it matter?
This report from UK think tank the David Hume Institute looks at what Scotland's Land Information System is and why it matters. A new report, written by land reform expert Andy Wightman, commissioned jointly by the David Hume Institute and Built Environment Forum Scotland, says the lack of a fully functioning land and building information...
Government data sharing during the pandemic
This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at lessons from six case studies and other research on government data sharing during the pandemic. During the pandemic, the government created the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable People Service – which required sharing individual address and health information – in a matter of weeks. It...