Steve Freer, CIPFA's Chief Executive, is to speak at a fringe event at next week's Labour party conference. The event, Public services: 10% better, 10% cheaper, is hosted by CIPFA with the Social Market Foundation. Other speakers include John McFall MP, Chair of Parliament's Treasury Select Committee, Sir Michael Bichard from the Institute of Government and Will Hutton from the Work Foundation. A debate on the same topic will be held at the Conservative party conference the following week.   

The housing and council tax benefit customer survey
CIPFA has developed guidance for local authorities wishing to survey benefits service users. It aims to help benefits offices meet inspection requirements, benchmark their services and improve delivery.

LGPS in 2010 and beyond
Places are still available for CIPFA's Pensions Network annual conference on 5 November in London. Guest speaker John Milazzo from the Maine Public Employees Retirement System in the US will provide an international perspective on the challenges ahead for the Local Government Pension Scheme. 

This week in Public Finance: promises, promises 
Whatever happened to the brave new political dawn? Things really did get better but, as New Labour gathers for its last conference before the election, the public couldn't be less grateful. In the next issue of Public Finance, Demos's Jamie Bartlett explains what went wrong.

EVENTS

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