Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the development of public sector real estate asset management in the UK from the 1980s to the present day. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a narrative based upon a chronology of a selection of the reports, studies and research of...

Purpose – Following the passage of the Children Act, 2004, the leadership of children's services in England has been unified through the appointment of Directors of Children's Services. The role is demanding as it requires leading a range of services in each local authority, which are often...

Product recall messages represent an essential communication tool in crisis situations. Their function is twofold: to provide information of a practical nature regarding the defective product, and the operational process of recalling it, and to defend the reputation of the affected firm. This...

Explains the audit process: its purpose is to check that balance sheet and profit and loss accounts have been prepared properly and give a true view of the company’s affairs. Shows why this is needed, plus the statutory requirement, engaging an auditor, the contractual relationship between...

Introduces the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA), a determined effort to modernise financial regulation which creates the Financial Services Authority (FSA) as a monolithic regulator and the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal as an appellate channel. Shows how the Act...

Describes the 19‐point code of corporate governance produced in 1991 by the Cadbury Committee, which was set up by the Stock Exchange, the Financial Reporting Council and the accounting profession; the aim was to improve the standard of corporate governance in Britain. Outlines its narrow...

Reports briefly the state of money laundering research on the UK; it is not really known how much goes on, but an estimate was made in 1998 that about £2.5 billion was being laundered though the UK financial system. Asks why there have been so few prosecutions: 357 in the years from 1987 and...

Reviews the regulation of solicitors; in the UK this is self‐regulation by the Law Society. Discusses the widespread provision of financial services to clients by their solicitors, and legal cases in the UK and Australia that exemplify the mortal dangers involved in mortgage fraud and involve...

Focuses on the work of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over the last 15 years in investigating and prosecuting major fraud; the author is its Director, and the SFO supports the Financial Services Authority in enforcing the Money Laundering Regulations 1993. Shows how prevention of money laundering...

Outlines how intelligence applies in the field of terrorism, the mechanisms involved, and how they might be improved. Defines intelligence as information relating to a crime that, for whatever reason, cannot be used in court. Describes the two main organisations involved in UK terrorist...