National Audit Office

Travel and hospitality expenditure

Introduction

The National Audit Office has decided to make a voluntary disclosure of the expenditure incurred from NAO funds on travel and subsistence and the provision and receipt of hospitality by the C&AG and the Senior Management Board of the Office: 1 October 2007 - 31 March 2008

Travel expenses

The international travel undertaken by the C&AG and other senior staff is in connection with our portfolio of international work. This takes different forms:

assistance to emerging democracies - technical co-operation projects to develop robust public audit systems, funded by, for example, the European Union;
international development projects aimed at improving financial management practices in the developing world where sound governance is a pre-requisite of securing international development funds from the World Bank and other organisations. This work is funded by international donors;
the audit of international bodies where we compete with other state audit offices for the audit bodies such as the World Meteorological Office and the World Food Programme. This work is funded by the organisations themselves;
in connection with reports to Parliament where fact finding missions to understand overseas comparators and best practice are valuable;
accompanying and supporting Members of the Committee of Public Accounts on visits to their opposite numbers in other countries and international organisations; and
international meetings and bilateral visits where the C&AG and other senior staff are invited by officials and politicians to speak about public audit in the UK, or as members of the organisation of state audit institutions which exists to promote best practice in public audit worldwide.

Within the UK details have been provided for all visits outside London. We have Offices in Newcastle and Blackpool and as auditors of all central government our client base is widely distributed. UK travel costs are incurred in connection with specific audits or value for money investigations, in pursuance of other professional relationships for example with the accounting profession, or in connection with training and development activity.

Hospitality

Domestic hospitality is provided or accepted where there is an opportunity to demonstrate to members of industry, commerce, the profession and public service, the value of our work in improving public services, especially where we are the auditors of programmes to which they are contributing. It is important to build a strong network of external contacts to support our audits and the development of our work more generally. Details are provided of all hospitality costs incurred by the C&AG and senior staff and of all hospitality they have received.

International hospitality is provided to delegations from overseas audit institutions who have an interest in the UK approach to public audit or who have commissioned work from us. In addition, the NAO hosts a number of conferences aimed at increasing the take up of recommendations we make in the course of our work and at spreading good practice. We have not included the costs of hospitality provided in connection with such events.

National Audit Office, 151 Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria, London SW1W 9SS
Switchboard: +44 (0)20 7798 7000 / General enquiries: +44 (0)20 7798 7264 / Press enquiries: +44 (0)20 7798 7400
To comment on the site, please use our Feedback form