The National Audit Office and Public
Accounts Committee, in reports published in 2008, were critical of
the services provided to offenders, finding weaknesses in the
allocation of resources, the performance of providers and the
evidence for effectiveness both in the design and delivery of the
Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS). Although remedial
steps were put in place following our and the PAC’s report, we note
from your call for evidence that many of the wider issues remain
actual. We believe that the recommendations made both by us and the
Public Accounts Committee are still useful in designing the future
shape of the service.