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Parliamentary Select Committees

The NAO is involved in a programme of support to Parliamentary Select Committees other than the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Our recent work is listed below.

Lion statue

Select Committee publications

2011

NAO briefing for the House of Commons Health Committee: Delivering efficiency savings in the NHS

December 2011

This memorandum has been prepared for the Health Committee to support its review. It sets out how the NHS, supported by the Department of Health, plans to deliver efficiency savings of up to £20 billion by 2014-15.


The modelling used to set Feed-in Tariffs for solar photovoltaics: A briefing for the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee and the Energy and Climate Change Committee

November 2011

This briefing has been prepared for the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee and the Energy and Climate Change Committee, to inform their joint inquiry into the Government’s 31 October 2011 consultation on proposals for solar power Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs).


Briefing to support the International Development Committee’s inquiry into the Department for International Development’s Annual Report and Accounts 2010-11 and Business Plan 2011-15

October 2011

This briefing complements the Departmental Overview the NAO prepared for DfID in September 2011 and covers specific topics of particular interest to the Committee.


Overviews of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and Driving Standards Agency: NAO briefings for the Transport Select Committee

October 2011

These documents have been prepared to provide an overview of the work and performance of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and the Driving Standards Agency in the financial year 2010-11.


Departmental overviews

September 2011

The National Audit Office has produced 17 Departmental Overviews. These cover our work on each major government department and are listed below. In addition, each guide can be found under the individual sectors they relate to, for example the guide on DfID is listed under International Affairs.

This series builds on the short guides published in 2010.


Briefing for The Environmental Audit Committee on delivery of the target to reduce central government’s office carbon emissions.

July 2011

This briefing for the Environmental Audit Committee sets out how departments have sought to meet the government’s target to reduce carbon emissions by 10 per cent in 12 months (the 10 per cent target).


Accountability and cost reduction in the new policing landscape – a briefing for the Home Affairs Select Committee 

June 2011


Written submission to the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications to support its inquiry into the governance and regulation of the BBC

April 2011

This letter and attachments were sent to the House of Lords Communications Committee following a request for written evidence on the role of the National Audit Office in relation to the BBC.


Effective road and traffic management - a briefing for the Transport Select Committee

April 2011


House of Commons Speaker's Committee report - Reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General

March 2011

This link opens a report on the pages of the House of Commons Speakers Committee. The Committee's report presents two pieces of work by the National Audit Office.

March 2011

Performance of the Ministry of Defence, 2009-10. Briefing for the House of Commons Defence Committee

March 2011

NAO work on DFID's oversight of CDC and a summary of CDC's investment approach

March 2011

Energy and Climate Change Committee inquiry into UK deepwater drilling - Memorandum submitted by the National Audit Office

February 2011

Performance of Ofgem. A briefing for the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Select Committee
February 2011

This briefing was prepared for the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Select Committee to support its evidence session on the work of the Ofgem.

National Audit Office memorandum for the Public Administration Select Committee
January 2011

This memorandum has been prepared for the Public Administration Select Committee to provide guidance for select committees on assessing business cases for making changes to arm’s length bodies.

2010

Briefing for the Communities and Local Government Committee
December 2010

This briefing has been prepared for the Communities and Local Government Select Committee to provide an overview of the Department for Communities and Local Government’s financial management in 2009-10 and its structural reform priorities.

Health Resource Allocation
December 2010

This briefing has been prepared to help inform the House of Commons Health Select Committee examination of Health Resource Allocation.

The work of DfID in 2009-10 and its priorities for reform
November 2010

This briefing was prepared for the Members of the International Development Committee to support the Committee's inquiry into the work of the Department for International Development in 2009-10.

NAO Briefing for the Foreign Affairs Select Committee
November 2010

This briefing has been prepared for the Foreign Affairs Select Committee to support its evidence session on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Accounts 2009-10.

The NAO's work on regulatory reform
October 2010

This briefing paper presents the Regulatory Reform Committee with an overview of regulatory reform, the background to the system and the recent work that the National Audit Office had conducted in the area.

Briefing for the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee
September 2010

The briefing has been prepared for the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee to support the Committee's evidence session on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Annual Accounts 2009-10 and the responsibilities of the Secretary of State.

Environmental Protection 
August 2010

The National Audit Office has prepared this briefing on environmental protection for the new members of the Environmental Audit Committee. This document summarises the key environmental protection issues facing the UK.

Sustainable Development 
August 2010

This briefing has been prepared by the National Audit Office to provide the new members of the Environmental Audit Committee an overview of sustainable development as a whole. Sustainable development is a devolved issue and this briefing covers government policy in England with a brief overview of the work of the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The Electricity Generating Landscape in Great Britain
August 2010
Briefing for the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee
This briefing provides an overview of the key features of the policy and regulatory framework for electricity generation, and the nature of the transition required over the next 10 years to meet emissions reduction and renewable energy targets.

Performance of the Ministry of Defence 2008-09
February 2010
Briefing for the House of Commons Defence Committee

Energy and Climate Change Committee inquiry into Fuel Poverty
February 2010
Memorandum for the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee

FiReControl project
February 2010
Memorandum for the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee

Performance of the Home Office 2008-09
January 2010
Briefing for the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee

Reducing bureaucracy for public sector frontline staff
January 2010
Briefing for the House of Commons Regulatory Reform Committee

Sure Start children's centres
January 2010
Memorandum for the Children, Schools and Families Committee

2009

Air Quality
December 2009
Briefing for the Environmental Audit Committee

Performance of the Ministry of Justice 2008-09
December 2009
Briefing for the House of Commons Justice Select Committee

Performance of the Department for Transport 2008-09
December 2009
Briefing for the House of Commons Transport Select Committee

Management of Exchange Rate Risk by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
December 2009
Briefing for the Foreign Affairs Committee

Performance of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
December 2009
Briefing for the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee

Performance of HM Treasury 2008-2009
November 2009
Briefing for the House of Commons Treasury Committee

Performance of the Department for International Development 2008-09
November 2009
Briefing for the House of Commons International Development Committee

Perspectives of Non-Governmental Organisations on the Comprehensive Approach
October 2009
Paper for the Defence Committee

Analysis of the extent of the review by Government departments, 2009
October 2009
Briefing for the House of Lords Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee

Performance of the Department for Communities and Local Government 2008-09
October 2009
Briefing for the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee

Performance of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2008-09
October 2009
Briefing for the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Performance of the Department of Energy and Climate Change 2008-09
October 2009
Briefing for the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee

Performance of the Department for Work and Pensions 2008-09
October 2009
Briefing for the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee

Cabinet Office Performance Briefing
October 2009
Briefing for the House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee

Performance of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport 2008-09
October 2009
Briefing for the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Adapting to Climate Change
July 2009
Briefing for the Environmental Audit Committee

European Union Emissions Trading Scheme
March 2009
Briefing for the Environmental Audit Committee 

2008

Cabinet Office Performance
December 2008
Briefing for the Public Administration Select Committee

Department for Work and Pensions: Information Technology Programmes
November 2008
Memorandum for the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee

Performance of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 2007-08
October 2008
Briefing for the Business and Enterprise Committee

Performance of HM Treasury 2007-08
October 2008
Briefing for the Treasury Select Committee

A summary of the National Audit Office Reports on the Department for Transport 2007-08
October 2008
Briefing for the Transport Committee: 

Good Government
October 2008
Paper for the Public Administration Select Committee

Performance of the Ministry of Defence 2007-08
October 2008
Review for the House of Commons Defence Committee

Performance of the Department for Communities and Local Government 2007-08
October 2008
Review for the Communities and Local Government Committee

Renewable energy: Options for scrutiny
July 2008
Review for the Environmental Audit Committee

ECGD and sustainability
June 2008
Briefing for the Environmental Audit Committee

The UK’s Response to the South Asia Earthquake
June 2008
Report to the International Development Committee:

Transport and the environment: options for scrutiny
May 2008
Review for the Environmental Audit Committee

UK greenhouse gas emissions: measurement and reporting
March 2008 
Review for the Environmental Audit Committee

Regulatory Reform in the UK
March 2008
Briefing for the Regulatory Reform Select Committee

2007

British Waterways Finances 2002-2012
December 2007
Letter to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Energy consumption and carbon emissions in government
December 2007
Review for the Environmental Audit Committee

A Review of Economic Regulators' Impact Assessments
November 2007
Review for the Lords Regulators Committee

Performance of the Department of Trade and Industry 2006-07
November 2007
Briefing for the Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Committee

Work of the Cabinet Office 2006-07
November 2007 
Briefing for the Public Administration Select Committee

Performance of the Ministry of Defence 2006-07
November 2007
Briefing for the Defence Committee

Performance of the Department for Communities and Local Government 2006-07
October 2007 
Briefing for the Communities and Local Government Committee

The Climate Change Levy and Climate Change Agreements
August 2007 
Review for the Environmental Audit Committee

Central Government Support for Local Authorities on Climate Change
May 2007 
Review for the Environmental Audit Committee

The Third Sector and Public Policy - Options for Committee Scrutiny
May 2007
Review for the Public Administration Committee

Cost-effectiveness Analysis in the 2006 Climate Change Programme Review
January 2007
Review for the Environmental Audit Committee: 

The UK Debt Management Office - Borrowing on Behalf of Government
January 2007
Briefing for the Treasury Committee

2006

Emissions Projections in the 2006 Climate Change Programme Review
December 2006
Review for the Environmental Audit Committee

Regulatory Impact Assessments and Sustainable Development
May 2006
Review for the Environmental Audit Committee

Climate Change Policy: Options for Scrutiny
April 2006
Review for the Environmental Audit Committee

2005

Sustainable Procurement in Central Government
September 2005
Review for the Environmental Audit Committee 

In April 2005 the Environmental Audit Committee of the House of Commons examined sustainable procurement. The NAO review is intended to support and take forward interest in this field by summarising progress towards sustainable procurement in central government and describing the problems faced by departmental procurement officials in making further progress.