The Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, today reported to Parliament that he has qualified his opinion on the Lord Chancellor’s Department Appropriation Account due to limited evidence available to confirm that £633 million of criminal legal aid payments complied fully with legal aid regulations. He has also reported on control weaknesses in the Lord […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported to Parliament today on the overall results of the National Audit Office’s 1998-99 examination of the systems which HM Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue have put in place to secure an effective check on the assessment, collection and allocation of revenues. He reported […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today reported to Parliament the results of his examination of the 1998-99 Appropriation Accounts of the Ministry of Defence (the Department). The Department have worked hard in recent years to secure better control over their expenditure, and have introduced measures that have led to important improvements and […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today reported the results of his examination of the Benefits Agency’s Appropriation Account. Sir John qualified his audit opinion on the account due to the level of benefit fraud and the level of error in benefit awards, principally in income support and jobseeker’s allowance. This account […]
Achieving net zero by 2050 in the UK will require co-ordinated action by the UK and devolved governments, due to different challenges faced.
Our interactive data visualisation lets you explore the changes in the pattern of apprenticeship starts and maps showing where apprenticeships are taking place.
The Comptroller and Auditor General has qualified his audit opinion on the 2011-12 accounts of the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
Most Ministry of Defence projects funded by PFI deals are delivered satisfactorily, on time and on budget. In six of the eight projects examined by the NAO, the Department has generally achieved value for money through effective allocation and management of risks. Failures to identify and manage risks reduced the value for money achieved from […]
Factual briefing on alcohol treatment services in England, informed by discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, and the Association of Directors of Public Health.
This National Audit Office briefing gives an overview of government’s approach to improving air quality in the UK. It has been prepared in support of a joint inquiry by the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee, the Health Committee and the Transport Committee. It examines why air quality matters; the UK’s plan for improving air quality; and risks and success factors for delivery of government’s air quality plans.
16 November 2017
A National Audit Office report today highlights the lessons arising from the case of a farmer who committed one of the largest known frauds by an individual claiming subsidy under Common Agricultural Policy schemes in England. In October 2000 Joseph Bowden was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment for nine charges relating to false accounting and […]
The Regional Development Agencies Advantage West Midlands, East Midlands Development Agency and Yorkshire Forward are all performing strongly, according to an independent assessment conducted by the National Audit Office. The National Audit Office has been examining the performance of Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and making assessments of performance in five areas: ambition, prioritisation, capacity, performance […]
The provision of adequate adult social care poses a significant public service challenge. Demand for care is rising while public spending is falling.
This overview updates our report ‘Adult social care in England: an overview (2014)’, highlighting key trends, developments and system pressures.
Apprenticeships for adults offer a good return for the public money spent on them overall. However, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills could improve value for money significantly by targeting resources on areas where the greatest economic returns can be achieved.