The Foreign and Commonwealth Office lacks a clear strategy and comprehensive data to manage its overseas estate effectively, according to a report published today by the National Audit Office. The FCO is taking positive steps to adapt its properties to new global challenges but has not achieved value for money in the management of its […]
Our report assesses the government’s progress delivering its ambition to increase rates of walking, wheeling and cycling.
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority (SSRA) and its predecessor organisation, the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF), had taken action where possible to remedy underperformance by passenger train operators but that the present franchise arrangements could be improved to secure better performance. […]
This report applies experience from auditing cross-government challenges to highlight the risks government needs to manage to achieve net zero.
The first independent report into operational innovation in central government has found that, although a deep rooted culture of risk aversion is being tackled and improvements in quality and efficiency of service are being made, government bodies could still secure greater benefits and efficiencies with more innovative and progressive approaches. The NAO report published today […]
A major initiative to secure better quality care by the NHS and improve patients’ confidence in its services has made early progress and is already delivering benefits. However, according to a report by the National Audit Office, progress in implementing ‘clinical governance’ is patchy, varying between and within NHS trusts and between the components of […]
This report examines how government has set itself up to deliver its long-term environmental goals.
Many NHS trusts need to tackle a range of financial, quality and governance issues if they are to meet the standards required of them to become self-governing foundation trusts by 2014. The Department of Health and the NHS will now have to decide how they will deal with those facing the most severe problems.
This report considers the extent to which AO assessments are supporting good decision-making in line with expected standards and providing transparency over significant spending decisions up to the end of 2021.
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today reported to Parliament on the £1.2 billion expansion of the PRIME contract, that DWP had succeeded in getting the deal it had set out to achieve. The decision to proceed via a non-competitive negotiation with LST was the right one. DWP introduced competitive tension into […]
A National Audit Office (NAO) report assessing the government’s approach to improving urgent and emergency care services in England.
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that much is being done to tackle the downward trend in the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)’s visitor numbers but this work needs to be taken further. In 1999-2000 there were 1.27 million visitors to the Museum, some 320,000 lower than the target […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that the great majority of property owners who receive English Heritage grants are complying with requirements to allow public access. However, the access position remains unclear for a significant number of properties, and in a minority of cases practical obstacles were encountered when […]
There is broad agreement that Tamiflu reduces the length of illness, but the consensus breaks down on whether it prevents serious complications and deaths.
The C&AG has reported on the Academy schools sector in England Consolidated annual report and accounts.
The Comptroller and Auditor General has qualified his audit opinion on these accounts.
This is the first year in which the Department for Education (the Department) has produced Academy Sector Accounts which consolidate the results of the 3,013 academy trusts that were open during the year ended 31 August 2016.