Showing 541 - 560 of 2690 results

  1. Social Fund White Paper Account 2011-12

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    The Comptroller and Auditor General has today qualified his audit opinion on the 2011-12 Social Fund White Paper Account.

  2. Social Fund White Paper Account 2010-11

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    The C&AG has qualified the Social Fund Account for the eighth consecutive year. The account has been qualified because of material levels of error in discretionary awards, which include Budgeting Loans, Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants, and in Funeral Expense Payments. He has also qualified, for the first time, his opinion on Cold Weather Payments.

  3. Social Fund Account 2009-10

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    The C&AG has qualified the Social Fund Account for the seventh consecutive year. The account has been qualified because of material levels of error in discretionary awards, and in Funeral Expense Payments. He has also qualified, for the first time, his opinion on Sure Start Maternity Grants.

  5. Smarter food procurement in the public sector

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    The public sector could save annually over £220 million in food and catering costs by 2010-11, while raising nutritional standards and increasing sustainability, Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, has reported today. In particular, there is significant scope for improvement by increasing joined up procurement, implementing good practice, enhancing the roles and […]

  7. Skills Funding Agency Accounts 2011-12

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    The Comptroller & Auditor General has given a qualified audit opinion on the 2011-12 accounts of the Skills Funding Agency in relation to how the Agency has accounted for further education colleges.

  9. Skills for Life: Progress in Improving Adult Literacy and Numeracy

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    The strategy to improve basic literacy and numeracy skills has helped over 5.7 million adults achieve a qualification or other specified learning aim at a cost of £5 billion, according to the National Audit Office. The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Learning and Skills Council exceeded targets for the number of adults […]

  10. Skills for life: improving adult literacy and numeracy

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    Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported today that the Department for Education and Skills has made a good start to its long-term strategy to improve the levels of adult literacy and numeracy in England, but there are more challenges ahead. While the Skills for Life Strategy has met its 2004 target, […]

  12. Ship Surveys and Inspections

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    The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), the principal government body for enforcing ship safety standards, makes a major contribution to the UK’s ship safety record, now one of the best in the world. However, according to a report to Parliament today by Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, the MCA can increase […]

  13. Shared services in the Research Councils

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    The implementation of a project to create a centre to streamline back-office functions for the seven research councils has so far not been good value for money and there is a risk that the councils may not recover their investment.

  14. Shared services in the Department for Transport and its agencies

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    Plans to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of services such as human resources, payroll and finance could cost the Department for Transport £81 million (by March 2015) rather than saving £57 million as originally expected. There will need to be substantial improvements in the shared service centre’s productivity if the Department’s original targets are to […]

  15. Shared service centres

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    Government’s programme to transfer back-office functions to two shared service centres has made savings but has not achieved value for money to date.

  18. Severance and wider benefits for senior BBC managers

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    Savings the BBC has made from senior manager redundancies exceed the cost of severance payments but it has too often breached its policies on severance payments for senior managers.

  19. Settling large tax disputes

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    Following review by a former tax judge, the NAO concludes that all five settlements were reasonable but there is concern over the settlement processes.

  20. Setting key targets for Executive Agencies: A Guide

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    This guidance has been developed to help those involved in the process of agreeing targets for Executive Agencies set challenging targets that will help deliver the outcomes and the standard of service delivery the public expect.