As a result of DTIs financial support and involvement, through its role as shareholder, Post Office Limited is now on a sounder financial footing, Sir John Bourn, head of the NAO, reported today. But the future of post offices remains uncertain and the DTI will need to be alert to falling volumes of business that […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported today that significant success has been achieved on key Government homelessness targets. There have been large falls in the numbers of people sleeping rough and families with children living in Bed & Breakfast accommodation as an emergency response to homelessness. But more work remains to […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported today that the Government is on course to achieve a significant increase in the level of electricity generated from renewable sources – as part of its response to global warming – but a number of challenges remain to achieving its 10 per cent target for […]
Sir John Bourn delivered today the National Audit Office’s 50th PFI/PPP report to Parliament, an update report on the new Darent Valley hospital which, in 1997, had been the first hospital procured under the PFI. Sir John reported that the hospital had been successfully delivered and the Trust had received a reduction in the overall […]
The Northern Ireland Department for Social Development has succeeded in significantly cutting the estimated amount of benefits paid incorrectly because of errors by officials. The Department estimates that, for benefits paid in 2003-04, overpayments and underpayments amounted to £13.4 million and £5.0 million respectively – down from £51.9 million and £5.5 million in 2002-03. However, […]
A report by the National Audit Office today has highlighted the major challenge faced by the Department for Education and Skills in reducing pupil absence from schools. The Department, together with local authorities and schools, has made some progress in reducing total absence. At the same time, there has been no decline in unauthorised absence, […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported today on the progress made by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in implementing recommendations made by the Committee of Public Accounts following the 2001 outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease. Good progress has been made on most of the recommendations made […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the NAO, today reported that the Northern Ireland Policing Board’s Best Value Performance Plan for 2004-05 generally meets the statutory requirements. To meet all requirements in future, it will need to make arrangements to assess the way in which the Board’s own functions are exercised. He also recommends that more […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported today that the Home Office, together with other organisations, has instigated a number of programmes which have helped reduce thefts of and from vehicles by 30 per cent since 1999. This is a significant achievement but he added that there is nevertheless scope to reduce […]
Elite athletes competing in Olympic and Paralympic sports have been provided with major benefits as a result of lottery funding distributed by UK Sport. However, according to head of the National Audit Office Sir John Bourn, while UK Sport met its Olympic performance targets in Athens, performance in medal terms has been mixed and there […]
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 […]
The Department of Health has made progress towards its target that, by December 2005, each NHS patient referred by a GP for non-emergency hospital treatment will be offered a choice of four or five healthcare providers. However, according to the National Audit Office, there remain significant risks for the Department to manage, especially that of […]
Head of the NAO Sir John Bourn reported to Parliament today that he has qualified his opinion on the accounts of the Department for Work and Pensions. This is because of substantial levels of estimated losses from fraud and error in benefit expenditure, a significant limitation in the evidence made available to the NAO during […]
The introduction by Customs in 2001 of gross profits tax for betting has been a success in encouraging the biggest bookmaking firms to retain their core operations in the UK. The challenge now for Customs is to address the new risks to duty revenue posed by the use of new forms of gambling such as […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported today that the Social Fund plays an important role in helping people in financial hardship, and is reaching many of those in greatest need. But there is a risk that potentially eligible people are not aware of the Social Fund and that some Jobcentre Plus […]
The second attempt to find a worthwhile use for the Millennium Dome and associated land on the Greenwich Peninsula avoided many of the problems of the earlier abortive sale competition. It has led to a deal which looks capable of meeting government’s objectives as the Peninsula is developed over the next two decades, Sir John […]
Head of the National Audit Office Sir John Bourn today reported to Parliament on the National Insurance Fund (GB) account 2003-2004. This account is the responsibility of the Inland Revenue and benefit payments are made from the Fund by the Department for Work and Pensions. Sir John has qualified the National Insurance Fund Account in […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today reported the results of his examination of HM Customs and Excises systems for the assessment, collection and allocation of tax revenue during the year ending 31 March 2004. In 2003-04 Customs collected £162 billion (gross) in taxes and duties. Sir John’s report focuses on Customs’ […]
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, […]
Responding to an increasingly diverse society is essential if public services are to meet their full potential, Sir John Bourn, head of the NAO, reported to Parliament today. This report – the first of its kind by the NAO – looks across Whitehall at the way in which government bodies are taking steps to better […]