The NHS reported a surplus of £1.67 billion in 2007-08. According to a report jointly prepared by the Audit Commission and the National Audit Office and published today, the surplus achieved reflected good use of resources rather than a failure to deliver healthcare. The Department of Health (DH) has given a commitment that the NHS […]
Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General
The NHS as a whole achieved a net surplus of £515 million in 2006-07, compared with a net deficit of £547 million in 2005-06, according to a report out today by the National Audit Office. The NHS Summarised Accounts show that in 2006-07 287 NHS organisations reported a gross surplus of £1,431 million (2005-06: 357 […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, has today qualified his opinion on the Department for Work and Pensions accounts for the eighteenth consecutive year. This is because an estimated £2.5 billion has been lost to fraud and error in benefit payments, and because of uncertainties over the debts created by customers being […]
The evasion of road tax by motorists and motorcyclists has increased significantly, the National Audit Office has reported. According to the Department for Transport’s roadside survey in June 2006, Vehicle Excise Duty evasion was running at some 5 per cent (£217 million), up from 3.6 per cent (£147 million) the previous year. The Driver and […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the NAO, today issued his audit certificate on HM Revenue & Customs 2006-07 Trust Statement of revenues. Sir John was able to issue an unqualified audit opinion on the truth and fairness of the Trust Statement, but in common with 2005-06, issued a qualified opinion on regularity due to levels […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, has today reported to Parliament that he is qualifying the Home Office 2005-06 Resource Accounts because Accounting Standards require these accounts to include the 2004-05 results. But for this, and the qualification relating to its accruals at 31 March 2006, and the corresponding expenditure, he would […]
Head of the National Audit Office Sir John Bourn has today reported to Parliament that he is qualifying 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 payments and material uncertainties about the level of debt resulting […]
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office resource accounts for 2005-06, published today, include a report by Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, on the theft and misuse of satellite phones in Iraq. The NAO report provides Parliament with details of losses of £594,000 caused by the unauthorised use of satellite telephones in Iraq. […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported to Parliament today that payments, amounting to £233,000, which the Public Health Laboratory Service Board made to certain members of staff in 2004-05 did not comply with Treasury guidelines. In the course of closing PHLS Media Services, the Board retained a small number of individuals […]
Sir John Bourn, Head of the National Audit Office, today reported to Parliament on the Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) accounts for 2005-06. The VED evasion rate increased from 3.4 percent in 2004 to 3.6 percent in 2005 (£147 million). This reversed the previous decrease, and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) acknowledges that it […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the NAO, today published a report on HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC’s) accounts for the year 2005-2006. HMRC collected total revenue of some £404 billion. For the fourth year running, Sir John has qualified his opinion on the Trust Statement in respect of tax credits because of the likely level […]
There was a deficit across the NHS as a whole in 2004-05 for the first time since 1999-00. Latest figures also show the deficit has worsened for 2005-06. Compared to 2003-04, the number of NHS bodies with deficits increased, and more of these deficits were significant in size, according to Financial Management in the NHS, […]
Head of the National Audit Office Sir John Bourn has qualified his opinion on the accounts of NHS Direct for the year up to 31 March 2005 because of a lack of evidence to support a significant number of payroll payments. A second reason for the qualification was a lack of evidence to support comparative […]
Clarification Point 2 in the C&AG introduction (page 26), should read: “From April 2003 an additional one per cent National Insurance contribution has been collected and allocated directly to the National Health Service, bringing the total payments to the NHS to some £16.8 billion in 2004-2005 (£14.9 billion in 2003-2004).” Head of the National Audit […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported to Parliament today that the Home Office had not maintained proper financial books and records for the financial year ending 31 March 2005. Sir John therefore concluded that, because the Home Office failed to deliver its accounts for audit by the statutory timetable and because […]
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has made progress in improving the design of some leaflets but could go further to make them easier for the public to understand and get hold of, according to a National Audit Office report published today. The report also found that the DWP could improve how it checks […]