Sir John Bourn, the head of the National Audit Office, today reported on the results of his examination of the Government’s estimates of the number of people who may be affected by the proposed introduction of a lifetime allowance for the amount of tax-privileged saving in a pension scheme. The proposed allowance of £1.4 million […]
Section 161 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 requires me to examine and certify the National Insurance Fund Account and this report records the results of my examination of the 1997-98 account.
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 […]
Section 161 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 requires me to examine and certify the National Insurance Fund Account and this report records the results of my examination of the 1998-99 account.
Sir John Bourn, Head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that although the Private Finance Initiative deal for the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link was in many respects unique, the lessons to be learned from the project’s near collapse are not. The report makes three key points. In negotiating with the […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that since electricity supply competition began in September 1998 more than 6.5 million customers – one in four – have saved money by changing supplier. Domestic electricity customers as a whole have seen their electricity bills fall by some £750 million a year since […]
The Office of Government Commerce has done well to negotiate software licensing agreements with IT suppliers that has secured savings for the taxpayer, Sir John Bourn, the Head of the National Audit Office, reported today. However, it needs to publicise the benefits of the agreement more widely. Software is vital for delivering services to the […]
Sir John Bourn, the Head of the NAO, reported to Parliament today that there has been progress in capturing for the nation more of the economic and social benefits of scientific research funded by the taxpayer. Commercialisation can range from making research outputs available to all, free of charge, to forming companies to develop innovative […]
Standards of accountability and probity in central government bodies remain high, according to head of the NAO Sir John Bourn. Departments have continued to make good progress in meeting the challenge of resource accounting and in improving the quality of accounts submitted for audit. Sir John also welcomed the progress made by departments in submitting […]
Sir John Bourn, Head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that the Joint Services Command and Staff College was a success story and had obtained value for money when using the PFI to procure its permanent home. The Ministry of Defence did well to establish the College but there is scope to improve […]
Consumers of basic services delivered by pipes and wires have benefited from lower prices and more reliable services as a result of the way these networks have been regulated, according to a report published today by Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office. The approach to regulation does, however, have some inherent limitations […]
Sir John Bourn, Head of the National Audit Office, reported to Parliament today that single Community Programme funding is leading to greater involvement of deprived communities in influencing local decisions but more needs to be done to reach all sectors and groups. Thanks to simple and straightforward grant application procedures the Programme has been successful […]
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 […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported today on the support provided by the Department of Trade and Industry to the restructuring of British Energy completed in January 2005; and the Department’s management of the risks to the taxpayer arising from the Company’s activities since the completion of restructuring. The Company was […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported today that Home Office grants of £927 million to Police Basic Command Units, Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in England and Community Safety Partnerships in Wales to fund crime reduction work have contributed in part to a 22 per cent reduction in the number of […]
The National Audit Office has today backed HM Revenue and Customs’ assessment that the overall risk to VAT revenue from on-line shopping, or e-commerce, is currently low. The Department has been alert to specific areas of risk which have emerged and is well-positioned to tackle these. As activity increases in this fast changing environment, it […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that the Home Office will get what it wants at a good price from the PFI deal to provide serviced headquarters accommodation for 3450 Home Office and Prison Service staff, but risks remain. The Home Office is due to move into the new […]
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 […]
Water and sewerage companies have taken action to remove the risk of sewer flooding from 3,300 properties in England and Wales since 2000. Ofwat has played an important role in achieving this reduction, according to a report published today by Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office. However, Ofwat and companies face a […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that, since the 1995 drought, leakage in England and Wales has been reduced by some 1.8 million cubic metres a day, equivalent to the amount of water used daily by more than 12 million people. The National Audit Office examined how the Office […]