The Emergency Services Network is one of the most technologically advanced systems worldwide and is set to replace the existing emergency services communication system, Airwave. However several risks have been highlighted.
Financial risk is increasing in NHS trusts and foundation trusts. Those in severe financial difficulty continue to rely on cash support from the Department of Health.
With the number of further education (FE) colleges in financial difficulty expected to rise rapidly, there are fundamental structural problems which might require decisions at a regional or sector-wide level.
The NAO publishes a briefing paper considering capital investment by government and how it chooses to finance it.
Under the Scheme, the Treasury guarantees that lenders to infrastructure projects will be repaid in full and on time, irrespective of project performance. The NAO is calling for the Treasury to be rigorous and objective in assessing whether the guarantees, which transfer risk to the public sector, are genuinely needed.
Fiscal pressure on government departments is set to continue through the next Parliament, with citizen expectations continuing to rise. With the ‘more for less’ challenge continuing indefinitely and an increasingly complex public sector landscape, a strong and integrated finance function across government is crucial.
The National Audit Office has today published its findings on the Civil Service Learning contract with Capita Business Services Ltd (Capita). The NAO’s enquiries address specific concerns from several people who raised different but overlapping concerns about the operation of the contract.
A programme to sell enough government land by March 2015 to build a potential 100,000 homes did not collect information on the amount of money raised or how many homes have actually been built. In future land sales, responsibility for monitoring what happens to land after disposal should be made clear.
The Treasury Committee asked the National Audit Office to undertake an analysis of the VFM assessment process and model for PFI. The assessment process combines a quantitative and qualitative approach to VFM appraisal. Our review focused, primarily, on the use of the financial model in the VFM assessment process and was submitted to the Treasury Committee as part of their inquiry into PF2.
The NAO has today published an update for the Public Accounts Committee, detailing developments in the management of the Sellafield site, the UK’s largest and most hazardous nuclear site, and the extent to which progress has been made in decommissioning and cleaning it up.
Our new guide is aimed at helping non-accountant readers of government’s accounts understand better what is being reported in them and what it means.
Defra, the Rural Payments Agency and Government Digital Service have not worked together effectively to deliver the Common Agricultural Policy Delivery Programme.
The new military flying training is 6 years delayed and there is much to do if the MoD is to get the planned benefits from its contractor.
This review of five major rail projects highlights lessons the Department for Transport should apply to current and future rail programmes.
The Department is not able to demonstrate the effectiveness of how it and others intervene in underperforming maintained schools and academies.
The MoD’s Equipment Plan appears more stable than last year and progress has been maintained, but the Department will need to remain vigilant with regard to future cost increases.
Local authorities have worked hard to manage reductions in government funding, but the DCLG needs to be better informed about the situation across England.
We published two reports today – Following the discovery of widespread and deep-rooted weaknesses in the government’s management of contracts it is starting to improve how it manages its contracts.
The Government’s first sale of shares in Lloyds Banking Group was managed very effectively by United Kingdom Financial Investments Limited.
Stronger financial management will be needed in departments if they are to speed up the restructuring of service delivery.