HS2 is a large, complex and ambitious programme which is facing cost and time pressures. The unrealistic timetable set for HS2 Ltd by the Department means they are not as ready to deliver as they hoped to be at this point.
Since privatisation, Ofwat and Defra have overseen major improvements in water quality and service quality. Customers have seen a marked rise in bills but not the benefits of companies’ unexpected financial gains.
The Department for Communities and Local Government has taken steps since November 2014 to improve its understanding of new burdens on local authorities.
The Public Bodies Reform Programme is making good progress in abolishing or merging public bodies and reducing their costs, but triennial reviews of remaining bodies need to be much more effective.
Police forces have successfully reduced costs since 2011, but do not have a clear understanding of the demands placed upon them or of the factors that affect their costs.
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.
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.
The NAO publishes a briefing paper considering capital investment by government and how it chooses to finance it.
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.
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.
MOD has made good progress stabilising the equipment programme but needs to set out how a bespoke trading entity will transform Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) into the leading defence acquisition organisation by 2017.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.