This briefing responds to a request from the Environmental Audit Committee to review sustainability at the Home Office. It follows a similar format to our report on sustainability at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and thus covers all aspects of the Department’s activities: governance, policy, operations and procurement.
The UK has levels of social security fraud and error which are similar to those in comparable countries, but the Department for Work and Pensions has a better understanding than other nations of the problems and is doing more to tackle them. A report by the National Audit Office, based on research carried out by […]
The NAO has published the findings from its investigation into members’ experience of civil service pension administration.
This is the second NAO report on government’s approach to test and trace services in England.
This report examines the government’s progress in managing the border and implementing the Northern Ireland Protocol since the end of the transition period.
HMRC has met its targets to raise more tax revenue in the short-term; however, an estimated £16 billion is lost to tax fraud each year. HMRC needs to improve the way it uses data and analysis to understand the effect of its actions to tackle fraud.
The sale of Eurostar generated proceeds of £757m. The government prepared well for the sale and achieved its objectives to maximise proceeds. The sale illustrates some general lessons for government as it embarks on its asset sales programme.
This is our second report on backlogs for elective and cancer care. It examines the design of NHSE’s recovery plan, how the NHS has been implementing the plan and the ongoing risks NHSE has to manage.
This report looks at how much government departments spent on their activities preparing for the UK’s exit from the EU.
The FCO has made significant improvements in the consular service it provides, but further progress is needed to deliver a service which meets the changing needs of Britons overseas, according to a National Audit Office report. The main elements of consular services are advising on overseas travel, issuing passports abroad and assisting Britons in distress […]
This investigation examines the Home Office’s response to suspected cheating in the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC).
This report focuses on what Official Development Assistance spending is achieving in practice.
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office reported today that joint targets, and the joint working needed to achieve them, can help to improve the delivery of government objectives. Departments often need to work across organisational boundaries to work most effectively. But achieving joint targets can present particular challenges, especially in the international […]
Sir John Bourn, the head of the National Audit Office, reported to Parliament today on the financial management of the European Union. His report summarises the main findings of the European Court of Auditors’ report, published in November 2005, on the European Council’s accounts for 2004. Sir John also highlighted other key developments in financial […]
This report examines whether Defra is well placed to redevelop the UK’s primary site for managing threats from animal diseases.
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office had sold the British Ambassador’s official Residence on the Glencairn estate in Dublin and spent £6.4 million on purchasing Marlay Grange as a replacement. Having spent a further £0.7 million on refurbishing the property it then decided […]
The reaction of the Department for International Development to the Indian Ocean Tsunami was both rapid and impressive Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported to Parliament today. The first of many cargoes of relief supplies was airlifted to the affected area within 24 hours. However DFID need to strengthen their financial […]
The Ministry of Defence’s strategy for improving its financial management has put its finances on a sounder footing and is delivering results, but there are still considerable challenges ahead, including delivering the savings already removed from budget allocations.
As part of our work to evaluate how well the UK Government is tackling the renewal of the Thames Gateway we explored how seven European cities or regions are tackling ambitious regeneration and bringing sustainable growth and renewal to local communities. We published our research as a companion piece to the Thames Gateway report.
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.