The Building Schools for the Future programme aims to rebuild, refurbish and provide new Information Technology for all 3,500 secondary schools in England by 2020. The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) underestimated how long it would take to launch the programme and build the schools, though the speed of delivery has compared well […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that the top 25 Ministry of Defence equipment projects were, at 31 March 1999, forecast to cost £2.7 billion more than originally estimated. Including beneficial revised costings for the Eurofighter programme, cost overruns have reduced from the £2.9 billion reported in 1998. The […]
The urgent need for change in how government departments and agencies procure and manage new construction projects, currently worth some £7.5 billion a year, is highlighted today in a National Audit Office report. It concludes that there is now no excuse for government clients and the industry to fail to take advantage of readily available […]
This report makes early observations on the progress and risks in upgrading the A303 between Amesbury and Berwick Down.
This report examines the management of the Cabinet Office-led Get ready for Brexit campaign.
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported to Parliament today that GCHQs new headquarter building, which will cost GCHQ about 46 million a year, and which was procured through a PFI deal, was on track to be delivered on time and within its finally determined budget; and it was handled well overall. […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, has published his report on the construction of Portcullis House, the new Parliamentary building. Portcullis House, which provides offices for 210 Members of Parliament and 400 staff together with committee rooms and other facilities, was completed in August 2000 at a cost of £234 million. The NAO […]
The Strategic Rail Authority (and, subsequently, the Department for Transport) and Network Rail have successfully turned around the programme to modernise the West Coast Main Line. To date, Network Rail has delivered the new strategy for the line on time, achieving benefits for passengers, including shorter journey times and improved punctuality. Network Rail is likely […]
This report examines the implementation of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
The National Audit Office has today published a briefing describing how the centre of government is overseeing and taking forward implementation of the UK’s exit from the European Union. The briefing focuses in particular on the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
24 November 2017
The role of assurance is to provide information to those that sponsor, govern and manage a project to help them make better informed decisions which reduce the causes of project failure, promote the conditions for success and deliver improved outcomes.
Sir John Bourn, the head of the National Audit Office, today presented to Parliament his reports on the purchase, refurbishment and fitting out of buildings for the Security Service and the Secret Intelligence Service. These Reports were produced in 1992 and 1995 as classified reports to Parliament and in accordance with the then arrangements for […]
The National Audit Office’s report finds that London & Continental Railways (LCR) successfully completed the construction of Section 1 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) on time and at a cost slightly below the target set in the 1998 restructuring. Drawing on the reasons for this achievement, the NAO report highlights lessons for other […]
This report examines whether DfT
and HS2 Ltd have protected value for money so far in their stewardship of HS2.
It’s difficult to believe that I have been the Chair of the NAO for nearly six years, but all good things come to an end. Because the term of office is limited by statute, I shall shortly be stepping down. In fact, the advert for my successor is now public. This has been one of […]
This report provides a summary of the UK government’s response to COVID-19 to date.