It is important that the Government ensures its compliance programme reflects the changing risks within the labour market, and maintains its progress in ensuring all employers pay the minimum wage.
Government efforts to improve the quality and take-up of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills have yielded some positive results but there remains an urgent need for departments to set out a shared view of what they are trying to achieve and a co-ordinated plan for achieving it.
The £1.4 billion funding could result in 41,000 extra full-time equivalent private sector jobs but thousands more could have been created from the same resources.
The Decision Support Tool for public bodies in England provides practical support to officials who are involved in making, or advising on, ‘real-life’ decisions about the design of appropriate funding relationships with third sector organisations. It takes into account such issues as programme objectives, funding channels, duration of award, full cost recovery, EU state aid […]
This publication presents the results of our census of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). The census was conducted as part of our report Local Enterprise Partnerships, published in March 2016.
Government investment in science requires strategic vision and clear information so that it can ensure the UK is investing in the right areas. Our report is accompanied by an Evaluative Framework to guide effective cross-government coordination.
Departments have continued to reduce their estates and government is now getting better value for money. The Government Property Unit, however, has not yet made much progress towards its more challenging objective of creating an integrated estate.
We have published a series of reports which explore some of the major risks to public finances highlighted in the Whole of Government Accounts (WGA).
The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) are the very first audited set of accounts showing in one place the financial position of the whole public sector. However, the NAO considers that the picture is incomplete.
Government set an ambitious timetable to expand free childcare; consequently, it’s facing uncertainty on feasibility, costs, and benefits.
Two National Audit Office (NAO) reports assessing the condition of school buildings in England and DfE sustainability ambitions.
Most public bodies do not know how much fraud they face and cannot demonstrate that they have the correct level of counter fraud resources, according to the National Audit Office.
The government’s 2021 commitment to deliver 20,000 new prison places is not expected to be achieved until 2031, a new NAO report has revealed.
Fire and rescue authorities have managed funding reductions well. The Department for Communities and Local Government should, however, seek greater assurance that authorities are maintaining service standards and delivering value for money locally
Government has delayed plans to cap lifetime social care costs and scaled back plans for reforming the system it set out in December 2021.
An investigation into why and how the Ministry of Justice adjusted Community Rehabilitation Companies’ (CRCs) contracts; and the financial and other implications of the adjustments to the CRCs’ contracts.
19 December 2017
Capacity and capability issues, including a lack of digital skills, have contributed to delays to government’s Pensions Dashboards Programme.
Public electric vehicle chargepoint installations are on track, but government needs to make sure they are located in the right places.
Billions of pounds of cost increase due to contractual change, delays introducing communication networks for our emergency services, potential strains on Army personnel – our recent reports illustrate the huge importance of getting contracts right, and what organisations need to do if they go wrong. They also reinforce the principles discussed in previous posts in […]
Disclosure guides are designed to ensure that audited bodies have prepared an account in the appropriate form and have complied with all disclosure requirements.