National Audit Office publications

The Millennium Dome

“Building and opening the Millennium Dome on the very short timescale required was a tremendous achievement. But the New Millennium Experience Company has experienced severe financial difficulties this year and has required considerable additional lottery funding.

“The main cause of these difficulties is the failure to achieve the visitor numbers and income required. The targets were highly ambitious and inherently risky leading to a significant degree of financial exposure on the project. In addition, the task of managing the project has been complicated by the complex organisational arrangements put in place from the outset, and by the failure to establish sufficiently robust financial management.”

Sector(s): Arts, media and sport

Published:
9 Nov 2000

Audit of Assumptions for the Pre-Budget 2000 Report

Sector(s): Central Finance and Treasury

Published:
8 Nov 2000

Public Health Laboratory Service Board Accounts 1998-99

“The Board have assured me of the importance they place on effective internal financial controls, and they are confident that these controls have now been restored. I remain concerned, however, that these problems arose.

The lesson for other public bodies from the Board’s experiences is that, when letting and managing such a contract, potential risks need to be identified, evaluated, mitigated and managed so that the fundamental responsibilities of the Board and its Accounting Officer for the proper management of its resources can continue to be discharged.”

Sector(s): Health and social care

Published:
15 Sep 2000

Ministry of Defence: Training New Pilots

“The shortage of trained pilots is a cause of concern and on the Department’s own projections is likely to continue for some time even if targets are met for training new pilots. The Department should look at possibilities for making existing arrangements for training pilots, already drawn together to a good degree in the Training Group Defence Agency, more coherent and take forward the recommendations set out in this report”

Sector(s): National security

Published:
14 Sep 2000

Department of Trade and Industry: The Acquisition of German Parcel

“The Department of Trade and Industry has supported the Post Office’s acquisition of German Parcel in a way that helps to reinforce commercial disciplines. This was a pathfinder transaction and there are lessons for other departments with a responsibility for overseeing acquisitions.”

Sector(s): Business and enterprise

Published:
24 Aug 2000

The Cancellation of the Benefits Payment Card project

“There may be a temptation to think that the Payment Card project failed solely because it was large and complex or because it was a pioneer PFI project. This was not the case. Various factors contributed to the project’s failure and their effects are difficult to disentangle. Important reasons were divided control, insufficient time for specifying the requirement and piloting, and that a shared, open approach to risk management was not achieved.”

Our examination found that:

The report highlights key lessons on risk management, the procurement of complex IT systems, and procurement by more than one purchaser, including:

In March 2000 the Treasury PFI taskforce issued new guidance on PFI contracts for Information Technology. In May 2000 the Cabinet Office published recommendations for improving the way in which the government approaches and manages major Information Technology projects. Had this guidance existed and been applied in the case of this project, it may have substantially reduced the risk of it failing, or alternatively have led to the project not proceeding in the way it did.

Sector(s): Welfare, Pensions and Employment

Published:
18 Aug 2000

Supporting Innovation: Managing Risk in Government Departments

“This report aims to stimulate and encourage good practice in risk management. There are inevitable risks associated with new ways of working as departments strive to improve and modernise the delivery of public services for the benefit of citizens and businesses. Properly managed, risk taking and innovation can lead to improved value for money for taxpayers.”

Sector(s): Education and skills, Government, efficiency and transparency

Published:
17 Aug 2000

NHS (Scotland) Summarised Accounts 1998-99

Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported to Parliament today on the Summarised Accounts of the National Health Service in Scotland for 1998-99. The report describes the findings of the appointed auditors of the individual health bodies, discusses developments in accounting and financial control, considers the financial performance of the NHS in … Read more

Sector(s): Devolved Administrations, Health and social care

Published:
4 Aug 2000

Action to Improve Passenger Rail Services

Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority (SSRA) and its predecessor organisation, the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF), had taken action where possible to remedy underperformance by passenger train operators but that the present franchise arrangements could be improved to secure better performance. … Read more

Sector(s): Infrastructure, Regulation, consumers and competition, Transport

Published:
3 Aug 2000

C&AG’s Report on Accounts: Child Support Agency Client Fund Account 1999-2000

“I continue to be concerned at the high level of error in maintenance assessments. As a consequence, the Exchequer is paying out substantial sums to compensate individuals who have suffered undue hardship and suffering. The Agency need to ensure that these problems are not simply transferred on to the new system due for implementation in April 2002.”