“I am pleased that the great majority of projects are on course to make a real difference to the lives of the disadvantaged. However, in a minority of cases use of lottery money may not result in all of the benefits intended. The Charities Board have already taken action to ensure that society gets better value from lottery funds, but there is still some scope for further improvement.”
“The NHS continues to make improvements in its financial control over the £36 billion spent by Health Authorities and NHS Trusts. However, more work is necessary to ensure that accounting for these large sums fully and clearly reports the financial position of health authorities and NHS Trusts on a consistent basis.”
“The report shows that H M Customs and Excise are doing much good work to collect the correct amount of gambling duties, but there are still risks to that revenue from illegal bookmakers and operators using amusement machines without obtaining licences. Closer working with other government agencies involved with the industry can help to tackle these risks.”
“Partnerships like the one between the Inland Revenue and EDS, rely on trust and understanding between two organisations, qualities which are particularly important as requirements change and develop. Management of the risks associated with new work is therefore a challenging area for value for money. Much has already been achieved, and the Department must ensure that it retains the capability to manage the relationship and keep its options open for the future.”
“This project was a major procurement for the MOD in the complex field of communications where the MOD has many different requirements and technology is changing rapidly. The MOD achieved a good price on the project they went to the market for but, given that the MOD has a number of closely related communications contracts, a strategic review may have identified options for pursuing further savings from a project with a different scope.”
“My General Report summarises progress on a number of important issues facing departments, including resource accounting, corporate governance and performance measurement. It is clear that they face major challenges in these areas, and the National Audit Office and I will continue to work with them to ensure that a robust system of audit and accountability to Parliament is secured”.
“I remain seriously concerned at the worsening deficits being incurred within the NHS in Wales. The NHS Directorate of the National Assembly for Wales must urgently address this by ensuring that robust recovery plans are in place”.
“It is extraordinary how a simple error can have such severe consequences for individuals and for the taxpayer. And it is particularly alarming that the error could go unnoticed for so long. These were serious lapses in the standards of public administration and must not be repeated.”
“I am pleased that the Ministry has in large measure addressed the problems of flock records and urge them to continue working with farmers to get it right. This will help to protect the taxpayer from the risk of losing reimbursement from European funds. It will also assist farmers in satisfying scheme rules so that they can get the benefit of a scheme which is providing valuable support at a time of crisis in the industry.”
