The Ministry of Defence’s (the Department’s) Equipment Plan is funded from the Department’s overall budget, and makes up more than 40% of its planned spend. Since 2012, the Department has published an annual Statement on the affordability of its 10-year Equipment Plan (the Plan). At the request of the Secretary of State, we report on … Read more
The Motability Scheme enables disabled people in receipt of qualifying benefits to be more mobile through using their mobility allowance to lease a car, scooter or powered wheelchair. On behalf of disabled people who choose to use the Scheme, the Department for Work and Pensions pays the benefit directly to Motability Operations Group plc, who … Read more
As the next Spending Review in 2019 approaches, realistic planning of government resources, based on shared, clearly prioritised objectives, becomes ever more important. The centre of government – comprising the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury – is responsible for overseeing the business planning process and allocating and controlling public spending to deliver those plans. We (and … Read more
Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) were created following the Health and Social Care Act in 2012, and replaced Primary Care Trusts on 1 April 2013. They are clinically-led statutory NHS bodies responsible for the planning and commissioning of health care services for their local area. The Comptroller and Auditor General has started a review of the … Read more
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy is leading the rollout of smart meters to all homes and small businesses in Great Britain by 2020. This will impact around 30 million premises. Smart meters will enable consumers to see what energy they are using in monetary terms, and will communicate with their energy suppliers … Read more
In addition to its staff, the BBC engages with large volumes of self-employed people, many of whom operate as personal service companies. In 2017, the government introduced reforms to the off payroll working rules (IR35) in the public sector, and HMRC introduced a new digital service to help people determine employment status. Some people who … Read more
Under the Scotland Act 1998 the NAO produces an annual report for the Scottish parliament on HMRC’s administration of Scottish income tax. As part of the report this year we will be reporting on the calculation of the final revenue attributable to Scotland for 2016-17 under the Scottish rate provisions and HMRC’s estimate of the … Read more
Children’s services cost local government in excess of £8 billion every year. For many local authorities these services are a significant portion of their annual budget. The children’s services sector has consistently warned that it is facing a growing crisis of financial and service sustainability, as demand for its services increases and local government funding … Read more
In 2018, immigration related issues faced by members of the Windrush generation began to surface, including reports of individuals experiencing problems accessing public services and being wrongly detained or deported. This NAO study will provide Parliament with a report on the Home Office and its handling of the Windrush generation cases. It aims to set … Read more
EastEnders is a flagship programme for the BBC, which appeals to a broad range of audiences. The BBC is currently carrying out a project, known as ‘E20’, to replace and enlarge the EastEnders set and associated infrastructure at BBC Elstree. The existing set was built in 1985. It is being replaced because film technology has … Read more
For the first time this year the NAO will be reporting on HMRC’s preparations for the administration of the Welsh rate of income taxes under the Government of Wales Act 2006 in preparation for the devolution of income tax powers to Wales for the 2018-19 tax year. The report will provide an update on the … Read more
Local public bodies (local authorities, including police and crime commissioners and fire and rescue authorities, and local NHS bodies such as Clinical Commissioning Groups, NHS trusts and Foundation Trusts) are finding it increasingly difficult to balance the delivery of good quality services and maintaining a sound financial position. The NAO’s recent reports on Financial sustainability … Read more
The Royal Assent of the Bank of England and Financial Services Act 2016 (the Act) took place in May 2016. The Act provides for the National Audit Office (NAO) to conduct value for money audit, on the basis of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Bank of England (the Bank) and the NAO. The … Read more
Council governance and accountability arrangements are key in securing value for money locally. However, these arrangements are being tested by the current financial circumstances in the sector. Increasingly difficult decisions need to be made to protect key services and ensure financial sustainability. This includes the design and delivery of large service transformation programmes and the … Read more
We last reported to Parliament on the apprenticeships programme in September 2016. Since then there have been a number of developments which make revisiting this topic timely, including: a 0.5% levy has been introduced on the payroll of large employers to fund apprenticeships a new Institute for Apprenticeships has been established to ensure quality employer-designed … Read more
In June 2014, the then Government introduced its Transforming Rehabilitation reforms. These reforms aimed to open up the market to a diverse range of rehabilitation providers from the private and voluntary sectors to promote innovative approaches to reducing re-offending. They also extended statutory rehabilitation for those serving sentences of less than 12 months and introduced … Read more
The Government set itself the goal of seeing 1 million more disabled people in employment by 2027 in its policy paper Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability. This study will examine the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) employment support to people with disabilities and long-term health conditions. In particular it will consider … Read more
In January 2018, our report on sustainability and transformation in the NHS concluded that extra funding it received in 2016-17 was spent on coping with current pressures rather than the transformation required to put the health system on a sustainable footing. We also reported that trusts were still a long way from being able to … Read more
This study is part of the National Audit Office’s programme of work on services for children, and will focus on whether the Department for Education supports pupils with special educational needs and disabilities effectively. The study will cover all school-aged children needing support for special educational needs and disabilities, both those with an education, health … Read more