Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported to Parliament today that the Radiocommunications Agency* has successfully entered into a partnership with CMG plc**, a global Information and Communications Technology group, which could result in significant financial savings. In June 1998 the Agency and CMG plc established a joint venture company, Radio Spectrum […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that, since the 1995 drought, leakage in England and Wales has been reduced by some 1.8 million cubic metres a day, equivalent to the amount of water used daily by more than 12 million people. The National Audit Office examined how the Office […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reporting today on the top 20 defence equipment projects in demonstration and manufacture told Parliament that the Ministry of Defence is expecting to meet the technical requirements of customers but not always within cost and time. There is evidence that the Ministry of Defence has begun […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today reported to Parliament that in October 1998 the National Museum of Wales made an irregular payment to Mr Tim Arnold, their departing Assistant Director (Resource Management).
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today reported to Parliament on the 1999-2000 account of the Millennium Commission, without qualifying his audit opinion on those accounts. The full text of his report is attached.
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that the targets for visitor numbers and income required by the Millennium Dome were highly ambitious and inherently risky. They involved a significant degree of financial exposure on the project, which materialised when the targets were missed. Sir John was commenting on the […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today published his report to Parliament on the results of his examination of the Public Health Laboratory Service Board Accounts for 1998-99. Sir John issued a report to Parliament on the account concerning the breakdown of financial controls following the contracting out by the Board of […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that in recent years the Ministry of Defence have produced fewer trained pilots than the Armed Services require, and some 45 a year (18 per cent) fewer than needed have entered operational service. This situation has contributed to a shortfall in operational pilots […]
The Department of Trade & Industry (the DTI)’s approach to the Post Office’s purchase of German Parcel for £289 million was reasonable under the circumstances, Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported to Parliament today. The Post Office wanted to buy German Parcel and the DTI had the responsibility for overseeing the […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported to Parliament today that the failure to introduce the Benefits Payment Card had cost the Department of Social Security some £127 million in nugatory system development. Delays in the Card programme, which was part of a pioneering Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project designed also to […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today reported to Parliament that properly planned and managed risk taking by government departments can promote innovation and lead to improved value for money for taxpayers. Departments are increasingly considering how best to devise and implement effective risk management strategies. By September 2000, all departments must […]
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 […]
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. […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today reported to Parliament the results of his examination of the Child Support Agency’s Client Funds Account for 1999-2000. Sir John qualified his opinion on the account due to the level of error in receipts from non resident parents and errors in outstanding maintenance balances, arising […]
The Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, today reported to Parliament that he has qualified his opinion on the financial statements of the Government Property Lawyers Agency for the year ended 31 March 1998 due to a fraud which resulted in a £542,000 loss to public funds.
In April 2000, three men were sentenced to prison terms for corruption in relation to the purchase of homes, between 1991 and 1995, by Focus Housing Association from a Birmingham property dealer. Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that the Corporation’s routine reviews of Focus during that period did […]
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 […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that the Private Finance Initiative deal for the new British Embassy in Berlin is likely to provide a suitable building at a price slightly lower than a comparable conventional procurement. The contract provides for the construction of a new Embassy building and its […]
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office (NAO), told Parliament today that the Prison Service had secured £1 million of the expected £10.7 million increase in returns to shareholders of Fazakerley Prison Services Limited, following the refinancing of the Fazakerley prison contract let under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). Further refinancings of PFI […]