Digital transformation has a mixed track record across government. It has not yet provided a level of change that will allow government to further reduce costs while still meeting people’s needs.
DCLG has made good progress in its design of 100% local business rates retention but faces a challenging timescale for delivery.
The National Audit Office has today published the findings of its investigation into the Department for Work & Pensions’ closure of its 1993 and 2003 ‘Child Support Agency’ child maintenance schemes.
Government has gaps in its capability and must do more to develop the skills needed. It is making plans, but the scale of the challenge means greater urgency is needed.
The first Road Investment Strategy represents an important step forward towards better long-term planning of the strategic road network. However, the speed with which it was put together created risks to deliverability, affordability and value for money.
Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) are local independent public bodies responsible for managing water levels in low-lying areas where there is a special drainage need and contributing to flood risk management. IDBs cover nearly 10% of England’s land area and spent more than £61m last year. The report focuses on governance and oversight arrangements; processes for raising concerns; and, the potential for conflicts of interest.
The Department has made good progress since we last reported on Carrier Strike, however it still has a lot to do to meet its targets at the end of 2020.
Good progress has been made by the Department of Health and NHS England in setting up a programme to close hospital beds for people with a learning disability, but the programme is not yet on track to achieve value for money. The report examines how the NHS in England and local authorities seek to improve the lives of the 129,000 people aged 18 to 64 who use local authority learning disability support services.
This report examines the evidence base supporting the decision to proceed with the Thames Tideway Tunnel, a tunnel running 25 kilometres from Acton to Abbey Mills, as well as progress achieved to date.
The Osborn ruling in October 2013 had an immediate impact on the demand for oral hearings conducted by the Parole Board.
The Department must make the best use of the capital funding it has available by continuing to increase the use of data to inform its funding decisions and by creating places where it can demonstrate that they will have the greatest impact.
In response to correspondence from Helen Goodman MP on behalf of 11 other MPs the NAO conducted an investigation into the Department for Communities and Local Government’s approach to the allocation of transition grant and rural service delivery grant (rural grant) for 2016-17.
The NAO has conducted an investigation into DFID’s approach to tackling fraud, following an increase in the potential risks after the government committed to spend 0.7% of GDP on foreign aid.
The Better Care Fund has not achieved the expected value for money, in terms of savings, outcomes for patients or hospital activity.
The BBC has improved the value for money of its activity, but there is scope to make improvements, particularly on licence fee evasion and the incomplete transition programme.
This looks at the chain of events which led to the government paying £711m in compensation to 34,000 pensioners who retired from the Police and Firefighters’ Pension Schemes between 2001 and 2006 without receiving their full pension entitlement. Due to the extent of the legal process in the case, some police and firefighters were retired for over 15 years before they received their full pension entitlement from government.
The risks to the affordability of the Ministry of Defence Equipment Plan are greater than at any point since reporting began in 2012.
Demand for ambulance services continues to grow rapidly, but services are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with rising demand.
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has not achieved value for money for its £100 million spend on the second competition for government financial support for carbon capture storage.
The need for housing in England has in recent years grown faster than its supply, and housebuilding needs to increase across the country.