Since 2003, government departments have improved the management of their finances. But stronger financial management is now more important than ever to ensure that every pound of public money is spent to best effect in an increasingly challenging financial environment. Central government manages more financial resources than ever before, and these are expected to grow […]
The Department for International Development’s (DFID’s) use of budget support is helping developing country governments to build their capacity and expand basic services. But, according to a report out today by the National Audit Office, evidence on whether budget support has yielded better value for money than other forms of aid is not conclusive. While […]
The NAO has reported today that, despite some progress, there is still a significant gap between the employment rate for the ethnic minority population and that for the general population which could take thirty years to eliminate. The Department for Work and Pensions’ strategy to tackle this has had some success, but in the NAO’s […]
The National Audit Office reported today that the effective delivery of community order sentences could be improved to secure the full benefits of the scheme by the National Probation Service. Not all components of community orders are used in all probation areas. In addition, there is incomplete data on the cost of orders and the […]
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has established the first comprehensive programme to clean up the UK’s first generation of public sector civil nuclear facilities. A report out today by the National Audit Office shows that the Authority has made progress but will need to tackle significant challenges if it is to ensure a step change in […]
The Department of Health is on track to meet most of the key targets identified in a review of its arm’s length bodies, according to a report out today by the National Audit Office. By the end of 2007-08, expenditure will have reduced by £555 million, against the target of £500 million. And the number […]
The Department for Work and Pensions has made good progress in tackling benefit fraud, which is estimated to have fallen from an estimated £2 billion in 2000-01 to £800 million in 2006-07, a substantial achievement by its staff, although definitional changes have helped. Tackling benefit fraud is inherently difficult as it is in the nature […]
Since the early 1990s, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Driving Standards Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency have made some of their services available either through the internet, by telephone or through business to business computer systems. A report released today by the National Audit Office has found that these developments […]
Government departments have improved the quality of the data systems used to report progress against their Public Service Agreements. But a report out today by the National Audit Office found that although half of the data systems needed no further work, over a third, though broadly appropriate, needed strengthening and some 15 per cent were […]
The reorganisation of neonatal services in England has helped improve care for premature and low birth weight babies with fewer babies travelling long distances for suitable treatment. But, according to the National Audit Office, further improvements to the service are being limited by shortages in nursing staff, a lack of cots in the right place […]
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is the non-departmental public body which pays statutory financial compensation to victims of violent crime. Its performance has declined since the National Audit Office last reported on it in 2000 and it has not consistently met its targets over that period. In 2006, CICA initiated a major programme of […]
The government’s reform programme to improve attainment and participation in education and training for 14 to 19 year olds has wide support at local level, including for the new Diplomas, which seek to blend general education with applied learning. The National Audit Office has today reported that the reform programme has met its key milestones […]
The NAO review looked at how the BBC manages its spending on goods and services and whether it is organised and equipped to deliver best value from its procurement. It also examined whether there was scope for the BBC to make further savings from its procurement arrangements.
The Rural Payments Agency has made good progress, but still has more to do to resolve all the problems it experienced in administering the 2005 EU single payment scheme to farmers in England, according to a report by the National Audit Office. It succeeded in meeting the June 2007 deadline for paying claims under the […]
The NHS as a whole achieved a net surplus of £515 million in 2006-07, compared with a net deficit of £547 million in 2005-06, according to a report out today by the National Audit Office. The NHS Summarised Accounts show that in 2006-07 287 NHS organisations reported a gross surplus of £1,431 million (2005-06: 357 […]
Crisis Resolution Home Treatment teams are having a positive impact on local acute mental health services, providing an alternative to hospital admission for people experiencing a short-term mental health crisis. But a report out today by the National Audit Office found that services are being limited by a lack of input from specialist health and […]
The National Audit Office’s annual report on 20 of the top defence equipment projects shows that, while there has been progress on the majority of projects in the last year, there continue to be time delays and cost increases on some of the major projects. Of the fifteen projects not in service as at April […]
Shared service centres in the NHS and HM Prison Service are on course to deliver substantial financial savings. But a report out today by the National Audit Office found that central government was initially slow to adopt shared services. While the momentum has picked up it is not clear that the shared services initiative is […]
Some departments are on their way towards having a structured and strategic approach to property asset management. But central government departments are still a long way from achieving full value for money from their office accommodation, according to the National Audit Office. In a report out today, the government’s spending watchdog found that departments could […]