Showing 1941 - 1960 of 2637 results

  1. Lord Chancellor’s Department: Collection of fines and other financial penalties in the criminal justice system

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    The majority of financial penalties imposed by the courts are collected. But the significant cost of failing to bring in the remainder is highlighted today in a National Audit Office report. In 2000-2001, impositions which included fines, compensation awards to victims and prosecutors’ costs, totalled £385 million and collections £242 million – some of which related to […]

  2. Ministry of Defence: Implementation of Integrated Project Teams

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    Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reporting today on the implementation of Integrated Project Teams1 (IPTs) by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told Parliament that the teams had been introduced rapidly and successfully but needed to evolve further. He also reported that firm direction was now needed from the MoD to maintain […]

  3. Ministry of Defence: Combat Identification

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    Sir John Bourn, the Head of the NAO, told Parliament today that Combat Identification enables the Armed Forces to improve combat effectiveness and minimise the risk of fratricide, which is the accidental destruction of friendly or allied forces (“friendly fire”). Historical research in the United States has shown that fratricide accounts for between ten and […]

  4. The New Deal for Young People

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    The New Deal for Young People achieved its target of placing 250,000 young people into work in September 2000, and by October 2001 had helped 339,000 into jobs. It has had a positive effect on levels of youth employment and on the economy more broadly, although, as with other labour market programmes, many of these […]

  5. The Operation and wind up of Teesside Development Corporation

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    Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, has published his report on the operation and wind up of Teesside Development Corporation. The Comptroller and Auditor General’s report is in response to concerns raised with him by three Members of Parliament for the North East of England and a former contractor of the Corporation. […]

  6. The English Sports Council Accounts 2000-2001: Costs of Departure of Derek Casey, former Chief Exec of Sport England

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    Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today reported to Parliament on the costs of the departure of Mr Derek Casey, the former Chief Executive of Sport England. In drawing Parliament’s attention to this matter Sir John has not qualified his audit opinion on either the Sport England grant-in-aid or lottery fund accounts […]

  7. General lessons from a case of agricultural fraud

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    This article is taken from pages 14-15 of the NAO report Agricultural fraud: The case of Joseph Bowden – published February 2002 – and summarises the recommendations from this report.

  8. Agricultural Fraud: The case of Joseph Bowden

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    A National Audit Office report today highlights the lessons arising from the case of a farmer who committed one of the largest known frauds by an individual claiming subsidy under Common Agricultural Policy schemes in England. In October 2000 Joseph Bowden was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment for nine charges relating to false accounting and […]

  9. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Appropriation Accounts 2000-2001

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    Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today reported to Parliament that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) was making good progress in tackling vehicle excise duty evasion. Overall the Agency collected gross revenues in excess of £5.2 billion in 2000-01 (an increase of nearly £200 million from 1999-2000). The Agency continues […]

  10. HM Customs and Excise: The Misuse and Smuggling of Hydrocarbon Oils

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    In November 2001, Customs produced estimates for the first time of the revenue loss from frauds on petrol and diesel. Customs estimated that in 2000 the loss could be between £450 million and £980 million in the UK, compared to revenue receipts of £22.6 billion on oils duties. Of this, diesel frauds on the UK […]

  11. e-Revenue

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    The development of the internet and ‘e’ services has opened new opportunities for public sector bodies to improve services, and the way they communicate with individuals and organisations, in innovative ways at potentially low cost. The Inland Revenue is at the forefront of this drive to offer internet and other electronic services. Early developments have […]

  12. HM Customs & Excise Appropriation Accounts 2000-2001

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    The National Audit Office today reported the results of their examination of HM Customs and Excise’s systems to ensure they provide an effective check on the assessment, collection and allocation of tax revenue during the year ending 31 March 2001. The report includes details of measures taken by HM Customs & Excise to combat fraud. […]

  13. Delivering the Commercialisation of Public Sector Science

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    Sir John Bourn, the Head of the NAO, reported to Parliament today that there has been progress in capturing for the nation more of the economic and social benefits of scientific research funded by the taxpayer. Commercialisation can range from making research outputs available to all, free of charge, to forming companies to develop innovative […]

  14. Teachers’ Pension Scheme (England and Wales) Resource Account 2000-2001

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    Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today reported to Parliament on the 2000-2001 Teachers’ Pension Scheme (England and Wales) Resource Account. He has limited the scope of the audit opinion because the Managers of the Scheme were unable to provide him at the date of his opinion with sufficient evidence to support […]

  15. Ministry of Defence: The Joint Services Command and Staff College

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    Sir John Bourn, Head of the National Audit Office, told Parliament today that the Joint Services Command and Staff College was a success story and had obtained value for money when using the PFI to procure its permanent home. The Ministry of Defence did well to establish the College but there is scope to improve […]

  16. Department of Social Security Resource Accounts 2000-2001

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    There has been a reduction in the estimated loss of social security benefit through fraud and error compared to previous years, according to a National Audit Office report published today. However, the total amount of Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance overpaid in 2000-2001, over £1 billion, is still substantial. As a result, head of the […]

  17. Reducing Prisoner Reoffending

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    Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today welcomed progress made by the Prison Service in introducing programmes designed to help reduce the risk of reoffending but said there needs to be greater consistency in their provision across prisons. Currently around 58 per cent of prisoners are reconvicted within two years of being […]

  18. NHS Direct in England

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    NHS Direct, the national telephone healthcare advice service operated by nurses, has achieved a high level of customer satisfaction since its introduction. The service, which has been fully available throughout England and Wales since November 2000, has a good safety record. Evidence at the local level suggests that it can help reduce demand on healthcare […]

  19. Opening the Post: Postcomm and postal services – the risks and opportunities

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    In a report to Parliament today, Sir John Bourn, the head of the National Audit Office, said that Postcomm, the new regulator of postal services, face a challenging remit as they seek to bring benefits to users of postal services through the introduction of competition, and pointed to serious risks to Postcomm’s strategy of improving […]

  20. Widening participation in higher education in England

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    Student achievement rates in English higher education institutions have remained high during a period of considerable expansion of student numbers, although rates vary widely between institutions. The higher education sector will have to recruit and retain more students from hitherto poorly represented social groups and help them to succeed if the government’s learning targets are […]