Sir John Bourn, Head of the National Audit Office, today reported to Parliament on the qualification of his audit opinion on the House of Commons Members Resource Accounts for 2005-06. Notes to Editors Press notices and reports are available from the date of publication on the NAO website at www.nao.gov.uk. Hard copies can be obtained […]
The UK has levels of social security fraud and error which are similar to those in comparable countries, but the Department for Work and Pensions has a better understanding than other nations of the problems and is doing more to tackle them. A report by the National Audit Office, based on research carried out by […]
IT services are crucial for HM Revenue & Customs’ business. In its procurement of the £3 billion IT outsourcing contract, ASPIRE, the Department secured competition for a contract which meets its IT needs, and completed the transfer to the new supplier Capgemini without loss of service to customers. The Department secured the competition by contributing […]
Since 1999, low cost home ownership (LCHO) assistance has helped 40,000 people to buy their properties. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has made a commitment to help an extra 100,000 households into home ownership by 2010. But demand for assistance far exceeds supply. In 2004-05, 11,000 households received assistance through Government funded […]
Published 12 July 2006
The National Audit Office has found that while the NHS has successfully reduced its expenditure on agency nursing staff, temporary staff remain a key component of trusts’ ability to be flexible and expenditure on temporary nursing staff employed through nursing banks and NHS Professionals has increased. Many NHS trusts do not have robust information to […]
The Department for International Development works well with civil society organisations (CSOs) to help some of the world’s poorest people, according to today’s National Audit Office report. But the department needs better information on the effectiveness of CSOs in developing countries, and on the impact of its assistance, if it is to ensure aid is […]
The creation of Ofcom, the Office of Communications, was a major challenge, demanding decisive leadership and well structured project management. There were, however, no clear measures put in place at the outset to monitor whether the merger was a success. Although data is limited, the NAO has carried out a preliminary assessment which indicates that […]
The Child Support Reforms introduced in 2003 were a final but, in the event, unsuccessful attempt to deliver the policy behind the creation of the Child Support Agency in 1993. With hindsight the Child Support Agency was never structured in a way that would enable the policy to be delivered cost-effectively. While the Reforms have […]
Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs) are often not used in the right way, according to a report published today by the National Audit Office. The report finds that the purpose of RIAs is not always understood, there is a lack of clarity in the presentation of the analysis and persistent weaknesses in the assessments. As a […]
The National Audit Office reported to Parliament today the results of its examination of the National Programme for IT in the NHS. The Programme’s scope, vision and complexity are wider and more extensive than any ongoing or planned healthcare IT programme in the world and it represents the largest single IT investment in the UK […]
The National Audit Office today published its first two Independent Performance Assessments of Regional Development Agencies, covering the North West Development Agency (NWDA) and the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) respectively. In this first round of assessments, the NWDA scored 20 points out of a possible 24 which is equivalent to performing strongly. The […]
The right to roam was successfully introduced two months ahead of target, according to a report by the National Audit Office. Information on how to use this new right is generally good, although there are lessons to be learned on estimating and managing costs, with expenditure on the scheme almost double the original estimate. But, […]
The National Audit Office today published its first two Independent Performance Assessments of Regional Development Agencies, covering the North West Development Agency (NWDA) and the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) respectively. In this first round of assessments, the NWDA scored 20 points out of a possible 24 which is equivalent to performing strongly. The […]
The Ministry of Defence is at the forefront of best practice in some areas of contract negotiation but needs to achieve these high levels more consistently, the National Audit Office reported today. The report to Parliament by head of the NAO, Sir John Bourn, looks at the importance of good contract management and builds on […]
The National Audit Office has today backed HM Revenue and Customs’ assessment that the overall risk to VAT revenue from on-line shopping, or e-commerce, is currently low. The Department has been alert to specific areas of risk which have emerged and is well-positioned to tackle these. As activity increases in this fast changing environment, it […]
Fines are the most common sentence imposed by magistrates’ courts but many offenders are still either unwilling or unable to pay, with the result that Her Majesty’s Courts Service has to take enforcement action against most offenders. Too many offenders leave court without paying their fines in full and too many court hearings are wasted […]
Central Government spends over £2.6 billion a year supporting small business. The Small Business Service (SBS) is responsible for leading Government actions for small business primarily through leading on a Government Action Plan. The SBS has delivered some successful projects itself, but to date it does not have measures to establish its overall impact, or […]
Sir John Bourn, the head of the National Audit Office, reported to Parliament today on the cancellation of the Paddington Health Campus scheme in June 2005 at a cost of £15 million. The scheme was a complex and ambitious attempt to build a world-class healthcare facility and ultimately proved to be beyond the capacity of […]