With the number of further education (FE) colleges in financial difficulty expected to rise rapidly, there are fundamental structural problems which might require decisions at a regional or sector-wide level.
This Departmental Overview is one of 15 we are producing covering our work on each major government department. It summarises our work on the Department for Communities and Local Government during 2011-12.
Central government needs to have better engagement with local government, particularly as more services are devolved.
The Programme launch has been successful, however key risks remain such as the planned delivery of new homes towards the end of the programme period.
The Comptroller and Auditor General has qualified his audit opinion on the 2011-12 financial statements of the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) because of irregular ex-gratia payments, totalling £51,000, made by the Agency to its staff.
Police forces have successfully reduced costs since 2011, but do not have a clear understanding of the demands placed upon them or of the factors that affect their costs.
Up to 60% of buildings with dangerous cladding have not yet been identified & remediation for buildings within government’s portfolio is slow.
A programme to sell enough government land by March 2015 to build a potential 100,000 homes did not collect information on the amount of money raised or how many homes have actually been built. In future land sales, responsibility for monitoring what happens to land after disposal should be made clear.
The Emergency Services Network is one of the most technologically advanced systems worldwide and is set to replace the existing emergency services communication system, Airwave. However several risks have been highlighted.
In June 2011, the National Audit Office reported on the system for enforcing consumer law and the Government subsequently made a series of reforms to the consumer landscape. This update report summarises recent changes and sets out the proposed benefits to consumers, businesses and taxpayers as well as the possible risks to be managed.
This briefing draws out findings from 46 NAO reports since 2008-09 that are relevant to local delivery. It communicates the wide range of work we have undertaken and the main lessons that have arisen from it.
The provision of adequate adult social care poses a significant public service challenge. Demand for care is rising while public spending is falling.
The Help to Buy equity loan scheme is improving access to mortgage finance, but the scheme’s costs will be substantial.
It has not yet been demonstrated that funding mechanisms for supporting local economic growth are capable of delivering value for money.
This Departmental Overview is one of 17 we have produced covering our work on each major government department. It summarises our work on the Department for Communities and Local Government during 2010-2011.
There is wide variation in the extent to which £79 billion in central funding allocated to local health bodies differs from target allocations that are based on relative need.
• This is NAO’s first report on funding since the 2013 health reforms took effect. Where possible comparisons have been made with funding under the previous system set out in a 2011 NAO report.
The NAO has today published a review of three formula-based grants from central government to fund local public services.
Local authorities have worked hard to manage reductions in government funding, but the DCLG needs to be better informed about the situation across England.
DWP is working to manage the introduction of the housing benefit reforms and has a critical role to play in anticipating adverse consequences.
The £1.4 billion funding could result in 41,000 extra full-time equivalent private sector jobs but thousands more could have been created from the same resources.