Funding and structures for local economic growth
Published on:It has not yet been demonstrated that funding mechanisms for supporting local economic growth are capable of delivering value for money.
It has not yet been demonstrated that funding mechanisms for supporting local economic growth are capable of delivering value for money.
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.
Central government needs to have better engagement with local government, particularly as more services are devolved.
Not all local authorities’ Council Tax support scheme will achieve the objectives outlined by the Department of Communities and Local Government.
The lack of predictability of funding for highways authorities has practical implications for road networks and may lead to increased costs in the long term.
Improvements have been made to the running of the Regional Growth Fund, but there is still a significant amount of public money to allocate through the Fund.
DWP is working to manage the introduction of the housing benefit reforms and has a critical role to play in anticipating adverse consequences.
The new policing oversight framework has been in place for a year but already there are gaps in the system with the potential to undermine accountability both to the Home Office and the public.
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.
Payment by results (PbR) schemes are hard to get right, and are risky and costly for commissioners. Credible evidence for claimed benefits of PbR is now needed.
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.
Although some areas of the NHS in England are achieving value for money for out-of-hours GP services, this is not the case across the board.
G4S and Serco, two of the new providers awarded Home Office contracts to provide accommodation for asylum seekers in the UK, struggled to get the contracts up and running.
The NAO has today published a review of three formula-based grants from central government to fund local public services.
This report draws out good practice lessons from three local improvement projects. It has been produced jointly by the National Audit Office, Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.
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.
The NAO believes a review of the New Homes Bonus scheme is essential to ensure the Department understands the substantial financial risks to local authorities.
By operating in a more integrated way, government could reduce inefficiencies in public services and deliver a better service to citizens. A case study on the Whole-Place Community Budget pilots points to the potential benefits on offer where public services are integrated more effectively.
Although new organisations set up as part of the reformed health system were ready to start functioning on time, the transition to the system is not yet complete.