A National Audit Office report has concluded that two programmes aimed at building capacity in the third sector have had a positive impact on frontline third sector organisations but have not yet demonstrated value for money. Both have suffered from administrative weaknesses and a lack of initial targets against which the effectiveness of the programmes […]
This report examines whether government’s arrangements for decommissioning AGR nuclear power stations will lead to better value for money.
Our Intelligent Monitoring guidance will help focus time and money on key services.
This report looks at the Restart scheme, DWP’s employment support response for people who are long-term unemployed.
A National Audit Office review of the regime for overseeing markets and enforcing competition law in the UK has found that it is generally effective and well regarded by comparison with international equivalents. However, the NAO has found that the competition system as a whole must still address a number of challenges to function as […]
This impacts case study shows how our investigation of a contract in which Defra appeared to have been overcharged gave greater impetus and legitimacy to Defra’s approach to negotiating a settlement.
It is one example of financial or non-financial benefits realised in 2014 as a result of our involvement, all of which are set out in our interactive PDF.
Senior Audit Manager Natalie Low gives an NAO perspective on the NHS as it turns 75. What has many decades of the NAO auditing one of the largest employers in the world revealed?
The National Audit Office has warned that the value for money of 43 major government projects worth around £200 billion is at risk because of significant weaknesses in the Government’s commercial skills and expertise. But there is an even greater risk to many other complex projects where skills shortages are not being assessed systematically. The […]
This investigation examines DHSC’s performance in managing PPE contracts. It is a factual account of what has happened since November 2020.
Since the introduction of a new type of maintenance contract in 2001 by the Highways Agency there have been some improvements in the quality and delivery to budget of maintenance on England’s motorways and trunk roads. However, according to a report by the National Audit Office, costs have risen, with those for routine maintenance increasing […]
This report is a detailed review of government contracts let to Randox between January 2020 and December 2021.
The National Audit Office has been unable to conclude that the Ministry of Defence has achieved value for money from the procurement phase of its £10.5 billion private finance deal for the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA), according to a report released today. Despite managing the later stages of the procurement well, the MOD’s ability […]
Central government could make large savings by better managing its contracts for services such as IT, security, catering and cleaning, according to a report today by the National Audit Office. Better contract management could potentially generate estimated savings of between £160 million and £290 million a year, across total annual expenditure on service contracts of […]
The National Audit Office has today reported to Parliament that there are risks to value for money from the way the Legal Services Commission (the LSC) administers and procures legal aid for criminal cases. In 2008-09, the Commission spent more than £1.1 billion on criminal legal aid – legal assistance for people suspected of or […]
Most PFI hospital contracts are well-managed and the evidence indicates that they are currently achieving the value for money expected when the contracts were signed. There continue to be risks, however, to the long-term value for money of these contracts.
The project to replace the UK’s ageing Anti Air Warfare capability, which is currently provided by the Type 42 destroyer, has suffered significant delays of over two years and costs have escalated to some £6½ billion, up by nearly 30 per cent from initial estimates of £5 billion. More recently, the project has progressed well, […]
By transferring ownership or leases of around 60 per cent of its estate (591 properties) to a private contractor, Mapeley, in 2001, the Inland Revenue and HM Customs & Excise planned to reduce their running costs and had the opportunity to save up to £1.2 billion by reducing the size of the estate. However, in […]
A report today by the National Audit Office has found that the failure of Metronet – a private infrastructure company responsible for the maintenance and upgrade of sections of the London Underground – has led to an estimated direct loss to the taxpayer of between £170 million and £410 million. There has also been an […]
The Office of Fair Trading has improved its operations following recommendations on maintaining competition in markets made by the National Audit Office and Committee of Public Accounts in 2005 and 2006. According to an NAO progress report published today, the OFT now needs to concentrate its efforts on strengthening the skills and experience of its […]