2019 will be a pivotal year for local government in England. Numerous difficult and open-ended questions need rapid resolution, at a time when government focus and capacity is directed elsewhere. Drawing on a number of our recent reports, here I explore some of the challenges facing the sector, from budget cuts and growing social care […]
Equipment cannibalisation in the Royal Navy has doubled in the past 12 years. It can be effective to meet operational needs but can increase costs and create disruption.
Government needs to ensure its growth plans for Cambridge are aligned with its £6-7bn investment in a new regional railway (East West Rail, Oxford to Cambridge), so it can maximise the economic benefits of the line, a new report by the National Audit Office says.
This study examines whether the government and Network Rail are in a position to deliver the Transpennine Route Upgrade successfully.
The HS1 project has delivered a high performing line, which was subsequently sold in a well-managed way. But international passenger numbers are falling far short of forecasts and the project costs exceed the value of journey time saving benefits.
The National Audit Office has today published independent reviews of value for money savings reported by the Department for Transport and the Home Office as part of their 2008-09 Annual Reports. The Department for Transport reported savings of £892 million, of which the NAO found that 43 per cent fairly represent realised cash savings, 22 […]
Government is funding thousands of levelling up projects across the UK. But many of these deadlines are unlikely to be met.
Our report assesses the government’s progress delivering its ambition to increase rates of walking, wheeling and cycling.
The Highways Agency’s PFI contract to widen the M25 could have been better value for money. The slowness with which it was taken forward resulted in higher financing costs, and the Agency was slow to investigate a potentially cheaper alternative to widening.
This report looks at how DESNZ is set up for power sector decarbonisation while maintaining security of electricity supply and affordability.
This report assesses how prepared government departments are for the changes required at the border after EU exit.
A report today by the National Audit Office highlights the fall in the number of deaths among both pedestrians and cyclists since the mid-1990s though more remains to be done to improve their safety. The number of deaths among pedestrians has fallen by 36 per cent but Great Britain is some way behind some of […]
In June 2015, the Secretary of State for Transport announced that two large rail electrification schemes would be paused because the rail investment portfolio was costing more and taking longer.
Devolution deals to devolve power from central government to local areas in England offer opportunities to stimulate economic growth and reform public services for local users, but the arrangements are untested and government could do more to provide confidence that these deals will achieve the benefits intended
This report makes recommendations for Crossrail Ltd and the programme sponsors as Crossrail nears completion.
Under the management of the Department for Transport, the process for awarding passenger Rail Franchises in England and Wales has delivered better value for money, with subsidies expected to fall. But some fares will rise above inflation and crowding for many commuters will increase in the short term until investment delivers more carrying capacity. Today’s […]
This report examines progress in establishing Integrated Care Systems in England.
Limitations in Network Rail’s cost information has hampered the ability of the Office of Rail Regulation to assess efficiency savings.
This report examines government’s progress in tackling local breaches of NO2 limits and its performance on air quality more broadly.