The Work of Committees in Session 2008-09 - Liaison Committee Contents

Appendix 3: National Audit Office Support for House of Commons Select Committees in 2009

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Introduction

The National Audit Office works on behalf of Parliament and the taxpayer to hold government to account for the use of public money. Our aim is to apply the unique perspectives of public audit to help Parliament and government drive lasting improvement in public services. Our financial audit work helps government enhance effective financial management and transparent reporting. Our value for money audit seeks to make recommendations leading directly to improvements and efficiencies in public services. We provide independent analysis and assurance to Parliament and look to place our skills at the service of Parliament as a whole, supporting the Committee of Public Accounts, other select committees and individual Members in their scrutiny of public expenditure and service delivery.

One of our key roles is to support Parliamentary scrutiny by assisting the Committee of Public Accounts in its scrutiny of departments. We work with the Committee to secure sustainable improvements in public service performance through the provision of major reports examining government programmes. We provide informal support to the Committee for the 50 or so meetings a year it holds on these reports and the Comptroller and Auditor General and National Audit Office staff attend each hearing.

In addition to supporting the Committee of Public Accounts, with the support of the Public Accounts Commission, the National Audit Office has increased the resources available to support other select committees in both Houses. We provide support within our areas of expertise, such as analysis of financial statements, financial management and reporting, value for money, performance evaluation, regulation, and policy implementation. This paper sets out the support provided to Commons select committees by the National Audit Office in the 2008-09 Session.

Supporting Select Committees

Our support to other select committees in their scrutiny of public services and expenditure takes a number of forms, ranging from the provision of formal evidence for the committee, including evidence-gathering and research in response to a Committee's request, to informal oral and written briefings, and the secondment of staff with particular expertise in the area covered by a Committee. In 2008-09 we provided support to 16 select committees (listed in the Table below) and, in a new development, we also supplied a member of staff on attachment on a part-time basis to support each regional select committee with its work.

Table: The National Audit Office supported the following Commons select committees in the 2008-09 Session

Business Innovation and Skills Committee

Children, Schools and Families Committee

Communities and Local Government Committee

Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Defence Committee

Energy and Climate Change Committee

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Environmental Audit Committee

Health Committee

Home Affairs Committee

International Development Committee

Justice Committee

Public Administration Select Committee

Regulatory Reform Committee

Treasury Committee

Work and Pensions Committee

Performance briefings for select committees

As part of our work aimed at strengthening financial scrutiny, we produce annual performance briefings for departmental select committees on the performance of their respective departments. Designed to assist committees in navigating and interpreting the substantial amounts of information available on a department's performance, the briefings are based on material in Departmental Annual Reports and, where appropriate, on issues that arise from the National Audit Office's value for money reports, financial audit and wider work, for example on regulation, the efficiency programme and performance system validation. Under this initiative in 2008-09 we provided performance briefings for select committees on 12 departments. A further two performance briefs were produced at the start of the new Session in December 2009.

The Environmental Audit Committee

The National Audit Office has a long established relationship with the Environmental Audit Committee and provides regular formal and informal support of various kinds. During 2008-09 we produced two published papers in response to requests for support from the Committee:

European Union Emissions Trading Scheme - a briefing paper on the operation and performance of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme and the outcome of negotiations on Phase III of the Scheme in order to provide the Committee with an overview of how far the Committee's concerns had been addressed.

Adapting to Climate Change - a briefing that provides an overview of government policy on adapting to climate change, including the implications of the Climate Change Act 2008 and the cross-government Adapting to Climate Change Programme, and progress across government Departments in identifying and managing risks from future climate change impacts.

The Committee also commissioned a briefing from the National Audit Office on air quality to provide an overview of the impact of air pollution, performance against the various UK and EU targets and objectives, and government policy dealing with air pollution which was produced at the start of the new Session in December 2009.

Other support for select committees

The National Audit Office has provided formal written evidence to a number of select committees. For example, in response to a request from the Defence Committee we undertook research to identify the views of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) about the Comprehensive Approach in support of the Committee's inquiry examining to what extent UK military and non-military agencies work effectively through a Comprehensive Approach "with commonly understood principles and collaborative processes that enhance the likelihood of favourable and enduring outcomes within a particular situation".

We have also assisted a number of select committees by providing oral and written briefings on subjects to help identify areas for committee scrutiny. For example, during the year we briefed the Justice Committee on the Crown Prosecution Service Business and the Treasury Committee on efficiency savings. We also provided a briefing for the Regulatory Reform Committee's inquiry into themes and trends in regulatory reform.

Support to select committees in 2008-09 also included secondments of National Audit Office staff to the Defence, Environmental Audit, and Treasury Committees. The Office has also continued to support the Committee Office Scrutiny Unit by seconding two staff at a time to the Unit.

National Audit Office

February 2010

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Prepared 16 March 2010