This is a House of Commons Committee report, with recommendations to government. The Government has two months to respond.
The Government’s resources and waste reforms for England
Date Published: 1 December 2023
This is the full report, read the report summary.
Government’s 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy aims to establish a circular economy, where products are used again or for longer through reuse, repair, and recycling. It contained five strategic ambitions including doubling resource productivity and eliminating avoidable waste by 2050. In 2019, the need to decarbonise the waste sector became more significant due to the UK’s commitment to ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
As part of its work to deliver the strategy, the Department initiated three interrelated projects known as the collection and packaging reforms programme. The programme is intended to bring about major changes to how waste is paid for and collected. It includes:
The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) conducted two reviews in June and September 2022 on the deliverability of the programme. The first review gave the programme a ‘red’ rating, and concluded that successful delivery of the programme to time appeared to be unachievable. The second review noted the Department’s progress in implementing recommendations but maintained a ‘red’ rating, as it did not have confidence the extended producer responsibility scheme (the first of the collection and packaging reform projects) could be delivered by its expected deadline in October 2024.
1. There have been significant delays to the collection and packaging reforms, partly because the Department did not set the programme up well from the start. The Department’s original expectation was to launch the collection and packaging reforms programme in 2023. In July 2023, the Department decided to delay the introduction of the extended responsibility scheme, the first part of the programme, to October 2025. It plans to introduce the deposit return scheme in 2025, but it has not yet set out the timings or its requirements for the implementation of simpler recycling. Weaknesses in the Department’s set up of the programme contributed to these delays, including running the programme as three separate projects and poor programme management capability and capacity. This is reflected in IPA’s June and September 2022 reports and the Department has since looked to implement comprehensively all the IPA’s recommendations. The Department says that factors outside of its control have also contributed to the delays, for example, COVID-19 limiting its engagement with stakeholders and local authorities.
Recommendation 1
a) The Department should write to the Committee after the Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s next review of the Programme (due autumn 2023 when we took evidence), setting out how it will address any outstanding concerns that IPA raises.
b) The Department should ensure that the lessons it has learnt from these reforms are applied to improve the way it manages other projects and programmes. It should, as part of its Treasury minute response, summarise any common themes arising from Infrastructure and Projects Authority reviews across the Department’s portfolio, and how these are being addressed.
2. Businesses and local authorities still do not have the clarity they need from the Department to prepare for the changes that will be required, which risks increasing costs and delaying implementation. The collection and packaging reforms are reliant on businesses and consumers changing their behaviour by producing less, and recycling more. The lack of clarity on the requirements of the simpler recycling scheme, uncertainty around fees obligated companies will pay under the extended producer responsibility scheme and the impact of the payments to local authorities on their funding leaves businesses and local authorities unable to prepare. For example, this could result in all local authorities procuring new lorries and bins at around the same time, placing pressure on supply chains. It has been over two years since the Department closed its consultation on simpler recycling, and it has not yet finalised or published its requirements. The Department expects simpler recycling to increase recycling rates from 42% to 52–60% by 2035 which, without significant contributions from other projects, would leave it well short of its 2035 target to recycle 65% of municipal waste. Municipal waste is household waste and similar waste from other sources, for example from businesses. Continued uncertainty is actively hampering councils from investing and improving their services, delaying procurement, and undermining local authorities’ efforts to increase recycling rates.
Recommendation 2
a) The Department should, as part of its Treasury minute response, set a firm date for when it will set out the fees obligated companies (namely, those that produce packaging or sell packaged goods) will pay under the extended producer responsibility for packaging scheme, when it will clarify the impact of these payments for local authority funding, and when it will publish the government response to its consultation on simpler recycling. This consultation response should include a clear timetable for the launch of simpler recycling.
b) The Department should, as part of its Treasury minute response, explain how it expects to achieve government’s 2035 target to recycle 65% of waste from households given simpler recycling will only increase municipal recycling rates to 52–60%.
3. The Department is basing the design of the deposit return scheme on small trials and international experience, but a lack of like-for-like comparators may make it difficult to get the UK’s scheme right. The National Audit Office recommended the Department considers piloting the scheme due to uncertainties around the scale of the benefits to ensure it is value for money. The impact assessment for the deposit return scheme showed that more than 90% of the benefits of the scheme are based on an estimate of the value to society of reducing litter, and this is inherently difficult to determine. The Department does not plan to conduct a pilot of the deposit return scheme due to the practical challenges of setting it up. It plans to use the information it has on small trials combined with looking at the experiences of other countries who have implemented similar schemes. However, the Department accepts the international comparators are not directly comparable to the UK, for example some countries do not have kerbside collections which recycle some of the same waste.
Recommendation 3: Alongside its Treasury Minute response, the Department should write to the committee with an update on how it is drawing on international experience to inform the design and roll-out of the deposit return scheme. This should include commentary on what lessons there are from countries that have introduced deposit return schemes on top of kerbside collections.
4. While the Department recognises the importance of waste prevention and reuse, it is not clear what its plans are for meeting its target of doubling resource efficiency by 2050. The government considers that most of the damage to the environment from waste could be avoided at the design and production stages by considering the materials used in production and the ease with which products can be reused or repaired. It has an ambition to double resource efficiency by 2050. Stakeholder’s concern is that government has not given waste prevention and re-use sufficient priority. The Department has selected seven sectors to improve reuse and recycling, including textiles, waste electric equipment and batteries. It has set out a vision and approach, but what is lacking is a clear plan to understand when decisions need to be made by to ensure it is feasible to achieve the ambition of doubling resource efficiency by 2050.
Recommendation 4: Within the next 12 months the Department should write to the Committee to explain:
5. The Department has not yet set out the waste infrastructure capacity it expects will be needed in England to meet its ambitions, which makes it more difficult for the private sector to make informed investment decisions. It is clear that stakeholders responsible for investing in the necessary new recycling infrastructure need more certainty, clarity and granularity about the Department’s long-term policies on resource and waste management. Without this there is a risk of insufficient facilities to deal with the increased volumes of recycling arising from the reforms, and the packaging will be disposed of by incineration or sending to landfill, or exported for other countries to deal with. The Department plans to publish an infrastructure plan imminently, to set out a vision of where waste will be coming from, providing more confidence to invest in waste infrastructure.
Recommendation 5:
a) We expect the Department to have published its planned waste infrastructure plan before its Treasury minute response, but if this does not happen it should explain why not, and update the Committee on when it expects this will be published.
b) The Department should consult with key stakeholders after publication about whether this gives them sufficient clarity to make informed investment decisions, and write to the Committee to explain how it will address any outstanding gaps this highlights.
6. The government does not yet have good enough data to manage the waste system effectively, which it needs to understand how waste is recycled and to ensure waste exports are legal. To track progress and refine its plans the Department needs good information on outcomes such as waste production, landfilling and recycling. There are serious gaps and limitations in the Department’s data, for example commercial and industrial waste represents around one-fifth of total waste generated but the Department does not publish data on how much of it is recycled as it does not yet have a robust methodology for determining this. It is confident the waste-tracking project, expected to be completed by April 2025 at a cost of £9.5 million, will provide significantly more data to understand how waste is recycled and to ensure waste exports are legal and meets its waste export requirements. The Department says that it has an evaluation programme in place to develop new measures and the data behind them, and is carrying out research to fill gaps in its data.
Recommendation 6: The Department should set out it in its Treasury Minute what it sees as the priority data gaps and set ambitious timescales for filling the data gaps.
1. On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (the Department) about government’s programme of waste reforms.1
2. The Department has lead responsibility for resources and waste policy within government. Responsibilities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with waste are split: the Department is responsible for emissions from most waste management activities, including landfill and composting, while the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) is responsible for emissions from energy-from-waste plants and from industry. Local authorities are responsible for arranging collection and treatment of household waste. The Department spent more than £130 million on resources and waste work between April 2019 and March 2023, including on grants to other organisations.2
3. Government’s 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy aims to establish a circular economy, where products are used again or for longer through reuse, repair and recycling. It contained five strategic ambitions including doubling resource productivity and eliminating avoidable waste by 2050. In 2019, the need to decarbonise the waste sector became more significant due to the UK’s commitment to ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.3
4. As part of its work to deliver the strategy, the Department initiated three interrelated projects known as the collection and packaging reforms programme (the programme). The programme is intended to bring about major changes to how waste is paid for and collected. It includes:
5. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) is government’s centre of expertise for infrastructure and major projects. The IPA is responsible for overseeing programmes under the Government Major Project Portfolio (GMPP), including undertaking assurance reviews.5 It conducted two reviews in June and September 2022 on the deliverability of the programme. The first review gave the programme a ‘red’ rating, and concluded that successful delivery of the programme to time appeared to be unachievable. The second review noted the Department’s progress in implementing recommendations but maintained a ‘red’ rating, as it did not have confidence the extended producer responsibility scheme (the first of the collection and packaging reform projects) could be delivered by its expected deadline in October 2024.6
6. The collection and packaging reforms programme will be delayed by at least two years. The Department’s original expectation was to deliver the programme in 2023.7 In July 2023, it decided to delay the introduction of the extended producer responsibility scheme, the first part of the programme, to October 2025.8 It also plans to introduce the deposit return scheme in 2025, but it has not yet set out the timings or its requirements for the implementation of simpler recycling.9
7. The Department told us that factors outside of its control have contributed to the delays, for example, COVID-19 limiting its engagement with stakeholders and local authorities and political change impacting its ability to obtain cross-Government agreement.10 However, the Department also accepts the programme was impacted by poor initial set up including: running the programme as three separate projects and poor programme management capability and capacity.11 The Department recognises that it could have had better engagement with stakeholders.12 These weaknesses in the set-up to the programme are reflected in the Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s June and September 2022 reports.13 The Department told us it has since looked to implement comprehensively all the IPA’s recommendations. It told us it has since worked to:
8. The Department told us that its recent work on the reforms has amounted to a wider reset of the programme’s approach, and the programme is now fully resourced.15 It believes it has now addressed the weaknesses in its approach to the programme, and that the IPA’s review due this autumn should be more positive.16
9. The Department recognised the need to improve project capability across the whole organisation, and it has established a new director general role for project delivery. It told us it is looking at its capability, capacity and resource models across its portfolio of major projects and programmes. It told us that it has brought in over 100 programme management specialists in the past 12 months and a delivery partner to bring in specialists at short notice.17
10. The collection and packaging reforms programme is reliant on businesses and consumers changing their behaviour by producing less, and recycling more.18 The National Audit Office found the Department has much more to do to improve businesses’ confidence in the programme, and that a lack of clarity has made it hard for businesses and local authorities to prepare for the changes they will need to make.19 The Department told us its engagement with local authorities and businesses has involved: obtaining their views on the design of the programme; continued communication with them on how the programme is developing; and working with them to co-design the implementation of the programme.20
11. It has been over two years since the Department closed its consultation on consistent collections (now known as simpler recycling), and it has not yet finalised or published its requirements. Simpler recycling is crucial for England meeting its municipal target recycling rate of 65% by 2035.21 The Department expects simpler recycling to increase recycling rates from 42% to 52–60% by 2035 which, without significant contributions from other projects, would leave it well short of its 2035 target to recycle 65% of municipal waste.22 Municipal waste is household waste and similar waste from other sources, for example from businesses. We received written evidence from Green Alliance, which told us the 2035 recycling target is increasingly likely to be missed due to the delay to the introduction of the programme.23 The Department’s intention is to publish its requirements for simpler recycling as soon as possible.24
12. The Department suggests the delay in implementation of extended producer responsibility scheme is in part to allow councils more time to prepare and adjust services. However, we remain concerned that councils cannot use the additional time to prepare until they receive a timeline for implementation and confirmation of funding.25 For example, if this lack of clarity on the funding implications is only resolved near the start date for the new EPR scheme, this could mean that many local authorities start the process of procuring new lorries and bins around the same time. This could put pressure on supply chains and mean it takes longer than Defra expects for all local authorities to collect waste as required. In written evidence, the Districts Councils’ Network and Local Government Association highlighted how continued uncertainty around the requirements of the programme is actively hampering councils from investing and improving their services, delaying procurement, and undermining local authorities’ efforts to increase recycling rates.26
13. One of the Department’s objectives for implementing the extended producer responsibility scheme is to incentivise producers and retailers to use fewer, and more easily recyclable, materials in their packaging.27 We received written evidence from Marks and Spencer, a business required to pay fees under the extended responsibility scheme, which stressed the Department needs to provide clarity on the fees it will pay to drive behaviour change to reduce the use of packaging and where packaging is used, it is recycled.28
14. The deposit return scheme for single-use plastic and metal drinks containers will be funded by the companies producing the containers. The Department estimated the deposit return scheme to have at an average annual cost of £621 million (2020 present values, 2019 prices), reduced to £330 million (2020 present values, 2019 prices) after accounting for estimated unredeemed deposits.29
15. The National Audit Office recommended that the Department considers piloting the scheme due to uncertainties around the scale of the benefits to ensure it is value for money. The impact assessment for the deposit return scheme showed that more than 90% of the benefits of the scheme are based on an estimate of the value to society of reducing litter, and this is inherently difficult to determine. The Department was planning to use Scotland’s deposit return scheme as an opportunity to learn lessons, but the launch of this has now been delayed until at least October 2025, which is when the Department plans to launch its scheme.30
16. We asked if the Department plans to conduct a pilot of the deposit return scheme. It does not plan to conduct a pilot due to the practical challenges of setting it up. The Department told us it believes it has sufficient information from small trials and looking at the experiences of other countries who have implemented similar schemes.31 It told us that there are around 50 established and operational deposit return schemes internationally, and a number that are in development.32 The Department plans to learn from each of the examples and apply this to development of its deposit return scheme.33 However, it accepts the international comparators are not directly comparable to the UK, for example because some countries do not have an established and mature kerbside collection which recycles the same containers as its deposit return scheme.34
17. The government considers that most of the damage to the environment from waste could be avoided at the design and production stages by considering the materials used in production and the ease with which products can be reused or repaired. It has an ambition to double resource efficiency (the use that is drawn from raw materials before they are discarded) by 2050. The Department considered setting a long-term statutory target for resource efficiency in 2022. It decided not to because it did not yet have a reliable way of measuring such a target. The Department also recognised it had more to do to build its understanding of the impacts and risks of potential policy interventions to ensure that a target in this area would be achievable.35
18. Stakeholders, including Green Alliance which provided us with written evidence, are concerned that government has not given waste prevention and re-use sufficient priority.36 The Department told us that it aims to push waste up the ‘waste hierarchy’ over time. The waste hierarchy ranks waste management options according to what is best for the environment. Its priority is preventing waste in the first place, when waste is created it gives priority to preparing it for re-use, then recycling, then recovery for example incineration with energy recovery, and last of all disposal for example through landfill.37
19. The Department published a waste prevention programme for England in July 2023.38 It selected seven sectors to improve reuse and recycling, including textiles, waste electric equipment and batteries. The Department told us it plans to put out a consultation shortly on waste electricals and batteries to consult on improvements to the current schemes. For the seven sectors, the Department told us it has set out a vision and approach, but does not have long-term detailed timeline on when change will be implemented.39 The Environmental Services Association, a trade body representing up to 85% of the resource and waste management industry told us in written evidence that the government must implement far more concrete measures on waste prevention if we are to eliminate avoidable waste of all kinds by 2050.40
20. The North London Waste Authority, Mura Technology Limited and Suez, which invests in or builds the necessary new recycling infrastructure, provided us with written evidence explaining that they need more certainty, clarity and granularity about the Department’s long-term policies on resource and waste management if they are to meet deadlines, targets and make investment decisions.41 Without this there is a risk of insufficient recycling facilities to deal with the increased volumes of recycling arising from the reforms. If new infrastructure is not developed there is a risk that the packaging will be disposed of by incineration or landfill, or exported for other countries to deal with.42 This also increases the risk of illegal export of waste overseas, which we examined as part of our session on Government actions to combat waste crime.43
21. The Department claims it has a comprehensive vision and plan, but accepts more detail is needed for businesses and waste management authorities.44 The Department acknowledged that businesses and local government need more information on how extended producer responsibility and simpler recycling will work, as well as on its infrastructure pathway, which will set out the amount and type of waste facilities likely to be needed in England to 2035, if they are to build relevant infrastructure that is needed.45 The Department plans to publish its infrastructure pathway imminently. The Department told us that based on its modelling, it expects that existing energy-from-waste plants will continue to be needed in the long term as part of managing the shift away from sending waste to landfill.46
22. To track progress and refine its plans the Department needs good information on outcomes such as waste production, landfilling and recycling. There are serious gaps and limitations in the Department’s data, for example commercial and industrial waste represents around one-fifth of total waste generated but the Department does not publish data on how much of it is recycled as it does not yet have a robust methodology for determining this.47 In Defra’s November 2022 resources and waste strategy progress monitoring report, nine out of 23 indicators were almost three years out of date at publication, with no data for a further three indicators which are under development.48
23. The Department believes its waste tracking project will provide significantly more data to understand how waste is recycled and to ensure waste exports are legal and meets its waste export requirements. At present, data on waste transfers are recorded by waste operators in disparate systems and in diverse and unconnected ways, sometimes on paper and without sharing beyond the two parties to a specific waste transaction. Large amounts of data are either not collected or not collated centrally anywhere.49 The Department told us the waste tracking project will track waste from start to finish digitally, making it harder for waste crime to occur.50
24. In October 2022, our report on government actions to combat waste crime found the Department was making slow progress on its digital waste tracking system, and was not even at the pilot stage after four years of effort, despite its implementation being core to combatting waste crime.51 The Department told us it is confident the project will be completed by April 2025 within the budget of £9.5 million. It said it would launch the beta version to the public in 2024.52
25. The Department told us that it produces information monitoring progress on the resources and waste strategy annually53 It told us that it has an evaluation programme in place to develop new measures and the supporting data as well as research to fill in gaps in its data.54
Dame Meg Hillier, in the Chair
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
Ashley Dalton
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Ben Lake
Draft Report (Government’s programme of waste reforms), proposed by the Chair, brought up and read.
Ordered, That the draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph.
Paragraphs 1 to 25 read and agreed to.
Summary agreed to.
Introduction agreed to.
Conclusions and recommendations agreed to.
Resolved, That the Report be the Fifth Report of the Committee to the House.
Ordered, That the Chair make the Report to the House.
Ordered, That embargoed copies of the Report be made available (Standing Order No. 134).
Adjourned till Monday 27 November at 2.30 p.m.
The following witnesses gave evidence. Transcripts can be viewed on the inquiry publications page of the Committee’s website.
Tamara Finkelstein CB, Permanent Secretary, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Sarah Homer, Director General, Portfolio Delivery, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Emma Bourne OBE, Director, Resources and Waste, Department for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsQ1–73
The following written evidence was received and can be viewed on the inquiry publications page of the Committee’s website.
GRWR numbers are generated by the evidence processing system and so may not be complete.
1 ADEPT Waste Group (GRWR0040)
2 Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE) UK (GRWR0016)
3 Arla Foods UK (GRWR0022)
4 Associaton of Convenience Stores (GRWR0017)
5 Bio-Based and Biodegradable Industries Association (GRWR0009)
6 Bradshaw, Dr Carrie (GRWR0024)
7 British Beer and Pub Association (GRWR0021)
8 British Metals Recycling Association (GRWR0001)
9 British Plastics Federation (BPF) (GRWR0036)
10 British Retail Consortium (GRWR0011)
11 British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) (GRWR0030)
12 Budweiser Brewing Group UK & Ireland (GRWR0008)
13 Chemical Industries Association (GRWR0002)
14 Coca Cola Europacific Partners (GRWR0027)
15 District Councils’ Network (GRWR0035)
16 Environmental Services Association (GRWR0007)
17 FareShare (GRWR0028)
18 Food and Drink Federation (GRWR0029)
19 Green Alliance (GRWR0032)
20 HEINEKEN UK (GRWR0026)
21 Irving, Dr Henry (Leeds Beckett University) (GRWR0003)
22 Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC) (GRWR0039)
23 Local Government Association (GRWR0020)
24 Marks & Spencer (GRWR0041)
25 Mineral Products Association (GRWR0013)
26 Mura Technology Limited (GRWR0006)
27 National Association of Waste Disposal Officers (NAWDO) (GRWR0038)
28 North London Waste Authority (GRWR0015)
29 Oxfordshire Resources and Waste Partnership (GRWR0037)
30 Sonoco (GRWR0014)
31 Staffordshire Waste Partnership; East Staffordshire Borough Council; Cannock Chase District Council; Staffordshire County Council; Stoke on Trent City Council; Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council; Staffordshire Moorlands District Council; Stafford Borough Council; Lichfield District Council; and Tamworth Borough Council (GRWR0025)
32 SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK (GRWR0012)
33 The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (GRWR0023)
34 The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) (GRWR0018)
35 The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (GRWR0042)
36 Too Good To Go (GRWR0043)
37 UKHospitality (GRWR0005)
38 Wildlife and Countryside Link (GRWR0019)
39 innocent drinks (GRWR0033)
All publications from the Committee are available on the publications page of the Committee’s website.
|
Number |
Title |
Reference |
|
1st |
The New Hospital Programme |
HC 77 |
|
2nd |
The condition of school buildings |
HC 78 |
|
3rd |
Revising health assessments for disability benefits |
HC 79 |
|
Number |
Title |
Reference |
|
1st |
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Annual Report and Accounts 2020–21 |
HC 59 |
|
2nd |
Lessons from implementing IR35 reforms |
HC 60 |
|
3rd |
The future of the Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors |
HC 118 |
|
4th |
Use of evaluation and modelling in government |
HC 254 |
|
5th |
Local economic growth |
HC 252 |
|
6th |
Department of Health and Social Care 2020–21 Annual Report and Accounts |
HC 253 |
|
7th |
Armoured Vehicles: the Ajax programme |
HC 259 |
|
8th |
Financial sustainability of the higher education sector in England |
HC 257 |
|
9th |
Child Maintenance |
HC 255 |
|
10th |
Restoration and Renewal of Parliament |
HC 49 |
|
11th |
The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine programme in England |
HC 258 |
|
12th |
Management of PPE contracts |
HC 260 |
|
13th |
Secure training centres and secure schools |
HC 30 |
|
14th |
Investigation into the British Steel Pension Scheme |
HC 251 |
|
15th |
The Police Uplift Programme |
HC 261 |
|
16th |
Managing cross-border travel during the COVID-19 pandemic |
HC 29 |
|
17th |
Government’s contracts with Randox Laboratories Ltd |
HC 28 |
|
18th |
Government actions to combat waste crime |
HC 33 |
|
19th |
Regulating after EU Exit |
HC 32 |
|
20th |
Whole of Government Accounts 2019–20 |
HC 31 |
|
21st |
Transforming electronic monitoring services |
HC 34 |
|
22nd |
Tackling local air quality breaches |
HC 37 |
|
23rd |
Measuring and reporting public sector greenhouse gas emissions |
HC 39 |
|
24th |
Redevelopment of Defra’s animal health infrastructure |
HC 42 |
|
25th |
Regulation of energy suppliers |
HC 41 |
|
26th |
The Department for Work and Pensions’ Accounts 2021–22 – Fraud and error in the benefits system |
HC 44 |
|
27th |
Evaluating innovation projects in children’s social care |
HC 38 |
|
28th |
Improving the Accounting Officer Assessment process |
HC 43 |
|
29th |
The Affordable Homes Programme since 2015 |
HC 684 |
|
30th |
Developing workforce skills for a strong economy |
HC 685 |
|
31st |
Managing central government property |
HC 48 |
|
32nd |
Grassroots participation in sport and physical activity |
HC 46 |
|
33rd |
HMRC performance in 2021–22 |
HC 686 |
|
34th |
The Creation of the UK Infrastructure Bank |
HC 45 |
|
35th |
Introducing Integrated Care Systems |
HC 47 |
|
36th |
The Defence digital strategy |
HC 727 |
|
37th |
Support for vulnerable adolescents |
HC 730 |
|
38th |
Managing NHS backlogs and waiting times in England |
HC 729 |
|
39th |
Excess Votes 2021–22 |
HC 1132 |
|
40th |
COVID employment support schemes |
HC 810 |
|
41st |
Driving licence backlogs at the DVLA |
HC 735 |
|
42nd |
The Restart Scheme for long-term unemployed people |
HC 733 |
|
43rd |
Progress combatting fraud |
HC 40 |
|
44th |
The Digital Services Tax |
HC 732 |
|
45th |
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Annual Report and Accounts 2021–22 |
HC 1254 |
|
46th |
BBC Digital |
HC 736 |
|
47th |
Investigation into the UK Passport Office |
HC 738 |
|
48th |
MoD Equipment Plan 2022–2032 |
HC 731 |
|
49th |
Managing tax compliance following the pandemic |
HC 739 |
|
50th |
Government Shared Services |
HC 734 |
|
51st |
Tackling Defra’s ageing digital services |
HC 737 |
|
52nd |
Restoration & Renewal of the Palace of Westminster – 2023 Recall |
HC 1021 |
|
53rd |
The performance of UK Security Vetting |
HC 994 |
|
54th |
Alcohol treatment services |
HC 1001 |
|
55th |
Education recovery in schools in England |
HC 998 |
|
56th |
Supporting investment into the UK |
HC 996 |
|
57th |
AEA Technology Pension Case |
HC 1005 |
|
58th |
Energy bills support |
HC 1074 |
|
59th |
Decarbonising the power sector |
HC 1003 |
|
60th |
Timeliness of local auditor reporting |
HC 995 |
|
61st |
Progress on the courts and tribunals reform programme |
HC 1002 |
|
62nd |
Department of Health and Social Care 2021–22 Annual Report and Accounts |
HC 997 |
|
63rd |
HS2 Euston |
HC 1004 |
|
64th |
The Emergency Services Network |
HC 1006 |
|
65th |
Progress in improving NHS mental health services |
HC 1000 |
|
66th |
PPE Medpro: awarding of contracts during the pandemic |
HC 1590 |
|
67th |
Child Trust Funds |
HC 1231 |
|
68th |
Local authority administered COVID support schemes in England |
HC 1234 |
|
69th |
Tackling fraud and corruption against government |
HC 1230 |
|
70th |
Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency |
HC 1229 |
|
71st |
Resetting government programmes |
HC 1231 |
|
72nd |
Update on the rollout of smart meters |
HC 1332 |
|
73rd |
Access to urgent and emergency care |
HC 1336 |
|
74th |
Bulb Energy |
HC 1232 |
|
75th |
Active travel in England |
HC 1335 |
|
76th |
The Asylum Transformation Programme |
HC 1334 |
|
77th |
Supported housing |
HC 1330 |
|
78th |
Resettlement support for prison leavers |
HC 1329 |
|
79th |
Support for innovation to deliver net zero |
HC 1331 |
|
80th |
Progress with Making Tax Digital |
HC 1333 |
|
1st Special Report |
Sixth Annual Report of the Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts |
HC 50 |
|
2nd Special Report |
Seventh Annual Report of the Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts |
HC 1055 |
|
Number |
Title |
Reference |
|
1st |
Low emission cars |
HC 186 |
|
2nd |
BBC strategic financial management |
HC 187 |
|
3rd |
COVID-19: Support for children’s education |
HC 240 |
|
4th |
COVID-19: Local government finance |
HC 239 |
|
5th |
COVID-19: Government Support for Charities |
HC 250 |
|
6th |
Public Sector Pensions |
HC 289 |
|
7th |
Adult Social Care Markets |
HC 252 |
|
8th |
COVID 19: Culture Recovery Fund |
HC 340 |
|
9th |
Fraud and Error |
HC 253 |
|
10th |
Overview of the English rail system |
HC 170 |
|
11th |
Local auditor reporting on local government in England |
HC 171 |
|
12th |
COVID 19: Cost Tracker Update |
HC 173 |
|
13th |
Initial lessons from the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic |
HC 175 |
|
14th |
Windrush Compensation Scheme |
HC 174 |
|
15th |
DWP Employment support |
HC 177 |
|
16th |
Principles of effective regulation |
HC 176 |
|
17th |
High Speed 2: Progress at Summer 2021 |
HC 329 |
|
18th |
Government’s delivery through arm’s-length bodies |
HC 181 |
|
19th |
Protecting consumers from unsafe products |
HC 180 |
|
20th |
Optimising the defence estate |
HC 179 |
|
21st |
School Funding |
HC 183 |
|
22nd |
Improving the performance of major defence equipment contracts |
HC 185 |
|
23rd |
Test and Trace update |
HC 182 |
|
24th |
Crossrail: A progress update |
HC 184 |
|
25th |
The Department for Work and Pensions’ Accounts 2020–21 – Fraud and error in the benefits system |
HC 633 |
|
26th |
Lessons from Greensill Capital: accreditation to business support schemes |
HC 169 |
|
27th |
Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme |
HC 635 |
|
28th |
Efficiency in government |
HC 636 |
|
29th |
The National Law Enforcement Data Programme |
HC 638 |
|
30th |
Challenges in implementing digital change |
HC 637 |
|
31st |
Environmental Land Management Scheme |
HC 639 |
|
32nd |
Delivering gigabitcapable broadband |
HC 743 |
|
33rd |
Underpayments of the State Pension |
HC 654 |
|
34th |
Local Government Finance System: Overview and Challenges |
HC 646 |
|
35th |
The pharmacy early payment and salary advance schemes in the NHS |
HC 745 |
|
36th |
EU Exit: UK Border post transition |
HC 746 |
|
37th |
HMRC Performance in 2020–21 |
HC 641 |
|
38th |
COVID-19 cost tracker update |
HC 640 |
|
39th |
DWP Employment Support: Kickstart Scheme |
HC 655 |
|
40th |
Excess votes 2020–21: Serious Fraud Office |
HC 1099 |
|
41st |
Achieving Net Zero: Follow up |
HC 642 |
|
42nd |
Financial sustainability of schools in England |
HC 650 |
|
43rd |
Reducing the backlog in criminal courts |
HC 643 |
|
44th |
NHS backlogs and waiting times in England |
HC 747 |
|
45th |
Progress with trade negotiations |
HC 993 |
|
46th |
Government preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons for government on risk |
HC 952 |
|
47th |
Academies Sector Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20 |
HC 994 |
|
48th |
HMRC’s management of tax debt |
HC 953 |
|
49th |
Regulation of private renting |
HC 996 |
|
50th |
Bounce Back Loans Scheme: Follow-up |
HC 951 |
|
51st |
Improving outcomes for women in the criminal justice system |
HC 997 |
|
52nd |
Ministry of Defence Equipment Plan 2021–31 |
HC 1164 |
|
1st Special Report |
Fifth Annual Report of the Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts |
HC 222 |
|
Number |
Title |
Reference |
|
1st |
Support for children with special educational needs and disabilities |
HC 85 |
|
2nd |
Defence Nuclear Infrastructure |
HC 86 |
|
3rd |
High Speed 2: Spring 2020 Update |
HC 84 |
|
4th |
EU Exit: Get ready for Brexit Campaign |
HC 131 |
|
5th |
University technical colleges |
HC 87 |
|
6th |
Excess votes 2018–19 |
HC 243 |
|
7th |
Gambling regulation: problem gambling and protecting vulnerable people |
HC 134 |
|
8th |
NHS capital expenditure and financial management |
HC 344 |
|
9th |
Water supply and demand management |
HC 378 |
|
10th |
Defence capability and the Equipment Plan |
HC 247 |
|
11th |
Local authority investment in commercial property |
HC 312 |
|
12th |
Management of tax reliefs |
HC 379 |
|
13th |
Whole of Government Response to COVID-19 |
HC 404 |
|
14th |
Readying the NHS and social care for the COVID-19 peak |
HC 405 |
|
15th |
Improving the prison estate |
HC 244 |
|
16th |
Progress in remediating dangerous cladding |
HC 406 |
|
17th |
Immigration enforcement |
HC 407 |
|
18th |
NHS nursing workforce |
HC 408 |
|
19th |
Restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster |
HC 549 |
|
20th |
Tackling the tax gap |
HC 650 |
|
21st |
Government support for UK exporters |
HC 679 |
|
22nd |
Digital transformation in the NHS |
HC 680 |
|
23rd |
Delivering carrier strike |
HC 684 |
|
24th |
Selecting towns for the Towns Fund |
HC 651 |
|
25th |
Asylum accommodation and support transformation programme |
HC 683 |
|
26th |
Department of Work and Pensions Accounts 2019–20 |
HC 681 |
|
27th |
Covid-19: Supply of ventilators |
HC 685 |
|
28th |
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s management of the Magnox contract |
HC 653 |
|
29th |
Whitehall preparations for EU Exit |
HC 682 |
|
30th |
The production and distribution of cash |
HC 654 |
|
31st |
Starter Homes |
HC 88 |
|
32nd |
Specialist Skills in the civil service |
HC 686 |
|
33rd |
Covid-19: Bounce Back Loan Scheme |
HC 687 |
|
34th |
Covid-19: Support for jobs |
HC 920 |
|
35th |
Improving Broadband |
HC 688 |
|
36th |
HMRC performance 2019–20 |
HC 690 |
|
37th |
Whole of Government Accounts 2018–19 |
HC 655 |
|
38th |
Managing colleges’ financial sustainability |
HC 692 |
|
39th |
Lessons from major projects and programmes |
HC 694 |
|
40th |
Achieving government’s long-term environmental goals |
HC 927 |
|
41st |
COVID 19: the free school meals voucher scheme |
HC 689 |
|
42nd |
COVID-19: Government procurement and supply of Personal Protective Equipment |
HC 928 |
|
43rd |
COVID-19: Planning for a vaccine Part 1 |
HC 930 |
|
44th |
Excess Votes 2019–20 |
HC 1205 |
|
45th |
Managing flood risk |
HC 931 |
|
46th |
Achieving Net Zero |
HC 935 |
|
47th |
COVID-19: Test, track and trace (part 1) |
HC 932 |
|
48th |
Digital Services at the Border |
HC 936 |
|
49th |
COVID-19: housing people sleeping rough |
HC 934 |
|
50th |
Defence Equipment Plan 2020–2030 |
HC 693 |
|
51st |
Managing the expiry of PFI contracts |
HC 1114 |
|
52nd |
Key challenges facing the Ministry of Justice |
HC 1190 |
|
53rd |
Covid 19: supporting the vulnerable during lockdown |
HC 938 |
|
54th |
Improving single living accommodation for service personnel |
HC 940 |
|
55th |
Environmental tax measures |
HC 937 |
|
56th |
Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund |
HC 941 |
1 C&AG’s Report, The government’s resources and waste reforms for England, Session 2022–23, HC 1513, 30 June 2023
2 C&AG’s Report, para 4
3 C&AG’s Report, para 2
4 C&AG’s Report, para 2.2
5 Infrastructure and Projects Authority, Mandate, January 2021
6 C&AG’s Report, paras 17 and 2.8
7 C&AG’s Report, paras 15, 1.7, 2.6 and figure 7
8 Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Update on packaging reforms to help drive down inflation – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), July 2023
9 Qq 11, 13; C&AG’s Report, paras 15 and 2.6
10 Qq 9, 22
11 Qq 22, 24, 27, 28
12 Q 24
13 Qq 22, 24; C&AG’s Report, para 2.8, 2.14
14 Qq 22, 24, 27
15 Qq 9 & 22
16 Qq 27, 29
17 Q 23
18 C&AG’s Report, para 2.20
19 C&AG’s Report, paras 20, 22 and figure 8
20 Q 9
21 C&AG’s Report, paras 1.3 and 2.6
22 Correspondence from Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, 21 September 2023; C&AG’s Report, para 1.3
24 Q 13
25 Qq 10, 11
27 C&AG’s Report, Figure 8
29 C&AG’s Report, para 2.4
30 Q 32; C&AG’s Report para 21
31 Qq 32–33
32 Qq 33–34
33 Q 32
34 Q34
35 C&AG’s Report, para 13, 1.9, 1.20–1.21
36 GRWR0032; C&AG’s Report, para 13
37 Q 57; Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, Guidance on applying the Waste Hierarchy, June 2011
38 Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, The waste prevention programme for England: Maximising Resources, Minimising Waste, July 2023
39 Qq 39–41
41 GRWR0006; GRWR0012; GRWR0015; C&AG’s Report, para 20
42 C&AG’s Report, Figure 8
43 Committee of Public Accounts, Government actions to combat waste crime, Eighteenth Report of Session 2022–23, HC 33, 19 October 2022
44 Qq 9, 12
45 Q11; C&AG’s Report 1.24
46 Q 61
47 C&AG’s Report, para 11, 1.25
48 C&AG’s Report, para 1.25
49 C&AG’s Report para 1.26
50 Q69
51 Committee of Public Accounts, Government actions to combat waste crime, Eighteenth Report of Session 2022–23, HC 33, 19 October 2022
52 Qq 67–68
53 Q 71; Correspondence from Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, 21 September 2023
54 Q 71