This is a House of Commons Committee report, with recommendations to government. The Government has two months to respond.
This is the full report, read the report summary.
Central government is organised into departments that plan and deliver their own objectives. In some cases, these objectives can be met by individual departments acting alone. But often, important government priorities, such as net zero, adult social care, rough sleeping and vulnerable families cut across departments, and require them to work together, through what is known as cross-government working. Successful cross-government working can allow government to deliver outcomes more effectively and deliver better value for money. But it requires concerted effort. There are many different types of cross-government working, from sharing best practice between departments to delivering complex programmes that cut across different departmental objectives.
1. Understanding what approach works best and in what circumstances is fundamentally important to optimise cross-government working. A common purpose and shared vision across departments, supported by strong leadership and political support, is crucial to successful cross-government working. However, government departments can work together in different ways. HM Treasury has set out six delivery models for cross-government working in Managing Public Money, including details on responsibilities and accountabilities for each model. It has not yet analysed how these models are being used across government, or which approaches work best in different circumstances.
Recommendation 1: HM Treasury should analyse how different models of cross-government working are being used, so it can provide more support to departments on which models work best for different projects. It should use this work to develop training for departments on how to approach cross-government working.
2. Many cross-government projects that come before this Committee are hindered by missing or inadequate data. The government has historically had an issue with poor quality and inconsistent data and with ineffective data sharing arrangements. Whilst there have been some positive improvements, such as establishing data standards across government, difficulty with data sharing was the most commonly identified barrier in a recent HM Treasury survey about cross-government working. In addition, insufficient data capacity and capability across government means the skills needed to interpret data are not always available, which can hinder projects, and make it difficult to evaluate effectively what works.
Recommendation 2: HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office should work with the Evaluation Taskforce and the Analysis function to:
3. Effective cross-government working is fundamental to delivering government’s priorities but there is a lot of work to do to make it more than just a ‘nice to have’. Efforts have been made to incentivise cross-government working through reward and recognition but HM Treasury acknowledges there is a lot of work still to do. In 2019, the Shared Outcomes Fund was set up to fund pilot projects that test innovative ways of working across the public sector, with an emphasis on thorough plans for evaluation and whether these small-scale projects can be scaled-up. More recently, HM Treasury has developed guidance to encourage joint-bids at spending rounds. But HM Treasury concedes that it is disappointing there were only 28 joint bids at the last Spending Review. It recognises that it is going to have to do more in the next Spending Review to encourage joint bids from departments and to make more top-down requests for joint bids.
Recommendation 3: HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office should:
4. HM Treasury has taken initial steps to evaluate what works but now needs to fully embed this to improve cross-government working. In 2021, the Government set up a joint Evaluation Task Force to support evaluation of policies and programmes across government. HM Treasury made greater use of its powers, requiring departments to include plans for evaluations for it to approve funding at the 2020 Spending Review. More recently, the Task Force has set up an evaluation registry which shows what government has already done in a policy area and what others are planning so that examples of good practice can be better shared. Review of this will become mandatory prior to business case approval from next year. All business cases should include plans for monitoring and evaluation. However, departmental approvals processes vary in terms how much they take these plans into account as part of their approval decision.
Recommendation 4: HM Treasury should use its influence to improve cross-government working, for example by only approving business cases that clearly demonstrate a link to the relevant cross-cutting aim they support, appropriate plans for evaluation, and detail on what cross-government outcomes and outputs should be delivered.
5. Government does not consistently report on cross-cutting outcomes. The Cabinet Office and HM Treasury are responsible for supporting and monitoring the delivery of departmental objectives and 20 cross-cutting outcomes set-out in Outcome Delivery Plans (ODPs). Departments published their first ODPs in July 2021 but cross-cutting outcomes were not always consistently reported. For 2023–24 departments will only be required to produce internal ODPs. HM Treasury expects Departments to set out their performance against their ODPs in their 2023–24 annual reports and accounts.
Recommendation 5: Cabinet Office should publish departments’ ODPs to improve transparency, along with plans to deliver them. The Cabinet Office should also more clearly publish cross-cutting outcomes and progress made against them.
1. On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from Sir Alex Chisholm, Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office, and from Cat Little, Second Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury, about cross-government working.1 We also took evidence from four practitioners to understand more about the key challenges and opportunities they have experienced from cross-government working. They were: Catherine Hutchinson, Head of the Evaluation Task Force; Will Garton, Director General for Levelling Up, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC); Chris Thompson, Director for Net Zero Strategy, Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero; and, Nathan Moores, Director for Shared Services at the Cabinet Office.
2. Central government is organised into departments that plan and deliver their own objectives. In some cases, these objectives can be met by individual departments acting alone. But often, important government priorities can cut across departments, and require them to work together, through what is known as cross-government working. Successful cross-government working can allow government to deliver outcomes more effectively and deliver better value for money, but this it is not always easy.2
3. There are many types of cross-government working. It can range from two departments working together on a specific policy, such as adult social care, to government priorities delivered by multiple departments, such as net zero.3 Different approaches to cross government working are adopted across government. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), explained to us how that department undertook ‘systems modelling’ to understand where buy-in was needed from other parts of government to achieve a policy aim. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) told us how they found it helpful to approach cross-government working in terms of place, working with local authorities, businesses, charities and community groups to bring about improvements.4
4. While departments are responsible for delivering their policies and programmes, both HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office also have a role to play in supporting cross-government priorities. Both departments have responsibility for identifying where cross-government working helps deliver government objectives and supporting and monitoring cross-government working.5
5. The Cabinet Office told us its role involves bringing departments together and achieving collective responsibility. It also facilitates cross-government working through developing and supporting common standards and services.6 HM Treasury is responsible for allocating and controlling public spending, including departmental spending, and for scrutinising and approving any project or programme spending which is outside of departments’ delegated limits or is novel and contentious. Its spending teams advise HM Treasury ministers on decisions at spending reviews; review and approve submissions for new spending on projects and programmes and on joint projects. It told is it also oversees cross-cutting strategy and the Shared Outcomes Fund.7
6. Both our reports and those undertaken by the National Audit Office (NAO) regularly demonstrate the importance of a shared vision and objectives, coordinated programme and risk management, and compatible data and technology to ensure successful cross-government working.8
7. In May 2023, HM Treasury set out six joint delivery models for cross-government working in Managing Public Money, including details on responsibilities and accountabilities for each model. At one end of the spectrum covered by these models, joint delivery can involve simple collaboration, where departments may collaborate in the development of policy they have an interest in. At the other end, a machinery of government change would be required, with responsibility and funding transfer from one department to another by order of the Prime Minister.9
8. It is important to understand how these models are being used across government and identify which model of joint working is most appropriate in different circumstances. HM Treasury explained that it had not yet analysed what proportion of cross-government working was undertaken through each of the different models but said this would certainly be something they could consider taking forward.10
9. Departmental witnesses told us how effective cross-government working begins with a shared vision.11 Cabinet Office told us that a vision does not always arrive ready-made and it is important for the departments involved to understand and appreciate the ‘common goal’.12 We also heard that getting buy-in from departments is key.13 This is often easier when the policy area has a high level of political support, for example climate change; and where there is senior political agreement on priorities.14
10. As well as a shared vision, clear outcomes need to be established and shared between departments to measure success.15 Clearly defined responsibilities and accountability structures are also important.16 Cabinet Office told us that alongside encouraging cross-government working by explaining the financial benefits to those involved, it is also important to ensure a culture exists which recognises and appreciates cross-government efforts.17
11. HM Treasury and Cabinet Office have identified a range of barriers to effective cross-government working. The most commonly identified barriers included: structures and bureaucracy hindering planning and delivery; ministerial priorities not being well understood; inconsistent join-up in spending decisions and allocations; a lack of routine data sharing between Departments; and poor arrangements for sharing best practice and learning.18
12. Departmental witnesses told us that the extent of these problems can depend on the policy area, but highlighted that sharing lessons across government can be difficult because there is not a single place to find information.19 Cabinet Office told us that it tries to disseminate good practice through the work of the functions and the Evaluation Task Force.20 However, HM Treasury accepted that more needs to be done to share best practice and tell people about the benefits of cross-government working to encourage departments to work together.21
13. Many of the projects and programmes brought before the Committee suffer from a lack of good quality data or are adversely affected by government IT systems not ‘talking’ to each other.22 Issues with data was identified as the main barrier to cross-government working in HM Treasury’s and the Cabinet Office’s survey of 229 departmental practitioners in 2022. 63% of respondents felt that technical issues made it difficult to share data effectively across government and 62% saw departmental unwillingness to share data across government as a major barrier to effective cross-government working.23
14. We have reported time and time again on the impact of poor IT, and are aware of the extreme complexity and inconsistency of data systems across government, for example within the criminal justice system.24 The Cabinet Office told us that across government there are around 205 core systems that run HR, finance and payroll and, to compound this problem, there are a further 655 systems that support these.25 We heard how departments are beginning to improve data consistency by establishing standards, and enabling data-sharing across government, although issues remain, including accessing data from the private sector.26
15. The Cabinet Office told us that one of the bigger challenges across government is extracting the value out of the data to drive insights and decisions in a timely way.27 Without good data it is difficult to evaluate effectively what works.28 In addition, insufficient data capacity and capability across government means skills needed to interpret data are not available. The Cabinet Office told us it launched the ‘One Big Thing’ initiative to deliver data training and claimed that 40% of civil servants have signed-up so far.29
16. Additional funding is an incentive used to encourage cross-government working, with the Shared Outcomes Fund being the most recent initiative.30 It was set up in 2019 by HM Treasury to fund pilot projects that test innovative ways of working across the public sector, with an emphasis on thorough plans for evaluation.31 Total funding made available through the scheme was £600 million, and HM Treasury claimed over 60 projects have now received this support. It told us the idea of the Shared Outcomes Fund is to test and scale up pilot projects where evaluation has shown they work.32
17. However, there is little incentive for departments to invest in programmes that deliver benefits elsewhere in government.33 We challenged HM Treasury on whether Permanent Secretaries received sufficient recognition for delivering outcomes across multiple departments. HM Treasury acknowledged the importance of rewarding and recognising those who invest time in cross-government delivery and that HM Treasury needed to use every lever available to try to increase the use of cross-government working. HM Treasury told us that politicians in government played an important role in incentivising senior officials to deliver cross-government working by setting cross-cutting priority outcomes.34
18. HM Treasury told us that joint bids at Spending Reviews was another way it had tried to encourage departments to pool resources and work together to generate benefits. It told us that at Spending Review 2021 it had identified departments that were most involved in cross-cutting shared outcomes and made clear it was expecting a joint-bid from them. It was disappointed that only 28 joint-bids were submitted in the last Spending Review despite its issuing guidance and training over 1,000 finance and policy officials on developing joint-bids. The joint-bids included the beating crime plan and the illegal drug strategy. HM Treasury recognised that more needs to be done to support and encourage joint-bids in the next Spending Review. It told us that Managing Public Money now sets out the benefits of submitting joint-bids, but acknowledged it needed to do more to communicate these benefits and support departments in submitting joint-bids.35
19. In 2021, the Government set up a joint Evaluation Task Force to support evaluation of policies and programmes across government.36 The Head of the Evaluation Task Force told us that only 8% of all government major projects and plans have a robust evaluation plan in place and as a result there is still limited evidence about what works. HM Treasury claimed it has assessed approximately 300 evaluation plans covering around £140 billion of spend.37 It told us how it made greater use of its powers, requiring departments to include plans for evaluations as part of the 2020 Spending Review. However, it recognises that more needs to be done to see fundamental change and successfully embed the importance of robust evaluation across government.38 The Head of the Evaluation Task Force told us that plans are in place to “keep pushing” by developing more toolkits, and making things “more practical” by continuing to demonstrate what departments have already done.39
20. The Head of the Evaluation Task Force told us it is working to encourage departments to share learning.40 She also told us about the ‘evaluation registry’ which holds information on what evaluation government has already done in the sector and what departments are planning for the future.41 The Head of the Evaluation Task Force is hopeful that the transparency provided by the registry will help drive healthy competition between departments to achieve their best.42 We challenged the Head of the Evaluation Task Force on whether those delivering programmes know about the registry. The Head of the Evaluation Task Force said that it was currently rolling the registry out across departments and that it will become mandatory from next year. The Task Force aims to ensure that evaluations are planned, plans are put on the registry and when the evaluation is complete departments put the final report on the registry, which should be viewable by members of the public in March 2024.43
21. HM Treasury’s Green Book guidance on business case appraisal makes clear that plans for monitoring and evaluation should be proportionately included in each spending proposal that is submitted.44 Departments approaches vary in how much they choose to take these plans into account as part of their approval decision.45 DLUHC updated its business case template to include a requirement to provide details of any ring-fenced costs for impact evaluation of all investments of more than £100 million, and for smaller investments which are innovative, contentious or untested.46
22. It is not always clear which departments are involved in delivering policies which cut across departmental boundaries. Departments report on their priority outcomes in Outcome Delivery Plans (ODPs). Departments published their first ODPs in July 2021.47 In October 2023, as part of Spending Review 2021, the government published a list of 76 priority outcomes, 20 of which are cross-cutting outcomes. These cover major policy areas including net zero, health and social care, and levelling up. The Cabinet Office and HM Treasury are responsible for supporting and monitoring the delivery of departmental objectives and cross-cutting outcomes set out in ODPs. Some departments used their ODPs to explain where more informal joint working was involved in delivering other outcomes but this was not reported consistently in the relevant ODPs.48
23. In 2022, the Government said that it was focusing on producing ODPs for 2023–24 rather than the plans for 2022–23 which it would cover retrospectively in the 2022–23 Annual Reports and Accounts. For 2023–24 departments will not be required to publish their ODPs.49 We challenged HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office on the difficulties for citizens of tracking cross-government outcomes, such as obesity or drugs policies, under these arrangements. The Cabinet Office told us that the decision on whether to publish ODPs was taken by Ministers but that it plans to continue using unpublished ODPs to assess performance internally.50 HM Treasury told us that departments need to be transparent about their performance and it still required reporting in annual report and accounts about the performance of government departments for the current year.51
Dame Meg Hillier, in the Chair
Paula Barker
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
Mr Jonathan Djanogly
Mrs Flick Drummond
Mr Mark Francois
Peter Grant
Ms Marie Rimmer
Draft Report (Cross-government working), proposed by the Chair, brought up and read.
Ordered, That the draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph.
Paragraphs 1 to 23 read and agreed to.
Summary agreed to.
Introduction agreed to.
Conclusions and recommendations agreed to.
Resolved, That the Report be the Twelfth 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 Wednesday 7 February at 1.00 p.m.
The following witnesses gave evidence. Transcripts can be viewed on the inquiry publications page of the Committee’s website.
Catherine Hutchinson, Head of the Evaluation Task Force, HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office; Will Garton, Director-General for Levelling-up, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; Chris Thompson, Director for Net Zero Strategy, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Nathan Moores, Director for Shared Services Strategy for Government, Cabinet OfficeQ1–39
Sir Alex Chisholm, Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office; Cat Little, Second Permanent Secretary, HM TreasuryQ40–87
The following written evidence was received and can be viewed on the inquiry publications page of the Committee’s website.
CGW numbers are generated by the evidence processing system and so may not be complete.
1 Anonymised (CGW0011)
2 Ayres, Professor Sarah (Professor of Public Policy and Governance, University of Bristol); Bates, Dr Geoff (Research Fellow, University of Bath); and Wallace, Mr Alex (Policy Advisor, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) (CGW0004)
3 Chemical Industries Association (CGW0006)
4 Environmental Horticulture Group (CGW0002)
5 Food Foundation (CGW0015)
6 Hibbert, Dylan (CGW0001)
7 Horticultural Trades Association (CGW0005)
8 Mencap; and The Challenging Behaviour Foundation (CGW0014)
9 Mental Health Foundation (CGW0008)
10 National Measurement Laboratory (NML) at LGC (CGW0009)
11 phs Group; and Prostate Cancer UK (CGW0013)
12 Planet Labs (CGW0017)
13 Powe, Dr Nicolar; Betts, Ms Charlotte; Philpot, Dr Richard; Levine, Professor Mark (University of Liverpool) (CGW0018)
14 Smith, Miss Amelia (CGW0010)
15 StopTheArc Group (CGW0007)
16 Sustainable Nitrogen Alliance (CGW0012)
17 UN Global Compact Network UK (CGW0016)
18 Warner, Dr Sam (Research Associate, University of Manchester); Newman, Dr Jack (Research Associate, University of Manchester); Richards, Professor Dave (Diamond Professor of Public Policy, University of Manchester); and Diamond, Professor Patrick (Professor of Public Policy, Queen Mary University of London) (CGW0003)
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 |
|
4th |
The Department for Work & Pensions Annual Report and Accounts 2022–23 |
HC 290 |
|
5th |
Government’s programme of waste reforms |
HC 333 |
|
6th |
Competition in public procurement |
HC 385 |
|
7th |
Resilience to flooding |
HC 71 |
|
8th |
Improving Defence Inventory Management |
HC 66 |
|
9th |
Whole of Government Accounts 2020–21 |
HC 65 |
|
10th |
HS2 and Euston |
HC 67 |
|
11th |
Reducing the harm from illegal drugs |
HC 72 |
|
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, Lessons learned: Cross-government working, Session 2022–23, HC 1659, 7 July 2023
2 Q 1; C&AG’s Report, para 1, 3
3 C&AG’s Report, paras 1, 9
4 Q 2
5 C&AG’s Report , paras 4, 5
6 Q 44
7 Q 44; C&AG’s Report para 5
8 Q 1; C&AG’s Report para 6
9 C&AG’s Report para 1.4, Figure 2
10 Q 49; C&AG’s Report para 1.4
11 Qq 2, 38, 45 -46
12 Qq 45, 46
13 Q 2
14 Qq 46, 82
15 Q 38
16 Q 48; C&AG’s Report para 11
17 Q 47
18 Q 12; C&AG’s Report, paras 15 and 1.14
19 Qq 12–14
20 Q 44
21 Q 67
22 Q 20
23 Q 29; C&AG’s Report, para 1.14 & Figure 4
24 Qq 20, 28
25 Q 22
26 Qq 72, 21, 28, 55
27 Q 22
28 C&AG’s Report, para 2.7
29 Q 55
30 C&AG’s Report, para 19
31 C&AG’s Report, paras 19, 3.4
32 Q 67; C&AG’s Report, para 3.4
33 C&AG’s Report, para 19
34 Q 81
35 Qq 67, 68
36 C&AG’s Report, paras 16 and 3.8
37 Q 31
38 Qq 60, 62
39 Q 31
40 Q 35
41 Qq 14,15, 16
42 Q 32
43 Qq 15, 16
44 HM Treasury and Government Finance Function, The Green Book: appraisal and evaluation in central government, para 8.8
45 Q 34
46 C&AG’s Report, Evaluating government spending, Session 2021–22, HC 860, 2 December 2021, para 3.22
47 C&AG’s Report, paras 4, 11, 1.9
48 C&AG’s Report, paras 5, 9, 1.9
49 Q80; Letter from HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office to William Wragg MP, Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, 6 July 2023
50 Qq 79, 80
51 Q 75