Select committee: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Conclusion 6
Eighth Report - Where Civil Servants Work: Planning for the future of the Government’s estates
Published 27 Jul 2023
Paragraph 54
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Planning for the future of the Government’s estates All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The rationale for the creation of the Government Property Agency was that by taking over the management of all government office buildings it would lead to co- ordinated decision-making and efficiency savings. But with the departments with the biggest office estates remaining outside the GPA’s control, the Government is potentially missing out on opportunities to bring together different public bodies and optimise the location of its office estate. To help ensure joined up decision- making across government, it should be a requirement for every accounting officer, before approving any major property consolidation or relocation proposal, to obtain assurance that their officials have explored opportunities to co-ordinate location and design decisions with the Government Property Agency, in its management of the office portfolio. The Cabinet Office should work with HM Treasury to develop this guidance for accounting officers, and write to us within six months to confirm the results.
From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Eighth Report - Where Civil Servants Work: Planning for the future of the Government’s estates (HC 793), paragraph 54, 27 July 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 18 October 2023.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government states that it supports enhanced transparency and has "accepted recommendations where appropriate", while pointing to existing mechanisms on others and leaving some decisions with individual departments.
- On programme documentation, the Government says it "will publish relevant programme documentation" for Places for Growth and the Plan for London, and "will refresh the appropriate pages" to include purpose, objectives and critical success factors.
- On Cabinet meetings outside London, it states that planning must balance regional benefits with ministerial parliamentary availability and taxpayers' money, and that "for security reasons" it does not announce when and where meetings will take place.
- On civil service headcount, it says the policy of reducing numbers by 91,000 FTE "would not be pursued" and that any reductions are "for individual departments to determine".
- On the Government Property Agency's value for money, it states the Agency delivers "excellent value for money" and is undertaking a benefits review against its original business case, with no external review commitment stated.