Recommendations & Conclusions
4 items
13
Recommendation
Thirty-Eighth Report - COVID-19 cost tr…
Not Addressed
In our report in June 2021, we recommended that HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office set out how they would ensure that departments implemented a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and error following the pandemic and ensure taxpayers’ money was recovered.28 We therefore asked HM Treasury what it was doing to …
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In our report in June 2021, we recommended that HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office set out how they would ensure that departments implemented a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and error following the pandemic and ensure taxpayers’ money was recovered.28 We therefore asked HM Treasury what it was doing to recover money which had been paid due to fraud or error. HM Treasury told us that it had “put a lot more of [its] investment in the detection and recovery side of [its] fraud activities”.29 It explained that as a result of recent investment, HM Revenue & Customs had over 1,200 people dedicated to collecting this money. It explained that it expected this investment to have a “significant return” but admitted that, although it was monitoring this regularly, it did not yet have a good enough sense of “what that would actually mean in pounds and pence”.30 It confirmed, however, that it would not write-off this money until it had “pursued every single opportunity to recover it”.31 27 Q 30 28 Committee of Public Accounts, Fraud and Error, Ninth Report of Session 2021–22, HC253, 24 June 2021 29 Q 31 30 Q 31 31 Q 32 14 COVID-19 cost tracker update 3 Learning lessons from government’s response to COVID-19
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Government response AI summary
The government claims the recommendation is implemented by referencing a general letter from March 2021 and discussing departmental responsibility for estimating fraud, but does not specifically detail how it ensures a zero-tolerance approach or mechanisms for recovering taxpayers' money as recommended.
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HM Treasury
14
Conclusion
Thirty-Eighth Report - COVID-19 cost tr…
The COVID-19 pandemic placed increased pressure on government departments to respond to a crisis while continuing to provide their business-as-usual services. The Comptroller and Auditor General told us that the NAO had now, for the most part, completed its examination of the initial schemes that were implemented at pace in …
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The COVID-19 pandemic placed increased pressure on government departments to respond to a crisis while continuing to provide their business-as-usual services. The Comptroller and Auditor General told us that the NAO had now, for the most part, completed its examination of the initial schemes that were implemented at pace in response to the acute phase of the pandemic. He explained that in relation to the pandemic, the NAO was now examining longer-term issues such as the impact of backlogs in many public services and the recovery of fraudulent payments. He noted, however, that lessons can be drawn from these initial schemes, particularly regarding the trade-off between the need to act at speed, and control of public money and value for money.32
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HM Treasury
15
Recommendation
Thirty-Eighth Report - COVID-19 cost tr…
Not Addressed
As part of our previous examination of the cost tracker in May 2021, we concluded that government’s ability to achieve value for money was compromised during the pandemic by poor quality impact assessments and Accounting Officer assessments.33 To address this, we recommended that HM Treasury should review major COVID-related spending …
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As part of our previous examination of the cost tracker in May 2021, we concluded that government’s ability to achieve value for money was compromised during the pandemic by poor quality impact assessments and Accounting Officer assessments.33 To address this, we recommended that HM Treasury should review major COVID-related spending decisions to identify cases where decisions made had resulted in poor value for money. We recommended that it should report its findings to us by the end of 2021, and use the lessons learnt to produce guidance to minimise the risk of this happening in future.34 HM Treasury shared a copy of its response to our recommendations with us ahead of our evidence session. In its response, HM Treasury disagreed with our recommendation. While HM Treasury agreed that lessons learnt from the pandemic should inform its future approach to similar situations, it asserted that maintaining a proper distinction of roles between Accounting Officers, HM Treasury and the NAO was the best way to do this.35
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Government response AI summary
The government claims the recommendation is implemented by referencing a general letter from March 2021 outlining lessons and actions, which predates the specific request to review major COVID-related spending decisions for poor value for money, report findings by end of 2021, and produce guidance.
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HM Treasury
18
Conclusion
Thirty-Eighth Report - COVID-19 cost tr…
Not Addressed
HM Treasury informed us that it had conducted a lessons learned exercise with Accounting Officers and it planned to update Managing Public Money in December
Government response AI summary
The government claims the recommendation is implemented by referencing a March 2021 letter, but this does not confirm the specific update to 'Managing Public Money' in December that HM Treasury had previously informed the Committee it planned to do.
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HM Treasury