Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee

Whole of Government Accounts

Status: Closed Opened: 26 Apr 2022 Closed: 14 Dec 2022 21 recommendations 6 conclusions 1 report

The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) is a unique document which provides the most complete and accurate picture available of UK public sector finances. A set of financial statements prepared by HM Treasury in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, it consolidates information on the financial performance of over 9,000 public sector bodies including central …

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Twentieth Report - Whole of Government Accounts 2019–20 HC 31 14 Oct 2022 27 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

6 items
6 Recommendation Twentieth Report - Whole of Government … Rejected

Government has not yet set out the consequences of announced Civil Service staffing reductions.

Government has not yet set out the consequences of announced Civil Service staffing reductions. In May 2022, the government announced that it intends to cut 91,000 jobs from the civil service over the next three years. The 2021 Spending Review had already confirmed the need for savings of 5% against …

Government response. The government rejects the recommendation to prepare a costed plan based on proposed staffing reductions across government, stating that they will not be publishing a full plan to deliver the previously proposed Civil Service staffing reductions, and will instead focus …
HM Treasury
23 Recommendation Twentieth Report - Whole of Government … Rejected

In May 2022, the government announced its intention to cut 91,000 jobs from the civil...

In May 2022, the government announced its intention to cut 91,000 jobs from the civil service over the next three years, with the aim of returning to 2016 staffing levels.70 The 2021 Spending Review had already confirmed the need for savings of 5% against day- to-day central departmental budgets in …

Government response. The government disagrees with the recommendation to prepare a clearly articulated and costed plan based on proposed staffing reductions across government, because they have moved away from top-down headcount reduction targets.
HM Treasury
24 Recommendation Twentieth Report - Whole of Government … Rejected

Staff cuts will inevitably involve a quantity of associated costs, including redundancy costs, that the...

Staff cuts will inevitably involve a quantity of associated costs, including redundancy costs, that the government will have to pay out. We questioned the Treasury as to what the total cost of these payments was likely to be, and although it explained that the number of required redundancies could be …

Government response. The government disagrees with the recommendation to prepare a clearly articulated and costed plan based on proposed staffing reductions across government, because departments should look for the most effective ways to secure value and maximise efficiency within budgets.
HM Treasury
25 Conclusion Twentieth Report - Whole of Government … Rejected

This scale of these proposed cuts has the potential to bring about significant consequences for...

This scale of these proposed cuts has the potential to bring about significant consequences for service delivery, both in regard to the quality and efficiency of delivery and the range of services it will be possible to provide. At the time we took evidence, the Treasury said that no work …

Government response. The government disagrees with the committee's recommendation. The Prime Minister has confirmed that, rather than a top-down headcount reduction target, departments should look for the most effective ways to secure value and maximise efficiency within budgets. They will not be …
HM Treasury
26 Conclusion Twentieth Report - Whole of Government … Rejected

The Treasury told us that at this stage the challenge of how best to achieve...

The Treasury told us that at this stage the challenge of how best to achieve these reductions is in the hands of individual departments. It explained that each department is itself best placed to understand the resourcing requirements needed to deliver its service programmes and objectives. It told us that …

Government response. The government disagrees with the premise, stating the Prime Minister has confirmed that departments should look for the most effective ways to secure value and maximise efficiency within budgets, rather than top-down headcount reduction targets.
HM Treasury
27 Conclusion Twentieth Report - Whole of Government … Rejected

We discussed with the Treasury that one way in which headcount reductions might be accomplished...

We discussed with the Treasury that one way in which headcount reductions might be accomplished whilst at the same time maintaining the scope and standard of service delivery, is by way of increased digitisation. By digitalising services, the required level of staffing is reduced, and cuts can be made in …

Government response. The government disagrees with the committee's recommendation. The Prime Minister has confirmed that, rather than a top-down headcount reduction target, departments should look for the most effective ways to secure value and maximise efficiency within budgets. They will not be …
HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
8 Jun 2022 Cat Little · Cabinet Office, Sir Tom Scholar · HM Treasury, Vicky Rock · HM Treasury View ↗

Correspondence

4 letters
DateDirectionTitle
12 Jan 2023 Correspondence from Catherine Little, Second Permanent Secretary Head of Govern…
8 Nov 2022 Correspondence from Dame Meg Hillier, Chair, Committee on Public Accounts to Ca…
17 Oct 2022 Correspondence from Catherine Little, Director General, Public Spending HM Trea…
9 Mar 2022 Correspondence from Dame Meg Hillier, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, t…