Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 27
27
Accepted
Pandemic lessons being fed into Cabinet Office for future grant consistency.
Conclusion
Focusing on the future, we were keen to understand whether the lessons learned from the pandemic were being turned into plans that could be safely stored and, if necessary, taken off the shelf to help in a future emergency.66 This committee has commented before on the impact that staff turnover has on skills and experience in key departments. Three of our four witnesses had not been in post at the start of the pandemic, and one of the two departments giving evidence to us was a recent product of Machinery of Government changes.67 DBT told us that its grants champion is working with a community of grant specialists across government and with the government grants lead, in the Cabinet Office. DBT was clear that lessons and ideas from DBT are being fed into the Cabinet Office, which seeks to ensure consistency of grant management and grant delivery across Whitehall.68 59 Q 79; C&AG’s Report, para 2.5 60 Qq 11, 37, 79 61 Qq 79–81 62 Q 37 63 Q 90 64 C&AG’s Report, para 2.25 65 Qq 102–105 66 Qq 82–84; 91–96 67 Qq 1–4, 108 68 Qq 93–55 16 Local authority administered COVID support schemes in England
Government Response Summary
The government will incorporate IPSOS evaluation findings and anticipated guidance into future scheme planning and contingencies. It will also consider recommendations from pending NAO and GGMF reports and enhance understanding of local government capabilities for future delivery models.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Spring 2024 The DBT will take account of IPSOS evaluation findings and best practice including anticipated guidance (Cabinet Office “Emergency Situation Grants” and the HM Treasury “Managing Debt in a Crisis” paper which are both currently being drafted) when planning future schemes and for contingencies. In addition, recommendations from the pending National Audit Office and Government Grants Management Function (GGMF) Cabinet Office reports on future delivery will be considered as part of future contingency plans. Through ongoing collaborative working, directly with local authorities and through the Local Government Association (LGA) contacts and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Local Authority Funding Directorate, the department will seek to enhance the understanding of the capability of local government systems when considering future scheme delivery model options.