Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 3
3
Deferred
Publish annual performance reports and improve member engagement for Restoration Programme.
Conclusion
Transparency will be critical to facilitate accountability, and for Parliament and the public to gain confidence in the programme and its leadership. The current Client Board, alongside the Programme SRO, identified previous parliamentary engagement as having been insufficient. For example, in June 2022 we reported how the Commissions requested further information and re-opened parliamentary decisions. But the detailed reasons behind this decision were not public. The R&R Client Team has committed to greater transparency over progress and decision- making through a more focused engagement approach with Members and, as agreed following our previous recommendations, publishing quarterly progress reports. It will increase engagement leading up to critical decisions that both Houses will need to make on how the works will be undertaken. These decisions will need to be made in the context of an approaching election and affordability constraints across government, and without fully understanding programme costs or where Parliament will move during the works. Recommendation 3: The Clerks must commit to: a) Fulfilling commitments made to this Committee in 2022 which include publishing an annual performance report providing a timely and accurate programme overview. b) Improving member engagement, which will include managing their expectations on the information that will be available to make decisions at these early programme stages.
Government Response Summary
The government's response is irrelevant to the recommendation, discussing funding for drug and alcohol treatment services instead of the Clerks' commitments to transparency and member engagement on the R&R programme.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented The government is committed to improving certainty around funding for drug and alcohol treatment services to local authorities and agrees that this is important to enable local authorities to effectively plan and commission services, and deliver the right investments. The department is committed to giving as much notice as is feasible of Public Health Grant allocations and any additional funding for drug and alcohol treatment services for future years. For example, the department has already published indicative Public Health Grant and drug strategy allocations for 2024-25 in order to support systems to plan ahead and will aim to publish 2024-25 allocations before the end of 2023.