Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 21
71st Report - Government’s use of external consultants
Published 11 Mar 2026
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Government's use of external consultants All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Written evidence we received highlighted that government has faced long-standing challenges in developing and retaining core skills, and recommends not only building up civil service capability and capacity where skills are repeatedly needed but also providing training in the effective use of consultants.42 The Cabinet Office told us that it plans to shift resources and capacity from back-office functions to frontline delivery, meaning the Cabinet Office intends to make greater use of civil service capacity and capability. These plans are presented alongside the spending reduction targets.43
From: Public Accounts Committee, 71st Report - Government’s use of external consultants (HC 1521), 11 March 2026
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 1 June 2026 (deadline 11 May 2026).