Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Accepted
We have repeatedly recommended that the Department be more transparent and publish more information about...
Conclusion
We have repeatedly recommended that the Department be more transparent and publish more information about the performance of its employment support schemes.28 However, until recently, the only information made available about Restart has been in response to Parliamentary Questions. While the Department did publish an ‘ad hoc’ statistical release in December 2022 about how Restart is performing, and this was reasonably detailed, it did not give any indication that this was to be the first in a series of regular and scheduled performance data releases about the scheme.29 The Permanent Secretary told us that the ‘ad hoc’ statistical release was “the start” and noted the value in transparency, while pointing to remarks made by the Secretary of State to the Work and Pensions Committee on 30 November 2022, where he said that he was “more minded to be transparent than not” but also spoke about the importance of “safe spaces” for Ministers and officials to develop policy.30
Government Response Summary
The Department for Work and Pensions will publish regular six-monthly statistics on the Restart Scheme, and has commissioned evaluations of the scheme, with decisions around publication to be made in due course.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
1. PAC conclusion: The impact of Restart will only be clear through transparent reporting and thorough evaluation. 1. PAC recommendation: The Department should detail in its Treasury Minute response the information it plans to make public about the Restart scheme, while it is live and after it has completed its evaluation. This response should ensure that stakeholders, academics, parliament, and the public can regularly obtain details about how Restart is performing, can make informed comment about how the Department can build upon its contracting and management, and can peer review the evaluation of the scheme. 1.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 1.2 The Department for Work and Pensions (the department) released an ad hoc publication on the Restart Scheme in December 2022 and is now publishing regular six- monthly statistics, which started in June 2023. 1.3 The department has commissioned the Learning and Work Institute (LWI) and market researchers Ipsos to undertake evaluation of the Restart Scheme. Departmental analysts are undertaking the Restart impact evaluation. Decisions around publication will be made in due course.