Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 26
26
Accepted
We asked HM Treasury and HMRC whether they would establish a “how to” guide for...
Recommendation
We asked HM Treasury and HMRC whether they would establish a “how to” guide for responding to future crises. They told us that for the employment support schemes they had brought together material in a “playbooks” that people can use in the future. We also asked about whether lessons learned would be set out clearly in their final evaluation. They said this was not the purpose of the public evaluation. Instead, they referred to their 42 Qq 87, 94; C&AG’s Report, paras 3.39 43 Qq 87–88, 97–98, 103 44 Q 70 45 Committee of Public Accounts, Initial lessons from the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 13th Report of Session 2020–21, HC 175, July 2021, pages 3, 6 46 Committee of Public Accounts, Government preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons for government on risk, 46th Report of Session 2021–22, HC 952, March 2022, pages 3, 7 47 HM Treasury, Treasury Minutes: Government Response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Forty-Third to the Forty-Eighth report from Session 2021–22, CP 678, May 2022 48 Qq 112–113 16 COVID employment support schemes “playbooks”, which they said they would keep up to date.49 On error and fraud, in October 2022 HMRC updated its published summary of its approach to managing the risks of error and fraud, but this did not capture what lessons it had learnt and what should be done differently in any future crisis intervention.50 However, HMRC had previously told us it would look at drawing together its lessons from the schemes to support other parts of government that are tasked with disbursing funds at pace, such as the Household Support Fund.51 49 Qq 25, 114 50 HMRC, Tackling error and fraud in the Covid-19 support schemes, updated 13 October 2022, https://www.gov. uk/government/publications/hmrc-issue-briefing-tackling-error-and-fraud-in-the-covid-19-support-schemes/ tackling-error-and-fraud-in-the-covid-19-support-schemes (accessed 2 December 2022) 51 Committee of Public Accounts, HMRC performance in 2021–22, Thirty-th
Government Response Summary
HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs will include lessons learned, where appropriate, from the CJRS and the SEISS in the final evaluation reports to be published in 2023. They have developed CJRS and SEISS playbooks, allowing for the rapid deployment of new employment and income support schemes in the future, if required. Target implementation date is by December 2023.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
6: PAC conclusion: The Departments have yet to fully capture the lessons that must be learnt from the employment support schemes to inform future large-scale government financial interventions. 6: PAC recommendation: The Departments should, by December 2023, publish the lessons that can be learned from the schemes for large-scale financial interventions in the future, and what actions they will take as a result. 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: by December 2023 6.2 HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs will always look to learn lessons from any major economic events or interventions. The departments will include lessons learned, where appropriate, from the CJRS and the SEISS in the final evaluation reports to be published in 2023. 6.3 HM Treasury and HMRC have developed CJRS and SEISS playbooks, allowing for the rapid deployment of new employment and income support schemes in the future, if required. These playbooks are kept updated and will be amended as necessary upon publication of the CJRS and SEISS evaluations, considering lessons learned and key takeaways. 6.4 Decisions on future large-scale financial interventions – should they be needed – will be for Ministers at the time, based on the circumstances of the economic shock the country is facing. When producing future policy advice, HM Treasury and HMRC officials will consider a full range of feasible approaches, using the playbooks to do so.