Recommendation 20

The Treasury expressed its understanding of how the issues that are of greatest interest to users of the WGA, including the Committee, evolve over time. The Treasury told us that where users of the WGA continue to rely on the document as a key source of information on an issue, then it will continue to highlight that area. However, it contended that committing to a particular timeframe for reporting on a given issue is not in the interest of this ambition to deliver adaptable reporting which focusses on the highest current priorities.60 Whist the 2019–20 WGA included commentary on COVID-19, as the Treasury moves onto preparing the 2020–21 WGA it must build upon this work with a view to greater transparency. As with any major event with far-reaching economic impacts, the WGA is positioned to provide a record of what happened across and beyond the pandemic which could become a blueprint for future government action.61 The Treasury does not yet know how much money in total has been lost to fraud and error across the Government’s response to COVID-19.62 However, the Treasury agreed that reporting on fraud and error as a result of COVID-19 should be a focus for the foreseeable future.63 Estimates 53 Q 42 54 WGA 2019–20 55 WGA 2019–20, para 1.115, p 44 56 Q 68 57 Q 15 58 WGA 2019–20, para 15, p 212 59 Q 77 60 Q 31 61 Q 32 62 Q 48 63 Q 75 16 Whole of Government Accounts 2019–20 of fraud (committed against the government, such as NHS procurement fraud) and error (resulting from internal government mistakes and undetected inaccuracies made by external participants) should be included along with narrative around government counter action.64 65