Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 28
28
The Department established the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on 1 April 2021 as a...
Conclusion
The Department established the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on 1 April 2021 as a new executive agency to be the UK leader for health protection responsible for ensuring the nation can respond quickly and at greater scale to deal with pandemics and future threats. Public Health England’s (PHE’s) health protection functions transferred into UKHSA on its abolition on 1 October 2021. On the same date, UKHSA also took over the functions of NHS Test and Trace and the Joint Biosecurity Centre from the Department itself.52 The Department confirmed that the vast majority of the UKHSA’s £15.8 billion budget for the 2021–22 financial year was for testing and tracing.53
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
7: PAC conclusion: With 23 days to go until the financial year end the UK Health Security Agency did not have an agreed budget for the new financial year. 7: PAC recommendation: The Department should not get into this position again and should write to the Committee to set out what steps it has put in place to ensure that all organisations it sponsors have a budget in place to allow sufficient time for financial planning for the year ahead. 7.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: March 2023 7.2 The Department has written to the Committee setting out the steps implemented to ensure the department’s Financial Planning and Budgeting process allows its Arm’s Length Bodies sufficient time to plan for the year ahead.