Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Accepted
Fee amendment process is slow, complex, and lacks standardised data, undermining financial sustainability.
Recommendation
The process for amending fees across government is slow and complex as certain public bodies took an average of 63 weeks, with the longest case taking over two years. This undermines financial sustainability because it makes it harder to recover costs. This delay is because bodies must first secure approval from their parent department and then the HM Treasury before preparing secondary legislation for Parliamentary scrutiny. The absence of standardised data requirements also leads to a ‘back and forth’ between departments, arm’s-length bodies and the Treasury, which prolongs the process and limits transparency over whether fees reflect the true cost of services.27
Government Response Summary
The Treasury will write to the Committee by May 2026 to set out proposals indicating the new arrangements to reduce the time and complexity of amending fees.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: May 2026 3.2 The Treasury will write to the Committee by May 2026 to set out proposals indicating the new arrangements to reduce the time and complexity of amending fees.