Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Accepted
Update committee on review of government property oversight and actions to remove duplicate roles.
Conclusion
The Cabinet Office’s oversight of government property risks being ineffective due to duplication of roles. The OGP is responsible for the overall strategy for non–office property across government, whereas the Government Property Agency (GPA) is responsible for office related strategy. 7 The OGP sits within the Cabinet Office and the GPA is one of the Cabinet Office’s Executive Agencies, and we are not convinced of the need for two separate organisations, given both sit within the Cabinet Office departmental group. The new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, responsible for infrastructure strategy, jointly reports to the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. Strategy implementation and operational management are split across departments and their ALBs. For example, NHS Property Services is responsible for the primary care estate (initial points of contact for patients, such as GP practices, pharmacies and dental clinics), while currently NHS England is responsible for the secondary care estate (for example, hospitals and specialist clinics). The existence of these various organisations across government risks duplication of effort and inefficiencies. Additionally, while the OGP has responsibility for overseeing property strategy, it does not have the levers to support improvements, which raises the concern that it cannot gain sufficient traction. The Cabinet Office says it is carrying out a review of its structure to remove duplication and inefficiency. recommendation The Cabinet Office should write to the Committee, as soon as practicable, to provide an update on its review of the effectiveness of its oversight of government property. The update should include any actions it is taking to strip out duplicate roles, and give specific consideration to the need for two property organisations within the Cabinet Office departmental group. 8 1 The property maintenance backlog and its impact Introduction
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and states that a review of the Government Property Agency (GPA) is underway, and the Cabinet Office will write to the Committee with the outcome and how it addresses duplication concerns.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Government Property Agency (GPA) is currently underway, and the Cabinet Office will write to the Committee with the outcome of that and how it addresses the concerns of duplication raised by the Committee. For clarity this review is not in relation to oversight of all government property, as GPA only has responsibility for a percentage of the government's office portfolio. The office estate accounts for circa 1.7% of the government estates and currently GPA is responsible for circa 53% of that office estate.