Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Accepted
Home Office expresses confidence in 'Safer Streets' mission collaboration and accountability structures.
Recommendation
The Home Office told us that one of the many benefits of the ‘Safer Streets’ mission is that it will create a framework for collaboration across government and beyond.15 It told us that progress will be overseen by a mission board, which has met four times since September, and the sub–board (including Home Office and MoJ Ministers), which has met three times. The Home Office, which has responsibility for delivering the ‘Safer Streets’ mission, also spoke positively about the accountability structures that are in place to scrutinise government’s progress against the mission objectives via the Prime Minister’s regular stock–takes.16 Understanding the demand of local services
Government Response Summary
The government stated the recommendation is implemented, detailing robust existing governance and accountability structures for the Safer Streets Mission, including a VAWG Ministerial Group, Mission Board, and Prime Minister’s stocktakes, and noting acceptance of an NAO recommendation for a cross-Whitehall team.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
1.1 The government agrees with this recommendation. Recommendation implemented 1.2 The Home Office has set up robust governance and accountability through the Safer Streets Mission. 1.3 Governance for the Mission includes a dedicated violence against women and girls (VAWG) Ministerial Group, co-chaired by the Minister for Safeguarding and VAWG and the Minister for Victims and VAWG, to inform and oversee the development of the VAWG Strategy. This Group has been instrumental in establishing a truly cross-government vision and approach and in defining the departmental commitments and contributions. Following the publication of the Strategy, the Home Office will shift to a delivery focus: tracking progress, holding government departments to account on delivery of commitments, reviewing new and emerging evidence on what works, and informing future policy decisions. 1.4 This Ministerial Group will report into the Safer Streets Mission Board, chaired by the Home Secretary and attended by Secretaries of State, to ensure government is on track to meeting Safer Streets Mission objectives. The escalation route developed by these two boards demonstrates that the Home Office is taking a new approach to ensuring cohesion in its policy development and delivery. 1.5 The Safer Streets Mission Board in turn reports into the Prime Minister’s regular Mission Stocktake meetings. These stocktakes have coordinated government action on VAWG and will continue to be critical to holding government departments to account on delivery. 1.6 The Home Office has also accepted the NAO recommendation to establish a cross- Whitehall team to monitor the delivery of VAWG commitments. The Home Office is developing options for this joint team to align with the delivery phase of the upcoming VAWG Strategy.