Recommendation 10

The Government People Group (within the Cabinet Office) does not systematically assess the departments’ returns for completeness or quality or to assure the adequacy of 7 HC Committee of Public Accounts, Making a whistleblowing policy work: progress update, Twenty-ninth Report of Session 2015–16, HC 602, March 2016 8 Q 1 ; C&AG’s Report, para 1.6, Figure 2 9 C&AG’s Report, para 3.2 10 C&AG’s Report, para 15 11 Q 58 12 Qq 2, 71 13 Q 60 14 C&AG’s Report, recommandation a 15 Qq 61, 62 16 Q 83, C&AG’s Report, para 20 17 Qq 83, 92, 93 10 Investigation into whistleblowing in the civil service whistleblowing arrangements across government.18 So we were interested to hear how the Cabinet Office uses its central role to gain assurance and identify cross government insights on whistleblowing.19 The Cabinet Office told us it produces summary reports of the RAC departmental data and shares this with HR directors, nominated officers and policy leads.20 However, it could not tell us which departments are complying with best practice and it accepted that it can strengthen its data to get a better picture in this area.21