Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Not Addressed
Cabinet Office reports billions in functional efficiency savings, predominantly from key central functions
Conclusion
The Cabinet Office has measured and reported on the financial efficiency savings and wider benefits made by cross-government functions since 2021. In March 2022, it reported that functions, departments and other central government bodies had achieved £3.4 billion of cash-releasing savings in 2020–21. Of this, £1.4 billion was attributable to the Counter fraud Function and £1.2 billion to the Commercial Function. In July 2023, it reported that the cross-cutting central functional teams had delivered £4.4 billion of savings in 2021–22, consisting of £3.4 billion cash-releasing savings, and £1 billion non- cash releasing savings. Of this, the Counter Fraud and the Debt Management functions has the largest savings, at £1.3 billion each.17
Government Response Summary
The government response reiterates that the Cabinet Office started measuring and reporting financial efficiency savings in 2021, repeating the same figures for 2020-21 (£3.4 billion cash-releasing) and 2021-22 (£3.4 billion cash-releasing and £1.0 billion non-cash-releasing) as stated in the committee's observation.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The Cabinet Office started measuring and reporting on the financial efficiency savings and wider benefits made by the functions in 2021. So far, it has reported that functions, departments and other central bodies achieved £3.4 billion of cash-releasing savings in 2020–21, and £3.4 billion of cash-releasing savings and £1.0 billion of non-cash-releasing savings in 2021–22.