Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Accepted
Joint bids at Spending Reviews remain underused, requiring more support and promotion.
Recommendation
HM Treasury told us that joint bids at Spending Reviews was another way it had tried to encourage departments to pool resources and work together to generate benefits. It told us that at Spending Review 2021 it had identified departments that were most involved in cross-cutting shared outcomes and made clear it was expecting a joint-bid from them. It was disappointed that only 28 joint-bids were submitted in the last Spending Review despite its issuing guidance and training over 1,000 finance and policy officials on developing joint-bids. The joint-bids included the beating crime plan and the illegal drug strategy. HM Treasury recognised that more needs to be done to support and encourage joint-bids in the next Spending Review. It told us that Managing Public Money now sets out the benefits of submitting joint-bids, but acknowledged it needed to do more to communicate these benefits and support departments in submitting joint-bids.35 Evaluating cross-government working
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation, setting an August 2024 target. HM Treasury will produce guidance for the next Spending Review setting expectations for departments to work together on cross-cutting areas, building on previous efforts to improve the joint bid process and provide support.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with this recommendation. Target implementation date: August 2024, or earlier, if circumstances dictate. Spending Review (SR) guidance is the responsibility of HM Treasury. HM Treasury will produce guidance setting expectations that departments should work together at the Spending Review on cross-cutting areas. At Spending Review 2021, the government improved the process for joint bid applications, making it more accessible for departments engaging in joint working to bid for funding. At the launch of SR21, the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury (CST) wrote to Secretaries of State in other government departments to make clear that HM Treasury expected departments to work together at the Spending Review on cross-cutting policy areas. In two key cross-cutting areas, the Criminal Justice System and the Integrated Review, the then Director General of Public Spending wrote to departments involved to ask them to work together to align and prioritise their bids. For other key cross-cutting areas, there were established cross-government processes in place, covering areas such as Levelling Up and Net Zero. These processes ensured that departments worked together on SR bids. HM Treasury also provided training and guidance to finance and policy teams across Whitehall to support joint bids. HM Treasury will determine in detail its approach to supporting cross-departmental working at the next SR. The approach will be informed by lessons learned from the previous SR and the Shared Outcomes fund, as well as feedback on the joint bid process from departments. HM Treasury is committed to further removing the barriers to cross- departmental collaboration and increasing the number and standard of cross-cutting business cases through providing guidance to teams and support to priority areas. At Spending Review 2021, HM Treasury improved the process for joint spending bids. This included providing training, guidance, and advice to departmental finance and policy teams to set out the requirements for a joint bid. Through these processes, HM Treasury has supported departments on how to approach cross-government working. HM Treasury will continue to monitor and, as appropriate, offer support for departments going forward.