Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 31
31
Accepted
Department's claimed transparency contradicted by lack of detailed programme information and risks
Conclusion
Despite the lack of an accounting officer assessment for the programme, the Department told us that it had “sought to be transparent throughout” and had published information on the Programme as part of the Department’s annual report. It noted that the Infrastructure and Projects Authority also published an annual review of the GMPP, which included the Programme. The Department therefore considered that it had been “as transparent as possible”.64 The NAO report found, however, that the Department included high-level Programme objectives in its 2021 green paper and 2023 health and disability white paper, but not details about the Programme’s timetable or detailed benefits and risks.65 61 Q 34; HM Treasury’s Accounting Officer Assessments Guidance (May 2023) para 1.4 available at: AOA_guidance_ May_2023__3_.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk) 62 Q 34 63 C&AG’s Report, para 2.4, 2.12–2.14. 64 Q 34 65 C&AG’s Report, para 3.25 Revising health assessments for disability benefits 19
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation regarding transparency of programme details despite the lack of an accounting officer assessment. It commits to providing information on GMPP programmes and their AO assessment status by February 2024.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: February 2024 HM Treasury will write to the Committee by end of February 2024 with the requested information on programmes within the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) and the status of their accounting officer assessments.