Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
69th Report - Whole of Government Accounts 2023-24
Public Accounts Committee
HC 1243
Published 4 March 2026
Government response
Treasury Minutes: Government response - 69th Report - Whole of Government Accounts 2023-24
Recommendations & Conclusions
5
Recommendation
Deferred
The non-coterminous reporting date of the Academies sector risks undermining comparability and weakening accountability for...
Recommendation
The non-coterminous reporting date of the Academies sector risks undermining comparability and weakening accountability for billions of pounds of public money. The WGA consolidation process faces persistent challenges due to the misalignment of financial reporting periods between academies and central …
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Government Response Summary
The Treasury will interrogate the estimated costs and benefits and make a final consideration on VfM of alignment of the sector during the 2027 Spending Review when the audit and reporting landscape is clearer.
HM Treasury
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22
Conclusion
Deferred
We questioned how 2023–24 pension disclosures appeared to show a reduction in public sector pension...
Conclusion
We questioned how 2023–24 pension disclosures appeared to show a reduction in public sector pension liabilities and raised that this was counter intuitive. We raised concern that this disclosure created presents a false picture of the underlying fiscal reality when …
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Government Response Summary
Despite the original item being a conclusion, the government states it agrees with the Committee's implied recommendation for transparency in pension measurement and sets a target implementation date of June 2026, while reaffirming its preference for OBR's GDP share measure.
HM Treasury
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24
Conclusion
Deferred
The academies sector prepares a separate sector account (the Sector Annual Report and Accounts, or...
Conclusion
The academies sector prepares a separate sector account (the Sector Annual Report and Accounts, or SARA), aligned to the academic cycle year end of 31 August.45 The Department for Education and WGA report to 31 March.46 The consolidation of SARA …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation to align academies sector reporting but defers the final decision and implementation until the 2027 Spending Review, citing high estimated costs and complexities requiring further assessment of value for money.
HM Treasury
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25
Conclusion
Deferred
The reporting framework for academy trusts was established on a temporary basis through agreement between...
Conclusion
The reporting framework for academy trusts was established on a temporary basis through agreement between ministers of the Department for Education (DfE) and the Treasury.48 This arrangement reflected the significant practical challenges and financial costs associated with collecting timely and …
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Government Response Summary
Despite the original item being a conclusion, the government states it agrees with the Committee's implied recommendation regarding academy trusts' reporting and sets a target implementation date for the Spending Review 2027, acknowledging challenges and ongoing discussions.
HM Treasury
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