Source · National Audit Office

Supporting local economic growth

Published: 2 Feb 2022 Recommendations: 8 Type: Value for Money NAO confirmed: 8 Department: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

This report considers lessons DLUHC has learned from implementing local growth policies, and how it has applied them.

Dept: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Topics: Business and industryEconomic growthLocal economyLocal governmentLocal services and housingResilienceRisk and resilience nao.org.uk →

Recommendations

8 items

8 accepted 8 implemented

Rec	Recommendation	Addressee	Acceptance	Implementation
1	Departments should ensure that they follow HM Treasury guidance on developing and appraising business cases at key decision points. This should include ensuring they document how they have evaluated alternative ways to deliver a desired outcome and providing an audit trail on the decision-making process. In the event that departments and HM Treasury elect to skip or consolidate business case stages, they should document the reasons for doing so. Ref Page 14, point a · Implemented Q1 2022-23	HM Treasury	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO
2	The Department should undertake an urgent assessment of the capacity and capability of both the Department and local authorities to prepare, assess and monitor bids for improvement funds. Ref Page 14, point b · Implemented Q2 2024-25	Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO
3	The Department should evaluate the effectiveness of its capacity-building funding. Ref Page 14, point c · Implemented Q2 2024-25	Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO
4	The Department should review the current arrangements for coordination of its local growth programmes to: • coordinate related local growth interventions better and reduce the risk that they work at cross-purposes; Ref Page 14, point d, first bullet point · Implemented Q2 2024-25	Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO
5	manage interdependencies with other government departments deploying related or potentially conflicting initiatives. Ref Page 14, point d, second bullet point · Implemented Q2 2024-25	Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO
6	The Department should set out and publish its plans to formally evaluate the Levelling Up Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in line with the Magenta Book’s emphasis on the importance of planning an evaluation early. It should ensure it will be in a position to conclude on whether the interventions have achieved their objectives at a national as well as local level. Ref Page 14, point e · Implemented Q3 2022-23	Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO
7	Given the challenges of carrying out high-quality evaluation, the Department should also: • carry out a prioritisation exercise to identify and fill the most important gaps in its evidence; and Ref Page 14, point f, first bullet point · Implemented Q4 2022-23	Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO
8	• capture and apply lessons learned at key points in the design and delivery of new local growth funds. Ref Page 14, point f, second bullet point · Implemented Q4 2021-22	Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO

Public Accounts Committee follow-up

1 report

The Public Accounts Committee examined this NAO report and published its own recommendations. The government responds to PAC recommendations via Treasury Minutes.

8 Jun 2022 Public Accounts C… Fifth Report - Local economic growth — 12 recommendations · parliament.uk