Themes | Government Accountability | The Accountability Index

Incomplete Public Project Cost-Benefit Analysis

Omission of significant costs (e.g., customer costs) from cost-benefit analyses for major public projects.

655 items 10 sources 2 inquiries

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Source spread

Where this theme appears

This theme appears across 10 independent accountability sources, so the source mix matters as much as the headline total.

2 inquiry recs 2 PFD reports 469 committee recs 4 ICIBI recs 99 NAO recs 1 detention investigation rec 48 LGO/SPSO decisions 1 CJINI report

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Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.

10 sources

Inquiry recommendations(2)

HIDD-48 — Study appraisal procedures for safety elements in railway investment proposals

Recommendation: The Department of Transport and BRB shall make a thorough study of appraisal procedure for safety elements of investment proposals so that the cost-effectiveness of safe operation of the railway occupies its proper place in a business-led operation.

RHI-39 — Ministerial Familiarity with Legislation

Recommendation: Any Minister presenting the Assembly with legislation for approval should sufficiently read and familiarise themselves with that legislation and ensure an adequate evidence base is publicly available to demonstrate that the benefits justify any attendant costs.

Words of: Northern Ireland Executive, Executive Response to the RHI Inquiry Report Recommendations and Action Plan, Annex A, 7 October 2021

Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full, with the exception of the consideration of an independent mechanism to assess special advisers’ compliance with the Code of Conduct. They have been addressed through work to date, …

Prevention of Future Deaths reports(2)

28 Dec 2017 · London Inner (North)

Concerns: The coroner raised concerns about Transport for London's significant delays in implementing pedestrian safety improvements at a busy crossroads and its accident statistics methodology, which did not account for overall incident incidence or near misses.

Response (Transport for Lonodn): • Transport for London stated its intention to provide a controlled pedestrian crossing at the junction. • Transport for London intends to progress a banned turning movement to provide a … (AI summary)

07 Aug 2024 · Inner North London

Concerns: The canal railing offered no protection for a small child, and Peabody Housing Association did not risk assess it or act on resident complaints about its safety. The initial planning application for the development also did not consider the barrier's safety.

Response (Peabody Trust): • Peabody has installed temporary fencing at the canal side and prepared proposals for a new, permanent barrier, working with relevant parties for implementation. • The organisation is updating its … (AI summary)

Response (Islington Council): • Islington Council is working with Peabody Housing Association to bring forward a planning application for safety fencing at the Crest Buildings development. • The Council has held senior-level meetings … (AI summary)

Response (Mayor of London Greater London Authority): • The Mayor submitted a response to the government's consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework. • The Greater London Authority is in the early stages of reviewing the London … (AI summary)

Response (MHCLG): • MHCLG published an updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) on 12 December 2024. • The updated NPPF includes additional policy in paragraph 102 a) requiring consideration of the safety … (AI summary)

Select committee recommendations(469)— showing 50 strongest matches

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that the government and BBC commission an independent assessment of the likely economic impact of earning revenue from limited older content on iPlayer for the BBC and other commercial broadcasters and of exploiting its extensive archive. (Recommendation, Paragraph …

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: When developing new advice or guidance which will affect the planning system, Defra and its agencies should undertake and publish an impact assessment. This should include insights from across government. Effective and efficient resourcing

Response attribution not verified

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: When developing new advice or guidance which will affect the planning system, Defra and its agencies should undertake and publish an impact assessment. This should include insights from across government.

Response attribution not verified

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: To balance policy decisions more effectively, the Government should commission a review into the cost implications of satisfying environmental regulations for both housebuilding and large infrastructure projects. (Paragraph 27) Balancing Competing Targets

Response attribution not verified

Finance Bill Sub-Committee

Recommendation: The Government needs to revisit its standard model for costing and ensure that HM Treasury and HMRC conduct a meaningful dialogue with stakeholders about what businesses need to do to prepare for any change, including being transparent about any assumptions …

Response attribution not verified

Finance Bill Sub-Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that HMRC publishes the assumptions on which the costs to businesses of the employee hours requirement were based. HMRC should then work with interested parties to review these costings and produce revised estimates that are more realistic and …

Response attribution not verified

Finance Bill Sub-Committee

Recommendation: From the evidence received, it seems very likely that the costs to employers of providing this data, both one-off and on-going, have been significantly underestimated.

Response attribution not verified

Finance Bill Sub-Committee

Recommendation: Where the Government is proposing a major change to how businesses are taxed, we recommend that costs are modelled at an earlier stage in the consultation process to allow for stakeholder engagement, even where some details have not yet been …

Response attribution not verified

Finance Bill Sub-Committee

Recommendation: The cost to taxpayers of implementing new tax rules is an important consideration when developing new policies. While not confirming whether the merged scheme would go ahead, the Government has been clear since January 2023 that, if it did, it …

Response attribution not verified

Science and Technology Committee

Recommendation: The Government should investigate the costs and efficiencies of large ACAES, for example through researching comparable systems that have been operated in other countries, with a view to supporting them through the long-duration energy storage business model in 2024.

Response attribution not verified

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: In reviewing business cases for the building, or opening, of new government services (such as health care centres, libraries and sport centres) the Government should ensure that wider public benefits are included in its assessment, including those supporting the ambitions …

Response attribution not verified

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: In reviewing business cases for the building, or opening, of new government services (such as health care centres, libraries and sport centres) the Government should ensure that wider public benefits are included in its assessment, including those supporting the ambitions …

Response attribution not verified

Environment and Climate Change Committee

Recommendation: In considering the costs of taking action on methane emissions, the Government should consider both the costs and benefits of action and the concomitant costs and benefits of inaction over the short, medium and long-term, including adaptation costs.

Response attribution not verified

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: In light of the questions raised over the absence of a cost benefit analysis for the enforcement investigation proposals, and following the recommendations made in the Financial Conduct Authority Cost Benefit Analysis Panel’s report, the FCA should change its policy …

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: Given that the enforcement investigation proposals represent a significant departure from the FCA ’s previous approach, it remains our firm view that proposed changes of this extent necessitate a robust and detailed analysis of the direct costs to the sector. …

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: The lack of a cost benefit analysis has contributed to industry concern that the full impact of the proposals on firms and markets was not being suitably considered. Although there is no obligation for the FCA to provide cost benefit …

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: We received limited evidence on what the FCA and PRA could do to facilitate growth in the wider economy, or what changes could be made to regulation that would impact on investment in the UK economy as a whole. We …

Response attribution not verified

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: HM Treasury should include outcomes-based secondary objective metrics that aim to illustrate the impact of the regulators’ action on the real economy. In our view, it would be possible to do more to set the data reported against the current …

Gov response: The government agrees that it is important to monitor the impact of regulation on growth. As above, the FCA and PRA have already started to report against a range of metrics agreed with the government. …

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: A comprehensive review and revision of the secondary objective metrics is required. This should be commenced as soon as possible after the publication of the regulators’ second secondary objective progress reports , due by summer 2025. As part of this …

Response attribution not verified

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: HM Treasury states that it did not want to require the regulators to report against outcomes that they do not fully control. However, success in advancing the secondary objective should be, in part, about facilitating growth in the UK economy—currently, …

Response attribution not verified

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: At the moment, the metrics comprise a set of static data predominantly measuring operational processes, which do little to track the impact of regulation on growth in the wider economy. For us, this is further evidence that the answer to …

Response attribution not verified

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: We are concerned by the lack of data on the proportion of total lending made available for productive investment. The Government should work with the Bank of England to research what proportion of total lending is made available for productive …

Response attribution not verified

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: We are concerned by evidence which suggested that the UK applies higher risk weightings to lending than competing jurisdictions, such as the EU. The Government should commission the PRA to report on the UK’s approach to capital requirements in comparison …

Response attribution not verified

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: Firms that use the standardised approach generally have higher capital requirements than firms that use the IRB. Obtaining approval for internal models is a lengthy and costly process which favours larger firms.

Response attribution not verified

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: This is not entirely within the control of the PRA. The Government should work with the Bank of England to review the cumulative impact that the regulatory capital requirements and MREL requirements have on lenders, specifically regarding the cost of …

Response attribution not verified

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: Cumulatively, we were told these issues introduce significant frictions for firms, which in aggregate risk constraining growth across the sector. We heard that aspects of the UK’s regulatory regime that are more costly and complex than competing jurisdictions negatively impact …

Response attribution not verified

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: We welcome the FCA’s review of its handbook rules following the introduction of the Consumer Duty. However, we also recognise the cost and complexity created by layering new regulation onto similar existing requirements.

Response attribution not verified

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: Assessment of the costs and resource demands that regulatory reforms impose on firms should not be limited to the CBA carried out during the consultation period. We recommend that the FCA and the PRA include an assessment of actual costs …

Response attribution not verified

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: The regulators, particularly the FCA, do not have a clear understanding of the cumulative burden of regulation due to limitations in their approach to cost benefit analysis. This prevents them from recognising and addressing the negative impact that their activities …

Response attribution not verified

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that, building on its work to establish a baseline for the administrative costs of regulation, the Government commissions an independent study to assess the cumulative cost of compliance in the financial services sector relative to other international jurisdictions.

Gov response: The government agrees that it is important that any burdens imposed by compliance requirements are proportionate to the benefits of these requirements. Evidence received through the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy Call for Evidence …

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: The cumulative burden of regulatory compliance in the UK is perceived to be disproportionately high, diverting resources that could otherwise support the growth of the financial services sector. Whilst difficulties in producing rigorous international comparisons may prevent definitive conclusions, the …

Response attribution not verified

Work and Pensions Committee

Recommendation: The Jobs Guarantee is a good offer, but its eligibility is too tight and will limit its impact. We are concerned about the long-term impact on a young person of being unemployed for 18 months and that waiting a year …

Response status not verified

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked how the number of homes delivered through legacy programmes were being tracked. Homes England told us it is using geospatial imaging to set boundaries around sites, and identify which homes can be attributed to unlocking interventions.27 The Department …

Response status not verified

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked the Department whether it has a clear understanding of the homes delivered resulting from its legacy investments to unlock land. The Department acknowledged the initial lack of tracking and told us it is now retrospectively tracking how many …

Response status not verified

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Delivery of new homes is one of the key long-term outcomes the Department expects from its financial support for unlocking land.21 However, it did not put in place arrangements to track the number of homes built on land unlocked by …

Response status not verified

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department and Homes England have not been fully transparent about their plans for tracking the number of homes built on land unlocked by legacy programmes. The Department and Homes England are retrospectively tracking how many homes were built on …

Response status not verified

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Shared Services Strategy has historically had mixed buy-in from departments. In 2022, not all departments were fully supportive of the cluster model. Clusters considered that departmental buy-in suffered because the Cabinet Office did not calculate the benefits of its …

Response status not verified

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: In its subsequent correspondence with the Committee, the Cabinet Office clarified that its Strategy’s £4.3 billion benefits figure had been calculated from a mixture of its dashboard and clusters’ full business cases. The Cabinet Office’s correspondence reported shared services’ change …

Response status not verified

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Since this Committee last reported on shared services, the Cabinet Office responded to concerns about its understanding of costs, benefits and value for money by updating its strategy’s case for change.20 The Cabinet Office has also created a dashboard designed …

Response status not verified

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We are astounded that the Cabinet Office appears unable to clearly articulate the value for money case of its Shared Services Strategy. The Cabinet Office claims that the Shared Services Strategy is now set to deliver £4.3 billion in benefits. …

Response status not verified

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that the government introduce a local high street assessment tool to tackle the challenge that a one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective. This tool can be used to compare the cost and effectiveness of interventions, including planning, engagement, skills and …

Response status not verified

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: If the Government cannot publish the Impact Assessment for the Pharmaceutical Arrangement, it should publish its evidence that accelerating spend on innovative medicines will increase investment in the UK. (Recommendation, Paragraph 82) 61

Response status not verified

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: The Government should publish a roadmap for the Pharmaceutical Arrangement and evaluate outcomes of this agreement against metrics in real time. Further spending should be dependent upon evidence of increased access to medicines, improved health outcomes and greater R&D investment …

Response status not verified

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: The Pharmaceutical Arrangement was a necessary response to an acute tariff threat to £4 billion of UK exports. However, the cost to the NHS is material, contested, and opaque. Whether increased NHS spending translates into increased UK R&D investment, remains …

Response status not verified

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: The Government should publish impact assessments for the US agreements already concluded, including the Pharmaceutical Arrangement, without further delay. It should further ensure that all future economic agreements with the US are accompanied by a timely impact assessment. (Recommendation, Paragraph …

Response status not verified

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: We welcome the UK re-joining the Erasmus+ scheme. To support transparency, we recommend that the Government set out the underlying data to support the UK’s decision to rejoin, a full cost- benefit analysis of long-term membership of Erasmus+, and its …

Response status not verified

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department told us that it was “quite unlikely” that the scheme paid for itself fiscally, but it did not know that for certain. It explained that, from an Accounting Officer’s point of view, the value of the scheme was …

Response status not verified

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked the Department about cost-benefit analysis of the Access to Work scheme relative to other schemes including, if a robust case-controlled study was not possible, whether it had done any sort of modelling.63 We suggested, for example, that, if …

Response status not verified

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked the Department about the value for money of Access to Work, including how the cost compares with other government employment schemes and how it compares with other nations. The Department told us that, while it had not undertaken …

Response status not verified

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: One of the Department’s principles for awarding Access to Work grants is that any approved support must be value for money.57 However, the Department acknowledges that it does not know whether the scheme provides value for money – it has …

Response status not verified

ICIBI immigration recommendations(4)

An inspection of Border Force’s fast parcels operations (May–July 2023)

Establish a baseline understanding of the levels of prohibited and restricted items in fast parcels to be able to measure Border Force’s operational effectiveness.

An inspection of contingency asylum accommodation (November 2023 – June 2024)

Ensure that the 10-year strategy and annual delivery plans for asylum accommodation are informed by: a) clearly stated milestones for expected benefits, overall and broken down by type of accommodation …

An inspection of the Border Force operation to deter and detect clandestine …

Produce and publish an annual report on how the Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme (CECPS) is working, informed by the feedback received from drivers, owners and hirers of vehicles (not …

An inspection of the Border Force operation to deter and detect clandestine …

Review the range of analyses, assessments and intelligence products dealing with clandestine entry that are currently produced and check (at least quarterly) with ‘end users’ that these support strategic and …

NAO audit recommendations(99)— showing 50 strongest matches

Improving Single Living Accommodation

The Department should give priority to developing a more comprehensive overview of its SLA provision. This should include a more complete picture of what it costs to manage and sustain the estate, bed space availability and wider asset management data. …

The production and distribution of cash

HM Treasury should assign clear responsibility for bringing together and reporting information on how well the cash system overall is performing in meeting the government’s policy objectives. HM Treasury, working with the regulators, should develop a system for monitoring and …

The Transpennine Route Upgrade Programme

As part of developing its marketing campaign for passengers, Network Rail should set out how it will assess its success at informing passengers and addressing their concerns. This should include metrics to monitor passengers? awareness of the Programme and how …

The Transpennine Route Upgrade Programme

The Department and Network Rail should agree with other government departments, local government and train operating companies who should have ownership in delivering and measuring the wider benefits of the Programme. This should include agreeing with local authorities on how …

The Transpennine Route Upgrade Programme

The Department and Network Rail should complete their development of metrics for evaluating the benefits from the Programme, such as for reduced carbon emissions or interconnectivity across the region.

Managing central government property

f) The OGP and GPA should: ? discuss with the departments which have not yet agreed the transfer of their offices their onboarding plans and agree on whether these plans remain achievable and represent value for money; and ? assess …

Managing central government property

e) The OGP should measure if the expected programme benefits set out in the 2018 government estate strategy have been achieved. It should assess whether change has been realised and disseminate the lessons learned to date from delivering those programmes.

The Creation of the UK Infrastructure Bank

e. The Bank should develop clear aims for its advisory function and develop measures to help it assess performance over time. It should develop a formal and strategic approach to engagement, including communicating to market participants a clear picture of …

The Creation of the UK Infrastructure Bank

In developing its performance measurement framework, the Bank should ensure it has metrics and benchmarks allowing it to assess in detail whether it is balancing all of its objectives and delivering on the government?s ambition for it. HM Treasury and …

The Creation of the UK Infrastructure Bank

The Bank should, learning from the Green Investment Bank and British Business Bank interventions, further develop its understanding of where infrastructure needs are greatest so that it routinely informs investment decisions and prioritises them. It should bring this understanding of …

Supporting local economic growth

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 …

Supporting local economic growth

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 …

Employment support: The Kickstart Scheme

q) in future schemes, setting out in both the Outline and Final Business Case the management data required to manage the programme and the scope and schedule of the routine statistics that will be published about the programme.

Employment support: The Kickstart Scheme

p) publishing the results of its planned evaluation promptly, when available; and

Employment support: The Kickstart Scheme

o) monitoring Kickstart’s impact over at least the five years on which its original business case assumptions are based;

Partially accepted

Employment support: The Kickstart Scheme

To support public and Parliamentary accountability, and long-term value for money the Department should ensure it is transparent by: n) publishing regular, timely statistics on Kickstart’s progress, including participation rates nationally and locally, early outcomes and data on diversity;

Improving Single Living Accommodation

The Department should agree and set out what a reasonable standard for SLA would look like, drawing on building condition standards but also the ‘lived experience’ work. Progress in both improving SLA to a reasonable standard and then maintaining it, …

The production and distribution of cash

The Bank, working with other public authorities, should improve its understanding of both the factors that are driving the increase in demand for notes, and also who is holding the approximately £50 billion worth of notes where there is currently …

Partially accepted

Financial sustainability of colleges in England

c) Reduce the complexity and uncertainty of the college funding arrangements. Dealing with complex funding rules takes up college staff time, and amplifies the risk of mistakes which may result in the ESFA recovering funding that colleges have claimed incorrectly. …

Partially accepted

Tackling the tax gap

iii) in partnership with HM Treasury develop shared and trusted data on the impact of different resourcing options, including the marginal rates of return from compliance activity and wider trade-offs, to help judge how to maximise tax revenues cost-effectively; and

Tackling the tax gap

ii) review the impact of compliance yield on the tax gap, and the significance of timing differences between the compliance yield and the tax gap measures;

Tackling the tax gap

b) in developing its new performance measures: i) develop measures for each significant factor affecting the tax gap, for example, costs to taxpayers and intermediaries of complying, taxpayer experience, perceptions of fairness and the deterrence effect of its activities;

Tackling the tax gap

To improve its approach to tackling the tax gap, HMRC should: a) seek opportunities to base more of the overall tax gap estimate on established methodologies to reduce the level of uncertainty;

Specialist skills in the civil service

Departments should accelerate adoption of existing workforce planning tools, so that they have data on their functional resources and can understand what skills they have, where they are allocated and where capacity and skills gaps exist.

Specialist skills in the civil service

The Cabinet Office should make available consistent workforce data, statistics and information to all functions, based on its Civil Service Statistics data, which the functions could use in their workforce planning.

Specialist skills in the civil service

Each function should continue to develop indicators and intelligence that provide evidence of its impact on cross-government outcomes, including how it has helped improve government operations and efficiency.

Specialist skills in the civil service

The Cabinet Office should work with all functions to develop and report consistent and well-evidenced data on functions’ performance, costs and benefits, building on assurance work done to date.

Digital transformation in the NHS

c) Collect more data to enable a better understanding of the full cost of delivering digital transformation and prioritise the work programme. Essential work to lay the foundations of digitisation and interoperability (including data standardisation) should be done before investment …

The UK’s F-35 capability

In support of this assessment, and to enable full accountability, the MoD should calculate the following costs, including all relevant Defence Lines of Development and operational costs, including: ? costs to date, including all sunk costs; ? 10-year forecast costs …

Partially accepted

The UK’s F-35 capability

The MoD should develop, maintain and update an assessment of the value it intends to deliver throughout the life of the programme. This should include a clear weighting of all military and non-military benefits over the short, medium and long-term, …

Resilience to animal disease

Defra should, over the next year: a fully integrate its understanding and assessment of risk into its process for prioritising and allocating resources across the Defra group; for animal disease resilience funding, it should support this by: ? improving its …

Progress with the merger of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and …

The Cabinet Office should ensure there is proper consideration of the costs and benefits of major MoG changes and provide longer-term support and guidance to departments facing significant organisational change. Once the decision has been taken to implement a MoG …

Partially accepted

Managing government borrowing

c. HMT, working with the OBR, should explore how remit revisions outside regular fiscal events can be supported by quicker, more focused OBR assurance. This assurance should be proportionate, taking account of the event under assessment and the costs to …

Managing government borrowing

a. HMT should consider ways to align and extend how it measures progress against the debt management objective, while recognising the inherent challenges. This should include developing further its quantitative and qualitative evidence base to feed into an overall assessment, …

Active Travel in England

DfT should: b. support ATE to establish a benefits monitoring approach that tracks the contribution of active travel investments to all of government?s wider strategic priorities. This would improve the monitoring of active travel outcomes, enabling DfT and other government …

Supporting investment into the UK

DIT should assess how actual economic benefits resulting from inward investment projects compare with its forecasts at the outset. This would help it draw out the reasons why actual benefits may be higher or lower than initial estimates, improve future …

Support for vulnerable adolescents

We recommend that those central government departments involved should, through formal governance, work together to: c) agree some cross-government objectives and outcome measures for supporting those vulnerable adolescents most in need of support, along with data sources and methods of …

Regulation of private renting

b) Be more specific in setting out what its reform programme is intended to achieve. In doing so, it should set the desired outcomes, key performance indicators and success measures, and clearly demonstrate how they link to the overall vision …

Improving Single Living Accommodation

The Department should carry out and make use of work on the ‘lived experience’ to better understand what personnel want from SLA and inform future accommodation plans. The Department should look at how it can regularly collect data on experiences …

Administration of Scottish income tax 2019-20

HMRC should consider how it reflects the impact of COVID-19 in its calculation of the revenue outturn and estimate for future years, including consideration of what additional data might be available to refine the calculation and better reflect the uncertainties …

Administration of Welsh income tax 2019-20

HMRC should consider how it reflects the impact of COVID-19 in its calculation of the revenue outturn and estimate for future years, including consideration of what additional data might be available to refine the calculation and better reflect the uncertainties …

The BBC’s strategic financial management

d) setting out how it will monitor its wider economic value within the UK’s media and broadcasting landscape on a more regular basis in the future; and

Child Maintenance Client Funds Account 2019-20

• continue to review its assessment of collectability of arrears relating to the 1993 and 2003 Schemes in light of experience to date and report its assessment of collectability transparently in the 1993 and 2003 schemes Account.

Improving Broadband

In respect of the Future Programme, it should: d) set out how it intends to improve its data, including how it will: • secure the required quality of data for identifying which areas and premises it intends to subsidise;

Improving Broadband

c) set out how it intends to measure the benefits of its investment, including setting programme-specific objectives as clear measures of success for its Future Programme.

Improving local bus services in England outside London

e) the amount and form of funding, for both local authorities and operators, that is necessary to achieve the objectives of the bus strategy. The Department has already committed to providing a long-term funding model. It should work with MHCLG, …

Partially accepted

Improving local bus services in England outside London

c) good quality data and measures of success. The Department should look widely at all its sources of performance information to develop a basket of measures granular enough to understand outcomes for users, local authorities and operators, so that it …

Partially accepted

Specialist skills in the civil service

Functions should ensure additional workforce data they collect aligns with the wider Civil Service Statistics data set. Where appropriate, functions should also engage directly with departments so both functions and departments can understand their specialist workforces, including their diversity and …

Specialist skills in the civil service

The Cabinet Office should continue to work with departments to improve the quality and completeness of Annual Civil Service Employment Survey data, the basis for its Civil Service Statistics data set.

Department for International Trade and UK Export Finance: Support for exports

DIT and UKEF should agree a strategic Memorandum of Understanding to improve joint-working and report annually on progress. DIT and UKEF must work together effectively to support exports. Agreeing a Memorandum of Understanding on how they will work together and …

Health investigations(1)

The Path to Safer Beginnings in Wales: National Assurance Assessment … — Rec 8c

A programme of research on the costs and short, medium and long-term consequences of the current and emerging model of care.

Detention investigations(1)

Investigation into the Disturbance and Fire at Yarl's Wood Removal … — Rec 22

IND and the Finance and Services Directorate ensure that no major project is again allowed to proceed without a properly constituted business case.

Immigration Detention

Independent reviews(28)

Cunliffe Water Commission — Rec 7

Recommendation 7: The systems planner, with the support of the economic regulator, should require, support, and scrutinise a strengthened approach to option development and cost-benefit analysis across water industry planning frameworks. This applies to England and Wales.

Hampton Review — Rec 26

As part of the enforcement assessment in Regulatory Impact Assessments, those proposing the collection of data should show that they have assessed all data available to the regulators, that none of the data available fits their needs, and that the benefits of gathering extra information outweigh the costs both to …

Barker Land Use Planning Review — Rec 6

Regional and local planning authorities should make planning for economic development a higher priority. To achieve this there should be: • better integration of the Regional Economic Strategies (RES) and Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS), including enhanced alignment of timescales and compatibility of evidence bases, so that the RES can fulfil …

Barker Housing Supply Review — Rec 12

Government should take a rigorous approach to revising PPG3. Future revisions should be grounded in an evidence base and should be subject to scrutiny from a panel of housing and planning stakeholders, including the development industry. Restrictions on development should have an identifiable and evidenced benefit that outweighs their costs.

Barker Housing Supply Review — Rec 7

Government should set out guidance, accompanying a revised Planning Policy Guidance 3 (Housing) (PPG 3), for determining the scale and allocation of housing provision at the regional level to ensure that methodologies reflect a full consideration of the economic, social and environmental costs and benefits of housing at the regional …

Oakervee Review — Rec 59

Conclusion 59: Before issuing NtP: (i) an updated business case for Phase One, approved by HMT, should be published; and (ii) the DfT should update and publish a revised business case for the project as a whole. This should include the latest cost and benefits for the project. 12. Alternative

Oakervee Review — Rec 57

Conclusion 57: The benefit-cost ratio could be improved by removing the Handsacre connection and reducing the proposed frequency of HS2 services from 17 to 16tph.

Oakervee Review — Rec 56

Conclusion 56: The demand sensitivity analysis suggests that the full HS2 network has a benefit-cost ratio range of 1.0 to 2.1 and represents low high value for money. Extending the appraisal period from 60 to 100 years afer scheme opening has a material impact on improving the value for Economic …

Oakervee Review — Rec 55

Conclusion 55: If an integrated rail plan and investment programme for the Midlands and the North of England is developed (see conclusion 11 in section 6 above), the economic appraisal of this integrated rail plan and investment programme should be assessed in addition to individual projects and phases of schemes. …

Oakervee Review — Rec 54

Conclusion 54: The evidence is clear that the full network is needed to realise the highest value for money economic return on the investment of HS2. Phase One as a standalone scheme does not represent value for money, nor does building Phase Two without building Phase One.

Oakervee Review — Rec 53

Conclusion 53: The latest results indicate that the full Y-shaped HS2 network represents ’low-medium’ value for money, using DfT TAG, when capturing the cost estimates in the Chairman’s stocktake and benefits under fixed Economic appraisal of phases of HS2

Oakervee Review — Rec 51

Conclusion 51: There are impacts that are currently not quantified that are important to consider alongside the monetised benefit-cost ratio. This includes the potential transformational benefits that HS2 could unlock through changing land-use as well as the adverse environmental impacts from construction and the permanent land required for the railway. …

Oakervee Review — Rec 50

Conclusion 50: Further work is needed on understanding why reducing crowding doesn’t play a greater role in the quantified benefits.

Oakervee Review — Rec 49

Conclusion 49: Further work is needed on understanding the potential impact of HS2 on the number and location of homes and jobs. Work is needed by the DfT and HS2 Ltd for future HS2 business cases to review and quantify the level 3 impacts in the benefit-cost ratio given the …

Oakervee Review — Rec 48

Conclusion 48: The economic case does not currently fully align with the strategic case. Economic rebalancing, one of the primary drivers in the strategic case for HS2, is not currently reflected in the economic Wider economic impacts

Oakervee Review — Rec 3

Conclusion 3: Given that supporting regional economic growth and a more balanced UK economy is a core objective of HS2, further work should be done by HS2 Ltd, the DfT and wider government to understand these impacts. It has been hard for this Review to assess the likely size of …

Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.27

Following the introduction of the first community legal advice networks in 2006, options for networks should be tested out in different areas by the Legal Services Commission to identify which approach works best in each of a variety of different circumstances.

Justice & Legal

Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.12

DCA and the Legal Services Commission should review the effectiveness of the October 2005 changes to the advocacy graduated fee cracks and guilties scheme in the Crown Court, and any changes proposed to this scheme, on the timing of cracked cases. This should report in January 2007 and be considered …

Justice & Legal

Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 3.6

It is recommended that the Legal Services Commission should carefully evaluate the impact of the transition in the first wave of community legal advice centres from 2007, so lessons can be learnt for later waves from 2008 09 onwards.

Justice & Legal

Oakervee Review — Rec 30

Conclusion 30: There needs to further consideration around whether and how value created in land close to HS2 stations could be captured.

Oakervee Review — Rec 28

Conclusion 28: Work needs to continue to ensure that commercial opportunities are maximised at HS2 Phase One stations.

Oakervee Review — Rec 17

Conclusion 17: While the Review has not been able to develop its own botom-up estimate of costs on the HS2 project, it considers that costs on the HS2 project could be around 15 to 20 per cent higher than those set out in the Chairman’s Stocktake. Critically, this assumes, amongst …

Lammy Review — Rec 35

To ensure that the public understands the case for reform of the criminal records regime, the MoJ, HMRC and DWP should commission and publish a study indicating the costs of unemployment among ex-offenders.

Justice & Legal Accepted

Barker Land Use Planning Review — Rec 3

DCLG should update its national planning policy on economic development by the end of 2007. This should include: • emphasising the critical role economic development often plays in support of wider social and environmental goals, such as regeneration; • strengthening the consideration given to economic factors in planning policy, so …

Barker Land Use Planning Review — Rec 2

The Statement of General Principles should be revised to make clear that in determining planning applications, due regard should be paid to the economic, social and environmental benefits of development, such as the benefits new development can bring through low average energy consumption, alongside other material considerations. 17 ODPM Planning …

Barker Land Use Planning Review — Rec 1

DCLG should revise the policy framework for decision-making, in the context of the plan-led system, to make clear that where plans are out-of-date or indeterminate applications should be approved unless there is good reason to believe the costs outweigh the benefits. One way of implementing this would be to make …

Allen Early Intervention Review (Part 2) — Rec 12

I recommended that the Social Justice Committee commissions the Early Intervention Task and Finish Group (see Recommendation 5) to work with the Early Intervention Foundation to assess the financial and economic value of outcomes, to inform better decision making by commissioners of services. This should also assess the extent to …

Oakervee Review — Rec 16

Conclusion 16: Phase Two: There is far less certainty on the costs and schedule for Phase Two. It would be unwise to commit a specific cost number for Phase Two given the choices on Phase 2b route that are still to be made, the design maturity and the level of …

LGO / SPSO decisions(48)

20-009-086 — Lichfield District Council

Summary: Mr B complains the Council has not ensured community facilities and open spaces are properly provided on a newly built housing estate. He says this means residents are living on the estate without promised facilities and with the likelihood of high maintenance costs for the open spaces. The Ombudsman …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Upheld May 2022

21-018-578 — Worthing Borough Council

Summary: Mr B complains about the Council’s decision not to award Community Infrastructure Levy (“CIL”) funding for a project in his local park. He says the project would have provided important improvements to the park and benefited residents. The Ombudsman does not find fault in how the Council considered the …

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Not Upheld Sep 2022

24-017-473 — Lichfield District Council

Summary: Mr X complained the Council introduced planning validation fees that had no legal basis. We found this was a matter for the courts but there was fault by the Council as it failed to show its action in not returning the full planning fee when rejecting invalid applications was …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Upheld Nov 2025

21-017-495 — West Berkshire Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council giving him incorrect information about the adopted status of a road in 2017, which he says influenced his decision to buy his house and the price he paid. Mr X’s complaint amounts to a claim of negligence by the …

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Mar 2022

22-004-414 — Adur District Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s pursuit of a project which the complainant says was bound to fail. The financial cost to the Council is something which affects all residents and is therefore outside our jurisdiction. Also, we do not consider the complainant has suffered a …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Dec 2022

23-011-401 — South Staffordshire District Council

Summary: X complained about the Council’s failure to require that a developer create a footpath to make it suitable for walkers and cyclists. We found fault in the way the Council acted that resulted in it losing planning control of the path. We did not make any recommendations because the …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Upheld Aug 2024

21-018-992 — Watford Borough Council

The complainant, whom I shall refer to as Mr X, complained about the Council’s burial charges for non-residents. Mr X’s father recently passed away and the Council charged the non-resident burial rate. This is higher than the amount charged to bury those who were resident in the Council’s area. Mr …

LGO (Local Government & … Environment And Regulation Apr 2022

21-015-196 — City of Wolverhampton Council

Summary: The complainants said the Council failed to address properly their objections to the planning application filed by their neighbours. They considered the Council’s approval of the planning application would result in the property’s overdevelopment and loss of amenity for the complainants’ property. We found no evidence of fault in …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Not Upheld Apr 2022

21-005-378 — Bristol City Council

Summary: Mr F complains that the Council failed to include advice about residents parking within planning decisions on a property he is developing. We found there was fault by the Council but this did not cause injustice to Mr F.

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Upheld Apr 2022

22-000-160 — Hastings Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to construct a shared cycle path in a local park. This is because the decision has not caused Mr X significant injustice.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Apr 2022

21-016-469 — Derbyshire County Council

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s decision to approve a walking and cycling route in his area which includes a proposal to permanently close a road near to him. Mr X said the Council failed to properly consult about the scheme.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Upheld Jun 2022

22-006-805 — Trafford Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a relief road proposal. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. The alleged fault has not yet caused the complainant a significant injustice, …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Sep 2022

23-021-162 — West Sussex County Council

Summary: Mr X complains the Council failed to utilise money obtained through Section 106 agreements to carry out the highway improvements the funding was intended for. We found no fault in the Council’s actions.

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Not Upheld Sep 2024

24-023-194 — Lincolnshire County Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council spending on a footpath as this impacts all or most of the people in the Council area and is not therefore within our legal remit.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories May 2025

24-012-434 — Manchester City Council

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s decision to refuse his 2024 application to extend his dropped kerb. The Council accepted it did not consider all the circumstances relevant to Mr X’s application. It agreed to approve Mr X’s application and pay a financial remedy for Mr X’s avoidable frustration …

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Upheld Sep 2025

25-011-365 — Bristol City Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about how the Council is spending public money. This is because the alleged fault has not caused Mr B a personal injustice.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Sep 2025

24-013-197 — Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s plans to develop a commercial property. There is no evidence of fault and we are unable to achieve the outcome he seeks to overturn the Council’s decision. Also, the Information Commissioner is better placed to deal with Mr X’s …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Nov 2024

25-011-602 — Horsham District Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s administration of a community infrastructure levy charge. Mr X has had rights of appeal it would be reasonable to use against the Council’s calculation, the deemed commencement date and a surcharge imposed. Any matters of alleged unlawfulness are ones …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Jan 2026

PSOW-202505334 — Pembrokeshire County Council

Miss A & Ms A complained about Pembrokeshire County Council’s decision to grant planning permission to a neighbouring property. When the Ombudsman looked at the complaint, she could see that the Council had considered some of Miss A & Ms A’s concerns at the first stage of its complaints procedure …

PSOW (Public Services Om… Local Government Dec 2025

21-013-954 — Birmingham City Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about highway restrictions affecting his business. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Jan 2022

21-014-201 — Waverley Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision that he is liable to pay Community Infrastructure Levy. This is because the Valuation Office Agency is the body set up in law to consider these matters and it would be reasonable to expect Mr X to pursue the …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Jan 2022

22-003-807 — Eden District Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s approach to a contribution to affordable housing in a planning application. This is because the complainant has used his right of appeal in the matter which means we have no discretion to investigate. Even if we had, the complaint is …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Jun 2022

22-003-330 — Maidstone Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council charging local people for pre-application advice about planning matters. This is because the law allows the Council to charge for this service and there is insufficient evidence of fault in how the Council has calculated its charges.

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Jul 2022

22-004-423 — Dorset Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the introduction of parking charges. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and we could not achieve the outcome the complainant wants.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Jul 2022

22-008-006 — Mole Valley District Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with a planning application. This is because we are unlikely to find fault. The complainant has also not been caused significant injustice in relation to his concerns about the development not being subject to a Community Infrastructure Levy.

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Sep 2022

22-002-055 — Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

Summary: Mr X complained the Council mismanaged a local allotment site by allowing a small recycling facility to occupy allotment sheds which were meant for allotment use. Mr X states this has been detrimental to himself, the site and other allotment users. The Council was at fault when it failed …

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Upheld Oct 2022

24-001-008 — Cornwall Council

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint that the Council used public money to pay for works on a public footpath when it could have sought payment from the landowner. This is because we cannot investigate something that affects all or most of the people in a council’s area.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Jun 2024

24-001-686 — Bristol City Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about compensation paid under the Land Compensation Act 1973 as Mrs X had the right to have the dispute determined by an independent tribunal.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Sep 2024

23-009-193 — Chesterfield Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the decision to lease part of a public park to a private business. This is because the alleged fault does not cause the complainant significant personal injustice.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Sep 2024

25-005-423 — London Borough of Havering

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a Penalty Charge Notice. This is because the complainant can appeal to the tribunal and because his complaint about the handling of the issue has been resolved.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Aug 2025

25-008-810 — Hartlepool Borough Council

Mr X complains that during refurbishment of his House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) the Council approved him a provisional licence for a six-bed ensuite property. The Council later admitted it had made an error with its measurements which meant the property was suitable for only a five-and-a-half bed HMO. Mr …

LGO (Local Government & … Environment And Regulation Nov 2025

24-008-473 — Guildford Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to increase the amount charged by the Council to renew a street trader licence. We have not seen enough evidence of fault in the way the Council made the decision to increase the fee to justify an investigation.

LGO (Local Government & … Environment And Regulation Oct 2024

24-002-953 — Wiltshire Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to close squash courts at a leisure facility. Further investigation would not led to a different outcome.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Oct 2024

24-012-336 — South Downs National Park Authority

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about planning policy as this is a matter for the Planning Inspector and there is insufficient injustice to warrant investigation.

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Nov 2024

24-009-976 — Waverley Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council not exempting him from a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) on a residential extension to his property, how it dealt with his case, and it not telling him about his rights of appeal. Since Mr X brought this complaint, the …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning Nov 2024

201204561 — Business Stream

Mrs C, who owns a holiday cottage, complained after Business Stream contacted her by phone about an outstanding bill for the premises. At the time she was not aware that she was obliged to pay Business Stream, as she believed she paid through her council tax for the water at …

SPSO (Scottish Public Se… Water Partly Upheld Feb 2014

201204511 — Business Stream

Mr C complained that in March 2012 his business unexpectedly received water bills for more than £2,000. He had understood that the business's water usage was paid for through his service contract with the landlord. However, Business Stream confirmed that in March 2011 his premises had been identified as a …

SPSO (Scottish Public Se… Water Upheld Feb 2014

201302534 — Business Stream

Mr C has a water tap in a lock-up which is separate from his house, and he told us that the water supply to the lock-up is metered. He told us that his water usage was minimal (for washing hands and brushes and the occasional cup of tea or coffee). …

SPSO (Scottish Public Se… Water Not Upheld Mar 2014

201302073 — Business Stream

Mr C owns a business that operates from premises that were formerly used a launderette. He said that he would have preferred a smaller meter, to reflect that his business would use less water than the previous one, but had been told that it would not be replaced. Mr C …

SPSO (Scottish Public Se… Water Mar 2014

201301345 — Business Stream

Mrs C's business occupies small premises next door to her domestic property. Her business does not have running water, sink or toilet and the water she uses for her business is obtained from her domestic property. Business Stream told Mrs C that because her business had access to water and …

SPSO (Scottish Public Se… Water Partly Upheld Mar 2014

22-010-032 — Birmingham City Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s delay in installing a dropped kerb at his property. This is because the delay did not cause Mr X significant injustice.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Nov 2022

24-005-922 — North East Lincolnshire Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse the complainant’s application for a dropped kerb. This is because we are unlikely to find fault.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Aug 2024

24-005-429 — Bristol City Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the Council charged her for mooring her boat when she was unable to leave due to bad weather. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Aug 2024

24-008-690 — Brighton & Hove City Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint that his wall has been damaged by Council refuse collectors. This is because it is reasonable for Mr B to take the Council to court.

LGO (Local Government & … Environment And Regulation Aug 2024

24-004-004 — Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the Council failed to properly carry out a consultation before moving a bus stop. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Aug 2024

24-003-360 — Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s delay in resolving issues relating to a highway improvement scheme and a Compulsory Purchase Order. It is reasonable to expect the complainant to refer the matter to the Upper Tribunal.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Aug 2024

24-005-967 — Oxfordshire County Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s refusal to release his car from the car pound. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council.

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Aug 2024

24-005-683 — Derbyshire County Council

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to adopt her road, that it has not reconsidered its decision and been unhelpful, unsupportive and misleading. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s road adoption decision-making process to warrant us investigating. There is …

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Sep 2024

CJINI inspection reports(1)

Transforming the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland

Transforming Justice, The Criminal Justice System Nov 2024

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