Value for money strategy
Lack of a clear, published strategy and framework for Value for Money (VfM) in government departments.
Source spread
Where this theme appears
This theme appears across 20 independent accountability sources, so the source mix matters as much as the headline total.
17 inquiry recs
3 PFD reports
1215 committee recs
1 HSSIB rec
7 CQC actions
7 HMICFRS recs
4 ICIBI recs
1 IOPC rec
149 NAO recs
14 IMB recs
4 IMB reports
1 detention investigation rec
3 DHR recs
28 LGO/SPSO decisions
1 CJINI report
20 local audit findings
Browse by source
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.
Inquiry recommendations(17)
56 — Cheaper data recorders for retrospective fitment
Recommendation: Consideration should be given to developing a cheaper form of data recorder for retrospective fitment where this will allow earlier fitting (para 14.24).
Unknown
RHI-20 — Flexible Expenditure Rules
Recommendation: Public expenditure rules should be sufficiently flexible so that false economies can be avoided. In order to deliver a policy objective, Departments should not be required to choose a more expensive option in overall terms because they cannot use the …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. It is important to note that public expenditure in NI is governed by the UK Budgeting rules set by HM Treasury. These rules mean that there is limited …
Accepted
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.
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, …
Accepted
RHI-30 — Budget Holder Financial Training
Recommendation: Civil servants who are responsible for holding and monitoring a budget should have to demonstrate core requirements in financial literacy and an understanding of how public spending operates, including what is expected of them according to the core guidance contained …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. It is important to note that public expenditure in NI is governed by the UK Budgeting rules set by HM Treasury. These rules mean that there is limited …
Accepted
RHI-29 — Departmental Finance Functions
Recommendation: The finance function within a Department should exert the necessary authority and capability to fulfil the requirements of 'Managing Public Money Northern Ireland', namely to retain a firm grasp of the organisation's financial position and performance. The Inquiry recommends that …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. It is important to note that public expenditure in NI is governed by the UK Budgeting rules set by HM Treasury. These rules mean that there is limited …
Accepted
RHI-5 — Ministerial Training and Support
Recommendation: One role of Ministers in a democratic system is to decide on policies and they can only do so effectively if they are prepared, in appropriate cases, to question and challenge material put to them in submissions and regulatory impact …
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, …
Accepted
65 — Manage and fund ATP development through a System Authority
Recommendation: Development of ATP should be managed and funded in future through a System Authority having broad industry representation and support (para 15.13).
Unknown
64 — Rigorous programming and funding of future research and development
Recommendation: Future R&D must be the subject of rigorous programming, cost-projections and funding arrangements, including reliable contingencies. R&D funding must be on a cross-industry basis, irrespective of whether individual TOCs decide to fit new technology (para 16.22).
Unknown
FP81 — Recommendation 81
Recommendation: Requirements for research and development should be identified and collated and an appropriate scheme of research and development prepared by SPSA. Appropriate arrangements and funding (when available) should then be provided to enable research and development to take place on …
No response yet
14 — Recommendation Fourteen
Recommendation: The Inquiry Panel recommends that consideration be given to reviewing the manner of funding in which neuropathology services are currently provided in Northern Ireland.
No response yet
RHI-31 — Value for Money Priority
Recommendation: Any imperative to spend a budget within a given timeframe should not be allowed to take precedence over how that budget is used and the longer term benefits and overall value of such expenditure. Ministers, Special Advisers and the Northern …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. It is important to note that public expenditure in NI is governed by the UK Budgeting rules set by HM Treasury. These rules mean that there is limited …
Accepted
CR3 — Regular assessment of assets and resources
Recommendation: There should be regular assessments by HM Coastguard of the adequacy of the available assets and human resources to respond to both current and reasonably foreseeable levels of small boat activity. Where the forecast level of resourcing need cannot be …
Gov response: HMCG recognises the importance of regular assessments and has the following operational measures in place for the review of assets: • SAR asset availability (surface vessels and aircraft) is assessed daily, and every watch assesses …
Accepted
BRIS-44 — Examine Distinction Awards for consultants to incentivise quality care and extend to juniors
Recommendation: The system of Distinction Awards for hospital consultants should be examined to determine whether it could be used to provide greater incentives than exist at present for providing good quality of care to patients. The possibility of its extension to …
Unknown
BRIS-37 — Urgently review compensation system for medical harm, replacing clinical negligence
Recommendation: There should be an urgent review of the system for providing compensation to those who suffer harm arising out of medical care. The review should be concerned with the introduction of an administrative system for responding promptly to patients’ needs …
Unknown
BRIS-32 — Promote collaboration among patient advocacy services for seamless information and support
Recommendation: So as to provide for patients an effective, efficient and seamless information and advocacy service, consideration should be given to how the various patient advocacy and liaison services in a given geographical area could most effectively collaborate, including in relation …
Unknown
BRIS-30 — Implement and securely fund Patient Advocacy and Liaison Services in all NHS trusts
Recommendation: We endorse the initiative in ‘The NHS Plan’ to establish a Patient Advocacy and Liaison Service in every NHS trust and primary care trust. The establishment of this service should be implemented in full as quickly as possible. Once established, …
Unknown
BRIS-22 — Fund voluntary organisations meeting NHS standards for patient and carer support
Recommendation: Voluntary organisations which provide care and support to patients and carers in the NHS (such as through telephone helplines, the provision of information and the organisation of self-help groups) play a very important role. Groups which meet the appropriate standards …
Unknown
Prevention of Future Deaths reports(3)
Joanne Oliver
Concerns: The coroner identified a lack of detailed national guidance to assist doctors in making decisions about transferring critically ill patients, particularly concerning the preparation of comprehensive written risk assessments for fitness to travel.
Overdue
Isa Mushtaq
Concerns: The coroner noted the absence of detailed national guidance on antepartum CTG assessment, leading to difficulties in interpreting abnormalities and determining the urgency of intervention. Current reliance on intrapartum CTG guidance for antenatal cases is not evidence-based.
Overdue
Jessica Baker
Concerns: The coroner noted that seatbelts were not used by students or the driver on a school commuter coach. Concerns were raised regarding the lack of clear government advice to schools on seatbelt use for such contracts and the absence of public information campaigns promoting seatbelt safety.
Response (Department for Transport and Department for Education): • The Department for Transport (DfT) requested the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to remind operators of their obligation to notify passengers about seat belt use and updated the … (AI summary)
Responded
Select committee recommendations(1215)— showing 50 strongest matches
#36 —
Recommendation: We recommend that Government consult on the changes that may be required to the framework for managing public money in the face of challenges to economic and national security. This should include consideration of whether the tests underpinning managing public …
#14 —
Recommendation: We urge both sides to engage constructively in discussions on the ‘rebalancing’ of intellectual property rights. The aims should be to: ensure the BBC can provide a competitive offer on iPlayer for audiences; get value for the licence fee payers; …
#10 —
Recommendation: We understand why the BBC might have a strategy to bid for content that would attract audiences, especially younger viewers. However, at a time of constrained resources, the BBC should not be paying over the odds for 54 overseas content, …
#71 —
Recommendation: The Government should examine how the OfS targets and uses its resources and how it is held to account for this. (Paragraph 385) Political independence and the role of the Government
Response attribution not verified
#68 —
Recommendation: Despite its own focus on value for money for students, it appears that the OfS struggles to deliver value for money to providers. OfS registration fees may seem reasonable on a cost per student basis, but the OfS’ activities cause …
Response attribution not verified
#27 —
Recommendation: The OfS’ proxies also hold providers accountable for their students’ subsequent employment outcomes, which are often affected by many factors outside the providers’ control, such as students’ backgrounds. Focusing too heavily on regulating according to these outcomes has the potential …
Response attribution not verified
#26 —
Recommendation: Value for money in the context of higher education is a subjective concept and is difficult to measure. However, the proxies used by the OfS to indicate positive outcomes, particularly in relation to continuation and completion of courses and graduate …
Response attribution not verified
#25 —
Recommendation: Given the financial cost of higher education to students, we welcome that the OfS is focused on ensuring their courses are of sufficient value and lead to positive outcomes. It is likely that this has already had some impact in …
Response attribution not verified
#18 —
Recommendation: The Government should review how higher education is funded. In doing so, it must provide sufficient clarity for institutions to plan for the long-term and set sustainable funding and delivery models for the higher education sector. This review should take …
Response attribution not verified
#14 —
Recommendation: The current system of higher education funding is not sustainable and will lead to growing issues in the coming years. The decline in the real-terms value of tuition fees has led institutions to make substantial efficiencies already, and the extent …
Response attribution not verified
#104 —
Recommendation: Restructuring Defra’s arm’s-length bodies could distract from the Government’s targets for 2030. Nonetheless overlap between the agencies must be reduced to deliver the best value for money and reduce delays and confusion for developers.
Response attribution not verified
#99 —
Recommendation: HMIP receives âgood feedback on womenâs servicesâ, including from people on probation: âthe feedback for women is broadly more positive than it is for men.â 188 The Probation Institute also pointed out that an intervention by a womenâs centre costs …
Response attribution not verified
#27 —
Recommendation: We support the conclusions of the House of Commons Transport Committee’s January 2022 report that comprehensive reform of road taxation is needed, to start an honest conversation with the public and work towards a system that is seen as fair …
Response attribution not verified
#26 —
Recommendation: It is crucial that the Government considers road taxation alongside other fiscal measures taken to drive EV uptake, giving consumers a clear and consistent steer on future total motoring costs. As the UK transitions away from petrol and diesel vehicles, …
Response attribution not verified
#23 —
Recommendation: Low benefit in kind rates should be retained, though as with all other financial incentives, the Government must plan for how they will be tapered and exited.
Response attribution not verified
#47 —
Recommendation: Long- and medium-duration energy storage for the electricity system will be critical for a fully decarbonised grid, but it will not always be the cheapest option: energy efficiency, thermal energy storage, demand-side response and interconnectors can minimise our reliance on …
Response attribution not verified
#35 —
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
#33 —
Recommendation: The Government should consult with the pumped-storage hydropower industry to determine the levels of the cap and floor support mechanism that might be needed to support projects that already have planning permission. Projects that can demonstrate their cost-effectiveness should be …
Response attribution not verified
#34 —
Recommendation: Supported employment provides an effective way to support people to access and remain in work and can deliver value for money investment. The Universal Support programme has the potential to increase availability of supported employment programmes. It is essential that …
Response attribution not verified
#4 —
Recommendation: Continuous, joined up support for young disabled people, starting in school and continuing until they have secured secure employment, bridges the gap between education and work. It empowers young disabled people both to enter the workplace and to thrive once …
Response attribution not verified
#172 —
Recommendation: We appreciate that the allocative approach taken in the Long-Term Plan for Towns and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund has helped to overcome the costs and burden of bidding; however, bidding processes can serve to ensure that areas in receipt …
Response attribution not verified
#146 —
Recommendation: The National Audit Office (NAO) published a report considering the value for money of three of these funding programmes in November 2023. 286 The report focused on the Towns Fund, the Levelling Up Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, …
Response attribution not verified
#125 —
Recommendation: It is common for local authorities to own property on their high streets including commercial units, mixed-use buildings and other civic and heritage assets. In its analysis of 3,200 retail premises, conducted in 2019, the Estates Gazette found that the …
Response attribution not verified
#65 —
Recommendation: The decisions of landlords about whom they are willing to rent to, on what terms, and what level of profit they need or are willing to accept, will impact the mix of businesses operating on a high street. This approach …
Response attribution not verified
#64 —
Recommendation: Whilst not the typical ownership structure of a high street, landlords who own an extensive area within a town centre can curate and maintain successful high streets with a variety of businesses and services on offer. In Staines-upon-Thames, the CEO …
Response attribution not verified
#62 —
Recommendation: The wider economic circumstances, consumer preferences and the rent levels landlords seek to remain financially viable may result in the dominance of certain business types. For example, charity shops, owing to business rates relief and low to no staff costs, …
Response attribution not verified
#58 —
Recommendation: Mr Weedon argued that BIDs do improve outcomes for businesses and that “the evidence is that they keep voting them back in”. 113 However, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors said that their members involved in multiple BIDs found them …
Response attribution not verified
#51 —
Recommendation: Whilst the benefit of being on the high street is clear for service businesses, such as hairdressers, which cannot deliver their services online, research has shown that a presence on the high street can also boost the online sales for …
Response attribution not verified
#45 —
Recommendation: We appreciate that the allocative approach taken in the Long-Term Plan for Towns and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund has helped to overcome the costs and burden of bidding; however, bidding processes can serve to ensure that areas in receipt …
Response attribution not verified
#12 —
Recommendation: The decisions of landlords about whom they are willing to rent to, on what terms, and what level of profit they need or are willing to accept, will impact the mix of businesses operating on a high street. This approach …
Response attribution not verified
#6 —
Recommendation: Local markets can boost footfall on high streets and contribute to the unique character of towns and small cities across the country. Markets not only contribute to local economies but can also act as catalysts for the high street brands …
Response attribution not verified
#38 —
Recommendation: With a view to maximising the overall effectiveness and value for money of the ICF portfolio, the government should build on any progress it has already made to: • improve cross-departmental coordination by formalising clear lines of responsibility across the …
#36 —
Recommendation: To support better assessment of cost-effectiveness and value for money of the ICF portfolio, we recommend that the government update and publish best buy documents for climate mitigation and adaptation programme options. These documents should be used systematically by staff …
#35 —
Recommendation: We welcome the government’s renewed focus on driving results and value for money in its 2026 ICF strategy. By sharing evidence on climate mitigation and adaptation best buys, the government can strengthen UK ICF value for money assessment and encourage …
#27 —
Recommendation: The UK needs to be seen as a reliable partner and recognise that where sudden reductions in ODA have occurred across the portfolio, its credibility and return on investment are likely to be impacted. (Conclusion, Paragraph 88)
#26 —
Recommendation: Where private capital is mobilised, we recommend that alongside tracking volumes, the government: • systematically measure the extent to which private capital has reached the areas where it is most needed; and • develop standardised key performance indicators measuring the …
#25 —
Recommendation: We recommend that the government develop a robust evidence base underpinning its donor to investor model in the delivery of ICF. This should assess: • how ODA and non-ODA instruments can be deployed in a co-ordinated and effective way to …
#22 —
Recommendation: We urge the government to follow the example of British International Investment by establishing a clear, measurable target for the amount of private capital it expects to mobilise for climate and nature outcomes, and the settings in which it intends …
#5 —
Recommendation: We recommend that, through its limited concessional resources, the government seeks to scale innovations and the funding models that work, particularly from the perspective of those most in need. (Recommendation, Paragraph 33)
#65 —
Recommendation: We also recognise the difficulties associated with benchmarking the performance of our regulators with their international counterparts but again, without some measure to enable international comparisons, it will be difficult to assess whether we are competing with international jurisdictions more …
Response attribution not verified
#62 —
Recommendation: The Government should use its review of MiFID to examine how regulation can unlock the availability of research on smaller and medium sized UK companies. (Paragraph 307) The role of Government
Response attribution not verified
#61 —
Recommendation: Addressing the gap in growth funding will be vital if the UK is to take advantage of its strengths in IP generation for the benefit of economic growth, and resultant job and wealth creation. The Government must set out how …
Response attribution not verified
#59 —
Recommendation: The reforms to Solvency UK, and the ongoing pension reforms, may help to deepen the UK’s capital markets by unlocking capital in the insurance and pensions sector. Nevertheless, the widespread and quick allocation of investment by the sector rests on …
Response attribution not verified
#58 —
Recommendation: Regulation alone cannot generate economic growth. The Government, the regulators, and industry must be aligned in their approach to improve the provision of finance for UK businesses and productive assets. Whilst this requires regulatory action to identify and remove any …
Response attribution not verified
#52 —
Recommendation: The PRA should examine its process for approving IRB models and seek to make that process quicker and less costly for firms.
Response attribution not verified
#51 —
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
#50 —
Recommendation: Our recommendations in paragraph 230 apply equally here. The PRA should consider whether it is appropriate to continue to apply Basel standards to UK domestic lenders or whether a more proportionate approach could be applied to determining capital requirements.
Response attribution not verified
#48 —
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
#47 —
Recommendation: The PRA should consider whether it is appropriate to apply the Basel Framework to all UK domestic lenders or whether a more proportionate and tailored approach could be applied to determining capital requirements for lenders who are not internationally active. …
Response attribution not verified
#45 —
Recommendation: The successful advancement of the PRA’s secondary growth and competitiveness objective will depend on its ability to ensure that lenders are able to provide lending for productive investment. We are concerned to have heard evidence suggesting that the current regulation …
Response attribution not verified
NCEPOD recommendations(2)
CQC inspection actions(7)
St Benedict's Hospice
The service should continue to work to improve theatre utilisation.
Should Do
St Benedict's Hospice
The service should ensure theatres are effectively utilised.
Should Do
Durham Diagnostics and Treatment Centre
The service should continue to work to improve theatre utilisation.
Should Do
Durham Diagnostics and Treatment Centre
The service should ensure theatres are effectively utilised.
Should Do
Bushey Fields Hospital
Develop a clear vision for older people’s services and share with staff, patients, relatives and stakeholders.
Should Do
Andover War Memorial Hospital
The service should consider a vision or strategy for the development of the service.
Should Do
No. 3
The provider should develop their vision and strategy for the service and share with the staff.
Should Do
HMICFRS recommendations(7)
FRS 2018-19 CoC Recommendations: Surrey Fire and Rescue Service
Cause of concern: Surrey Fire and Rescue Service doesn’t use its resources efficiently to manage risk or its financial and physical resources effectively to keep people safe. Recommendation: The service should ensure that its workforce model supports its operational model …
Recommendation
FRS 2018-19 CoC Recommendations: Surrey Fire and Rescue Service
Cause of concern: Surrey Fire and Rescue Service doesn’t use its resources efficiently to manage risk or its financial and physical resources effectively to keep people safe. Recommendation: The service should ensure that its resourcing model meets risk demand sustainably.
Recommendation
FRS 2018-19 CoC Recommendations: Surrey Fire and Rescue Service
Cause of concern: Surrey Fire and Rescue Service doesn’t use its resources efficiently to manage risk or its financial and physical resources effectively to keep people safe. Recommendation: The service should ensure that it uses the available budget prudently to …
Recommendation
FRS 2021-22 CoC Recommendations: North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Cause of concern: The service doesn’t have in place robust processes to ensure transformation activities provide efficiency and effectiveness. Recommendation: By September 2022, the service should put in place plans that are designed to detail in its medium-term financial plan …
Recommendation
FRS 2021-22 CoC Recommendations: North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Cause of concern: The service doesn’t have in place robust processes to ensure transformation activities provide efficiency and effectiveness. Recommendation: By September 2022, the service should put in place plans that are designed to monitor, review and evaluate its collaboration …
Recommendation
FRS 2021-22 CoC Recommendations: North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Cause of concern: The service doesn’t have in place robust processes to ensure transformation activities provide efficiency and effectiveness. Recommendation: By September 2022, the service should put in place plans that are designed to make sure that its processes for …
Recommendation
FRS 2018-19 CoC Recommendations: Avon Fire and Rescue Service
Cause of concern: Avon FRS isn’t doing enough to keep the public safe through regulation of fire safety. Its risk-based inspection programme is entirely reactive, as its inspection department doesn’t have enough staff. Recommendation: The service should make sure it …
Recommendation
ICIBI immigration recommendations(4)
An inspection into the effectiveness of Border Force’s role in Project Kraken …
The Home Office should allocate an annual budget for Project Kraken work, including an ongoing communications campaign, to enable planning for future years and demonstrate its long-term commitment to managing …
A re-inspection of Border Force’s management of Project KRAKEN at small seaports …
The Home Office should allocate an annual budget for Project Kraken work, including an ongoing communications campaign, to enable planning for future years and demonstrate its long-term commitment to managing …
An inspection of Border Force operations at south coast seaports
Clarify for cruise operators and any other stakeholders who may be offered a premium service at their own cost what basic level of service they are entitled to receive from …
An inspection of Border Force operations at south coast seaports
Ensure the business plan for the Border Protection Squadron captures all activity, so that the efficiency and effectiveness of the cutters and Coastal Patrol Vessels can be properly evaluated, in …
NAO audit recommendations(149)— showing 50 strongest matches
Increasing the capacity of the prison estate to meet demand
MoJ should combine thinking on policy objectives for the prison estate and improved evidence of different approaches to develop a long-term strategy to improve the resilience of the estate. It should: include the rationale for its approach based on value …
Accepted
Increasing the capacity of the prison estate to meet demand
MoJ should improve its case for bolstering the resilience of the estate by evaluating: the cost-effectiveness of different options to alleviate capacity pressures, given the benefit of experience, and which ones are most suitable when;
Accepted
Dangerous cladding: the government’s remediation portfolio
MHCLG should consider whether there is additional information and data that it could publish about the portfolio that would: enhance the level of transparency for Parliament and the public over portfolio performance ? and therefore whether it is achieving value …
Accepted
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 …
Accepted
Investigation into the Bounce Back Loan Scheme
The Scheme achieved its initial objective of quickly supporting small businesses, but a lack of more detailed Scheme-specific objectives will make it difficult to measure its ultimate success. Systems and processes have evolved since the Scheme launch but much hard …
Accepted
The management of tax expenditures
i) develop an approach so that it understands and can report the differences between actual and forecast cost for tax expenditures it regards as high-priority in its published analysis. In cases where it is not feasible to make a comparison …
Accepted
The management of tax expenditures
h) develop a more systematic approach to the evaluation of tax expenditures to provide greater coverage. We estimate that the external cost of commissioning evaluations of six tax expenditures a year would likely be between £1 million and £1.5 million. …
Accepted
The management of tax expenditures
g) identify and use independent data sources, where available, to further test reasons for movements in the cost of high-priority tax expenditures;
Accepted
The management of tax expenditures
HMRC should: f) further develop categorisation of tax expenditures according to, for example, their objectives, scale, age and risks, in order to inform the allocation of administrative resources in proportion to the cost and impact that tax expenditures are intended …
Partially accepted
The management of tax expenditures
e) establish and document clear requirements for officials to report concerns about the value for money of tax expenditures to ministers, for example by specifying accountability arrangements.
Partially accepted
The management of tax expenditures
d) each year review whether the objectives of tax expenditures still align with government objectives; and
Partially accepted
The management of tax expenditures
c) consider specifying time-periods or triggers for evaluation and review when designing each tax expenditure;
Partially accepted
The management of tax expenditures
b) develop a robust methodology for assessing the value for money of different types of tax expenditures, ensuring that assessments are quality-assured;
Rejected
The management of tax expenditures
HMT should: a) establish a framework for designing and administering tax expenditures that is commensurate with the large number of UK tax expenditures. The framework should draw on ‘Green Book’ principles, international good practice and stakeholder views;
Partially accepted
Teacher workforce: secondary and further education
DfE should, as part of its thinking around meeting the 6,500 pledge, fully assess, balance and manage the implications for value for money, affordability, responding to future teaching requirements and demographics, and the extent to which it can deliver its …
Accepted
A planning and spending framework that enables long-term value for money
HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office should create an action plan to address our eight lessons and rebalance behaviour and decision-making in government towards long-term value for money. The action plan should: ? be supported by an evidence-based understanding of …
Accepted
A planning and spending framework that enables long-term value for money
Parliament expects to be able to hold the government to account for its delivery of value for taxpayers? money. To do so, Parliament needs timely, complete and transparent information on the government?s objectives, business planning, funding allocations, performance against objectives, …
Accepted
A planning and spending framework that enables long-term value for money
Parliament expects to be able to hold the government to account for its delivery of value for taxpayers? money. To do so, Parliament needs timely, complete and transparent information on the government?s objectives, business planning, funding allocations, performance against objectives, …
Accepted
A planning and spending framework that enables long-term value for money
Parliament expects to be able to hold the government to account for its delivery of value for taxpayers? money. To do so, Parliament needs timely, complete and transparent information on the government?s objectives, business planning, funding allocations, performance against objectives, …
Accepted
Investigation into student finance for study at franchised higher education providers
explicitly consider the inherent risks associated with using franchised providers, and the extent to which they represent value for money, setting out how it will manage these risks. This should include consideration of both its risk exposure across the higher …
Accepted
COVID-19 business grant schemes
The plans should include: an assessment of the level of resources required to introduce and then manage future schemes when drawing on these lessons.
Accepted
COVID-19 business grant schemes
HMT should, by September 2023, commission work to consider the impact of, and benefit secured from, the range of support to business provided through the COVID-19 pandemic to inform the development of future initiatives.
Accepted
COVID-19 business grant schemes
The plans should include: consideration of what post-payment assurance processes may be needed and what can be done to streamline this; and
Accepted
COVID-19 business grant schemes
The plans should include: the options available for maintaining adequate control over the disbursement of public money ? reducing the risk of error and fraud as far as practicable ? whilst acting at pace;
Accepted
COVID-19 business grant schemes
The plans should include: the mechanisms for considering the trade-offs that may need to be made between targeting support and introducing administrative complexity;
Accepted
Education recovery in schools in England
DfE should model the impact of withdrawing the recovery premium and subsidy for the NTP, to assess whether tutoring in schools is financially sustainable given DfE?s objective for tutoring to become embedded in the school system.
Accepted
The Restart scheme for long‑term unemployed people
f) continuously improve its use of Payment by Results using its open book accounting provisions. It should review the incentives in its payment by result contracts and seek to refine these for future programmes, to reduce the extent to which …
Partially accepted
Government Shared Services
d) The Cabinet Office should ensure that future strategies that propose similar transformational change are supported by a full business case. It should revisit and update the ?case for change? to make this a more comprehensive assessment of the costs …
Partially accepted
Regulating the financial sustainability of higher education providers in England
g) prioritise finalising its key performance indicator on how it assesses the value for money students see in their education and set out how its work will reverse students’ declining satisfaction rates.
Accepted
The decommissioning of the AGR nuclear power stations
The Department should ensure that the NDA and Magnox Ltd have a clear plan for delivering value for money in the period post-transfer, taking advantage of any efficiencies to be realised from the combined AGR and Magnox fleets. The Department …
Accepted
Regulation of private renting
The Department is planning to introduce reforms to the private rented sector and our recommendations are aimed at supporting this process. The Department should do the following: a) Define an overall vision and strategy for the regulation of private renting. …
Accepted
The Bounce Back Loan Scheme: an update
b) develop a robust business case for detecting, preventing, and recovering fraudulent loans, including the economic rationale of its choices for counter-fraud activity; and the scale of resources needed for each activity;
Partially accepted
Test and trace in England – progress update
f) NHST&T, and in due course UKHSA, should provide regular assurance to its board and other stakeholders about how it plans to deliver the £2.9 billion of efficiency savings required in 2021-22 and manage the other £3.4 billion of financial …
Accepted
Improving the performance of major equipment contracts
f) The Department should pay greater consideration throughout a programme as to whether it remains value for money. Business cases set out whether the proposed option is VFM, but major changes in delivery dates, for example to make the portfolio …
Accepted
The BBC’s strategic financial management
The BBC should develop its strategic response for its longer-term financial future by: a) as soon as it is possible, producing a long-term financial plan which sets out the detail for the next stage of its savings, and how it …
Accepted
The production and distribution of cash
HM Treasury should set out more clearly the specific outcomes it wants the cash system to deliver for consumers and small businesses and how this should be balanced against the costs of doing so. It should review and where necessary …
Accepted
Financial sustainability of colleges in England
In light of our findings and the fact that more colleges are expected to face financial difficulties following the COVID-19 pandemic, we recommend that the Department and the ESFA should take the following actions: a) Set out a clear vision …
Accepted
Network Rail’s sale of railway arches
The selling department should consider and document on a timely basis whether contracting with the new owners in areas such as future investment plans and explicit customer protections provides value for money.
Accepted
Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25
I recommend that DVLA and DFT develop a long-term approach for estimating reliably the cost of VED non-compliance to help DVLA target and deliver enforcement and compliance activity more cost-effectively and to enhance Parliamentary visibility of revenue lost to the …
Accepted
Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25
I recommend that as part of developing and implementing its next compliance and enforcement strategy, DVLA: collect all relevant cost data on its compliance and enforcement activities to assess whether its current compliance and enforcement activities are cost effective and …
Accepted
Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25
I recommend that, until a long-term solution is put into place, DVLA use the data it holds to produce the best estimate it can of the cost of VED non-compliance for reporting next year and include any limitations of its …
Accepted
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 …
Accepted
Collecting the right tax from wealthy individuals
HMRC should develop a clear strategic vision and plan for its work tackling wealthy non-compliance, particularly to help meet the organisation?s broader mission to reduce the size of the tax gap. This strategy should provide structure to its efforts across …
Accepted
Teacher workforce: secondary and further education
DfE should, following announcement of the multi-year spending review settlement, provide greater transparency around what the 6,500 pledge means in practice for the school and further education sectors, with a published delivery plan setting out objectives, responsibilities, milestones, and how …
Accepted
Regulating for investment and outcomes in the water sector
Before the development of PR29 methodology, Ofwat should consider whether it can act to simplify the price review methodology. This should include evaluating the impact of outcome incentives on company performance, the impact of cost benchmarking on company behaviours and …
Accepted
Regulating for investment and outcomes in the water sector
For future plans, Defra needs to understand the costs and deliverability of targets and the impact on customers' bills.
Accepted
NHSE's management of elective care transformation programmes
The national level oversight board should assess whether it has the right balance of investment across the transformation programmes and other initiatives, including capital and resource spending, to achieve the required reduction in elective care waiting times. It should assess: …
Accepted
DCMS’s management of its COVID-19 loan book
DCMS should: d Set out a strategy for the longer-term evaluation of its loan book. This assessment should include a clear articulation of the standards by which it assesses value for money of its management, including how it will know …
Partially accepted
IMB annual reports(4)
Coldingley (2020)
HMP Coldingley, a Category C prison, faced significant operational challenges during the reporting period, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. While staff-prisoner relationships remained positive and healthcare provision was generally well-regarded, serious concerns persisted regarding the chronic absence of in-cell sanitation in older wings, the ongoing influx of illicit items contributing to violence, and severe disruption to education. The Board highlighted efforts to manage the pandemic's impact on the regime and welcomed planned investments to improve the estate.
PRISON
Key concerns
Guys Marsh (2020)
HMP Guys Marsh successfully kept COVID-19 out of the prison during the reporting year, with a commendably managed restricted regime contributing to a reported sense of safety among prisoners and a reduction in violence. However, this success was tempered by persistent issues including the availability of illicit substances, poor education provision, and a lack of purposeful activity, which led to boredom and frustration. Long-standing concerns like property loss during transfer and insufficient offending behaviour programmes remain unaddressed, while staffing and the humane incarceration of prisoners with complex needs require urgent attention.
PRISON
Key concerns
Springhill (2021)
HMP Springhill, an open Category D prison, held a population of around 255 men in 2021, operating below its Certified Normal Accommodation of 335. The Board noted positive developments in safety indicators, improved equality and diversity monitoring, and enhanced healthcare provision. However, significant concerns remain regarding the dilapidated state of much of the accommodation, the impact of delayed building projects on resettlement, and persistent issues with external probation services affecting ROTL and release outcomes.
PRISON
Key concerns
Featherstone (2020)
HMP Featherstone, a Category C training prison, faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic reporting period (Nov 2019 - Oct 2020), leading to a restricted regime with prisoners confined to cells for 23 hours a day. Despite this, staff and prisoners generally cooperated well, resulting in a reported reduction in self-harm, violence, and use of force. Key concerns include the poor state of the prison infrastructure, the consistently underperforming education contract with Novus, and issues with healthcare provision, particularly for mental health and dental services.
PRISON
Key concerns
IMB individual recommendations(14)
Norwich (2022)
Can HMPPS please outline the steps it intends to take to address this costly issue?
HMPPS
East Sutton Park (2022)
To continue to ensure that residents coming to ESP have enough time left to serve, to ensure that the greatest benefit in resettlement can be achieved, and therefore representing value for money.
HMPPS
Stoke Heath (2020)
While funding for education and purposeful activity from the Prison Service is woefully inadequate, the Board hopes that other sources of funding and resources can be attracted into the prison from private enterprise.
HMPPS
In Progress
Lindholme (2020)
Will the Prison Service examine measures to improve the reliability of kitchen equipment at HMP Lindholme, and to seek an uplift in the monetary allowance for food per prisoner (see section 7)?
HMPPS
In Progress
Kirkham (2020)
However, the Board considers that the charges for use of the telephone are too high, especially as prisoners in the open estate have access to telephones throughout the day, when charges are higher.
HMPPS
In Progress
Bure (2022)
Could this now be given top priority so that the much-needed savings can be made?
HMPPS
Kirklevington Grange (2024)
Funding and budgets will continue to be an issue, but it would be helpful if the establishment could have more autonomy to purchase locally, which could result in financial savings. Will the Prison Service consider a local purchasing policy; but, if not, why not?
HMPPS
Noted
Hollesley Bay (2024)
The Board hopes that the change will result in increased benefits for the prisoners in both establishments, and that this, rather than a cost-saving exercise, will be a priority. What specific, measurable actions will be taken to ensure that the changes genuinely prioritise increased benefits for prisoners over cost savings, and how will these be tracked and evaluated?
HMPPS
Accepted
Bure (2025)
HMPPS should actively seek and implement strategies to increase the quality and quantity of education and purposeful activity opportunities at HMP Bure, reversing the negative impact of budget reductions.
HMPPS
In Progress
Liverpool (2022)
The prison will need significant investment to fund facilities and staffing levels which can improve the job prospects and rehabilitation of prisoners. For the prison to develop the capacity as a model Category C prison, a comprehensive plan to engage partners and fund training will be essential.
HMPPS
Coldingley (2025)
The collapse of ISG and re-letting of its contracts has halted the work installing in-cell sanitation since last September. What can be done to prioritise and speed this project up?
Ministry of Justice
In Progress
Bedford (2025)
Will HMPPS undertake research or other initiatives to find a more appropriate inspection panel material?
HMPPS
Implemented
Bedford (2025)
Will money be made available to address this problem [unsecure windows]?
HMPPS
Partially Accepted
Thorn Cross (2022)
To ensure that the prison budget keeps pace with the inflationary pressures, which are now being felt (5.1.5).
Other
In Progress
Health investigations(11)
Independent investigation: Lewis Hodge, Birmingham (1999) — Rec a.
That the Strategic Health Authority, the trust, the PCTs and Birmingham City Council forthwith jointly instruct an independent organisation such as the Audit Commission to examine the level of expenditure on mental health services in Birmingham, both at present and in the recent past. This financial review should involve comparing …
midlands
Independent investigation: Sidney Waller, Manchester (2008) — Rec 3
Clear performance targets and measurable outcomes need to be included in the monitoring and management of the Assertive Outreach Service. The PCT needs to address these within the routine monthly contract monitoring meetings and be provided with assurances that all performance targets are being met.
north_west
Independent investigation: Angela Titley, Private Psych hospital, Redhill, Surrey (2004) — Rec R11
We recommend to PCTs, Trusts and Social Services that consideration should be given by those purchasing or commissioning services from the independent sector to the creation of a post, or a team, specifically employed to follow up patients placed in the independent sector, with a view to ensuring that the …
south_east
Independent investigation: Hugh McCaffrey, Willesden — Rec 5.109
Pooled budgets from Social Services and the Health Authority should be considered in order to provide a seamless service, avoid duplication and offer a service within the Best Value framework.
london
Independent investigation: Geraldine Sureda(Mrs S), Mitcham Park, Merton (2000) — Rec 35
The PCT responsible for commissioning Trust services should consider the resource implications of the Recommendations made in this Report and draw up an investment plan accordingly
london
Investigation into matters relating to Jimmy Savile at Leeds General … — Rec 31
Assurance that charitable funds are channelled appropriately should be gathered on a systematic and ongoing basis and reported to both the Charitable Trustees and the Trust Board Audit Committee to ensure that the mechanisms in place to do this continue to be effective (source: chapter five).
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
north_east_yorkshire
Investigation into matters relating to Jimmy Savile at Leeds General … — Rec 29
A baseline review of the range of projects supported by the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Charitable Trust should be undertaken to assess consistency with the current priorities of the Trust (source: chapter five).
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
north_east_yorkshire
An independent review into the independent sector provider One to … — Rec 8
Small companies without any other sources of finance or a portfolio of services should ensure the sustainability of their business plans, particularly, that they should be prudent and be based on a realistic scenario.
north_west
An independent review into the independent sector provider One to … — Rec 7
The blended payment model introduced in 2019/20 should be tested for maternity services between an NHS acute and NHS community-based maternity provider as part of the system.
north_west
An independent review into the independent sector provider One to … — Rec 5
Increased commissioning flexibilities should be considered for small contracts, for example, local tariff arrangements between providers, block contracts and guaranteed activity levels.
north_west
Themes and lessons learnt from NHS investigations into matters relating … — Rec R12
NHS hospital trusts and their associated NHS charities should consider the adequacy of their policies and procedures in relation to the assessment and management of the risks to their brand and reputation, including as a result of their associations with celebrities and major donors, and whether their risk registers adequately …
national
Accepted
Independent reviews(50)
Youth Justice Board Review — Rec 17
Teams across MOJ (including financial strategy and planning, finance business partners, YJPU, and the Public Bodies Centre of Expertise Partnership Team) and the YJB, to undertake a strategic assessment of the efficiency options identified and determine which options are feasible.
Justice & Legal
Narey-Owers Foster Care Review — Rec 8
We believe there needs to be a thorough assessment and consultation with the sector and with carers about the effectiveness, cost, and value for money of fostering panels and we urge the Department for Education to commission such an assessment.
Other
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 6.2
Using the new improved monitoring information, the Legal Services Commission should identify significant upward movements in unit cost and bring together all parties (using the mechanisms for stakeholder relations set out in Chapter 6) to secure shared understanding of the position and agreement to an adjustment down in price or …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 5.12
DCA and the judiciary should review the criteria and regulations that allow for the appointment of two counsel to ensure that representation orders are only granted for those cases that genuinely require two advocates and in particular what circumstances should permit the instruction of two junior counsel as opposed to …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.37
The Legal Services Commission should encourage growth in family provision through best value based bidding on contract sizes and length of contract by 2009, but subject to the need to maintain a variety of good quality, efficient suppliers within the family justice system.
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.36
The Legal Services Commission should consider the possibility of tailoring family contract sizes in relation to quality. For instance, a firm with a high peer review score, who might be prepared to be subject to more stringent performance targets, could be offered an extended contract, e.g. up to five years, …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.35
The Legal Services Commission should ensure the fee levels they are proposing for the new public law children scheme for solicitors is sustainable within the overall legal aid budget, and consistent with maintaining a good quality supplier base.
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.32
The Legal Services Commission should ensure the fee levels they are proposing for private law family are sustainable within the overall legal aid budget, and consistent with maintaining a good quality supplier base.
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.25
Wherever possible, the Legal Services Commission should ensure that the dynamics, between the fixed fee for civil legal help and the payments for civil court work, act to reward early settlements where it is appropriate. The Legal Services Commission needs to look at this in more detail, and whether this …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.24
The Legal Services Commission should ensure the fixed fees for legal help with which they propose to replace tailored fixed fees in civil categories of law are sustainable within the overall legal aid budget, and consistent with maintaining a good quality supplier base.
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.23
The Legal Services Commission should consider the potential to generate a 5% saving on current spending through the combination of competition on rates and tighter management of very high cost criminal cases in the financial year 2008-09.
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.22
The Legal Services Commission should make improvements to case management by the Complex Crime Unit (outlined in paragraph 96 of Chapter 4 and detailed in Annex 4.7) by recruiting qualified practitioners, establishing a referral and a post case audit panel and designing a very high cost criminal cases best value …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.18
The Legal Services Commission should establish a best value tendered panel for very high cost criminal cases based on the steps sets out in paragraphs 80 to 89 of Chapter 4. Prior to doing so the issues set out in paragraph 90 of Chapter 4 should be consulted on with …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.11
DCA and the Legal Services Commission should apply the ring fenced and capped budgets for Crown Court advocacy ancillary payments as set out in Annex 4.5. These budgets should be monitored on a quarterly basis. If the budget is exceeded in the financial year the payments will cease to be …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 3.2
The Legal Services Commission should continue to develop the design of a best value tendering process around the framework set out in paragraphs 61 to 64 of Chapter 3, with specific arrangements for each local tendering round, so that a national roll-out of best value tendering should begin in April …
Justice & Legal
Harrington FDI Review — Rec 3
Government should build on the success of Metro Mayors and best practice in the devolved administrations to expand its place-based offer to investors.
Other
Harrington FDI Review — Rec 2
Investment should be prioritised across central government with clear accountability distributed through the system. This requires a fundamental shift in the current culture to transform the way government operates.
Other
Harrington FDI Review — Rec 1
The government should set out a clear Business Investment Strategy by spring 2024. This should build on existing sector visions and plans for the five key growth sectors to communicate government's approach to investment over the medium term.
Other
Bean Economic Statistics Review — Rec F22
Recommended Action 22: ONS should establish an effective and transparent process for prioritising and allocating resources, supported by better management information.
Other
Myners Institutional Investment Review — Rec 7
Appropriate benchmarks: Trustees should: explicitly consider, in consultation with their investment manager(s), whether the index benchmarks they have selected are appropriate; in particular, whether the construction of the index creates incentives to follow sub-optimal investment strategies; if setting limits on divergence from an index, ensure that they reflect the approximations …
Other
Myners Institutional Investment Review — Rec 3
Focus on asset allocation: Strategic asset allocation decisions should receive a level of attention (and, where relevant, advisory or management fees) that fully reflect the contribution they can make towards achieving the fund's investment objective. Decision-makers should consider a full range of investment opportunities, not excluding from consideration any major …
Other
Helm Energy Review — Rec 9
The current RIIO (Revenue = Incentives + Innovation + Outputs) periodic review price caps for the transmission and distribution companies are already being significantly outperformed – in part because of mistakes in the assumptions – and have resulted in higher prices than need to be charged for the efficient delivery …
Other
Helm Energy Review — Rec 8
After all existing commitments in respect of FiTs and low-carbon CfDs have been fully honoured, and in the transition to a proper, uniform carbon price and an EFP auction, they should be split into three parts: the construction and project-development phase; the operation of the plant; and decommissioning. The first …
Other
Foster FE Review — Rec 80
The AoC should help identify the costs to colleges of dealing with awarding bodies and FE colleges should use their collective purchasing power to negotiate with awarding bodies rationalisation of their administrative requirements.
Education
Foster FE Review — Rec 75
The new inspection organisation develop a 'state of the art' inspection methodology which incorporates the learner experience, corporate governance, impact and value for money criteria, alongside the essential quality and outcome measures.
Education
Foster FE Review — Rec 58
The Government should consider undertaking value for money studies, including asset utilisation, and bringing forward proposals for efficiencies in procurement.
Education
Foster FE Review — Rec 48
The LSC, supported by the DfES, establishes and publishes clear information standards across the learning and skills sector including inter-college comparative data on value for money.
Education
Foster FE Review — Rec 26
FE Colleges should also use their collective purchasing power to negotiate with awarding bodies the rationalisation of their administrative requirements.
Education
Foster FE Review — Rec 25
FE colleges should use their purchasing power and develop voluntary consortia to negotiate costs with awarding bodies so that economies of scale can be realised.
Education
Foster FE Review — Rec 21
FE colleges should have as their core function the provision of high quality, value for money services for learners and employers. They should play an active part in helping the local commissioner develop the overall local strategy, but there should be a clear and unambiguous separation from the local commissioning …
Education
Foster FE Review — Rec 8
Self Regulation should be the medium term goal. Colleges should work with the LSC and QIA, to develop the foundations for this based on a new model of self assessment underpinned by broader measures of impact and value for money. Those colleges that demonstrate the achievement of criteria for such …
Education
Heseltine Growth Review — Rec 23
Government must continue to look at opportunities for devolving or transferring the functions of public bodies to the local level or to the private sector.
Other
Heseltine Growth Review — Rec 22
Departments should work with the public bodies they sponsor to ensure they explicitly consider their potential for wealth creation when developing business plans.
Other
Cavendish Review — Rec 16
The Department of Health should explore with the social care sector how to move to commissioning based on outcomes; and aim to eliminate commissioning based on activity by 2017.
Health & Social Care
Cavendish Review — Rec 5
HEE, with Skills for Health and Skills for Care, should develop proposals for a rigorous system of quality assurance for training, which links funding to outcomes, so that money is not wasted on ineffective courses.
Health & Social Care
Flanagan Review of Policing — Rec 8
Forces should focus effort on ‘high potential’ areas for improved productivity, such as demand management (where QUEST has highlighted areas for improvement), procurement and flexible working. HMIC will be looking for evidence of using best practice in inspections from 2009-10
Policing & Security
Flanagan Review of Policing — Rec 3
The Home Office should urgently examine its requirement for each force to undertake Activity Based Costing with a view to this requirement being replaced with an alternative which costs less, is easier to use and has greater impact on productivity. It should also assess alternative ways of meeting its information …
Policing & Security
Dearing Higher Education Review — Rec 74
We recommend to the Government that variations in the level of public funding for teaching, outside modest margins, should occur only where: there is an approved difference in the provision; society, through the Secretary of State or his or her agent, concludes, after examining an exceptionally high level of funding, …
Education
Dimbleby National Food Strategy — Rec 13
Strengthen government procurement rules to ensure that taxpayer money is spent on healthy and sustainable food.
Health & Social Care
Sayce Review — Rec 4b
The Department should use the budget currently allocated to funding Residential Training to open-up opportunities for work experience, including internships, work placements and on-the-job learning. This could be through ring-fenced funding under Access to Work.
Other
Sayce Review — Rec 4
The Department should not directly fund Residential Training as a distinct facilities-based programme. RTCs should be encouraged to seek funding from a range of sources including the Skills Funding Agency, and Work Choice and Work Programme providers funded by the Department. Colleges should be supported by the Department to make …
Other
Sayce Review — Rec 3a
The Department should ensure resources released from Remploy reform (after accounting for the costs of reform) are spent on employment support that fits disabled people's aspirations for work in all types of employment settings.
Other
Sayce Review — Rec 3
The Department should, by the end of the current Spending Review, have introduced a new model for Remploy, and Government funding should be invested in effective support for individuals, rather than subsidising factory businesses: Remploy Enterprise Businesses should be given the opportunity – with expert support – to become successful …
Other
Narey Review of Children's Residential Care — Rec 11
The Department for Education needs either to ensure local authorities come together to drive down the cost of secure placements to about that achieved by the YJB, or to commission secure welfare beds from the centre alongside the YJB.
Other
Narey Review of Children's Residential Care — Rec 1
An early priority for the Department for Education must be to facilitate the improvement of local and regional commissioning skills. Simultaneously, DfE must require local authorities to come together into large consortia for the purpose of obtaining significant discounts from private and voluntary sector providers.
Other
Browne Review — Rec CH6-8
The Council will carry out an annual survey of charges, allowing easy comparison for students between the charges set by institutions and the success of institutions in providing value for money.
Other
Barker Land Use Planning Review — Rec 22
Local planning authorities should enhance the quality of service provided by their planning department through more effective interaction with external organisations, via: • the introduction of more ‘shared services’ by local authority planning departments (or contracting to more efficient LPAs) to enable economies of scale and scope; • increased use …
Other
Barker Land Use Planning Review — Rec 19
The planning application system should be made more efficient so that high quality outcomes are delivered through a value-for-money process. This should include: • more widespread use of pre-application discussions, which are often of great value to both planning departments and applicants. Where appropriate these should be used as an …
Other
Barker Housing Supply Review — Rec 33
The House Builders Federation, in conjunction with National House-Building Council (NHBC), ConstructionSkills and other interested parties, should develop a strategy to address barriers to modern methods of construction. This strategy should be developed to fit alongside existing initiatives, working closely with Government to identify further measures that can be taken. …
Other
Barker Housing Supply Review — Rec 32
The housebuilding industry must demonstrate increased levels of customer satisfaction: • The House Builders Federation should develop a strategy to increase the proportion of house buyers who would recommend their housebuilder from 46 per cent to at least 75 per cent by 2007. Over the same period, levels of customer …
Other
LGO / SPSO decisions(28)
201305254 — Scottish Prison Service
Mr C, who is a prisoner, complained that the prison inappropriately refused his request to send money from his prisoner cash account to his family. Our investigation found that the prison rules say that the prison governor is entitled to decide the maximum amount of money that any prisoner may …
SPSO (Scottish Public Se…
Prisons
Not Upheld
May 2014
PSOW-202100188 — Cardiff Council
Mr X complained that the Council had failed to reimburse £353, as it had agreed to do in its original response to his complaint. He had heard nothing further from the Council. His original complaint related to circumstances in which he did not receive correspondence relating to a Penalty Charge …
PSOW (Public Services Om…
Local Government
May 2021
PSOW-202105018 — Cardiff Council
Mr A complained that his complaint submitted to the Cardiff Council (“the Council”) about its management of his council tax account was largely ignored, with most points unanswered, and its response contained a number of lies. He said that the Council failed to act professionally and appropriately and failed to …
PSOW (Public Services Om…
Local Government
Dec 2021
22-001-412 — Birmingham City Council
Summary: Mrs X complained the Council has repeatedly failed to collect her household waste and recycling since February 2022. This has led to an accumulation of waste which is unsightly and attracts vermin and foxes. The Council’s repeated failure to collect Mrs X’s household waste and recycling on the scheduled …
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Upheld
Sep 2022
21-018-695 — London Borough of Enfield
Summary: Ms Y complained about the Council’s failure to provide her with an effective assisted bin collection service and about its complaint handling. We have found fault by the Council in the service provided and the way it responded to Ms Y’s complaints, causing injustice. We consider the action now …
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Upheld
Sep 2022
PSOW-202101427 — Cardiff Council
Miss X complained that Cardiff Council missed multiple hygiene waste collections for her elderly Grandmother. The Ombudsman decided that the Council should take the following actions in settlement of Miss X’s complaint: Within 3 weeks of the decision: (1) Provide a written apology to Miss X and her Grandmother for …
PSOW (Public Services Om…
Local Government
Jun 2021
PSOW-202101624 — Cardiff Council
Mr X complained that Cardiff Council had missed multiple general waste collections. The Ombudsman decided that the Council should take the following actions in settlement of Mr X’s complaint: Within 3 weeks of the decision: Provide a written apology to Mr X for the inconvenience suffered by the missed collections. …
PSOW (Public Services Om…
Local Government
Jun 2021
PSOW-202101443 — Flintshire County Council
Ms X complained that despite a previous complaint to the Ombudsman, which had resulted in a settlement with the Council, her refuse was still not being collected and that she had only received 2 refuse collections since August 2020. The Ombudsman was concerned that, despite the previous agreement with the …
PSOW (Public Services Om…
Local Government
Jul 2021
PSOW-202101572 — Cardiff Council
Mr X complained that the Council had repeatedly failed to collect his waste and despite making numerous complaints over the years the non-collection was still occurring. The Council acknowledged the repeated failings and agreed to undertake the following in settlement of Mr X’s complaint: 1. Provide a formal written apology …
PSOW (Public Services Om…
Local Government
Jul 2021
PSOW-202102694 — Cardiff Council
Miss X complained that her general waste has not been collected since June 2021. She also complained that the Council offered no solution to resolve the access issues caused by parked cars. The Ombudsman decided that the Council should provide Miss X with a further written response (within 3 weeks) …
PSOW (Public Services Om…
Local Government
Aug 2021
22-004-677 — City of York Council
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint that the Council’s scheme to tackle climate change is a waste of public money. This is because the alleged injustice affects all or most people in the Council’s area.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Jul 2022
21-009-185 — Peterborough City Council
Summary: Mr X complained the Council’s street trading fees are excessive and disproportionate. He considers it unfair that street traders consents are significantly more expensive than consents for ice cream traders. There is no evidence of fault in the way the Council operated its street trading scheme or set the …
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Not Upheld
Sep 2022
24-022-019 — Norwich City Council
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s spending of public money as this impacts all or most of the people in the Council’s area and so is not within our legal remit.
LGO (Local Government & …
Other Categories
May 2025
PSOW-202500710 — Denbighshire County Council
Mr K complained that the Council had not responded to a complaint raised, in February 2025, concerning repeated missed refuse/waste collections. The Ombudsman found that the Council failed to deal with the complaint which caused additional frustration and uncertainty for Mr K. The Ombudsman decided to settle the complaint without …
PSOW (Public Services Om…
Local Government
Jun 2025
21-012-999 — Bolsover District Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s refusal to refund gym membership fees due to the temporary closure of a gym. This is because any injustice to the complainant is not significant enough to warrant our involvement.
LGO (Local Government & …
Other Categories
Jan 2022
21-015-589 — London Borough of Hounslow
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s refusal to refund the complainant’s leisure centre membership fees. We are unlikely to find fault in the Council’s actions.
LGO (Local Government & …
Other Categories
Feb 2022
21-006-869 — Birmingham City Council
Summary: Mr X complains about the Council’s decision to increase its street trading licence fees. There is no evidence of fault in how the Council made its decision to revise its street trading policy and increase its fees for consents.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Not Upheld
Feb 2022
21-015-877 — South Somerset District Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about damage to the complainant’s property. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. The Council has agreed to arrange a repair and so there is nothing more we …
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Upheld
Feb 2022
21-015-860 — London Borough of Barnet
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to provide an explanation for issuing a Community Protection Notice and Penalty Charge Notices. It would be reasonable for the complainant to use her rights to appeal against the notices. There is not enough remaining injustice to warrant an …
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Feb 2022
21-015-854 — London Borough of Waltham Forest
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of matters relating to charges for communal bins at the block of flats where Ms X lives. This is because we are unlikely to find evidence of fault by the Council.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Feb 2022
21-015-804 — Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s garden waste service. There is not enough evidence the Council’s suspension of the service involved fault. The Council extending Mr X’s garden waste subscription provides a suitable outcome for the suspensions. The missed collections once the service resumed and …
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Feb 2022
21-012-071 — Three Rivers District Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a controlled parking zone. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate.
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Feb 2022
21-016-009 — London Borough of Ealing
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Penalty Charge Notices. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Feb 2022
21-015-772 — Cheshire West & Chester Council
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about changes to the Council’s waste management strategy. This is because it is a matter that affects all or most people in the Council’s area.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Feb 2022
22-000-111 — Stratford-on-Avon District Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an unsuccessful visit to a Christmas market. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and it is unlikely we could add to the Council’s response.
LGO (Local Government & …
Other Categories
May 2022
24-022-318 — Birmingham City Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about missed bin collections before and during industrial action. We have no jurisdiction to investigate matters which affect all or most people in the Council’s area, and collections missed before the action did not cause the complainant a significant enough injustice.
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Jun 2025
24-011-382 — Mansfield District Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way a Council officer spoke to Mr X during a telephone call. This is because an investigation is unlikely to add to that already carried out by the Council and there is insufficient evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Other Categories
Dec 2024
202311445 — Everflow Ltd
C complained that Everflow failed to bill them accurately for their water consumption and failed to communicate reasonably with them about their account. C believed that Everflow had breached their contract with C. Everflow did not accept this, noting that the bill increase was primarily due to increases in wholesale …
SPSO (Scottish Public Se…
Water
Upheld
Jun 2025
Domestic Homicide Reviews(3)
Bristol — recommendation 5
The CSP to have evidence based data on where to best apply limited resources
Bristol Community Safety Partnership
Solihull — recommendation 3.1
To liaise with local NHS/Public health commissioners in ensuring that commissioned services meet the needs of local offending population needs. Where there are deficits to work with commissioners in addressing deficits / adaptations contracts moving forward.
National Probation Service
National Probation Service
Leicester — recommendation Sunflower Centre - 3
The outcomes and benefits of the Complex Needs IDVA post to be thoroughly evaluated to demonstrate the impact. With the hope of achieving more sustainable funding in the future to support complex cases.
Sunflower Centre
CJINI inspection reports(1)
Local audit findings(20)
Auditor Advisory Notice: Northamptonshire County Council
Auditor advisory notice under section 29 and Schedule 8 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014, warning that the 2018/19 budget proposals did not balance and relied heavily on one-off measures such as the sale and leaseback of One …
KPMG
Feb 2018
Section 114 Notice: Woking Borough Council
Notice issued against core funding of about £16m for 2023/24, with a deficit of £1.2bn arising from a historic investment strategy that produced unaffordable borrowing and irrecoverable loans.
Jun 2023
£1200m
Section 114 Notice: Thurrock Council
Notice reporting an in-year deficit of £452m for 2022/23, driven by write-downs on investment assets, under-assessed Minimum Revenue Provision and exposure to short-term borrowing.
Dec 2022
£452m
Section 114 Notice: London Borough of Croydon
Third Croydon notice, citing unfunded deficits forecast from 2023/24 onwards and no prospect of financial sustainability without extraordinary government support.
Nov 2022
Section 114 Notice: Slough Borough Council
Notice issued by the section 151 officer citing incorrect Minimum Revenue Provision calculations since 2016/17, borrowing that had risen from about £180m to £760m, effectively no unallocated general reserves and a projected negative General Fund balance of £159m by March …
Jul 2021
£159m
Section 114 Notice: London Borough of Croydon
Second notice, issued after the council had not agreed a balanced budget, citing a potential in-year shortfall of £66m for 2020/21.
Dec 2020
£66m
Section 114 Notice: London Borough of Croydon
First of three Croydon notices. The council faced a forecast overspend and carried debts of around £1.5bn, linked in part to its housing development company.
Nov 2020
Section 114 Notice: Northamptonshire County Council
Second notice in five months, reflecting a projected in-year deficit the council could not meet from available resources.
Jul 2018
Section 114 Notice: Northamptonshire County Council
First of two 2018 notices. The chief finance officer reported a significant risk that the council could not deliver a balanced budget, with forecast overspending it could not contain within resources.
Feb 2018
Section 114 Notice: London Borough of Hackney
The council's treasurer issued a section 114 notice predicting a shortfall of about £15.5m by the year end, requiring in-year budget cuts of around £4.5m.
Oct 2000
£16m
Section 114 Notice: London Borough of Hillingdon
First section 114 notice issued in England since the early 1990s, issued amid the council's financial difficulties.
Jul 2000
Statutory Recommendation: Woking Borough Council
Five statutory recommendations under section 24 and Schedule 7, made within the auditor's Report in the Public Interest, covering past governance arrangements, investment decisions and financial strategy.
Grant Thornton UK LLP
Nov 2024
Statutory Recommendation: Slough Borough Council
Four statutory recommendations under section 24 and Schedule 7 concerning financial reporting and the management of reserves, with two further statutory recommendations in July 2021 on financial management capacity.
Grant Thornton UK LLP
May 2021
Public Interest Report: Woking Borough Council
Report in the Public Interest on past decisions that contributed to the council's financial position, finding historic shortcomings in financial, governance and legal arrangements and making five statutory recommendations.
Grant Thornton UK LLP
Nov 2024
Public Interest Report: London Borough of Croydon
Report in the Public Interest on the council's financial position, financial decision-making and governance, making 20 recommendations of which 8 were high priority.
Grant Thornton UK LLP
Oct 2020
Public Interest Report: Nottingham City Council
Report in the Public Interest on Robin Hood Energy, the council-owned energy company, finding inadequate governance and a failure to understand the risks of entering the energy market, with cumulative company losses of about £34.4m. Published in the week to …
Grant Thornton UK LLP
Aug 2020
£34m
Section 114 Notice: Nottingham City Council
Notice issued on the basis that the council could not deliver a balanced budget for 2023/24, with a net forecast General Fund pressure of £23.351m, over 80 per cent of it in People's services.
Nov 2023
£23m
Section 114 Notice: Birmingham City Council
Second 2023 notice, issued alongside a section 5 report by the monitoring officer after a decision on implementing a new pay equity system did not proceed.
Sep 2023
Section 114 Notice: Birmingham City Council
First of two 2023 notices, citing an equal pay liability in the region of £650m to £760m that the council could not fund, alongside an in-year budget gap of around £87m.
Sep 2023
£87m
Section 114 Notice: Nottingham City Council
Notice issued with a parallel section 5 report after a CIPFA review found about £15.86m of ring-fenced Housing Revenue Account funds had been wrongly credited to the General Fund over six years.
Dec 2021
£16m