Are checks and balances for small govt bodies effective or proportionate?
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will hold a scrutiny session on accountability in small government bodies.
Meeting details
Government departments and arms-length bodies are expected to comply with a wide range of requirements, including setting out how they spend and manage public money and the steps they are taking to reduce their environmental impact.
A recent report from the National Audit Office (NAO) found that despite the vast ranges in the size, complexity and risk levels faced across these organisations, many are subject to the same financial reporting requirements. This, coupled with the increasing complexity of disclosures required, has meant that small bodies’ financial reports and accounts have become longer and more expensive to produce.
Two panels will be held. In the first panel, MPs will examine the pressures faced by small arms-length bodies, which the NAO found were navigating these complex requirements often with fewer staff and limited expertise.
The Committee will then explore the current landscape of standards and requirements for smaller bodies and may consider if this is impacting their actual delivery. MPs may ask how the planned reforms to reporting will impact smaller bodies and could consider how the government could better consult with those affected to determine the necessary changes.
The National Audit Office has defined as ‘small’, central government or Parliamentary bodies that spent up to £30m in 2022-23 or had up to 50 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees on 31 March 2023. Bodies interviewed as part of their study included the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner, and Social Work England.