Committees

Inquiry into Government accounts

Inquiry

Government Response

The report concerns the published Departmental Annual Reports and Accounts (designed for Parliament and the public) and the Management Accounts (designed for the use of Ministers and officials in managing their Departments).

In most cases Annual Reports and Accounts appear to be currently failing in their purpose of explaining to the public and Parliament the effectiveness of Government spending.

In 2015–16, the Treasury instructed Departments to adopt a new framework for their Annual Reports and Accounts: whilst we welcome this framework, we do not believe it goes far enough. It is disappointing that the Treasury have not monitored any changes in the way that accounts have been used since their reforms of 2015–16.

The Treasury should monitor the use of accounts to identify good practice.

The Committee identifies that the published Annual Report and Accounts should provide information about value for money and commitments made to Parliament in a credible way.

Reports, special reports and government responses

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14th Report - Accounting for democracy: making sure Parliament, the people and ministers know how and why public money is spent
Inquiry Inquiry into Government accounts
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HC 95
Report

Correspondence

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Letter to Sir Amyas Morse, Comptroller and Auditor General, National Audit Office, dated 14 July 2016
Inquiry Inquiry into Government accounts
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Correspondence

Oral evidence transcripts

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6 December 2016
Inquiry Inquiry into Government accounts
Witnesses Craig Mackinlay MP, and John Pugh MP; Rt Hon David Gauke MP, Chief Secretrary to the Treasury, and Julian Kelly, Director General, Public Spending and Finance, HM Treasury
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Oral Evidence
6 September 2016
Inquiry Inquiry into Government accounts
Witnesses Professor Malcolm Prowle, University of Gloucestershire, and Professor Sheila Ellwood, University of Bristol; Will Moy, Director, Full Fact
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Oral Evidence
24 May 2016
Inquiry Inquiry into Government accounts
Witnesses Sir Ian Cheshire, Government Lead Non-Executive and Non-Executive Board Member, and Amy Stirling, Non-Executive Board Member and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, Cabinet Office; Sir Amyas Morse, Comptroller and Auditor General, and Kate Mathers, Director of Financial Audit Practice and Quality, National Audit Office (at 10.30am).
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Oral Evidence

Written evidence

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National Audit Office (IGA0028)
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UK Statistics Agency (IGA0027)
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Ed Poole (IGA0026)
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Other publications

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Contact us

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  • Address: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA