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06/12/2005
Government departments ‘squandering billions’, MPs claim
Government departments are wasting billions of pounds, a report by MPs has claimed.
The report, by the Public Accounts Committee, said that departments had failed to learn lessons from the past.
Chairman Edward Leigh said that basic errors were repeated “time and time again” in spite of “fine words and earnest assurances” to the committee.
“Deadening complexity and bureaucracy” marred many public services, Mr Leigh added, and there was a “continuing lack” of leadership and drive. He said: “Government departments still disregard common and well-publicised pitfalls when they approach projects.”
The report highlighted a number of areas for concern, including improperly planned policies, a failure to achieve value for money and slow progress in using new technology.
The report also said that improvements were either not materialising or taking place too slowly, while there was also a failure to apply more widely lessons learned in one public sector.
Mr Leigh said: “If one lesson stands out from the work of the Public Accounts Committee over the years it is that government departments are masters at spending public money, but they are far less proficient at ensuring that this translates into better public services.”
(KMcA/SP)
The report, by the Public Accounts Committee, said that departments had failed to learn lessons from the past.
Chairman Edward Leigh said that basic errors were repeated “time and time again” in spite of “fine words and earnest assurances” to the committee.
“Deadening complexity and bureaucracy” marred many public services, Mr Leigh added, and there was a “continuing lack” of leadership and drive. He said: “Government departments still disregard common and well-publicised pitfalls when they approach projects.”
The report highlighted a number of areas for concern, including improperly planned policies, a failure to achieve value for money and slow progress in using new technology.
The report also said that improvements were either not materialising or taking place too slowly, while there was also a failure to apply more widely lessons learned in one public sector.
Mr Leigh said: “If one lesson stands out from the work of the Public Accounts Committee over the years it is that government departments are masters at spending public money, but they are far less proficient at ensuring that this translates into better public services.”
(KMcA/SP)
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