Public Accounts Committee launches twelve new inquiries

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today announces its next slate of upcoming inquiries, providing scrutiny of Government spending and delivery across a range of Government Departments.

The programme of inquiries, to be held over the coming months, was selected by members of the Committee, in discussions led by the Chair of the Committee, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP.

Each inquiry is informed by the work of the National Audit Office. Committee members will use reports as a starting point and agreed factual basis from which to conduct their scrutiny to hold government to account for how it spends public money.

The inquiries are as follows:

• BBC efficiency and transformation programme
• Boosting construction skills
• Clean power by 2030: Upgrading the grid
• Devolving power in England
• DWP follow-up: Autumn 2026
• Electronic monitoring: follow-up
• HMRC's tax debt reduction efforts
• Integrated Care Boards: re-organisation
• NHS Accident and Emergency departments
• Reducing radicalisation: The Prevent programme
• Resilience of the UK's food supply to disruptions
• The Crown Estate and associated properties: governance and management

In the coming weeks, the following evidence sessions are scheduled to be held. Further details on each will be announced in due course:

- The work of the COVID counter-fraud commissioner (Monday 6 July);

- Civil service pensions (a joint session with the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (Wednesday 8 July);

- Restoration & Renewal of Parliament: costing and governance (Thursday 9 July);

- The Crown Estate and associated properties: governance and management (Monday 13 July);

- Affordability of the Defence Investment Plan (Thursday 16 July).

Commenting on the launch of the inquiries, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said: I would like to once again thank my fellow Committee members for their input, as the PAC continues its programme of scrutiny work. Across a broad range of policy areas, our Committee will continue to hold officials to account for securing best value for money for the taxpayer, and seek further action from government where the implementation of our previous recommendations has not been satisfactory.