Liaison Committee to take evidence on the cross-government response to the collapse of Carillion

Tuesday, 23 January 2018 11:37

The Liaison Committee will be hearing evidence on: Cross-government response to the collapse of Carillion at 4.30pm on Wednesday 7 February. Following widespread concern about the collapse of Carillion, which will touch on the work of many select committees, the Liaison Committee plans to hold an evidence session to take a preliminary look at the issues. The session will seek to establish the main impacts for different government departments and public...Request free trial

The Liaison Committee will be hearing evidence on: Cross-government response to the collapse of Carillion at 4.30pm on Wednesday 7 February.

Following widespread concern about the collapse of Carillion, which will touch on the work of many select committees, the Liaison Committee plans to hold an evidence session to take a preliminary look at the issues. The session will seek to establish the main impacts for different government departments and public services, and to explore government support for public sector workers and contracts. This will include:

What are the immediate impacts of the collapse for public services?
How adequate is the Government’s response, how long Government support will last, and what is not covered by Government support?
How is Government’s response to the collapse being coordinated? Where does Government responsibility and accountability lie?
What contingency arrangements were put in place following the July 2017 profits warning about Carillion?
Are adequate supervisory and investigatory powers and sanctions available to regulatory bodies?
What is the accountability of the auditors and Carillion?

Witnesses on 7 February:

Panel 1: Sir Amyas Morse KCB, Comptroller and Auditor General, National Audit Office
Panel 2: The Rt Hon David Lidington CBE MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and John Manzoni, Chief Executive of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Final witness details will be announced in due course, and may include additional witnesses.

The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee has also launched an inquiry on: Lessons learned from the collapse of Carillion. This will take a longer more detailed look at systemic issues around effective Government decision making on sourcing the delivery of public services and how the public sector manages the risk from suppliers throughout the life-cycle of outsourcing a public service. It may also look at the Cabinet Office’s role in cross-departmental commercial coordination.

The Business, and the Work and Pensions Committees will also examine the management and governance of Carillion, its sponsorship of its pension funds, and the implications for company and pension scheme law, regulation and policy.