NAO audit extension.
The work of the National Audit Office and the Audit Commission should be extended to include verifying the government’s performance against its own targets, according to a powerful Commons select committee, writes Gavin Hinks.
The call came from the Treasury select committee in its report on the government’s spending review and comes at a time when both watchdogs have their workload substantially increase or calls for greater powers.
However, the committee is adamant the new responsibilities are required for the NAO and Audit Commission to ensure ‘public accountability’.
The committee says figures reported as progress could only be made ‘credible’ if they are independently checked against public service agreement targets. The government has the issue under review.