MPs back criticism of the Gaming Board
MPs on the powerful Commons Public Accounts Committee have backed criticism of the Gaming Board and advise that it needs more staff experienced in accountancy.
The support comes from the David Davis, chairman of the committee, in the wake of a National Audit Office report revealing that the Board had cost the taxpayer £1.3m.
The Board’s inspectors are mostly former policeman but the NAO said broader skills were required including accountancy and IT.
Davis said: ‘The board’s staff mix now seems rather outmoded. In particular, it is too reliant on retired former police officers.
‘There is a clear need for a wider set of skills if it is to operate effectively in the twenty first century. They must recruit more people with a background in information technology and accountancy.’
The Board is supposed to recover all its running costs from the gaming industry which it regulates but the NAO found that it had failed to collect at least £1.3m – a figure described by David Davis as ‘unacceptable’.
Gaming Board told to get more accountants