UK Inquiry Tracker

Condition of Government properties

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 15 Jan 2025 Closed: 21 Aug 2025 Parliament page

The Government owns and manages all kinds of property for the delivery of public services and to support its own operations – from hospitals, schools and prisons, to courts, museums, warehouses and more. The estate overall is valued at around £187.1bn, as of March 2023, with annual running costs of … Read more

6 Recommendations

22 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

2 Letters

1 Event

Activity timeline 6 events

18 Sep
2025

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Twenty ninth report from Session 2024-26

4 Sep
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary relating to the 29th Report of Session 2024-25…

11 Jun
2025

Report published

29th Report - Condition of Government property

24 Apr
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office relating to the oral evidence session h…

31 Mar
2025

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

31 Mar
2025

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Committee event

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

31 Mar 2025

View on parliament.uk

Cat Little · Cabinet Office Mark Chivers · Cabinet Office Mike Green · Defence Infrastructure Organisation

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
29th Report - Condition of Government property	HC 641	11 Jun 2025	28	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

9 results

3 Conclusion Accepted

29th Report - Condition of Governm…

Improve departmental property plans through regular assessment and Ministry of Defence housing estate strategy.

Many departments’ property plans lack the information necessary to manage and maintain their portfolios. Departments are required to prepare Strategic Asset Management Plans (SAMPs) to consider the totality of their assets and document their planned approach to managing maintenance and … Read more

Government Response

The government agrees with the recommendation, reporting that the Defence Housing Strategy Review (DHSR) is planned for publication later this year. This review will set out a roadmap for renewing Service Family Accommodation, identify surplus land, and inform a comprehensive Strategic Asset Management Plan, directly addressing the Ministry of Defence's housing estate plans.

HM Treasury

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4 Conclusion Accepted

29th Report - Condition of Governm…

Update on longer-term property maintenance planning; mandate Treasury to consider disposal alternatives.

Short–term funding for property maintenance is hindering longer–term planning. Departments typically bid for property maintenance funding on a yearly basis. This short–term funding cycle can be inefficient as it hinders departments’ ability to plan longer–term maintenance works. The contracting phase … Read more

Government Response

The government states the recommendation is implemented, explaining that The Green Book already mandates that business cases for maintenance funding must include a full range of options, including disposing of existing assets and building new properties, in addition to maintaining existing ones.

HM Treasury

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5 Recommendation Accepted

29th Report - Condition of Governm…

Set out Cabinet Office plans to improve recruitment, skills, and diversity of government property professionals.

Many departments and arm’s length bodies do not have the skills and capabilities to manage their property portfolio effectively. There is a shortage of skilled property professionals across departments. Departments are finding it difficult to recruit and retain property professionals. … Read more

Government Response

The government agrees and will produce a strategic capability plan for the property profession during financial year 2025-26, which will identify skills shortages and inform work to improve skills and diversity.

HM Treasury

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6 Conclusion Accepted

29th Report - Condition of Governm…

Update committee on review of government property oversight and actions to remove duplicate roles.

The Cabinet Office’s oversight of government property risks being ineffective due to duplication of roles. The OGP is responsible for the overall strategy for non–office property across government, whereas the Government Property Agency (GPA) is responsible for office related strategy. … Read more The Cabinet Office’s oversight of government property risks being ineffective due to duplication of roles. The OGP is responsible for the overall strategy for non–office property across government, whereas the Government Property Agency (GPA) is responsible for office related strategy. 7 The OGP sits within the Cabinet Office and the GPA is one of the Cabinet Office’s Executive Agencies, and we are not convinced of the need for two separate organisations, given both sit within the Cabinet Office departmental group. The new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, responsible for infrastructure strategy, jointly reports to the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. Strategy implementation and operational management are split across departments and their ALBs. For example, NHS Property Services is responsible for the primary care estate (initial points of contact for patients, such as GP practices, pharmacies and dental clinics), while currently NHS England is responsible for the secondary care estate (for example, hospitals and specialist clinics). The existence of these various organisations across government risks duplication of effort and inefficiencies. Additionally, while the OGP has responsibility for overseeing property strategy, it does not have the levers to support improvements, which raises the concern that it cannot gain sufficient traction. The Cabinet Office says it is carrying out a review of its structure to remove duplication and inefficiency. recommendation The Cabinet Office should write to the Committee, as soon as practicable, to provide an update on its review of the effectiveness of its oversight of government property. The update should include any actions it is taking to strip out duplicate roles, and give specific consideration to the need for two property organisations within the Cabinet Office departmental group. 8 1 The property maintenance backlog and its impact Introduction Show less

Government Response

The government agrees and states that a review of the Government Property Agency (GPA) is underway, and the Cabinet Office will write to the Committee with the outcome and how it addresses duplication concerns.

HM Treasury

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1 Conclusion Accepted

29th Report - Condition of Governm…

Evidence received from Cabinet Office and DIO on condition of government property.

On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from Cabinet Office and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) on the condition of government property.1

Government Response

The government states the 'recommendation' is implemented and describes existing Consolidated Budgeting Guidance and flexibilities for departments to manage and roll over capital budgets.

HM Treasury

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7 Recommendation Accepted

29th Report - Condition of Governm…

No standard definition for government maintenance backlog impedes strategic funding decisions.

There is no standard definition for the calculation of the total maintenance backlog across government. Government organisations include different costs in their individual calculations. The lack of consistent and complete data impacts government’s ability to make well–informed, strategic choices in … Read more

Government Response

The Cabinet Office has written to the Committee alongside the Treasury Minute response to provide an update on mandating a standard definition of backlog, Insite implementation, and departmental compliance.

HM Treasury

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8 Recommendation Accepted

29th Report - Condition of Governm…

Cabinet Office's InSite programme targeting improved data consistency for government property by April 2025.

The Cabinet Office aims to improve data consistency through its new InSite programme, enabling the implementation of the government property data standard across the central government property portfolio.12 It told us that the Insite was going live and would be … Read more

Government Response

The Cabinet Office has written to the Committee alongside the Treasury Minute response with updates on data standardisation and Insite implementation.

HM Treasury

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15 Recommendation Accepted

29th Report - Condition of Governm…

Ministry of Defence reviewing housing estate to address poor conditions and recruitment issues.

We raised concerns about the Ministry of Defence housing estate.26 The Chief Executive of the DIO told us that the Ministry is undertaking a review of the housing estate in order to address poor condition. As part of the review, … Read more

Government Response

The Ministry of Defence will report to the Committee its plan for redeveloping its housing estate, including long-term plans in the departmental SAMP, disposals, redevelopment and maintenance, target implementation date Autumn 2025.

HM Treasury

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25 Recommendation Accepted

29th Report - Condition of Governm…

Overlapping remits between OGP and GPA prompt Cabinet Office review for efficiency

The OGP sets the overall strategic direction for the management of government property overall, split across 15 portfolios.49 The OGP told us that the Government Property Agency (GPA), which is an executive agency of Cabinet Office, sets and delivers the … Read more

Government Response

The Cabinet Office will write to the Committee with the outcome of the review of the Government Property Agency (GPA), including how it addresses the concerns of duplication, clarifying that the review is not in relation to oversight of all government property.

HM Treasury

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Government Response AI assessment · 25 of 6 classified

Accepted 9

Acknowledged 4

Deferred 1

Not Addressed 10

Rejected 1

Total 6 recs + 22 conclusions

Correspondence 2 letters

4 Sep 2025 To committee Letter from the Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary relating to the 29th Report of Session 2024-25, Condition of Government property, Recommendation 1a, 15 August 2025

Parliament page

24 Apr 2025 To committee Letter from the Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office relating to the oral evidence session held on 31 March 2025 on the Condition of Government properties, 11 April 2025

Parliament page