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
4 Sep
2025
Correspondence
11 Jun
2025
Report published
24 Apr
2025
Correspondence
31 Mar
2025
Oral evidence
31 Mar
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
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
Title HC No. Published Items Response
29th Report - Condition of Government property HC 641 11 Jun 2025 28 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
4 results
Clear
10 Conclusion Acknowledged
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
Government acknowledges poor property condition as an unacceptable risk to civil service delivery.
The government has identified poor property condition as a significant risk. The Civil Service Board, which supports the strategic leadership of the civil service, considers unsafe property to be one of the risks to the civil service’s ability to deliver … Read more
Government Response
The Civil Service Board considers unsafe property to be one of the risks to the civil service’s ability to deliver the government’s objectives, and assesses it to be outside of its appetite.
HM Treasury
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11 Conclusion Acknowledged
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
Addressing RAAC risks in government estates diverted resources from other civil service initiatives.
The NAO reported that civil service resources for other initiatives have been diverted to deal with risks relating to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) across government.18 We asked the Cabinet Office about RAAC and how it has impacted the delivery … Read more
Government Response
Resources were diverted to coordinate efforts across governments to identify RAAC issues and put in place mitigation plans; seven hospitals in the poorest condition were rebuilt through the New Hospital Programme, while RAAC has largely been repaired in the other less significant instances.
HM Treasury
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12 Conclusion Acknowledged
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
OGP developing expertise to identify and prevent future property risks from new construction methods.
We questioned whether government is adequately prepared to prevent future risks, similar to the sudden emergence of RAAC and asbestos, from affecting property unexpectedly. The OGP stated that it has a clear picture of RAAC and asbestos across all of … Read more
Government Response
The OGP is bringing together knowledge and expertise to better support departments in identifying risks, and that it is important to identify how new methods of construction bring future risks into the estate.
HM Treasury
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22 Conclusion Acknowledged
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
OGP and Cabinet Office developing workforce plans to address property professional fluctuations
We asked the OGP how it plans to address fluctuations in property professionals. The OGP told us it is working with departments to adjust their workforce plans. The Cabinet Office is also producing its first strategic workforce plan in summer … Read more
Government Response
The OGP is working with departments to adjust their workforce plans, and the Cabinet Office is producing its first strategic workforce plan in summer 2025, alongside maintaining oversight of supply and demand trends.
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