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
13 results
Clear
13 Conclusion Not Addressed
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
Departments must prepare Strategic Asset Management Plans for long-term estate maintenance and risk management.
Departments are required to prepare Strategic Asset Management Plans (SAMPs) to document their approach to the maintenance of their estates, as well as the management of risks. SAMPs provide an opportunity for departments to consider the totality of their assets … Read more
Government Response
The response refers to the poor condition of some property and the failure to maintain it affecting key public services, but doesn't address the use of Strategic Asset Management Plans (SAMPs).
HM Treasury
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14 Conclusion Not Addressed
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
Departments inconsistently produce comprehensive Strategic Asset Management Plans despite their mandatory importance.
While SAMPs are mandatory and of high strategic importance, not all departments prepare comprehensive plans.23 The OGP is asking departments for a more forward–looking approach in their plans, including consideration of future risks.24 The Cabinet Office explained that almost all … Read more
Government Response
The response addresses a different PAC conclusion regarding property conditions, not the conclusion about SAMPs.
HM Treasury
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16 Conclusion Not Addressed
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
Departments are responsible for including Arm's Length Body properties within their Strategic Asset Management Plans.
Responsibilities for property management vary across departments. Some manage the property of their ALBs, which includes acquisitions, disposals, maintenance, improvement works and facilities management. Others delegate management responsibilities to their ALBs.28 We questioned the OGP as to how much knowledge … Read more
Government Response
The response addresses a different PAC conclusion regarding departments' property plans, not the conclusion about property management responsibilities.
HM Treasury
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17 Conclusion Not Addressed
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
OGP confirms Strategic Asset Management Plans are improving and cover the whole property portfolio.
We followed up on whether the OGP knows if departments are preparing comprehensive SAMPs that cover ALBs. It assured us that it carried out a review on SAMPs to ensure that they were covering the whole property portfolio. The OGP … Read more
Government Response
The response addresses a different PAC conclusion regarding departments' property plans, not the conclusion about SAMPs.
HM Treasury
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18 Conclusion Not Addressed
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
Annual budget cycles drive short-term planning, hindering efficient property asset management
Government organisations operate with annual maintenance budgets. Transferring unspent funds to the following year is often not easy and requires HM Treasury’s permission. Departments respond to annual budgets by planning on a yearly basis. They may split contracts into smaller … Read more
Government Response
The response refers to short-term funding for property maintenance hindering longer-term planning, but doesn't address annual maintenance budgets and the difficulties of transferring unspent funds.
HM Treasury
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19 Conclusion Not Addressed
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
Annual budgets challenging for long-term asset management, but Treasury plans multi-year strategies
We challenged the Cabinet Office as to whether this is a good way for government to operate, or whether a longer–term funding settlement would encourage better practice. The Cabinet Office replied that annual budgets are common. It also noted that … Read more
Government Response
The response refers to short-term funding for property maintenance hindering longer-term planning, but doesn't address whether a longer-term funding settlement would encourage better practice.
HM Treasury
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20 Conclusion Not Addressed
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
Departments face disincentives and cultural attachment, hindering disposal of old properties
Departments may reduce their maintenance cost and backlog by disposing of existing properties that they no longer need. However, they may decide not to move because the proceeds from the sale of an old building would 31 C&AG’s Report, para … Read more
Government Response
The response refers to short-term funding for property maintenance hindering longer-term planning, but doesn't address the disposal of existing properties that departments no longer need.
HM Treasury
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21 Conclusion Not Addressed
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
Shortage of skilled property management professionals persists, despite recruitment and training efforts
There is a shortage of skilled property management professionals across departments. If the perceived value of working in the public sector property profession has declined, or levels of pay are no longer considered attractive, his would be a matter of … Read more
Government Response
The response refers to the skills and capabilities of departments and arm's length bodies to manage their property portfolio effectively but doesn't address the shortage of skilled property management professionals across departments.
HM Treasury
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23 Conclusion Not Addressed
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
Government Property Function has lowest proportion of females, requiring active diversity promotion
The OGP told us that the Government Property Function has the lowest proportion of females compared to all other functions. We asked the OGP how it plans to recruit and retain more female property professionals. The OGP told us that … Read more
Government Response
The response refers to the skills and capabilities of departments and arm's length bodies to manage their property portfolio effectively, but doesn't address the proportion of females in the Government Property Function.
HM Treasury
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24 Conclusion Not Addressed
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
Civil Service cost reductions impact property professionals, despite specialist pay frameworks
We questioned the Cabinet Office about how the planned cost reductions in the Civil Service will impact the number of property professional staff. It explained that there will not be any broad exemptions, including for property professionals, and that the … Read more
Government Response
The response refers to the skills and capabilities of departments and arm's length bodies to manage their property portfolio effectively and doesn't address planned cost reductions in the Civil Service and their impact on property professional staff.
HM Treasury
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26 Conclusion
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
OGP's Better Buildings Programme lacks sufficient leverage to drive change in departments
The Cabinet Office has attempted to improve oversight of departments’ management of property, and to increase the guidance available to assist them. It did this through the Better Buildings Programme, launched in 2022, which aimed to share best practice and … Read more
HM Treasury
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27 Conclusion
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
Dispersed property management responsibilities across departments and ALBs create varied approaches
Responsibilities for property management vary across departments. Some manage their property directly, and others delegate this to ALBs. The Department for Education is not legally responsible for the maintenance of the school estate, though it does provide funding, with other … Read more
HM Treasury
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28 Conclusion
29th Report - Condition of Governm…
ALBs lack awareness of OGP guidance, highlighting need for improved direct communication
We asked the OGP about ALB’s lack of awareness of the OGP’s guidance, to which it agreed it needed to do more, calling the NAO report a wake–up call to engage more with stakeholders.56 After further challenge on whether it … Read more
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