Whole of Government Accounts 2023-24

Public Accounts Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 11 Jul 2025 Parliament page
The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) consolidates the accounts of over 10,000 public organisations, including central government departments, local authorities, devolved administrations, the NHS, academy schools and public corporations, to provide the most complete and accurate picture of the UK’s public finances. For the first time ever in 2022-23, the … Read more
8 Recommendations
21 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
2 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 4 events
1 Jun
2026
Correspondence
4 Mar
2026
Report published
26 Jan
2026
Correspondence
11 Dec
2025
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
11 Dec 2025
View on parliament.uk
Andrew Cartner · HM Treasury Conrad Smewing · HM Treasury James Bowler CB · HM Treasury Rosie Seymour · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Will Garton · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Will Garton · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Title HC No. Published Items Response
69th Report - Whole of Government Accounts 2023-24 HC 1243 4 Mar 2026 29 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
29 results
2 Recommendation Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) has received a disclaimed audit opinion for two consecutive...
The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) has received a disclaimed audit opinion for two consecutive years, with no clear indication that this position will improve in the near future. The Committee remains concerned that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and … Read more
Government Response
MHCLG has written to the Committee alongside the Treasury Minute with the information requested in recommendation (a). The Treasury has expanded its analysis of the number of missing entities to cover a wider range of years and will continue to keep under review how further information might be incorporated into future WGA publications to enhance transparency.
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3 Recommendation Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
The timing and delivery of local government reforms remain unclear.
The timing and delivery of local government reforms remain unclear. The local government audit crisis stems from long-standing issues, including fragmented system ownership, limited audit and finance capacity, rising regulatory demands, overly complex accounts and financial reporting requirements, and the … Read more
Government Response
MHCLG has written separately to the Committee alongside the Treasury Minute with the information requested in recommendation (a). The government has a clear ambition to clear all backstop-related disclaimed opinions by the end of 2027-28 and has published a transition plan setting out the arrangements for the reformed local audit system to help meet this objective.
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4 Recommendation Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
The Treasury has improved long-term liability disclosures, but further work is needed to clearly convey...
The Treasury has improved long-term liability disclosures, but further work is needed to clearly convey their insights and relevance to readers. The WGA includes several large and complex liabilities, which the Committee has previously noted are difficult for readers to … Read more
Government Response
The Treasury will expand the section on undiscounted liabilities in the 2024-25 WGA by presenting provisions on a fully undiscounted basis, and will also provide an alternative presentation using a flat 2% discount rate applied on a net-of-CPI basis to illustrate the impact of discounting.
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5 Recommendation Deferred
69th Report - Whole of Government …
The non-coterminous reporting date of the Academies sector risks undermining comparability and weakening accountability for...
The non-coterminous reporting date of the Academies sector risks undermining comparability and weakening accountability for billions of pounds of public money. The WGA consolidation process faces persistent challenges due to the misalignment of financial reporting periods between academies and central … Read more
Government Response
The Treasury will interrogate the estimated costs and benefits and make a final consideration on VfM of alignment of the sector during the 2027 Spending Review when the audit and reporting landscape is clearer.
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6 Recommendation Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) is not sufficiently transparent on devolved spending.
The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) is not sufficiently transparent on devolved spending. The WGA is designed to provide a comprehensive picture of the UK’s public sector finances and support more effective management of fiscal risks. By consolidating financial information … Read more
Government Response
The Treasury will provide additional information on devolved expenditure in the performance report section of the 2024-25 accounts, giving clearer visibility of devolved spending across the nations of the UK. The Scottish Government has committed to strengthening its oversight and support arrangements to improve future performance.
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1 Conclusion Acknowledged
69th Report - Whole of Government …
On the basis of the Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) for the year ended 31...
On the basis of the Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) for the year ended 31 March 2024, we took evidence from HM Treasury (the Treasury) and from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).1
Government Response
HM Treasury acknowledged the Committee’s interest in whether the government’s focus and composition is sufficient and aligned with the level of complexity involved in improving the WGA and provided a summary of actions taken to shift the focus of the recovery plan towards both accessibility and compliance.
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7 Conclusion Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
WGA has the ability to illuminate long-term risks and structural pressures on public finances, offering...
WGA has the ability to illuminate long-term risks and structural pressures on public finances, offering Parliament a more strategic lens for oversight. We questioned the Treasury on how it was going to make the WGA a more integrated part of … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the Committee and states the recommendation is implemented, highlighting that it has already improved WGA accessibility through new sections, additional disclosures, a supplementary handbook, and teach-in sessions for Parliamentary staff. It also notes ongoing reviews and monitoring of the WGA's composition and compliance.
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8 Conclusion Acknowledged
69th Report - Whole of Government …
We asked the Treasury how many staff it allocated to consolidating this account, and officials...
We asked the Treasury how many staff it allocated to consolidating this account, and officials explained that the core team responsible for preparing the WGA consists of six to seven dedicated staff, supported at key stages by colleagues across the … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the Committee’s interest in the sufficiency of its focus and composition on WGA. It states that wider reforms in the local audit sector and ongoing reviews of WGA's scope and direction, along with actions to improve accessibility and compliance, are underway to address weaknesses.
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9 Conclusion Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
The requirement to produce WGA is set out in the Government Resources and Accounts Act...
The requirement to produce WGA is set out in the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000 (GRAA).14 The Treasury publish annual submission guidance outlining that all entities are required to submit Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 submissions by respective deadlines. … Read more
Government Response
The government states it agrees with the Committee's implied recommendation regarding the Whole of Government Accounts process and that it has already been implemented, citing ongoing wider reforms in the local audit sector and actions taken to improve WGA accessibility and compliance.
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10 Conclusion Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
We challenged Treasury on the acceptability of the WGA disclaimed opinion due to missing or...
We challenged Treasury on the acceptability of the WGA disclaimed opinion due to missing or unaudited data from local authorities and the Treasury acknowledged that the situation is unsatisfactory. It reported, however, that it expects the number of missing entities … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the Committee's observation, stating that the local audit backstop programme is already making significant progress in improving timely publication of accounts, with increasing proportions of bodies publishing on time. It expects the local audit position to improve over the next two to three years and will continue engagement with local bodies.
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11 Conclusion Rejected
69th Report - Whole of Government …
When a local authority’s accounts are disclaimed, the appointed local authority auditor is subsequently required...
When a local authority’s accounts are disclaimed, the appointed local authority auditor is subsequently required to undertake substantial additional work over multiple years to restore the level of assurance necessary to issue a non-disclaimed opinion. Re-establishing this assurance is inherently … Read more
Government Response
The government explicitly disagrees with the committee's conclusion regarding the expected continuation of disclaimed status in local audit, stating its clear ambition to clear all backstop-related disclaimed opinions by the end of 2027-28 through a published transition plan.
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12 Conclusion Rejected
69th Report - Whole of Government …
In December 2024, the Government published its strategy for overhauling the local audit system in...
In December 2024, the Government published its strategy for overhauling the local audit system in England. It identified three systemic challenges in the existing system: capacity (a severe lack of auditors operating in the sector), co-ordination (fragmented roles with no … Read more
Government Response
The government explicitly disagrees with the committee's conclusion regarding local audit, asserting its clear ambition to clear all backstop-related disclaimed opinions by the end of 2027-28 and citing a published transition plan.
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13 Conclusion Rejected
69th Report - Whole of Government …
We challenged MHCLG on progress in addressing the local audit backlog.22 MHCLG explained that the...
We challenged MHCLG on progress in addressing the local audit backlog.22 MHCLG explained that the statutory backstop is operating as intended and that rising audit fees are bringing more money into the system – fees are up 150% on the … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the committee's conclusion regarding progress in addressing the local audit backlog, asserting its clear ambition to clear all backstop-related disclaimed opinions by 2027-28 and referencing a published transition plan.
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14 Conclusion Rejected
69th Report - Whole of Government …
In November 2025, MHCLG published its Transition Plan for moving to a new system of...
In November 2025, MHCLG published its Transition Plan for moving to a new system of oversight for local audit. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, laid in Parliament on 10 July 2025, includes the proposed legislation needed to implement … Read more
Government Response
The government disagrees with the Committee's conclusion regarding local audit, reaffirming its existing transition plan and ambition to clear backstop-related disclaimed opinions by 2027-28 through reforms including the Local Audit Office.
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15 Conclusion Rejected
69th Report - Whole of Government …
We asked MHCLG if it anticipated any issues with the programme of local government reform.
We asked MHCLG if it anticipated any issues with the programme of local government reform. It replied that it is pursuing an ambitious programme of reform and change and considers the current pace to be as fast as parliamentary time … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the committee's conclusion regarding the nature of its commitment to local audit reform, asserting it has a clear ambition to clear all backstop-related disclaimed opinions by 2027-28 and has a published transition plan.
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16 Conclusion Rejected
69th Report - Whole of Government …
We questioned the Treasury on the use of the terms “aspiration” and “ambition” in relation...
We questioned the Treasury on the use of the terms “aspiration” and “ambition” in relation to local audit reform measures.29 The Treasury stated that it has implemented all relevant legislation within its remit, but that it cannot undertake the responsibilities … Read more
Government Response
The government stated it disagreed with the Committee’s conclusion regarding local audit, asserting it has a clear ambition to clear all backstop-related disclaimed opinions by the end of 2027-28 and has published a transition plan.
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17 Conclusion Acknowledged
69th Report - Whole of Government …
We also challenged MHCLG on how reorganisation in local government will affect WGA.32 The Local...
We also challenged MHCLG on how reorganisation in local government will affect WGA.32 The Local Government Reorganisation ambition is to simplify local government by ending the two-tier system and establishing new single-tier unitary councils.33 MHCLG confirmed that accounts for areas … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the Committee’s observations, acknowledging the impact of the Local Government Reorganisation programme on WGA submissions from 2028-29 onwards. It states that engagement is ongoing to identify issues and mitigate risks, with a target implementation date of April 2029 for the full reorganisation.
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18 Conclusion Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
The WGA includes several large and complex long-term liabilities that the previous Committee identified as...
The WGA includes several large and complex long-term liabilities that the previous Committee identified as difficult for readers to interpret owing to their significant sensitivity to movements in the discount rate.36
Government Response
The government agrees with the implied recommendation regarding the transparency of long-term liabilities in the WGA. It commits to expanding the section on undiscounted liabilities in the 2024-25 WGA, providing an alternative presentation using a flat 2% discount rate, and will work with GAD to include this information for key provisions, with a target implementation date of June 2026.
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19 Conclusion Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
The three largest liabilities are: the nuclear decommissioning provision which fell by £19.1 billion, from...
The three largest liabilities are: the nuclear decommissioning provision which fell by £19.1 billion, from £126.0 billion at 31 March 2023 to £106.9 billion at 31 March 2024; the clinical negligence provision which decreased from £69.3 billion at 31 March … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and commits to enhancing the transparency of long-term liabilities in future WGA publications by working with GAD to separately identify discount rate impacts and expanding the section on undiscounted liabilities in the 2024-25 WGA.
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20 Recommendation Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
Under IFRS, the Treasury uses a real (inflation-adjusted) discount rate to value long-term obligations such...
Under IFRS, the Treasury uses a real (inflation-adjusted) discount rate to value long-term obligations such as provisions and pensions. While appropriate under accounting rules, this means annual movements in liabilities can reflect economic shifts rather than changes in policy or … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation to publish both discounted and undiscounted values for long-term liabilities, with a target implementation date of June 2026, and will expand the 2024-25 WGA to present provisions on a fully undiscounted basis.
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21 Conclusion Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
We asked the Treasury to explain why undiscounted information had not been provided for all...
We asked the Treasury to explain why undiscounted information had not been provided for all major liabilities in the WGA 2023–24 despite being asked to. The Treasury stated that it is considering extending this approach to pensions and clinical negligence … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the implied recommendation for greater transparency in long-term liabilities. It commits to expanding the section on undiscounted liabilities in the 2024-25 WGA, providing an alternative presentation using a flat 2% discount rate, and will work with GAD to include this information for key provisions, with a target implementation date of June 2026.
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22 Conclusion Deferred
69th Report - Whole of Government …
We questioned how 2023–24 pension disclosures appeared to show a reduction in public sector pension...
We questioned how 2023–24 pension disclosures appeared to show a reduction in public sector pension liabilities and raised that this was counter intuitive. We raised concern that this disclosure created presents a false picture of the underlying fiscal reality when … Read more
Government Response
Despite the original item being a conclusion, the government states it agrees with the Committee's implied recommendation for transparency in pension measurement and sets a target implementation date of June 2026, while reaffirming its preference for OBR's GDP share measure.
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23 Recommendation Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
We pressed the Treasury on whether the Government should be exploring alternative ways of paying...
We pressed the Treasury on whether the Government should be exploring alternative ways of paying for or funding public service pension liabilities. The Treasury responded that public service pensions remain unfunded, pay-as-you-go schemes as this is consistent with Government’s overall … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation but indicates that existing measures, such as the public service schemes introduced in 2014-2015 with changed retirement ages and contributions, and the ongoing Cost Control Mechanism, already address the need to manage public service pension liabilities.
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24 Conclusion Deferred
69th Report - Whole of Government …
The academies sector prepares a separate sector account (the Sector Annual Report and Accounts, or...
The academies sector prepares a separate sector account (the Sector Annual Report and Accounts, or SARA), aligned to the academic cycle year end of 31 August.45 The Department for Education and WGA report to 31 March.46 The consolidation of SARA … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation to align academies sector reporting but defers the final decision and implementation until the 2027 Spending Review, citing high estimated costs and complexities requiring further assessment of value for money.
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25 Conclusion Deferred
69th Report - Whole of Government …
The reporting framework for academy trusts was established on a temporary basis through agreement between...
The reporting framework for academy trusts was established on a temporary basis through agreement between ministers of the Department for Education (DfE) and the Treasury.48 This arrangement reflected the significant practical challenges and financial costs associated with collecting timely and … Read more
Government Response
Despite the original item being a conclusion, the government states it agrees with the Committee's implied recommendation regarding academy trusts' reporting and sets a target implementation date for the Spending Review 2027, acknowledging challenges and ongoing discussions.
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26 Conclusion Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) is intended to present an integrated assessment of the...
The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) is intended to present an integrated assessment of the United Kingdom’s public sector finances, enabling clearer oversight of fiscal exposures and long-term financial commitments. By drawing together financial information from across the UK it … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the Committee's observation, stating that ongoing wider reforms in the local audit sector and existing Treasury actions to improve WGA accessibility and compliance are expected to address weaknesses and ensure the WGA fulfils its intended purpose. They also state the recommendation has been implemented.
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27 Recommendation Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
We challenged the Treasury on how the WGA presents the spending of devolved nations and...
We challenged the Treasury on how the WGA presents the spending of devolved nations and the lack of clarity regarding how devolved budgets are allocated and managed.53 The Treasury responded that it will not separate the financial statements by devolved … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation and commits to providing additional information on devolved expenditure in the performance report section of the 2024-25 accounts, with a target implementation date of June 2026, to give clearer visibility of devolved spending.
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28 Conclusion Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
We also expressed concern on the lack of data from Scottish entities which poses a...
We also expressed concern on the lack of data from Scottish entities which poses a serious impediment to scrutinise all parts of the UK public sector to provide value for money.55 Of the 34 Scottish Central Government entities, 19 (56%) … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's concern, committing to provide additional information on devolved expenditure in the performance report section of the 2024-25 accounts by June 2026 to enhance transparency and visibility of Scottish public sector spending.
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29 Conclusion Accepted
69th Report - Whole of Government …
The Treasury highlighted that Scottish entities do not have a legal requirement to submit a...
The Treasury highlighted that Scottish entities do not have a legal requirement to submit a WGA return.58 Under the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000 HM Treasury may designate a body for inclusion in WGA unless its activities relate entirely … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees, with a target implementation date of June 2026. The Treasury will provide additional information on devolved expenditure in the performance report section of the 2024-25 accounts to enhance transparency and understanding of devolved spending.
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Government Response AI assessment · 29 of 8 classified
Accepted 16
Acknowledged 3
Deferred 4
Rejected 6
Total 8 recs + 21 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
1 Jun 2026 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government relating to Treasury Minute - Sixty-ninth Report of Session 2024-26, 21 May 2026
Parliament page
26 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury relating to a follow-up to the Committee’s evidence session on 11 December 2025 on Whole of Government Accounts 2023–24, 16 January 2026
Parliament page