17
In the 2019–20 WGA, the Treasury presented some important trend analysis within the Performance Report...
Recommendation
In the 2019–20 WGA, the Treasury presented some important trend analysis within the Performance Report on income and expenditure, as well as assets and liabilities.47 This is an aspect of the WGA reporting that we welcome as an incredibly useful aspect of what the WGA is geared towards. However, we raised with the Treasury how in some areas there has been a lack of consistency when it comes to how this information is presented. For example, the analysis of liabilities contains data which has, in previous reports, been presented as a pie chart but is now presented as a bar chart. The Treasury agreed that maintaining consistent presentation of data year-on-year makes it easier to compare information over time. The less consistent the presentation, the less accessible the WGA becomes. Given the unique perspective the WGA offers across public finances, the Treasury should ensure that comparison across years and across reports is simple and unambiguous.48
Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 14 December 2022. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document.
Source
Committee
Public Accounts Committee
Inquiry
Whole of Government Accounts
Report
Twentieth Report - Whole of Government Accounts 2019–20
14 Oct 2022
HC 31
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age
3.9 yrs
Report published
14 Oct 2022