21
Accepted
C&AG requires full cost assessment; Permanent Secretary acknowledges "deeply uncomfortable" relationship handling.
Conclusion
The C&AG highlighted to us the crucial importance to the audit opinion of being able to assess whether there was adequate provision in the accounts to cover the full costs of resettlement schemes.54 We challenged the Permanent Secretary about the decision not to make the C&AG aware of the data breach and its impact, and whether he had ever raised that issue with Ministers. The Permanent Secretary told us that, from an accounting officer perspective, the period in question had been “deeply uncomfortable”. He noted that the Department’s advice to Ministers had focused on the Defence Select Committee and the Intelligence Security Committee, but recalled some conversations around the role of the NAO and the C&AG. He stressed his personal responsibility, albeit in the context of ministerial decisions on the tightness of briefing of Parliament, for the handling of the relationship in question.55
Government Response Summary
The government agrees to work with the Committee to ensure timely information sharing, committing to new guidance from the Treasury Officer of Accounts by Spring 2026 on super-injunctions and C&AG communication, and a Dear Accounting Officer letter to be incorporated into Managing Public Money.
Government Response
Accepted
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Spring 2026 4.2 The department will continue to work with the Committee to ensure they have sufficient and timely information to enable them to undertake their roles in the context of any similar situations in the future. The department is keeping under review how this is done in the most extreme cases where secrecy poses a challenge to the normal processes. This will be covered by the new guidance issued by the Treasury Officer of Accounts on how to act in the event of a super-injunction. 4.3 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Spring 2026 4.4 The Treasury will issue a Dear Accounting Officer letter to provide guidance on this issue. This will include guidance on the principles and practicalities of sharing information with the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) in the event of a super-injunction, with particular consideration of the statutory duty to give assistance, information and explanation to the C&AG to enable them to meet their statutory duty to examine government department’s accounts. The guidance will then be incorporated into the next update of Managing Public Money.
Source
Committee
Public Accounts Committee
Inquiry
Afghanistan Response Route (ARR)
Report
54th Report - Afghanistan Response Route
14 Nov 2025
HC 1391
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age
0.7 yr
Report published
14 Nov 2025