We asked the Home Office how it proposed to report any additional costs to Parliament so that they could be scrutinised. The Accounting Officer told us that he was committed to transparency and reiterated that the costs of the partnership will be set out annually in the annual report and accounts although, on some occasions, the department will bring costs earlier to the Committee. In January 2024, HM Treasury published advice to Accounting Officers on parliamentary communications. This stated that accounting officers should consider sharing information on a timelier and/or more frequent basis for matters with a high degree of parliamentary interest. Where Ministers instruct an accounting officer that the public interest is best served by keeping information confidential (for example if disclosure would undermine the government’s position in commercial negotiations), it may be appropriate for the accounting officer and the Minister to agree whether there 12 Qq 68, 77–78, 80–82 13 Qq 83, 92 14 Qq 127–128; Committee of Public Accounts, The Emergency Services Network, Sixty Fourth Report of Session 2022–23, HC 1006, 14 July 2023, paras 1 and 5 15 Qq 93, 95–97 16 Qq 98–103 17 Qq 102–104; Letter from Matthew Rycroft, Permanent Secretary, Home Office, to Dame Meg Hillier DBE MP and Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP, Chairs, Public Accounts Committee and Home Affairs Committee - Asylum Accommodation and UK-Rwanda partnership, dated 25 April 2024 Asylum Accommodation and UK-Rwanda partnership 11 is the option of sharing the information with the relevant parliamentary committee(s) on a confidential basis and so facilitate scrutiny while maintaining the public interest concerned.18 Making realistic assessments of value for money