28
Home Office delayed publishing Rwanda programme costs assessment, hindering timely Parliamentary scrutiny.
Conclusion
The Chairs of the Public Accounts and Home Affairs Committees have repeatedly questioned the Home Office about the lack of information available to Parliament on costs the Rwanda partnership.48 Despite raising these concerns over the Accounting Officer’s willingness to share information with Parliament in a timely manner, we were disappointed that the summary Accounting Officer Assessment on the Sovereign Borders Programme was only published in April 2024 when it had been agreed by the Home Office in June 2023. Further, the programme was approved by the Home Office’s finance and investment committee in January 2023, meaning that the assessment was published some 15 months after the programme was approved. The Committee also noted that the assessment was shared with the Committee on 27 March 2024, after the Easter recess had begun, limiting the time for Parliamentary scrutiny.49
Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 11 July 2025. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document.
Source
Committee
Public Accounts Committee
Report
Thirty-Fourth Report - Asylum Accommodation and UK-Rwanda partnership
29 May 2024
HC 639
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age
2.3 yrs
Report published
29 May 2024