Departmental capacity for grant design

Initial lack of departmental capacity and insufficient local engagement in the design and delivery of grant schemes.

735 items 11 sources 2 inquiries

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Where this theme appears

Departmental capacity for grant design has been flagged across 11 independent accountability sources:

18 inquiry recs 3 PFD reports 369 committee recs 1 HMICFRS rec 53 ICIBI recs 105 NAO recs 1 IMB report 4 IMB recs 1 detention investigation rec 32 PHSO decisions 148 LGO/SPSO decisions

When the same issue appears across inquiries, coroner reports, and regulators independently, it indicates a recurring issue across the public record.

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Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.

Inquiry Recommendations (18)

RHI-1 — Policy Skills Assessment

Recommendation: A new policy at its earliest stage should be subject to a rigorous process to determine whether the Northern Ireland devolved administration has (or is prepared to assign) the necessary skills and resources to deliver the policy safely and competently. …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 1-4 together as a group under the 'Policy Development' theme.] NI Executive Response (October 2021): These recommendations can be accepted in full. Some elements are addressed in existing …

Accepted No update 2+ yrs

RHI-30 — Budget Holder Financial Training

Recommendation: Civil servants who are responsible for holding and monitoring a budget should have to demonstrate core requirements in financial literacy and an understanding of how public spending operates, including what is expected of them according to the core guidance contained …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 19-23, 29-33 together as a group under the 'Governance and Financial Controls' theme.] Accepted in full. Addressed through the delivery of an online package of Public Expenditure training …

RHI-21 — Sceptical Business Case Scrutiny

Recommendation: The Department of Finance's distinctive role in scrutinising business cases should be searching and sceptical, guarding against over-reliance on the assurances offered by the applicant Department.

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 19-23, 29-33 together as a group under the 'Governance and Financial Controls' theme.] Accepted in full. Addressed through the Review of the Expenditure Approval and Business Case Processes. …

RHI-19 — Business Case Approval Redesign

Recommendation: The processes within a Department for approving new expenditure and business cases including, where it forms part of that process, the role of Casework Committees, should be thoroughly re-designed to be more rigorous, testing and independent. Such processes should be …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 19-23, 29-33 together as a group under the 'Governance and Financial Controls' theme.] Accepted in full. Addressed through the major and fundamental Review of the Expenditure Approval and …

RHI-16 — Third Party Governance

Recommendation: Where other government bodies, such as Ofgem, or contractors or other third parties are involved in the implementation of a project, the 'home' Department must retain overall control and overall project management. The governance arrangement between the Northern Ireland Department …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 8-18, 24, 26-28, 32b, 34-36 together as a group under the 'Professional Skills, Resourcing, Record Keeping and Raising Concerns' themes.] NI Executive Response (October 2021): These recommendations can …

RHI-14 — Risk Tracking and Reporting

Recommendation: The risks involved in implementation of an initiative must be tracked, re-considered regularly and used to manage, improve and adjust the project in real time. How the risks are being acted upon should be reported to the Project Board and …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 8-18, 24, 26-28, 32b, 34-36 together as a group under the 'Professional Skills, Resourcing, Record Keeping and Raising Concerns' themes.] NI Executive Response (October 2021): These recommendations can …

RHI-13 — External Expertise on Project Boards

Recommendation: Project boards are an essential element of project management oversight and must include individuals who can challenge and who are not directly responsible for the day-to-day delivery of the project. Such boards, in appropriate circumstances, can benefit greatly from the …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 8-18, 24, 26-28, 32b, 34-36 together as a group under the 'Professional Skills, Resourcing, Record Keeping and Raising Concerns' themes.] NI Executive Response (October 2021): These recommendations can …

Accepted No update 2+ yrs

RHI-11 — Project Management Disciplines

Recommendation: Best practice project and risk management disciplines should be the default practice within the Northern Ireland Civil Service when developing novel and complex policies and managing their implementation. These disciplines can be widely applied and should not be confined only …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 8-18, 24, 26-28, 32b, 34-36 together as a group under the 'Professional Skills, Resourcing, Record Keeping and Raising Concerns' themes.] NI Executive Response (October 2021): These recommendations can …

RHI-10 — External Consultants Guidance

Recommendation: The Northern Ireland Civil Service should consider what changes are needed to its guidance and practices on the use of external consultants arising from the experience of RHI. Specific recommendations include: (a) that better assessments are needed at the outset …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 8-18, 24, 26-28, 32b, 34-36 together as a group under the 'Professional Skills, Resourcing, Record Keeping and Raising Concerns' themes.] NI Executive Response (October 2021): These recommendations can …

Accepted No update 2+ yrs

RHI-3 — Policy Skills Training

Recommendation: As far as practicable, Northern Ireland Civil Service teams working on policies, particularly new and untested initiatives, should be trained and supported so that they have the skills to do the job, not least the ability to model the policy, …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 1-4 together as a group under the 'Policy Development' theme.] NI Executive Response (October 2021): These recommendations can be accepted in full. Some elements are addressed in existing …

RHI-29 — Departmental Finance Functions

Recommendation: The finance function within a Department should exert the necessary authority and capability to fulfil the requirements of 'Managing Public Money Northern Ireland', namely to retain a firm grasp of the organisation's financial position and performance. The Inquiry recommends that …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 19-23, 29-33 together as a group under the 'Governance and Financial Controls' theme.] Accepted in full. Addressed through re-establishment of DoF-led Finance Director meetings and the initiation of …

RHI-23 — Ministerial Notification of Approval Conditions

Recommendation: Ministers should always be advised of any conditions attached to the approval of a policy or project by the Department of Finance. The Department of Finance should also require, and be kept informed of, regular reviews to ensure compliance with …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 19-23, 29-33 together as a group under the 'Governance and Financial Controls' theme.] Accepted in full. As part of the Annual Assurance Statement, departments confirm that Ministers have …

RHI-22 — Proactive DoF Monitoring

Recommendation: Particularly where a policy initiative is demand-led, novel, complex and/or likely to be lengthy, consideration should be given to increasing Department of Finance involvement from an early stage and on an ongoing basis, including a more proactive role in monitoring …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 19-23, 29-33 together as a group under the 'Governance and Financial Controls' theme.] Accepted in full. DoF now applies non-standard conditions of approval for complex projects with tailored …

RHI-15 — Programme Boards for Sector Coordination

Recommendation: Co-ordination of groups of projects aiming to achieve change in a particular sector – e.g. renewable energy projects – would be stronger through use of high level Programme Boards. Such boards should meet regularly and receive reports of relevant experience …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 8-18, 24, 26-28, 32b, 34-36 together as a group under the 'Professional Skills, Resourcing, Record Keeping and Raising Concerns' themes.] NI Executive Response (October 2021): These recommendations can …

RHI-12 — Invest NI and SIB Collaboration

Recommendation: The leaders of the Northern Ireland Civil Service should work with Invest Northern Ireland and the Strategic Investment Board to consider how both organisations can better contribute their expertise to the work of mainstream Departments, particularly in relation to good …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 8-18, 24, 26-28, 32b, 34-36 together as a group under the 'Professional Skills, Resourcing, Record Keeping and Raising Concerns' themes.] NI Executive Response (October 2021): These recommendations can …

RHI-2 — Novel Policy Scrutiny

Recommendation: Novel, potentially volatile and untested initiatives should in future be scrutinised thoroughly, well ahead of ministerial and business case approval. The Inquiry commends processes such as a 'starting point Gateway assessment' and, at a suitable point, a 'feasibility signoff' completed …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 1-4 together as a group under the 'Policy Development' theme.] NI Executive Response (October 2021): These recommendations can be accepted in full. Some elements are addressed in existing …

Accepted No update 2+ yrs

SP33 — CT Policing online activity analysis capability

Southport Inquiry

Recommendation: Counter Terrorism Policing’s capability to access and analyse data relating to a referred person’s online activity should be reviewed in the context of Prevent referrals, to determine whether staff have the technical tools required to undertake this assessment. The Home …

Response Pending

RHI-20 — Flexible Expenditure Rules

Recommendation: Public expenditure rules should be sufficiently flexible so that false economies can be avoided. In order to deliver a policy objective, Departments should not be required to choose a more expensive option in overall terms because they cannot use the …

Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 19-23, 29-33 together as a group under the 'Governance and Financial Controls' theme.] Accepted with note that public expenditure in NI is governed by UK Budgeting rules set …

PFD Reports (3)

Cameron Forster

08 Dec 2016 · North Yorkshire (East)

Concerns: Parachutes were not supplied for a light aircraft flight, and there is no mandatory spin recovery training specific to aircraft types, increasing risks during aerobatics.

Gustavo Da Cruz, Mohit Dupar, Inthushan Sriskantharasa, Gurushanth Srithavarajah, Kenugen Saththiyanathan, Kobikanthan Saththiyanathan and Nitharsan Ravi

24 Jul 2017 · East Sussex

Concerns: There is a lack of formal governance and risk management for beach safety. A national review of safety regimes and potential government powers to restrict beach access is needed.

Response (Royal National Lifeboat Institution): The RNLI recommends that landowners are responsible of implementing a range of appropriate control measures at beaches, and states that it can only establish new lifeguard units with the express …

Response (Rother District Council): The council acknowledges the concerns and refers to previous reports and statements regarding beach management at Camber Sands, and states that restricting public use of beaches would be disproportionate.

Response (National Water Safety Forum): The Forum intends to update and expand the use of the WAID database and is seeking to identify suitable sources of funding for this development work.

Response (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents): RoSPA states that it seeks to influence, inform, coordinate activity and advise within the existing structures for water safety, and states that significant landowners successfully manage sites with significant hazards …

Response (Department for Transport): The MCA has recently started working closely with the RNLI on coastal risk management, including a programme of visits to landowners to discuss and advise on local risks and the …

01 Oct 2024 · Manchester South

Concerns: The hospital's lack of a full suite of cardiac diagnostic imaging equipment, specifically CT or MR angiograms, causes diagnostic delays and necessitates risky patient transfers.

Response (NHS England): NHS England states that Stockport NHS Foundation Trust plans additional weekend lists to reduce Stress Echocardiogram waiting times and hopes to achieve a 6-week standard by 31st January 2025. NHS …

Response (Stockport NHS Foundation Trust): Stockport NHS Foundation Trust plans an additional 20 weekend lists for Stress Echo to clear the backlog by 31st January 2025, aiming to achieve a 6-week standard for all patients. …

Response (Department of Health and Social Care): DHSC acknowledges the concerns but states that the procurement of diagnostic equipment falls under the responsibility of the trust and NHS England, who are better positioned to respond.

Committee Recommendations (369) — showing 50 strongest matches

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Despite clear warning signs, the Department proceeded with an unrealistic implementation timescale for the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme. The Department had twelve weeks to set up the Scheme from announcement to launch. It was confident this was possible based …

Gov response: 2022. It should report against these metrics annually to enable Parliament and the public to determine what progress it is making towards meeting the objectives set out in the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. 2.1 …

#28 — A substantial amount of £55 million jobs and careers service funding remains unallocated.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department emphasised that its investment committee closely controls how it allocates the £55 million funding, and that it commits money for different proposals in packets. The Department also said, however, that it has not fully allocated the £55 million …

Gov response: 5.2 Funding for 2025-26 is intended to design and test the new Jobs and Careers Service. £15 million has been allocated to undertake a series of tests and trials, of which the Wakefield Pathfinder is …

Response Pending

#20 — Provide sustainable and accessible funding to small grassroots FGM prevention organisations.

Women and Equalities Committee

Recommendation: The Government and local authorities should actively engage with and provide sustainable funding to small and grassroots organisations working on FGM to ensure they are able to carry out their work. The Government should ensure that applications for funding are …

Gov response: ICBs Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the healthcare needs of their local population and have the freedom to do so - this includes services tailored to the needs of …

Partially Accepted

#18 — Vital FGM grassroots organisations face limited funding due to complex and competitive application processes.

Women and Equalities Committee

Recommendation: Grassroots organisations, often run by FGM survivors from the affected communities, perform vital work in supporting FGM survivors and combatting FGM. However, they receive limited funding, must compete against one another, and can lack the capacity or expertise necessary to …

Gov response: ICBs Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the healthcare needs of their local population and have the freedom to do so - this includes services tailored to the needs of …

Partially Accepted

#11 — Effectively resource Office for Clean Energy Jobs to encompass both clean energy and retrofit workforces.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: The Office for Clean Energy Jobs should be effectively resourced so that its remit and activity can encompass both the clean energy and the retrofit workforces. (Recommendation, Paragraph 54) Collaborating with and supporting stakeholders

Gov response: The government agrees with this recommendation. The Office for Clean Energy Jobs is a cross-cutting team within DESNZ that coordinates work to support building a skilled clean energy workforce, including in retrofit, and ensure these …

No Published Response

#21 — Ensure FCDO retains expertise and provides gender-specific funding to empower marginalised groups.

International Development Committee

Recommendation: The FCDO must have the expertise and resources required to empower marginalised groups in decision-making forums, as well as the ability to equip them in their efforts to bring about lasting change in their communities. The FCDO will need to …

Gov response: Partially Agree 34. The FCDO is transitioning to differentiated development partnerships based on mutual benefit – taking account of country need and long term UK interest. The UK will prioritize our geographic ODA where humanitarian …

No Published Response

#15 — Pause FCDO restructuring until staffing, skills, equalities, and ODA impact assessments are completed.

International Development Committee

Recommendation: We call on the Government to pause the processes currently underway until the following actions have been completed: a. a structured assessment of staffing required to deliver the Government’s priorities both in the UK and in countries with a diplomatic …

Gov response: Partially agree (Recommendation 3) Disagree (Recommendation 6) Disagree (Recommendation 7) 15. The FCDO is committed to ensuring that it has the development capability and technical expertise needed to deliver this government’s ambition on development, even …

No Published Response

#12 — Ensure missions have access to in-house thematic, geographic expertise, and vital local staff.

International Development Committee

Recommendation: Missions must, therefore, have access to in-house expertise both on the ground and in the UK. This expertise needs to cover both thematic issues relating to poverty alleviation, as well as the geographic knowledge of specific contexts. Local staff are …

Gov response: Partially agree 22. The FCDO is taking a partnership-led approach to development. As part of this, our country network will have the flexibility to deliver the development our partners want and the FCDO is also …

No Published Response

#6 — Government has not safeguarded internal resources to maintain multilateral ODA influence and expertise.

International Development Committee

Recommendation: To be effective, the Government’s aspiration to spend ODA more efficiently through a reformed multilateral system requires two things: influence and expertise. Both require money that is well targeted and accountable. The Government has not provided adequate reassurance that the …

Gov response: Partially agree (Recommendation 3) Disagree (Recommendation 6) Disagree (Recommendation 7) 15. The FCDO is committed to ensuring that it has the development capability and technical expertise needed to deliver this government’s ambition on development, even …

No Published Response

#39 — Allocate increased funding, staffing, and expertise for SPS agreement and relevant food agencies.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Government should find, allocate and disclose budgets and plans for increasing staffing, expertise, and funding to support its work on the SPS agreement and ensure timely delivery alongside other policy commitments. HM Treasury must increase the FSA’s flat budget …

Gov response: HMT and the FSA will keep budgets under review in the usual way. Any agreed adjustments would be confirmed at relevant Main or Supplementary Estimates.

No Published Response

#38 — Government resource capacity to deliver SPS agreement by 2027 deadline remains uncertain.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: There is uncertainty regarding the Government’s resource capacity to deliver the extensive regulatory changes required to establish a common SPS area with the EU by the ambitious June 2027 deadline. This work is a substantial legislative and operational undertaking, which …

Gov response: HMT and the FSA will keep budgets under review in the usual way. Any agreed adjustments would be confirmed at relevant Main or Supplementary Estimates.

No Published Response

#33 — Evaluate SPS agreement impact on Rest of World supply chains; allow 12 months for changes.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Following an SPS agreement with the EU, the Government should set out an assessment of the agreement on Rest of World (RoW) supply chains. This should include identifying opportunities to redeploy existing infrastructure and staff and maintaining a proportionate risk …

Gov response: The government partially accepts this recommendation. The announcement on 9 March that the government intends to implement the new GB-EU SPS Agreement from mid-2027 aims to give industry sufficient time to prepare for the proposed …

No Published Response

#18 — Social housing providers lack capacity to deliver improvements due to supply chain issues

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: The steps the Government is taking to rebuild the sector’s financial capacity to invest in new and existing homes will help providers to meet new regulatory standards. However, we are concerned that supply chain constraints, workforce shortages and the limited …

Gov response: 30. In April 2024, the Regulator of Social Housing introduced its new consumer regulation regime. The Regulator proactively seeks evidence and assurances that registered providers of social housing are delivering the outcomes set out in …

No Published Response

#34 — Prison education participation rates remain low with widespread poor quality provision

Justice Committee

Recommendation: It is unacceptable that 50 per cent of prisoners are not involved in prison education, training or work, despite the high level of need across the adult estate. Even for those who do access education, the quality remains poor, with …

Gov response: Partially Accept. Education is central to rehabilitation and reducing reoffending, and we are taking steps to strengthen provision across the estate. Future funding will depend on allocations decisions, and we will provide an update to …

Partially Accepted

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The government should provide this Committee with the analysis supporting the £360 million funding level, the 12-year duration and whatever the profile of this spending is expected to be over that period, including the reasons for establishing a new scheme …

Response Pending

Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that the Government requires Sport England and other public funders to further simplify and standardise funding application processes to make them more accessible for grassroots organisations. This should include piloting alternative application formats such as video or interview‑based …

Response Pending

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Schools taking part in the scheme ordered electronic codes (eCodes) online that could be converted into shopping vouchers for families to use at nominated supermarkets.17 The Department told us that a reason for selecting Edenred to run the scheme was …

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: In addition to the March and April unringfenced funding, the Department provided two further tranches of unringfenced funding in 2020–21, bringing the total value of these grants to £4.55 billion. The Department took us through the ways in which its …

Under Consideration

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: HM Treasury and Cabinet Office do not know whether departments are adequately resourced to tackle fraud and error. There are currently 16,000 members of the Counter Fraud Function within the public sector, with 77% of counter fraud professionals working in …

Gov response: 5: PAC conclusion: HM Treasury and Cabinet Office do not know whether departments are adequately resourced to tackle fraud and error. 5: PAC recommendation: HM Treasury and Cabinet Office should write to the Committee within …

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department launched the scheme without the caseworkers it required to deliver the complex scheme it designed and has never had the operational capacity it needs, leaving people waiting for decisions. When it launched the scheme, the Department had only …

Gov response: 4.1 The department agrees with the Committee’s recommendation Recommendation implemented 4.2 As of 19 October 2021, the department has eighty caseworkers, and expect at least a further thirty-four to join over the next three months …

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: In 2016 our predecessors on the Committee identified similar problems when they examined the Green Deal; in that case the former Department for Energy and Climate did not undertake enough work to understand consumer needs, and how to make it …

Gov response: 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 6.2 The pace of delivery and magnitude of investment meant that GHGv was a challenging scheme to deliver from the outset, the scale of which …

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Industry associations stated that the short lead up time, and the Scheme’s six-month window was a challenge for many installers, providing a very short timeframe for them to identify the resources they needed to engage with the scheme, as well …

Gov response: 3.2 The department recognises the impact that the shortened timescale had on officials’ ability to meaningfully engage with consumers and installers, and that the scheme administrator’s digital delivery complicated these processes. 3.3 The pace of …

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Recommendation: There will inevitably be cost implications associated with widening the support for people with disabilities. The Government should set out how much it expects new equipment to cost and indicate what financial support will be made available to local authorities …

Gov response: The Government recognises that there will be costs associated with delivering additional support for disabled voters. As is usual for programmes of this kind, the Government will meet the cost of the new burdens that …

Under Consideration

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We were concerned that the Department should have identified these lessons when it supported businesses in the 2008 Financial Crisis. In 2010, the NAO’s report on the Department’s support to business during a recession concluded that the “impact [of the …

Gov response: 7: PAC conclusion: The Department has not yet identified how it will share the lessons from the Scheme. 7a: PAC recommendation: The Department and The Bank should establish a strategy on how it intends to …

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department has been complacent in preventing Scheme fraud and its prioritisation of ‘top tier’ fraudsters puts other government Schemes at risk. The risks that we identified at the outset of the Scheme have now materialised. The Department requested, and …

Gov response: 3: PAC conclusion: The Department has been complacent in preventing Scheme fraud and its prioritisation of ‘top tier’ fraudsters puts other government Schemes at risk. 3a: PAC recommendation: Next time the Department launches an emergency …

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Having sampled only 476 grants distributed by local authorities out of circa one million grants made, the Department therefore has very little visibility of which businesses have benefited from these schemes.45 It cannot say whether many businesses in receipt of …

Gov response: 3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 3.2 Each scheme was developed in an emergency context in response to emerging variants, local and national restrictions/lockdowns. There has been an iterative approach to …

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Although the Department set eligibility criteria for grant schemes administered by local authorities, it delegated most grant decisions to them. The Department told us that it provided clear guidance to local authorities on recordkeeping requirements and the need to be …

Gov response: 3.4 Responsibility for checking that all grant awards were issued in a compliant manner and to eligible businesses rests with the local authority. It is a condition of BEIS grants to local authorities that they …

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department does not know whether grants distributed by local authorities on its behalf have benefited businesses, including those most in need of that funding. Although the Department set the eligibility criteria for grant schemes administered by local authorities, it …

Gov response: 3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 3.2 Each scheme was developed in an emergency context in response to emerging variants, local and national restrictions/lockdowns. There has been an iterative approach to …

Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: We are deeply concerned about how long VisitBritain must wait for confirmation of its Comprehensive Spending Review funding and, particularly, its marketing spend approval. This year’s delays in the Professional Assurance approval process meant VisitBritain was unable to undertake critical …

Gov response: The Cabinet Office advertising, marketing and communication (AMC) spending control plays a crucial role in safeguarding public money. It assures the efficiency and effectiveness of government communications and reduces duplication between central government organisations. However, …

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Ofgem’s headcount was approximately 1,400 in July 2022. This is higher than the 1,246 total staff Ofgem employed on average through 2021–22, and an increase of around 72% from the 816 total staff it employed during 2017–18.25 It had submitted …

Gov response: 3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: January 2023 3.2 Ofgem has undertaken a prioritisation exercise to flex resource where possible and in November 2022 approved an additional three full time …

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department believes the impact of the Innovation Programme on the sector has been ‘transformational’. It describes the demand stimulated by the programme, having received over 200 applications for the first funding round of a programme where evaluation was a …

Gov response: 1.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: December 2023 1.2 The Department for Education (the department) agrees that it should continue to promote and nurture a culture of evaluation. It will …

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department has ended up paying more per Restart participant than for previous similar schemes, because it had to pay providers to rapidly build up capacity from a standing start and then did not need all that capacity. From 2010–11, …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented The department agrees it is important to have a mix of provision available in order to ensure it can effectively pivot to tackle emerging issues. The …

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The bidding process for BSIP funding has appeared slightly chaotic at times, with periods of delay, confusion about the terms of trade and concerns about Departmental capacity. While we understand the short-term impulse to prioritise communication with winning bidders, it …

Gov response: The Government accepts this recommendation. The Government is working closely with Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) and bus operators on Enhanced Partnerships (EPs) and to monitor how well they are working. The EPs record the obligations …

#7 — Simplify Levelling Up funding streams, reduce competitive pots, and provide adequate core funding.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: The Government must follow through on its commitment to simplify funding streams and reduce requirements to access competitive pots. The DLUHC must also seek to reduce the number of competitive funding pots. By reducing the number of such pots, by …

Gov response: The Government’s plan for simplifying the funding landscape for local authorities, published on 4 July 2023, sets out a series of concrete steps Government is taking to increase the impact and lessen the administrative burden …

Partially Accepted

#10 — Require Treasury to provide guidance on building investment cases for NI funding bids.

Northern Ireland Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Northern Ireland would benefit from being more entrepreneurial in how it bids for funding for public service reform - for example, by linking its bids into wider Government agendas and aims including cross-Departmental working, partnership with the business community and …

Gov response: The Government recognises there are very real pressures facing public services in Northern Ireland and it is clear that there is an urgent need for transformation. As a result, the Government is providing £235 million …

#15 — Develop a robust strategy and data-led methodology for gender mainstreaming and integration.

International Development Committee

Recommendation: The Government must develop a robust strategy and a consistent, data-led methodology for mainstreaming and integration, to ensure that its efforts to mainstream and integrate gender take place in tandem with stand-alone programming (Recommendation, Paragraph 81) Working with the private …

Gov response: Agree We agree that we must develop a robust strategy and a consistent, data- led methodology for mainstreaming and integration, We are currently refreshing our approach and taking steps to strengthen the integration of gender …

#12 — Government lacks infrastructure for effective gender mainstreaming, reducing UK programming impact.

International Development Committee

Recommendation: The policy of gender mainstreaming refers to a strategic approach to achieving gender equality through integrating women’s experiences and concerns in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes. However, while gender mainstreaming is part of the correct …

Gov response: 63. We are working hard to direct our humanitarian funding to support localisation, such as in Myanmar where over 65% of UK funding has gone to local organisations. 64. In 2022, the FCDO assisted with …

Under Consideration

#38 — Commission rapid capacity assessment and recruit specialists to support overworked FCDO Programme Managers.

International Development Committee

Recommendation: The FCDO must make every effort to ensure that its staff feel valued and appreciated within the organisation, particularly amidst budget insecurity. The Committee recommend that the FCDO commissions a rapid capacity assessment, and recruit or offer secondments to additional …

Gov response: Agree. FCDO2030 represents a transformative portfolio of change projects designed to build a more technologically enabled, partnership-driven, and highly skilled organisation. In response to concerns about programme manager workloads, through FCDO2030, the Department is aligning …

Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: Funding application processes can be complex and difficult to navigate, particularly for volunteer‑run grassroots organisations with limited capacity and expertise. Lengthy, technical applications and fragmented funding routes act as barriers to access, despite recent efforts by Sport England to simplify …

Response Pending

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Despite announcing the Shared Prosperity Fund more than three years ago, the Government appears to have made negligible progress in developing its replacement for European Structural and Investment funding. Its repeated promises of a consultation and of imminent announcements have …

Gov response: The UKSPF will succeed EU structural funds and provide vital investment in local economies. It will help to level up and create opportunity for people and places across the UK. Under EU structural funds, the …

Under Consideration

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Seven years on from their introduction, functions still have not developed clear plans to help maximise their impact, and lack strategic direction. The Department requires all functions to put in place their own ‘capability blueprint’. Blueprints should include a clear …

Gov response: 5.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 5.2 The Cabinet Office confirms that Heads of Function are committed to formulating, implementing and publishing their own capability blueprints (strategic plans), and recognises that functions will …

Education Committee

Recommendation: Funding for the education and skills and employability strands of the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund must at least match those of their predecessor funds, and no region A plan for an adult skills and lifelong learning revolution 53 should …

Gov response: 109. Following EU exit, the Government has committed to replacing European Structural Funds via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). To help local areas prepare over 2021– 22 for the introduction of the UKSPF, the …

Under Consideration

Education Committee

Recommendation: The new UK Shared Prosperity Fund offers an opportunity to improve on the design and administration of European Structural Investment Funds in relation to the funding of adult skills. Cross-government working will be critical to delivering the cross-cutting agenda this …

Gov response: 109. Following EU exit, the Government has committed to replacing European Structural Funds via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). To help local areas prepare over 2021– 22 for the introduction of the UKSPF, the …

Under Consideration

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department noted that an advantage of a voucher scheme was that it made it more likely that the money would be spent on food, which was the aim.11 We asked why the Department, having settled on a voucher scheme, …

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department awarded a contract to administer the voucher scheme to a private contractor, Edenred.7 We asked the Department why it had gone down this route, and what alternative options it had considered to support pupils eligible for free school …

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that, following an evaluation of Phase Two, the scheme is expanded with a larger budget, over a multi-year period, and a greater role for BEIS’s local energy hubs to supplement local authority capacity.

Gov response: We have now allocated £300 million to the 5 Local Energy Hubs, who will work with the local authorities in their region to deliver energy efficiency upgrades to around 30,000 homes across England by December …

Under Consideration

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that BEIS and the Treasury undertake a joint review of the preparation, launch, funding and delivery of the Green Homes Grant programme, and that the recommendations of that review be applied to all cross-Government working on programmes to …

Gov response: Of the four ambitious new policy schemes announced by the Chancellor for building retrofit at last year’s Summer Economic Statement, three are performing well, and on track to deliver over £1.5 billion of investment and …

Under Consideration

Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: With only 8% of festivals applying for the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund, and those that were successful receiving just 1.3% of the available grants, the Government’s flagship investment in the arts was of limited benefit to the …

Gov response: The Government recognises the significant challenges that the pandemic has created for the festivals sector, and our support to the industry has been unwavering throughout. Throughout the pandemic, the Government has put in place one …

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department told us that during the early months of the pandemic it developed greater structure and a stronger framework around exceptional financial support for individual authorities. Exceptional financial support is used where the Department accepts authorities face unmanageable financial …

Gov response: 2.10 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: October 2021 2.11 Whilst the department has stewardship of the overarching system, local authorities remain independent from central government, are responsible for managing their …

Under Consideration

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department reduced the funding allocation to TNLCF from £310 million to £200 million around one week before it was due to start distributing funding.33 When asked why this was the case, the Department told us that it was due …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: September 2021 1.2 The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (the department or DCMS) will be able to set out current actions being undertaken …

Under Consideration

HMICFRS Recommendations (1)

State of Fire and Rescue: National Recommendations

As part of the next Spending Review, the Home Office in consultation with the Fire and Rescue Sector should address the deficit in the fire sector's national capacity and capability to support change.

ICIBI Immigration Recommendations (53)

An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the agricultural …

3.1 Recommendation accepted 3.2 We will prepare a document setting out the roles and responsibilities of various Home Office units involved with the Seasonal Worker route. This will be completed …

An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the agricultural …

2.1 Recommendation accepted 2.2 The department will produce a communications and engagement roadmap which will be completed by April 2023.

An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the agricultural …

1.1 Recommendation accepted 1.2 The department intends to complete a review and it is anticipated that the review will be completed by April 2023.

An inspection of Border Force operations at south coast seaports

In relation to operational support and equipment (including, but not limited to, vehicle scanners, overhead and under-vehicle cameras, dog teams), conduct a fundamental review of the requirements of each south …

An inspection of Border Force operations at south coast seaports

Ensure that Border Force senior managers at south coast ports are clear about their annual staff budgets/allocations and the functions and deliverables (including any targets) these are expected to cover/deliver, …

An inspection of Border Force operations at south coast seaports

Conduct a zero-based review for south coast ports, taking account of passenger and goods traffic at each port and at the harbours, marinas and coastline for which each port is …

A re-inspection of Border Force operations at Coventry and Langley postal hubs

Recommendation 1(e) As a matter of urgency, review the data sharing agreement between Border Force and Royal Mail Group and ensure that it is compliant with the Data Protection Act …

A re-inspection of Border Force operations at Coventry and Langley postal hubs

Recommendation 1(c) Review whether the system in place for reporting low priority seizures is fit for purpose, as a minimum ensuring that the spreadsheets created by the hubs contain sufficient …

A re-inspection of Border Force operations at Coventry and Langley postal hubs

Recommendation 1(b) Produce a jointly owned postal hubs - Fast Parcel Joint Border Intelligence Unit (FP JBIU) plan (including pursuing job shadowing, visits, presentations and briefings) with the objective of …

A re-inspection of Border Force operations at Coventry and Langley postal hubs

Recommendation 1 (a) If the development of a solution to capturing data about refunds using the Customs Declaration System is not imminent, take alternative steps to ensure that data about …

A re-inspection of Border Force operations at Coventry and Langley postal hubs

The Home Office should: 1. Resource and complete the actions required to close the recommendations from the 2016 postal hubs inspection assessed by ICIBI as “Open” following the re-inspection, including:

An inspection of the EU Settlement Scheme

The Home Office should: 1. Clarify the consequences of the decision to remove the fee for EU Settlement Scheme applications (and loss of offsetting revenue) for the resourcing and functioning …

An inspection of the Home Office’s approach to Illegal Working

The Home Office response to the recommendations: The Home Office should: 1. Publish an updated (post-Windrush) strategy and Action Plan for tackling illegal working that clearly communicates:

An inspection of the Home Office’s approach to Illegal Working

The Home Office fully accepts all 6 of the recommendations.

Inspection of country of origin information, January 2019

3. Ensure that full account is taken of the review by UNHCR of US State Department (USSD) reports issued under the current administration when deciding what reliance to place on …

Inspection of country of origin information, January 2019

2. Indicate within future COI products where CPIT is aware of and has considered non-English language sources, but has decided that it is unnecessary to have them translated, giving the …

Inspection of country of origin information, January 2019

Reconsider its response to the May 2016 recommendation from ICIBI that it “should ensure that the Country Policy and Information Team (CPIT) is resourced to fund the translation into English …

An inspection of Border Force operations at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports

Provide an update on the evaluation of approaches to queue measurement, including progress towards standardisation, consultation with stakeholders and publication of a Service Level Agreement (the Home Office response to …

An inspection of Border Force operations at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports

In the case of Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports, ensure that the local risk registers capture all of the risks and issues identified in this inspection, including the need for: 1.4 …

An inspection of Border Force operations at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports

Review the guidance, support and challenge provided to Border Force operational managers regarding the completion of local risk registers, with the aim of ensuring a common understanding of how to …

Inspection of Country of Origin Information Report June 2019

3. Ensure that full account is taken of the review by UNHCR of US State Department (USSD) reports issued under the current administration when deciding what reliance to place on …

Inspection of Country of Origin Information Report June 2019

2. Indicate within future COI products where CPIT is aware of and has considered non-English language sources, but has decided that it is unnecessary to have them translated, giving the …

Inspection of Country of Origin Information Report June 2019

Reconsider its response to the May 2016 recommendation from ICIBI that it “should ensure that the Country Policy and Information Team (CPIT) is resourced to fund the translation into English …

An inspection of the EU Settlement Scheme (April 2019 to August 2019)

The Home Office should: 1. Clarify the consequences of the decision to remove the fee for EU Settlement Scheme applications (and loss of offsetting revenue) for the resourcing and functioning …

An inspection of family reunion applications (June – December 2019)

Home Office response to the recommendations The Home Office accepts or partially accepts all recommendations.

A short inspection of Border Force queue management at Birmingham Airport based …

Accepted – The Home Office recognises the need to have consistent methods for collecting queue measuring data. In many ports, including Birmingham, it is the airport operator who provides their …

A short inspection of Border Force queue management at Birmingham Airport based …

Partially Accepted - As the report notes, examination of customs resources was out of the scope of this inspection and ICIBI’s finding was based on a short onsite observation at …

Inspection Report on Country of Origin Information, Afghanistan and China June 2022

3. Ensure that full account is taken of the review by UNHCR of US State Department (USSD) reports issued under the current administration when deciding what reliance to place on …

Inspection Report on Country of Origin Information, Afghanistan and China June 2022

2. Indicate within future COI products where CPIT is aware of and has considered non-English language sources, but has decided that it is unnecessary to have them translated, giving the …

Inspection Report on Country of Origin Information, Afghanistan and China June 2022

Reconsider its response to the May 2016 recommendation from ICIBI that it “should ensure that the Country Policy and Information Team (CPIT) is resourced to fund the translation into English …

Inspection report on Home Office country of origin information on Rwanda (January …

3. Ensure that full account is taken of the review by UNHCR of US State Department (USSD) reports issued under the current administration when deciding what reliance to place on …

Inspection report on Home Office country of origin information on Rwanda (January …

2. Indicate within future COI products where CPIT is aware of and has considered non-English language sources, but has decided that it is unnecessary to have them translated, giving the …

Inspection report on Home Office country of origin information on Rwanda (January …

Reconsider its response to the May 2016 recommendation from ICIBI that it “should ensure that the Country Policy and Information Team (CPIT) is resourced to fund the translation into English …

An inspection of asylum casework (August 2020 – May 2021)

Conduct a detailed and rapid analysis of every asylum claim awaiting an initial decision in the WIP by reviewing each decision making unit’s ‘Workflow Tracker’, focusing on identifying and removing …

An inspection of asylum casework (August 2020 – May 2021)

Introduce, as a matter of urgency, a published service standard

An inspection into the effectiveness of Border Force’s role in Project Kraken …

The Home Office should develop and finance its own social media campaign to continually raise awareness of Project Kraken.

An inspection into the effectiveness of Border Force’s role in Project Kraken …

The Home Office should develop an engagement strategy that encompasses Border Force, stakeholder, and law enforcement agency activities to raise awareness of Project Kraken and identify opportunities for smarter working …

An inspection into the effectiveness of Border Force’s role in Project Kraken …

The Home Office should develop a mechanism to track the outcomes of intelligence generated through Project Kraken and use the information to assess the effectiveness of the project and promote …

An inspection of the Home Office’s processing of family visas September 2021 …

4. Ensure all notifications to vary leave and refusal decision letters include reasons for, and implications of, the refusal of ILR. These should be explained in plain, jargon-free English, including:

An inspection of asylum casework (June - October 2023)

Conduct a detailed and rapid analysis of every asylum claim awaiting an initial decision in the WIP by reviewing each decision making unit’s ‘Workflow Tracker’, focusing on identifying and removing …

An inspection of Border Force’s fast parcels operations (May–July 2023)

Conduct a review of Central Region resourcing to ensure it is able to fully address the threat posed by Fast Parcels.

An inspection of the use of deprivation of citizenship by the Status …

Decision making - Conduct a review of benchmarks and work allocations for Executive Officer and Senior Executive Officer caseworkers to ensure that the Deprivation Team is managing its resources and …

An inspection of the use of deprivation of citizenship by the Status …

Decision making – Implement a plan to manage the backlog of cases ‘on hold’ to ensure they are allocated and promptly case worked once ‘blockers’ are removed. Most cases are …

A spot check inspection of Border Force operations at Portsmouth International Port …

Review resourcing processes at Border Force South Central to ensure consistent deployment to all operational priorities within the region, such as port-based anti-smuggling checks at Portsmouth.

An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the social …

Conduct a review of headcount, performance targets, and processes for each area of compliance to ensure that workflow is managed efficiently and blockages in one area do not impact on …

An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the social …

Conduct a review of the sponsor licensing application and decision-making process in collaboration with industry leads and sector experts. Learn from the characteristics of poor licensing decisions and the resulting …

An inspection of the Home Office’s management of fee waiver applications (August …

Develop a workforce plan for in-country fee waiver applications that reflects forecasted application volumes, plus productivity and quality targets, and ensures enough trained and fully competent staff are dedicated to …

An inspection of the Border Force operation to deter and detect clandestine …

Within three months of the introduction of the new Integrated Platform Management (IPM) system, conduct a root and branch review of the Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Team (CECPT) working practices …

An inspection of the Home Office’s use of age assessments (July 2024 …

In relation to the National Age Assessment Board: Review the NAAB’s workforce plan and its business plan and confirm that these align, making whatever adjustments are necessary (either to agreed …

An inspection of General Maritime (October 2024 – February 2025)

The Home Office should not: Make the ‘submit a Pleasure Craft Report’ (sPCR) system mandatory, without first developing a clear plan for how Border Force would respond to a significant …

NAO Audit Recommendations (105) — showing 50 strongest matches

Reforming adult social care in England

As it turns its attention to charging reform alongside system reform, DHSC should publish a long-term plan mapping its reform activity and the funding it will need to achieve its planned outcomes

Reforming adult social care in England

As it turns its attention to charging reform alongside system reform, DHSC should ensure it has the resources it will require within the Department, in terms of both capacity and capability to deliver the next stage of reform

Supporting people to work through jobcentres

[DWP should take the following actions:] Through a comprehensive evaluation programme, build on its evidence base about the effectiveness of its support model, and set out: ? how its evaluation findings support changes to its services; and ? its plan …

Supporting people to work through jobcentres

[DWP should take the following actions:] Strengthen accountability for, and performance management of, jobcentres, with the aim of maximising their contribution to the government?s overall ambition of an 80% employment rate, by: ? setting out the management information it will …

Supporting people to work through jobcentres

[DWP should take the following actions:] Assess the impact of the shortfall in work coaches on jobcentres? ability to provide the intended level of support, and use the findings from this assessment to inform: ? the design of its future …

Immigration: Skilled Worker visas

In the next six months, work with the Migration Advisory Committee, Skills England, the Industrial Strategy Council and Labour Market Advisory Board to establish an agreed methodological approach to better understand the role that immigration can play in addressing skills …

Government's general grant schemes

To maximise the usefulness of government's grants data: (d) the Grants Management Function should work with departments to ensure that grants data are uploaded to the Government Grants Information System in a timely manner before the grants are awarded, and …

Government's general grant schemes

To simplify the grant landscape: (c) DLUHC, working with departments, should build upon its ongoing work to consolidate grants schemes for local government, and the Grants Management Function should work with departments to consolidate grant schemes across government where appropriate …

Government's general grant schemes

To achieve greater efficiencies in grant making, the Grants Management Function should: (a) work with departments to gain a better understanding of the reasons for the lower-than-expected take-up of Apply for a Grant, address any significant concerns, and then consider …

Improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged children

To effectively oversee its interventions DfE should develop its understanding of the capacity and capability of schools and early years providers to understand and deliver the range of interventions.

Implementing statutory biodiversity net gain

ensure it retains sufficient capacity and capability to deal with any challenges requiring central government leadership or response;

The BBC’s implementation of Across the UK

b reassess how it will achieve its target of supporting 1,000 apprentices in any given year by the end of 2025 and the capacity the BBC has to recruit at such a scale. This should include reviewing how it will …

Reforming adult social care in England

DHSC should, in the near term, set out a costed plan to the sector for implementing charging reform from October 2025, incorporating lessons learnt so far

Support for innovation to deliver net zero

DESNZ should, by October 2023, set out who is responsible for providing stewardship and overseeing cross-government delivery in each of the seven categories within the Framework, and how it will encourage action if progress is not on track against intended …

Government Shared Services

j) The Cabinet Office should create a pool of expert staff which can be used by clusters to provide additional capability or capacity.

Government Shared Services

i) The Cabinet Office should stagger when clusters go out to market so that clusters do not all begin procurement at the same time. This should help to ensure capacity and capability across the programme. It should take into account …

Regulation of private renting

e) Do more to identify and promote good practice among local authorities and support them to use it. To achieve this, the Department should work to understand the barriers local authorities face in regulating, and evaluate which tools are most …

The Equipment Plan 2020-2030

The Head Office team should review and define its role in producing the Equipment Plan, and ensure it is capable of delivering its remit. In doing so, it should determine its role and responsibilities, in terms of providing a reliable …

The Equipment Plan 2020-2030

The Head Office team should review and define its role in producing the Equipment Plan, and ensure it is capable of delivering its remit. In doing so, it should determine its role and responsibilities, in terms of providing a reliable …

The Equipment Plan 2020-2030

The Head Office team should review and define its role in producing the Equipment Plan, and ensure it is capable of delivering its remit. In doing so, it should determine its role and responsibilities, in terms of providing a reliable …

The UK’s F-35 capability

As part of its wider plans for reform, the MoD should consider what structural changes it can make to support more effective F-35 programme delivery, including: streamlining approvals regimes. In particular, the MoD should ensure that F-35 investment requests receive …

Partially accepted

The UK’s F-35 capability

As part of its wider plans for reform, the MoD should consider what structural changes it can make to support more effective F-35 programme delivery, including: simplifying lines of accountability so that, where appropriate, relevant Defence Lines of Development report …

Partially accepted

Using data analytics to tackle fraud and error

Recommendation 4: a) HM Treasury should make use of the National Fraud Initiative mandatory and agree with the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) the criteria for where public bodies should use other centrally provided tools; and b) HM Treasury and …

Using data analytics to tackle fraud and error

Recommendation 3: The Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) and HM Treasury should develop a mechanism that allows public bodies to pool some of the costs, resources and savings associated with fraud and error data analytics. This might include PSFA managing …

Improving local areas through developer funding

In the longer term, we recommend that MHCLG should encourage a greater number of LPAs to use the CIL, by reviewing and removing barriers to introducing it for areas where it would be financially viable.

UK Research and Innovation: providing support through grants

To help improve visibility of the government?s R&I needs and ensure they are communicated effectively, by December 2025, DSIT with UKRI should streamline the mechanisms through which the government communicates its priorities to UKRI. By the same date, they should …

Teacher workforce: secondary and further education

DfE should develop cross-sector data and insights across schools and further education colleges, to understand career paths and the unintended impact of sector?focused initiatives, to create a cross-sector approach.

Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors

DBT should develop its approach to monitoring and evaluation in order to understand measures of success and learn from what works. DBT should develop a programme of evaluation of its business support, focusing on the interventions that could add the …

Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors

DBT should develop an evidence based decision-making process that demonstrates that it chooses sectoral interventions appropriately and understands what works, and when.

Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors

DBT should consider how it can collate capital and resource spending on support to business in a more useful way, and use it to inform decision making. It should consider how it can categorise this spending, such as by support …

Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors

DBT should be transparent about the metrics it considers, and the trade-offs it makes, when prioritising interventions. It should use this information to inform its approach to future interventions, and to prioritise intervention options, given resource constraints.

Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors

DBT should be transparent about the metrics it considers, and the trade-offs it makes, when prioritising interventions. It should record the outcome of these decisions and the agreed trade-offs.

Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors

DBT should be transparent about the metrics it considers, and the trade-offs it makes, when prioritising interventions. It should formalise and articulate clear criteria and metrics.

Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors

DBT should undertake work to develop its relationships with other government departments, including to learn from its more mature relationships to establish effective influencing relationships where it does not own policy levers

Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors

DBT should undertake work to develop its relationships with other government departments, including to establish consistent and effective ways of working.

Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors

DBT should undertake work to develop its relationships with other government departments, including to clarify respective roles and responsibilities on growth and in implementing the new Industrial Strategy and growth mission.

Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors

DBT should make best use of the learning from how it has developed its current approach to supporting industry. It should review and build on its mechanisms for engaging with industry and stakeholders and use the learning to inform the …

Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors

DBT should make best use of the learning from how it has developed its current approach to supporting industry. It should review and build on its existing Sector Views and Sector Action Plans to support development of the new Sector …

Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors

DBT should use the framework of the forthcoming Industrial Strategy to review its operating model for supporting industry sectors, build on its capability needs assessment, and enable it to adapt and prioritise its activity and resources accordingly. It should also …

The National Space Strategy and the role of the UK Space Agency

To help build and provide confidence to the UK space sector: By June 2025, DSIT should, in preparation for and following the outcome of the spending review, assess whether there will be sufficient funding to achieve its ambitions and identified …

The National Space Strategy and the role of the UK Space Agency

By December 2024, explore and implement the appropriate arrangements for cross-government working for the space sector. This should include clearly defining accountabilities for delivery and setting out the mechanisms for gathering information on the needs of different public bodies and …

The National Space Strategy and the role of the UK Space Agency

To ensure effective and transparent cross-government working arrangements, DSIT with other government bodies should: By December 2024, map out the roles and responsibilities of public bodies with a role in the space sector, and publish this to provide clarity for …

Partially accepted

Implementing statutory biodiversity net gain

establish a mechanism for spending income from the sales of statutory biodiversity credits in a timely way that fulfils the government?s role as biodiversity provider of last resort; and

Reducing the harm from illegal drugs

The JCDU and departments should work with HM Treasury to provide greater certainty on future funding for the strategy. This includes: - exploring the potential for indicative commitments over the life of the strategy; and - DHSC identifying and resolving …

Partially accepted

Reducing the harm from illegal drugs

The JCDU and departments should develop and publish a long-term plan to deliver the 10-year strategy. As part of planning for the next Spending Review, the JCDU and departments should assess how the next phase of the programme builds on …

Reducing the harm from illegal drugs

The JCDU and departments should maximise the impact of local partnerships by developing a deeper understanding of local variations, identifying innovative practice, areas that are lagging behind others and what is needed to strengthen responses. They should also consider how …

Reducing the harm from illegal drugs

The JCDU and departments should work with HM Treasury to agree what is achievable before the next Spending Review. They should determine how to realistically demonstrate the impact of funding in the first three years, considering the lag time before …

Reducing the harm from illegal drugs

The JCDU should work with departments to agree its role over the remainder of the 10-year strategy to ensure that roles and responsibilities are clear and its limited resources are directed in the most effective way.

Support for innovation to deliver net zero

The Net Zero Innovation Board should specify desired outcomes and what level of failure is tolerable for each of the challenge areas by December 2023. From then on, it should monitor and publish regular update reports against the output and …

Support for innovation to deliver net zero

The Net Zero Innovation Board with DESNZ should, by March 2024, coordinate a review of net zero research and innovation programme funds to determine their strategic fit with the Framework, the efficiency of delivery (for example whether fewer larger funds …

IMB Annual Reports (1)

Littlehey (2025)

HMP Littlehey continues to provide a safe and largely humane environment, with commendations for its compassionate healthcare, dedicated staff, and innovative rehabilitation initiatives like the CRED team. However, the report highlights significant concerns including critical understaffing of the IMB, persistent issues with heating and hot water, a substantial cut to the education budget, and inadequate after-hours social care. Other challenges include property complaints on transfer, unreliable healthcare lifts, and issues with offender behaviour programmes causing parole delays.

PRISON Key concerns

IMB Recommendations (4)

How does HMPPS intend to ensure sustainable funding for projects such as the early days in custody worker, where time limited external funding directly impacts on prisoner outcomes?

How does HMPPS intend to ensure sustainable funding for projects such as the early days in custody worker, where time limited external funding directly impacts on prisoner outcomes?

Bronzefield (2023)

What are the Minister’s plans to address this issue?

Ministry of Justice

Could the Minister let the Board know how many additional Tier 2 (CAS2) and Tier 3 (CAS3) bed spaces are planned for the northeast and Cumbria in 2025?

Detention Investigations (1)

Investigation into Allegations of Racism and Mistreatment of Detainees at … — Rec 31

I recommend that IND reviews the Aardvark programme; in particular, it should review the frequency of flights with a view to improving seat occupancy levels.

Immigration Detention

PHSO Casework Decisions (32)

P-001492 — HM Revenue and Customs

Mrs P complains HMRC refused her application for the Self-employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) because she filed her tax return after the deadline. Mrs P also complains HMRC told her she could appeal against the decision when that is not the case.

UK Government Aug 2022

P-001564 — HM Revenue and Customs

Mr R says HMRC did not do enough to tell employers about the deadline for claims up to June 2020, under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). He complains HMRC refused his claim as out of time although he did not know about the deadline.

UK Government Oct 2022

P-001992 — Department for Education

Mrs G complains about the Department for Education's process for applications to the Apprenticeship Employer Incentive payment scheme. She says she did not know about a change and this meant she made her application late and missed out on a payment.

UK Government May 2023

P-004380 — Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem)

Mr L complains that Ofgem wrongly rejected his application for a Boiler Upgrade Scheme voucher.

UK Government Dec 2025

P-004680 — Department for Work and Pensions

Mr A complains about the service he received from DWP in relation to a training course that it had provided funding for.

UK Government Jan 2026

P-001474 — Office of Gas and Electricity Markets

Mr A complains that OFGEM did not apply its guidance on the closure of the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) scheme in a manner that was fair or in the spirit of the scheme.

UK Government Jul 2022

P-001658 — Department for Work and Pensions

Mrs O complains about the way DWP managed aspects of the Access to Work (ATW) scheme when she and her employer applied for help with costs between January and April 2019. She complains DWP wrongly told her a second heat pad could be added to her recommended chair without a …

UK Government Dec 2022

P-001916 — Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Ms E complains DBEIS did not act quickly when she asked it to change her Green Homes Grant Scheme vouchers on 24 August 2021. She also complains DBEIS rejected her changes because it wrongly believed she had applied after the 31 August deadline.

UK Government Mar 2023

P-003861 — Office of Gas and Electricity Markets

Mrs O complains about how Ofgem handled her company's application for the Tariff Guarantee (TG) under the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Initiative (NDRHI) scheme.

UK Government Sep 2023

P-004598 — Department for Education

Mrs X complains that her request for the Early Career payment was declined by the Department for Education (DfE) for the 2021 to 2022 academic year. She further states that the communication and notifications from the DfE regarding the claiming process were inadequate.

UK Government Dec 2025

P-001277 — UK Research and Innovation

Mr B complained that Innovate UK, which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), failed to properly assess and score his submission for grant funding. He also complained they did not address comments he made in his complaint response

UK Government Jan 2022

P-001307 — Rural Payments Agency

Mr E complains the Rural Payments Agency took too long to explain why his 2015 and 2016 applications for the Basic Payment Scheme rural farming grant were unsuccessful.

UK Government Feb 2022

P-001412 — Rural Payments Agency

Mr D complained the Rural Payments Agency failed to remove his Basic Payment Scheme entitlements from its system after his agent failed to send in his 2015 application. Mr D complained the Agency then mistakenly paid him in 2016 and 2017 despite his entitlements having expired. He also complains about …

UK Government Upheld Jun 2022

P-002003 — HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Mrs G complains about the HMCTS decision to subsidise Mr D’s fees for a court hearing through its 'Help With Fees' scheme. She says HMCTS did not follow the correct process in its consideration of Mr D’s application for the scheme. She also complains about HMCTS's complaint handling.

UK Government May 2023

P-002458 — Rural Payments Agency

Mrs D complains that failings by the Rural Payments Agency prevented her brother from submitting his claim for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) on time.

UK Government Feb 2024

P-003052 — UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)

Mr B complains about the length of time it took UKVI to complete an Administrative Review of his visa application.

UK Government Oct 2024

P-003339 — Student Loans Company (SLC)

Mr A complains to us about the actions of the SLC regarding his grant for the 2016/2017 academic year.

UK Government Feb 2025

P-001671 — Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Mrs O complains the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy refused to extend the expiry date of her Green Home Grant voucher, to put right poor service it had given her before.

UK Government Dec 2022

P-001855 — Rural Payments Agency

Mr K complains he was given incorrect advice which led him to include ineligible parts of his land in an agreement. He also complains the compliance inspection was badly conducted.

UK Government Upheld Mar 2023

P-002020 — HM Revenue and Customs

Ms I complains on behalf of her son about HMRC's decision that he was not eligible for a grant under the self-employed income support scheme (SEISS). She says she completed the 2018/19 tax return incorrectly by mistake and HMRC should have realised her mistake and allowed the grant.

UK Government Jun 2023

P-002261 — Rural Payments Agency

Mr S complains the Agency did not tell him he had not submitted his Countryside Stewardship Scheme revenue claim successfully and it did not pay him any of the 2022 revenue.

UK Government Oct 2023

P-002367 — Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Ms R complains about the poor administration, communication and conflicting advice given when she applied for a Green Homes Grant Voucher to make home improvements.

UK Government Dec 2023

P-002423 — Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Mr O complains about the refusal of his application for underfloor insulation under the Green Homes Grant scheme.

UK Government Not Upheld Jan 2024

P-002396 — Student Loans Company (SLC)

Ms X complains that the Student Loans Company's communication was not good, it delayed approving her funding application and incorrectly overpaid her a maintenance loan before then taking steps to collect this back.

UK Government Jan 2024

P-002511 — UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)

Mrs H complains that UKVI took over a year to provide her with a decision on her EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) application.

UK Government Partly Upheld Mar 2024

P-002845 — Department for Work and Pensions

Mrs C complains that it took Child Maintenance Service too long to calculate her maintenance payment in September 2022.

UK Government Aug 2024

P-002352 — Devon Clinical Commissioning Group

Mrs O complains the CCG gave her son wrong advice about the commissioning of surgical correction for pectus excavatum (a condition where the breastbone sinks into the chest).

NHS in England Partly Upheld Dec 2023

P-001470 — HM Passport Office

Mr O complains the HM Passport Office did not pass on information to the relevant department when he reported his previous passport had been lost in the post. This resulted in delays in his new passport being issued.

UK Government Jul 2022

P-001687 — Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Mr A complains the DVLA did not allow him to register his V5 certificate to his business address and requested inappropriate evidence before it would consider the registration.

UK Government Oct 2022

P-001600 — HM Passport Office

Mrs P complains HM Passport Office did not let her know her passport was no longer ‘valid’, meaning she could not go on holiday.

UK Government Nov 2022

P-001800 — HM Passport Office

Mr A complains HM Passport Office delayed granting a passport for his daughter. He says it accused him and overseas verification checks for the delay.

UK Government Not Upheld Feb 2023

P-001921 — Independent Assessment Services

Ms O complains IAS took too long to assess her for a Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

UK Government Upheld Mar 2023

LGO / SPSO Decisions (148)

21-004-809 — Cheshire East Council

Summary: Although the complainant missed out on a COVID-19 business support grant it appears he was eligible for, this was not due to fault by the Council. We have therefore completed our investigation.

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Not Upheld Jan 2022

21-003-574 — Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea

Summary: Mr X complained the Council wrongly refused his business a grant, causing financial difficulties. We find no fault in the Council’s decision making.

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Not Upheld Jan 2022

21-008-940 — Harlow District Council

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council refused her businesses grants, did not address her complaint properly and reported inaccurately on finances. We did not investigate the Council’s reporting as there is a more appropriate body. We found fault in the Council’s communications with Mrs X that did not affect its …

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Upheld Mar 2022

21-008-400 — North Northamptonshire Council

Summary: There was no fault in how the Council considered the complainant’s application for a discretionary COVID-19 business restart grant. The Council was at fault because it did not explore the complainant’s requests for reasonable adjustments, but this did not cause him an injustice. It is not the Council’s fault …

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Upheld Mar 2022

21-007-544 — Cannock Chase District Council

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s handling of his request for an Additional Restrictions Grant, causing him financial loss, distress and wasted time. We found fault in the Council’s communications causing injustice. We recommended the Council apologise to Mr X, consider a late grant application and take action to …

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Upheld Apr 2022

22-000-812 — St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a grant funding scheme. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. There is there is not enough evidence of fault in the way …

LGO (Local Government & … Planning May 2022

21-014-448 — Ipswich Borough Council

Summary: Mr X complained the Council was wrong to refuse Mrs Y a business grant, causing her financial difficulties and distress. We found the Council at fault in its communications with Mrs Y.

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Upheld Jul 2022

24-011-415 — North Northamptonshire Council

Summary: Miss X complained that the Council acted unfairly when it decided not to award free school transport to her children. The Council was at fault. The Council did not carry out its assessment properly. The Council should apologise to Miss X and review its internal procedures.

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Jun 2025

201403458 — Glasgow City Council

Mr C complained about the service he received from Business Gateway in relation to applications for grants for his new business. He said that he was encouraged to apply for grants but, when his applications were unsuccessful, staff did not respond reasonably to his requests for further information and assistance. …

SPSO (Scottish Public Se… Local Government Partly Upheld Dec 2015

25-003-069 — Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

Summary: We found fault with the Council taking 18 months too long to complete the works for Ms X’s Disability Facilities Grant application. The Council agreed to apologise to Ms X and pay her £3,750 for the avoidable distress, difficulty and uncertainty it caused.

LGO (Local Government & … Adult Care Services Upheld Jan 2026

25-001-048 — Salford City Council

LGO (Local Government & … Adult Care Services Upheld

24-017-850 — Birmingham City Council

LGO (Local Government & … Adult Care Services Upheld

21-003-577 — Durham County Council

Summary: Miss X complained the Council refused her application for discretionary housing payment. There was fault in the Council’s actions in the way it considered Miss X’s application, but this did not lead to an injustice. The Council also failed to refer Miss X to the welfare benefit team which …

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Upheld Jan 2022

21-007-953 — Huntingdonshire District Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s refusal of an application for a self-isolation payment. There is no evidence of fault by the Council.

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Jan 2022

21-002-312 — Lancaster City Council

Summary: Ms X complained the Council wrongly refused her business a COVID-19 business grant, causing financial difficulties. There is no fault in how the Council determined Ms X’s application.

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Not Upheld Jan 2022

21-006-778 — Northumberland County Council

Summary: The Council was at fault when it incorrectly advised Mr X about the type of licence needed for his new business. The Council has agreed to pay Mr X £300 in recognition of avoidable frustration and raised expectations caused by this fault. The Council has also agreed to our …

LGO (Local Government & … Environment And Regulation Upheld Feb 2022

21-010-238 — City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Summary: We have discontinued our investigation about the Council’s decision to refuse the complainant’s business rates relief under the expanded retail discount scheme, and a grant under the retail, hospitality and leisure scheme, because his complaint is late. There was no fault in the Council’s decision the business is not …

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Not Upheld Mar 2022

21-000-966 — Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council

Summary: We upheld part of Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s funding for a disabled facilities grant to adapt his home for his son. The Council failed to consider whether it should pay a discretionary grant towards the work. This created uncertainty for Mr X about whether more funding should …

LGO (Local Government & … Adult Care Services Upheld Mar 2022

21-007-499 — Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council

Summary: Mr X complained the Council wrongly refused COVID-19 business grants and gave him incorrect advice. The Council initially refused a Restart grant for an incorrect reason but this fault did not cause Mr X an injustice because it reconsidered the application when he challenged its original decision.

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Upheld Apr 2022

21-010-905 — Dacorum Borough Council

Summary: There was no administrative fault in the Council’s decision not to include children’s soft play centres in one of its COVID-19 business support schemes. Although the complainant opposes this decision, this does not give us grounds to uphold her complaint. We have therefore completed our investigation.

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Not Upheld Apr 2022

22-000-405 — London Borough of Islington

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of an application for a COVID-19-related business grant. There is not enough evidence of fault by the Council.

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax May 2022

21-004-926 — Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to award him a COVID-19 business grant. While one reason for its refusal appears flawed we cannot question the Council’s decision that Mr X did not meet the criteria for the grant. Any fault did not therefore …

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax May 2022

21-006-194 — Leicester City Council

Summary: Mrs B needed adaptations to her house to enable her to use the bathroom. The Council has not shown that it considered all the factors when it chose between two different proposals for the works and this was fault. It is therefore not certain whether the decision was correctly …

LGO (Local Government & … Adult Care Services Upheld Jun 2022

21-015-824 — London Borough of Haringey

Summary: Mr X complained the Council delayed deciding on his eligibility for business rates’ relief resulting in his missing out on a business grant. We found fault in the Council’s actions causing Mr X injustice. We recommended the Council apologise to Mr X, pay him £300 for time and trouble, …

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Upheld Jun 2022

21-014-404 — London Borough of Waltham Forest

Summary: Mr X complained that Council delays meant he missed out on a COVID-19 business grant. The Council was at fault for delays in dealing with the business rates registration, for which it has apologised. The Council has also paid a sum equivalent to the grant Mr X missed out …

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Upheld Jun 2022

21-014-539 — Ipswich Borough Council

Summary: Mr X complained the Council was wrong to refuse Mr Y a business grant, causing him financial difficulties and distress. We found the Council at fault in its communications. We recommended the Council provide an apology to Mr Y, make payments for distress, time and trouble, and revisit its …

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Upheld Jul 2022

22-002-879 — City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council delayed in sending her application for Attendance Allowance to the Department for Work and Pensions. The Council was at fault for a six week delay. This meant Mrs X received her benefit later than she reasonably could have done. The Council has already apologised …

LGO (Local Government & … Adult Care Services Upheld Sep 2022

22-000-387 — Leicester City Council

Summary: Mr X complained the Council wrongly refused to pay him a Small Business Grant causing financial difficulties. We found no fault in the Council’s decision making that affected the outcome, but we found fault in its communications. We recommended the Council provide an apology to Mr X, pay him …

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Upheld Sep 2022

22-010-586 — Kent County Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s administration of its Household Support Fund. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault affecting Mr X and it is unlikely investigation would achieve any worthwhile outcome for him.

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Nov 2022

22-007-624 — Redcar & Cleveland Council

Summary: Mr X complained the Council refused him the Local Restrictions Support Grant causing distress. We found fault in the Council’s decision making. We recommended the Council apologise, pay Mr X for time and trouble and remake its decision.

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Upheld Dec 2022

23-018-477 — London Borough of Camden

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint the Council did not complete a grant application. That is because the complaint is late. In any event, further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

LGO (Local Government & … Adult Care Services Apr 2024

23-012-847 — London Borough of Haringey

Summary: Miss Y complains about problems during the build of a Disabled Facilities Grant to adapt her house to meet the needs of her children. The Council has already acknowledged and accepted that some aspects of the workmanship was poor, and that Miss Y and her family experienced an unusual …

LGO (Local Government & … Adult Care Services Upheld Jun 2024

23-012-820 — North Yorkshire Council

Summary: The Council asked Ms X to pay back several hundred pounds from her daughter’s person budget, as it says Ms X could not evidence how all the money was used. Ms X repaid this money to the Council but complained to the Ombudsman. The Council’s communication with Ms X …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Jul 2024

23-017-079 — Staffordshire County Council

Summary: Ms X complained the Council treated her mother’s, Ms Y’s, purchase of a car as a deprivation of assets when completing a financial assessment. The Council is at fault for attaching weight to the V5 certificate which it says shows legal ownership of the vehicle.

LGO (Local Government & … Adult Care Services Upheld Aug 2024

23-013-959 — Transport for London

Summary: Mr X complained about the way Transport for London (TfL) dealt with his application for a grant under its car scrappage scheme. We have not found fault by TfL in the way it decided to reject Mr X’s application. But we have found fault by TfL in failing to …

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Upheld Aug 2024

23-021-225 — Birmingham City Council

Summary: We found fault in the way the Council carried out the Personal Budget process for the complainant’s (Miss X) son (Y). This fault, however, did not cause significant injustice to Miss X or Y. The Council has agreed to carry out some service improvements in the way it considers …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Aug 2024

24-004-588 — Worcestershire County Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about delay in the Council issuing a personal budget payment for Mr X’s child. This complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code. The Council has already apologised and explained what will do to improve. Further investigation by us could not …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Aug 2024

24-018-264 — Nottinghamshire County Council

Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the installation of external insulation under a government grant scheme. This complaint which was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Mrs X could not have complained to us sooner.

LGO (Local Government & … Housing Mar 2025

24-016-943 — Norwich City Council

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s decision in relation to her request for major adaptations to her home via a Disabled Facilities Grant. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council to warrant an investigation.

LGO (Local Government & … Adult Care Services Apr 2025

25-004-631 — Cornwall Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the assessment and management of Mr X’s Town Deal grant application. The law does not allow us to investigate the complaint against the Town Deal board. The complaint against the Council is late and there is no good reason to investigate it …

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Aug 2025

25-004-960 — City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Mrs X’s disagreement with the Council over adaptations to her home under the Disabled Facilities Grant scheme. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

LGO (Local Government & … Adult Care Services Sep 2025

25-005-473 — North East Lincolnshire Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that a contractor switched off his solar panels when carrying out works to his property and about the Council’s delay in responding to his complaint. This is because it is unlikely a further investigation by this office could add to the response …

LGO (Local Government & … Adult Care Services Sep 2025

25-015-696 — South Ribble Borough Council

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about how the Council awarded a grant from public funds as this impacts all or most of the people in the Council’s area and as such, is outside our remit.

LGO (Local Government & … Other Categories Nov 2025

24-003-327 — Transport for London

Summary: Ms A complained about the way Transport for London has dealt with her application under its scrappage scheme. She said Transport for London has repeatedly rejected her application with no good reason. We found Transport for London at fault for the way it handled Ms A’s application. It has …

LGO (Local Government & … Transport And Highways Upheld Nov 2024

PSOW-202305989 — Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board

An Advocate complained on behalf of Mrs A regarding the care that her daughter, Ms B, received from Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (“the First Health Board”) and another health board (“the Second Health Board”) in 2022. Specifically, Mrs A complained about the manner in which the funding request …

PSOW (Public Services Om… Health Upheld Mar 2025

PSOW-202307570 — Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

An Advocate complained on behalf of Mrs A regarding the care that her daughter, Ms B, received from another health board (“the First Health Board”) and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (“the Second Health Board”) in 2022. Specifically, Mrs A complained about the Second Health Board’s communication with her …

PSOW (Public Services Om… Health Not Upheld Mar 2025

21-006-516 — City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Summary: Mr X complained the Council refused all applications for COVID-19 business support grants from January 2021 onwards causing financial difficulties. Since making his complaint to the Ombudsman, the Council has made a payment to Mr X under a later stage of the Additional Restrictions Grant. There is no evidence …

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Not Upheld Feb 2022

21-015-794 — Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse his application for a small business grant. This is because the complaint is late and there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council.

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Mar 2022

21-004-717 — Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council wrongly refused COVID-19 business grants, causing financial hardship. There was fault in the way the Council considered whether the business was a restaurant or takeaway. It also failed to consider whether the fact the business operated from a food court meant it was eligible …

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax Upheld Mar 2022

22-000-202 — Redcar & Cleveland Council

Mr X complains that the Council will not award a grant to his business. We will not investigate this complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council.

LGO (Local Government & … Benefits And Tax May 2022

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