Speeches by Olney.

“Finally, Mr Bowler, will the target of 70% of accounts being laid before the summer recess be met this year?”

“Presumably that activity is taking place now for the accounts that you will produce next year. You are still doing some of the activity that relates to last year. Are you not finding that there is a—”

“Hopeful?”

“We know.”

“Mr Duffy, can you talk about the steps the Environment Agency are taking to bring forward the publication of their accounts?”

“I understand that. Andrew Cartner I was just trying to demonstrate that we have other processes in place. Last July, the Treasury set all Departments’ and all bodies’ multi-year spending review up to ’28/29. For three years, Departments have those budgets set, and then have their own internal planning rounds, budget-se…”

“You think.”

“So internally, you will already know the issue that a set of accounts might point to, but what about your external stakeholders? Will their understanding of the operation of the Department not be delayed?”

“Don’t worry; I will speed up. Mr Cartner, can you give us a bit more detail about the knock-on impact of Departments publishing their accounts late or getting late audits on Government operations as a whole?”

“Mr Bowler, can you give us examples of where the various measures that Mr Cartner outlined have been successful in bringing accounts to a more timely conclusion?”

“Charlotte, I want to ask quickly about the revised governance arrangements. The Sponsor Body has been abolished, and now you have the Programme Board and the Client Board. Has that been effective in improving decision making?”

“Mr MacMillan, can you just say how developed the plans for the phase 1 work are? And just to clarify things, is the extra £196 million—as set out in paragraph 211—the cost of running phase 1, which would support either of the two options, as opposed to running phase 1 when one option has already been decided?”

“Yes.”

“Can you give us a bit more detail about what the Treasury and the Government Finance Function are doing to support those bodies that are routinely late, or late several years in a row?”

“What are the reasons for the delays? I am thinking of some of those that have been delayed recently. What specifically is holding those up? Is it lack of resource, or is it something else?”

“On the table as you embark on phase 1—thank you. Mr MacMillan, back to my question: how well developed are the plans for phase 1?”

“What controls will you put in place to ensure that you stick to that £3 billion spending cap?”

“Mr MacMillan, there is still more detail to be worked through in terms of developing the phase 1 plan. Do you remain confident that the £3 billion budget will be met as that work is developed?”

“And you are confident that your cost and schedule estimates are robust, even without that further detail required?”

“There is a bigger impact.”