Response to the Guardian on government accountability
Responding to former Director of Communications at the Audit Commission, David Walker’s article in the Guardian online, Monday 12 September,…
Responding to former Director of Communications at the Audit Commission, David Walker’s article in the Guardian online, Monday 12 September, Sir Bob Kerslake said:
Mr Walker seems to have misunderstood the purpose of my report into Government accountability, which was never intended to provide the detailed proposals for the accountability of hospitals and schools that will be covered in separate accountability system statements for those areas.
Rather my report aims to bring greater transparency to the responsibility of permanent secretaries for how their departments use public money in light of the continuing decentralisation of public services.
Jessica Crowe of the Centre for Public Scrutiny, the National Audit Office and a wide range of experts in this field have been consulted by my reporting team, and the final draft will only be published following consideration by the Public Accounts Committee.
I have also recommended that Government departments should publish full details of the systems they have in place to ensure that local public services deliver value for money. This will bring to light, for the first time, how departments make sure taxpayers’ money is used effectively.
This all builds on the recent Open Services White Paper which stressed strengthened accountability to local communities and taxpayers as a core Government principle.