Public Accounts Committee

The Public Accounts Committee has become one of the most valuable tools available for holding people to account, whether they be Government departments or private companies.

My work on the PAC as a result aimed to be an ongoing campaign for competence and value for money throughout. Even the highest figures in the country have not been above scrutiny, as can be seen in my work on the tax arrangements of both the Queen and the Duchy of Cornwall.

During my time on the PAC, I was able to take on the people responsible for massive wastes of taxpayers’ money and those not doing their bit. In recent years I’ve taken the likes of Amazon, Google and Starbucks to task for their meagre Corporation Tax payments; and I’ve prompted security companies G4S and Serco apologise for their handling of electronic tagging of prisoners, resulting in millions of pounds of overcharge to the taxpayer.

Here you’ll be able to browse just some of the PAC’s findings.

UK Government’s ‘dysfunctional’ handling of foreign offenders leaves MPs ‘dismayed’(January 20, 2015)

Welsh MPs cast doubt on HS2 delivering value for money to the country’s taxpayers (January 16, 2015)

More than £1bn is lost due to fraud and error in the housing benefit system, MPs warn(January 13, 2015)

Government links to private contractors criticised in hard-hitting research by a Welsh MP(December 10, 2014)

Action against tax-dodgers is too slow and HMRC and has not done enough to bring big companies into line, warn MPs (November 18, 2014)

Home Office blasted by Welsh MPs for asylum backlog and ‘gob-smackingly awful’ IT record (October 28, 2014)

Government blasted for awarding energy contracts worth up to £16.6bn without ensuring customers get value for money (October 3, 2014)

Customers will have to stump up the cash for installing 53m smart meters, MPs warn (September 10, 2014)

Scathing report on changes to the UK Army flags up fears of capability gaps and longer deployments for regular soldiers (September 5, 2014)

Whistleblowers are ‘shockingly’ treated but have an important role to play in protecting the public, say MPs (August 1, 2014)

£22bn: It’s enough to fund 1,500 new schools but that’s the amount the UK Government’s ‘owed in unpaid fines, taxes and debt (July 15, 2014)

Welsh MPs raise strong concerns about changes to disability support (June 19, 2014)

UK Government has not proved that its mortgage guarantee scheme is value for money, MPs warn (June 17,2014)

Plans to cut the number of full-time soldiers but boost reservists are criticised by spending watchdog (June 11, 2014)

Lasting peace in Afghanistan requires reconciliation with the Taliban, MPs warn  (May 13, 2014)

Wrexham super-prison must not repeat ‘poor’ performance of large English institutions (April 25, 2014)

MPs condemn BBC’s ‘catastrophic failure’ of multi-million pound Digital Media Initiative  (April 10, 2014)

Public Accounts Committee demands better oversight of Government contractors and more opportunities for small businesses (March 14, 2014)

Sellafield legacy costs could hit £70bn, Welsh MPs warn (February 11, 2014)

Public accounts committee says Charity Commission is ‘not fit for purpose’ and fails to regulate charities effectively (February 5, 2014)

MPs condemn the use of ‘gagging’ clauses to cover-up serious failure in the public sector (January 24, 2014)

MPs launch scathing report on the write-off of millions of pounds’ worth of pandemic flu drug (January 3, 2014)

HMRC is failing to stand up for taxpayer and is failing to prosecute global giants while chasing small businesses, MPs warn (December 19, 2013)

Billions of pounds of taxpayers’ cash lost through fraud and error (December 12, 2013)

MPs deliver damning benefit reform verdict (November 7, 2013)

Prince of Wales Duchy cash ‘needs closer scrutiny’ (November 5, 2013)

UK tobacco manufacturers may be fuelling black market claims cross party report (October 10, 2013)

Taxpayers’ money ‘down the drain’ in aircraft carrier fiasco (September 3, 2013)

Treasury under attack as MPs slam Equitable Life scheme (July 26, 2013)

Billions lost in tax credit blunders, scathing report by MPs finds (May 22, 2013)

MPs: Government could be fighting un-winnable tax avoidance battle (April 26, 2013)

Charities should gain share of cash from Olympics, say MPs (April 19, 2013)

Bedroom tax will cost more than it saves, suggests MPs’ report (March 26, 2013)

Government ‘does not understand impact of its own spending cuts’ (March 8, 2013)

Flagship Work Programme for unemployed provides ‘poor’ service – MPs (February 22, 2013)

Milllionaire tax avoiders ‘running rings’ around Government – MPs (February 19, 2013)

MPs call for tighter rules on use of Government credit cards (June 1, 2012)

‘Forces are not getting modern kit’ (December 9, 2011)

UK aircraft carrier plans blasted by Parliamentary inquiry (November 29, 2011)