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Auditors question government handling of Hinkley Point C nuclear power station from its Major Projects Portfolio.

New Civil Engineer 19th Oct 2018 , Auditors question government handling of Hinkley Point C. Public spending
watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) has questioned the government’s
decision to remove the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station from its Major
Projects Portfolio.
https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/auditors-question-government-handling-of-hinkley-point-c/10036371.article

NAO 19th Oct 2018 , Monitoring of the UK’s biggest and riskiest projects has improved, but
the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (the Authority) and government
departments need to do more to increase transparency about what benefits
are delivered to ensure taxpayers secure maximum value, according to
today’s report by the National Audit Office (NAO).

In 2016 the Authority introduced a process for deciding when projects should leave the Portfolio,
addressing concerns raised by the NAO and the Committee of Public Accounts
in 20163. Although it has increased transparency about whether projects
have delivered their objectives, this is not happening consistently,
meaning the government can’t be sure projects are leaving when they
should.

The NAO has raised concerns about whether accountability is diluted
at the point at which projects leave the Portfolio. For example, some
projects delivered by a third party and which have a limited departmental
role have been removed from the Portfolio before they have completed, such
as the project to enable investment in the Hinkley Point C nuclear power
station, which left when the department responsible identified investors
and signed a construction contract.

Yet, the department remains the project sponsor, responsible for continuing oversight of the developer and has
risks to manage. The NAO recommends that the Authority and HM Treasury
require all projects to have a business case which is kept up to date to
reflect any changes to a project’s scope, and work together to deliver
intended benefits, keep costs within budget and select the right projects
for future funding. Government departments should also manage the delivery
of major projects until it is clear what benefits they have achieved and
publish evaluations on projects when they complete to help departments
learn lessons.   https://www.nao.org.uk/press-release/projects-leaving-the-government-major-projects-portfo

October 20, 2018 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized