The railway franchising model is broken, and passengers are paying the price
The PAC has repeatedly raised concerns about the current franchising model; it has been challenged in the courts and we see few bidders for each franchise. All clear signs that there is a problem.
Last week I spoke at a Guardian event on how we can protect the NHS from future cyberattacks, following the WannaCry attack in 2017.
The event brought together health service leaders and influencers to consider how best to protect vital NHS systems and services.
As many of you are aware, Universal Credit has rolled out in Hackney this month and replaces six other benefits with a single monthly payment. However, the introduction of Universal Credit is causing unacceptable hardship and difficulties for many people in Hackney and across the UK.
If you live in Hackney and need any advice on what Universal Credit will mean for you, visit the Hackney Council website https://www.hackney.gov.uk/universal-credit for useful advice.
Last week I asked the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) if it is prepared for Brexit.
Many businesses are not being informed on what they will need to do if we leave the EU. Defra acknowledged that it had sent out more detailed communications later than it should have.
Meg's analysis of the issues to watch across Whitehall from her perspective as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.
Chair’s foreword
This Parliamentary Session:
- The Committee has held 66 inquiries
- Published 49 reports
- Government agreed with 171 of 187 recommendations.
Welcome to my annual report.
As Chair of the Public Accounts Committee I have been conducting an investigation into the collapse of Carillion and I recently told Parliament: The system is broken.
There are not enough suppliers bidding for contracts across whole swathes of Government, and the system is skewed against smaller, specialist businesses that get work only as part of a longer supply chain.
At each stage, margins are squeezed, and too often we see poor service, sharp practice and an unnecessary cost to taxpayers.