National Audit Office (NAO)

The National Audit Office (NAO) is the UK's independent public spending watchdog. It supports Parliament in holding government to account by auditing departments, agencies, and other public bodies, reporting on the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of public spending. The NAO is in the news currently due to its investigations into several key areas of government expenditure and policy. Recent reports include scrutiny of an HMRC anti-fraud scheme that wrongly cut child benefits, raising concerns about flawed data usage. The NAO is also examining the escalating costs of keeping British Steel's Scunthorpe plant operational, projecting potential taxpayer expenditure exceeding £1.5 billion. Additionally, the NAO has found that GPs are failing to adequately support older people living with frailty, highlighting shortcomings in healthcare provision. These investigations demonstrate the NAO's ongoing role in ensuring government accountability and value for money across diverse sectors.