Public Accounts Committee

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is a select committee of the UK Parliament responsible for overseeing government expenditure and ensuring value for money. It scrutinizes the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of public spending, holding government departments and agencies accountable for their financial management and service delivery. The PAC is currently newsworthy due to several recent critical reports. These include a scathing assessment of the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England regarding persistent medical negligence issues, highlighting failures to act on warnings over 24 years. The committee also criticized the Ministry of Justice's leasing of HMP Dartmoor, citing a "catastrophic" decision that will cost taxpayers over £100 million. Furthermore, the PAC is examining delays in civil service pension payments, which have left newly retired individuals struggling financially. These investigations demonstrate the PAC's ongoing role in holding government accountable and ensuring responsible use of public funds.