Public Accounts Committee

CommonsSelectest. 01 Nov 1978Email ↗● Actively Monitored
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Sessions analysed95
Commitments404
Positions277
Recommendations186

Latest Signals

16 Jul 2026Integrated air and missile defence is a priorityMinistry of DefencePosition
“[Q24] [Speaker: Chair] How much of a priority are interceptors in this plan? If we really get into serious warfare, they will be critically important. [Speaker: Air Marshal Jones] There is new money in the plan that is specific to a better knitting together of the capabilities that we currently have to deal with, you might say, integrated air and missile defence. What we found when we studied this was that we have a lot of very good equipment, but that equipment can be rendered ineffective if it is not knitted together with a really effective sense, warn, command and control system. The initial money that we are focusing on is addressing that.”
16 Jul 2026Nuclear recapitalisation is driving budget growthMinistry of DefencePosition
16 Jul 2026MOD says four-year funding is enough to start SDR deliveryMinistry of DefencePosition
16 Jul 2026New procurement pathways are already speeding up buyingMinistry of DefencePosition
16 Jul 2026MOD says it is routinely under-resourcedMinistry of DefenceConcern
16 Jul 2026Committee worries future funding lacks detail and certaintyMinistry of DefenceConcern
16 Jul 2026MOD wants flexibility over 10-year equipment planMinistry of DefencePosition
16 Jul 2026MOD says surface fleet transition is plannedMinistry of DefencePosition

Recent Sessions

View all (95)
16 Jul 2026Defence Investment Plan: affordability and delivery
4 commit6 pos2 concern3 rec
13 Jul 2026Crown Estate and royal leases: value and governance
4 commit2 pos2 concern3 rec1 disag1 leg
09 Jul 2026Parliament R&R: costs, governance and temporary accommodation
2 commit2 pos5 concern2 rec
08 Jul 2026Civil service pensions: Capita service failure
5 commit4 concern3 rec2 leg
06 Jul 2026COVID counter-fraud: recovery, data and procurement
6 commit3 pos6 concern3 rec2 disag1 leg
02 Jul 2026British Council finances, loan restructuring and soft power
4 commit2 pos3 concern1 leg

Recent Commitments

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Recent Recommendations

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Frequent Witnesses

HM Treasury16× · 74 insights
Cabinet Office11× · 55 insights
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government10× · 49 insights
Ministry of Defence8× · 70 insights
NHS England8× · 60 insights
Department of Health and Social Care8× · 33 insights

About this committee

Established under the Liaison Committee, the Public Accounts Committee examines public spending and financial management across government departments and public bodies in the House of Commons. The Committee operates as a select committee, taking oral evidence from accounting officers, ministers, and external witnesses to scrutinise the accounts laid before Parliament and the economy and efficiency of public expenditure. Its inquiries probe both systemic issues in how government manages resources and specific departmental performance. Recent work has focused on governance failings in mega-projects, scrutinising civil-service pension administration at Capita following historical mismanagement, and examining financial resilience across the museum sector at a time of constrained public funding. The Committee has also investigated counter-fraud measures in defence procurement at the Ministry of Defence and reviewed governance and procurement decisions in the Bank of England's RTGS Renewal programme, alongside oversight of government action on employment support and regulatory reform initiatives.