Helping the nation spend wisely

May 18 2007 By Andrew Jackson, The Journal

Paying tax might be a fact of life, but who actually makes sure the Government is held to account for the money it spends?

As the Parliamentary watchdog, the National Audit Office plays a crucial role in making sure that money spent on public services in the United Kingdom is spent wisely.

And, in turn, money spent on the running of the NAO is good value.

For years the NAO has saved the taxpayer £8 for every £1 it costs to run.

Recently this target was increased to save £9 to the taxpayer for every £1 spent on running the office.

As well as examining Government department accounts, the NAO carries out studies looking at the value for money on a range of topics from the Olympic Games to NHS consultants.

But the process of monitoring Government spending doesn't stop there. Once reports are produced, Parliament's all-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC) holds a hearing and invites evidence from senior Government officials and other expert witnesses on the issues.

The Government formally responds to the report the PAC produces and accepts almost all its recommendations. The end results are saved money and improved public services.

The opening of a new office in Newcastle is an important milestone in the history of the NAO. This is the first time that the NAO will have such a substantial presence in England outside London. Although there has long been a team based in Newcastle, the decision has now been made to base around 90 people in the city - representing around a 10th of the NAO's total staff and a sixth of our mainstream audit staff.

The office works in parallel with the London office and as such carries out the full range of audit functions.

Staff working in Newcastle, therefore, have opportunities to work on financial audit and investigative studies covering a wide range of policy across Government departments and other bodies.

The work of the Newcastle office is extremely varied and includes work on health, work and pensions, communities and local government, HM Revenue and Customs and the national insurance funds.

Staff have also recently worked on studies looking at retaining students in higher education, housing market renewal in the North of England and tackling benefit fraud.

A strong local presence in Newcastle will enable the NAO to carry out the audit of public sector bodies in a more customer-focused way.

While some staff have transferred to the Newcastle office from our London team, the majority of staff will be recruited locally. We are pleased that the office is accredited to provide training for entry to the prestigious Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) qualification and plans to recruit 10 graduates in Newcastle each year.

We welcome all applicants from across the community who are looking for a fulfilling career and who want to help in holding the Government to account for the money it spends - a crucial and rewarding job. Chris Harrop, a recent recruit into our Value for Money specialism, says: "Working at the NAO gives you the opportunity to make a real difference improving our most vital public services.

"It's an exciting and rewarding role, where no two days are ever the same.

"More details about our graduate and experienced staff recruitment can be found on our website at www.nao.org.uk"

And, of course, while paying tax might be par for the course for all of us, Newcastle is now set to help the Government get the biggest bang for your buck, making the money go as far as possible.

Andrew Jackson is audit manager at the National Audit Office.