On Thursday (11 October) the House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee launched an inquiry on the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio.
The portfolio currently has 133 projects with a value of £423 billion. This includes high profile infrastructure projects such as Crossrail, HS2 and Hinkley Point but also major Government ICT projects, projects to transform public services, and major defence procurement programmes.
Individual Government departments manage numerous capital projects outside the major Projects Portfolio. The management of such projects has been criticised, with lack of accountability, poor early planning and limited Government capability amongst the concerns raised by the National Audit Office.
The Public Administration Committee is holding an inquiry into how well such projects are managed by Government. It will consider whether such criticisms are justified, what steps have been taken to address them, and where more needs to be done.
CECA has long campaigned to address the lack of a long-term strategy to ensure the UK’s infrastructure truly meets the expectations of business and the general public. If you are a CECA member and would like to input your views on this inquiry, please contact CECA Director of External Affairs Marie-Claude Hemming.