Departments lose £5.1bn in just one year
GOVERNMENT departments lost a total of £5.1bn in one year through avoidable errors, the Taxpayers’ Alliance has said today.
The loss amounts to over five per cent of the UK’s projected budget deficit for this year.
The majority was down to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) which made losses of £3.07bn. In the 12 months to April 2014, the MOD spent £6m on ear plugs found not to be fit for purpose as well as £4m on inventory for Sea King helicopters no longer in use.
The figures are taken from last year’s accounts of each government department. After the MOD, the largest losses were incurred by the Department of Health (DOH) which lost £761m. The DOH was followed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) which lost £569m.
In one case the DWP lost £27m after the cancellation of its My Benefits Online programme.
“It is clear there remains far too much waste in the system. With an ever-growing debt burden, we must make government more efficient and ensure taxpayers are getting real value for money,” said Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance.