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Questions over Jeffrey's budget
14th December 2010 at 20:35:00 by Civil Service World
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The public accounts committee has said the Treasury and Cabinet Office should “reiterate to Accounting Officers” the importance of obtaining ministerial directions for policies which appear unaffordable.
In a report on financial and estate management at the Ministry of Defence, the committee says former permanent secretary Sir Bill Jeffrey did not seek a ministerial direction on the purchase of two aircraft carriers because he believed “the concerns about affordability in themselves did not warrant a formal direction”. It says there should be “no doubt that ministerial directions should be sought when projects which would make the overall programme unaffordable are approved”.