Public Accounts Committee launches new inquiries including on Devolution and Benefits

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has launched a new programme of twelve inquiries covering major areas of public expenditure, public service delivery and institutional governance.   

Each inquiry is informed by work undertaken by the National Audit Office (NAO).  

Below, we look further into two of the inquiries now on the Committee’s agenda.

Devolving power in England

One of the inquiries likely to be of great interest is the Public Accounts Committee's examination of devolving power in England. The inquiry follows the publication of the National Audit Office's report Devolution in England: funding and accountability which assessed how the Government is implementing its new devolution framework as set out in the Devolution White Paper 2024 and the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026. The inquiry will scrutinise how the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is implementing the Government's enhanced devolution framework, including arrangements for funding, governance, accountability and scrutiny within Mayoral Strategic Authorities. The Committee has indicated a particular interest in how these new authorities are held to account locally and how Parliament can exercise effective oversight of increasingly devolved decision-making powers. It will also consider the operation of Integrated Settlements, through which some mayoral authorities receive multi-year funding allocations with greater discretion over how resources are spent. 

The inquiry is relevant well beyond local government. The Government's ambition is for every area of England to be covered by a Mayoral Strategic Authority, with responsibilities extending across areas such as skills, transport and planning. As decision-making and funding are devolved, schools, charities and other public bodies are likely to engage increasingly with regional and mayoral institutions as commissioners, strategic partners and sources of funding.  For organisations operating in the public and voluntary sectors, the inquiry may therefore provide important indications of how future governance structures will develop and how local and regional bodies will be expected to demonstrate transparency, value for money and effective delivery of public services. 

Department of Work and Pensions follow-up: Autumn 2026

Another inquiry likely to attract significant attention inquiry into the Department of Work and Pensions. Building on the Committee's longstanding scrutiny of the Department for Work and Pensions, the inquiry will examine issues highlighted by forthcoming National Audit Office reports on the Department's 2025–26 accounts and its approach to innovation. The Committee has already expressed concern about persistently high levels of fraud and error in benefit expenditure, underpayments of benefits, which reached £4.9 billion in 2024–25, and the quality of services received by benefit claimants. The inquiry is expected to focus on DWP's efforts to reduce fraud and error, the effectiveness of its use of new powers and technologies, the Department's organisational culture, and its vision for innovation as a means of improving service delivery. 

While the inquiry is focused on DWP, its findings are likely to be relevant to a much wider group of organisations. Many charities work closely with people who rely on welfare benefits and may be affected by any changes to claim processes, service standards or fraud-prevention measures. Public bodies and educational institutions frequently support individuals who are dependent on DWP-administered payments and services, particularly disabled people, vulnerable adults and those seeking employment. The inquiry's emphasis on service quality, accountability and the use of innovation in public administration may therefore have broader implications for organisations across the public and voluntary sectors, particularly as government increasingly seeks to improve outcomes through digital transformation while maintaining public trust and safeguarding vulnerable service users.

If you have any questions about this topic, please contact Melanie Carter, Partner and Head of Public and Regulatory Team.