Government in poor value for money shocker!

Government in poor value for money shocker!  This time, however, it is a "master class in bungling"! Edward Leigh MP, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), has described the Single Farm Payment Scheme, introduced two years ago, aimed to pay farmers for their stewardship of the land rather than the number of animals they reared for meat as such.  In all the scheme has cost the taxpayer £400m all caused by "a master class in bad decision-making, poor planning, incomplete testing of IT controls, confused lines of responsibility, scant objective management information and a failure by the management team to face up to the unfolding crisis”, according Mr Mr Leigh.  IT problems, bad management, poor communication within a government department - who would have thought..?

What makes this PAC report slightly unusual is that they have actually figured someone for responsibility.  Step forward Sir Brian Bender, former permanent secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.  This is the second time this year Sir Bender has been exposed as wee bit incompetent.  He was criticised earlier this year in a similarly damning report into the very same issue by MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.  This does go further than an individual however.  Why was this scheme introduced in the first place - particularly at a time when redundancies meant it was never going to be administered correctly anyway?  But why do farmers need subsidies?  If the demand in the market isn't there, why create a false market?

In true government hindsight, the PAC suggests that the Government should have introduced a trial system for the first year of the reform.  Why do the government always steam ahead with these stupid ideas when they have no idea whether they are going to work and why is it always too late when the NAO or PAC or whoever else tell everyone that there has been a balls up?