Implementing Public Accounts Committee Recommendations: Evidence from the UK Government's 'Progress Reports' since 2012

Abstract

The Public Accounts Committee is the oldest and, reputedly, most influential oversight committee in the British parliament. Since 2012, the government has published an unprecedented volume of data explaining its actions in response to the PAC's inquiries. By tracking all 615 of the Committee's recommendations from 2010 to 2012 across the first 14 of these 'progress reports', we explore how effectively this novel reporting mechanism serves to inform parliament about the executive's responsiveness to scrutiny. We find the reports to yield rich data on the fate of many individual recommendations, but only limited information on the overall timeliness and quality of implementation. Flexibilities and inconsistencies in reporting style also make the arrangements vulnerable to gaming. We identify potential improvements and research opportunities.