NAO report says Whitehall needs to get grip on what work needs doing
The National Audit Office has estimated that the government鈥檚 maintenance backlog is at least 拢49bn with the figure likely to be higher.
In a report out today, the government鈥檚 spending watching said Ministry of Defence properties, schools and NHS properties have a backlog totalling more than 拢10 billion each and make up 88% of the total backlog.
Sites including prisons, job and assessment centres, courts, and museums and galleries have backlogs less than 拢2 billion each and make up the remaining 12%.
It said the Office of Government Property believed the true cost to be higher because the government鈥檚 data on the condition of its properties is incomplete and out of date.
It added: 鈥淧oor property condition can also negatively affect civil service productivity, staff retention and the government鈥檚 ability to meet environmental targets.鈥�
The report said there were a range of reasons for the backlog 鈥� from the cost of work increasing to several buildings requiring replacement at the same time and historic underinvestment.
The NAO said the government needed to come up with 鈥渁 standardised definition of the maintenance backlog, so the true figure across government can be calculated鈥�.
It added: 鈥淒epartments [need to] produce long-term property plans, setting out capital needs and a plan to reduce their backlog.鈥�
NAO head Gareth Davies said: 鈥淎llowing large maintenance backlogs to build up at the buildings used to deliver essential public services is a false economy. Government needs better data on the condition of its operational assets and should use it to plan efficient maintenance programmes to deliver better services and value for money.鈥�
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