Audit Scotland supports the improvement of public services by looking at how public money is spent, and whether policies are achieving desired outcomes for individuals and bodies. We carry out extensive work on Scotland’s health and social care services, which face challenges from reducing budgets, increasing demand, and an ageing population.
The Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) are making good progress in widening access to high-speed broadband, but extending coverage to rural areas remains a challenge.
Our report on Maintaining Scotland's roads: a follow-up report was published in August 2016. This interactive graphic illustrates the condition and state of trunk and local roads in Scotland.
Urgent action is needed if the condition of Scotland's roads is to improve.
A new report published today says proper maintenance of the roads network is vital for economic prosperity and for people to get around safely.
Scotland’s enterprise agencies are performing well and having a positive impact on businesses and communities but the Scottish Government needs to do more to link their work to its economic strategy and to set out in detail how that strategy will be achieved.
Scotland's economy is worth around £142 billion. A new report by Audit Scotland reviews the work of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, which have a specific remit to support economic growth, and how they aid delivery of the Scottish Government's economic strategy.
Scotland's higher education sector is financially healthy but faces future challenges, and tough choices are likely to lie ahead if public funding is to deliver government policy ambitions.
In its first major review of higher education, Audit Scotland reports that the sector is successful and internationally renowned. However, it faces significant challenges from increasing costs, potential further reductions in Scottish Government funding, and risks to universities' ability to continue increasing income from other sources.
Audit Scotland is inviting feedback on its revised funding and fee setting arrangements. Stakeholder feedback is an important part of the review process and we therefore welcome your views on the questions in the consultation paper or any other aspect of our fee setting arrangements.
Responses should be with us by 8 August 2016 and full details can be found below:
The security and transparency of Scotland’s public finances have been strengthened after a national data-sharing exercise found nearly £17million of fraud and error across services.
More than 100 public bodies participated in the latest National Fraud Initiative (NFI), a counter-fraud exercise that is coordinated by Audit Scotland every two years. The initiative matches electronic data within and between bodies to detect and prevent fraud and error.
Major improvements have been made at South Ayrshire Council over the last two years, says the Accounts Commission.
A new report published today charts how the council has responded to a critical audit in February 2014 when the Commission voiced concerns about significant weaknesses in the management of the council which limited its ability to meet its statutory Best Value duty to deliver continuous improvement. Some progress had been made by December 2014 but it was too early to judge its impact.
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