RAF Nimrod XV230 loss 'a failure of leadership, culture and priorities'
On 02 September 2006, RAF Nimrod XV230 was on a routine mission in southern Afghanistan when she suffered a catastrophic mid-air fire, leading to the total loss of the aircraft and the death of the 12 crew and two mission specialists on board. An RAF Board of Inquiry (2007) concluded that the loss was caused by a fuel escape and its ignition by contact with an exposed element of the Cross-Feed/Supplementary Cooling Pack (SCP) duct.
Growth in the UK merchant shipping assessed
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (the Agency) of the Department for Transport is responsible for regulating and monitoring the safety of the United Kingdom's merchant shipping fleet, for maintaining registers of UK vessels and promotes the benefits of operating under the UK flag to the international shipping industry.
Older people tax payment errors examined
In this report, 'Dealing with the Tax Obligations of Older People: HM Revenue and Customs (HC 961)', the NAO finds that a significant number of older people pay too much or too little tax. Errors occur because many people's tax affairs become more complicated when they reach pension age and HMRC's systems do not cope well with their multiple sources of income.
Road safety for pedestrians and cyclists examined
In this report, 'Improving Road Safety for Pedestrians and Cyclists in Great Britain (HC 665)', the Public Accounts Committee finds that Great Britain is one of the safest countries in the world in terms of road deaths and the Department for Transport (the Department) is on track to achieve its overall road safety targets for 2010. It is unacceptable though that when compared internationally, Great Britain's record on pedestrian and particularly child pedestrian deaths per head of population is some way behind the best.
Central government could improve cash management
This National Audit Office (NAO) report, 'Government Cash Management (HC 546)', finds that central government could improve its day to day cash management and reduce the amount of interest it pays on debt if its departments and their sponsored bodies held less money in commercial bank accounts and improved the accuracy of their cash flow forecasting.
Service families accommodation investment and targets considered
'Service Families Accommodation (HC 531)' reports that The Ministry of Defence (the Department) has around 50,000 properties in the UK, providing accommodation for 42,000 Service personnel and their families. It manages 20,000 Service family moves each year. Around half of Service families surveyed by the National Audit Office considered the condition of their property was good, but a third said it was poor. Around 90 per cent of the Department's housing stock is within the top two of its four condition standards, which meet or exceed the Government's Decent Homes Standard.