All articles written by Meg Hillier MP on PoliticsHome.com

18 Apr Education

The winner of the next election must deal with the costs of botched and delayed projects

For the past twelve years I have questioned senior civil servants directly accountable to Parliament for spending taxpayers’ money. Much of that time has been examining projects gone awry and vast sums of taxpayers’ money wasted.

28 Mar Parliament

"Short-Term" Spending Leaves Next Government Facing "Critical" Challenges

A new report from the influential Public Accounts Committee of cross-party MPs has criticised the government for "short-termism" in policy making – highlighting a number areas in public spending the next government will have to grapple with.

14 Mar Foreign affairs

Tanks on the lawn: Labour's plans for the Ministry of Defence

What are Labour’s plans for the Ministry of Defence? Sienna Rodgers reviews the problems that may await John Healey as defence secretary

21 Feb Technology

New Online Safety Laws Could Take "Years" To Show True Benefits

The government, Labour, and an influential committee of MPs have warned that it could take years for the public to feel the benefit of the Online Safety Act, and said it will be “critical” for the new regulations to continue to be reviewed.

27 Oct 2022 Communities

Training and encouragement play their part in getting women into politics, but role models are important too

December 2019 was a record-breaking month in Parliament – the general election had seen the highest number of women ever elected to Parliament.

But that milestone, while important, was 220 – only around a third of all MPs elected. Since then the number has risen to 225. So, while a success it’s still short of where it should be

27 Sep 2022 Coronavirus

A lack of transparency has left taxpayers in the dark over Covid contracts

The Covid-19 pandemic required emergency action.

20 Jul 2022 Health

Failure To Resolve PPE Supplier Disputes May Cost Taxpayers £2.7bn, Warn MPs

A cross-party committee of MPs has warned a failure to resolve disputes with suppliers of poor-quality PPE could cost the taxpayer £2.7bn.

15 Dec 2021 Economy

Pensioners have been short-changed by more than £1bn. DWP must provide urgent redress to those affected

Thousands of pensioners, mainly women whose pension is affected by or calculated on the basis of their husbands’ pensions, have been losing out on state pension benefits, leaving some owed considerable sums of money.

22 Oct 2021 Economy

As we look back on the PAC’s remarkable history, the need for transparency and accountability has never been greater

This year marks the 160th anniversary since William Gladstone established the Public Accounts Committee, more than a century before the present system of committees was established in 1979. The remit of the committee in 1861 was to examine the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of government spending of taxpayers’ money. While its role has not changed, it is uncertain whether Gladstone could have imagined the scale of the role today.

01 Oct 2021 Coronavirus

Lessons of the Covid procurement process

At the outset of the Covid pandemic, government was granted extraordinary powers by parliament and made extensive use of emergency procurement regulations to award contracts for goods and services without tender. But the need to act fast did not give government licence to act fast and loose.

27 Jul 2021 Home affairs

Windrush victims are being failed again by flawed compensation scheme

Not only was the Windrush compensation scheme complex and difficult for claimants but the Home Office did not provide the necessary resources to manage it.

28 May 2021 Economy

Shining a light on public spending is more important than ever

The long recovery from Covid-19 will require more strategic decisions, and it remains to be seen if Whitehall is up to the challenge.

23 Jul 2020 Coronavirus

Coronavirus: MPs shocked at ‘astonishing failure’ to plan for economic impact of a pandemic

MPs have lashed out at the Government over what they deem to be an “astonishing” failure to come up with an economic plan to deal with a pandemic.

20 Jul 2020 Economy

Government has ‘scant idea’ whether £117bn a-year-tax reliefs are just ‘freebies’, MPs warn

Ministers do not know whether tax reliefs that cost the public purse £117 billion a year have the effect they are supposed to or are just “freebies”, MPs have said.

08 Jul 2020 Coronavirus

Ministers ‘messed up royally’ over PPE as MPs demand plan to protect NHS workers from potential coronavirus second wave

Ministers have been put on notice to solve problems with personal protective equipment (PPE) ahead of a feared second spike in cases of Covid-19.

30 Jun 2020 Social affairs

We must halt the erosion of specialist Black and minority ethnic domestic abuse support services

Abuse is not one size fits all, and support shouldn't be either. The Government must recognise that specialist ‘by and for’ services provide Black and minority ethnic women with a lifeline

03 Jun 2020 Coronavirus

On Brexit and coronavirus the public need clarity, not mixed messaging

The public could be left confused if the Government is unable to handle simultaneous information campaigns on Covid-19 and Brexit

03 Jun 2020 Coronavirus

Public will be left confused by simultaneous Covid-19 and Brexit messaging, say MPs

A cross-party group of MPs has warned that the public could be left confused if the Government is unable to handle simultaneous Covid-19 and Brexit messages.

20 May 2020 Coronavirus

On HS2, there has been a failure to manage costs and a complete lack of transparency

No responsible government should be willing to see such huge cost escalations and so little accountability.

24 Jan 2020 Home affairs

The Public Accounts Committee wants government to learn from its mistakes

The input of cross-party MPs is crucial to the success of the PAC, and would be a hallmark of my tenure, writes Meg Hillier MP

14 Oct 2019 Political parties

My focus is on repairing Parliament’s external reputation and its internal processes

Ahead of The House magazine's Speaker Hustings, Meg Hillier MP says she will accentuate the role of Parliament as the chief means of scrutinising the government

21 Sep 2019 Economy

To avoid the pitfalls of botched Tory policymaking we must be rigorous in our implementation and delivery

Our country needs bold ideas and brilliant execution – let us harness the energy of party conference into delivery, writes Meg Hillier MP

20 Sep 2019

As Speaker, I will restore the many years of eroded trust in Parliament

Meg Hillier MP praises Speaker John Bercow for making Parliament "more welcoming and accessible", but writes as his successor, she would restore the broken trust and challenge the bullying behaviour in Parliament.

23 Sep 2018 Economy

The citizen bears the brunt of Whitehall failures

Transparency, openness and greater clarity over costs – that’s what the Public Accounts Committee will continue to demand from government, writes chair Meg Hillier

04 Jun 2018 Environment

Defra faces a huge challenge to get ready for Brexit

From its IT systems to new border checks, Defra must be prepared for EU exit day – or we risk logjams at Britain’s ports and disruption to the agri-food and chemical industries, warns PAC chair Meg Hillier

14 Mar 2017 Health

Government's £2bn boost to social care doesn't address the scale of the problem

Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, says that the Government throws 'pots of money' at sectors of the NHS without providing a long-term funding solution.