Power on spending

A PARLIAMENTARY Committee which examines public spending must have more power to demand action in the most serious cases of taxpayers' money being wasted, an Oldham MP has warned.

Oldham West and Royton MP Michael Meacher said the Public Accounts Committee had produced excellent reports in recent months, including the tax avoidance of multi-nationals Amazon, Starbucks, Apple and Google, the soaring costs of HS2, and criticised a five-year extension to the Sellafield nuclear decommissioning contract worth £5bn.

But it has no powers to demand action.

Mr Meacher said: "Its judgements are well reported in the media and provoke shock and anger. But then what happens? Very little, if anything.

"PAC's remit is to expose failures or breakdowns in the Government's finances, not to propose remedies or redress.

"But it should be, otherwise the PAC reports are all too often a one-day wonder, but with no follow-through.

"This is public money being wasted."

Mr Meacher wants the most serious of reports to be debated in the Commons, voted on and action taken.