The Public Accounts Committee is a select committee of the British House of Commons responsible for overseeing government expenditure to ensure it is effective and honest.
The committee serves as a crucial mechanism for transparency and accountability in government financial operations. Professor the Lord Hennessy described it as “the queen of the select committees” whose very existence exerts “a cleansing effect in all government departments”. Through its scrutiny of public spending across all areas of government, the committee examines whether taxpayer money delivers value and whether departments operate with appropriate financial controls. Its remit spans the entire spectrum of state expenditure, from defence procurement to climate adaptation programmes, making it one of Parliament’s most influential oversight bodies.
The committee features in Field Notes: The Climate Change Committee warns 92% of UK homes will overheat by 2050, which examines governmental preparedness for rising temperatures.
