Major Coalition projects like aircraft carriers, welfare reforms and broadband roll-out questioned by official Whitehall report

A Whitehall audit released last night discloses that officials have warned that billions of pounds of public money is in jeopardy because of the poorly-managed reforms.

The publication of the report from the Major Projects Authority - on the eve of a Bank Holiday weekend when MPs have started a long holiday - sparked accusations of “burying bad news” as the audit paints a damning picture of the Coalition’s competency.

The Major Projects Authority was founded in 2010 with a mandate from David Cameron to turn around the Civil Service’s record of delivering projects.

Its report uses by a traffic light system to rate the risk of delivery of every one of the Coalition’s 191 spending projects, which are so large that they provide Treasury approval Of the 191 schemes, 32 are defined as either “red” or “amber/red”. which means that they are unachievable or in doubt.

A red classification also means that the “project may need re-scoping and/or its overall viability reassessed”. Amber/red means that “successful delivery of the project is in doubt, with major risks or issues apparent in a number of key areas.

Urgent action is needed to ensure these are addressed, and whether resolution is feasible”.

Red projects include the two Ministry of Defence's new £7billion aircraft carriers, the £5billion West Coast Mainline scheme and a shared services project at Ministry of Justice. Amber/red schemes include many of Iain Duncan Smith’s welfare reforms, which are worth billions, including the Universal Credit scheme and reforms to the Disability Living Allowance, child maintenance and benefit cap. 

“In these straitened times taxpayers simply can’t afford this lack of control and the extra money that will be wasted as a result of that.

One is left wondering this why this important information was put out one hour before everyone went home for the bank holiday?”

A source close to Ed Miliband said: “David Cameron promised change but instead we are seeing collapse. He has failed to cut the deficit and this report shows he is failing to deliver major projects he promised the country. 

“Slipping out the news at just before 5pm on a Bank Holiday weekend is a shoddy attempt at burying bad news. It will not work.