Core Skills at HM Revenue & Customs: HM Revenue & Customs

HC 1595, Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Session 2010-12

Author:

National Audit Office (NAO)

Publisher:

TSO (The Stationery Office)

Price: £15.50

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'Core Skills at HM Revenue & Customs: HM Revenue & Customs (HC 1595)' reports that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will have to make sure its staff have the right skills if it is to succeed in cutting its running costs by 25% by 2014-2015 and bring in an extra £7 billion of tax revenue each year.

It is estimated that HMRC spent £96 million in 2010-11 developing the skills of its staff but judges that spending is not systematically directed on top level business priorities. Staff skills will have been a factor in the improvement of HMRC's business results, including the extra £1 billion tax generated since 2010 by enforcement and compliance activity. But currently there is not a direct evidential link between results and training and development activities.

Only 54% of HMRC staff said that they were able to access the right learning and development opportunities when they needed to and only 38% said that training had improved their performance.

Evidence from a customer survey and external stakeholders also suggests that the Department does not have all the skills it needs, but HMRC does not have a good overview of its current skills gaps. HMRC needs better data and information on gaps which would help it take a more strategic approach and gain an early warning of future skills gaps, such as the risk of skills depleting as experienced staff retire. This is of particular concern in HMRC as one in five staff in key business areas are over 55.

HMRC also lacks governance arrangements or structures to hold the organisation to account for money spent on training.

Many of the points in this report were raised previously by HMRC's own reviews but the Department has not made the changes needed.

Extent	34 pages	ISBN	9780102976991
Size	A4	Price	£15.50
Format	Paperback	Published	02 Dec 2011
Availability	Out of stock - available to order	Delivery	Delivery options and charges