Category: Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ
Date: 13.07.2004
Printable version
The Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ laid
before Parliament today the first of the external value for money reviews
commissioned by the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Governors' Audit Committee.
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The National Audit Office (NAO) review of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's
investment in Freeview – presented to the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's Audit Committee
in May – concluded that "the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ had clear and sound reasons
for investing in Freeview and that the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ contributed significantly
to the quick and successful launch" in October 2002.
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The review is part of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's wider programme of value
for money studies which will include the Governors commissioning work
by a range of external bodies, in addition to the NAO.
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Dame Pauline Neville-Jones, Chairman of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's Audit
Committee, said: "Ensuring the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ invests
licence fee funds in the public interest is a primary responsibility
of the Board which we as Governors take very seriously.
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"Having undertaken a thorough review of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's
investment in Freeview, the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ welcomes the NAO's conclusions and its
recognition of the progress made in driving digital take-up via DTT
with the provision of a free-to-view service."
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Sir John Bourn, the head of the NAO, said: "I am
pleased to have presented the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Governors with the first value for
money review carried out under the new arrangements introduced in 2003.
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"Freeview has been marked by a swift and successful
launch and very rapid take-up.
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"I welcome the steps being taken by the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ to
address customer confusion about the service among analogue audiences
and to make its digital services more readily available to those viewers
who live outside the Freeview coverage area."
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The Governors and the head of the NAO have agreed a
programme of six reviews by the NAO until the end of the current Charter.
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Notes to Editors
• Freeview is a free digital terrestrial television service launched
on 30 October 2002. It offers up to 30 digital channels (including television,
interactivity and text) plus over 20 digital radio stations.
• The NAO Review of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's investment in Freeview, together
with the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's response, can be viewed online at:
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• In the context of the Communications Act 2003,
the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ and the Government agreed a development in the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Governors'
oversight of value for money to improve scrutiny of licence fee expenditure.
• This is enshrined in the
• A key component of the programme is the appointment of external
agencies – by the Governors' Audit Committee – to review an
agreed investment project or topic.
• All studies performed by external agencies, including the NAO,
will be reported to the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Governors and subsequently laid before Parliament
by the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ together with any Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ response to that report.
• The programme builds on the existing value for money assessments
performed by the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's Internal Audit and divisional management.
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• The programme of reviews by the NAO until the
end of the current Charter in 2006 agreed by the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's Audit Committee
and the NAO's Comptroller & Auditor General are:
o Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's investment in Freeview
o Measures of public service broadcasting
o Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Property: The White City project
o Overhead definitions
o Risk management processes
o Outsourcing arrangements
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