Summary Financial Information
Key Financial Outturn
The key financial outturns for 2020/21 are shown below:
Table 9
| Resources | 2020/21 Estimate £‘000 | 2020/21 Outturn £‘000 | Variance £‘000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Departmental Expenditure Limit – Resource | 501,381 | 458,851 | 42,530 |
The Authority has utilised 92 per cent of its Resource funds throughout the year in progressing its strategic and operational objectives. The above figures include both ring-fenced and non-ring- fenced resources. The Authority utilised 71 per cent of its non-ring fenced funding (Depreciation and Amortisation).
The under expenditure during the period relates primarily to a net underutilisation of the Census Data Collection Transformation Programme budget. This Programme remains on track to deliver against its objectives and as such the under expenditure is seen as a positive. The largest expenditure items remain staff costs and information technology. This is consistent with our business plan projections and our continuing Census activities.
The split between Census and Other Business Activities is provided in chapter four, note four on page 139. Census cost forecasts are assumptions based with variations managed through contingency budgets. Our longer term aim across core business activities is to continue to reduce expenditure in line with future cost savings plans.
Departmental Expenditure Limit – Capital
Table 10
| 2020/21 Estimate £‘000 | 2020/21 Outturn £‘000 | Variance £‘000 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital | 13,500 | 12,525 | 975 |
The Authority has been able to utilize 93 per cent of its Capital funds throughout the year using this funding to continue to transform our IT systems; capitalise research where appropriate in the context of ESA10; invest in Census activities; ensure our buildings assets are safe and secure; and to ensure our estate reflects our changing requirements.
Depreciation and Amortisation
Table 11
| 2020/21 Estimate £‘000 | 2020/21 Outturn £‘000 | Variance £‘000 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Depreciation | 10,699 | 7,603 | 3,096 |
| Amortisation | 5,600 | 3,976 | 1,624 |
| Total | 16,299 | 11,579 | 4,720 |
The Authority has robust financial controls in place for asset management and we have been able to plan effectively for the utilisation of our assets. During the year we have continued to review our assets which verified the continued useful economic life.
Annually Managed Expenditure
Table 12
| 2020/21 Estimate £‘000 | 2020/21 Outturn £‘000 | Variance £‘000 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Annually Managed Expenditure – Resource | 22,300 | 9,971 | 12,329 |
The Annually Managed Expenditure saving is attributed to a reduction in provisions created during the period than that anticipated during the Estimate process. This is primarily related to the value of survey incentive vouchers issued to respondents, where the number redeemed and accrued for at 2020/21 year end exceeded expectations.
Included within the resource expenditure are staff costs which are analysed in the staff report. This shows the number of full-time equivalent staff (FTEs) and their costs, which include wages, social security and pension costs. Employees are Civil Servants to whom the conditions of the Superannuation Acts of 1965 and 1972 and subsequent amendments apply.
The Remuneration Report (page 76) and Civil Service Pensions (page 97) provide further information on the relevant schemes.
In accordance with IAS24 Related Party Disclosures, all executive directors, non– executive directors and deputy directors are required to complete declarations that they have not entered into agreements or undertaken any material transactions with a related party during the year. Further information is in note 17 of the accounts.
The accounts of the Authority are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General and his Certificate and Report to the House of Commons is presented in the Annual Accounts at pages 108 to 114.
The financial statements are audited in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) issued by the Accounting Practices Board, and in accordance with the Government Resource and Accounts Act 2000.
Audit fees charged in the accounts amount to £96,500 (2019/20 £93,000). There were no non-audit fees charged in 2020/21 (2019/20 £5,000).
Core Tables
Table 13
| 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outturn | Outturn | Outturn | Outturn | Outturn | Forecast | |
| £’000 | £’000 | £’000 | £’000 | £’000 | £’000 | |
| Resource DEL | ||||||
| Programme expenditure | 206,930 | 249,775 | 280,124 | 307,999 | 458,851 | 517,685 |
| Total resource DEL | 206,930 | 249,775 | 280,124 | 307,999 | 458,851 | 517,685 |
| Of which: | ||||||
| Staff costs1 | 150,322 | 151,537 | 167,311 | 188,809 | 252,780 | 311,055 |
| Purchases | 67,819 | 106,460 | 116,592 | 135,652 | 602,696 | 883,431 |
| Income | -29,445 | -29,565 | -25,493 | -30,311 | -408,204 | -693,100 |
| Current grants aboard (net) | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Depreciation2 | 6,367 | 10,573 | 10,480 | 7,576 | 7,603 | 16,299 |
| Amortisation | 11,867 | 10,770 | 11,234 | 6,273 | 3,976 | - |
| Resource AME | ||||||
| Provisions | 266 | -4,663 | 3,215 | -787 | 10,221 | 1,000 |
| Utilised provisions | -1,124 | -719 | -765 | -1,078 | -250 | - |
| Total resource AME | -858 | -5382 | 2,450 | -1,865 | 9,971 | 1,000 |
| Of which: | ||||||
| Take up of provisions | 365 | 499 | 3,215 | 2,348 | 10,791 | 1,000 |
| Release of provision | -1,124 | -5,162 | - | -3,135 | -570 | - |
| Utilisation of Provisions | - | -719 | -765 | -1,078 | -250 | - |
| Other | -99 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total resource budget | 206,072 | 244,393 | 282,574 | 306,134 | 468,822 | 518,685 |
| Of which: | ||||||
| Depreciation and | 18,234 | 21,343 | 21,714 | 13,849 | 11,579 | 16,299 |
| amortisation2 | ||||||
| Capital DEL | ||||||
| Programme expenditure | 19,028 | 17,118 | 17,556 | 6,835 | 12,525 | 10,000 |
| Total capital DEL | 19,028 | 17,118 | 17,556 | 6,835 | 12,525 | 10,000 |
| Of which: | ||||||
| Purchase of assets | 19,028 | 17,118 | 17,556 | 6,835 | 13,177 | 10,200 |
| Capital Grants Received | - | - | - | - | -652 | -200 |
| Capital AME | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total capital budget | 1,902 | 17,118 | 17,556 | 6,835 | 12,525 | 10,000 |
| Total departmental spending3 Of which:4 | 206,866 | 240,168 | 278,416 | 299,120 | 469,768 | 512,386 |
| Total DEL4 | 207,724 | 245,550 | 275,966 | 300,985 | 459,797 | 511,386 |
| Total AME | -858 | -5,382 | 2,450 | -1,865 | 9,971 | 1,000 |
The Statistics Board Total departmental spending, 2016/17
to 2021/22
- £2,077,000 of staff costs associated with research and development have been analysed as capital expenditure in the Core Tables in accordance with European System of Accounts 2010 Assets and Liabilities (ESA10).
- Includes impairments.
- Total departmental spending is the sum of the resource, AME and the capital budget excluding depreciation. Similarly total DEL is the sum of resource and capital DEL less depreciation. AME covers the cost of provisions.
- 2017/18 total departmental spending and DEL in the published accounts contained depreciation which has now been removed.
Table 14
| 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outturn | Outturn | Outturn | Outturn | Outturn | Forecast | |
| £’000 | £’000 | £’000 | £’000 | £’000 | £’000 | |
| Assets of which: | ||||||
| Non-current assets | 63 | 68 | 16 | 50 | 52 | 40 |
| Current assets | 19,663 | 21,451 | 21,878 | 24,723 | 132,310 | 66,213 |
| Intangible assets: | ||||||
| Software licences | 4,842 | 2,798 | 2,539 | 1,892 | 1,570 | 1,402 |
| In-house development and applications under construction | 22,603 | 18,401 | 12,397 | 9,646 | 10,006 | 8,926 |
| Tangible assets: | ||||||
| Property plant and equipment | 47,190 | 51,565 | 52,811 | 47,190 | 46,820 | 41,770 |
| 94,361 | 94,283 | 89,641 | 83,501 | 190,758 | 118,349 | |
| Current liabilities | -38,040 | -33,185 | -44,281 | -46,212 | -163,265 | -98,154 |
| Non-current liabilities | -527 | -2,009 | -4,148 | -2,556 | -2,390 | -2,501 |
| Capital employed | 55,794 | 59,089 | 41,212 | 34,733 | 25,103 | 17,694 |
- Capital employed is a measure of the value of the assets that add to the Authority’s ability to support its future business activities. It represents the Authority’s investment in its continuing operation. The significant increase in the Authority’s current assets and liabilities in 2020/21, is attributed to receivables and payables relating to the delivery of the COVID-19 Infection Survey.
Prompt payment target
The Authority is committed to both the Chartered Institute of Credit Management and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s prompt payment code. The policy sets out that all invoices should be paid in accordance with contractual conditions.
Where no conditions exist, payment will be made within 30 working days of the receipt of goods or services, or the presentation of a valid invoice, whichever is the later. We made payments in accordance with this policy in 95 per cent of transactions for the year ended 31 March 2021 (94 per cent in 2019/20). The performance is measured in accordance with HM Treasury guidelines.
In addition to the 30 days target we endeavor to pay small and medium sized enterprises within five days. We achieved payment in accordance with this policy in 82 per cent of transactions for the year, (83 per cent in 2019/20) compared to a target of 80 per cent.
Directors’ Report
The requirements of the Directors’ report are covered by the following:
The UK Statistics Authority is a non-ministerial department, operating at arm’s length from Government and reporting directly to Parliament and the devolved legislatures. The Cabinet Office retains residual ministerial responsibilities for the UK Statistics Authority.
The composition of the Authority Board and its sub-committees is set out in the Governance Statement (pages 53 to 68).
The Executive Directors of the UK Statistics Authority are set out in the Remuneration Report (pages 76 to 84).
The Authority maintains a Register of the Interests of its Board members. The Register of Interests is maintained on the UK Statistics Authority website at: https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/about-the-authority/board-and-committees
It is updated at least annually. The onus is on individual members of the Authority to determine other interests that should be disclosed and to make known to the Chair and secretariat any subsequent changes in those interests. At the start of every meeting of the Authority Board, members will be asked to declare any interests in the business on the agenda. Members should similarly make an interest known should it arise during the business of the meeting.
Personal data related incidents are described in the Governance Statement (page 63).
Other disclosures are promulgated by HM Treasury through Public Expenditure System papers.
Financial reporting to Parliament
This report forms part of the annual reporting process to Parliament. Further, and as part of the reporting process the Authority also prepares estimates of its expenditure with the Main Estimate in the early part of the financial year, and the Supplementary Estimate normally published in February. Details can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-main-estimates
Engagement and Transparency
The Authority believes that transparency is a key condition and driver for the delivery of our services. As a publicly funded organisation, we have a duty to our stakeholders to be transparent about our business operations and outcome.
To provide transparency across its operations the Authority published information which is regularly updated on its own website and/or the UKSA website.
This includes:
- expenses and hospitality received by board members and senior directors
- organisation charts
- details of senior and junior posts and senior staff salaries
- details of payments to suppliers each month over £25,000
- monthly prompt payment information
- exception reporting
The Authority has a central email enquiry point, authority.enquiries@statistics.gov.uk. Enquiry handling is managed by the Secretariat. There is also a central telephone enquiry line 0845 604 1857.
The Authority operates transparently and openly. It publishes the minutes and papers of its meetings, and correspondence regarding issues of public concern and information about other aspects of its work on its website www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk
Contractual arrangements
The Authority continues to work with circa. 250 suppliers to deliver its business. All contracts are tiered using a segregation tool that follows Government Commercial Operating Standards (GCOS) best practice and this allows the Authority to determine the level of engagement to successfully deliver the required contractual outcomes.
The segregation tool categorises contracts into 3 tiers: gold; silver; and bronze, where gold receives the highest level of input and scrutiny from commercial contract managers. Evenly allocated across both Census and Corporate requirements, gold contracts are considered key to delivering operational goals. Key Census suppliers have signed a Partnering Charter outlining the programme objectives, benefits of partnering and the partners duties. This year has also seen the introduction of additional key contracts through the COVID-19 Infection Survey.
Supplier performance is reviewed in accordance with Government Procurement Guidelines including monthly reviews to strategically monitor the financial stability of the business, Key Performance Indicators, and to share lessons learned to improve delivery across the whole portfolio. Increased focus is now being placed on social value within a contract, with evaluation criteria being specifically designed to cater for its inclusion. With this, both the Authority’s and wider Government contracts can continue to be increasingly beneficial for the local communities they serve.
The COVID-19 Infection Survey contract was originally let during a particularly trying and difficult period using emergency clauses of the Public Contracts Regulations. However, to drive value for the public purse, the Authority has worked closely with Cabinet Office to run a procurement for the successor to the existing contract. The outcome of which is expected early in financial year 2021/22. This procurement looks closely at the quality of a supplier’s provision as well as social value elements mentioned previously.
The recently introduced Commercial Insights team play a leading role in monitoring supplier financial standing to support contract managers, as well as standardising process throughout the whole commercial cycle to improve supplier engagement. Engaging the market will continue to be key in driving value throughout the commercial cycle.
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