Watchdog's record

The National Audit Office claimed that every pounds 1 it spent scrutinising Whitehall departments saved the taxpayer pounds 7. Work by the public-sector watchdog resulted in record savings of pounds 266m in 1993-94. The NAO annual report said that among its discoveries were Benefit Agency errors over income support: overpayments to claimants amounted to pounds 465m and underpayments to pounds 136m.