I have received a response to my Freedom of Information request about the Universal Credit Business Case. I asked:
”(a) What is the expected timetable for the submission and approval of the Outline Business Case and the Final Business Case?
(b) When will the business cases be published and subject to public scrutiny?”
The Treasury response referred me to Sharon White’s oral evidence to the Public Accounts Committee last year, which I’d already cited in my query, but continued:
The first stage of this process, the Strategic Outline Business Case, was agreed for Universal Credit in September 2014. The next step, the Outline Business Case, is currently with Treasury Ministers for approval. The Full Business Case will follow for Ministerial approval by the end of 2017. This is in line with the process within Government and a Programme of the scale and complexity of Universal Credit.
With regards to your second question, I can confirm that the Government is not planning to publish the Universal Credit Business Case. The Government does not generally publish internal business cases.
Additional note: It appears, from evidence to the Public Accounts Committee, that the Ouline Business Case had actually been approved shortly before this letter was sent. The PAC was rather surprised to hear this, too.
Is it me, or does this look like money for old rope and a scheme – UC – that may never get off the ground?