Former deputy prime minister, Lord Heseltine, has called for the Audit Commission to widen its remit to monitor all central as well as local government spending. Speaking at the launch of a book to mark its 25th anniversary, the former Conservative environment secretary said: ‘The job is only half done. The Audit Commission should look at the Government's spending. ‘There is no real, effective control of the vast expenditure of central government.' And he slated the Commons Public Accounts Committee adding: ‘The PAC only looks at things that have happened. It can't look forward.' Lord Heseltine, who as environment secretary in 1979 was in charge of local government and the architect of the Audit Commission, revealed the organisation was launched after a long battle with sceptical Whitehall mandarins. He said: ‘I had not expected opposition from my colleagues, least of all those at the Treasury. It took a year to wear the Treasury down. ‘There's only one word in the Treasury – and that's "no".' In the book on the commission, Follow The Money, author Duncan Campbell-Smith reveals that even 25 years ago, the environment secretary believed the commission could also monitor Whitehall central expenditure, but ‘his colleagues soon stamped on that idea.' Lord Heseltine was also scathing about the calibre of ministers, telling guests: ‘Running a great government department is the most stretching of managerial jobs and yet, how many ministers have run anything at all?' The former Conservative deputy prime minister was guest speaker at the launch attended by most of the commission's former chief executives and chairman, including Sir John Banham, Sir Howard Davies, James Strachan and Sir Michael Lyons. The commission funded the author to write the book which is published by Allen Lane. * Follow The Money: The Audit Commission, Public Money And The Management Of Public Services 1983-2008. Duncan Campbell-Smith. Allen Lane, Penguin Books. £25.
