Dominic Raab’s division wasted ‘staggering’ £238 million on array of botched initiatives final yr

Dominic Raab’s division wasted a “staggering” £238m final yr, in keeping with new figures – a rise of 14 occasions on the yr earlier than.

Labour referred to as for an pressing Nationwide Audit Workplace investigation into the losses on the Ministry of Justice, which have been pushed by overspends value tens of thousands and thousands of kilos on an array of ill-advised or bungled initiatives.

The largest-ticket merchandise driving up the extent of waste was £98.2m on a brand new case administration system for digital tagging of criminals – which was then scrapped earlier than it might be used.

The division additionally needed to pay an additional £72.1m HMRC as a result of it had incorrectly reported the employment standing of a few of its employees, being hit with an extra £15m penalty for breaching the foundations.

And £14m was paid to personal contractors operating probation companies for the division breaking their contracts early, regardless that these firms had did not hit their targets to scale back re-offending.

Humiliatingly, HM Courts and Tribunals Service then spent £18m on a software program system to handle circumstances which was so dangerous that courts workers are actually threatening strike motion over it.

Mr Raab took over operating the ministry in September final yr, changing Robert Buckland, who had held the position since 2019.

Steve Reed, Labour’s shadow justice secretary, stated the figures, put collectively by the opposition, confirmed that Mr Raab was unable to manage his ministry.

“This excessive tax, soft-on-crime Conservative Authorities has but once more wasted lots of of thousands and thousands of taxpayers’ cash,” he stated.

“It provides to a rising cost sheet together with document courtroom backlogs that see victims fail to get justice, pitifully low convictions for rape, and a medication epidemic in prisons. It’s one other reminder that Justice Secretary Dominic Raab has no grip on his Division.

“The Nationwide Audit Workplace wants to analyze urgently so taxpayers can see simply why a lot public cash has been thrown away.”

The opposition has in latest months focused the federal government over waste and misspending of public funds – beforehand specializing in the dealing with of emergency pandemic contracts.

Mr Reed reiterated the Labour promise to create an unbiased Workplace for Worth for Cash to scrutinise authorities spending.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson stated: “Attaining worth for cash for taxpayers is a key consideration in all our decision-making and the division has at all times stayed inside its spending funds.

“Now we have improved public security by bringing ahead reforms designed to assist shield the general public by lowering re-offending and chopping crime and offering swift entry to justice.