Is the government delivering its big projects?
The Infrastructure Projects Authority independently rates every major government project from Green (on track) to Red (in serious trouble). These are the projects your taxes are funding — and whether they're being delivered on time and on budget.
HS2
Originally scoped as a full London–Manchester network. The Manchester leg was cancelled in Oct 2023. Phase 1 (London–Birmingham) alone now costs more than the entire original estimate.
Source: NAO 2023 →Hinkley Point C
EDF's 2016 estimate was £18bn. By 2024, estimates ranged from £25bn to £46bn. Still years from completion. UK electricity consumers will fund the overrun via a fixed-price 'strike rate' deal.
Source: NAO 2024 →Universal Credit
The 2010 business case estimated £2.4bn. After multiple IT resets, delayed rollout and rising administration costs, cumulative spend exceeded £22bn by 2023. The PAC called it 'one of the government's most troubled IT programmes'.
Source: NAO UC reports →NHS National Programme for IT
Launched in 2003 to digitise NHS patient records nationally. Cancelled in 2011 after 8 years. £12.7bn spent. The core national patient record system was never delivered. Named one of the costliest IT failures in history.
Source: NAO 2011 →