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Whole of Government Accounts

31 October 2012

Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) is a consolidated set of financial statements for the UK public sector. It consolidates the audited accounts of over 1,500 organisations across the public sector, including central government departments, local authorities, devolved administrations, the health service, academies and public corporations, in order to produce a comprehensive, accounts-based picture of the fiscal position in any one year.

WGA is based on EU adopted International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the system of accounts used internationally by the private sector, as adapted or interpreted for the public sector context, and is similar in presentation to private sector accounts. It complements the National Accounts figures, produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), by providing a set of financial statements based on standards familiar to users of private sector accounts.  It makes clear a number of metrics that previously had been difficult to calculate, such as the net public service pension liability, the Government’s commitments under Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts, total provisions, and contingent liabilities. In particular, the account includes:

• a consolidated Statement of Revenue and Expenditure;
• a consolidated Statement of Financial Position, showing public sector assets and liabilities;
• a consolidated Cash Flow Statement; and 
• a Statement on Internal Control.

The aim of WGA is to enable Parliament and the public better to understand and scrutinise how taxpayers’ money is spent.  By presenting the public finances in a framework familiar to the commercial and accountancy professions, WGA increases transparency and accessibility of information about public finances.

2010-11 Whole of Government Accounts

Attached below is the Whole of Government Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2011.

• Whole of Government Accounts 2010-11 (PDF 2.6MB)
• Whole of Government Accounts 2010-11 press notice

2010-11 WGA Unaudited Summary Report

The WGA Unaudited Summary Report for the year ended 31 March 2011 was published on 12 July 2012.  It provided the Office of Budget Responsibility with the best available evidence on which to base its analysis of the public sector balance sheet for its Fiscal Sustainability Report published at the same time as this summary report.
Attached below is the Unaudited Summary Report for the year ended 31 March 2011:

• Whole of Government Accounts unaudited summary report 2010-11 [PDF 332KB)
• Whole of Government Accounts unaudited summary report 2010-11 press notice
• Written Ministerial Statement by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury: Fiscal Sustainability Report (PDF 44KB)

Previous Whole of Government Accounts

• Whole of Government Accounts 2009-10 (PDF 2MB)
• Whole of Government Accounts unaudited summary report 2009-10 (PDF 607KB)

Guidance for preparers

• Guidance for bodies required to prepare WGA returns

Acts of Parliament and Statutory Instruments

For England and Wales

The following links are to the OPSI website and all open in a new window

• The Whole of Government Accounts (Designation of Bodies) Order 2011
• Designation Order 2010
• Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000
• Explanatory Notes to Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000
• Statutory Instrument 2000 No. 3349 (C.111) The Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000 (Commencement No. 1 and Transitional Provision) Order 2000
• Section 11 Commencement
• Specified Dates order

For Scotland and Northern Ireland

• The Whole of Government Accounts (Designation of Bodies) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011
• Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000
• Explanatory Notes to Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000
• Government Resources and Accounts Act (Northern Ireland) 2001
• Explanatory Notes to Government Resources and Accounts Act (Northern Ireland) 2001

Some of the above documents are available in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). If you do not have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer you can download the software free of charge from the Adobe website.

For alternative ways to read PDF documents and further information on website accessibility visit the HM Treasury accessibility page.

Contact

• Email: wga.team@hmtreasury.gsi.gov.uk
• Address: Whole of Government Accounts, Financial Management and Reporting Group, HM Treasury, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ

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