Government Legal Department
GLDs Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 was presented to the House of Commons today, Thursday 8 June 2023.
Treasury Solicitor and GLDs Permanent Secretary Susanna McGibbon has reflected on the past year in her Chief Executive Report, commenting:
It has been an outstanding year. As you can see from the case studies in this report, GLD has played a critical and high-profile role at times of national, societal and constitutional significance. From the Windsor Agreement to energy security, industrial relations to the establishment of the COVID 19 Inquiry, GLDs lawyers have supported the government across a range of challenging issues.
The report integrates performance and financial data to help readers gain a better understanding of the work of GLD, covering activities between 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 and is split into three main sections:
- The Performance Report:
The Performance Report includes a summary of the departments purpose, strategy and activities (the Performance Overview) followed by a review of progress against our performance measures and key priorities (the Performance Analysis).
- The Accountability Report that includes:
A Corporate Governance Report, which includes the Directors Report, the Statement of Accounting Officers responsibilities, and a Governance Statement.
A Remuneration and Staff Report, which includes pay and benefits received by executive and non-executive Board members and details of staff numbers and costs.
A Parliamentary Accountability and Audit Report, which includes a copy of the Audit Certificate and Report made to the House of Commons by the Comptroller and Auditor General setting out his opinion on the financial statements and other information in the Annual Report.
- The Financial Statements
This shows GLDs income and expenditure for the financial year, the financial position of GLD as of 31 March 2023 and additional information designed to help readers understand these results.
GLD is responsible for delivering legal services to the government, so that it may deliver on its priorities. Our life changing law is at the heart of every Act laid in parliament and legal case involving the government and impacts the lives of citizens up and down the country.
Every year clients are asked to feedback on the service they have received from GLD and this year 95% of our clients rated our services as Good or Excellent.
The report provides case studies of some of the outstanding achievements and work from colleagues across the department.
Some of the work government lawyers have delivered in the past year includes the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. Lawyers in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) Legal Advisers formed part of the team that designed and launched the Homes for Ukraine Scheme in March 2022. The scheme matched Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion with sponsors in the UK willing to offer them somewhere to live and help them access support on arrival.
Lawyers in the Department for Work and Pensions Legal Advisers delivered primary legislation in the form of the Social Security (Additional Payments) Act 2022 which enabled payments worth 15bn to be made to millions of low-income families and disabled people. This required effective collaborative working with a cross-government team, comprising devolved administrations, 5 government departments and policy colleagues.
The report also provides case studies on the Just Stop Oil Protests, Punitive Tariffs on Russia and Belarus, Migration and Economic Development Partnership between the United Kingdom and Rwanda and Online Divorce.
For more information continue reading:
HM Procurator General & Treasury Solicitor Annual Report 2022-23 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Government Legal Department Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
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