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Embargoed: 22:30 Wednesday 30th April 2025
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Analysis of four major government projects reveals £6.2 billion in cost overruns and 3,372 days of delays.
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Just 11 per cent of all major government projects tracked by the Infrastructure Projects Authority were deemed likely to succeed in 2024, down from 48 per cent in 2013.
- TPA calls on politicians to bring control of significant government projects under greater ministerial control, as part of a new campaign, “Britain’s Quangos Uncovered
As part of Britain’s Quangos Uncovered, a TaxPayers’ Alliance project exposing the sprawling influence of Britain’s quangocracy, new research reveals £6.2 billion in cost overruns and 3,372 days (over nine years) of delays across four major projects, three of which have been mishandled by quangos: the Lower Thames Crossing, Houses of Parliament restoration, NHS digitalisation.
Costing £220 per household, these failures reflect systemic issues, with only 11 per cent of a wider range of major projects rated likely to succeed in 2024 by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, down from 48 per cent in 2013. Of 227 major projects tracked with a total cost of £834 billion, the report found that 84 per cent face significant issues or are unlikely to succeed. The Lower Thames Crossing alone is £3.85 billion over budget and delayed by 1,937 days.
The Houses of Parliament restoration has already cost £377 million, with no plan approved, and estimates now reach £22 billion. NHS digitalisation, vital for patient care, is £1.1 billion in and two years late, while rail passenger services are £3 billion over budget and delayed by 533 days, although this is the direct responsibility of the Department for Transport.
These overruns, the report finds, stem from poor strategic direction, inefficient planning, and weak accountability, often because these decisions have been outsourced to quangos.
Quangos tasked with delivering major projects are failing taxpayers through gross mismanagement and bureaucratic bloat. National Highways has squandered £297 million on the Lower Thames Crossing, with the planning application now weighing two tonnes. The Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority has frittered away £377 million with no approved plan, hampered by weak leadership. NHS England’s digitalisation efforts, vital for patient care, limp along with sluggish progress despite £1.1 billion spent.
The TPA is calling for robust forecasting, an expanded Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects framework, penalties for failing project leaders to protect taxpayers and for politicians to bring major projects under greater ministerial control.
Key findings:
- The total overrun of the Lower Thames Crossing, Houses of Parliament renovation, NHS digitalisation and rail passenger services is 3,372 days or over nine years, at a cost of over £6.2 billion or £220 per household.
- The Infrastructure and Projects Authority has a total of 227 projects listed in its 2023-24 report. Of these, 163 are listed as amber, meaning they will be completed but with significant issues, and 27 are listed as red, meaning the delivery of a successful project is unlikely.
- Some projects are not included in the assessment due to various exemptions. This means that almost 84 per cent of all major projects are running with significant issues.
- The planning application and subsequent response to questions for the Lower Thames Crossing is 360,000 pages long. If printed on A4 paper, it would weigh almost two tonnes.
- The over-budget cost of the Rail Passenger Services programme could pay for 37 days of free travel in London for all five million London Underground passengers who use the service daily
- The 533-day delay to the Rail Passenger Services Programme is enough time to travel the full route of the Trans-Siberian Express 76 times.
Callum McGoldrick, researcher at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:
"Major infrastructure projects in Britain are now defined by their sluggishness and extraordinary costs, yet ministers frequently have little power to change things given they are often managed by quangos.
“Investment in infrastructure is a positive goal as it can be a key driver for economic growth, but when done wrong, as is so often the case in modern Britain, then it is hard-working Brits who suffer the consequences.
“If this government wants to get Britain building again, it needs to knuckle down on reforming the system to reduce delays and make sure that decision-makers are held to account. In particular, major projects need to come under greater ministerial oversight.”
TPA spokespeople are available for live and pre-recorded broadcast interviews via 07795 084 113 (no texts)
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