One consequence of dealing with public money is that the use of it can, rightly, be heavily scrutinised. Are you spending legitimately? Have you appraised all options? Are you achieving value for money?

The need to be able to answer these questions when asked can lead to delay and the appearance of bureaucracy, although anyone who has successfully defended a judicial review will have thanked the investment in paperwork that underpinned such a success.

So, we create our business cases built around HM Treasury’s Green Book strictures; we appraise our options; we debate the best (or least worst) way forward; we navigate scrutiny by opposition politicians and public alike. And eventually we proceed and progress like the good public servants we are.