Early action intervention programmes could deliver better outcomes and efficiencies if the Government overcame short-term thinking and took bold long-term decisions, spending watchdogs have reported.

A National Audit Office report issued today finds the strongest projects aimed at either preventing social or health problems happening or from getting worse deliver returns of £4 for every £1 spent.

The landscape survey, which looks at early intervention in the ares of health, education and youth crime, finds spending by the departments of health, education, Home Office and Ministry of Justice has remained steady at around £12bn, equal to 6% of their budgets.

However, the auditors stated short-term thinking, a lack of integration in many areas and poor evidence gathering are hampering efforts to implement early action across Whitehall.

Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office said: ‘A concerted shift away from reactive spending towards early action has the potential to result in better outcomes, reduce public spending over the long term and achieve greater value for money.

‘Government has signalled its commitment to early action as a principle, and taken some tentative steps towards realising that ambition.  There remains room for improvement, however.' 

Graham Allen MP, chair of the early intervention foundation said early intervention ‘is the biggest deficit reduction programme available to the UK because of the massive savings that it produces'.

‘The Treasury now have to take this evidence much more seriously and build in the Early Intervention culture. Instead of continuing to throw money wastefully at problems far too late, they should respond positively to the recommendations in the report,' Mr Allen said.