Spending watchdog to examine scrapping of £1bn carbon capture plan

National Audit Office to investigate taxpayer value for money in George Osborne's scrapping of CCS and question plans to secure UK energy supply

The National Audit Office is to investigate George Osborne's decision to scrap a 1bn prototype carbon capture scheme which cost the taxpayer at least 60m, a letter seen by the Guardian shows.

The spending watchdog said it would be looking into the expenses incurred in running, and then prematurely halting, a CCS auction. It will also examine how the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) plans to secure the country's future energy needs.