Massive budget cut plan is abandoned

The Public Accounts Committee shelved their amendment to the 2008 Business Plan after Chief Minister Frank Walker promised to provide extra resources to a panel reviewing value for money across the public sector. The Council of Ministers had strongly opposed the amendment, which would have cut £12m from next year’s budget and £116m over the next five years. But in the end, States Members did not have to vote on it. They had heard Senator Walker promise to assist the ‘value for money’ review panel of Deputies John Le Fondré, Ian Gorst and Alan Maclean with resources to help them find further efficiency savings, after protesting that ministers did not get enough credit for the £35m worth of savings they had already made. Public Accounts Committee chairman Sarah Ferguson maintained that the committee was right to bring the amendment, but said that she would not take it to a vote.