Government is expected to miss savings target by £12m

Government is expected to miss savings target by £12m

The £12 million shortfall was revealed in the Government Plan six-monthly update, which outlines progress on meeting the target and other aspects of the plan, which sets spending targets in detail for this year and in outline for the subsequent three.

The document also shows that staff costs for the office of the chief executive have increased by £1 million and states that the performance to budget has been significantly affected by Covid-19.

It says that the unrealised savings will now be carried over and added to the 2021 target. It also reveals that spending plans have been reined in as a result of the financial position. Whereas core or essential spending is being actioned as planned, some ‘growth’ or extra spending on new projects and schemes is being put off.

In response to the six-month update, Senator Kristina Moore, the Island’s most senior backbench scrutineer and a former Home Affairs Minister, has repeated calls for Mr Parker’s appraisal to be published without further delay.

Last week, Senator Moore wrote an open letter to Chief Minister John Le Fondré calling for an explanation as to why an official assessment of his performance had not yet been published, despite assurances that it would be by the end of July.

Senator Moore, who is head of the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel, first pursued the matter two months ago, pointing out that last year the report, which was carried out by business psychologist Dr John Nicholson, was produced by the end of June.

Senator Kristina Moore (29125894)

Senator Le Fondré said in a letter dated 16 July that he would provide a ‘statement’ on the chief executive’s appraisal once it had been concluded.

Senator Moore said: ‘It is so important that this is published. It’s an important part of a Chief Minister’s role to hold his chief executive to account.

‘This is especially so because the six-month progress update on the Government Plan has now been published. If you look at the area of efficiencies the target of £40 million for 2020 is forecast to be missed by £12.25 million, which is more than a quarter.’

She added: ‘There was an increase of £1 million of staff costs in the office of the chief executive, while there are considerable vacancies in other departments. There is, for example, a 50% shortfall in certain areas, such as Treasury and Exchequer.

‘I would like to see the appraisal published immediately because there are a lot of questions which need to be asked about efficiencies and the culture programme in terms of what has actually been achieved.’

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The Government Plan’s report on the efficiencies scheme says: ‘As with the Government’s common strategic priorities, delivery of the efficiencies programme has been also impacted by the emergency pandemic response for a range of reasons.

‘[This includes] resources having to be redeployed from delivery of efficiency projects to the Covid-19 response. Along with reductions of some services and the costs of temporary staff to support the work of Covid-19, not all of the original programme has progressed as planned.

‘Nevertheless, despite these challenges, much has been achieved and, through the application of the delivery plan A, B, C approach, as previously referenced in the 2020 efficiency report, savings as required will be achieved by the end of 2020.’

The government was contacted for further comment.

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