Over recent weeks States Members have fired a number of shots at the Chief Minister and his government for failing to make available details of plans for spending and for millions of pounds’ worth of efficiencies.
Now, government chief executive Charlie Parker has confirmed that more details will emerge later this week and said savings would come from ‘back office’ cuts rather than redundancies.
The Government Plan, which outlines government spending and efficiencies over the next four years, is due to be debated in November.
During a Scrutiny panel meeting this week, Mr Parker also took aim at some civil servants for not making decisions and doing their jobs correctly.
He explained that discussions had taken place and mechanisms for how the first £32 million of savings would be made would be supplied to Scrutiny members.
Details on further planned savings were due to follow, Mr Parker said.
He added that if the Government Plan was not agreed it would affect its ability to achive the required savings.
Mr Parker was questioned in the meeting on a number of elements of the efficiencies and changes that have been made in the government, with Scrutiny panel chairwoman Senator Sarah Ferguson stating the panel was pleased with progress in the government’s financial management.
On the savings that have been identified within the Government Plan, Mr Parker added that the Council of Ministers wanted to make efficiencies in back-office functions, rather than redundancies, and that was what the plan would do.
Addressing planned spending on a technology transformation plan, Mr Parker addressed comments from States Members questioning this, saying it could have been done for four times the cost.
In the Government Plan £42 million is planned to be spent on the technology programme over four years.
He said: ‘I have heard it said – I’m not suggesting this is all States Members – that this seems an awful lot of money; should we do it? Actually, it is not a lot of money.
‘Our initial assessment about what was required to bring the States up to where it should be was probably four times that amount.
‘Long-term investment is required for ten to 15 years and investment in IT will continue.’
Questioned about risks and leadership within the workforce, Mr Parker said some civil servants were not making decisions they should be and doing the job they should be, and training was being given around that.
He said: ‘Some people use things as an excuse not to do things.
‘Not that long ago a senior member of staff blamed everybody for something other than themselves for it, and it was because of two things they should have done.’
