This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Extra £9.5m for government modernisation
06/12/2002
A range of innovative partnership projects aimed at
modernising government and improving access to public
services were announced today.
In addition, the Minister for Finance and Public
Services announced an extra £9.5 million under the second
round of the Modernising Government Fund, bringing the
total package to £39.5 million over two years.
Attending a MGF showcase exhibition in Paisley, Mr Kerr
was given first hand demonstrations of current projects
supported by the Fund. He also met front line staff who are
using the new systems to deliver better services to their
customers.
Mr Kerr said:
"I am delighted to announce details of the £39.5
Modernising Government Fund package including the
additional £9.5m. The increased funding is in direct
response to the innovative partnership approach taken to
develop these projects throughout the public sector in
Scotland. A significant amount of joint working will take
place to deliver Scotland wide solutions to modernise
public services for everyone.
"We must make the most of the economies of scale that
can be delivered by joined up public services. It is very
encouraging that all of the projects we will be supporting
involve public organisations working together. To provide
convenient services to young people and older people alike;
to provide secure information sharing between health and
social workers helping to prevent vulnerable people from
falling through the system; to rationalise customer records
that will remove needless form filling and cut down on
unnecessary journeys to public offices and to use new
technology to improve land and property management across
Scotland.
"There is a high level of commitment among public sector
bodies to modernisation and this funding reflects our
recognition of that. The package of projects identified,
satisfy not only our common national priorities but also
the priorities that impact on local service delivery.
"It is this joining up of the public sector that will
significantly enhance our capability to provide services
that are convenient to the public and ensure that customers
always remain the primary focus.
"I am totally committed to the improvement of our public
services and these projects and the injection of new money,
over the next two years, will help make that happen."
Mr Kerr attended the MGF showcase exhibition, which was
run alongside the COSLA Convention in Paisley. Ministers
approved a funding package of £39.5m to support all of the
projects - to be announced at the COSLA Convention on 6 Dec
2002.
In June 2000 details of £16 million for MGF2 were
announced in the Budget statement (£15m for 2002/03 and £1m
for 2003/04). The Fund is intended to encourage innovative
ways of providing services that are responsive to the needs
of the public and to deliver improvements in public
services across a range of areas.
In addition to the original details of the Fund
previously announced, on 6 February Cabinet agreed to
commit up to a further £15m for 2003-04, subject to review
in the light of demand. This made the potential Fund up to
£30m over two years.
Demand on the Fund was £49.5m. The bidders were
encouraged to form partnerships, develop common projects
and deliver some economies of scale and this reduced demand
to £39.5m.