This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Audit Scotland report on efficient government
19/12/2006
Audit Scotland today published its report into the Executive's Efficient Government Initiative.
The report examines the work carried out in the first year (2005/06) of the three year programme to reduce waste, bureaucracy and duplication in the public sector and reinvest the gains into producing world-class public services for the people of Scotland.
Mr McCabe said:
"We welcome the fact that this Audit Scotland report confirms that our Efficient Government Initiative is progressing and is delivering efficiencies that would not otherwise be achieved.
"We have already delivered efficiency gains of £442 million in the first year of the initiative - outstripping our target.
"However, we are not complacent and will continue to work to deliver better efficiency across all layers of government in Scotland. We recognise the challenge of delivering efficiencies whilst maintaining service quality and we will continue to work towards meeting this ambitious objective.
"As the Audit Scotland report reiterates, we have recognised from the outset that we - and indeed all governments - face significant challenges in measuring efficiencies in public services. We have been working closely with Audit Scotland and will continue to do so in our efforts to improve the openness and transparency of our efficiency agenda."
The Efficient Government Plan, outlining the Efficient Government three year programme, was published in November 2004.
For more details go to: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2004/11/20318/47372
To read the Executive's Efficient Government Outturn report, go to:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/09/efficientgovernment